Chapter 351: Chapter 75 Price Chapter 351: Chapter 75 Price Nicole Kidman was that kind of dominant woman. Although Adrian didn’t interact with her frequently, he was completely certain based on his memories, so it was only a matter of time before she and the control-obsessed Tom Cruise would split.

To conquer a dominant woman, one must be even more dominant, completely overpowering her. Gender equality has always been mere lip service, and marital respect is just a beautiful wish. Living together, one must invariably be more accommodating, an unavoidable fact. Patriarchal society has existed much longer than matriarchal society and continues to this day; even the rise of feminism cannot change this reality quickly.

Thus, the family life of strong women is often not harmonious because the husband’s status at home is inevitably low, and while most men can endure temporarily, they cannot endure forever, especially since women subconsciously desire to be conquered.

As a woman becomes more and more dominant, narrowing the gap with men, and neither party is willing to yield, conflict becomes inevitable. However, Adrian harbored no such worries. Not talk of the future, but even now, the women who could match his dominance were few. The women around him, though shrewd or strong-willed, either gritted their teeth or reluctantly stayed by his side. So, what strength did Nicole have to be assertive in front of him?

Thus, under Adrian’s cold stare, Nicole quickly backed down. Her previous rage disappeared, curling up and showing a weak expression. Her deep blue eyes fluttered, seemingly filled with fright and grievance, trembling like a frightened little rabbit, she pleaded in a begging tone, “Please…”

They held this standoff for a while until Adrian, staring at her, finally stepped aside.

“Sorry,” he murmured quietly, doing nothing more. He was well aware that most of Nicole’s fury was not directed at him but ignited because of him.

After he released her, Nicole, with her arms crossed at her chest, stood still for a long time before realizing what had happened. She took a deep breath, straightened her clothes, and glanced at Adrian with a complex expression before heading towards the hallway. However, she stopped after a few steps, hesitated, then turned around and murmured, “Sorry.”

Then, she hurried away without looking back.

Watching her disappearing figure, Adrian finally exhaled. Although what he said earlier was in anger, if he had really acted on it, Nicole might not have resisted, but that could have made things very bad later. The reason he had been able to smoothly progress to his current status in just a few years, apart from his foresight and having a similarly talented best friend who complemented him, was his excellent self-control.

Just like the phrase he often quoted: “Greed is good, as long as you know how to control it.” One shouldn’t overlook long-term gains for short-term benefits, as acquiring them might still lead to losses. Hence, the calm Adrian knew very well when to act, whether at a Paramount reception or now.

It won’t be too long, Adrian told himself after coming down from upstairs. After standing for a few more minutes, he then headed towards the door. Cruise would likely be here for a while, so it was better for him to leave first to avoid making Nicole feel awkward, as there was nothing else for him here.

Just then, a warm body suddenly bumped into him from the side, followed by an apologetic voice next to his ear, “Oh, I am truly sorry, sir. It was not intentional.”

Not intentional? Adrian chuckled to himself, finding the tactic rather cliched. As his fame grew, numerous women had used this approach to strike up a conversation with him.

“It’s alright…” Despite this, Adrian responded with a smile, and when he saw who it was, his eyes lit up, “…Miss Katherine.”

“Do you still remember me?” Katherine Zetajones then showed a surprised expression.

“Of course, I would never forget any beautiful woman who made an impression on me,” Adrian raised an eyebrow, a gesture that made his words more persuasive rather than frivolous, “I didn’t expect to meet you here.”

“Oh, that’s the best compliment I have heard. You always know what to say, Mr. Adrian,” Zetajones laughed, her eyes curving into crescents, clearly enjoying the compliment, “I didn’t expect it either; life is always full of surprises.”

“Ed, please call me Ed,” Adrian gazed at her. “We’ve met only once at Cindy’s party, but we talked quite pleasantly, so we shouldn’t be strangers, right?”

“You were the one who called me ‘Miss’ first, weren’t you?” Zetajones said with a sly smile.

“That is true,” Adrian shrugged and gestured with his hand, “Why don’t we have a drink?”

The two made their way to the bar and started to chat over a couple of drinks, hitting it off especially well given their mutual interest.

“…and then, because I was driving too fast, I ended up crashing right into a streetlamp. Just like that, the tabloid journalists in the United Kingdom kept snapping photos, not caring at all whether you’re dead or alive,” Zetajones said, clearly annoyed.

“That’s really terrible,” Adrian nodded, “Glad you’re okay, but you really should sue them.”

