America achieves both fame and fortune

Chapter 385 Super Smart Drug

As Martin exited the terminal at Los Angeles International Airport, he saw Lily, who had come specifically to pick him up.

"Get in quickly, we can't stop here for long!" Lily opened the trunk of the red Cadillac, let Martin and Bruce put their luggage in, and then asked, "Where to?"

Martin said, "Go home."

Lily started the car and drove out of the terminal: "I went to your house the day before yesterday to clean it, I was almost exhausted."

Martin patted the driver's seat lightly: "Thanks for your thoughtfulness."

Lily said, "You gave me a car and helped me find such a good part-time job. If I don't do something for you, not only will Elena beat me up, but I'll beat myself up too."

At this point, she recalled her miserable experience returning to Atlanta a few days ago and encouraged herself: "I must earn more money so that I will have more confidence."

Martin casually remarked, "It's not about the money."

Lily's hard-won breath instantly deflated: "The Carter family's way of expressing affection is just too unique."

She then thought of her brother: "That bastard Hall, he dared to run off to another city while I was back in Atlanta. I must encourage him to choose a university in Los Angeles so that he can come to Los Angeles."

Martin could imagine that if Hall really did that, his life would be very happy.

She lived in the loving care of Elena's sister in Atlanta, and then in Los Angeles she was enveloped in the loving care of Lily's sister.

Being a younger brother is such a blessing.

Martin noticed an entertainment newspaper on the passenger seat, so he took it from Lily when she stopped at a red light, opened it, and flipped through it.

The article above contains news about the Dark Knight production team.

After the production team finalized its response strategies and publicity and marketing guidelines, it officially released some information to the public, given that rumors were circulating.

The newspaper reported that Bale suffered minor injuries and some depression due to an accident during filming, and is currently hospitalized for observation.

The Dark Knight is scheduled for release next summer, but the real push for promotion and marketing won't be until next spring.

After reading the newspaper, Martin asked Lily, "Was there a big reaction to Bell's injury?"

"So-so, not much attention." Lily works at the Dark Knight studio and knows quite a bit about it. Curious, she asked, "I heard you and Bell got into a fight on set? Is that true?"

Now is not the time for publicity and hype, Martin said casually, "It's just a minor issue."

Lily, however, was quite concerned: "Next time he comes to the studio, should I poke him a few times with the carving knife? I guarantee it will hurt terribly, but it'll still be a minor injury."

Martin knew Lily was capable of anything, and warned her, "Don't interfere in my affairs. This isn't as simple as you think. Also, don't go around stabbing people with your carving knife all the time."

"I understand." With the traffic increasing, Lily focused on driving.

Back in the Coty community, Lily pressed the remote control, the gate opened, and the Cadillac drove straight in.

The house was cleaned very well, and it didn't look like it had been uninhabited for months.

Martin saw that everything had been carefully cleaned inside and out, and even the refrigerator was stocked with new beer. He said to Lily, "That's thoughtful."

Lily felt embarrassed, as she had been staying here frequently for the past few months, and said, "I've used quite a bit of your stock."

"Oh, right." She pointed upstairs, "I've decorated that side bedroom over there as my room."

Martin nodded without saying much. He quickly packed his luggage, slumped onto the sofa, and suddenly felt tired.

It's not that I'm physically tired, but mentally exhausted.

Not only does he have to play the Joker, but he also has to manage the pace of the conflict with Batman, which is no easy task.

Looking back now, Nolan is truly remarkable. It seems like he made one movie, but in reality, he put in almost the same amount of thought and effort as he did in making two movies.

That ability to write and create on the spot is something that not every director can do.

Some directors who are capable of doing so are too aloof and disdain to personally roll up their sleeves and get involved.

Bruce grabbed a can of beer and tossed it to Martin.

Lily also grabbed a can, glanced cautiously at Martin, and seeing that he didn't speak, she opened it, took a sip, and said, "Want to sleep in for a few more days?"

Martin took a sip of beer and said, "We need to rest for a few days, then get back to training. Old Brooks, we can't let our guard down. There are too many bastards in this industry. How can we protect ourselves without some skills and strength?"

Bruce wholeheartedly agreed: "Indeed, there are too many jerks in this industry!"

Martin picked up a notebook next to him, which contained many contact methods, such as the Angels Shooting Club and the psychological clinic he visited after the Burbank High School incident.

He needs to start laying the groundwork now in preparation for next year's promotional plans.

Martin said, "Old Brooks, contact that mental health clinic we went to last time, and go there tomorrow."

Bruce, understanding Martin's plan, replied, "I'll call them."

Lily exclaimed in surprise, "You have psychological problems? That's impossible! Could it be Fuck...?"

"Shut up!" Martin pointed at her. "Keep this a secret. Don't tell anyone."

Lily mumbled something and replied, "I know."

