Chapter 350: Chapter 74: Do You Really Think I Wouldn’t Dare? Chapter 350: Chapter 74: Do You Really Think I Wouldn’t Dare? How to put it, Liv’s personality was just like that–carefree and seemingly indifferent to many things, but she still had her own thoughts, and once she was set on something, she would stick with it to the end. Her mind was not the sharpest, and having grown up without a father by her side and in that kind of environment, she had developed a tendency not to ponder too much, preferring to accept the suggestions of others. Hence, what she disliked the most was being deceived.

And that just happened to be Adrian’s strength–he hardly ever lied to his women. It was just that he wouldn’t speak up about certain things unless they asked him.

“A man who seduces a woman with lies should be called a swindler!” That was the perspective of the once self-proclaimed Casanova, Adrian, but it had been completely adopted by his current self.

For a lengthy period, the only exception was Kate when she was pregnant, after all, one had to consider the emotions of a pregnant woman. And the reason he could have such confidence and magnanimity was because he possessed matching abilities and strengths–of course, cliches like “Yes, you are the most beautiful” or “Oh, baby, you are better than everyone else” were exceptions.

Although Liv did not express any opinion about his evaluation of her as a mere trophy, it did not mean she was truly oblivious to it. After all, for a woman, such an appraisal wasn’t exactly flattering, especially when she quite enjoyed acting in movies. Adrian believed that Liv would accept it, and he was not only sincere in his expression but also provided a solution. After all, Liv was no fool, let alone having a shrewd mother. Bibi Bill, even though she had always opposed their association, did not necessarily fail to see her daughter’s shortcomings and opportunities.

This was also something of a small test to gauge just how much weight Adrian carried in Liv’s heart.

Apart from these two, there was also Monica’s film to consider. Although a plan had been set, she currently needed to hone her acting skills in independent films, yet she also had to prepare more mainstream works to maintain her popularity.

The easiest to consider was Blanchett; Adrian had already prepared a role for her. Though she was still hesitant about certain things, the fact that she rarely turned down his invitations showed that Adrian just needed to push a little harder, such as making this next role a success again.

It was simple really, Adrian was planning to arrange this during the upcoming premiere–he meant “Mission: Impossible”.

“Look who’s here,” Tom Cruise said with a big laugh, stretching out his arms and embracing Adrian warmly, as if their relationship was incredibly good.

“Sorry I’m late,” Adrian said, his face adorned with a smile, appropriately patting Cruise’s arm.

“No problem, you’re a busy man, we all understand, right?” Cruise’s last comment was addressed to the people around them.

Adrian then proceeded to greet them, all familiar faces–the Paramount executives, the film’s director, Cruise’s agent, and… his young and beautiful wife Nicole Kidman.

“I’m so glad to meet you all here,” Adrian said, shaking hands with each in turn. When it was Nicole’s turn, she made a scarcely noticeable shrinking movement, and her eyelids drooped, avoiding eye contact with him.

Although she had hidden her inner turmoil quite well, it did not escape Adrian’s notice. He had intended to gently graze the soft skin between her thumb and index finger, taking advantage of the moment, but considering the surroundings, he decided against it. Still, his mind unavoidably wandered to that night’s second round of passion–Nicole, with her figure and charm, was a top choice, and both her despairing licentiousness beforehand and her shame and pleading after being exposed had left a deep impression on him, not to mention…
“Let’s go inside; it’s about to start,” Cruise said then, gesturing for everyone to proceed.

The group followed the crowd into the theater, found their seats, and began to wait for the film to start.

“How are you coming along with the decision, Tommy?” Adrian asked after a brief exchange.

“I love this script, Ed. It’s a fantastic character,” Cruise immediately started with evident excitement. “He’s different from most characters of the same type. Initially, he’s just a profiteering businessman, solely interested in his clients for financial gain. After being fired due to the leak, he only thinks about how to make a comeback and how to take revenge on his boss, never considering the people around him, until he gradually starts to change. How to perfectly present this transformation is the key to the movie’s popularity!”

“It’s great that you like it.” Adrian maintained a smile, but he snickered inwardly. Despite Cruise’s articulate talk now, he had totally neglected the script when it was first handed over to him.

Adrian had personally sent someone to deliver the script to Cruise, and according to the employee’s description, Cruise had casually tossed the script aside after flipping through a few pages and lazily said he would call. There was no chance the employee had lied since Adrian had specifically instructed to watch Cruise’s reaction carefully. Moreover, it had taken nearly three weeks after the script was handed over before Cruise replied. Although he sounded particularly enthusiastic on the phone, it was clear to anyone with a brain that he had only appreciated the script’s quality after being persuaded by his agent and friends.

With these thoughts, Adrian couldn’t help but glance at Nicole, who was sitting next to Cruise. She had just diverted her gaze elsewhere, but Adrian caught her slight snort.

