America achieves both fame and fortune

Chapter 151 The Morals and Bottom Lines of Celebrities

A gentle night breeze blew as Martin accompanied Annie and the other two out of the Avalon bar, chatting and laughing all the way.

Annie and the others drank a couple more glasses, their faces flushed.

"You came with the film crew and are staying at a hotel?" Martin had already found out that these three would be participating in the filming of "Hail the Beauty," and asked, "You've been drinking, shall I take you back to your hotel?"

Annie smiled, pursing her lips, and said, "It's not really appropriate to make you go through all that trouble."

Martin said, "I can't let you call another car. If word gets out, people will say I have no manners." He joked, "Annie, you should at least consider my reputation."

Anne made all the decisions for the three of them. After thinking it over carefully, she nodded slightly and said, "Martin, then I'll leave it to you."

There were many people at the entrance, and Martin, in a very gentlemanly manner, protected Annie and walked towards the car.

Avalon is a nightclub frequented by Hollywood stars, and it's always teeming with reporters and paparazzi at night.

Martin faintly heard the sound of a camera shutter, and immediately put on a gentlemanly act, moving closer to Anne to block the person coming from the side.

Anne smiled and nodded when she saw Martin shielding her from the crowd.

This person is indeed very classy.

Arriving at the car, Martin opened the passenger door and covered the roof with his hand.

Just as Annie lowered her head to get into the car, two paparazzi rushed over and took close-up photos.

Martin waited for the headlights to flash, then immediately closed the car door, quickly walked around to the driver's side, got in, and drove off.

He trusts the professionalism of the Los Angeles paparazzi.

The paparazzi didn't disappoint him either, with several motorcycles trailing behind at a distance.

Compared to when they were in Avalon, Anne seemed to be under the influence of alcohol and was somewhat quiet.

Upon arriving at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, Martin parked the car and drove the three of them into the hotel lobby.

Then, paparazzi cameras started clicking away.

Before entering the elevator, Annie said, "I'll leave you here. You should go back and get some rest."

Martin, with great manners, said, "Good night and sweet dreams."

Anne smiled and nodded, then entered the elevator with her two companions.

Martin glanced at the time, but didn't leave immediately. He went to the clothing store next door, bought a sports hoodie and a new jacket to change into, and also put on a baseball cap.

Bored, Martin called Louise and Kelly one after the other and chatted for a while. He then texted Bruce to tell him he would go straight back to his apartment.

Nearly two hours later, Martin, with his hat pulled low, slipped out of the Hilton Hotel and was then perfectly photographed by paparazzi.

Jody, an online entertainment reporter who was recently following Martin, kept filming him until Martin drove away before putting away her camera.

She paid special attention to the time. Martin and Anne went back to the hotel together, but Martin didn't come out for two hours. When he came out, he had changed his clothes and was wearing a hat. What does that mean?

For gossip reporters, this is enough to write a 30,000-word essay.

Jody was certain that Martin and Anne had an unusual relationship and were very likely having an affair.

The gossip about two people combined attracts more attention than that about one person alone.

Jody got on her motorcycle and saw Martin drive back to the apartment, so she immediately went home to finish her manuscript.

Around the same time, photos of Martin and Anne Hathaway frequently appeared on the gossip news trading market, with many paparazzi earning tens to hundreds of dollars for the newly taken photos.

I wonder how many journalists have started writing based on pictures.

……

At the Hilton Hotel, her best friend Laura accompanied Annie back to her room.

"It was a pleasant evening." Laura had a very good impression of Martin: "I didn't expect to meet such an interesting and handsome guy."

Anne was in a good mood. She kicked off her high heels, sat on the sofa, took out her phone, and checked the missed calls. She saved Martin Davis's name in one of the numbers.

Laura came over and sat down next to her: "Have you noticed that he's interested in you?"

Anne tilted her head, but didn't answer directly.

Laura asked directly, "How do you feel about him? If you don't, I'm going to sleep with him."

"He's handsome and has great manners. Tonight, being with him... how should I put it?" Annie thought for a moment, "It was just so, so comfortable. He's exactly the kind of man a good man should be."

Laura's ability to maintain a good relationship with Annie at least shows she understands her own position: "Looks like I have no chance."

When facing her best friend, Annie didn't hide anything: "Actually, his flaws are quite obvious."

Laura was confused: "Obvious flaws? He's too handsome, I don't feel safe with him?"

Annie, being a New Yorker, naturally noticed things that ordinary people wouldn't pay much attention to: "Didn't you notice? He drives an ordinary Volkswagen, wears ordinary brands of clothes, and his watch is just an ordinary American brand..."

Upon hearing this, Laura understood: Martin Davis wasn't a rich man.

Annie is still thinking about it. He's a nice person, but he doesn't have much money.

Laura said, "He's only just become famous."

"Let's talk about this later." Annie had roughly figured out a strategy: to keep things hanging for now, neither making a statement nor a promise, but not giving up.

