Chapter 178: The Oscars

[Chapter 178: The Oscars]

March 24, 2002.

The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles sparkled with lights.

Tonight was the Oscars, an event that drew countless celebrities and elites.

A black Rolls Royce appeared outside the theatre, and Ian stepped out, followed by the stunning Shawna.

Shawna was now more famous than Jessica Alba and had recently starred in an anti-war and anti-terrorism film, a movie that didn't exist in Ian's past life, so he hadn't invested in it.

At this moment, she clung to Ian's arm, excitedly waving to those around them.

They made their way through the crowd and simply entered the theatre.

...

Upon arriving in the lobby, Ian heard someone calling him: "Ian!"

Turning around, he saw Halle Berry waving at him, with Helen Berry clutching her aunt's arm beside her.

Ian smiled and walked over, saying, "Hi, Mrs. Benet."

Halle Berry laughed, "Just call me Halle. You still look as handsome as ever, Ian! Helen is always talking about you; honestly, I'm almost tired of hearing her."

"Who could blame her? Our Ian Carr is a hero; he saved over two hundred passengers on United Airlines and five poor little girls," Shawna said with a laugh.

"Don't forget one more; he saved another little girl from the fire."

A stylish beauty nearby chimed in.

Anne Hathaway!

Her recent film The Princess Diaries had just hit the screens and was getting a lot of attention. She was one of the new generation of Hollywood starlets, drowning in movie offers.

Yet even with her fame, she felt the need to butter up to Ian Carr.

A group of industry big shots surrounded Ian, showering him with mundane flattery and compliments. Was there ever a reasonable explanation for why big shots often got carried away?

...

Ian smiled. "Miss Hathaway, it's a pleasure to meet you; it's truly my honor."

Anne Hathaway replied, "No, the honor is mine! Mr. Carr, you're a national hero!"

As she spoke, she shook his hand, lightly caressing his palm with her fingers.

Interesting!

It was true; people in this industry were very direct.

But Ian wasn't in a hurry.

Having stated his intentions, Ian knew he didn't have much leverage with Anne Hathaway; she was already famous.

He had secured Ivanka through a stroke of luck, Jennifer Connelly based on established relationships, and Olivia by virtue of status.

But with Anne Hathaway, he didn't have these conveniences; he could be sure she would open negotiations with him.

Currently, he had too many investment opportunities, leaving him little energy or money to frivolously waste.

Of course, if she wanted to learn to be as obedient as Olivia, maybe he could consider giving her a chance.

Ian smiled and shook his head. "Sometimes, the fame of a hero can be a burden; once you carry it, you must keep moving forward."

Helen Berry looked at Ian with adoration. "You are such a good person."

...

At this point, the party hadn't started yet, and everyone mingled casually, chatting.

Someone asked Ian, "Mr. Carr, who do you think will be the ultimate winner of this year's Oscars?"

Ian smiled and said, "No, no, I can't predict this. As part of the Oscar broadcasters, it's not proper to say such things."

"But I heard you've nominated at least one for Best Supporting Actress?" A sharp rebuttal came from nearby.

Ian was slightly taken aback and turned around to find a young blond man behind him, scoffing with his wine glass in hand.

His secretary, Ida, quickly reminded him, "George Boyce, son of Uther Boyce, the ABC chairman."

Ah!

So, he was an ABC bigshot!

Ian chuckled quietly.

He understood the young man's anger.

After all, the Oscar broadcast was originally an ABC program but had been hijacked by CBS.

ABC undoubtedly was furious.

But what could be done?

Ian Carr was no longer the same; he wielded a hundred billion journalism empire, and it didn't matter if he was a bigwig or not; even the young man's father was just a peer to him in this business hierarchy.

There were clear ranks in the business world, and Ian held additional radiance due to his hero status.

In this context, the only figures in the media industry more powerful than Ian might have been Murdoch, Redstone, and Eisner.

George Boyce's arrogance towards Ian could only be explained by youthful bravado.

...

Seeing the young man, Ian happily approached him, "I don't know where you got your information, but that is purely rumor. CBS will not interfere with the selection; the Oscars are administered fairly and effectively!"

George Boyce laughed scornfully, "Is that so? I hope you remember what you just said."

Hmm?

Ian was stunned.

Could this situation go awry?

Oh no!

He couldn't say.

Many media outlets were eyeing Ian with envy, and they might pull a fast one, possibly undermining Jennifer Connelly's deserved Best Supporting Actress win.

That would be embarrassing.

While Ian didn't care much about a Best Supporting Actress award, it represented a breach of his trust.

He thought to himself, "I said I had a bit of free time lately."

A second-generation bigwig who lacked the power didn't realize he revealed too much with one careless remark.

As Ian regarded George, his tone turned icy. "I want ABC's Super Bowl broadcasting rights."

Hmm?

