Chapter 428

If you want to build a social empire of 500 million people, you have to betray a few friends first. This was a famous advertisement line for a movie by David Fincher in his previous life. It was a good work, and he almost won the Oscar for Best Director. Unfortunately, this movie was destined to never happen again, including the adapted biography. Ever since Adriaan created the word "Facebook," Mark Zuckerberg was destined to graduate from Harvard, and it was very likely that he would spend the rest of his life in mediocrity.

As the largest and most well-known social networking site in his previous life, and also the most important part of online media, how could Adrian not make a move? He had emphasized to Claude more than once about the importance of the Internet to the media. Therefore, he had been planning this for a long time. Just like the acquisition of Macromedia and the controlling stake of Adobe. If it were not for the various restrictions, Facebook would have been created a long time ago.

Fortunately, Adrian had made sufficient preparations. He had also found someone who was sensitive and reliable in the field of networking. His cousin, Victor Cowell, was able to take charge of this matter. When he returned from his honeymoon, he would take over Facebook's affairs. Out of consideration for the future, Adrian did not plan to incorporate Facebook into AC Media's system for the time being. After all, although they had been in the limelight for the past year, they would still attract a lot of attention. Facebook would also attract a lot of attention in the future.

Therefore, there was no need to rush until the foundation was firmly established. Anyway, as long as Adrian, Claude, and a few friends and relatives made investments, it would be fine. Just like Michael Ovitz was in charge of the brokerage company that was about to merge with Endeavour. As long as Victor was given a young, flexible, and adventurous assistant, coupled with the huge resources in Adriaan's hands — as long as he did a few advertisements on major web portals, and with the cooperation of Google, his version of Facebook would definitely soar. He did not need to betray a few friends.

However, Adriaan did not intend to use this method to promote Facebook. Although this would allow Facebook to gain a lot of attention in the early stages, it would be difficult to predict how it would develop in the future. After all, AC Media was in the limelight. Even if Facebook was not part of its framework, people would still be able to recognize the founders.

University students were one of the most receptive to new things. Through low-key communication within the campus, Adriaan's existence would be reduced as much as possible. When Facebook took over campuses all over the world, it would basically be a foregone conclusion. This was not a problem at all. Adriaan and Stanford were very close. Otherwise, it would not be so easy to find a few outstanding programming students. Also, Ivanka had just graduated from Stanford this year. It was too easy for her to get emails from fraternities, fraternities, and student clubs.

As for the East Coast, Victor had graduated from Harvard, so it wouldn't be a problem either. In Lu Zhou's previous life, Facebook started from Harvard and spread from east to west. Now, it would be the reverse. Silicon Valley would once again prove that they were the core of the IT industry.

Although Facebook's program was not complicated, Adriaan was not worried at all about the Winklevoss brothers' predicament. In the beginning, he wanted to find a few people to stay in a certain environment, cut off all contact with the outside world, and then create a website in a short period of time before leaving. But on second thought, this was making a mountain out of a molehill, and it was easy to attract people's attention, so it became like this.

The confidentiality clause was signed in the contract, and the three people selected were not particularly showy people. Not to mention, they would be produced in a special studio, and they could not be delayed for no reason. If this caused a problem like Zuckerberg, it could only be attributed to luck. Of course, Adriaan would definitely do whatever it took to destroy that guy and his website. That was the face of a big capitalist.

Anyway, it would take at least two months for the Facebook studio and company to be set up. Therefore, after telling Ivanka about the important points and reminding him to supervise, he gathered all the members of the crew of "The She-Devil" in mid-April and prepared to start work.

"As you all know, I set the shooting date at 20 to 30 days. Considering that there may be other things in the middle, and that I may participate in the Cannes Film Festival in May, I extended it to 40 days. I hope you can fully mobilize your emotions and cooperate with me. Maybe we can create another miracle, "Adriaan said to his team in the conference room.

In fact, these people were veterans who had worked with him many times, and they knew his style very well. However, Adriaan wasn't talking to them, but to the two leading actors. Gwyneth had more or less worked with him on "Emma" and "Shakespeare in Love History," but it was Annie's first time. Adriaan planned to shoot "The Female Devil" in 20 to 30 days, and the shorter, the better. This required everyone to be in good condition most of the time.

"Anyway, if you have any questions, you must ask in advance. I won't allow you to say, 'Director, I don't feel right here' or 'I'm sorry, I'm not ready' when the shooting is about to start. Understand?" After the short meeting, Adriaan pulled Annie aside and said in private, "When I ask you if you have any questions, you must tell me all your thoughts."