One had to admit, this woman was quite astute. She realized something right after the phrase “You still remember me” and promptly adjusted her mood and topic; so effortlessly and naturally that it was almost undetectable, no wonder she had such tricks up her sleeve. Unfortunately, she had now met her match.

“I certainly won’t forget to do that, but even though I won the case, it made me not want to stay in the United Kingdom, so I moved to Hollywood,” she said as she shook the glass in her hand and then sipped from it, leaving a faint lipstick mark. It was elegant yet alluring.

“But it’s not easy here either. Starting over is hard, it’s tough to say which decision is better.” Zetajones sighed self-mockingly, changing her posture in front of him and crossing her legs.

“Indeed, opportunity and luck are very important, whether you can seize them depends on your judgement,” Adrian shifted the conversation, “Of course, besides that, there are many other factors. For instance, the March cover you did for Entertainment Weekly, frankly speaking, was terrible. Both the makeup artist and the photographer should be fired.”

“You’ve seen that issue of Entertainment Weekly?” Zetajones revealed a surprised expression once more, genuinely from the heart, like when she previously said “You still remember me.”

“Of course, I have to read a lot of material, entertainment, movies, literature etc,. Everyone thinks I’m a genius, but how would they know how long I’ve strived to get here today?” Adrian shrugged, his glance meaningful. “And as I said before, I never forget any beautiful woman who makes an impression on me.”

Zetajones immediately turned her head, brushing the hair by her ear with a smile, bashful yet coquettish.

“Why do you say it was so bad?” she switched the topic, “Quite a few people thought it was quite good.”

“Firstly, the makeup was too heavy, making you look vulgar; secondly, the hairstyle and outfit were slightly awkward, and people’s aesthetic can often be influenced by these details. So, while you looked beautiful, it lacked your own unique charm,” Adrian spoke frankly, “You are truly very beautiful and very sexy, Kate, but you could be even more appealing with some simple changes. Take that cover of Entertainment Weekly, for example, a touch more freshness in the makeup, letting your bunned-up, black hair down on both sides, or choosing one side, would add an unconventional, alluring charm, making the sexiness even more misty. This kind of elusive charm is everyone’s favorite.”

“I didn’t know… you had such proficiency in this field.” It was Zetajones’ third time being surprised.

“Having seen a lot, naturally I have my own insights,” Adrian spread his hands, his eyes unwavering as he stared at her. “To be honest, at least right now, you look far more beautiful than in that cover.”

Tonight, Zetajones was wearing a low-cut knee-length spaghetti strap dress, with a long-sleeved jacket over it, and sharp-pointed high heels. Her outfit matched her luscious black hair and her beautifully curved, nearly perfect legs clad in flesh-toned stockings were indeed very stunning and captivating.

The lady no longer spoke, instead, she picked up her glass and sipped again, only to sigh wistfully after a moment, “I suppose many beautiful women have received your guidance, I really am lucky then.”

She turned her head to smile at Adrian, a mysterious spark in her eyes. Her hand caressed her knee back and forth, occasionally circling her calf, while her raised foot gently hooked up and down, unwittingly stirring emotions.

Adrian caught this and chuckled lightly, “How about we go for a walk now? It’s too crowded here, maybe you’d like to hear my views on which is more important for women, makeup or lighting?”

In the quiet parking lot, a few cars were sparsely parked. Although few in number, they were either limited editions or top brands, indicating the type of place this parking lot was. A tall street lamp stood at the exit, its soft light adding a harmonious touch to the area shrouded in nightfall–except for the northwest corner.

There, a silver Bentley sedan seemed no different from the other cars, but if one observed longer and more closely, it would be evident that the vehicle was constantly vibrating. Generally, the vibrations were small but quick and sudden, with a significant shake occurring every two or three minutes–of course, due to the car’s excellent performance and it being night, it was hard to tell from the outside.

After a while, finally, following a vibration larger than any before, the Bentley sedan returned to complete calm.

In the backseat, Zetajones lay half-nude in a somewhat strange and awkward position, her long breaths revealing that she was still immersed in the prior ecstasy. Her barely-there clothes were completely soaked, and she turned her head to exchange tender kisses with Adrian, who was embracing her from behind.

Fortunately, they were in a Bentley sedan today. Although the backseat space wasn’t as large as an SUV’s, it was much better than that of a sports car, which would have hardly allowed for stretching out. However, Zetajones was so flexible that challenging the confined space of a sports car might also have been possible.

“You’re really fantastic, Ed.” In the dim interior of the car, Zetajones finally spoke, her voice soft and slightly hoarse, her intoxicated state audible without seeing her face.

