[Chapter 511: Record-Breaking Opening Box Office, America's Sweetheart]
In the early hours of May 10th, Mission: Impossible kicked off its midnight screenings on an unprecedented scale -- 3,600 screens. This launch size far exceeded the daytime opening screenings of most major Hollywood blockbusters.
Thanks to the Vitality Pills and Beauty Pills, Linton had effectively elevated himself from a superstar to a beloved national icon. Coupled with the massive promotion and media hype around Mission: Impossible, tonight's premiere was a nationwide phenomenon.
From high school and college students to office workers, blue-collar laborers to white-collar professionals: doctors, teachers, auto workers, and financial elites -- countless fans flocked to their nearest cinemas to support their idol's film on opening night.
From Los Angeles to New York, Houston to Boston, cinemas across urban commercial hubs and suburban neighborhoods were packed to capacity for the midnight showing. Many who couldn't secure tickets scrambled to buy tomorrow's passes.
...
By 3 a.m., Linton had just wrapped up a lively night session with Madonna, Cristiana, Nicole Kidman, and Catherine, among other girlfriends.
At that moment, Levitt from Universal's distribution department called with exciting news. "Boss, fantastic news."
"Have the midnight box office numbers for Mission: Impossible come in?" Linton asked.
"Yes. The midnight screenings had over 90% attendance, pulling in $8.71 million."
"$8.71 million? That high?"
"Yes. We broke the record, surpassing last year's Independence Day midnight debut of $6.73 million. It's the new North American record for midnight box office."
"Looks like the fans really have my back."
"Boss, this could actually set us up to break the overall box office record."
"Good. Keep up the good work."
"Boss, remember the promotional team meets at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow."
...
After Linton hung up, Catherine and Michelle Reis, eavesdropping nearby, immediately pounced. "Darling, is Mission: Impossible smashing the box office?"
"Baby, the midnight box office hit $9.71 million. We just set a new record for North American midnight showings."
"That's amazing! Shouldn't we celebrate properly?" Catherine and Michelle Reis exchanged a fiery glance, their gazes dancing suggestively -- one challenging from above, the other responding below, each moving deliberately toward Linton from opposite sides.
The seductive new game began again.
...
At half past nine, all the main cast and crew gathered at Universal and split into two teams. Linton, Catherine, and Michelle Reis flew to New York first while Jon Voight, Henry Czerny, Jean Reno, and Ving Rhames took a slightly less prominent route through secondary cities.
Given the overwhelming publicity Mission: Impossible had already generated, the promotional tour was technically unnecessary. But Catherine, Michelle Reis, and others insisted: when a blockbuster drops, the promotional tour is key to maximizing exposure. Without it, the media wouldn't cover them as much; their fame wouldn't grow as fast.
Linton himself didn't mind, given that everyone knew he was the main star and didn't lack individual heat. Others, including Catherine, definitely needed the boost from good media exposure to climb higher. So while the tour was more of an added flourish, it still contributed positively to the box office.
Based on the solid pre-release hype, Linton and the distribution department decided to change the traditional Hollywood roadshow format. Usually, film crews arrive at cities, schedule interviews with local media, appear on TV shows, and hold fans' meet-and-greet events at bustling commercial spots to spread awareness that the film is out.
But with Mission: Impossible's penetration already so deep in every corner, this old-fashioned approach seemed redundant.
After the premiere, they adjusted their plans according to the new wave of film promotions: focusing mainly on in-theater interactions and audience engagement, coupled with media interviews.
...
At 9:30 a.m., Linton, accompanied by Catherine, Michelle Reis, assistants, and bodyguards, touched down in New York on a private jet. Because of the time difference, it was already 6 p.m. by the time they arrived.
As he stepped out of the airport, Linton was stunned to see a sea of fans -- estimated at over ten thousand -- mostly young girls and boys, many clad in matching uniforms waving small flags. The roar of their cheering shook the terminal.
