America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz

The next morning, in accordance with publicist Melanie's need to increase exposure, Martin left the hotel after breakfast for a walk along Seaside Boulevard towards the Festival Palace.

The Cannes Film Festival was about to start, and the area around the Festival Palace had been renovated. Seaside Boulevard was crowded with film fans, tourists, and media reporters.

Many reporters followed Martin to take photographs, and occasionally fans came over to ask for autographs or pictures, which he satisfied one by one.

Fortunately, this was Europe, not Los Angeles, so Martin's influence wasn't that great.

Besides, Seaside Boulevard had a fair number of stars and directors,

with a casual glance, Martin saw Ang Lee, Johnnie To, and Quentin.

Suddenly, the crowd and media reporters began to surge with excitement, many running off in one direction.

Mene climbed up high to take a look, then came down and said, "Sophie Marceau and Monica Bellucci just came out together."

Martin had just carefully reviewed the details of this year's festival yesterday. In the special screening section, there was "Don't Look Back" starring Sophie Marceau and Monica Bellucci.

Mene said, "Sophie Marceau is also my artistic muse."

Bruce couldn't help but comment, "You sure have a lot of artistic muses."

"European actresses over 40, and beautiful," Mene asserted with conviction, "they're all my artistic muses."

Martin said, "Stay a little longer on the red carpet tomorrow afternoon at the opening ceremony of the film festival. The Cannes red carpet is known for displays of skin, a show that Sophie Marceau has reserved."

Mene quickly took out his phone, opened the camera, and took a picture towards the sea: "Not clear enough."

Bruce said, "Use a professional DSLR at that time."

"Good idea!" Mene laughed, "I'll take my camera and walk the opening red carpet."

The trio made their way near the beach, where reporters called out to Martin. He turned back, smiled at the cameras, allowing the reporters to take photos.

The reporters' lenses soon shifted to another side, seemingly more attracted to the presence of a beautiful woman.

Martin also looked over, "Jennifer, this way."

Jennifer Lawrence spotted Martin and quickly walked over to greet him before saying, "I wanted to visit you at the hotel yesterday, but your crew was in a meeting, so I didn't want to disturb."

From the young age of less than 16, she had set her sights on Nicholson, and her mind was quite agile, "If there's anything I can help with at Cannes, just let me know."

Martin didn't really need her help and casually responded, "Just do your job well in the crew."

Jennifer Lawrence's fellow lead actress in the crew approached and said, "I didn't expect to meet you here."

Martin looked at the tall and leggy Charlize Theron, who resembled a clothes rack, and replied with a smile, "Sally, wherever you are is like the core of the earth, always generating infinite attraction."

Charlize replied politely, "I'm not like you, you were still Hollywood's number one sexiest man last year."

Feeling ignored, Jennifer Lawrence hurriedly interjected, "Do you two know each other?"

Martin said, "Charlize and I are good neighbors."

From across the way, a reporter called out, "Martin, Charlize, could we take a photo of you two together?"

Martin did not answer.

Charlize automatically approached and looked at Martin, "Is that okay?"

Martin smiled at her, "My pleasure."

The reporters already started taking their chance to snap pictures. From their angle, Martin and Charlize exchanged glances that conveyed affection...

Martin and Charlize turned to face the sea, with their backs to it, posing together for the photo.

Jennifer Lawrence was completely ignored.

She was a girl who couldn't stand loneliness and edged her way to Martin's other side.

After the reporters finished taking photos, Charlize turned to look at the ocean and asked Martin, "Are you aiming for the Best Actor Award?"

Martin said, "I have that intention, but it's hard to say if it can be realized, as the competition is fierce."

Charlize lowered her voice, "I heard from my crewmate Kim Basinger that Quentin's 'Inglourious Basterds' is also targeting the Best Actor Award."

"Thank you for the heads-up," Martin said, remembering "Inglourious Basterds" in the list of films in competition.

Brad Pitt's star had fallen, and he had turned down Harvey's invitation. Josh Brolin, once known as the infamous Thanos, was cast as the male lead in this film.

Without any contact with Harvey, Charlize did not mind currying favor with her neighbor Martin and added, "They've put forward the German actor Christopher Waltz for the award."

Martin immediately thought of the German officer, Waltz's performance in "Inglourious Basterds" he had seen was entrancing.

But the role that left the deepest impression on Martin was the dentist turned bounty hunter in Django.

Martin nodded, "One day when we're back in Los Angeles, come over to my place and hang out."

Charlize smiled slightly, "No problem."

Not far away, Mene and Bruce were whispering to each other.

Mene asked, "When will I get to meet my artistic muse?"

Bruce had already inquired, "Yuper will attend the opening ceremony of the film festival tomorrow, and the crew has also invited her to the global premiere."

"I specifically watched 'The Piano Teacher' and 'Amour' last night," Mene said in a lowered voice, "They say you can glimpse an actor's character through the roles they play, and judging by the female leads in these two films, Yuper should be interested in younger men."

Bruce gave a thumbs up: "That's so you, Mene."

