Chapter Summaries

Jiang Hao directed the filming of Raccoon Warfare, hired Deborah for a supporting role, and helped Marilyn Monroe overcome her nerves on set. After filming wrapped, the crew celebrated while Jiang Hao began editing the movie and preparing its soundtrack.

• Jiang Hao directed the raccoons through their scenes and asked his talent department to bring Deborah from Hollywood for a supporting role.
• Deborah auditioned for Jiang Hao, won the role, and later accepted his offer to become a contracted actress at Hall Film Company.
• Marilyn Monroe struggled with her first scene, but Jiang Hao coached her to act naturally, and she gradually grew more confident.
• Noodles watched Deborah from a car as she visited her old home, then left without speaking to her.
• Jiang Hao completed filming Raccoon Warfare and held a party for the crew.
• Jiang Hao began editing the film and working on its soundtrack after the filming stage ended.

Jiang Hao finished Raccoon Warfare, secured Warner as its distributor, and launched an expensive promotional campaign for the film. On opening night in New York, he and Marilyn Monroe saw families flocking to the theater and bought a large raccoon toy.

• Jiang Hao completed the film and screened it for his staff, who praised it and urged him to submit it for review and find a distributor.
• Jiang Hao and his team negotiated with several major studios, then chose Warner to distribute Raccoon Warfare.
• Jiang Hao committed another $1 million to promotion as Warner advertised the film and offered small raccoon toys to children attending on opening day.
• Jiang Hao learned his books had begun selling, though their projected earnings were small compared with the film's costs.
• On October 8, Jiang Hao and Marilyn Monroe visited a New York theater, where families gathered for the film and Marilyn asked him to buy her a large raccoon toy.

Raccoon Warfare succeeded at the box office, but Jiang Hao faced a cash shortage while waiting for his earnings and turned to Noodles for money. Noodles reported the growth of his businesses and his agreement with Michael Corleone, then promised Jiang Hao three million dollars in cash.

• Raccoon Warfare received positive reviews, expanded to more than eight hundred theaters, and prompted Times Books to plan reprints of Jiang Hao's novels.
• Howard told Jiang Hao that people wanted the film rights to his books, but Jiang Hao declined to sell them because he planned to adapt them himself.
• Jiang Hao considered borrowing money because his film profits would take months to arrive, then arranged to meet Noodles and check on his businesses.
• Noodles told Jiang Hao that the Spicy Strips factory was profitable, his crystal meth business had earned more than four million dollars, and he had over six hundred men operating in Manhattan and Brooklyn.
• Noodles explained that he had reached a peaceful cooperation agreement with Michael Corleone and planned to expand into Chicago, Miami, and Los Angeles; Jiang Hao told him to keep the food and drug businesses separate.
• Noodles offered Jiang Hao three million dollars in cash, which Jiang Hao arranged to collect within three days.

Jiang Hao secured funding and launched preparations for Raccoon Warfare 2 while assigning the $3 million investment to Some Like It Hot. The chapter ends with the sequel’s cast and crew assembled and filming underway, while Marilyn Monroe began studying the script for her next role.

• Jiang Hao announced Some Like It Hot and Raccoon Warfare 2, then persuaded Hall Film Company to borrow $3 million for the sequel and use the new investment for Some Like It Hot.
• Jiang Hao told Marilyn Monroe that she would star in Some Like It Hot after Christmas and gave her the script to study.
• Jiang Hao auditioned children and chose a gifted boy named Kevin, whose parents agreed to sign with the company.
• Jiang Hao assembled the crew and began filming Raccoon Warfare 2.

Jiang Hao finished editing Raccoon Warfare 2: Home Alone and left distribution and promotion to Conner and Robert. He took Marilyn Monroe to Miami for Christmas before her next film began production.

• Jiang Hao introduced Sugar Glass for the film’s window-breaking stunt and told Conner and Robert to patent it.
• After a month of filming, Jiang Hao completed the movie and screened it for the cast and company, who praised it.
• Jiang Hao assigned Conner and Robert to handle the film’s distribution and promotion.
• Jiang Hao and Marilyn planned a Miami vacation and rehearsed a song and scene from Some Like It Hot.
• Jiang Hao and Marilyn flew from snowy New York to sunny Miami.

Raccoon Warfare 2 became a Christmas box-office sensation, while Raccoon Warfare 1 earned Golden Globe nominations for Best Motion Picture and Marilyn Monroe for Best Actress. After celebrating the company’s success and distributing bonuses, Jiang Hao organized pre-production for Some Like It Hot and prepared to attend the awards ceremony with Marilyn.

