**Chapter 42: Rising Fame**

Luckily, this scene wasn't too long. It was just a brief setup, and before the audience members who didn't like Bartleby could get too annoyed, the story quickly shifted to a conversation between Bartleby and his sister.

After this scene, those who liked Bartleby found him even more amusing and clever. 

Even those who originally disliked Bartleby—thinking he was just a slacker always coming up with harebrained schemes—couldn't help but chuckle. Especially when Bartleby falsely accused the school bully of being attracted to him, a moment that had many laughing out loud.

"Hey, that's actually a pretty good idea! If that guy Joras bullies me again, maybe I can use the same trick. Even if I can't get him kicked out, I might at least scare him into stopping," a chubby kid whispered to himself in the audience, pausing mid-bite of popcorn as his eyes lit up.

Meanwhile, on-screen, the story shifted to Bartleby's dinner conversation with his parents about the purpose of college. At this point, most viewers, except for a stubborn few, began to reflect.

Getting into a good college and receiving a quality education certainly helps people climb the social ladder, but what if someone can't get into college? Is there really no other way forward?

The pressure from his parents, combined with Bartleby's frustration, was deeply conveyed through the performances of two seasoned actors and Wayne's skillful direction, successfully pulling at the audience's heartstrings.

Many began to feel the weight of the situation. But just as things got heavy, Wayne—the film's real director—took them on an emotional roller coaster.

One minute Bartleby, devastated after receiving his eighth rejection letter, seemed on the verge of suicide. The next, he came up with the brilliant idea of "starting my own school to placate my parents," leaving many viewers stunned and laughing at the same time.

"Holy crap! This guy's a genius!" several audience members exclaimed. Even those who initially disliked Bartleby stopped blaming him. The pressure his parents placed on him was enormous, and Bartleby, being a dutiful son, didn't want to disappoint them or embarrass them in front of their friends. 

So, what else could he do?

At that moment, even his critics admired Bartleby's quick thinking, bravery, and daring.

Next, Bartleby gathered his friends and began renovating an abandoned psychiatric hospital, a lighthearted and enjoyable sequence that lifted everyone's spirits and pushed their earlier reflections to the back of their minds.

But just as the mood lifted, the president of Harmon University, eager to expand the school to gain Ivy League status, decided to acquire more land for new buildings, dorms, and libraries. The location of the abandoned psychiatric hospital was, of course, right within the planned expansion area.

It felt like the roller coaster had just reached its peak only to suddenly plunge into a deep valley. The laughter in the audience died down, replaced by a sinking feeling.

Meanwhile, Bartleby remained blissfully unaware, making the audience worry for him.

And this was just the beginning.

Due to a forgotten auto-reply feature on the school's website, hundreds of students who had been rejected by every other university started showing up at "South Harmon Institute of Technology" with their acceptance letters, bringing the abandoned hospital to life.

A group of misfits began causing all kinds of hilarious chaos. But while the comedy kept flowing, the audience, with their omniscient viewpoint, became increasingly anxious about Bartleby and these hundreds of students.

One especially poignant moment came during the new student orientation, when a student said, "When I got my college acceptance letter, it was the first time my parents ever told me they were proud of me." This prompted Bartleby, who had planned to reveal the truth and disband the school, to change his mind and decide to go all-in on establishing a legitimate university.

At that moment, everyone in the audience was fully behind Bartleby, rooting for him from the bottom of their hearts.

What followed was a series of efforts by Bartleby to build a real university, all while Harmon University's expansion project loomed closer. This kept the audience on edge.

Finally, just as Bartleby completed the layout for his university, Harmon University's expansion plans came crashing down on him. The site of the psychiatric hospital had belonged to Harmon University, and Bartleby had been using their name. There was no way to fool them.

While dealing with hundreds of "students" wasn't a huge problem, it wasn't a small one either. So Harmon University offered Bartleby a deal: they wouldn't prosecute him for fraud if he helped them get rid of the students.

The tension in the room spiked once again.

Even though the audience knew Bartleby, as the main character, wouldn't agree to this, the possibility of him caving in loomed.

In the end, after a difficult inner struggle, Bartleby overcame his fear of prison and decided to fight back.

He and his friends prepared to face the lawsuit from Harmon University while seeking help from the government and other social organizations.

The verbal battles in the courtroom were as intense as an action-packed gunfight, leaving many audience members gripping their seat arms, leaning forward, and holding their breath in suspense.

Ultimately, Bartleby lost the lawsuit, which was no surprise. But his heartfelt, emotional closing speech saved the school.

He had succeeded!

At that moment, the camera zoomed out, showing Bartleby standing in the courtroom like Prometheus, who was willing to bear everything to bring fire to humanity. The school was the fire of hope, and the parallels were undeniable.

In that instant, Bartleby seemed larger than life, leaving an indelible mark on the audience's memory.

As the film concluded, Bartleby was released from prison and returned to the school, where students cheered and lifted him into the air. Some audience members were moved to tears.

So when the lights came on at the end of the film, there was no need for the host to prompt anyone. The audience erupted into applause for Bartleby and the film itself, clapping with the force and volume of a crowd three or four times larger.

