Kevin: We're Over

His agent, Dawson, had arranged quite a bit of work for Salma Hayek.

That had left him single for a few days.

But that suited him just fine. Salma Hayek was far too fierce. Men were oxen, women were fields, and this ox needed some rest.

With nothing else to do, Kevin finally had time to return to school and handle his graduation paperwork.

Inside the office.

The teacher in charge of graduation procedures nodded and said seriously:

"Kevin, although your first movie succeeded, don't let it go to your head."

"At our school, quite a few people have had successful first films over the years, but most of them still faded away afterward."

"They became ordinary directors with only one notable work. Here, I hope you will achieve both success and fame. That is the motto of the University of Southern California."

"If you continue succeeding, you may one day make it onto the University of Southern California's Hall of Fame and become a role model for every student."

Kevin nodded. After completing all the procedures, he left the school directly.

Ever since achieving real success, Kevin no longer felt the urge to show off at school.

Showing off in front of a bunch of students would simply be insulting himself.

The people he dealt with now were executives from major film companies. Even after graduating, these students probably would not get to meet those executives for several years.

Their identities and status were no longer on the same level.

As he walked through campus, several very pretty younger female students approached him from time to time.

They handed Kevin little notes, most of which contained addresses, times, and phone numbers. Clearly, as long as Kevin was interested, one phone call would have them obediently lying in bed for him.

Kevin could not help sighing at capitalism's pursuit of money. It was far too intense and far too straightforward.

But those inexperienced young girls were not his type.

Compared to them, Kevin preferred glamorous Hollywood actresses.

Just as Kevin was enjoying being approached by beautiful women, a woman came to his side.

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

Kevin looked up and realized that the woman before him was Pera, his predecessor's ex-girlfriend.

Seeing the expectation in Pera's eyes, Kevin merely smiled. He was not the old Kevin anymore.

With the temperament of a Chinese man, betrayal was what he could least tolerate.

Although he had no feelings for Pera, betrayal was betrayal. Go back to how things were?

Dream on!

"Can a broken mirror truly be made whole again?"

"We're over, Pera!"

Kevin shook Pera off and walked outside.

This trip back to school had thoroughly dealt with everything from his predecessor's past. From now on, he would devote himself wholeheartedly to his career.

Pera looked at Kevin before her with regret. The reason she had come looking for Kevin was simple: she had been deceived.

The leading role that person had promised her had been nothing more than a lie.

To put it bluntly, although his father was an executive, as an executive's son, he did not have enough influence to affect his father's decisions.

After realizing that, Pera had broken up with him decisively.

Or rather, they had never truly begun. Skilled in playing the innocent manipulator, Pera would not give up until she hit a wall.

Before receiving a clear promise, how could she possibly let someone take advantage of her? A practical girl like that was also a very clever girl.

Unfortunately, Kevin never discussed love with practical girls like her.

This was not even as good as Kevin and the actresses in the entertainment industry taking what they needed from each other.

Kevin stepped outside the school and hailed a taxi.

As soon as he got in, he said directly:

"To Beverly Hills."

The driver was an honest-looking middle-aged white man. Hearing Kevin's words, he could not help asking:

"Beverly Hills? The place known as the most valuable residential area in the world?"

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

A hint of envy appeared on the driver's face. Beverly Hills' status meant that anyone going there had to be wealthy.

Otherwise, ordinary people could not afford expenses that easily ran into thousands of dollars.

They rode in silence. The driver had wanted to make conversation and hear some private topics about the rich for future gossip.

Unfortunately, Kevin had no interest in discussing such things with him.

When they arrived at the Beverly Hotel, Kevin walked straight inside.

His clothes cost no more than two hundred dollars in total, and everything on him was cheap. Kevin had expected that a hotel employee might look down on him.

Unfortunately, reality did not have that many stupid people.

When they saw Kevin walk in, a handsome young man in a suit, neatly dressed and energetic, came over and politely asked:

"Hello, this is the Beverly Hotel. Do you have a room reservation?"

Kevin said with a trace of regret:

"I already made a reservation. I'm Steve Kevin."

The attendant replied courteously:

"Your room number is 1211. Please follow me."

Guided by the attendant, Kevin quickly arrived at room 1211.

After briefly explaining the device for calling hotel staff, the attendant silently left. Kevin looked out at Beverly Hills through the large floor-to-ceiling window, and his mood immediately brightened.

As far as the eye could see, there were grand estate-style houses everywhere. Even the cheapest one probably cost tens of millions of dollars.

Judging from their appearance alone, every one of them looked comfortable.

Their exteriors alone contained the crystallized wisdom of housing designers.

They made people want to buy them.

Of course, Kevin would absolutely not make a move now. According to his memories, before 2020, the United States would experience at least one or two financial crises.

By then, he would be able to buy property here at the lowest possible price.

Buying now would mean entering at the peak. Wouldn't that be a massive loss?

The hotel room cost as much as three thousand dollars a night. If Kevin had not already received an advance on some of his share from New Line Cinema, he definitely would not have been able to afford it.

There were still one or two days before the party, so Kevin began considering his next film in his mind.

He had no choice. The properties in Beverly Hills had stimulated his desire to make money.

They made him realize that he was currently an extremely, extremely poor man.

Outside, Saw's box office continued to accumulate.

Its influence also grew by the day.

Unlike when it had been released in 2004, Kevin's Saw received much better treatment.

Not only did it have advantages in reviews and print media, but also in the number of screens, follow-up promotion, and even its release schedule.

Thus, on Halloween in 1991, Saw achieved results far beyond those of the original.