King of Hollywood

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Having a friend like Claude was truly a blessing. With this thought, Adrian shrugged, motioned for the waiter to refill his coffee, and continued sketching in his notebook. He was drawing storyboards for his first film. Many low-budget, high-box-office films filled his mind, but none matched the low cost of what was in his hands.

He could have done the drawing at home, but he had originally planned to meet with Claude and then have dinner together. But this guy had the nerve to say: "I don't want to go eat dinner alone with a guy!" And then he teased Adrian on his way out, saying: "I don't understand why you always want to meet in this tiny, shabby café."

Damn guy, what about this café was small or shabby? It was not only clean and tidy, but also had good service and a nice view outside. He had been here before... Adrian thought indignantly about the café. Then he paused for a moment and shook his head with a laugh. He had integrated well; after a few months, he had fully adapted. It was good not to carry too much of the past.

"Is this... your drawing?" A voice sounded from nearby.

Adrian looked up to see a sharply defined face in front of him, around 18 to 30 years old, very handsome yet carrying a sense of world-weariness, likely attracting many women and certain men to the café. The man stared at the drawing in Adrian's hand without blinking, seemingly captivated.

"Do you have any comments?" Adrian asked with curiosity.

"Oh, no, nothing," the man quickly replied, somewhat nervously filling Adrian's coffee. "I apologize if I disturbed you. Please don't... report me."

Adrian shook his head with a laugh, "I won't. But, can you understand my drawing?"

"Yes, sir," the man nodded. "Even though the lines are simple, I can tell you're drawing film storyboards."

Surprised that the man could actually understand, Adrian's expression shifted to astonishment. The young man then explained: "I have played small roles in some films, so I can generally understand them."

Even more surprised, Adrian's interest was piqued: "What have you noticed?"

"Sorry, it's just that your storyboard reminded me of some past memories, not that I noticed anything specific," the man said honestly. "I haven't reached the level of being able to tell a movie's quality from such simple storyboards."

"Some past memories? If you don't mind..." Adrian glanced at his name tag, "Mr. Knight, could you share?"

"There's not much to tell, sir. Four years ago, at 16, I came to this city with dreams of stardom, but now I can only make a living working in a café," Knight said with a tone filled with desolation.

Adrian immediately understood. Hollywood was a Vanity Fair constantly drawing in men and women yearning for overnight fame. Sadly, if even one in a hundred became a signed actor, it would be quite an achievement. More often were those like Mr. Dennis Knight here, whose dreams were shattered and now made a living through odd jobs.

Yet, with Dennis's quality, he should have easily gained attention, shouldn't he? Adrian pondered this by narrowing his eyes. Even though he had only directed small dramas in his previous life, having watched so many films, he had developed an eye for people. Dennis wasn't particularly handsome but had a distinctively rugged charm, quite moldable, especially since he was only 20. If anyone were to be compared, he somewhat resembled Brad Pitt.

Seeing his look of desolation, it was clear he had been through something. Adrian shook his head subtly. Perhaps out of curiosity or maybe just joking, he said spontaneously: "I'm preparing my first film and need someone with acting experience for a role. Are you interested in trying?"

Dennis, who was gathering his things, immediately froze, looked at Adrian for a while, then nodded: "No problem."

Adrian raised an eyebrow in surprise: "Aren't you worried I might be a fraud?"

"You don't seem like a fraud, sir," Knight shrugged, "And even if you were, what does it matter? It couldn't be worse than now, and you're not gay."

This guy... it was a good thing Adrian hadn't taken a sip of coffee. His interest in Dennis grew further: "Then it's settled. Here's my business card. Also, give me your phone number; I'll be calling you soon."

He snapped his fingers, flashing an enigmatic smile: "You're lucky, kid. From now on, if I choose, I can turn anyone into a superstar!"

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Laverne Mayer hurried into the meeting room and sat in his spot, glancing at his colleagues. Though most maintained expressionless faces, the anxiety in their eyes was unmistakable. He couldn't help but sigh; no one knew what attitude the new boss would have towards them after the company was acquired.

