Chapter 185: The King of Hollywood!

[Chapter 185: The King of Hollywood!]

When she woke up in the morning, Halle Berry rubbed her sore head, lost in thought.

After a while, she glanced over at the balcony.

Ian sat there, fiddling with a telescope and a camera.

"Oh my God! What have I done!" she lightly touched her forehead.

She sat up and noticed she was nude, quickly recoiling into the sheets.

After a moment of pondering, she got up again.

For her, having an intimate connection with a man wasn't an issue; the problem was that this man was Ian Carr, her niece's boyfriend.

That was a tough pill to swallow for Halle.

The worst part was that she remembered everything!

She had actually initiated the advance!

Fuck!

Ian Carr, you had the strength to stop me!

Then she stepped onto the balcony, standing barefoot behind him.

"You should have punched me out!"

Ian, without turning around, chuckled, "Don't take it that seriously. If you didn't like it, we can pretend it never happened."

Halle rubbed her face, shaking her head, "I thought so too, but I can't quite let it go."

"Hmm?" Ian looked back in surprise.

The rich scene before him dazzled his eyes.

Halle crouched down, gazing at Ian with a playful smile.

"Your technique was impressive; you've given me something delightful that I can't just forget about."

Your mindset changes really quickly!

With her memories of last night still fresh, she recalled the magic of their encounter!

Ian laughed, shrugging his shoulders as he looked at Halle Berry.

"Helen is a nice girl, she cares for me; I don't want to hurt her."

Halle whispered, "Just this once, give me one more time."

She wrapped her arms around Ian's neck, tenderly drawing closer, untying his shirttail, pressing her whole body against his.

As she lightly nibbled on his earlobe, she said, "Stop focusing on work for a moment, okay? I had a bit too much to drink last night, and I didn't perform well. I can do so much more..."

Feeling the warmth and allure, Ian's heart raced.

Damn!

It was tough to resist!

He murmured softly, "Then be a good girl; it won't take long."

Saying this, he turned back to resume fiddling with the camera.

Halle responded softly.

She moved in front of Ian, gracefully showing off her curves.

Sunlight poured over her wheat-colored skin, creating dazzling shadows. 

This flawless, bare woman -- her perfect figure was captivating...

Even Ian, looking through the camera, couldn't help but inhale sharply, trying to calm his racing heart as he trembled, finishing his task.

He then stepped back, leaning against the balcony wall, closing his eyes and soaking in the gentle beauty of this mixed-race actress.

Her skin was soft, and her touch was delightful.

Until he couldn't hold back anymore, he scooped up Halle Berry and carried her inside.

Laughter and playful sounds followed.

...

At noon, Ian drove her home.

As agreed, they continued to maintain a normal relationship afterward, avoiding any further physical contact.

But occasionally, in the dead of night, Halle would think of Ian.

Especially every time Helen came back, she would live in Ian's house, which made Halle Berry miss him especially.

Their previous nights together had become some of her most cherished memories, and she even fantasized about being with her niece...

As for Ian, he concentrated on his Hollywood strategy, making moves everywhere, searching for stories, while also signing various advertising collaboration agreements with major film companies in Hollywood, aiming to secure every upcoming movie, including potential copyrights.

Soon after, Ian began gradually releasing these stories.

---

"Extra! Extra!"

"Tom Cruise was caught berating a female actor on set, saying she should go home and take care of the kids."

"Brad Pitt cheats just a year into his marriage, leaving Jennifer Aniston feeling estranged!"

"Nicolas Cage is dating Lisa Marie Presley, but it seems Ms. Presley has another love interest, leaving their romance uncertain."

"George Clooney loses his temper on set, physically confronting a crew member; it seems his temper will never change."

"Nicole Kidman reportedly had a bisexual relationship with Naomi Watts."

"DreamWorks is experiencing a downturn, with intense internal conflicts; the three founders appear to be growing distant, hinting at a potential split."

In the following days, a series of news began to break, all exposing Hollywood celebrities, and all concerning stars under CAA representation.

The reason was simple: Martin Lasek had joined CAA.

This led to a flurry of sensational revelations from Ian Carr and Butterfly.

Some of these revelations were harmless.

Take Nicolas Cage, for instance; the news about his girlfriend had little to do with him.

Nicole Kidman and Brad Pitt also weren't serious issues... this was merely a report expressing nostalgia for Nicole Kidman!

