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With a soft tearing sound, Adrian ripped off the fake mustache stuck below his nose. He moved his mouth in front of the mirror and then tossed the mustache into the trash can. Only after doing this did he place the trench coat, glasses, and wide-brimmed hat into the small briefcase he always carried with him. He then tidied his clothes in front of the mirror and walked out of the bathroom with the suitcase in hand. Thus, a bulky man in an oversized trench coat who had entered the bathroom became a young man in a sleek suit upon exiting.
After leaving the mall, Adrian looked around, then walked to a car parked by the street and drove away. The reason for his disguise at the detective agency was mainly to consider future circumstances, ensuring that the private detective wouldn't later link certain things together if he saw something. It might not have any negative impact on him, but it was a potential risk. One should be meticulous in actions, and in any case, a disguise was effortless.
Now, all he needed to do was wait. Since Dean Wilson was very capable at finding people, and the clues he provided were clear enough, he should be able to find that woman.
Adrian could have provided more clues, as he had read quite a bit of information related to JK Rowling in his past life, but most were just fleeting glimpses. Although he could recall everything he'd seen, the deeper the impression and the more familiar the information, the easier it was to remember. Those things glimpsed at first glance were quite difficult and required a long time to slowly recall. He had begun his recall work a few days prior, but the most useful information he obtained after much effort was just the birth date and graduation from the University of Exeter.
It was enough for now. There were still a few years left, so let Dean take his time. Who knows, maybe someday he'd remember something more. Driving his car, Adrian thought this through. At the beginning, he had also planned to write down the Harry Potter series, but after further consideration, he gave up on the idea because it was too challenging to execute.
First of all, he was currently an American. While he could shoot films in the British style, writing a British-style novel, and seven books at that, might affect the British perception in ways that couldn't be anticipated. Such uncertain risks should not be taken.
What? You suggest setting it in America? All right, let's imagine a 1,000-year-old wizard school castle standing on the vast plains of Minnesota... Wait, are you sure it's a wizard school teaching magic and not an Indian shaman school teaching witchcraft?
Okay, let's try another way. Over 300 years ago, a group of wizards crossed the Atlantic to the New World, building a wizard school in Maryland's forests... Wait, if Nicolas Flamel could live for 600 years, there's no reason the four founders would live shorter lives, right? Okay, let's ignore their ages and assume they lived a bit longer than usual. But, with two Dark Lords leading two wars in just 300 years, what parent would want to send their kids to a school like that?
Adrian didn't bother with such headache-inducing matters. Besides, he wasn't a professional writer, and if he co-wrote like those three novels, it would be somewhat unfair. More importantly, his most extensive knowledge of the series came from the films and screenplays; he'd only read a few of the novels, and even fewer of the original English versions.
Better to wait for Rowling to write it herself. Being a single mother wasn't easy—it wasn't about being fake. It's just something he wanted to do. If reborn, one can't even dare to do what they desire; it's better to jump off the Golden Gate Bridge sooner.
In short, as long as he could secure the adaptation rights first, it would be fine. If he couldn't find her, it wouldn't be too late to find someone else to write it. What Adrian valued wasn't Rowling's billion-dollar fortune from the series. If everything went smoothly, he could gain far more than a billion. He valued the industry chain derived from the series—games, films, merchandise, and theme parks! This would be a great complement to his media company.
After returning to his hotel, he rested a few minutes, sorted his things, and then picked up the phone to dial: "Hi, darling, guess where I am?"
"You're in London?" Kate's surprised voice came through the phone. "No wonder my sister had such an ambiguous smile when she called me to answer."
"Is that so? She never realized my voice." Adrian pulled off his tie, jokingly saying, "Clearly, she did it on purpose. You should punish her properly, no leniency."
"Oh, come on, she's my sister." Kate sighed dramatically on the other end, then asked, "Is your new film wrapped up? I remember you saying it would take two months or longer."
"Finished, only took a little over seven weeks. Don't you understand my work style yet?" Adrian laughed heartily. "Don't you want me to finish early so I can come see you sooner?"
The two chuckled over the phone, and after a few lines, Kate suddenly sighed: "Oh, sorry, Ed, I might not be able to get out these days. Several exams at school."
"No worries, I have things to handle in London too," Adrian replied with a smile. "In any case, once you graduate in a few days, you won't be able to leave me even if you want to."
"So confident?" Kate sounded less than pleased.