"Yes, I got it." Annie, who had cut her hair short and put on makeup, couldn't be associated with the innocent girl in "The Princess Diaries" at first glance. She nodded vigorously with a hint of excitement in her eyes. It went without saying what it meant to have a role in a movie directed by Adrian, which was why she had agreed so readily in the office back then.

Coupled with Adriaan's gentleness and thoughtfulness, she even wondered why she hadn't hooked up with him earlier.

Adriaan then walked up to Gwyneth and said, "The rest is up to you, Gwyneth."

"I know." Gwyneth was a little unhappy. She had gained more than ten pounds, and her eyebrows had been shaved off. Under the makeup artist's care, she looked completely different from the old Gwyneth, both in appearance and temperament. However, she did look very similar to the Irene Vornos in the news. She had to admit that the makeup artist was really good.

This had something to do with Annie, but it wasn't because she had slept with Adriaan before. She was immune to this kind of thing, not to mention that she had promised to give him everything, including her soul. So, this mood was more because of her ugly appearance. Annie had only put on some ugly makeup, and it wasn't particularly serious, but at least her figure was still pretty good. Not only did she put on ugly makeup, but she also gained a lot of weight. How could she, who loved beauty, accept this?

"Alright, Gwyneth, you just need to hold on for 30 days." How could Adriaan not know what she was thinking? "Do you think I like your current appearance?"

Then, he reached out and pinched her cheek while no one was looking. "Don't you think I want to see a beautiful and lovely Gwyneth snuggling in my arms? But there will only be results if there are sacrifices. I said that I will make you the best actress with your acting skills, and this role will make people forget about your beauty and pay attention to your acting skills. Do you understand? "

"I understand." Gwyneth rolled her eyes at him and then smiled. "It seems that I have to work very hard to get rid of this appearance as soon as possible."

After reading the relevant information about Irene Vornos, she was mentally prepared, and Adriaan had also told her several times. It was just that women were sometimes very emotional, especially women who loved beauty. At times like this, she needed to be comforted. Perhaps, except for Adriaan, not many people had the patience to do so.

"Yeah, work hard and show everyone what you're made of." Adriaan hugged her without hesitation, and then glanced at Annie, who was still in the meeting room. She didn't seem to be paying attention to them, but in reality …

That being said, they ran into a problem on the first day of filming. Adriaan chose the scene where Vornos and Hilby met at the bar, but he was still not satisfied even after dozens of takes.

"Be more rough, Gwyneth. You have to know that your character is at the bottom of society, and she hasn't received much education. Whether it's her body language or the way she talks, she's no different from a man.

"You have to understand, Annie, you're just a young lady who couldn't stand being controlled and ran away from home. You're only treating her to a drink to make you look less lonely, that's all!"

Even so, Adriaan wasn't in a hurry. He would always tell them what the problem was, and then repeatedly shoot, so that they could find the right feeling. The role of Irene Vornos wasn't difficult, but it wasn't easy either. It was indeed a huge test for the actors.

It wasn't difficult because the character was born and raised at the bottom of society, and her words and actions were rough. As long as the character could abandon her previous elegance and temperament, and become careless, rude, and full of vulgarities, the role would be half a success. However, it wasn't easy to express the subtle changes in the character's emotions while being rough. The original lead of "The She-Devil" was Charlize, and although she did a good job, some of the details were still a little stiff and awkward. One could imagine how difficult the role was.

Comparatively speaking, it was easier for Hill to play the role because the person involved was still alive. If they wanted to use her image to portray the character, they would have to get permission. However, the other party obviously wouldn't agree, so they simply changed the character's name and appearance. The woman in real life had a sharp mouth and cheeks like a monkey, and was tall and strong. As long as they kept the key characteristics and plot, such as being young and rebellious, constantly asking Vornos for money, becoming a witness to protect herself, and calling Vornos to betray her in front of the police, etc., the rest could be freely played.

However, Adriaan wasn't particularly worried. After being suppressed by him for four years, Gwyneth's desire for the Best Actress title had reached an unparalleled level. With him pushing her from behind, nothing could stop her.

Therefore, after 59 repetitions, the scene finally achieved the effect that Adriaan wanted.

"Do you understand? The feeling just now was very good, now take some time to solidify this feeling and grasp it firmly in your hands. " He cheered them on loudly, and then waited for them to rest for a while before starting the next scene.

Although the story was set in Florida, the filming was carried out in a studio in California, which saved a lot of time. Anyway, it was a coastal city, so they just had to find a place to set up the exteriors. Moreover, he specially sent a team of people to shoot some exteriors, which could be edited into the post-production.

