King of Hollywood

Chapter 285: Chapter 12 Can Shoot Without Those Guys Chapter 285: Chapter 12 Can Shoot Without Those Guys “Simply put, if the script isn’t modified according to their wishes, they can only apologize?” Adrian asked one of his assistant directors, then after getting confirmation, he waved his hand, “Well then, let the Pentagon go to hell. Contact others for the firearms, and for things like helicopters, we’ll just use CG in post-production.”

About a week after returning from San Jose to the studio for filming indoor scenes, The Godfather finally lent his private golf course to Adrian, after much pestering. Adrian immediately arranged for his team to go and prepare for shooting the Vietnam War scenes in Forrest Gump. Initially, he had thought he might be able to borrow some military equipment, but later learned that to get military support, the script must first be reviewed by a special representative from the Ministry of Defense, and if there were any parts they were unsatisfied with, changes had to be made as per their demands.

That is to say, to obtain Pentagon support when shooting war scenes, one must portray the United States military in a positive light within the script. Scenes like those in Forrest Gump were absolutely impossible to pass; however, no need to worry—if the producer is willing to make modifications according to the Pentagon’s requests, the military would still offer support and sponsorship, including the use of various weapons—from rifles to aircraft carriers—to assist with filming, and all for a meager fee. If one refuses to make changes, then they should just go back where they came from.

Nevertheless, Adrian still had people try to make contact, just to test the waters, even if a rejection was inevitable. He didn’t take it to heart—it was just a few shots, which wouldn’t cost much.

“Prepare as soon as possible; next Monday, we start filming at the golf course. By then, I want the camp already set up,” Adrian instructed, then announced the end of filming for the day.

After discussing a few things with the assistant director and others, he began walking out of the studio, looking around for Charlize, who had been out of sight since the last shot ended. He quickly found her at the studio door, talking to a woman Adrian was familiar with.

“Hi, Ed,” with a gust of perfume, Blanchett threw herself into Adrian’s arms. She rushed over from where she was talking with Charlize after noticing his arrival. Although her rush and embrace carried a hint of modesty, it only added charm to her gestures. However, her modesty vanished without a trace once she hugged him, passionately kissing him around the neck.

The two of them kissed unabashedly at the studio entrance, like lovers deep in a romance. It wasn’t surprising as for the past week and more since their return from sea, the two were almost always seen together. The staff were used to this by now—this wasn’t the first time a woman got so intimate with the boss, nor would it be the last, as even people like Hanks thought. As for Charlize, she watched the two expressionlessly, saying nothing.

“How long have you been here?” Adrian asked, holding her cheeks after breaking the kiss.

“Just a few minutes, I was chatting with your assistant,” Blanchett replied with a radiant smile, then suddenly turned to Charlize, “Sorry Charli, I just…”
“It’s okay,” Charlize immediately cut her off, still expressionless, and then looked at Adrian, “Are you coming back tonight, Ed?”

“Of course not, you just need to get things ready and bring them to the set tomorrow,” Adrian said, embracing Blanchett’s waist and walking out, pausing after a few steps to turn back to Charlize: “Also, if there’s anything that needs to be dealt with, you can make decisions based on your thoughts, and whatever can’t be decided, I’ll handle it tomorrow.”

He winked subtly as he said this, causing the always composed Charlize to slightly change her expression, but she quickly dropped a “Got it,” turned, and walked back into the studio without looking back.

“She seems hard to approach. When I talked to her earlier, she was a bit cold as well,” Blanchett remarked, watching Charlize’s retreating figure because Adrian was in front of her shielding the earlier interaction.

“No, she’s quite warm once you get to know her, but if you get too familiar, she might not take you seriously,” Adrian said meaningfully, smiling as he turned his head.

“Alright, let’s go, we’re running late,” he said, wrapping his arms around Blanchett as they left the studio.

“What’s the plan for today?” Blanchett asked, comfortably leaning into his embrace without any hesitation.

“First, we go to the Greek Theater. There’s a play tonight, Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, starring the famous stage actress Virginia Madsen as the Queen of Egypt,” Adrian smiled, “Before you head back to Australia, why not see what American stage actors are made of?”

