Chapter 17: Kevin: We're Done

Kevin's agent, Dawson, had arranged a lot of work for Salma Hayek. This kept Kevin busy for the past few days, leaving him single and without much to do.

But that suited him just fine. Salma Hayek was fierce, and as the saying goes, "Men are bulls, and women are fields." This bull needed some rest.

With some free time on his hands, Kevin finally had the opportunity to go back to school and complete his graduation procedures.

In the office, the teacher in charge of the graduation procedures nodded and said earnestly,

"Kevin, although your first film was a success, don't get arrogant."

"At our university, there have been many people who achieved success with their first films over the years, but most of them faded into obscurity afterward."

"They became ordinary directors known for only one representative work. Here, the teachers hope that you can achieve great fame. That is the motto of the University of Southern California."

"If you continue to succeed, you will have the opportunity to be listed among the university's celebrities and be regarded as a role model by every student."

Kevin nodded, completed all the necessary procedures, and left the school directly.

Since his success, Kevin no longer had the desire to show off at school.

Pretending to be impressive among a bunch of students would only be an insult to himself.

Nowadays, he was dealing with executives from major film companies, while those students, even after graduation, would need several years of experience before they could even catch a glimpse of those executives.

Their social status was simply not on the same level.

Walking through the campus, a few attractive female students would occasionally approach Kevin.

They would hand him little notes with addresses, times, and phone numbers, indicating that if Kevin showed interest and made a call, they would willingly lie down in bed for him.

This made Kevin sigh at the intense and blunt pursuit of money in capitalism.

However, these naive young women were not his cup of tea.

Compared to them, Kevin preferred the glamorous Hollywood actresses.

Just as Kevin was enjoying the attention from beautiful women, a woman approached him.

"Kevin, can we go back to how things were before?"

Kevin looked up and realized that the woman standing in front of him was his ex-girlfriend, Perla.

Seeing the hopeful look in Perla's eyes, Kevin simply smiled. He was no longer the Kevin from the past.

With his Chinese personality, he couldn't tolerate betrayal the most.

Although he didn't have any feelings for Perla, betrayal was betrayal. Go back to how things were?

Dream on!

"Can a broken mirror be mended?"

"We're done, Perla!"

Kevin shrugged off Perla and walked away.

His trip back to school had thoroughly dealt with the matters of his past self. From now on, he would wholeheartedly focus on his career.

Perla watched Kevin leave with regret. The reason she came to find Kevin was simple: she had been deceived.

The person who promised her a lead role turned out to be a lie.

In reality, even though his father was an executive, as the son of an executive, Kevin didn't have enough influence to sway his father's decisions.

Upon realizing this, Perla decisively broke up with him.

Or rather, they never really started a relationship. Perla, who was skilled in opportunism, wouldn't shed a tear until she saw the coffin.

Before receiving a clear indication, she wouldn't let anyone take advantage of her. She was a realistic and smart girl.

Unfortunately, Kevin never pursued relationships with such pragmatic girls.

It was better for Kevin to interact with female stars in the entertainment industry, where both parties could benefit from each other.

...

Kevin hailed a taxi as he stepped outside the campus.

Once inside the taxi, he immediately instructed the driver, "To Beverly Hills."

The driver, an honest-looking middle-aged Caucasian man, couldn't help but ask, "You mean the Beverly Hills, which is known as the most prestigious residential area in the world?"

"That's right. Just drop me off at the Beverly Hotel in Beverly Hills," Kevin replied.

A hint of envy appeared on the driver's face. The status of Beverly Hills implied that anyone going there must be wealthy. After all, the thousands of dollars spent there were not affordable for ordinary people.

The journey was silent, and the driver wanted to strike up a conversation, hoping to hear some privileged topics from the rich people he served. However, Kevin didn't show any interest in discussing such matters.

Upon arriving at the Beverly Hotel, Kevin walked straight in.

Despite his attire consisting of affordable clothing worth no more than two hundred dollars, Kevin initially thought that hotel staff might look down on him.

However, reality proved otherwise. No one was that foolish.

As Kevin walked in, a well-dressed and spirited young man approached him politely and asked, "Hello, this is the Beverly Hotel. Do you have a room reservation?"

Kevin replied with a hint of regret, "I have already made a reservation. I'm Steve Kevin."

The attendant courteously said, "Your room number is 1211. Please follow me."

Kevin followed the attendant's guidance and quickly arrived at room 1211.

After a brief introduction to the room's amenities, the attendant quietly left. Kevin looked out of the floor-to-ceiling windows at the view of Beverly Hills and couldn't help but feel in high spirits.

Everywhere he looked, there were mansions, with even the cheapest ones likely costing tens of millions of dollars. Each one exuded a sense of comfort and showcased the architects' intelligent design.

It aroused a desire within him to make a purchase.

However, Kevin knew better than to act now. According to his memory, the United States would experience one or two financial crises before 2020. At that time, he would be able to buy properties in Beverly Hills at the lowest prices.

Buying now would mean buying at a high point, resulting in substantial losses.

The hotel's room was a staggering $3,000 per night. If it weren't for Kevin receiving an advance from New Line Films based on his film's earnings, he wouldn't be able to afford it.

With one or two days remaining before the party, Kevin started contemplating his next film choice in his mind.

The allure of Beverly Hills' real estate had stimulated his desire to earn more, making him realize that he was currently a very, very poor man.

...

Outside, the box office for "Saw" continued to accumulate, and its influence grew day by day.

Unlike its release in 2004, Kevin's version of "Saw" was receiving much better treatment. Not only did it receive positive reviews and media coverage, but it also had significant advantages in terms of screen count, subsequent marketing, and release schedule.

Therefore, on Halloween in 1991, "Saw" achieved results far surpassing the original film.