His agent, Dawson, had recently packed Salma Hayek’s schedule with promotional work, giving Kevin a few quiet days to himself.
This was exactly what he needed.
Truth be told, Salma was ferocious in bed.
There is an old saying about men being the oxen and women being the fields—and right now, this particular ox desperately needed a rest.
With some free time on his hands, Kevin finally returned to the University of Southern California (USC) to finish his graduation paperwork.
In the administration office, the professor handling his paperwork nodded, his tone turning serious.
“Kevin, your debut film is a massive success, but you need to stay grounded.
Over the years, USC has seen plenty of students find sudden success with their first film, only to fade away and become one-hit wonders.
I genuinely want to see you build a lasting career.
That’s what this university is all about.”
“If you keep up this momentum, you’ll eventually earn a spot on our distinguished alumni list and become a role model for the students here.”
Kevin nodded, finalized his paperwork, and left the administration building.
Since achieving genuine industry success, he had lost all desire to show off in front of his peers.
Flaunting his new status to a bunch of college students simply felt pointless now.
He was now dealing directly with top Hollywood studio executives.
Most of these students wouldn’t even get in the same room with those kinds of people for years after graduation.
They were simply operating on completely different levels now.
As he strolled across campus, a few stunning female students approached him, discreetly slipping him small notes containing nothing but addresses, times, and phone numbers.
It was glaringly obvious that with a single phone call, Kevin could have any of them waiting in his bed.
He could only sigh at the sheer, blunt force of capitalism and the raw power of wealth.
However, these naive college girls just weren’t his type.
Given the choice, he much preferred the dazzling allure of Hollywood actresses.
Just as he was enjoying the flattering attention, another woman walked up to him.
“Kevin, can we go back to the way things were?”
Kevin looked up, realizing the woman standing in front of him was the old Kevin’s ex-girlfriend, Pella.
Meeting Pella’s hopeful gaze, Kevin merely offered a faint smile.
He was no longer the previous Kevin.
Rooted in his own ingrained traditional values, the one thing he absolutely could not tolerate was betrayal.
Even though he had zero lingering feelings for Pella, a betrayal was still a betrayal.
Getting back together?
In her dreams.
“Can a shattered mirror be put back together?” Kevin asked coldly.
He brushed past her and walked away without looking back.
This trip to the university was essentially about tying up the final loose ends left by his predecessor.
From now on, he could focus entirely on his career.
Pella watched him leave, her eyes filled with bitter regret.
The reason she had sought him out today was painfully simple: she had been played.
The lead role that guy had promised her turned out to be a complete lie.
To put it bluntly, while the father was a studio executive, the son did not have enough influence to sway casting decisions.
Once she realized this, Pella decisively dumped him.
Or rather, their relationship had never truly started.
Pella was a master manipulator who hid behind an innocent facade.
She wasn’t the type to give anything up without a rock-solid guarantee.
Why would she let a guy take advantage of her before she actually secured the role?
She was ruthlessly calculating, which also made her incredibly smart.
Unfortunately, Kevin was not interested in someone who was so aggressively transactional.
To him, this kind of behavior was even worse than the mutually beneficial arrangements he had with Hollywood actresses.
Stepping outside the campus gates, Kevin hailed a cab.
The moment he slid into the backseat, he told the driver, “To Beverly Hills.”
The driver, an honest-looking middle-aged white man, glanced back in the rearview mirror.
“You mean Beverly Hills?
The most expensive neighborhood in the world?”
“That’s right.
Just drop me off at the Beverly Hills Hotel.”
A flash of envy crossed the driver’s face.
Heading to Beverly Hills meant you had serious money.
Dropping thousands of dollars at a time was just an everyday expense there—something an ordinary person couldn’t even fathom.
The rest of the ride passed in silence.
The driver had clearly wanted to strike up a conversation, likely hoping to glean some juicy gossip about the rich and famous to share as conversation starters later.
Unfortunately for him, Kevin had zero interest in making small talk.
Arriving at the Beverly Hills Hotel, Kevin walked straight through the grand entrance.
His entire outfit cost less than two hundred dollars, making him look completely out of place in such a luxurious setting.
Fortunately, reality wasn’t quite that foolish.
Seeing him approach, a sharp-looking young attendant in a tailored suit quickly walked over and greeted him politely.
“Hello, welcome to the Beverly Hills Hotel.
Do you have a room reserved in advance?”
Kevin felt a slight twinge of disappointment at the lack of drama.
“It’s already reserved.
I am Steve Kevin.”
The attendant smiled professionally.
“Your suite is Room 1211, Mr.
Kevin.
Please, follow me.”
Under the attendant’s guidance, Kevin swiftly made his way to his room.
After a brief explanation on how to use the room’s concierge phone, the attendant quietly excused himself.
Left alone, Kevin stood before the massive floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Beverly Hills, feeling absolutely incredible.
Everywhere he looked, sprawling, manor-style estates dotted the lush landscape, with even the cheapest among them likely costing tens of millions of dollars.
Just taking in the view was deeply satisfying.
Their stunning exteriors were the masterpieces of world-class architects, meticulously designed to make anyone want to buy them.
Of course, Kevin had no intention of buying property right now.
According to his memories, the United States would suffer at least one or two massive financial crises before 2020.
When the market crashed, he would be able to snap up these estates at rock-bottom prices.
Buying now meant entering the market at its peak, which would be a massive loss.
This hotel suite alone cost a staggering $3,000 a night.
If Kevin hadn’t just received a hefty advance on his box office share from New Line Cinema, he definitely wouldn’t have been able to afford it.
With a day or two left before Ovitz’s exclusive party, Kevin settled in and began brainstorming his next movie.
He couldn’t help it; gazing out at the sheer luxury of Beverly Hills only fueled his drive to make some serious money.
It was a stark reminder that, despite his recent success, he was still a very, very poor man.
Outside these hotel walls, Saw’s box office numbers continued to climb.
The film’s cultural impact was growing by the day.
Unlike its original real-world release in 2004, Kevin’s version of Saw was receiving far better treatment.
Not only were the glowing reviews and extensive press coverage heavily in his favor, but the sheer number of screens it was booked on, the relentless promotional campaigns, and its prime release window all provided massive advantages.
Because of this, during the Halloween season of 1991, Saw achieved results that far exceeded its original counterpart.