Entertainment: Starting as a Succubus, Taking Hollywood by Storm

Notably, Christian Bale, after winning Best Supporting Actor for The Fighter at this year's Oscars, used his acceptance speech to plug The Flowers of War.

"You might wonder why I'm sporting this beard," he said. "It's for my role in Zhang Yimou's The Flowers of War…"

Rumor has it that single shout-out earned him a $500,000 bonus from the Flowers of War team—easy money.

Across the Pacific, in ChingChong, producer Zhang Weiping seized the moment, holding a press conference to declare Bale's Oscar win a boon for the film's international market. Consequently, The Flowers of War was retitled Heroes of Nanking for overseas release, emphasizing Bale's role and the heroic figures saving lives in the story.

Though no ChingChong-language films made the Oscar shortlist this year, a small surprise delighted ChingChong audiences. Australian-ChingChong illustrator Chen Zhiyong won Best Animated Short for The Lost Thing. In his speech, he said, "This award belongs to our producers, our team, our friends, and our families."

By 11:30 PM, the three-hour Oscar ceremony wrapped up flawlessly.

While most Americans drifted into dreamland, Hollywood's stars headed to the next event: the Vanity Fair after-party at the Hilton Hotel.

At the party, Anne Hathaway clung to Martin, now in a form-fitting navy gown, laughing boisterously and dazzling the room.

Jennifer Lawrence, meanwhile, was whisked away by Paris Hilton to mingle with a gaggle of younger women.

"Forget that smug bitch Anne Hathaway," Paris sneered. "She's just basking in Martin's glow. Let's have our fun, and later, we'll teach her a lesson in bed, heh."

Paris had never liked Anne but took a big-sister stance with Jennifer.

Behind them stood Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton's "purse-carrying little sister." Kim was starting to make waves, especially after her nude W magazine cover in October last year, which skyrocketed her fame.

Still, in front of a heiress like Paris, she remained a "little sister." Watching Paris and Jennifer whisper, Kim stole a glance at Martin, who was arm-in-arm with a radiant Anne. Envy flickered in her eyes.

I want that kind of clout, too—even if it's just borrowing Martin's shine.

Kim had dropped hints to Martin before, when Paris wasn't looking, but he hadn't bitten. Smartly, she pivoted, focusing on Black celebrities instead. She'd learned early—at 20—that her curves held particular allure for Black men, who practically drooled over her.

Kim knew how to play her strengths. In the NFL and NBA circles, her reputation spread fast. Many boasted of sleeping with her, and she leveraged that to build her fame and fortune.

After the party, Martin didn't head home.

Instead, he went straight to the hotel's penthouse suite, booked and paid for days in advance. Sure, Paris's family owned the Hilton chain, but they weren't the sole power in the dynasty and couldn't just freeload off family resources. Besides, a penthouse was pocket change for Martin.

That night, it was a three-on-one battle—Martin against three warriors. But two of the warriors defected mid-fight, leaving the last one to fall in glorious defeat.

By noon the next day, Anne Hathaway was still recovering.

"Paris Hilton, Jennifer Lawrence—those little bitches," she muttered in her sleep, still seething from the night's ambush.

Martin, fresh from a phone call, chuckled at her delirious grumbling. Even in her dreams, she was cursing their names—proof of how thoroughly they'd ganged up on her.

What a trio that was.

Glancing at the trash can, Martin saw last night's "props," now soiled and discarded.

…

From March onward, NATO and the U.S. resumed military strikes on Libya's government forces.

On March 20, Libyan state TV reported 48 deaths and 150 injuries from airstrikes. Gaddafi, undeterred, issued a defiant statement: "We must open our arsenals, arm all our people with every weapon, and defend Libya's independence, territorial integrity, and honor."

He also appealed to ChingChong and Russia for help.

Later that day, ChingChong Foreign Ministry spokesperson expressed "regret" over the multinational military strikes, urging a swift return to stability in Libya to avoid escalating civilian casualties.

An hour later, Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Lukashenko, echoed the sentiment, condemning nations using the UN resolution as a pretext for military action. Russia called for an immediate ceasefire, an end to violence, and measures to protect civilians.

ChingChong and Russia's "reproach" and "regret" offered little help to Gaddafi, who'd managed to alienate both powers. You can't get cocky after making it big.

…

By May 2011, Martin was filming The Avengers, while Gaddafi's situation grew bleaker.

His seventh son, Saif al-Islam, and three grandchildren were killed in airstrikes. Gaddafi himself hadn't appeared publicly in ages, and his forces were in constant retreat. Rebels, based in Benghazi, declared preliminary victory.

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[GodOfReader: Last chapter for today, pls vote your fucking power stone to me.]