Most were devoted to Linton; a smaller group were Catherine's fans. Their presence significantly disrupted normal airport operations.
Police and security were at full force, struggling to maintain order.
This was the first time Linton had witnessed such a scene since buying a private plane.
He partially blamed himself for underestimating his current influence -- his tour schedule was public, and with the internet, word spread quickly. Despite arriving via private jet, die-hard fans always managed to detect exact times and places.
Seeing this, Linton quickly raised his voice to the crowd. "This is a busy airport and a public place. Please leave in an orderly fashion and avoid disrupting airport operations. In the future, please don't come to the airport to greet me. I appreciate your support -- just keep enjoying my movies and music."
Then he swiftly made his way toward the awaiting cars with Catherine and the others, knowing that his quick exit would hasten the crowd's dispersal.
In the car, he instructed assistant Li Xiaoran to contact the company and arrange a $100,000 donation to JFK Airport to compensate for the disruptions caused by the fans.
---
At the Hilton, they met up with America's sweetheart, Jennifer Aniston.
Linton warmly introduced her to Catherine and Michelle Reis, who, though slightly annoyed, accepted her gracefully. They were used to Linton's ways and understood Jennifer's good intentions in helping promote the film.
However, Jennifer's private meeting with Linton at the Hilton quickly sparked a media frenzy. Paparazzi descended en masse.
America's sweetheart cozying up with notorious playboy Linton? That was tabloid gold.
Jennifer already drew plenty of media attention on her own; wherever she went, cameras followed relentlessly.
...
As they left the hotel, dozens of reporters swarmed them, microphones aimed like spears.
"Linton, are you dating Jennifer?"
"Jennifer, will you be Linton's twenty-second girlfriend?"
Linton noticed Jennifer's playful smile in response but declined to engage the reporters' invasive questions, catching himself wondering if she really had more than friendship on her mind. After all, with her star power, she wouldn't need to latch onto his spotlight.
Still, he responded firmly: "Don't read too much into it. Jennifer and I are good friends. I'm here in New York to promote Mission: Impossible, and she's helping out."
He then ignored the questions as security helped them escape the swarm. They rushed to the Ziegfeld Cinema.
...
Ziegfeld Cinema was New York's largest theater complex, boasting 13 screening rooms, the biggest seating over 1,500.
Given Linton's visit, the cinema dedicated eight screens to Mission: Impossible, including the massive Theater 6.
The theater had promoted this heavily, and with the movie's hot streak plus the news of Linton's tour, every screening saw incredible attendance. Even the slowest matinee boasted over 60% capacity; evenings were sold out.
At 8:30 p.m., as Mission: Impossible's credits rolled on Screen 6's massive screen, the lights brightened and the audience readied to stand.
Suddenly, a group of people walked onto the small stage beneath the screen. Reporters flooded in through the doors as the host exclaimed, "Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the stars of Mission: Impossible -- Linton, Catherine, Michelle Reis -- and America's sweetheart, Jennifer!"
To Linton's dismay, during the Q&A, reporters and fans showed little interest in the film itself. Their questions fixated obsessively on his personal life and especially his relationship with Jennifer.
"Linton, are you dating Jennifer?"
"Is it true you have 21 girlfriends?"
"How many girlfriends do you plan to have?"
"Can you share your secrets to dating?"
"Jennifer, do you really like Linton?"
"Jennifer, will you star in any of Linton's films?"
"Catherine, how do you feel about Jennifer joining your circle?"
...
Over the next stops at three more theaters -- the four major chains each insisting on local representation -- the managers reported blisteringly high attendance rates.
At every theater showing Mission: Impossible that day, average attendance topped 90%. Even other cinemas with less demand saw over 80%.
With such strong turnout, theaters planned to increase the number of screenings.
---
By the time they emerged from their final screening at the Rooftop Cinema, it was past 11 p.m.
