This incident greatly angered Zhao Lun, so he had Monica send people to sue the children who had led the trouble, making them pay the price for their actions.
In the aftermath, these children faced unfortunate consequences, receiving heavy punishments.
Although the matter was resolved, the atmosphere at school had been completely ruined for Maria. Many students, upon seeing her, treated her like a harbinger of misfortune, avoiding her at all costs. Despite attending school, Maria had yet to make a single friend. School, once a place of joy, had now become something she dreaded.
Before the vacation had even arrived, Maria no longer wanted to go, returning to the estate instead, intending to continue her studies with a private tutor.
Maria's situation taught Zhao Lun something: it was impossible to make her happy in school.
Maria's predicament left Elena helpless, unable to offer any solutions. But now, the matter had been settled.
The group chatted for a while, and the conversation shifted to their own school experiences, recalling amusing incidents from their time in school.
Listening from the side, Zhao Lun gained a deeper understanding of the growth stories of these women. To his surprise, their upbringing had not been as carefree as he had imagined.
It was at this point that he learned about Nicole and Monica's pasts.
Their childhoods had been filled with chaos, their parents strict and imposing, with rules that confined them at every turn. They were expected to be model children at all times.
The more they were suppressed, the more they rebelled. After graduating, once they left home, they never wanted to return, instead drifting away from their families.
Now, they were free to do whatever they liked, and they were content with their current lives.
As the conversation stretched into the evening, dinner was ready, and everyone took their seats to begin their meal.
After dinner, the group was assigned guest rooms to rest. Despite their fatigue, no one went to sleep; instead, they continued to chat, shifting from the past to the present, then discussing the upcoming film they had finished shooting and how to promote it. The topic eventually shifted to the media outlets that had tried to tarnish their reputation.
Their conversation seemed endless, and Zhao Lun, uninterested before dinner, was dragged by Sandy and Maria to the screening room to watch an anime instead.
The anime was based on his old comic, brought to life using a holographic brain, with the story meticulously crafted into animation.
After multiple rounds of optimization, supplementation, and further refinements, several episodes had been completed. What they were about to watch was just a test run. If the response was positive, it would be released for viewing.
As the anime started, both Maria and Sandy became engrossed, not wanting to go to bed for a long while. Eventually, Elena came over and pulled them back to their rooms, at which point they finally agreed to sleep.
Looking at the two girls, Zhao Lun knew that the anime would be well-received.
Nicole and the others noticed and insisted that Zhao Lun join them in watching it.
"Allen, when was this anime made? It looks amazing!"
The anime was indeed captivating, and even they couldn't resist watching. The more they watched, the more they became engrossed.
"Wait, isn't that the character from the arcade game? So it's them!"
"The quality is superb; it could definitely be considered a film."
In the end, they realized the anime was strangely familiar, and from their perspective, it could easily be released as a film.
"Everything is in this bag. There are versions in all languages, with complete materials. The rest is up to you."
Zhao Lun handed them everything, leaving them to handle it as they saw fit.
He was exhausted and, wanting to relax, left the bothersome tasks to the professionals.
It had been a draining day, starting with practicing magic, which required a lot of energy, followed by Sandy and Maria dragging him into play.
The two girls were so lively that they drained the last of Zhao Lun's remaining energy.
Half-asleep, he felt someone enter his room, cover him with a discarded blanket, and pull the curtains closed before leaving. Less than half an hour later, the door opened again, and a small figure crept in, lying on his chest and falling asleep.
In his dreams, Zhao Lun once again experienced the sensation of sleep paralysis, only to wake up and realize someone was lying on top of him.
Maria had become very clingy lately, unwilling to part with him even while sleeping. She would often crawl on top of him at night, making him uncomfortable.
Fortunately, Nicole arrived just in time to solve the problem, allowing him to continue his rest.
The next day, Zhao Lun woke up, managed to free himself from the two girls' embrace, and headed to the training room. Soon after, several ladies joined him to work out.
By the time the sun had fully risen, they finished their exercise and began breakfast, then started preparing for the day's celebration banquet.
The living room, with the air conditioning on, was bustling with energy, and not even the stifling weather could dampen the festive mood.
Maria and Sandy darted around, playing hide-and-seek and the classic game of "Eagle Catching the Chick." Everyone joined in, laughing continuously. When they grew tired, food arrived, and they settled down to watch a movie.
The day passed leisurely, and after the evening, everyone at the estate participated in the celebration.