“Really? That’s fantastic.” Blanchett’s face lit up with surprise, her sea-blue eyes twinkling with excitement, “You are so thoughtful, Ed.”

“As long as you’re happy,” Adrian said as he helped her onto the golf cart and drove to the parking lot.

“To be honest, your outfit today is both beautiful and classy.” Adrian remarked as they reached the car.

Blanchett was wearing a black thin coat over a light-colored top with matching leggings that complemented her coat, and a pair of brown knee-high leather boots on her calves. She seemed to like wearing boots, and she had to admit, the boots really accentuated her temperament, which although not fully developed, was beginning to take shape.

“As long as you like it,” Blanchett shrugged.

They looked at each other, laughed together, then naturally kissed again, entwining several times until Adrian’s hands began to wander, and Blanchett pushed him away.

“Hey, this is the parking lot,” she said with a mischievous grin, “don’t be late.”

Adrian laughed out loud, let go of her, and opened the car door for her.

After watching a stage production of “Antony and Cleopatra” at the Greek Theater, they naturally went for dinner and a stroll. Walking around the streets of Los Angeles, they kissed and cuddled without any reservations. As Blanchett was not yet famous, they didn’t attract the attention of the paparazzi. As for Adrian, although reporters had approached him during filming in Montgomery and San Jose, they were mostly focused on the rising star Hank Hanks. Questions about the director were few, even though a film had attracted significant attention and sparked debates more than a year earlier.

This is why Adrian preferred working behind the scenes, although some matters inevitably required his presence in the limelight. But which leader wasn’t controlling things from behind the scenes?

“What a pleasant evening,” Blanchett said in a languid tone while looking at Adrian, who was driving, “So, are we going back to my apartment or to your villa?”

Her cheeks were slightly flushed, probably from the drinks at the bar earlier, and of course, from excitement as well.

“By the way, I remember when we left the studio, you told your assistant you wouldn’t be going back tonight, so… it should be my apartment, right?” Blanchett suddenly asked.

“Don’t worry, you’ll find out soon,” Adrian said with a smile playing on his lips as he drove.

“Are you saying it’s a surprise?” Blanchett thought for a moment then looked out the window, trying to decipher something from the night view. Initially, there wasn’t much to see, but a few minutes later, her expression turned to one of astonishment.

“Ed, you don’t mean…” she pointed outside and asked, but Adrian didn’t respond, just kept smiling as he steered into the parking lot.

After parking the car and greeting the manager, he led Blanchett to his private dock. Adrian currently owned three small yachts, a sailboat they had previously taken out to sea, a high-speed yacht suitable for lakes and coastal waters, and a very ordinary double-decker yacht suitable for trips.

Having these three was enough for now; adding a bigger, more luxurious one could wait.

“Ed, no, Ed, I don’t like this place.” Despite staggering along, Blanchett didn’t resist Adrian’s tugging, but kept on saying this.

“Really?” Adrian suddenly stopped and looked at her with a half-smile, then bent down to swoop her up and strode toward the sailboat yacht right in front of them.

Blanchett exclaimed, kicking her legs and loudly protesting, but it was all in vain, as the dimly lit dock was deserted. Once on board and inside the cabin, with a thump, Adrian dropped her on the bed.

“This isn’t at all… ahh!” Blanchett had just started to complain when she was cut off as Adrian pounced on her.

The two immediately tangled together and rolled around on the bed, Blanchett at times laughing loudly and at other times letting out shrill screams, rolling from one end to the other, from the bed onto the floor. Soon, screams and laughter were replaced by panting and moaning, followed by the creaking of the floor and various thumping sounds.

After a considerable struggle, they finally stopped, holding each other tightly and panting. The small bedroom in the cabin was a complete mess, hardly any different from when they had returned from sailing that day.

“You actually… choose this place…” Blanchett said, forehead still sweaty and voice a bit hoarse, her skin still flushed with a rosy red.

“This place left a deep impression on me,” Adrian held her in his arms, caressing her body, “blue sky, white clouds, the vast ocean, and the little white boat sailing in it. You riding on top of me, recklessly and wildly traversing, it was breathtakingly beautiful. If it weren’t for work today, I would definitely take you out to sea again, Kate.”