Jennifer quietly slipped into Linton's car, avoiding the paparazzi's gaze, and accompanied him back to the Hilton.
In the face of Catherine and Michelle Reis's glaring disapproval, she boldly linked arms with Linton and strode into his executive suite.
Soon, sweet and lively music filled the room.
...
Two hours later, their first intense private session ended.
Jennifer, her body soft and pliant against Linton's, breathed, "Honey, you're so handsome."
"You're beautiful too, baby."
"Darling, aren't you nervous about Mission: Impossible's box office?"
"Nervous? I've done all I can. Worrying won't help."
"True. It's a hot film. The numbers won't disappoint. You seem confident."
"More or less. The official numbers from yesterday should be coming in soon."
...
Just then, the phone rang beside the bed. Linton picked up, hearing Levitt's excited voice:
"Boss, great news! Yesterday's box office came in. Mission: Impossible grossed $40.35 million in North America alone. Adding the $8.71 million from midnight showings, that's a total of $49.06 million. We shattered Independence Day's $27.72 million opening day record, setting a new single-day box office high!"
...
After hanging up, Linton soothed an exhilarated Jennifer before sharing the news with Catherine and Michelle Reis.
The record-breaking opening made Catherine and Michelle Reis almost ready to challenge Jennifer to a four-some, but Linton gently stopped them. Since it was Jennifer's first time with him, and he hadn't welcomed her formally into his harem, he thought it best to keep things smooth.
Once the phone was down, Jennifer eagerly climbed onto Linton, pressing tender kisses onto him.
Their playful, intimate session resumed, the joyous, sweet melodies filling the suite well into the night.
Jennifer Aniston truly deserved her title as America's sweetheart. Linton found her softness, her natural sweetness captivating. She herself admitted he was "amazing" and "incredible."
More importantly, during their time together, Linton realized just how massive Jennifer's popularity was -- she was uniquely positioned at the top, even surpassing Madonna's reach.
This gave him a deeper understanding of the saying, "Small screen wins popularity; big screen wins status."
He began considering the possibility of having Madonna or Nicole Kidman try their hand in television dramas, or focusing more on young starlets gaining momentum on TV.
Of course, two or three years ago, he would have immediately tried to bring such a talent into his roster. But now, with his increased cultivation stage and a growing harem, he no longer needed to chase popularity so aggressively.
His tastes also became more selective.
Jennifer was undoubtedly beautiful and hugely popular, but in Linton's eyes, she wasn't quite among the elite top-tier beauties.
That didn't mean she wasn't welcome for casual intimate "friendly benefits." After all, she was a stunning, high-profile actress, and their encounters were extremely satisfying both personally and professionally.
...
The following morning, after their final morning session, Linton presented Jennifer with a bottle of Beauty Pills.
To his surprise, Jennifer declined politely. "Darling, thank you, but I've already started taking these."
"Baby, take it anyway. It's just a token."
"Can I make a different request?"
"Go ahead."
"Is there any chance I could star in one of your films or in a project from your company?"
Despite Jennifer's considerable fame, many scripts she received targeted her fan base but offered subpar roles. She wasn't foolish -- taking part in low-quality films would damage her reputation.
Getting connected with Linton's company was a golden opportunity she wasn't about to miss.
Compared to that, a bottle of Beauty Pills was trivial.
Given her commercial value and earning power, she could easily afford even Vitality Pills, though her youth meant she didn't yet feel a pressing need.
"Alright, I'll keep an eye out and let you know."
"Thank you, darling. If I ever miss you, can I come find you anytime?"
"Of course, though it's best to call ahead."
Jennifer, as a top-tier star, had a busy schedule and clearly saw that Linton hadn't made her an official girlfriend.
So discretion was essential -- they needed to avoid press and paparazzi.
After tidying up, she didn't join Linton for breakfast. Instead, she slipped quietly to the underground parking, got into her assistant's car, and left unseen.
*****
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