Chapter 844

"I'm much better now. I've found my goal. I hope to get a paralegal certificate through my own efforts, and then, step by step, become a civil rights lawyer like Susan!" Standing in the middle of the bright living room, a young lady of about 17 or 18 years old ended her speech with this sentence. Then, there was a round of applause.

"Thank you, thank you, Paris. Your speech was excellent." Adriaan, who was sitting at the head of the table, also stood up and applauded. "I have to say, today's gathering was very successful. You've all found your goals. I hope you can work hard in the days to come and realize your dreams."

Applause rang out again. Then, the young people in the room began to make noise. Some left quickly, some talked to Adriaan, and some asked for autographs from Natalie.

"Thank you, Natalie. Thank you for your encouragement. I will work hard, I will." Paris, who had given the speech earlier, was holding a poster of Queen Amidala from "Star Wars Episode III", which was about to be released during the summer vacation. He spoke in an excited tone while asking her for an autograph.

"I believe you will." Natalie smiled and responded in a sincere tone, "You will become an outstanding civil rights lawyer, Paris."

After a while, when all the young people had left, Adriaan gestured to Natalie. "Okay, we should leave now."

Natalie immediately put away her smile and silently walked with him to the parking lot. She did not say a word along the way. Adriaan did not speak either. He just sat in the car and asked the driver to drive back. After a while, she finally could not hold it in anymore.

"Do you come here often?" she asked.

"Not really. You know, I always have a lot of things to do." Adriaan shrugged. "But as long as I'm in Los Angeles, I'll come here at least once a month to listen to them talk about their lives and their efforts, and encourage them to develop in a better direction. In fact, most of the time, these young people who have given up on themselves just need someone to listen and encourage them. I'm not funding this psychotherapy center and setting up a charity fund to avoid taxes. I just want to help those young people who really want to pull themselves together. There's nothing else in my mind, that's all. "

Natalie was silent. Although her eyelids were lowered, her constantly moving fingers had already betrayed her inner world. Obviously, the sudden new image of Adriaan had once again made her feel confused and at a loss.

"So, you should be more confident now, right?" Adriaan looked at her and said calmly.

"Huh?" Natalie came back to her senses and looked at him in confusion, as if she didn't understand what he was talking about.

"You've seen Paris's information." Adrian continued, "She grew up in a single-parent family, and before she ran away from home, her mother controlled everything in her life. Because of this, she resisted violently and even mutilated herself. If you had rolled up her sleeves just now, you should have seen the scars on her arms. In short, the conflict in her family at that time was so intense that it caused Paris to run away from home and … her mother to have a mental breakdown. I won't go into the details, but you can look it up whenever you need. In a sense, the inspiration for this script came from her experience. "

He paused here, and when he saw that Natalie did not plan to continue, he continued, "You've seen it for yourself. She likes the Star Wars series very much, and she also likes Queen Amidala very much. That's why I brought you to meet her. You can take some time to talk to her about these things, and don't worry about provoking her. This is also a form of therapy. Only when a person dares to face their own dark past will they be able to truly stand up. This way, you can fully experience the feeling of being controlled. You should know that the theme of the script is the tragedy caused by the strong rebound caused by the invisible and traceless control. "

He emphasized the word "control". Although Natalie still had her eyelids lowered as if she was not listening, her breathing was obviously a little erratic. There was no doubt that her heart was in a mess. Who else would feel more controlled than her? This is just a script … It's really tailor-made.

"It looks like you don't like this script?" Adriaan reached out and wrapped his arm around her waist. "It's okay, if you don't want this role, if you think it's not suitable for you, I won't force you."

"No, I just …" Natalie said reflexively, but then she closed her mouth and brushed the hair on her forehead, not knowing what to do.

"I'm serious, Nada. I respect every choice you make." Adriaan lifted her chin, looked into her eyes, and said in a very sincere tone.

A complicated expression flashed across her face. Natalie suddenly turned her head away, and her shoulders trembled slightly. After a moment, she slowly raised her head again. "No problem, I can handle it."

"Very well, I look forward to your perfect performance." Adriaan nodded, then let out a long breath and looked forward. There was an indescribable disappointment in his eyes.

Her management contract was personally handled by Michael Ovitz, and her public relations contract was also appointed by him. The people around her were all arranged by him. How could he not know what she was thinking and planning? There was no need for Richel to tell him. He had seen Natalie's every move, especially the fact that she had been included in the plan a long time ago.

Obviously, Natalie had never really reflected on why things had gotten to this point. She had placed all her resentment on him and kept deepening this impression. This was normal, and her view was not wrong. He was indeed the culprit, but the problem was … Was she so perfect and flawless?

