America achieves both fame and fortune

Chapter 52 The Industry is Too Tight

Ford drove into the parking area, and Martin locked the car and walked towards the photography studio. In the huge car production center, only the factory buildings converted into photography studios had any human presence.

Robert was carrying a basket of potatoes to the dining car. Seeing that he was having some trouble, Martin quickened his pace to help him.

"Huff...huff, I'm exhausted." Robert was panting heavily.

After setting the potatoes down, Martin brought over two bottles of water, handing one to him: "Why are you doing this yourself?"

Robert said, "Mary Jane came, and the crew set aside time for a group photo; they all went." He gestured to his face, "I have a big face, so I'm not interested in big faces."

Upon hearing the word "big," Martin suddenly thought of Old Brooks and asked, "Is her back big?"

Robert asked curiously, "You like the big ones in the back? You should go find Kate Winslet."

Martin said, "Dude, you're the one who sees things clearly."

"Oh, right, I reminded Rosa," Robert thought, feeling that the root of the problem was his polite introduction of Martin that day: "I told her you had a girlfriend."

Rosa didn't eat dinner that night. On the way, she kept asking Robert questions. Robert, being an old artist, understood what she meant and quickly made an excuse to slip away.

Martin walked toward a makeup trailer: "Thanks."

The crew hadn't started working yet, and there was no one around. Martin gently knocked on the trailer door, and Kate Winslet's assistant opened it.

"Penny, I'm looking for Kate," he said.

Kate Winslet's voice came through: "Let Martin in."

Martin got into the trailer and saw Kate sitting in a chair reading a newspaper. He said, "A friend of mine, a die-hard fan of yours, wants an autographed photo."

Kate smiled and said, "You choose."

Starting with Ruth, this has become the norm; she always takes some with her when she goes out.

Penny brought over a photo album and let Martin choose one.

Martin flipped through a couple of pages and found a photo of Kate leaning forward with her hands on the table. He said, "This one will do."

Kate took it and quickly signed her name.

"Thank you. When are you free? I'll treat you to a drink." Martin put the photos away, intending to give them to Old Brooks.

Kate asked, "I heard from Louise that you can make a cocktail that starts with a burst of energy and impact, followed by a rich and delicious flavor?"

Martin couldn't figure out if she was talking about the wine or something else, so he could only reply, "It's a recipe that Louise and I came up with together."

Kate is looking forward to it: "I'll try it sometime when I have time."

Martin had just come out tow when he saw Robert's big head again.

The guy was carrying two large bags of discarded beverage bottles, walking with considerable difficulty, and called out, "Martin, give me a hand."

Martin took the bag and asked, "Where to?"

"Shh—" Robert looked around and lowered his voice, "The crew doesn't want these things, so I've kept them safe and hidden them. I can exchange them for money later."

Martin, having just escaped abject poverty and knowing the hardships of life for the poor, suddenly realized: "So, you were doing odd jobs on the film set, specifically keeping an eye on food and drinks?"

Robert whispered a reminder: "Don't talk nonsense, walk quietly, and move quickly. If the other extras see us, I won't be able to do this business."

Martin realized that Robert had offered to carry drinks for Ma Zhen's crew last time, and he was doing it again now.

The car production center was spacious, but there weren't many places to hide things. Most of the factory buildings were locked, and only one door was broken.

…………

The crew thoughtfully set aside time for group photos, and many people went to see Mary Jane.

Rosa wanted to go too, but Adam Smith stopped her.

This was someone Adam Smith specifically chose; the two had met before, and he knew what kind of person the other was.

"Would you mind if I took a few minutes of your time? Let's find somewhere to talk." Adam Smith, with his blond hair and blue eyes, had a bright, sunny face.

Rosa stopped. "I don't have anything to talk to you about."

Adam Smith pulled a notebook out of his backpack and tossed it to her: "Take a look."

Rosa, puzzled, flipped through the script to its dozen or so pages, which bore Benjamin Calvin's signature: "What does this mean?"

