America achieves both fame and fortune

Chapter 328 We are family

Stepping out of the dressing room and into the backstage waiting area, Lily was so nervous she didn't know what to do with her hands. Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might jump out of her mouth at any moment and fall to the ground, turning into a frog.

One of the show's female producers comforted her: "Take a deep breath, relax, it's not a big deal. Helen talked to you for a long time, she was very kind, right? She won't make things difficult for you, Martin grew up with you..."

Lily took several deep breaths, but still couldn't calm down.

After all, she's only 17 years old.

Lily asked, "Am I really that unsophisticated? Have I never seen anything like this before?"

The female producer would definitely encourage you at this point: "You're doing great, much better than most people who are on camera for the first time. Be brave and confident."

Lily's heart was still pounding, and she couldn't help but revert to her old habit, muttering to herself, "Fuck! Fuck..."

After uttering the swear words, she suddenly calmed down a bit.

Hearing the voice through the earpiece, the female producer gently patted Lily on the back: "Come on stage."

Lily was not lacking in courage; she clenched her fists tightly and strode onto the stage.

Turning the corner, I saw Martin, which reminded me of something.

In his more than ten years of life, Martin, like Elena, has raised his fist quite often.

A girl who grew up under harsh discipline suddenly wanted to punch herself: I was so stupid!

For a moment, Lily stood frozen in place.

Martin noticed Lily's nervousness, unease, and anxiety, and guessed why she was there. He stood up and walked towards her, gesturing for the audience to applaud to encourage Lily.

Encouraging applause rang out, and Lily snapped out of her daze to find Martin standing nearby.

She stammered, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have come over without saying hello, I..."

Martin gently hugged her and said, "We're family."

Lily's smile blossomed naturally on her tense face; all her nervousness, awkwardness, and unease were forgotten at that moment.

Why did she take the initiative to stand up and participate in the show after listening to Louise's advice? Because she and Martin are family.

The audience was still applauding.

Helen walked over and asked, "What did you say?"

When Martin came over, he took off the microphone and turned off Lily's microphone as well.

Lily did not answer.

Martin said, "It's a secret between family members."

Helen invited the two of them to sit down and then took out a bottle of mineral water for Lily.

Martin unscrewed the water bottle, and Lily took a sip, which relieved her tension once again.

Those present and the audience watching on TV could clearly see that this girl was a complete novice in front of the camera, with absolutely no experience, and was so nervous that she could dig a hole in her feet.

But her good looks actually made her awkwardness a plus, making her words seem very credible.

Lily didn't need to lie; she just needed to tell the story of what happened that night.

Helen, now displaying her characteristic friendliness, asked, "Lily, can you tell me what happened that night?"

Lily was in much better shape and could at least speak in complete sentences: "I remember it very clearly. There were frequent shootings in the community. To protect us, Martin moved in with us and slept in the living room. He also found some aluminum cans, filled them with pebbles, and hung them on the wire fence in the yard..."

Helen interjected, "Is it a Coca-Cola can?"

Lily nodded vigorously: "Yes."

Helen picked up a can of Coca-Cola from the low table between her and Martin, opened it, and gave it to Lily. Then she picked up another can and said, "Time to die! Coca-Cola cult FOREVER!"

Laughter and applause erupted from the audience.

These things gradually calmed Lily down: "My brother Hall had dug a hole inside the fence, and that night I heard cans rattling, and as soon as I got up I heard gunshots."

Once she recovered a little, she started causing trouble again: "I quickly went out of the bedroom to check the situation, and Martin yelled at me as soon as I stepped out."

The camera lens and the audience's eyes all fell on Lily.

Helen asked at just the right moment, "Why?"

Lily complained, "Martin told me to go back to my bedroom, hide behind the brick wall, and not show my face."

Everyone felt relieved.

Helen smiled, but in her heart she thought, "This girl adapts really quickly."

Lily then recounted what happened next, without embellishment, showcasing the deep affection between the family.

Seeing that the girl was beautiful, cute, and had a good personality, Helen decided to give her more time.

Helen asked, "You just said you're studying sculpture at the California Institute of the Arts?"

"Yes, I'm good at handicrafts, I have a real talent for it." Lily looked at Martin, wanting to curse Fuck a thousand times in her heart, but what she actually said was the complete opposite: "After Martin came to Los Angeles, he bought a lot of raw materials and mailed them back to Atlanta for me to practice. Every now and then he would give me a huge pile, and the more I practiced, the faster my skills improved."

Helen asked Martin, "Did you send a lot?"

Martin couldn't very well tell her that the goal was to make Australia's saltwater crocodiles and bison endangered species, so he smiled and nodded, "We've sent many."

He then added, "We'll send even more in the future."