Fortunately, Nicole Kidman quickly realized the situation, bringing Naomi Watts along to help diffuse some tension, allowing Ian the chance to experience the essence of Nicole Kidman's women's touch -- far more thrilling than the service he received from Kracey and Barbara.

It was indeed thorough and considerate, with some services performed without Ian even needing to request them; they just took the initiative.

As for Brad Pitt, due to Kate's involvement, he had once collaborated with Ian on Ocean's Eleven, though they had no further contact, so Ian merely acknowledged him with a gesture.

Kate Beckinsale, however, still received a call from Pitt, and then turned around to call Ian, indicating he shouldn't push too far.

Ian stated: this was just a hint; I didn't reveal any major dirt.

George Clooney wasn't a big deal, but since Ocean's Eleven was now released, who cared about him?

All in all, for the others, it was merely a courtesy; besides, they might all join UTA in the future -- this was actually a hint: this was just a light punch, while bigger punches could follow.

However, the news of Tom Cruise's berating of a female actor and the internal fractures of DreamWorks were serious problems.

The former meant he had provoked the women's rights movement, and the latter exposed inherent issues that could complicate their future business.

Ian primarily aimed at securing the remaining copyrights for Mission: Impossible; if Tom Cruise was willing to cooperate, Ian would gladly sweep it under the rug -- after all, he was already a sponsor for several women's rights organizations!

If Tom Cruise still refused to cooperate, he might have to bring into the conversation the Church of Scientology -- a cult with significant influence and wealth.

Rather than attacking this cult, it was better for them to act like Etna Insurance Company, supporting him while providing good publicity.

When it came to DreamWorks, they were not friends, and he felt free to strike hard -- he hadn't released the part of the conversation regarding Jewish topics, so he didn't see it as a severe blow to their partnership as the current environment wasn't suitable for that.

Even though Spielberg was the owner of DreamWorks, he was also a CAA person, so this could still be viewed as CAA taking a hit.

After these revelations, he began to strike hard at DreamWorks, relentlessly uncovering explosive news.

Assault on set, tax issues, conflicts among powerful figures, artist controversies... he got tousled up in everything.

Even CAA was astonished.

"Is Ian Carr going crazy?"

"Is he going against the Jews?"

But Ian wouldn't admit that.

Everything didn't relate to the "Jewish issue"; it was purely coincidental and at most related to "interests in conflict."

In this industry, who had the leisure to escalate personal disputes into racial viewpoints?

Of course, the tormented could play the racial card, but that would lead to even murkier scandals!

Besides, Spielberg held a respectable position; he wouldn't fall to claims of "you're attacking the Jews" merely because he was confronted.

That would be utterly embarrassing.

What made Ian Carr dangerous was not just his ability to expose, but also the fact that every revelation came with solid evidence!

Thus, the relentless revelations from Carr Media sent shockwaves through all of Hollywood.

Worse still, as the disclosures amplified, the Los Angeles Times, Variety, CBS, and other outlets even called publicly: "The next target for revelation could be so-and-so!"

This essentially served as a public declaration, naming names, ensuring nobody could escape.

...

In this scenario, Hollywood's top stars and even those from CAA began to panic.

Just afte accepting Martin Lasek, CAA announced immediately the cancellation of his contract, willing to pay compensation just to prevent him from joining, while the artists associated with Lasek scrambled to terminate their contracts, many of whom directly returned to UTA.

Following this, UTA also began reaching out to CAA, WME, and others, extending olive branches to their artists.

Now, their pitch was far simpler:

"Want to avoid ruining your career? Then join UTA; your bosses can't protect you!"

They actually managed to snag quite a few famous names.

This left UTA jubilant; it was Ian Carr who had made enemies, yet they were the ones reaping the rewards!

Now that they thought about it, Ian Carr's previous harsh face didn't seem so ugly.

Sandra Bullock, Keanu Reeves, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Lopez -- originally part of CAA -- expressed they would join UTA once their contracts ended, some even willing to pay penalties to leave early.

Some stars stumbled upon Ian Carr walking during their daily routine and were frightened into a panic, quickly calling UTA expressing their willingness to pledge allegiance... thinking he might be stalking them.

How disrespectful!

Stars usually lash out at stalker reporters; a certain someone once said, "When I walk down the street, if I casually point, a group of people would scatter."