Adam Smith said, "Gray Company's new film, directed by Benjamin, is going to be a theatrical release, and I'm the male lead. The boss gave me part of the script. You should know that I was Gray Company's first choice for the male lead in a late-night film. If you'd like, I can recommend you for a supporting role."

Rosa quickly flipped through the script, handed it back to Adam, and said bluntly, "Where are we going? You lead the way."

There were too many people around, so Adam Smith chose a small path between two factory rooms and turned in.

There was no one behind the corner; only the whistling sound of the draft blowing through the broken glass of the factory building could be heard.

There were also sounds of aluminum cans and plastic bottles rolling around.

Rosa turned around, unbuckled her belt without a word, pointed to her head and legs, and asked, "Top then bottom?"

Adam Smith told Rosa to quickly pull up her pants: "Now is not the time, let's not talk about this."

"What do you want?" Rosa didn't believe Adam Smith would give her such a great gift for free.

Instead of saying it directly, Adam Smith asked, "Martin Davis rejected your offer, didn't he?"

Rosa's actions these past few days haven't been exactly secretive, and she doesn't deny it: "He has a girlfriend."

Adam Smith slapped the script in his hand and used his trump card: "A supporting actress in a theatrical film."

"What do you want me to do?" Rosa wanted to see if the deal was equivalent.

Adam Smith said, "Find an opportunity to get a cup or bottle that Martin Davis used."

Rosa said, "You can go get it yourself."

Adam Smith shook his head: "I don't know him well, it would arouse his suspicion."

Rosa asked, "What do you want to do?"

Adam Smith vaguely said, "Send him some nice things, give him a hand." Seeing Rosa's interest, he went on to say, "If you get a major role in a theatrical film, even if you don't become famous, you can go down the high-end club route, or the Saint Gabriel route, and your asking price will naturally be several levels higher."

Rosa had nothing to offer but her body, and nothing to lose besides her body. She said, "Adam Smith, remember your promise. I am a penniless poor man."

Adam was not afraid of black people because he had a large group of black people behind him.

The draft was still blowing, and there was the sound of beverage bottles rolling around.

The two didn't pay any attention and left separately.

Inside the factory building, separated by only a wall, Martin pulled Robert aside, gesturing for him to move away from the broken window.

After walking a distance, Robert lowered his voice and asked, "Those two bastards are targeting you. Let's go out and take them down!"

Martin thinks about more things, like screenplays and theatrical films.

He could easily connect the two to the script in Kelly's hand.

The industry is too competitive!

The project is barely even started, and that bastard is already eliminating potential threats?

Martin said slowly, "If we expose him this time, won't he do it again?"

"You know Kelly."

"Using high-end resources for such a trivial matter?" Martin shook his head: "If we use them this time, they won't work next time."

Robert, a seasoned background artist who had seen his share of things, said, "Dude, you're not a big head, but you're blocking Adam Smith's way."

"He blocked my way too," Martin muttered to himself, then asked, "What would he do with my used bottles or cups?"

Robert has seen many movies: "There's a biological sample of you on it. He kills someone, sets up the scene, and frames you."

Martin looked at his large head: "I understand why your head is so big, because there's a black hole inside."

Robert was stunned by what he said.

"It's full of my lucky stars!" Martin had already made up his mind. He took out his phone and called a professional: "Old Brooks, I've run into a problem and I need your help, you piece of shit."

"I won't do it for free!"

"Don't worry, there's something good this time." Martin quickly explained the situation.

Bruce said, "Good deal. Wait for me to come over, find a secluded place, and we'll meet."

Seeing Martin put his phone away, Robert asked, "Did you call the police?"

“Calling the police won’t do any good,” Martin said. “I’ve brought a cleaner over.”

While waiting, he pondered deeply, especially about the filth in the entertainment industry. Suddenly, he remembered something: how did Shi Da Ke get in?

Bruce arrived quickly, and Martin met with him at the cemetery near the production center, where he shared his conjecture.

"It's very likely. We'll wait and see," Bruce said. "Get me a pass that allows me to come and go freely on set."

This was too easy; Martin easily got it done with Andrew.

(End of this chapter)