Adrian chuckled to himself again but continued talking with Cruise.

“When do you plan to start preparations, Ed? I’ve already picked out the right actors,” Cruise asked next.

At that statement, Adrian instinctively frowned slightly. Picked out the right actors already? What was he thinking? Trying to produce something like ‘Mission: Impossible’?

Of course, it was too early to say what exactly Cruise was thinking. Since the movie was about to start, Adrian merely shrugged: “Don’t worry, Tommy, let’s set a time to talk it over in a few days.”

As the lights in the theater dimmed, the film finally began, starting with a group of agents using the common movie technique of framing to extract a confession, but everything from the room decor to the body was fake. Then the first iconic scene appeared–an middle-aged man who had been tricked into confessing came out from inside and tore off the rubber mask on his face, revealing the handsome face of Cruise hiding underneath.

This face-swapping shot and the following explosive title music are trademarks of ‘Mission: Impossible’. I have to admit, although the original TV series was born in the 70s, many elements still hold up today. The face-swapping effect has only become smoother and better looking, and the intense opening music has only needed minor arrangement changes.

The feature film continued, with Anthony Hopkins playing Jim receiving a mission on an airplane and then starting to recruit his team. Seeing Hopkins, Adrian couldn’t help but think of the poor Joey Water, who had nearly become the laughing stock of Hollywood.

The subsequent plot surprised many a little. Initially, everyone thought that Tom Cruise and his wife, Nicole Kidman, would appear together, presumably playing a couple in the movie, and their real-life spouse roles were indeed one of the promotional gimmicks. It turned out that Nicole was playing Hopkins’ wife, which was genuinely interesting.

As Hopkins jokingly said on screen, “Are you criticizing my wife’s cooking skills, Ethan?” Adrian couldn’t help but turn towards Nicole, who was seated a spot away from him. Unfortunately, she had a poker face with no expression.

Adrian chuckled softly to himself and turned his attention to another female character in the movie–Rachel Weisz, playing Sarah Davis. Undeniably, her allure was captivating, particularly in her entrance scene at the embassy, sophisticated and a bit sexy, though her screen time was still too short.

Adrian was bummed that Rachel had not attended the US premiere. The reason was simple–she was in the United Kingdom performing in a theater play that clashed with the premiere. It was probably true… He stroked his chin, deciding not to dwell on this since there would be another chance. If she didn’t appreciate it, it didn’t matter; there was no shortage of women around him.

As Ethan Hunt set off the bomb in the restaurant, the movie reached its first climax, followed by a succession of tense sequences: meeting with the arms dealer, making deals, infiltrating the CIA, the classic Spider-Man theft, and the subsequent helicopter and train chase through the tunnel. All of it left the audience breathless.

From the mid-80s to the mid-90s, Tom Cruise indeed made quite a few good movies. The commercially successful Mission: Impossible goes without saying, creating a new model for spy films–a model that he was still profiting from more than a decade later. As for artistically acclaimed films, he had Born on July 4th a few years earlier, which earned him his first Oscar nomination for Best Actor. And as for films that achieved both commercial and artistic success, there was Jerry Maguire, which had been the topic of discussion between Adrian and I just before the movie started.

Jerry Maguire was indeed an outstanding film, with a full plot, rich content, and dramatic ups and downs. Not to mention the well-rounded characters–the protagonist especially, who Tom Cruise’s earlier analysis did justice to. One of the main supporting characters, the African American football player, though full of bluster and indiscretion, causing chaos repeatedly, was unwavering in his support for the protagonist no matter how down and out he was. Another major supporting character, the protagonist’s female assistant, portrayed a delicate, single mother with a bit of a schoolgirl crush on talent, served as the protagonist’s perfect harbor.

Even those minor characters who appeared for only a few minutes were quite interesting, such as a former client of the protagonist who, after being fired, tearfully confessed his predicament over the phone, declaring they could no longer work together, only to immediately cheer up after hanging up. This sharp portrayal of warmth and coldness is ubiquitous throughout the film, displaying both human greed and the celebration of an unyielding spirit. Although it subtly criticizes the profession of agents, it mostly sketches out positively what a good agent should be like. So even though this inspiring storyline contains comedic elements, and despite North America box office earnings exceeding one hundred million, it still caught the eye of the Oscars.

That’s why, when Tom Cruise was probing for a script from Adrian that could take him further, the first film Adrian thought of was this one, and he also found a great role for Blanchett.

As the ending approached, many felt a pang of regret that Nicole Kidman’s character Claire couldn’t escape the fate of being fatally shot by Jim, portrayed by Hopkins. Nevertheless, the film was quite a success overall and it was expected that Cruise’s popularity would rise considerably once the film was off the screens.