• Jiang Hao and Marilyn Monroe watched Raccoon Warfare 2 premiere in Miami, where children’s enthusiastic reactions helped drive sold-out screenings from the second day onward.
• Warner expanded the film’s release by more than three hundred theaters as critics praised Jon Hall’s audience appeal and holiday release strategy.
• Conner told Jiang Hao that Raccoon Warfare 1 had received Golden Globe nominations for Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy, and Best Actress, Musical or Comedy; Marilyn celebrated her nomination.
• Jiang Hao returned to New York, reviewed the company’s finances and the two films’ strong box-office totals, and gave bonuses to more than a hundred employees.
• Jiang Hao launched pre-production for Some Like It Hot in Chicago and planned to fly there after attending the Golden Globe Awards with Marilyn Monroe.

At the Golden Globe Awards, Marilyn Monroe lost Best Actress and Jiang Hao's film lost Best Motion Picture, but he promised her future success. When actor Jack Lemmon was kidnapped by an Irish gang in Chicago, Jiang Hao arranged his rescue through his gang's contacts, then prepared to travel to Chicago with Marilyn for filming.

• Jiang Hao bought Marilyn a red evening gown and an expensive diamond necklace before they attended the Golden Globe Awards together.
• Jiang Hao announced that his new film, Some Like It Hot, would star Marilyn and that he would direct and play the male lead, and Marilyn confirmed they were a couple.
• Jean Simmons won Best Actress over Marilyn, and Guys and Dolls won Best Motion Picture over Raccoon Warfare.
• Carter told Jiang Hao that an Irish gang had kidnapped Jack Lemmon and demanded a $200,000 ransom, so Jiang Hao asked Noodles to arrange Jack's safe release.
• Noodles's contacts paid the ransom and brought Jack back to the crew, where Carter welcomed him and learned that Jiang Hao had arranged the rescue.
• Jiang Hao returned home after the rescue and told Marilyn they would leave for Chicago the next day to begin filming.

Jiang Hao began filming Some Like It Hot, then turned his attention to the Chicago gangsters who had blackmailed him. He joined forces with the Italians against the Irish Mob and met Torio under the name Mr. Stark, revealing a Sicilian identity and the surname Bonanno.

• Jack Lemmon accompanied Carter to the airport, where Jiang Hao and Miss Monroe arrived and met him.
• Filming Some Like It Hot began, and the crew completed the Chicago scenes before preparing to travel to Miami.
• Jiang Hao told Noodles to work with the Italians to wipe out the Irish Mob, and Noodles secured an agreement for territory and Chicago drug supply rights.
• Jiang Hao stayed behind as the cast and crew boarded a train, then changed his appearance and went to meet Noodles and the Italian Mafia.
• Jiang Hao introduced himself to Torio as Mr. Bonanno, said he was Sicilian, and suggested they speak English to discuss their operation.

Jiang Hao killed Medellin and helped the Italian Mafia seize the Irish Mob’s Chicago territory. He then traveled to Miami to make a movie and met Johnny, the local Mafia boss, who offered to help him.

• Jiang Hao and Torio agreed that Jiang Hao would kill Medellin while the Mafia moved against the Irish Mob, and Noodles agreed to take over the South Side.
• Michael Corleone heard Torio’s account of Jiang Hao and left the Chicago operation to Torio’s judgment.
• Jiang Hao used dogs and explosives to attack Medellin’s manor, killed Medellin, and took money and valuables from his safe.
• After Noodles confirmed Medellin’s death, Torio ordered the Mafia to seize Irish territory, and the gang war left the Irish Mob wiped out by morning.
• Jiang Hao traveled to Miami, where Johnny welcomed him and discussed helping with his film about two men chased from Chicago to Miami by the Mafia.

Jiang Hao learned that Andy Dufresne was imprisoned at Shawshank and hired Lawyer Field to investigate his murder conviction. Field met Andy, who recounted the night his wife and her lover were killed, leaving Jiang Hao with the first steps toward finding evidence that could clear Andy.