They even set off fireworks, with entertainers performing circus acts, singing, and dancing.
The night sky lit up with bursts of color. It was a grand banquet, one that left a lasting impression. Zhao Lun recorded the event with nearby cameras, collecting the footage to preserve as a future memory.
Eventually, he lost track of time and fell asleep.
The following morning, everything returned to normal. Nicole and the others handed Zhao Lun the completed film for post-production work, while they prepared for the promotional arrangements.
It was summer, the perfect season for blockbuster films. With the golden window still open, they set out to promote the film heavily and make a fortune.
Their swift progress was thanks to their prior preparation and Zhao Lun's financial support. No unnecessary delays hindered their efforts, and the movie was completed in record time.
With the help of the holographic brain, processing the film was incredibly convenient. If it weren't for the promotion, the movie could have been released the next day.
After a week of intense promotion, they launched the film without even a premiere, relying on the first film's reputation. The movie went straight into theaters.
No premiere, but there was still a red carpet. Zhao Lun, preferring to keep a low profile, didn't participate but did enjoy the atmosphere of the event from close by.
The flashes from the cameras were relentless, capturing countless beautiful moments, drawing all eyes to the scene.
When Nicole and the others appeared, they became the center of attention, with the cameras flashing nonstop.
Some overly enthusiastic fans nearly caused chaos, but thanks to the excellent security, nothing went wrong.
Zhao Lun stood to the side, observing with satisfaction.
The film did not disappoint them. It was a massive success, even more so than the first. While the first film had been rushed to release, this time, with better preparation, it became a smash hit that sparked envy.
On opening day, the box office surpassed 60 million dollars. In two days, it broke 100 million, and within a week, it reached the 400 million mark. Although the momentum slowed down after that, it remained a blockbuster.
Nicole and the others seized the opportunity to ramp up the promotion, spreading their film's advertisements everywhere, across every possible human territory. Daily box office income reached 30 million dollars, and on weekends, it broke the 40 million barrier.
They also launched movie merchandise, selling it near cinemas. Moviegoers, seeing the products after watching the film, couldn't resist purchasing.
The competition, however, was fierce, with other films released at the same time, some earlier, some different, but all vying for attention.
The competition, however, was unforgiving, and some big-budget films that tried to imitate their movie suffered heavy losses, while only a few exceptional films managed to stay afloat.
Several companies that lost money, envious of their success, tried to collaborate with them but failed to get through. Frustrated, they resorted to smearing their names.
Prepared for this, the strong women launched a verbal war, digging up dirt and slinging mud. Seeing all the negativity, Zhao Lun wasn't as angry as he once was. After all, getting upset constantly could harm himself. He now saw it from the perspective of a bystander, joining in on the entertainment, as if playing a game.
Of course, some astute individuals, seeing their unstoppable momentum, delayed the release of their films in hopes of avoiding unnecessary losses. Others, realizing their attempts at smearing were futile, gave up and reached out to negotiate cooperation.
Meanwhile, Zhao Lun sent a soldier to Diagon Alley to buy a few books related to his studies and picked up a small owl as a gift for Maria.
Maria was overjoyed with her new pet, even more so than with the toy flying broomstick. She doted on the owl, making her other pets—Avi, Shadow, and the two snow sculptures—jealous. They often ran to Maria, trying to win her affection. Unfortunately, they didn't have the owl's ability to deliver messages, so they couldn't compete.
With the owl, Maria could send Zhao Lun letters anytime, something the other pets couldn't do.
It was a joyful and fulfilling month, and by August, the film was still running strong.
As the month drew to a close, Zhao Lun felt that time had passed quickly. Before he knew it, it was time for school.
On August 31st, everyone discussed how to send Zhao Lun off to school. After some deliberation, they all agreed to accompany him in their private cars.
They were curious about Platform Nine and Three-Quarters and, recalling that King's Cross didn't have such a platform, decided to take a trip to see for themselves.
After a lot of packing and preparation—clothes, shoes, socks, books, toys, snacks, and everything in between—Zhao Lun felt overwhelmed.
"Sisters, you're making me carry all this stuff. Might as well just move the whole house!"
He was grateful for his ability to carry everything.
The girls gave him an exasperated look, ignoring him.
"Well, in that case, I'll just use a spell to pack everything up."
He didn't want to turn down their kindness.
"Watch my magic!"
With a simple flick of his wrist, everything disappeared, leaving behind several stunned women. Zhao Lun leisurely walked off, leaving them in awe.