Hollywood:Starting out as an MV director

Ethan entered the hall, and soon after, he spotted Scarlett, who was chatting with other celebrities.

When she saw Ethan approaching, she immediately pretended to be unfamiliar with him and exclaimed, "Ethan."

"Hello." Ethan played along, maintaining a polite smile.

"I really liked the trailer for your Fifty Shades of Grey, so when can we collaborate?" Scarlett raised an eyebrow and asked deliberately in front of everyone.

Ethan shrugged, "Anytime, Scarlett, I also really liked your Lost in Translation. I think we definitely should work together in the future."

"That sounds great. Maybe we could create something interesting."

"Yeah." As Ethan looked at Scarlett's smile, he glanced over her shoulder and saw Anne Hathaway.

She was crossing her arms, watching Ethan and Scarlett chat, but her expression seemed normal, so she likely hadn't noticed anything.

Ethan continued to chat with Scarlett until others started leaving, then he winked and bid her farewell.

"See you next time." He didn't say much more, turning to walk toward Anne Hathaway.

"Anne, you look absolutely stunning tonight." There were only the two of them nearby, well, and Scarlett who was watching from a distance.

When Scarlett saw Anne Hathaway beside Ethan, she immediately felt a deep sense of threat.

Both in terms of temperament and appearance, Anne Hathaway stood out in Hollywood, except for her body.

In terms of body, Scarlett hadn't encountered many rivals.

But looking at Ethan and Anne Hathaway together, Scarlett felt that they didn't seem to be what she had imagined, at least in terms of behavior, everything seemed perfectly normal.

However, if she overheard the conversation Ethan and Anne Hathaway were having right now, a conflict would undoubtedly erupt between the three of them.

"I'll be waiting for you at the hotel tonight."

"No problem, I'll find you after the party."

"Sounds good?"

"Mm…" Ethan lowered his voice, "Once all this is over, we'll go on a vacation."

"Really?" Anne Hathaway gasped and covered her mouth, instinctively looking around, then her smile spread uncontrollably: "Really?"

"Of course, just the two of us, no one else."

Ethan adjusted his tie and said seriously, "So, I hope we'll have a chance to collaborate on a new film."

The next moment, a female celebrity's voice rang out: "Hey, Anne! So, you're here!"

Anne Hathaway immediately responded, "Long time no see."

Ethan politely said goodbye to the two women and returned to his seat.

Jessica Alba was waiting for him beside his seat. The Memoirs of a Geisha cast was with the Sin City team.

She had just come off the red carpet and saw Ethan chatting with Anne Hathaway.

"What were you two talking about? You looked so happy." Jessica covered her mouth with her hand. She was wearing a black spaghetti strap dress with sparkling jewelry, looking quite eye-catching.

Ethan's eyes lingered on Anne Hathaway, who was wearing a white gown, and said, "She was talking to me about movies. Actually, it seems like she wants to collaborate with me."

"She really is beautiful."

"Not more than you, darling. When are we going to work together on a film?"

"Really? I've thought about that too, but your movies don't seem to suit me much."

"There will be a chance in the future."

Ethan reassured her, and soon the Oscars ceremony officially began.

Just like the last time he attended, the host started with some jokes as an opening.

Everyone laughed heartily, and then the awards began.

The first winner was Ethan.

"Best Costume Design, Memoirs of a Geisha!"

"Wow!" Applause erupted as the costume designer from Memoirs of a Geisha, Lisa, immediately stood up, exchanging hugs with her team members.

When she reached the stage, she could hardly contain her excitement, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Thank you, thank you to Spielberg for giving me this opportunity, and thank you to Ethan, thank you to Rob, thank you to all the members of the costume team. It's because of your hard work that we got this award. This is for everyone. I love you all."

"Wow!"

Applause rang out again, quickly lifting the atmosphere in the hall.

The next awards were Best Visual Effects, which went to King Kong, and Best Adapted Screenplay, which went to Brokeback Mountain.

However, the next three awards were all related to Ethan.

"Best Art Direction, Memoirs of a Geisha!"

"Best Original Screenplay, Little Miss Sunshine!"

"Best Cinematography, Memoirs of a Geisha!"

When the stars heard these continuous awards, all eyes were on Ethan. While these weren't the major awards, they represented a high level of recognition within the industry.

However, the general public didn't quite understand these professional awards, so the attention was lower.

Industry insiders viewed Oscar awards as a benchmark. When technical staff received awards, their value increased significantly.

But for Ethan, as a director, receiving Best Cinematography twice had a theatrical impact.

After those winners took the stage, they often mentioned Ethan in their speeches, which led to his name being the most frequently heard.

"Thank you, Ethan. His direction was incredible!"

"Thank you, Ethan. He gave me this opportunity."

"Thank you, Ethan Li..." That was Ethan himself speaking.

He held the Oscar statue and humorously spoke into the microphone, "Why am I saying my full name? Sorry, I must have been influenced by the people before me."

"Hahahaha!" The audience immediately burst into laughter.

After Ethan went down, the host took the stage, and the first words were: "Thanks to Ethan…" He paused for a moment before continuing, amidst the wide-eyed audience, "...for his speech."

"Hahahaha!"

"Alright, fortunately, I'm smart. Otherwise, I'd become the first Oscar host to deliver an acceptance speech on this stage."

Once the laughter subsided, the host resumed in a serious tone.

"Now, let's continue with the awards!"

Everyone thought that after these awards were presented, Ethan's presence would diminish.

However, something completely unexpected happened.

"Best Editing, Crash!"

"Best Sound Editing, Memoirs of a Geisha!"

"Best Supporting Actress, Little Miss Sunshine, Abigail Breslin!"