Of course, of course, most people were like this. When they blamed others, they usually subconsciously categorized themselves as the innocent victim. Even Adriaan, who had lived two lives, could not avoid this. Otherwise, he would not have lost his composure after the showdown. No matter how smart and sophisticated Natalie was, she was still a young girl.

Therefore, she had never grasped the opportunities that Adrian had given her. Just like now, she could no longer muster any more courage. It could even be described as "forgetting one's life at the sight of small benefits, and cherishing one's life when doing great things". Of course, Adriaan would never deny that he had led all of this. However, there was one sentence in the movie that he had given to Scorsese to improve their relationship.

The road was chosen by one's self.

In the years to come, the 77th Oscars were bound to be one of the most talked about by movie fans. The huge sensation caused by Brokeback Mountain, the battle between the Phoenix brothers for Best Actor, the birth of the second youngest Best Actress, and the unprecedented consecutive Best Director by Miracle Director, as well as the fact that the little-known Crash had defeated a number of strong opponents and won the Best Film Award, were all worthy of gossip from time to time.

In addition, Miracle Director had won Best Actor and Best Actress in two movies at the same time, and his ambiguous relationship with the second youngest Best Actress was also a good topic of discussion.

But even so, the popularity of the Oscars slowly died down after the award ceremony. No matter what happened, there would be a time when it subsided, not to mention that there were people deliberately guiding public opinion. In addition to supervising his new movie, which had to be completed by the middle of May, Adriaan was still very relaxed, spending time with his women and children, and paying attention to the release of some other movies.

Low-budget comedies and horror movies always liked the off-season, which allowed them to easily recoup their costs. That was why The University Freshman, starring Blake Lively, was also released at this time.

"Don't worry. Although it's more suitable to release it in October, for those who have been in college for a semester, it will still resonate with them. Maybe even more." In the noisy party, when Blake pretended to be worried about the box office, Adriaan laughed and said so.

"Yeah, you really don't have to worry about it, Blake." Standing on the other side of him, Leighton chuckled and said.

"Actually, what I care about is not my first movie. According to the feedback, the reputation of the movie has already surpassed many other movies in the same genre," Blake replied with a fake smile. Then he looked at Adriaan and said, "It's too noisy here. Eide, why don't we find a quieter place, like my apartment? I moved out recently, and I'm practicing the new cheerleader dance. It'll definitely be more attractive than before. "

Before Adriaan could say anything, Leighton raised her eyebrows and said, "It's better to go to my place. It's more familiar with the place, and we can see the changes more clearly."

As she spoke, she even leaned closer to Adriaan. She was already very close to him, and now she almost grabbed him and put him on top of her.

Blake did not want to be outdone either. She leaned closer to Adriaan, and it looked like she was almost snuggling into his arms. "You have to keep trying new things to keep your passion, don't you think so?"

"Alright, you two, don't be like this." When Leighton's face turned sour, Adriaan smiled and raised his hand to stop them from arguing. "You are both cute and sexy girls. I'd feel sorry if I gave up on either of you, and I believe you won't be happy either. So, why don't you come to my beach house in Santa Monica?"

As he spoke, he reached out and pulled Leighton and Blake into his arms. He even rubbed their butts without restraint.

This action stunned the two girls. Blake's face immediately turned sour. The scene of her virginity being taken by Adriaan behind the one-way glass in front of so many people had been deeply imprinted in her mind. Every time she thought about it, she would feel very uncomfortable and … perversely excited. This was probably why she always agreed to some of his excessive requests after rejecting them.

However, this did not include a threesome, especially with her enemy. But Leighton did not give Blake too much time to think.

"No problem. I've been looking forward to it." Perhaps it was because Leighton saw Blake's expression, or maybe she did not care about it at all, but she agreed without hesitation. At the same time, she stuck out her chest and looked at Blake with a hint of arrogance and disdain.

There was no doubt that Blake was enraged. She didn't even think about it before she puffed out her chest and rubbed Adrian's arm. "Is that so? Then let's try it. "

For her, crushing Leighton had basically become one of her instincts. Only when she completely crushed Leighton could she face the fact that the person she once bullied had seized the opportunity to climb over her head.

Therefore, Adriaan took advantage of it. That night in the mansion, Leighton and Blake took turns to compete fiercely. Even the competition between Gwyneth and Blanchett was not as intense as this. They could lose to anyone but not to each other. Even if Leighton deliberately provoked Blake under Adriaan's instructions, it did not mean that she did not want to always be a head above Blake.

So that night, Adriaan basically played with them however he wanted.