Adrian had intended to leave after the end. Being close to a beautiful woman yet untouchable, and another not showing up, he might as well go back and coax Kate, whose temper had flared up a lot in the past few days. But Adrian found her temper tantrums increasingly amusing, so now Kate was always outmatched by his enthusiastic observation.

However, Cruise repeatedly invited him to the after-premiere party, and with others chiming in, plus the fact that the party venue wasn’t far from the theater, he eventually agreed to go.

Like all parties, the scene was bustling, everyone was casual, and there were many familiar faces.

“I heard that you almost fell off the train during that scene,” Adrian teased Anthony Hopkins, “Have you become an old codger, Professor Hannibal?”

“I’ve always been an old codger, Ed,” Hopkins replied with a self-deprecating smile, then explained, “I was suffering from severe back pain at the time, which inevitably affected the action shooting. Thankfully, I made it through.”

“I remember you mentioning your back troubles last time in Prague, and I even referred you to a doctor. Couldn’t he cure your stubborn ailment?” Adrian asked, somewhat surprised.

“No, no, no,” Hopkins hurriedly gestured, “It’s fixed. Dr. Roden was excellent, a little surgery and it’s been good for a while now. I have to thank you, Ed.”

“It’s nothing, just a small favor. To continue creating classic cinematic images, you need a good body; plus, it means I can keep on collaborating with you.” Adrian laughed heartily.

“It sounds like you’ve got another idea in mind.”

“You know, I always have lots of ideas.”

Hopkins, being of an older age, left the party early. Adrian chatted with others for a moment, then suddenly felt a bit bored and contemplated leaving as well.

“Parties can be fun sometimes, but other times they are just dull.” Muttering to himself, he reached a deserted corridor, clearing his head amid the noise. As he turned a corner, he noticed a slender figure standing on the balcony at the end of the corridor.

She wore a deep blue dress that fell just past her knees, coupled with a silk jacket of the same color that matched perfectly. Her red-gold, large wavy hair cascaded smoothly down the back of her head, and because her hands were propped on the balcony railing, her upper body leaned forward while her lower half tilted back slightly, revealing the full, curvaceous outline of her hips. On her raised feet were a pair of black high-heeled sandals that were as seductive as they come.

Adrian inwardly marveled at the sight before approaching the balcony entrance and asked, “Why are you by yourself here?”

Nicole, lost in her thoughts, hadn’t noticed his arrival and was startled, spinning around. Once she realized who it was, her face immediately took on an indescribable expression–awkward, furious, agitated… and more.

“Is something on your mind?” Adrian’s smile held a deeper meaning, but no matter how he asked, Nicole, with her head turned away, neither looked at him nor answered.

But who was Adrian? He quickly changed the subject, “Oh, right, I just saw Tommy talking with Brian and others when I came up, so you don’t need to worry.”

The moment he finished speaking, Nicole’s face turned extremely ugly, glaring at Adrian as if her eyes could shoot fire. Adrian simply shrugged his shoulders innocently, which only served to add fuel to the fire.

“What are you trying to say, you bastard?” Nicole ground out between clenched teeth, “Do you think just because you had me, you can humiliate me at will? Do you think you can mock me just because you’ve had me? Go to hell!”

If the party hadn’t been taking place right below the balcony, with music and noise still audible, Nicole would probably have roared these words.

“I didn’t say anything, did I?” Adrian spread his hands, still looking innocent.

Nicole’s body trembled violently, and after taking several deep breaths to calm herself, she turned to walk down the balcony corridor, only to be stopped by Adrian grabbing her arm after just a couple of steps.

“Wait, Nicole, don’t you think that’s rather rude? I just said a few words, and you’re yelling at me with no regard for your image or reason. That’s really disappointing,” Adrian said in a calm tone.

“Let go of me!” Nicole’s low growl commanded, her arms flailing in an attempt to shake off his grip.

“You shouldn’t take out the anger you have inside on me, it’s unfair,” Adrian continued.

“Let go of me, you bastard!” Nicole, already caught up in her agitation and not listening, raised her voice, “Don’t think just because I slipped up once that I’m a whore, you mean nothing to me!”

No sooner had the words left her mouth than Adrian pulled her into his embrace and firmly pressed her against the wall. Nicole let out a pained grunt, then began to struggle fiercely, but unfortunately, she was pinned down so tightly that she could not break free.

“Let go of me, or I’ll scream!” she called out as a last resort. As the words left her lips, Adrian, who had been firmly pressing her against the wall, suddenly pushed upward. Nicole, feeling something, let out a startled cry, then finally came to her senses, looking up only to meet Adrian’s somewhat cold, mocking gaze, involuntarily shivering.

Adrian let out a cold laugh, then leaned close to Nicole’s ear, his eyes unwavering and barely an inch away as he watched her, “Do you really think I wouldn’t dare to have you right here?” (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you are welcome to go to Qidian (wuxiaworld.site) to vote for it or give it a monthly vote; your support is my greatest motivation.)