America achieves both fame and fortune

Chapter 437 Making Some Extra Money

In the gallery of the Los Angeles Museum of Modern Art, Casey Affleck waved a check, once again displaying his refined artistic taste and masculine charm, as he purchased a hardwood carving by Lily Carter.

Lily and Cassie stood on either side of the sculpture and took a photo together.

Then, the two had a lively discussion about the artwork in the bustling exhibition hall.

Lily had just received a five-figure payment and was very professional, answering all of Cassie's questions about carving.

Cassie also did some preparation, not only preparing money, but also cramming at the last minute to learn some knowledge about art sculpture.

Seeing that Lily's gaze kept wandering over his body, Cassie felt increasingly close to capturing his prey.

Lily was wondering whether she should raise the price further if she got another one tomorrow.

Just as Cassie was about to extend the invitation, the female student with the tag rushed over and informed Lily, "My advisor asked me to tell you that there's a discussion in a bit, so you should hurry over."

"Okay," Lily replied to her classmate first, then said apologetically to Cassie, "I'm sorry, I have important business with the academy and my advisor, I have to go."

She felt Cassie's wallet could still hold more: "Shall we discuss the rest tomorrow?"

Upon receiving positive feedback, Cassie nodded and said, "No problem, I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow afternoon."

Lily waved to him and quickly left with her classmates.

As they left the exhibition hall, the female student exclaimed with genuine admiration, "Big sister, you're amazing!"

Lily pulled her aside and said, "Watch your mouth, understand?"

The female student quickly swore, "I won't tell anyone."

Lily went to the warehouse, opened a box, and found it filled with messy carvings, all of which were things she used to practice.

Since Casey Affleck believed these practice supplies were full of art, she naturally wanted to sell them to him at a high price.

As Lily left the warehouse, she encountered her mentor, who was in her fifties.

"I heard your new piece sold again?"

"Yes, that person was exceptionally generous with money." Lily knew she couldn't hide it anymore: "It was the same person who bought the sculpture yesterday."

The female mentor cautioned, "It's good that your work sells, but you also need to be careful; people's hearts are complex."

Lily understood her mentor's good intentions: "I'll only meet him at the exhibition hall." Having been greatly influenced by Martin in recent years, she immediately switched to the personal connection: "Madam, Menez is in Las Vegas. I asked him for an autographed photo, and he'll send it to you by air express as quickly as possible."

Some actors are just born heartthrobs for housewives, the female mentor said with a smile, adding, "Remember to let me know when you arrive."

Lily said, "No problem."

When the female tutor left, she was walking with a limp.

At the next high-end gathering of successful women in the art world, she will have something more to boast about.

…………

Las Vegas, Caesars Palace.

In Celine Dion's luxurious suite, Menez changed into a formal suit, took a Polaroid camera, and came into the living room.

"Want me to take a picture?" Celine Dion asked, one hand on her hip, like a willow swaying in the wind.

Menne took a picture of her first, and while waiting for the photo to finish, he stepped back a few paces and struck his coolest pose: "Take a picture of me, a fan asked me for an autographed photo, I'll mail it to her."

"Your fan? A woman?" Celine Dion picked up her Polaroid camera and took a picture of Menez.

Menez also said with a touch of pride: "Although I don't have the same status in the film industry as you do in the music industry, I still have a large number of supporters."

Once the photo was finished, Menez signed his name on the back, and Celine Dion called the suite butler to have the hotel send it via the fastest air courier.

These are all minor issues if you're willing to spend the money.

After doing all that, Celine Dion, arm in arm with Menez, left the room, ready to go downstairs for some entertainment.

The two of them couldn't stay in the room all the time.

Celine Dion has noticed something lately: due to concerns about water retention, she has been strictly controlling her water intake, resulting in significant dehydration, leading to dry skin, split ends, and deeper wrinkles…

To avoid further dehydration, she tried to distract herself with other forms of entertainment.

Menez accompanied Celine Dion to explore Caesars Palace, and since he didn't have to pay, he simply enjoyed himself.

Celine Dion is very rich, reportedly with assets worth hundreds of millions.

But Mr. Menez wasn't interested in that; he preferred Celine Dion as a person.

Money can buy you a gigolo? What a joke.

That afternoon, Menez's autographed photo was shipped from Las Vegas to Los Angeles via air express and delivered to Lily as quickly as possible.

Lily made a special trip to visit her mentor and presented him with an autographed photo.

The mentor was overjoyed.

…………

Inside a restaurant in North Hollywood.

The Affleck brothers arrived at their reserved booth and sat down to wait patiently.

Ben Affleck has invited Judy Dench to dinner.

Before he even arrived, Ben asked his brother Cassie, "What's the situation here?"