Martin then said to Bruce, "And tell Ivan to take the photos and sell them to TMZ."

Bruce nodded.

After he finished his call, Martin asked, "Ivan, are you adjusting well to Los Angeles?"

"He's doing very well. He made tens of thousands of dollars just from selling news articles about the Pete and Heath Ledger cases." Bruce, who was in charge of contacting Ivan, said, "He bought a new car, rented a new house, and is living a comfortable life."

Lily didn't interrupt, she just listened, knowing that she had to keep what she heard to herself.

Bruce's phone rang, and after answering it, he quickly hung up: "It's arranged, tomorrow morning."

Martin called a nearby restaurant and ordered lunch to be delivered.

After lunch, the three of them moved chairs and sat by the pool in the front yard to chat.

The doorbell rang.

Bruce went to open the door, and there came Martin's neighbor, Mr. Jones, and his daughter, Jenna.

"This way, please." Martin told Lily to quickly bring over two chairs.

Lily put the chair away, greeted Mr. Jones, and said a few words of thanks.

One of her recommendation letters was provided by Mr. Jones.

Mr. Jones chuckled and said, "I've heard your teacher talk about you. He said you're extremely talented, very hardworking, and have a bright future ahead of you."

Lily laughed: "Teachers always like to brag about their students."

Martin poured black tea for Mr. Jones and Jenna, saying, "This is Darjeeling tea, sourced directly from the origin; it tastes quite good."

Jones picked up his teacup and took a sip: "It's really good."

Jenna, however, wasn't used to this way of drinking it and asked, "Is there milk and sugar?"

"I'll go get it." Lily went and got the milk and sugar cubes.

As Jenna added milk and sugar to her teacup, she said, "I haven't seen you for months."

"I've been filming a new movie in Atlanta," Martin said simply. "That's my hometown, so I haven't been back since I had a break."

Jenna clearly had something to discuss with Martin, saying, "I urged the company to pay the copyright revenue from last year's Saint Valley version of 'Wanted.' Did you receive it?"

Martin didn't pay much attention, glanced at Bruce, saw him nod slightly, and said, "Received."

Jenna said, "I came here today mainly to thank you. Without your help in obtaining the license, this DVD wouldn't have sold over ten million dollars."

Martin knew the scale of the San Gabriel Valley's industries, which were comparable to those of Hollywood, so he wasn't surprised and said with a smile, "Very good results."

"Jenna also won big awards at AVN!" Mr. Jones interjected, expressing his pride and joy for his daughter: "She won three awards, including Best Actress and Best Narrative Director."

What could Martin say? He could only say, "Congratulations!"

Jenna quickly replied, "I couldn't have won these awards without you."

Martin could roughly guess why Jenna came to his door on his first day back in Los Angeles.

Lily looked at Mr. Jones, then at Jenna, and felt she had learned something new.

Jenna then said, "Martin, I watched 'Limitless,' it's a fantastic movie."

She hesitated slightly, but still said, "Um... could we continue our collaboration like with 'Wanted'? Revenue sharing certainly won't be a problem."

This kind of licensing is common in Hollywood, and Martin doesn't object to it.

Jenna added, "I've already worked with the company's creative team on a preliminary adaptation plan. I'll be playing the female lead who takes super-smart drugs. The female lead goes from being down on her luck to becoming an Upper East Side socialite, and to maintain her image and status, she needs to obtain more super-smart drugs, so she has to search for and constantly take them."

Martin suddenly had a bad feeling about it.

Lily asked curiously, "Jenna, the super-smart drug you're talking about, it can't be the pill from the movie, right?"

"Of course not," Jenna said frankly. "The female lead takes a man's genetic material, but not every man's genetic material can become a super-intelligent drug suitable for her, so she needs to search and try different things."

Lily immediately understood; it was indeed very Saint Valley.

Jenna smiled and said, "This kind of idea is perfect for me. In addition to playing the lead role, I also plan to continue directing."

Martin's Davis Studios directly bought the film and television rights to the original novel, so there are no licensing issues.

The industry doesn't shy away from these issues; on the contrary, they're a channel for many film and television production companies to increase copyright revenue. Martin only considered it briefly before saying, "I personally don't object to licensing. Jenna, go directly to my Davis Studio and talk to Jessica Tinovich about licensing and copyright revenue sharing."

Jenna said, "Martin, thank you so much."

"You're welcome." Martin glanced at Mr. Jones and said half-jokingly, "The copyright fees and royalties you're owed won't be less than a dollar."

Jenna expressed her gratitude again, noting that securing the necessary licenses for such a popular film was no easy feat.

Jones and his daughter had afternoon tea for a while before taking their leave.

Before leaving, Mr. Jones said to Martin, "When Jenna's new film is finished, have her send it to you as soon as possible, and give her your feedback."

(End of this chapter)