Reflecting on this left Laverne feeling a bit melancholic. He had been the general manager of this film company for almost seven years and found it hard to accept emotionally that the company was being acquired. Bossworth Film Company, though small, was established in the 1960s and had weathered many storms. It wouldn't have been sold if the boss's son hadn't needed liquidity after inheriting the company.

With the sound of footsteps, a young man in his twenties to thirties appeared at the conference room door, smiling. His sharp features carried an indescribable softness, adding handsomeness to his somewhat rugged face.

"Ladies and gentlemen, hello." The young man sat at the head seat, "I am Adrian Cowell, the new chairman of Bossworth Film Company. I know everyone is worried right now. Perhaps I'll make sweeping reforms, and some might lose their jobs. But I assure you, for at least six months, I won't interfere with the company's operations or casually dismiss any of the gentlemen or ladies present."

Although they couldn't determine the credibility of these words, knowing the new boss still had more to say, everyone present, including Laverne, felt a slight relief in their hearts.

"However, in the next six months, I will evaluate you. As long as you earn my approval, I'm not opposed to giving you all a raise. Of course, if you don't meet the standards, then unfortunately..." The new boss's words tightened a few people's chests as they looked towards General Manager Laverne.

Hesitating a bit before following everyone's unspoken wish to probe, Laverne was interrupted by Adrian's voice again: "That's it for today; Mr. Mayer, please stay behind. The rest may leave."

Soon, only two people were left in the meeting room. Despite its size, it felt a bit empty.

"Mr. Laverne Mayer—May I call you Laverne? Thank you." Adrian smiled and nodded, "I've reviewed your profile. You are an excellent general manager. If it weren't for this company's shortcomings, you could have achieved something remarkable. If possible, could you tell me why you resigned from being an assistant to the president at Paramount seven years ago to work here at a small company?"

"The world is not fair, Mr. Adrian." Laverne shrugged without elaborating. He believed his new boss, having seen his profile, probably knew how things had gone for him at Paramount. "As for why I came to Bossworth Film Company and stayed for seven years, it was because my father had some connections with old Mr. Bossworth—does that satisfy your curiosity?"

"Very satisfying," Adrian laughed heartily, "Alright, Laverne, no need to worry. As I said, I won't interfere with company affairs for six months, and I will stick to that."

"If I may, could you reveal a bit about your plans, Mr. Adrian?" Laverne asked.

Adrian gazed at him for a few seconds, then smiled slightly: "It's simple. I'm going to the United Kingdom to create and direct a low-budget film, planning to complete shooting and post-production within two months, and then submit it to the Venice Film Festival in August. So I'd like you to help arrange a few familiar faces for me."

"Sorry, did you say..." Laverne looked at Adrian in disbelief; he had not expected the new boss to be someone who enjoyed personally directing films.

"You heard correctly," Adrian nodded firmly, "Within two months, I will direct and produce a B-movie with a budget not exceeding 200,000 US Dollars, and submit it to Venice. Although this is my first time directing and producing, I am confident that the film's box office will be hundreds of times its budget."

"Sounds... impressive." Laverne rubbed his temple, offering a wry smile.

"I know talk is cheap, and hard to believe, but in two months you'll see for yourself, Laverne." Adrian spread his hands with a smile, "Let me share another tidbit: soon I will make the first capital injection into the company; acquiring Bossworth Film Company is just the beginning."

Laverne said nothing, quietly watching Adrian, waiting for more.

"You're a smart person, Laverne, and I need the help of clever people," Adrian sat up straight, "I would like you to ensure the company's smooth operation in these six months, especially regarding those personal networks."

Mr. General Manager didn't quite believe the grand claims of the new boss. Having worked in the industry for over a decade, he had seen all kinds of people. Still, the ambition in those last words couldn't be ignored, as the confidence in his tone was compelling. After pondering for a few seconds, Laverne stood up and nodded: "Happy to serve you, sir."

"Excellent, let's leave it at that." Adrian tapped the table and suddenly remembered something, "Oh, and please compile the submitted scripts from the script review team into a report, with a catalog and summary, for my review once a week."

He then laughed: "Don't worry, I just have some insights in screenwriting; I sold four scripts recently, with two more pending sale."

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