Lily stopped mid-sentence, leaning back on the sofa, unsure of what to say.

Helen keenly sensed something amiss and said, "How about a live performance?"

Lily nodded gently: "Do you have modeling clay for sculpting?"

Soon, staff brought it up.

Lily didn't bring a carving knife, so she sculpted a rough clown sculpture and then used a small knife provided by the crew to refine it. The sketch quickly took shape.

The red lips, white face, and purple suit, though slightly rough in close-up shots, clearly show that it was modeled after Martin Scorsese.

In the mansion on Sunset Boulevard, Nicholson put down his wine glass and walked a few steps to the shelf where the gifts Martin had given him were kept.

Various sculptures, including a clown modeled after Martin.

Nicholson shook his head and chuckled, "This guy is interesting."

Angelina Jolie was also watching a show in a villa in Beverly Hills.

What she held in her hand was a 30-centimeter-long clown sculpture. The statue's outstretched legs served as handles, and its enormous head and intricately patterned design made it exceptionally useful.

It turns out that all these carvings were done by this little girl.

Julie nodded slightly; Lily Carter's sculpting skills were quite good.

That's not what she's focusing on.

Julie's concern is whether Martin can truly reconcile his conflict with Aniston.

Meanwhile, hundreds of Hollywood professionals turned their attention from television sets to the film crew's souvenirs.

Few people complained, since it was just a souvenir given by the production crew.

On the contrary, most people think it's good; the handmade carvings by small, friendly sculptors, who are as close as family members, are more meaningful than those mass-produced industrial products.

The material is excellent, the carving is exquisite, and it was a gift from Martin himself.

As the episode of The Helen Show ended and the live cameras went off, Lily quickly stood up and said, "I'm going to the bathroom."

An assistant immediately took her there.

Helen told Martin, "It's normal to be nervous."

Martin said deliberately, "You didn't tell me beforehand."

Helen laughed, "That's what you call a surprise! How about it, isn't it unexpected?"

The two walked outside together, and Martin said, "I thought you were going to invite Julie and Aniston over."

Upon hearing this, Helen's eyes seemed to blaze with fire: "I want to make a deal with you. You need to seduce both of them and invite them to my show to reconcile."

She lowered her voice to a whisper: "I'll give you anything you want in return."

Martin, true to his principles, flatly refused: "You should go directly to Julie and Aniston."

Helen was inevitably a little disappointed, and shrugged: "Looks like I'm not very attractive."

Martin said very seriously, "Because we're friends."

Helen couldn't help but laugh.

Lily then came over from the restroom.

Martin said to her, "Come with me."

Lily followed Martin into the dressing room, and, stepping forward, raised her fist: "You don't need to do it, I'll do it myself."

Martin grabbed her fist and threw it down: "Don't be ridiculous, I'm not blaming you."

Lily's courage immediately surged: "Those idiots slandered you, so I just wanted to do something for you. You've always been the one protecting us. It's just that I'm not familiar with Los Angeles. If this were Atlanta, I would have already gone there with a carving knife, carving 'bitch' on the women's chests, and the men..."

"I understand," Martin interrupted her, asking, "Who contacted them for you? Not Thomas, right?"

Lily honestly replied, "Louise, I called her, and she made this suggestion. I think it can help you."

Martin said, "Indeed, those words carry more weight coming from your own mouth." He cautioned, "Go back to school, don't go out for a while, and don't interact with any media reporters."

Lily nodded repeatedly: "I understand, those entertainment reporters dare to make up things that didn't happen."

Martin suddenly realized that, from this perspective alone, the reporters at the News of the World were actually quite professional.

The two then left the studio and got into the car Bruce had driven.

Martin said, "I'll take you back to school first."

Lily knew Martin had been very busy lately, so she said, "I'll go in and not come out. I'll focus on my studies and classes."

Before the car had even left Burbank, Lily received a call from Elena, a typical sisterly exchange.

Elena didn't hang up until Martin took the phone and talked for a while.

After sending Lily back to school, Martin sent Bruce back to Sherman Oske, heading straight for Louise's place.

Upon entering the living room, he saw Louise sitting at the bar, sipping her drink and watching a replay of the Helen Show.

Louise poured Martin a glass of wine and said, "Lily wanted to help you, and I couldn't stop her enthusiasm. Besides, it really could help you, so I just lent her a hand, and it worked well."

She laughed and said, "I called a few old friends who also watched the show. They all said their impression of you has improved a lot. Women will naturally have a good impression of a man who can protect his family."

Martin pulled out a high chair and sat down next to her: "Next time, give me a heads-up."

Louise laughed merrily, "Isn't it a pleasant surprise?"

Martin took a sip of his drink and decided to give her a good talking-to.

As for how to educate them, it's of course corporal punishment.

(End of this chapter)