Of course, they were willing to let him play with them, not only because of the irreconcilable conflict between them, but also because of his power. Think about it. How many times in a row had he helped the Best Actress Award? Not to mention this year's Best Director Award.

Perhaps in the eyes of many fans, they had their own personalities and their own pride. They were unattainable, and they had the right to refuse. Unfortunately, in the face of real power, these things were not worth mentioning.

Other than The Freshman, there were quite a few movies related to Adrian. For example, the horror film Hide and Seek, starring Dakota Fanning and Robert De Niro. After a few years of honing, the little girl's acting skills were getting better and better. Unfortunately, this movie would have been better if it had been released in October. After all, there was a good time before Halloween. But now wasn't too bad either. In any case, this was a film with a strong start and a weak finish. Even if it was delayed by a few months, there wouldn't be a qualitative leap in the box office.

Then, Super Nanny, which Keely had participated in, was also released at this time. This movie was produced by Disneyland, and they had always been good at movies like this. Although Keely had become popular with Super Heroes and had the title of "Big-breasted Cheerleader," the plot of sci-fi dramas tended to collapse more easily. At present, even if there were not too many adverse effects, the fifth season would be about the same. So Keely had to find a way to maintain her popularity.

Adriaan's arrangement was to star in some youth comedies such as Super Nanny. Anyway, she was still young, so it was suitable for her to act young. Moreover, she did not need much acting skills. He had never expected her to be good at acting, so he was content to be a vase. However, it was different for Si Jiali.

Last year's New Jersey allowed Si Jiali to maintain a relatively high reputation among critics. So, except for X-Men 3, which was scheduled for this summer, her movies basically did not have high production costs. They could recover a certain amount of money at the box office, but their reputation was guaranteed. For example, because of Adriaan's interference, the plot was specially adjusted, and the release of Big Company, Little Boss, was delayed to the end of September this year.

He knew that she understood the reason for this arrangement. After all, Si Jiali was not Keely. Although they had a battle with Adriaan, they had to compete with their breasts, Si Jiali had always played Keely in the palm of her hand with her brain. Of course, it was not that Keely did not notice. She was more or less clever, but it was precisely this little cleverness that kept her mouth shut.

She knew very well who gave her everything. The longer she stayed here, the more she understood. As long as Adriaan did not say anything, she did not care. Anyway, she was not at a disadvantage. In this respect, Keely was also a very good pet.

Well, these were the movies that would be released in March. As for the new movie arrangements, other than the script for Natalie, which was slowly being prepared, most of his energy was focused on the one that had been produced before, and the investment and setting for this one were not large. There was still one more movie in preparation.

"Welcome to my office, Paul. Don't be so nervous. I just want to be a little more formal. Hey, Lily, what are you doing again?" After greeting Paul Haggis at the door, Adriaan immediately turned his head and shouted, "What did I say? Don't touch my folder. "

"I didn't touch it. I just want to see what's written on it." Lily stood on her tiptoes, stuck her head out from behind the desk, and said confidently.

"Are you sure you can understand it?" Adriaan rolled his eyes. "Well, now Dad has a guest. You have to go out for a while, as we agreed."

"Can't I sit in?" Lily reluctantly ran out from behind the desk. "I want to see how you work."

"You have seen it just now, and …" Adriaan repeated his previous words. "We agreed."

"Alright, alright, I got it." The little guy mumbled as she came to the door. Then, she stuck out her chest and became a little lady. She extended her hand to Hodges. "Hello, I'm Lily, Lily Kewell."

"Um … Hello, Miss Kewell." Haggis hesitated for a moment, but he still shook her hand. "I am Paul Haggis."

"Are you a scriptwriter or a director, Paul?" Lily looked up at him, acting like she knew him very well. "I like to write stories, and I like to use DV to take pictures. I've dismantled and reinstalled several DV's at home, but I can always put them back in one piece. Isn't it amazing? Of course, Dad doesn't think so. He always says that I am making trouble … "

Seeing that she was babbling on and on, Adrian rubbed his forehead, lifted her up, and put her outside before slamming the door shut.

"She is going to be ten years old soon. You know, ten-year-olds always have inexhaustible energy." He said to the dumbfounded Haggis, "They are the most troublemakers in the world, and also … the most adorable babies."

"That's true. For parents, children are always their babies," Haggis said, and then sat down on a chair.

"That's why I like the scene in 'Crash' where the little girl throws herself at her father. It's a beautiful scene," Adriaan said as he opened the cupboard and gestured to him.

"No, thank you. I don't drink at this time." Haggis quickly waved his hand.

"That's great. Then I won't bother." Adriaan walked back with a smile. "So, can you tell me your answer now, Paul?"