Even the more composed film critics looked surprised, some almost wondering if Warner had planted people in the audience. But upon closer inspection, it was clear these were just regular moviegoers, many of them young students, who were clapping the hardest.

Considering Bartleby's actions in the film and the story's message, it would have been strange if they hadn't been excited or moved by it.

"Wow, Mr. Wayne Anderson, I never expected you to be so handsome in person! But in the movie, you play a slacker like Bartleby so convincingly. How did you pull that off?"

"Well, first of all, thank you for the compliment. Actually, I—"

The subsequent Q&A with reporters was essentially a series of praises. After all, these media folks and critics had been compensated by Warner.

Even the minor critiques stayed within acceptable limits, as overly one-sided praise could have the opposite effect. These lessons had been hard-won by Hollywood giants over the years.

At the afterparty, Wayne—who was also the producer, screenwriter, lead actor, and the film's actual financier—became the center of attention once again.

This didn't go unnoticed by Natalie Portman, who had been planning to distance herself from Wayne. Seeing the audience's genuine reaction made her reconsider.

After all, audience reactions are the truest form of feedback.

She had become famous at a young age, thanks to her role in *Léon: The Professional*, so she had never truly understood the mindset of regular moviegoers. She hadn't expected this film to resonate with them so deeply.

Now, having seen the audience's reaction, she could already predict that once the film officially released, Wayne's fame would skyrocket, possibly propelling him into B-list stardom.

This made Wayne even more attractive to her.

With a sly smile, Natalie pulled her agent aside and whispered a few words before flashing a seductive grin.

"Flying to San Francisco tomorrow, then New York the day after… This time, you won't bring another woman, right?" Natalie thought to herself.

But she had underestimated Wayne's audacity.

Come on, it's just a promotional tour in other cities. Why can't he bring his woman along?

Even if it wasn't convenient to bring everyone, he could at least take Hannah, his bodyguard and assistant, right?

Two days later, after returning to Los Angeles from the New York leg of the promotion, Natalie got off the plane, cold-faced, and left the airport with her agent. If it weren't for the premiere the next day, she wouldn't have wanted to see Wayne at all.

"Tsk, tsk, looks like you've really pissed off that witch the past couple of days. You sure this won't cause any problems?" Hannah teased, watching Natalie walk away before her face grew serious.

She didn't fully understand Hollywood's rules, but she knew one thing: when a woman gets angry, she can sometimes be petty and ruthless. 

Wayne was her man, and she wouldn't allow anyone to hurt him. If Natalie really intended to harm Wayne, Hannah wouldn't hesitate to make her disappear.

Sensing the hint of menace in Hannah, Wayne glanced at her in surprise before chuckling and pulling her close for a kiss on the cheek.

"Don't worry. As long as she plays by the rules, she's no match for me," Wayne said confidently.

As for playing outside the rules… Natalie Portman didn't have the guts or power for that.

After all, Wayne wasn't just an actor—he was an investor. He represented capital!

As long as Natalie didn't go too far, Wayne would leave her be. At the very least, he wouldn't target her. But if she dared to cross the line… Well, capital knows no mercy.

--- 

"Slacker? Loser? Con artist? No! He's a fighter in their eyes, a Prometheus of our times!"

While Wayne was busy promoting the early screenings, the media and critics, with Warner's push, began to go all out. Despite being relatively unknown, he quickly became the main focus of promotion, taking up nearly half of the campaign, even more than the film itself.

"It seems Warner adjusted their promotion plan after gathering feedback from the preview audiences. Over 70% of viewers who liked the film said they loved your portrayal of Bartleby. They found him funny, imaginative, and courageous, with a strong sense of responsibility. Especially the female viewers—apparently, over 95% of them were really into your character. So, Wayne, you're probably going to get even busier soon."

In the car on the way back to Wayne's estate from the airport, Mia spoke while driving, as Wayne flipped through the newspapers. She had carefully selected these papers, all of which featured articles about him.

Honestly, Wayne couldn't help but feel a bit excited. According to Warner's feedback, while viewers had minor complaints about the film itself, there were virtually no negative reviews about his portrayal of Bartleby. 

That was incredible.

His acting certainly wasn't flawless, so this positive response was largely thanks to the character of Bartleby he had refined. The role had turned out to be a showstopper. 

Moreover, Warner had spent over a month building up hype for *Accepted*, stirring significant public debate. Bartleby had become a symbol for all the underachievers, standing up for them—at least on screen.

Now, anyone who dared to criticize Bartleby, or Wayne for playing him, would be siding against educational experts, social commentators, and, most importantly, the 80% of the population who were average students or worse.

And since most media outlets and critics had already been paid off by Warner, only a fool would start attacking Wayne's Bartleby at this point.

If the Teen Choice Awards hadn't already been held in early August, Wayne could easily have snagged the award for Best Actor in a Movie.

Seeing how well the film was being received, Warner didn't even wait for Wayne to suggest it—they were already planning to push for him in the upcoming Golden Globes and Oscars next January.

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(End of chapter)