Cassie smiled with a roguish yet confident air: "What's so difficult about a young girl who spends all day studying sculpture and is immersed in the world of art? Things are going very smoothly on my end, and she's asked me to meet her again tomorrow."

Ben nodded: "This Lily Carter is from Atlanta, so she must know a lot of things about Martin Davis that no one else knows. Don't rush things. Wait until the time is right before you try to get information out of her. Don't make her suspicious."

"You know how many young girls I've slept with?" Cassie's past track record is the source of her confidence: "It's just a matter of spending some money, time, and effort."

Daben didn't take it too seriously, after all, she was just a 19-year-old girl still in the ivory tower.

Cassie asked, "You've contacted Judy Dench, are you planning to handle this personally?"

Ben was more cautious: "Let me see how things go. Nothing much's been happening lately, and I can earn some extra money. Martin's current girlfriend, Elizabeth Olsen, is at Adler School of Performing Arts."

Cassie had some doubts: "The Olsen sisters..."

"It's easier than dealing with Julie and Aniston." Ben Affleck had also weighed the options carefully: "Those two women have a very close relationship with Martin Davis, they've definitely flown together, but what can we do with them? They're leaders of #MeToo, and if we're not careful, they might turn on us, which would be very troublesome."

Casey said, "It won't be easy to turn Martin Davis into the next Pete."

Ben Affleck said, "I've inquired carefully. Martin bought Pitt's luxury estate in Beverly Hills from someone else. It's currently under renovation. You should have heard Pitt mention that the male lead in David Fincher's 'Benjamin' movie was initially interested in Pitt, but in the end it was Martin..."

"And then there's Jolie and Aniston." Cassie suddenly realized something incredible: "Martin slept with Pitt's girlfriend and wife, took over Pitt's house and Cadillac endorsement, and even stole Pitt's roles!"

Ben smirked and said, "Although we don't know exactly what he did, judging from the results, Martin Davis is far too evil, and our actions are naturally righteous."

Judi Dench then came in from outside, and Ben Affleck went to greet her. The two of them returned and sat down together.

After ordering, Judi Dench took out a cigarette, lit it, and asked directly, "Ben, did you need something from me?"

Both were members of Weinstein's circle. Although Judi Dench wasn't as close to Harvey as the Affleck brothers and Matt Damon, she had Harvey's name tattooed on her butt in order to win an Oscar, and even declared that she would let anyone who wanted to see how much she admired Harvey.

So Ben Affleck went straight to the point: "I heard you're working part-time as a teacher at the Adler School of Performing Arts?"

This acting school was founded by Stella Adler, one of Hollywood's most famous acting teachers. Her students include Marlon Brando, Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, and Jack Nicholson.

Judi Dench understood Ben Affleck's words and asked, "What, you're interested in doing part-time work too?"

Da Ben said helplessly, "I haven't had any projects lately, and supporting my family is expensive, so I'm thinking of doing some extra work."

Judi Dench really doesn't think highly of Ben Affleck's acting skills, and even believes that someone like Affleck doesn't even understand how to act himself, let alone teach students.

But since the other person was Harvey's best friend and one of the core members of the Foot Clan, she decided to lend a hand: "I'll talk to the school about it."

Adler School of Performing Arts is also changing with the times. In order to attract students and earn high tuition fees, teachers' acting skills only need to meet the basic requirements, while fame is the key.

Judi Dench pulled out a business card and handed it to Ben Affleck: "Once you receive my message, call her yourself. With your reputation, it shouldn't be a problem."

Ben smiled and said, "Thank you, Judy." He raised his glass. "I'll toast you."

Cassie also raised her glass.

The three of them shared a drink, chatted about interesting things about their feet, and then enjoyed their dinner.

…………

The 2008 summer movie season has already begun, and recently, Indiana Jones and the Indiana Jones franchise has grossed over $100 million at its North American premiere, further boosting market enthusiasm.

The Dark Knight will hit North American theaters on July 18, and promotional activities have already begun.

Normal advertising is nothing more than the same old thing: outdoor print ads, media articles, TV commercials, and movie theater promotions. These have become fixed procedures over the years, and it's hard to come up with anything new.

Warner Bros. has been steadily advancing in this regard.

On the other hand, the publicity team directly led by Nolan himself kept releasing various behind-the-scenes videos to further attract the attention of casual viewers.

Batman is consistently ranked among the top two comic book superheroes in North America. As long as the film isn't too bad, its box office performance is generally guaranteed. However, for the film to truly explode at the box office, it needs to attract casual viewers.

The various unconventional publicity stunts that Martin and Nolan discussed were also aimed at casual viewers.

This week, Warner Bros. held a preview screening specifically for "The Dark Knight," and Jack Nicholson, the former Joker, also attended the screening.

(End of this chapter)