America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz

Under the parasol next door was a small round table. Martin took out his phone, hurried over, and before sitting down, he habitually checked the chair to make sure there were no issues. Only then did he sit at the table.

There was no helping it, after playing so many tricks on others, he had been left with some aftereffects.

Seeing a similar scene always triggered his subconscious defenses.

Bruce sat opposite him and said, "Jody just reminded me, the Twitter handle is called 'Martin's Son.'

"Isn't it Hart and the others playing a trick on me?" Martin thought of the 'sons' from House of Beast Club of the past.

Bruce shrugged: "You'd better see for yourself."

Martin logged into Twitter and searched for "Martin's Son," and a profile came up.

The account's avatar was a picture. Upon clicking it, Martin discovered it was a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy whose facial contours and style bore a certain resemblance to him.

Certainly more so than Mrs. Guo to Jason Statham.

Of course, except for the skin color.

Because even though the boy wasn't very dark, he was definitely Black.

It was clear the boy was imitating him, from his clothing and attire to the characters he played in films.

Martin checked the Twitter content, most of which were candid street shots, photos with people, signing autographs for other movie fans, and even a picture in front of Margaret Memorial Hall, the "Gone with the Wind" author.

This person seemed to be a resident of Georgia.

Among the tweeted photos posted by him, Martin saw iconic Georgian landmarks like Peachtree Street and Margaret Memorial Hall.

There was even a photo with his wax figure inside Madame Tussauds.

The caption of this photo with the wax figure read: "Me and My Superstar Dad."

And there was more than just one. Several tweets were related to Martin, mentioning words like "Dad."

It looked like the mockeries and self-entertainment of a young person.

Martin specifically looked at the number of followers. It was actually over two hundred thousand.

By current standards, that's certainly enough to be considered a minor internet celebrity.

Bruce asked deliberately, "He isn't your illegitimate child, is he?"

"How could that be!" Martin said offhandedly, "I was born in 1981. This spirited young fellow? He looks like he's sixteen at most."

Bruce asked, "How many girlfriends had you had by the time you were 15? Or were you still a virgin?"

Martin thought for a moment: "I seem... not, right?"

Bruce said, "It's simple, he really could be your son."

Martin gave him the finger directly: "What a joke, I've never been with a Black woman."

"You'd better not say that publicly," Bruce remembered someone: "Remember that woman when we were messing with Harvey Weinstein? Since there were no Black women on Harvey's victim list, she accused Harvey of being racist against Black people."

Martin said, "I think her name was Megan, and it was our bad idea."

Bruce reminded him, "Be careful not to let others use that against you."

But Martin said, "Everyone in Hollywood knows one of my best buddies is named Mene."

"How do you want to handle this?" Bruce pointed at Martin's phone. "He's clearly trying to be an internet celebrity, and it's affecting you."

Martin has always been tolerant towards fans. During his own rise, he also frequently rode on the wave of trends. He said, "Have Thomas contact him and tell him not to post any more about fathers and sons."

Bruce took note: "I'll call Thomas later."

Martin put away his phone: "Let's go, back to the company."

Back at the company, the receptionist came over and said, "Martin, Mr. Bradt is here, waiting for you in the upstairs meeting room."

"I got it," Martin went upstairs into the meeting room.

Bradt had brought over the recently completed script, which was the movie Martin was planning to co-star with Blake Lively.

The script wasn't thick. Martin took it and started to flip through.

The story was relatively simple: the female lead's mother passed away and, in an attempt to shake off depression and grief, she went alone to a remote coast to surf. Then a great white shark appeared and began attacking humans, causing the female lead to be stranded on a reef far from shore. She had to rely on herself to find a way to survive.

Bradt said straight out, "This is the simplest plot and the fewest characters and scenes I've ever written in a script."

Martin commented, "A tall bear with long legs in a bikini, a beautiful woman outsmarting a great white shark."

Bradt reminded him, "The atmosphere of the movie is very important! Since Spielberg's 'Jaws' had been such a success, other shark-related thrillers are basically trash, and sharks have been trampled into dust by all kinds of monsters and demons."

After finishing the script, Martin pondered and said, "Your script gave me an important hint: we could use a seemingly open setting to contrast the protagonist's predicament of being trapped in a narrow space."

Bradt's theory in this area was far richer than Martin's, and he spoke with expertise, "From a psychological standpoint, the sense that the world is so vast yet you can't go anywhere is far more tense than the ominous widespread ocean."

Martin dared to invest and try because, on one hand, he wasn't short of money and could easily attract investment, and on the other hand, he could find many professional talents for his disposal.