Three more awards were linked to Ethan. Although no one knew about his involvement in Crash, the other two had no doubt thanked Ethan again.

Especially Abigail Breslin. The adorable little girl stood on stage and sweetly said, "Thank you, Ethan! He chose me, just like I chose my favorite strawberry candy. I love you!"

The audience was charmed by her cuteness, and their impression of Ethan deepened.

But that wasn't the end, because the major award was about to be announced.

"The next award, Best Picture. This is truly exciting." Presenter Jack Nicholson held the card, lowered his head to the microphone, and said, "The nominees are..."

All the film crews instantly tensed up. The somewhat disinterested stars also perked up, awaiting the nominations.

"Brokeback Mountain!"

"Capote!"

Hearing these two names, the audience applauded, with Ang Lee receiving the loudest applause. He nodded warmly in acknowledgment.

Then came—

"Crash!"

This name was somewhat unexpected. The film wasn't particularly well-known, and many stars hadn't seen it. They were curious about what made it appealing to the Oscar judges.

However, if Crash was surprising, the next two nominees were even more shocking.

"Little Miss Sunshine!"

"Memoirs of a Geisha!"

All eyes were once again on Ethan. They knew these two films were closely tied to him—one as a producer and the other as a director.

No matter which one won, he would go up to accept the award.

More importantly, Spielberg's Munich and George Clooney's Good Night, and Good Luck weren't nominated.

These were strong contenders. No one knew whether Crash, Little Miss Sunshine, or Memoirs of a Geisha had squeezed them out.

Surprise, envy, disbelief—all these emotions surged in the hearts of many stars and directors.

Everyone stared intently at the presenter, hoping to hear the final result.

Jack Nicholson opened the envelope, glanced at it, and then announced, "The winner for Best Picture is... Crash."

"Wow!" Applause erupted. At the same time, everyone let out a breath of relief—at least Ethan wouldn't be going up on stage again.

Otherwise, the Oscars might as well be renamed The Ethan Li Norton Show.

But while the ordinary stars were reacting this way, film producers and studio executives were focused on something else entirely.

They were calculating one thing—

The films related to Ethan:

Memoirs of a Geisha received 10 nominations and won 4 awards.

Little Miss Sunshine received 5 nominations and won 2 awards.

That made a total of 6 awards from 15 nominations.

If you counted Crash, things became even more astonishing.

That night, after the Oscars ended, a shocking piece of news came from Crash's producer.

It turned out that Crash's awards campaign was handled by Ethan's company, Bernays & Co.

In other words, among the five Best Picture nominees, three were pushed by Bernays & Co.

This was even more shocking than the wins themselves. When people first heard this, they couldn't believe it.

But after a thorough investigation, they found out it was true—Bernays & Co had been in charge of the awards campaign for all three films.

Adding in Crash's awards and nnomination

Bernays & Co had won 8 Oscars and secured 11 nominations.

Considering the Academy Awards only had 24 categories in total, one company had taken a third of the Oscars!

What kind of level was this?

Everyone who understood the industry felt their scalps tingle.

When film studio executives learned about this, they immediately told their people at the after-party to approach Ethan and extend goodwill.

After all, who knew when their own films might need Bernays & Co's help to win an Oscar?

Because of this, behind the scenes, everyone who knew the real story began referring to this year's Best Picture nomination moment as—

The Ethan Moment.

Even though many actors didn't fully understand the political maneuvering, they could still tell from the awards show that Ethan was becoming a powerful figure.

So, at the after-party, they raised their glasses to express their goodwill.

"Ethan! If you have a new film, make sure to call me." This was Nicole Kidman extending an invitation.

"Ethan, I think we could make something truly amazing together—something that would blow everyone's minds." This was Denzel Washington's endorsement.

Even veteran actors reached out to him.

Like Morgan Freeman.

"I owe you a role, Ethan. What happened before was Naomi's issue, but I share responsibility too." The elderly Black actor clinked glasses with Ethan and smiled. "If you have a film, call me anytime."

"Thank you," Ethan replied politely.

But aside from him, even more female stars were eager to talk to him.

Ethan's films always gave female characters significant roles.

However, Ethan didn't engage much with them.

Because Jessica Alba, Anne Hathaway, and Scarlett Johansson were all watching him.

Still, he wasn't alone—he kept chatting with Spielberg, as if they were discussing another collaboration.

Only when the after-party ended did Ethan, who had been on edge all night, finally relax a little.

He went to the restroom to wash his face. Just as he stepped out, he saw Scarlett leaning against the opposite wall.

"Hey, my great director. How do you feel?" Scarlett smiled.

The next second, she saw Ethan raise a finger to his lips.

"Oh? Are you afraid?" Scarlett teased, but before she could react, Ethan pulled her into his arms.

"What are you doing..." Scarlett panicked for a moment as she realized she was being pulled into the restroom.

Ethan dragged her into the farthest stall, locked the door, and finally let out a breath.

Then they heard the restroom door open.

"This is exciting. So, my dear director enjoys this kind of thrill..." Scarlett felt her whole body heat up, even trembling slightly with excitement.

"Can you keep quiet?" Ethan smirked and teased her.

"How about we make a bet?" Scarlett rested her chin on his shoulder. "If I make a sound, I lose."

Then she knelt down. "But if you make a sound, you lose."

As soon as she finished speaking, the sound of a zipper being pulled down echoed through the stall.

Ethan exhaled sharply.

Thump, thump, thump.

The last stall door shook continuously.

Even when others came in to use the restroom, the two inside only slowed down slightly—but never stopped.

Half an hour later, Ethan finally cracked the stall door open and peered through the gap to check the situation.

.....

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