“You too, baby, almost got me completely enchanted,” Adrian lovingly caressed her torso.

“Really?” Zetajones giggled as she moved in his embrace.

“Absolutely, from top to bottom, inside and out,” Adrian spoke with a tone of wistfulness and infatuation.

“It’s a pity you’re only almost enchanted,” the woman sighed lightly.

Adrian clearly understood the implication in her words, but he evidently wanted to go all the way.

“What if I want more, Kate?” he whispered in her ear.

“Want more?” Although the car was very dim, Zetajones’ eyes gleamed with clarity.

“Yes, having tasted the sweetness, naturally I want more, don’t I?” Adrian kissed her earlobe.

“Your possessiveness is quite strong, Ed,” Zetajones teased neutrally.

“Of course, a man’s possessiveness is always strong, especially a man like me.” Adrian, embracing her, began to increase the scope of his movements, sliding down from her smooth belly.

“Four North American box office hits, a salary of ten million US Dollars, and–an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress!” After the woman gently moaned, he whispered this into her ear.

Direct and rude–some things are best left understood without being explicitly stated, as bringing them up outright can have the opposite effect. But Adrian wasn’t worried about Zetajones declining; born into a working-class family from the fishing port of Swansea in Wales and having tasted fame in the United Kingdom, she experienced the stark contrasts after arrival in Hollywood–this was why, at Cindy Crawford’s party where they first met, Adrian merely chatted with her–if she didn’t care about these things, why would she take this opportunity to seduce him?

Dealing with such a sharp-minded woman, sometimes the most direct approach could achieve the best results.

With the faint light, Adrian could see the astonishment and discomfort in Zetajones’s eyes, yet there was no dislike, and she made no other move, only her breathing became much more rapid.

Know that the US Dollar was still quite valuable at that time, and the production and profits from films were not as exaggerated as they would be ten years later. Even Tom Cruise, at the peak of his career, only had three films where he was the absolute lead and each grossed over one hundred million in North America. So, four such films were an incredible lure for her, not to mention the status of a ten million salary and an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

Had someone else made the comment, it might have been dismissed with a laugh, but Adrian’s accomplishments were clear for all to see–his insight, talent, and capability had been recognized by many; otherwise, why would Zetajones eagerly seduce him?

In just a few minutes, Zetajones made up her mind. Her smile turned seductive, gripping Adrian’s hand that slid inside and pressing it deeper, she spoke in a tempting tone, “I also want more.”

Adrian chuckled lightly, and then re-engaged in their encounter as the parked Bentley, quiet for a long time, began to shake again, accompanied by the moans of the woman sealed within.

The release of “Mission: Impossible” kicked off the movie summer battle of ’95. After premiering in three thousand theaters, it garnered thirty-four million US Dollars in its first week in North America, unquestionably dominating the North American box office chart and once again boosting Tom Cruise’s popularity–the handsome face once again becoming the subject of female fans’ screams.

Various media poured praise on this commercial production.

“Tense, thrilling, each scene cleverly crafted, not to be overlooked, highly watchable.” –New York Times
“‘Mission: Impossible’ carves out new space for spy films, not every spy has the suave grace of James Bond, maneuvering around women and enemies.” –Washington Post
Of course, some die-hard fans of the television version expressed dissatisfaction, thinking it a bad idea to portray the original team leader Jim as a villain. Unfortunately, no amount of dissatisfaction could change the reality of the film’s popularity.

Even though the other major film studios couldn’t help but lament “Here we go again,” they didn’t alter their release schedules. While Bossworth Film made headlines last year, after all, two of their films were joint ventures with Fox and Warner, and this year they didn’t have many films releasing during the summer, tracking these plans was not difficult.

But was it really so?

“Are you ready, Crow?” Adrian asked his buddy over the phone.

“Always ready, as long as what you said will come to pass,” Claude immediately responded.

As the end of June approached, Adrian’s plan was also entering its final countdown. Despite months of advertising, the key creators were still nervous, as they had been struggling for too long. Only Adrian had been confident all along. If nothing drastic changed and the result was far different, then it would only mean that there was something wrong with the world.

Thus, without a premiere, the first 3D animated movie “Toy Story” landed in 2400 North American theaters at the end of June ’95. Following its first week it smoothly brought in thirty-four million US Dollars at the box office, easily displacing “Mission: Impossible” from the top spot on the North American box office charts, causing a media sensation. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to to cast your recommendation and monthly votes. Your support is my biggest motivation.)