Because of this, he could also take time off from filming to deal with other things.

※ ※ ※

"Okay, it sounds like the effect is very good. Then, let's call it a day." After coming out of the recording studio, Avril smiled and hugged her assistants after listening to her performance with her headphones. "Thank you."

"You're so early today. Do you have a date tonight?" One of them suddenly asked.

"No, I have other things to deal with." Avril shrugged. "Someone owes me a new song, and has been owing me for a long time. I'm going to drop by to ask for it. If I don't force him, I'm afraid that guy would have forgotten about it."

She put on her hat and backpack. After saying goodbye to them, the young girl walked out of the recording studio and then let out a long sigh.

If they knew … What would they think of me? Avril thought gloomily. Although Britney and Christina got along well with their assistants and the staff of the record company, she could not help but have such thoughts in her mind.

"Hey, Avril." After turning a corner of the corridor, a young girl two or three years older than her happened to walk over and immediately greeted her loudly.

She was a black girl with attractive features and a good figure. Her name was Beyoncé Giselle North, a black singer launched by Universal Music in March. She was quite popular, and some critics said that she would be another popular female singer in Universal after Britney, Christina, and herself. Her black skin also indicated that Universal Music would be more diverse.

She used to be a member of the group Destiny's Daughter, but under Adriaan's instructions, she was poached in the second half of 2000. After a year of training and packaging, she immediately caused a stir when she was launched this year. At this point, some things were very clear. There was no doubt that she was also a member of Adriaan's bed.

"Hi, Beyoncé." Avril replied with a smile. Beyoncé was actually very enthusiastic and lively, and she had a good relationship with most people in the company.

"I'm holding a celebration party tonight. Are you free?" Beyoncé asked with a smile.

Right, how much did her record sales exceed two days ago? Although it was not as much as 20 million copies of her first album, it was still a very good number. It seemed to be higher than Jessica Simpson? Avril was not sure. She did not care about these things recently.

"Sorry, Beyoncé, I have something to do tonight." She politely declined the invitation. She did have something to do, and the other party had … slept with Beyoncé.

She was a hundred percent sure of this, because Britney told her.

"I saw it with my own eyes. In Eide's private lounge, she straddled Eide, up and down, up and down, up and down, and her waist was very twisted. It seemed that it made Eide feel very good, but unfortunately, it was still not as good as mine." Britney said in a very proud tone at that time. Listening to the way her chest moved, it seemed that she was very proud of it. Well, this was actually the problem that troubled Avril the most.

After getting into the car that was specially sent to pick her up, the girl looked out of the window and sighed. Although she was touched by the fact that Adriaan came all the way to Canada to persuade her to go back, it did not mean that she completely accepted it. Otherwise, she would not have bought a boxing tumbler in her apartment and put Adriaan's name on it. She would punch and kick it every day.

However, it was not quite possible for her to leave Adriaan. Although she was always angry, every time Adriaan came or went to Adriaan's place, she would forget about it and affectionately call him "uncle" in bed.

I must be crazy, or Eide must know witchcraft to control people! Avril thought angrily more than once. Young people always have a rich imagination. But every time she thought of his bad side, his good side would jump out and be compared with the bad side. For example, in order to get her back, he did not hesitate to go to her house before she did, or … saved her from under a car.

Sitting in the car, Avril could not help but rub her arms. The feeling of safety in his arms was probably something that she would never forget for the rest of her life. Therefore, she decided to find a chance to talk to his other women, wanting to know why they could tolerate this damn playboy. The first one was Britney. She had seen Britney and Adriaan being intimate that day, but Britney greeted her without any grudge. She did not seem to mind at all. Besides, she was a very simple girl, sometimes to the point of being stupid. Avril sometimes suspected that if it was not for her good luck and Adriaan's support, she would not have become a popular singer for long.

"It's simple. Eide is the Lion King. He was born to lead all the lionesses," Britney answered, looking proud. "And I will be the one he dotes on the most!"

He could imagine Avril's mouth gaping wide open after hearing this answer. What kind of f * cking logic was that?! The Lion King?! The Lioness?! The one he dotes on the most! Even the news that several popular female singers from Universal Music, Christina Aquilina, Jessica Simpson, and the recently popular Beyoncé North had slept with Adriaan did not make her feel like fainting.

Avril could only roll her eyes. What was more terrifying was that when she thought about it, she actually thought that being one of the lionesses was not bad. It was the complete opposite of what she believed in life.

What the hell! What did that damned bastard do to her?!