• At a dance hall, Johnny told Jiang Hao about Andy, a New York banker he had known in Shawshank Prison, and Jiang Hao realized Andy might be Andy Dufresne from The Shawshank Redemption.
• Jiang Hao used his memory of the movie to sketch Elmo, the burglar who could prove Andy's innocence, but decided to first confirm Andy's existence and learn about his case.
• Disguised as Tony Stark, Jiang Hao hired Lawyer Field to visit Andy and collect every document related to his conviction.
• After the Some Like It Hot crew arrived in Miami, Jiang Hao called Field's firm and learned that Field had met Andy at Shawshank.
• Field told Andy that Tony Stark had asked him to investigate, and Andy described his troubled marriage, his visit to his wife's lover's house, and his arrest for their murders.

Andy reflected on his failed marriage and received help from Tony Stark, while Jiang Hao finished filming in Miami and began investigating Andy’s murder conviction with Lawyer Field. Field found serious flaws in the case but warned that overturning the verdict would be difficult.

• Andy told Field he had not killed his wife and admitted that neglect and loneliness had damaged their marriage.
• Field delivered supplies from Mr. Stark and obtained Andy’s authorization to represent him.
• Jiang Hao filmed romantic scenes with Marilyn Monroe, completed the movie in Miami, and celebrated with the crew.
• Jiang Hao and Marilyn Monroe spent the night together aboard the yacht before returning to New York with the film reels.
• Jiang Hao met Field, who presented Andy’s case file and said its many flaws suggested Andy might have been framed, though overturning the verdict would be difficult.

Jiang Hao arranged for Lawyer Field to investigate Andy’s case and met Andy at Shawshank Prison, offering to help him get out. Andy agreed to search for the real killer first, while Jiang Hao planned to arrange an escape if the search failed.

• Jiang Hao told Field to gather detailed evidence about Andy’s case and later visited Andy at Shawshank Prison.
• Jiang Hao told Andy that a home-invasion robber had killed his wife and her lover, but warned that finding the habitual thief would be difficult.
• Jiang Hao offered Andy three options: appeal his conviction, escape with help, or find the real killer and clear his name.
• Andy chose to pursue finding the real killer first and agreed to work for Jiang Hao if he got out of prison.
• Jiang Hao told Andy to keep acting as usual and planned to arrange his escape if they could not find Elmo within three months.

Jiang Hao asked Michael Corleone to help find Elmo, the thief who had framed his friend, while Some Like It Hot became a major box-office hit and boosted Marilyn Monroe’s fame. The chapter ended with Noodles reporting that the Mafia had found Elmo and brought him to New York.

• Jiang Hao met Michael Corleone and explained his Bonanno background before asking him to find Elmo within three months.
• Michael agreed to circulate Elmo’s sketch through the Mafia’s network across the country.
• Some Like It Hot premiered in more than a thousand theaters and received glowing reviews that helped Marilyn Monroe become a popular star.
• The film earned forty million US dollars in its first month, and Jiang Hao told Conner to demand faster box-office settlements from Warner.
• Noodles told Jiang Hao that the Italians had found Elmo and were holding him somewhere in New York.

Jiang Hao forced Elmo to confess to the murders that had sent Andy to prison and made him agree to turn himself in. After arranging legal help for Andy, Jiang Hao left the case in Lawyer Field’s hands.

• Jiang Hao questioned Elmo and learned that Elmo had a mistress and son he wanted to protect.
• When Elmo denied the murders, Jiang Hao used silver needles to inflict unbearable pain until Elmo agreed to confess.
• Elmo admitted that he had killed a man and woman during a burglary, then fled to Syracuse after learning Andy had been sentenced for the crime.
• Jiang Hao gave Elmo the choice of confessing and going to prison or suffering a prolonged death, and Elmo chose to turn himself in.
• Jiang Hao told the Mafia leader to take Elmo to the New York Police Department after he rested, then warned Elmo not to escape.
• Jiang Hao called Lawyer Field, hired him to defend Andy, and arranged to send him 20,000 US Dollars.

Andy Dufresne was cleared of murder after Elmo Shtill confessed, and he reunited with Jiang Hao, who offered him ten million dollars to invest. Andy and Jiang Hao planned a securities firm built around a fraudulent investment scheme, and Andy launched his company on Wall Street.

• Elmo Shtill admitted to robbery and murder, received a life sentence, and Andy Dufresne's conviction was overturned.
• Lawyer Field told Andy that Jiang Hao had arranged his release and invited him to celebrate.
• Andy accepted Jiang Hao's ten million dollars and proposed increasingly risky ways to make money in the stock market.
• Jiang Hao urged Andy to build a prestigious investment firm that promised high returns and used new client funds to pay earlier investors.
• Andy returned to Wall Street, registered Andy Dufresne Investment Securities Company, and leased a luxurious office.