This referred to how paparazzi were forced to hide from them.

But Ian Carr was different; he wouldn't just lurk in the shadows waiting for them.

Most times, one wouldn't even see him; then one day he appeared, having already gathered plenty of "evidence" on their various shenanigans.

So seeing Ian Carr was akin to encountering the devil!

...

Tom Cruise personally approached Ian Carr, and after learning of his interest in the Mission: Impossible copyright, he offered to sell Ian the remaining rights, while requesting Ian hand over the development rights to him.

Ian beamed and replied, "That's no problem at all. I respect all creators and won't utter a word while you're creating... I know nothing about making films anyway."

...

After reaching an agreement, Ian let the media smooth things over: "When Tom Cruise said that, it was because of his excellent relationship with the child of the actress involved, intending to adopt as a father. Being considerate when finding out the child was home alone wasn't scolding; it was merely care for the child."

The only factor that could counter the power of women would be child protection.

Reframing the same statements resolved the matter.

What did you say?

That it was my media report?

I must admit, some staff under Carr Media have been inappropriate; I'll have them apologize publicly right away.

The staff apologized sincerely while bearing compensation, a grin stretching across their face.

Look how great Ian Carr is; he owns up to his mistakes, and he never protects the wrongdoers!

...

Tom Cruise even appeared alongside the actress he had berated in interviews with CBS and WND, expressing their close bond, clarifying everything was merely misinterpretation, generously stating he wouldn't pursue the matter.

CBS happily garnered a multitude of headlines from this.

...

Even big stars like Will Smith and Meryl Streep expressed intentions of joining UTA.

Meryl Streep once cleverly outmaneuvered fashion mogul Carr Lagerfeld, though it was her who hadn't honored her word, yet she used her fame to silence Lagerfeld, leading to the public blaming him...

That just showed how significant media presence could be!

Whoever held the most influence was the one who triumphed!

This also highlighted the industry's hierarchy.

The fashion industry can't overshadow the entertainment industry; the entertainment industry can't outperform the media; the media can't top the internet...

With the presence of companies like News Corp, Viacom, and Comcast, Ian Carr may not be the most widely known but he was undoubtedly the most informed in the country!

Even Spielberg lowered his haughty head, agreeing to allow Jessica Alba to star in Catch Me If You Can.

Tom Hanks had a good relationship with Spielberg and personally informed him that there was no reason not to cast Jessica Alba just because of her ties to Ian, even claiming he himself would not act if she weren't cast.

Even Leo was in support -- this guy, capable of leaving Victoria with no secrets, surely feared Ian Carr's watchful eyes!

The idea that he might withdraw his enthusiasm due to Ian was entirely out of the question!

Thus, Spielberg surrendered.

With that, Amy Adams's opportunity to play was rejected, leaving her crying at home in the bathroom.

However, collaboration didn't mean Spielberg's relationship with Ian improved -- business was business, and personal grievances didn't affect the whole picture; he would seize every opportunity to undermine Ian.

Ian welcomed this: "I have plenty of material on you; it's not that I won't reveal it, it's just not the right time!"

...

Under such circumstances, CAA and other agencies also began to show deference, indicating they would consider allowing Carr Media to buy shares in their agencies.

Ian was intrigued.

Yet he knew the time wasn't right yet.

Once his encroachment on a specific industry reached a certain level, it would trigger antitrust laws.

Thus, the best outcome was to continue bolstering UTA, though if I'm providing all these benefits, shouldn't I receive something in return?

UTA was quite responsive, showering Ian with numerous signed talents.

After reaching this point, Ian's campaign against the dirt of CAA and WME stars ultimately paused momentarily.

This round of sensational disclosures genuinely established Ian Carr's ruling position in Hollywood.

Now, it couldn't be said that every person in Hollywood feared him, but at least half of the prominent figures did.

The remaining half consisted of those who were unwilling to provoke him and others who felt they currently harnessed no dirt or perhaps thought their connections were strong enough that they hadn't previously crossed Ian Carr.

Yet, for those lower in Hollywood, it was the opposite.

These individuals felt their fame was insufficient and believed that Ian Carr's exposure could offer them the opportunity to soar, thus eagerly anticipating when he might turn his gaze on them.

Once they were aligned with a king, soaring was merely a matter of time!

Just like Megan Fox, she feared that others might not mention her passionate encounter with Ian!

*****

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