Mene stood tall and proud, a touch of arrogance in his voice, "Old Cloth, you don't understand Lord Mene at all! Do you think I just go up and start licking on any target I find? I carefully study and then move cautiously. That's the only way to get people to lick up to me."

"I get it!" Bruce said admiringly, "With your gift of the gab, once you've licked them up, they find it hard to forget."

Mene already had a plan: "Tomorrow, I'll make a good impression on her first, then strike again at the premiere!"

Bruce patted his shoulder: "Brother, you'll definitely become the next Morgan Freeman."

Ahead, Martin chatted with Charlize for a while and then continued to go shopping to make their presence felt, waving at the two men: "Let's go."

Mene and Bruce followed.

"You're friends with Martin?" Charlize watched Martin leave, then asked Lauren, "You've never mentioned him to me."

Lauren could tell that after seeing Martin, Charlize was not as cold towards her as before, but she didn't dare speak out of turn: "My boyfriend is really good friends with Martin."

Charlize asked casually: "Leonardo?"

Lauren thought for a moment and deliberately leaned in to whisper into Charlize's ear: "Jack."

Perhaps it was the shared secret that bridged the gap between them a bit, prompting Charlize to add: "When you have good resources, you have to seize them. They can save you a lot of detours."

Lauren was a smart girl. Noticing that Charlize was warmer than before, she quickly stepped up and walked beside her, "I have a lot of questions I don't understand and would like to ask for your advice."

Charlize did not look down on the path Lauren had taken because she had gone through the same thing and even faced tougher challenges.

A girl from South Africa, who switched to modeling due to a ballet injury and, finding that path blocked, was forced to become an actress—without any foundations in Los Angeles and was exceptionally beautiful—what was her real capital that could impress the Hollywood big shots?

The current ecology in Hollywood was way better than when Charlize first entered the acting circle.

On the way, Jennifer Lawrence ran into Harvey Weinstein. Because of Nicholson and the Trio of Scoundrels, she didn't have a high opinion of the stout man, and just like Charlize, automatically kept her distance.

From afar, Harvey saw Martin surrounded by journalists following him for pictures and immediately quickened his pace.

He was quite well-known in France too, and the journalists cleared a path for him.

"Hi, Martin," Harvey greeted him proactively.
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Martin turned around to shake his hand, the two smiled brilliantly, seemingly like close friends with endless conversation: "Harvey, I was thinking of visiting you this afternoon. I didn't expect to run into you here."

Harvey seemed complimentary: "I've seen the trailer for Benjamin, your acting from child to old age is admirable."

He purposefully raised his voice: "Martin, you are the prime candidate for the Best Actor award at Cannes!"

The surrounding journalists quickly snapped photos of Martin and Harvey together, and some recorded Harvey's words with their dictaphones.

Martin was very humble: "Just being a part of the Cannes Film Festival is a tremendous honor."

"Be sure to come to the premiere of 'Inglourious Basterds,'" Harvey invited.

Martin responded with a comment.

Harvey voluntarily left to meet Quentin by the seaside and asked his assistant who was waiting there: "Did you pass the message to Yuper?"

The assistant said: "The message was sent, but there's been no response."

Unlike other film crews, Harvey was particularly confident in awards campaigning and didn't hire locals from France; he was handling it personally.

He liked the feeling of everything being under his control.

"These matters, nobody will give you a solid answer," Harvey said, "Invite her to the premiere, her archenemy is Ajani. Help me prepare some talking points."

Quentin, much like David Fincher, didn't involve himself in these affairs and stood aside, saying nothing.

In his eyes, Harvey could handle all these messy things.

......

Elsewhere, having received a call from the assistant director, Martin arrived in front of the Festival Palace and took a seat at a table.

Based on the information he had so far, the crew of 'Inglourious Basterds' was also eyeing the Best Actor award.

After all, the relationship between Yuper and Michael Haneke was public knowledge, and competing for the Palme d'Or would be difficult.

Martin considered the information he had received over the phone for a while before asking Bruce, "Where is Harvey staying?"

Bruce answered, "The Prosperous Grand Hotel."

Martin continued, "Are Wuyang and Prosperous the best hotels in Cannes?"

"Yes, one is five-star, and the other is four-star," Bruce intuited that Martin was planning something and carefully explained, "The rest are three-star hotels. Stars of a certain status and film crews generally don't go there, unless these two are fully booked."

Martin, thinking it over, said, "Melanie got word that Ajani is coming to the festival. The committee, on a whim, decided to have Ajani present the Palme d'Or award."

"The French really know how to make a statement," said Bruce. "Wonder if the two Isabels will end up fighting at the closing ceremony?"

Putting himself in their shoes, Martin mused, "Maybe that's exactly what the festival wants, after all, it makes for a good spectacle."

He returned to his point: "Find someone to book all the unreserved rooms in Wuyang and Prosperous as soon as possible, and keep an eye on Ajani's movements. With the committee's impromptu invitation, she probably hasn't booked a room yet."