Chapter 37: Partnering with Vivid Entertainment
To be honest, Nicole's words left Tom Cruise visibly embarrassed.
He hadn't expected her to be so blunt—so unwilling to give him even a shred of face.
Off to the side, William watched the entire exchange like it was a live performance. He had to admit, seeing Tom Cruise shut down like this was unexpectedly entertaining.
Tom also realized that if he stayed any longer, he would only make a bigger fool of himself. So he shrugged, forcing an indifferent expression.
"Looks like I'm not welcome here. I hope you won't regret this, Kidman."
Without waiting for a reply, he turned and walked toward the exit.
Alexei, sensing the tension between the three, had already stepped into Tom's path. One hand rested casually on the grip of the gun at his waist.
The Russians truly were bold.
"Alexei, see our guest out," William said calmly.
Only then did Alexei release his grip and gesture politely. "Mr. Cruise, this way."
Even for someone as seasoned as Tom Cruise, this was a first. He shot William a long look before leaving, thinking to himself:
Didn't expect this guy to have underworld connections.
If William had known what Tom was thinking, he probably would've cried foul. He considered himself a law-abiding, honest businessman.
Once Tom was gone, Nicole finally exhaled in relief.
Seeing how tense she'd been made William want to laugh.
When she noticed him smiling, she rolled her eyes. "You've got some nerve laughing. I just burned that bridge for you. How are you planning to compensate me?"
William grinned, completely ignoring the entire crew watching nearby. He strode over, wrapped an arm around her full waist—and gave it a squeeze.
"Well? Satisfied with that compensation?"
The bold move startled almost everyone on set.
Sure, a leading actress having something going on with the director wasn't unheard of in Hollywood. But even when everyone knew, people usually kept a polite distance in public.
William's gesture was practically a declaration that he didn't care about rumors.
It was just short of officially announcing his relationship with Nicole Kidman.
Fortunately, this was an era before smartphones. Otherwise, someone would've snapped a photo and had it spreading across the internet within hours.
"Tch. Try doing that in front of reporters next time," Nicole said coolly, crossing her arms and shooting him another look.
---
After the interruption, filming resumed as usual.
But elsewhere, at the Blazing Paradise Club, the atmosphere was far more tense.
"Boss, we've figured out why the equipment malfunctioned. Someone tampered with it. Judging from the traces, it was done professionally."
A subordinate reported to Jose with his head lowered.
Ramirez stood nearby, trembling and barely daring to breathe—but inwardly, he was overjoyed.
If it was sabotage, then he was off the hook. No risk of ending up dumped in the Pacific.
"Fuck!!! I knew it! That bastard Diego messed with it!" Jose roared.
"That son of a bitch must've caught wind of something! I knew it—why else would he sell me that batch so easily?!"
Jose was furious, eyes bloodshot, looking like he might tear someone apart.
"No way I'm swallowing this! That bastard dares to screw me? I'll make him wish he was dead!
Anthony!!!
Anthony!!!"
Jose shouted for Anthony, but no one answered.
"Boss, Anthony's at the set supervising the girls."
A lackey cautiously tried to remind him.
Bang!
A glass shattered violently against the wall behind him. If it had landed just a few inches closer, his head would've been split open.
"Do I not know that?! I need you to remind me?!"
Jose exploded, cursing furiously.
"What are you still standing around for?! Gather the men! And you—Ramirez! Go to the set and get Anthony back here!
Damn it! That bastard Diego actually tampered with my shipment.
Have I been quiet for so long that people think I've gone soft?!"
Ramirez didn't dare argue. He bolted out of Jose's office immediately.
Only after stepping outside did he dare to breathe again.
But his relief lasted less than a few minutes before anxiety crept back in.
He knew his own limits. Sure, he liked to complain that William couldn't appreciate his "masterpiece," but he wasn't delusional enough to believe he could truly direct and produce an entire Valley film from start to finish on his own.
"Shit… damn it…"
Ramirez had no plan. All he could do now was take things one step at a time.
---
Over the next few days, Jose, convinced he'd been double-crossed, retaliated by smashing up a rival's operation.
As a result, he had no time to pay attention to William.
Anthony showed up at the set less and less frequently.
Meanwhile, William remained busy filming opposite Nicole and editing the Valley films shot in Studio One next door.
During this stretch, he completed the editing of five more master tapes.
It had to be said—this kind of assembly-line production of adult films was decades ahead of its time.
Once computing power improved and filming tools became digitized in the future, the process would only accelerate.
---
Vivid Entertainment – Hirsch's Office
When Hirsch saw William walk in again carrying yet another stack of master tapes, he couldn't help but laugh.
"Mr. Blake, your shooting speed is unmatched in the Valley."
William merely smiled at the teasing.
He set the tapes beside the projector and sat down across from Hirsch.
"You can enjoy those later. I actually wanted to talk business."
Seeing William's serious expression, Hirsch straightened in his chair.
"I'm listening."
"It's like this," William began. "My studio is currently producing not just Valley films, but also a legitimate feature film.
Managing both types of productions under the same company name is getting messy.
So I've been thinking about splitting the adult production team into a separate entity."
Hirsch's brow furrowed.
He already had a pretty good idea where this was heading.
William wouldn't be bringing this up privately unless he wanted something from him.
After William finished explaining his plan, Hirsch finally asked:
"So… what exactly would I need to contribute?"