[Chapter 288: India]
After the Oscar ceremony ended, the attendees headed straight to the Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills to attend the Vanity Fair-hosted Oscar Night party.
Linton didn't join the party; instead, he took Catherine straight back to the estate. One reason was that last year's experience left him unimpressed with the Oscar Night parties. Another was that he was preparing to leave on a long trip the day after tomorrow to gather materials for forging his sword. Time was limited, and he didn't want to waste it on other people's parties, eating and drinking. What could be better than throwing his own party at home and playing games?
...
Back at the estate, the butler and the kitchen staff had already prepared a sumptuous dinner. Linton and Catherine were indeed hungry and started eating without waiting for the others. However, it wasn't long before other women gradually returned and joined the dinner.
After dinner, recharged, big darling Jennifer took Linton by the arm. "Honey, how could you let that bad woman kiss you publicly at the Oscars?"
"Yeah, that Sharon Stone is really something else."
"Right, that Sharon was such a btch, shameless."
"This is bad. Tomorrow's newspapers will probably splash all over your scandal news tonight."
"Dear, your playboy reputation is probably going to get even louder -- blame that Sharon btch."
Everyone started condemning Sharon Stone in unison. Linton was speechless -- if they were criticizing Sharon Stone here, what about Madonna, Winona, Naomi, and Catherine's actions? Wasn't that just adding fuel to the fire?
"Let's not talk about her. Let's hurry up with the next event," he said. Of course, he wasn't going to make a somber critique that would kill the mood; he just skipped right over it and started the party activities.
"Alright, alright. This time I want to go first. At the awards ceremony, I sat in the third row and could only watch you embrace and kiss publicly in front of everyone. You owe me now."
"Fine, then you start."
---
As expected, besides reporting the Oscar winners and commentary, the next day's media unanimously devoted the second page to Linton passionately embracing and kissing five women at the Oscars.
"The untold story of Linton and Sharon Stone."
"The journey of Linton and Catherine: from acquaintances to lovers."
"Linton and Madonna: The old dating the young."
"How many girlfriends does Linton really have?"
"Is Linton a big playboy?"
Such articles flooded the media, overshadowing the Oscar winners. Even the fresh Oscar Best Actor Tom Hanks and Best Actress Holly Hunter didn't get as much media coverage.
However, Linton didn't care much. Even when his PR agent, Ellie, called to report the media coverage, he remained unfazed. After going through a storm of rumors at the farm earlier, he understood that this kind of behavior wasn't really a problem. Fans wouldn't lose favor or leave him because of it; instead, it boosted fan loyalty and expanded his fan base. Moreover, this overwhelming coverage gave his popularity a significant boost, which helped increase his power.
Since it was all beneficial, why bother?
---
When Linton told the women that he would be setting off on a half-year journey around the world the next day, there was a chorus of opposition. They demanded detailed plans so they could take turns accompanying him. But in reality, his trip wasn't a holiday but a treasure hunt and sword forging mission, so no one could come along.
After calming things down, the women decided to make the most of their limited time. Even Naomi and Sophie Marceau threw tantrums to get a day off from their directors.
Various themed parties...
Different scenic play reenactments at Valley...
---
On March 1st, Linton boarded a plane to India alone, carrying only light luggage, without any bodyguards or assistants.
Before his trip, he had his assistant compile extensive background information about the country.
India comprises 27 states and 6 union territories, with each state operating somewhat like a U.S. state. These states enjoy considerable autonomy, especially in areas like legislation and judiciary matters, including taxation. In fact, additional taxes are often imposed on trade between some states.
Although India has no single official language, the central government primarily uses Hindi. However, more than half of the population doesn't speak Hindi. Interestingly, each state has its own official language -- not merely dialects, but entirely distinct languages -- highlighting the country's remarkable linguistic diversity.
Because of its colonial past under British rule, and the spread of English during that period, English has ironically become a common link among people across different regions.
Initially, Linton considered learning one or more Indian languages, but after gaining a deeper understanding, he concluded that English would be sufficient for communication during his visit.
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