George Boyce was taken aback by Ian's sudden request.

He stared at Ian in disbelief.

Ian maintained a calm yet assertive demeanor. "What I want, I shall obtain; it is a certainty!"

George Boyce furiously glared at Ian. "What if you can't achieve it?"

Ian grinned, "In that case, I'll have plenty of good stories to tell!"

---

The night was filled with VIPs, not to mention Hollywood's heavyweights.

Including Will Smith, Tom Cruise, Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, and a slew of other stars who greeted Ian with friendly glances and casual chit-chat... Several beautiful women's gazes seemed as if they could devour him.

Tom Cruise's attitude was lukewarm, mainly due to his ties to DreamWorks.

At this moment, Ian sat in the front row with James Perry, watching David Letterman and Bernice Clout host the stage with their comedic banter.

Originally, this year's Oscars should have been hosted by Whoopi Goldberg, a renowned black show host.

But she wasn't a CBS person, and after Ian had altered history, she had no chance of appearing.

David Letterman was CBS's famous talk show host, and Bernice Clout was the beautiful host who had previously done an interview with Ian on Today's Star.

Though Bernice hadn't requested anything, he believed in repaying kindness!

After all, Ian knew this figure had a way with words.

Ian paid little attention to their banter; he was quietly pondering the Best Supporting Actress matter.

...

The Oscar selection had its own processes, with nearly five thousand Academy members voting for their favorites.

The one with the most votes would be submitted to a notarization firm, which would deliver it to the Oscars for public announcement.

Ian had promised Jennifer Connelly the Best Supporting Actress award four days in advance; at this point, the judges already had a clear target in their minds, and further public relations were largely redundant.

Moreover, Ian didn't believe that Boyce would be able to muster tens of millions of dollars to sway them -- perhaps ten thousand dollars per judge might be enough to alter their minds, while a mere thousand could maintain their sense of justice.

In any case, the cost was too high to be worth it.

Especially time was running out; thus, Ian could basically determine that the main area for any manipulations would be along the delivery of the final list, right when the results were meant to be revealed.

If Uther Boyce were in charge, he would never resort to such tactics, as it would be illegal, but Boyce might... The recklessness and impulsiveness of youth facilitated such decisions!

Besides, even if the attempts were exposed, isn't it simply an OSCAR organization fail?

That'd be their scandal.

As long as those pulling the strings stayed off his back, it would be fine.

Just like Ian said, "No matter whether in a positive or negative direction," anyone could attack Ian Carr.

...

"Best Editing... Pietro Scalia, Black Hawk Down!!!"

With the loud announcement of a special guest, the first award of the Oscars was successfully given out.

Pietro Scalia smiled as he stood up to accept congratulations from every direction.

Then he came to the stage, starting to deliver the same old thank-yous.

Ian sat beneath the stage, clapping mechanically while putting on a smile, appearing as though everything was irrelevant to him.

"Best Sound... Black Hawk Down!"

"Best Costume Design... Moulin Rouge!"

As the nominations were read and the awards handed out, the Dolby Theatre submerged in a sea of joy.

It was a night full of song and dance, celebrating the art of life.

...

Ian remained quietly awaiting his moment.

Finally, the time had come for the Best Supporting Actress award.

David Letterman, responsible for presenting the award, held the list aloft, saying, "Best Supporting Actress..."

The nominated actresses all nervously leaned in, eyes fixated on the moment.

Ian watched Letterman's eyes, and at that moment, a light shimmered in his left eye.

Letterman hesitated for a moment, unable to continue reading.

Everyone was astonished, looking at him.

Luckily, in the next moment, Letterman called out: "Jennifer Connelly!!!"

Everyone erupted in applause!

James Perry chuckled, "You really handled that... Good God, did you cry?"

He was taken aback as he looked at Ian.

Ian rubbed his eyes.

Forcing a change in Letterman's thoughts without any groundwork -- even a small matter placed a significant burden on him.

Fortunately, although his eyes hadn't enhanced recently, his skills were improving as he had been working on economic news.

Ian smiled slightly, saying, "I was moved."

Turning to glance at Boyce, he noticed his face was as pale as a ghost.

Ian smiled condescendingly, then looked back as Letterman seemed intent on checking the list one more time.

Ian subtly controlled him to put the list away and leave the stage.

Then Ian headed backstage.

...

Upon reaching there, Letterman had already regained his senses, staring blankly at the list. "Oh my, I read it wrong..."

Ian approached and covered his mouth, "You didn't read it wrong."

"Mr. Carr?" Letterman looked at him in shock.

Ian took the list from Letterman, saying, "You didn't read it wrong; no need to worry. You will forget all this!"

As he spoke, he patted Letterman's shoulder.

Letterman's eyes glazed over.

People around looked over, and Ian's expression slightly darkened, "Everyone, focus on your own matters!"

Then he left with the list in hand.

*****

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