Jiang Hao wrote scripts for Raccoon Warfare 3 and The Courtesan, hoping Marilyn Monroe’s role as Gloria would expand her acting range, while Andy Dufresne grew his investment business using Jiang Hao’s advice. The chapter ended with Andy preparing a risky plan to profit from a pharmaceutical company’s bonds.

• Jiang Hao began writing Raccoon Warfare 3 and a revised script for The Courtesan, intending Marilyn Monroe to play Gloria and himself to play the wealthy businessman.
• Marilyn Monroe read the script and questioned its tragic ending, and Jiang Hao explained Gloria’s love, insecurity, and past.
• Jiang Hao planned to help Carter start Raccoon Warfare 3 before assembling the cast and crew for The Courtesan.
• Andy Dufresne attracted more than $10 million in investments, nearly tripled the price of a junk stock, and earned investors a 3.7 percent return in a month.
• After three months, Andy managed more than $40 million and planned to buy a pharmaceutical research company’s bonds cheaply, promote a false impression of progress on a hepatitis drug, and sell the bonds at a profit.

Jiang Hao promoted The Courtesan with a hit song, prepared to campaign his films for awards, and attended the premiere with Marilyn at a drive-in cinema. When a motorcycle gang disrupted the screening and damaged the screen, Jiang Hao called Noodles to teach them a lesson.

• Jiang Hao finished The Courtesan and promoted it with his song “Coming Out Strong,” which became a hit and drew audiences to the film.
• Conner reported the company's profits and box-office results, and Jiang Hao ordered award campaigns for his films, especially to win Best Actress for Marilyn.
• Jiang Hao and Marilyn went to a drive-in cinema for The Courtesan's premiere to avoid being recognized at an ordinary theater.
• A motorcycle gang disrupted the screening with vulgar shouting, then threw Coke bottles and tore the screen.
• Jiang Hao left Marilyn in the car, called Noodles, and asked him to teach the motorcycle gang a lesson because they annoyed him.

Jiang Hao punished the Motorcycle Gang for disrupting his movie premiere, then profited from a pharmaceutical bond scheme with Andy and collected money from Noodles. He converted the cash into space and reached ten cubic meters.

• Jiang Hao had Noodles bring armed men to surround and beat the Motorcycle Gang, then burn their motorcycles after the bikers ruined the movie premiere.
• Andy told Jiang Hao that Luther Foster's pharmaceutical research institute had announced progress on a Hepatitis B cure, driving its bonds from 0.12 to 0.55 dollars, and Jiang Hao told him to sell.
• Noodles showed Jiang Hao a vault containing his 80 million dollar share of their business and agreed to bring another 60 million for Jiang Hao to arrange legal funds.
• Jiang Hao absorbed the cash in the vault, expanding his space from five to ten cubic meters.

Jiang Hao celebrated Hall Film Company's profitable year by distributing bonuses and dividends, then went to Hawaii with Marilyn Monroe for Christmas. There, he secretly paralyzed a pushy reporter and ruined the reporter's photographs before leaving him to recover.

• Conner reported Hall Film Company's strong profits, and Jiang Hao ordered year-end bonuses and dividends while planning to borrow for next year's films.
• Jiang Hao and Marilyn Monroe traveled to Hawaii for Christmas, where he surfed as Marilyn cheered from the beach.
• A reporter photographed Marilyn and asked provocative questions about their marriage and Jiang Hao's next film, so Jiang Hao distracted him by pointing out a flying saucer.
• Jiang Hao secretly immobilized the reporter with a silver needle and opened his camera's film compartment, destroying the photographs while pretending to apologize.
• Jiang Hao and Marilyn left the reporter standing motionless; about two hours later, he collapsed, went to the hospital, and wondered whether Jiang Hao had caused it.

Jiang Hao learned that his films and Marilyn Monroe had received major award nominations, then designed Marilyn’s gowns for the ceremonies. At the Golden Globes, he won Best Director and Marilyn won Best Actress, leaving them celebrating together.

• Conner told Jiang Hao that his films had received Golden Globe and Academy Award nominations, including Best Actress nominations for Marilyn Monroe.
• Jiang Hao designed two custom evening gowns for Marilyn, while he chose a formal suit for himself.
• At the Golden Globe Awards, Jack Lemmon won Most Popular Actor and Jiang Hao won Best Director for Some Like It Hot.
• Marilyn Monroe won Best Actress for Some Like It Hot and thanked Jiang Hao, declaring that she would always love him.