"Yes." Adrian didn't take it to heart.
"Let's see. I have to go study, goodbye." Kate snorted lightly and hung up the phone.
Adrian chuckled and shook his head. After putting down the receiver, he began flipping through the documents at hand. A few minutes later, he picked up the phone and made another call. Hiring a private investigator to find Rowling was only part of what he needed to do; adding the other part made the whole plan.
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"No problem, Mr. Adrian. The information you provided is quite detailed. We can go to the relevant departments to complete the paperwork together tomorrow," said the man sitting on the sofa opposite, after flipping through the documents.
"Thank you, Chris. It wouldn't have been settled this quickly without your help. I must say, Brent introduced me to a great lawyer." Adrian nodded with a smile.
"I'll take these files to the study, please wait a moment," Chris said, standing up.
"Sure, no problem," Adrian said, watching him leave before picking up the coffee cup on the table and staring into space.
He was currently in the process of setting up a charity fund to aid single mothers, a reasoning naturally self-evident. Even if he couldn't find Rowling, treating it as a charity endeavor wasn't an issue. Philanthropy was very common in the West among the wealthy, whether genuine or not; it helped shape one's image and charity galas served as important social venues.
Thus, before arriving in London, Adrian had already arranged a series of preliminary tasks through a British film producer he was somewhat acquainted with at Bossworth Film Company, who had also collaborated with him in making the first film in London—Waddle Brent arranged everything, including introducing Dean the private detective.
This arrangement was essentially foolproof. Even though such a big fuss was made, thinking about the industry chain justified it. Adrian thought, his mind then stirred. He turned his head and looked at the other end of the sofa, seeing a pair of bright eyes curiously watching him from behind the armrest.
It was a little girl about two years old, with long, slightly curly brown hair tied back into a ponytail. Round and chubby, with rosy cheeks, she was exceedingly adorable. Adrian couldn't help but smile—a daughter of Chris the lawyer. He'd seen her a few times when he'd been to their house before, but always in a fleeting glimpse.
Sadly, she seemed not to appreciate his goodwill, as she promptly stuck out her tongue and made a face.
Adrian shook his head with amusement, just as a woman's voice called out from outside the living room: "Sweetheart, where did you go?"
Before the little girl could respond, a young woman appeared at the living room doorway, looking somewhat annoyed at her. "How many times have I told you not to come and make trouble while your dad has guests?"
Then she looked apologetically at Adrian: "I'm sorry, Mr. Adrian, I hope she didn't disturb you."
"That's all right, Ms. Jacqueline, we're finished now," Adrian stood up and said, watching the little girl giggling as she ran to her mother's embrace. "Your daughter is very adorable."
"Indeed she is, but also quite naughty, always making mischief with us." Regardless of her words, the young mother holding her daughter was glowing with affection. "Did you greet our guest, Emma?"
The little girl blinked at Adrian but didn't speak. Adrian straightened his collar like a gentleman and extended his hand to her: "Nice to meet you, Miss Emma."
The little girl turned her head away, burying it in her mother's shoulder, refusing to look up again.
"Sorry, Mr. Adrian, she's a bit... shy," Jacqueline said helplessly.
"That's quite all right, shy is a typical lady's response," Adrian replied dismissively.
Chris returned from the study, momentarily taken aback by the scene in the living room before handing a file to Adrian: "This is your other file, please sign the bottom if there's no issue. Make sure to bring it with you tomorrow. My wife and I will meet you at the office at 9 a.m."
"Great, with Jacqueline's help, everything's more efficient," Adrian acknowledged. Chris's wife, Jacqueline, was also an excellent lawyer, and with her and Chris's assistance, these matters were settled swiftly within just a few days.
After briefly reviewing the file in hand, as it had no changes from the previous one, Adrian signed his name at its bottom. Rising to leave, he bid farewell: "That's all, I'll take my leave and see you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow," replied the couple as they escorted him to the door. The little girl, still watching everything curiously from her mother's arms, suddenly made another face at Adrian, causing everyone to burst into laughter.
"Actually, that's her way of showing she likes you," Chris attempted to explain his daughter's action.
"I understand," Adrian said, waving as he walked out smiling.
(Note: I'm not quite sure about the process of setting up a charity fund, so just read it lightly. Also, if you could spare a vote, it'd be appreciated. Though the new book ranking is about to end, I'll give it a try.)
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