…………

In Century City, Thomas had just entered the company when Natasha, the receptionist, came over to him.

She handed Thomas several newspapers: "There's news about Martin in there, take a look."

Thomas thanked them, took the newspaper upstairs, sat down at his desk and flipped through it, discovering that it was one of the best-selling entertainment gossip newspapers in Los Angeles.

These newspapers published reports of the Madame Tussauds film crew's celebration party yesterday.

It's normal, after all, Madame Tussauds is a huge success and is still ranked in the top three of the North American weekly box office. It would be strange if the entertainment media didn't pay attention to it.

But when Thomas opened a celebrity gossip column, his eyes widened. He thought to himself, "No way, this is too fast!"

Anne Hathaway's new relationship revealed; the man is suspected to be Hollywood rising star Martin Davis!

The following photos show the two laughing as they leave a bar together. The man is protecting the woman, and she gets into his car. The man then goes to the hotel where the woman is staying and stays there for two hours before coming out, wearing different clothes.

If Thomas ignores the journalists' articles and just looks at these photos, what comes to mind? Martin and Anne are definitely having an affair!

Is the speed of action that fast?

Thomas continued flipping through the pages and found similar news in several gossip newspapers.

He would make those kinds of associations from the reader's perspective, and gossip reporters would write even more exaggerated stories without even reading them.

Thomas was impressed; that bastard Martin was incredibly fast.

He suddenly covered his face. He'd been trying to teach Martin how to pick up girls yesterday—how presumptuous of him!

Thomas picked up the phone and dialed Martin's number. As soon as the call connected, he heard Martin breathing heavily and immediately had a bad feeling: "Martin, are you with that princess?"

The person on the other end laughed: "What are you thinking? I'm at the gym, I just had a match with Old Bu."

Thomas asked directly, "What's going on between you and Anne Hathaway?"

Martin said, "I ran into her at a bar yesterday, we had a few drinks together, and I took her back to her hotel."

"Her Princess Diaries 2 was a huge hit this year. Although the reception and reviews weren't as good as the first one, she still ranks among the top actresses born in the 80s." Thomas wasn't concerned with the truth of the matter, but rather with the potential profit: "For you, an actress of her caliber is enough. Martin, don't let her go!"

Martin protested, "Hey! Hey! Dude, what are you talking about!"

Thomas was surprised. "Where did I say something wrong?"

Martin said, "I'm a fan of Anne, I really like Anne. Yesterday's meeting was perhaps fate! It's destiny, nothing else, do you understand?"

Thomas understood. You're fucking shameless!

He added, "You know more about this than I do. You can handle the specifics yourself. Just call me if you need anything."

"Hang up."

Martin hung up the phone at the gym.

Bruce has removed his protective gear and is stretching his body.

Martin put away his phone, did some stretching exercises as well, and asked, "Did Zomi succeed yesterday?"

"He struck up a conversation, but he drove off alone." Bruce sometimes admired Martin's awfulness: "I'm baffled. It's one thing for Menez to attract middle-aged and older women, but why can't someone like Anne Hathaway smell the stench emanating from you?"

Martin patted his chest: "Because you're blind, I'm a good person, and a good person with a bright future."

Bruce scoffed, "Why didn't you go all out last night and just go straight into her room?"

Martin retorted, "Old Brooks, have some professional ethics! Celebrities need to have their own morals and bottom lines. They need to consider the reporters and paparazzi who follow them around every day. If things progress too quickly, the story will jump to a climax, leaving readers bored, and our reporters and paparazzi will lose their jobs!"

Even though Bruce had witnessed the stench of this pile of dog poop, he was still stunned by this novel theory.

Martin came over and patted Bruce on the shoulder: "See? I'm a truly ethical and professional actor."

Bruce was speechless.

Their fitness coach, Susie, came in from outside and saw the two wiping their sweat. She said, "I've prepared drinks for you in the lounge."

Martin politely replied, "Thank you."

Susie deliberately lagged behind, walking alongside Bruce, and offered, "Bruce, do you have time for lunch? A new Japanese restaurant opened nearby, I'd like to treat you to Japanese food."

Martin decided to give Old Brooks an opportunity: "I'm going to Louise's place at noon, and I'm going to the studio to see Wes and Aja this afternoon. You're free to do whatever you want."

Bruce, who was already prepared to say goodbye to Kim, immediately accepted Susie's invitation: "Okay, lunch is on me."

Susie was delighted: "No need, I said I'd treat, so I will." Then, a thought crossed her mind: "How about this, you treat me next time."

Martin discovered that Susie had a knack for it; before this date even started, she was already planning the next one.

Bruce said, "Let's talk about it next time."

Martin went to the locker room to shower and change, greeted Bruce when he came out, and drove alone to Sherman Oaks.

He hasn't contacted Anne Hathaway for the time being; he'll ask her out for dinner when he has time.

As the car approached the southern slope, someone flagged it down by the roadside.

(End of this chapter)