For example, Bradt had considered a lot.

The experienced assistant directors and directors of photography were easy to find for Martin.

As long as the salary was enough, they could all be employed by him.

The original story of the screenplay came from Martin, but Bradt almost single-handedly wrote the script. He specifically instructed, "The core of the screenplay's story is still the common Hollywood horror thriller trope of a vulnerable woman and a psycho killer, but it has been repackaged with humans and sharks, of course, the biggest difference being that the female lead saves herself."

Martin said, "Since we're making a woman the absolute protagonist, given the current social climate, she doesn't need anyone to save her. The female protagonist is not just a survivor; she is a savior too."

Bradt thought about the raging equality movement and said, "Looks like you've already considered these aspects."

Martin responded, "I have limited skills; I can only try to find solutions in other areas."

Bradt quickly took his leave.

Martin had someone photocopy the screenplay and made a phone call to Blake Lively.

She had already returned from New York to Los Angeles, and her recovery was going well. As long as she avoided intense activities, it didn't affect her daily life.

The "John Wick 3" film crew rented a small soundstage at Disney Studio, set up a blue screen backdrop, and brought in a lot of sand to shoot the remaining few desert scenes.

Both Martin and Blake Lively only had dialogue scenes remaining.

The last bit of filming was about to start; Martin didn't call Blake Lively over, agreeing to meet her during the shoot.

At this time, Bruce came in from outside and said, "Thomas just called; he's made contact with your... son."

Martin pointed at Old Cloth, "Be mindful of your words; he has nothing to do with me."

"Alright, your admirer then," Bruce pulled out a chair and sat down. "The situation is not quite what we thought, it seems that the person is not just a simple movie fan and internet celebrity. After Thomas talked to him, the guy just said he understood and then hung up the phone."

Martin wasn't very concerned about this matter, "If he posts similar tweets again, contact him once more and make sure to record it. If that doesn't work, send a legal letter."

"I got it," Bruce called Thomas again.

Martin consequently put it out of his mind.

Riding on the coattails of popular stars is the most common promotion tactic. If it weren't for the other party making up this ridiculous father and son story, Martin couldn't be bothered with him.

The next morning, some crew members of "John Wick 3" gathered at Disney Studio.

Stepping down from the makeup trailer, Martin saw Blake Lively walking without issue and remarked, "You've recovered well."

Blake replied, "It's just a minor injury."

The two entered the soundstage, where an assistant director immediately led them to an off-road vehicle parked on the sand.

With a command from Chad, the shooting officially began.

Martin and Blake had rested for a long time, and their feel for the characters wasn't great; the director soon called cut.

The shooting was on and off, managing only a dozen or so takes by the end of the morning.

After lunch, Blake followed Martin to his resting room.

Martin took out the copied script he had brought and handed it to Blake, "Take a look, sunshine, Shark Beach, the ocean, a beautiful woman, and a big shark."

While reading the script, Blake commented, "I'm nearly in a bikini for the entire film, huh?"

Martin replied, "There's no need to hide a good figure."

Indeed, when it came to physique, there were few actresses in Hollywood who could outshine Blake Lively.

Blake didn't read much before confirming, "I am the absolute protagonist; the parts of other characters are negligible."

Martin said, "So, your acting, figure, and charm are the keys to the success or failure of this film."

Blake smiled at Martin, "Darling, this is your directorial debut; even if it fails, I'll support you wholeheartedly."

Martin had produced many films and naturally had some confidence, "If we follow my plan, there's a good chance of success, and the film's investment won't be too high."

Blake understood, "Don't worry, my Twitter and Instagram are always managed by a professional team. Leveraging your and Taylor's popularity, I am now legitimately the Queen of Gossip."

Martin added, "The success of this film rests on our fame."

Blake playfully suggested, "What if we drop a bombshell? We rekindle our old flame during the filming, and when it's about to release, you propose, and we get engaged."

Martin's face turned so dark it was as if water might drip from it, "I'm helping you advance your career, dear, and you? You want to trap me!"

Blake conceded, "Okay, okay, I'll listen to you."

She opened her phone and sent Martin a file, "A training plan designed for me by a professional coach, totaling six months."

Martin had to adjust his schedule and said, "You can start training once you're fully recovered."

Blake nodded, "I won't joke with my health."

The filming for the last part of "John Wick: Chapter 3" only lasted three days.

As that wrapped up, Martin received a notification from Nolan, inviting him to officially join the "Interstellar" crew and head to Atlanta.

Martin was returning to the place where he had started his career.