Chapter 688: The Girl on the Red Carpet, Radiant All Around

Martin led Alexandra Daddario by the hand onto the red carpet.

This was the first time the young girl had stood beneath such a dense barrage of camera flashes.

Martin had always treated his harem very well.

If the little girl wanted fame, then what better way than to bring her onto the red carpet? This was far more effective than starring in ten or even eight TV dramas or movies—her popularity would skyrocket!

After all, the man standing beside her was none other than the most globally influential megastar—Martin Meyers!

And this wasn't just Martin boasting—it was the truth.

Sure enough, the reporters were already starting to take an interest in the young girl.

"Who is she?"

"Does anyone know her name?"

"Is this Martin's new girlfriend?"

"Wow, she's stunning—Martin sure is lucky."

"No, you've got it backwards. It's this girl who's lucky. Hollywood is full of beautiful women—if she weren't standing beside Martin, who would even notice her?"

At this moment, Alexandra Daddario wore a sleek black evening gown that hugged her body. A single elastic strap ran from her right chest diagonally up to the base of her neck on the left, the entire gown held up by just this one strap.

The deep black synthetic fabric was adorned with small teardrop-shaped glass beads, which made her pale, glossy skin appear even more exquisite under the lights.

The clingy, stretchy material of the gown revealed her beautiful figure with no room for doubt.

Combined with her delicate facial features and naturally cool demeanor, she exuded a mysterious and sensual charm. Her quiet, reserved presence—born of nervousness—added an air of elegance.

Not far away—

Her manager, watching from a side entrance, was filled with emotion.

This young girl, whom she had once criticized for not knowing how to seize opportunity, had unexpectedly landed herself a king-level jackpot right out of the gate: directly hooking the top figure in Hollywood's pyramid of power and fame—and a dashing young man to boot.

Ha! This move was a win!

The manager could already see the fortune coming her way.

...

This year's Oscars felt a little strange. Unlike in previous years, where most actresses opted for black or dark-toned evening gowns, this time it seemed everyone had a special fondness for the color red—specifically, a striking, vivid red.

Anne Hathaway had a crimson wedding-style gown with a long train. Former Best Actress Helen Mirren wore a bold scarlet gown with a flared skirt. Classic beauty Catherine Heigl went with a bright red trumpet dress, while Aussie queen Cate Blanchett had a fiery red pantsuit-style gown...

At first, the crowd found the bold reds vibrant and sexy, but after seeing too much of it, aesthetic fatigue set in. And then, all of a sudden, there appeared Alexandra Daddario in her all-black ensemble.

In that moment, everyone—whether present at the scene or watching from home—instinctively remembered this girl.

Just the sheer frequency of flashes she attracted was enough to gauge how much heat Alexandra was generating.

To accommodate her, Martin deliberately slowed their pace so she could absorb as much of the spotlight as possible.

As for himself, his eyes wandered toward a distant section along the red carpet, where he saw nearly ten thousand feminist activists gathered on both Highland Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard.

They held signs high above their heads with slogans like: "We demand equal rights with men," and "Equal pay for equal work!" Occasionally, they erupted in chants loud enough to drown out the chatter of film fans on either side of the red carpet.

Martin couldn't help but reflect on how, in the past two years, the feminist movement had grown increasingly vigorous, spreading rapidly throughout Hollywood and the entire film industry.

And he could already foresee that this rise in feminism would have a clear impact on mainstream commercial filmmaking.

"It's time to adapt Twilight into a movie," he thought.

In the original timeline, Twilight had been one of the most profitable film series. Though it was packaged as a fantasy epic, it actually told a story centered on love, family, and emotional bonds.

And stories like that had undeniable appeal—especially for female viewers.

Women found it easier to emotionally connect with the characters, viewing the story through a female lens. That made them more susceptible to the tale's emotional themes of love and familial warmth.

The narrative depicted a unique kind of family—one without blood ties, yet bonded by deep affection and harmony.

Female audiences were particularly moved by this tender closeness and often reflected on their own familial roles and responsibilities.

In Martin's view, a film like that resonated with women's values on family, while also enhancing their emotional investment in entertainment consumption.

That, ultimately, was the secret to the book series' success—and the reason the movie adaptation in the original timeline had achieved such massive success: women were willing to spend money on it.

Later hits like True Blood and The Vampire Diaries were, in essence, just following in Twilight's footsteps.

These works all shared common traits: the female leads were mostly innocent young women navigating emotional confusion and heartbreak.

The male leads were always handsome, mysterious vampires.

And women, by nature, found those two traits irresistible.

Stories like these easily captured the intense interest of female viewers.

With this setup, female audiences more easily formed emotional connections and had their romantic fantasies stirred.

In short, they became the primary demographic—and primary source of profit—for these films.

It was all about tapping into women's wallets.

At the press area, Martin paused and struck a very intimate pose with Alexandra, letting the photographers snap away.

The reporters, burning with curiosity, quickly turned it into a flurry of questions thrown at the two.

"Martin, may I ask who this stunning lady at your side is?"

"Mr. Meyers, is this your new girlfriend?"

"Miss, how did you come to know Martin?"

"May we ask how far your relationship has progressed?"

Martin gently wrapped his right arm around Alexandra's waist.

Though the young lady was "well-endowed," she had a slim waistline that made her curvier parts stand out even more.

Martin casually fielded the more cunning questions himself, while leaving the others for Alexandra to answer—this also helped increase her screen time.

When it came to these matters, Martin's attentiveness and generosity were truly beyond reproach.

After a wave of tabloid-style questions, someone finally asked something serious.

"Martin, in all of 2007, you didn't seem to release any acting projects. Are you really shifting your focus entirely to directing?"

Martin perked up slightly and replied, "I have indeed shifted part of my focus toward directing, but I wouldn't say I've fully given up acting. Last year, I starred in an action film that'll be released this year."

"Of course, what everyone will see first in 2008 is the Marvel superhero film Iron Man, which I directed. I can promise everyone here—you won't be disappointed."

With that, Martin launched into an enthusiastic explanation of Iron Man content, using this moment to give his film some early publicity without missing a beat.