“So you mean… you want to try it again, do you?” She whispered seductively into his ear.

“I do want to try more, but not that.” Adrian’s eyes twinkled with a peculiar expression.

Blanchett was slightly taken aback, but quickly realized something and instinctively shrank back, “No, you can’t…”

Before she could finish, Adrian had picked her up and then had her kneeling on the floor with her upper body pressed down on the bed.

“Ed, stop!” Although she yelled this, her body involuntarily trembled with excitement.

“The body doesn’t lie, dear Kate,” Adrian grabbed Blanchett’s waist, licked his lips, and spoke with an equally excited tone, “It was your first time last time, wasn’t it? You really liked it.”

“It wasn’t… I didn’t…” Blanchett tried to argue.

After returning from sailing that day, the passion-kindled Blanchett and Adrian had clung to each other incessantly, spending the entire night entwined in the yacht’s bedroom. Due to the overwhelming passion, Adrian naturally ventured into Blanchett’s backdoor, and she, equally immersed, didn’t refuse. Surprisingly, she didn’t feel much discomfort, and recovered very quickly the next day.

Adrian was certain she had never tried it from behind before, but Blanchett, after a slight discomfort at first, soon became immensely pleasurable, which deeply surprised him.

Or perhaps, did she have a hint of masochistic tendencies deep inside? The thought alone made Adrian’s heart surge with excitement. And now, more than ever, it was proved as her mouth resisted but her body accepted and responded.

As time passed, the bedroom, filled with incessant noises, became increasingly lascivious.

“Then, I’m leaving.” Inside the Los Angeles International Airport, Blanchett dressed in a formal suit and trousers, her hair pinned up, exuding an air of sophistication, a far cry from her wild and wanton demeanor the night before.

“Have a safe journey,” Adrian caressed her cheek, “when I finish filming, I’ll definitely make time to visit you in Australia, I believe then I’ll see an even more outstanding Kate.”

Since “Speed” had wrapped up, Blanchett had no other business in Hollywood and wanted to return to Australia to further hone her acting skills through stage plays. If it weren’t for sleeping with Adrian, which resulted in a week-long infatuation, she might have already gone back.

Blanchett smiled, holding his hand against her face, staring at him for a long while, then kissed him passionately again before waving and walking towards the boarding area, though if one looked closely, they would notice her slight limp.

Adrian wore a knowing smile, then caught the last glimpse of Blanchett turning her head for a final farewell, her eyes flickering with resentment, still palpable even from afar, before she turned and walked away without looking back.

Adrian’s smile deepened, reflecting on the week’s intense passion; it was well worth the time and energy he had invested in Blanchett. Of course, this was just the beginning, and there was much more to explore. She wasn’t yet Monica or Julia, which is why, as much as he wanted her to stay in Hollywood, he didn’t oppose her departure.

But there was no rush; Adrian understood her psychological state, even though Blanchett might not have realized it herself, but roots were indeed taking hold.

Revisiting last night’s events and those speculations about her masochistic potential, a smirk appeared on Adrian’s lips. Blanchett’s current demeanor was beginning to shape up to his liking, but building her character fully would take time. She had high potential; just a few tweaks and additions here and there, and she could definitely become an icon of elegance in public and decadence in private. Wait, maybe there’s one more?

Adrian shook his head, putting that thought aside for now; it was better to proceed methodically. He left the airport and watched the plane to Melbourne take off before driving back to the city center.

On May 15th, “Forrest Gump” began its Vietnam War scenes shooting at Old Ronris private golf course, where the props department had everything, from military equipment to the entire camp, perfectly set up.

“I told you, we could shoot war scenes without those Pentagon guys,” Adrian said with a prideful grin.

“Oh come on; how could these few shots count as war scenes?” Gary Sinise, fiddling with a prop gun, threw cold water on him, while Hank and Williamson, who played Babu, chuckled softly.

“Shut up, Gary, it’s one of the rare scenes where you have both legs; be careful,” Adrian half warned, half joked, just as the assistant director came over to tell him everything was ready. He immediately clapped his hands and called out, “Alright, guys, let’s get started!” (To be continued. For more chapters, visit www.qidian.com. Support the author by reading the original work there!)