America achieves both fame and fortune

Chapter 828 Magic Subdued by Physical Attack

Two days later, Thomas, who had arrived in Atlanta, joined forces with Martin's lawyer Hamlin to gather detailed information and then filed a lawsuit in the Atlanta District Court.

Atlanta is Martin's home base, and with the full support of Coca-Cola and state and city legislators, the court immediately accepted the case.

After the summons was issued, the incident suddenly broke out in the media.

Inside the Gray Center office building, Kelly Gray was reading a tabloid story with the intent of someone engrossed in a sensational scoop.

"We have received definitive information from the parties involved that a superstar born in Atlanta had close relationships with several female classmates while attending Marietta High School. This public school has a large number of ordinary white, Latino, and African American students, and the superstar's reputation as a teenage prodigy was no less than it is now."

"Among them, an African American woman became pregnant and insisted on giving birth to a boy, whom she named Paul. Thanks to his father's outstanding performing arts talent, Paul was good at performing from a young age..."

The article has reached this point, and here comes the first picture: an African-American teenager with not-so-dark skin who looks and dresses like a certain superstar.

Kelly Gray and Martin have a very close relationship, so it's obvious who this so-called superstar is.

Louise Mayer, who just came over from the other side, is currently watching the drama unfold online.

An anonymous post that has gained immense popularity on a certain popular forum.

"Back when I was in Marietta High School, I was in the same class as Martin Davis. I remember it very clearly. One time, the school had a party, and the party had just started when all five of the prettiest girls disappeared. Guess where they went? Martin Davis had snatched them all away! Martin was a master at picking up girls back then!"

"When we found the guy, Martin Davis was playing against five people at once, and he's really good at picking guys—blonde, blue-eyed, African American, Latino, Asian, and Arab. That probably made him feel like he'd conquered the whole world, right?"

"The impact of this incident was enormous. Several girls dropped out of school or transferred schools. A few years ago, I met an African American female classmate who was with a teenager named Paul. The first thing I thought of when I saw him was my high school classmate Martin Davis. How should I put it? Paul and him were practically identical."

This man's words contained no mention of Paul being Martin's illegitimate son, yet they were full of implications.

Louise could tell at a glance that this was a short essay written by a professional.

Kelly Gray put down her newspaper and asked, "They look a bit alike. Could they really be Martin's illegitimate son?"

"Have you been eating too much protein lately, clogging your brain and filling it with Martin's stuff?" Louise retorted directly. "A Black woman, you think Martin would even do that?"

Kelly shrugged: "He was just an ignorant teenager back then."

Louise shook her head: "Some perceptions formed in adolescence can have a deep-rooted influence on a person's entire life. These views of his were not formed after he met us, but were already there before. With a Black woman, it's impossible."

Kelly couldn't hide her disappointment: "If it's true, we'll have a good show to watch, Martin... haha..." She couldn't help but laugh: "That bastard has been riding on other people's coattails ever since he became an actor. I never thought he'd be the one being ridiculed like this."

Louise said, "Martin's lawyer sued Paul, but I have a feeling that the other side was just waiting for Martin to sue so they could use this to expand their influence."

"You're right." Martin walked in from outside the open office door, followed by Thomas and Bruce.

Louise couldn't help but joke, "Congratulations on having another son."

Martin ignored these pointless words, snatched the mouse from Louise's hand, and clicked on the YouTube link. Right on the YouTube homepage, a video of Martin's son, Paul, had entered the trending topics list.

Louise snatched the mouse back and opened the video.

Kelly Gray also turned around and stood behind Louise.

This is a rap video featuring Paul.

He was wearing a red shirt, drinking Coca-Cola, and frolicking among a bunch of pretty girls, while the song playing was a typical Black rap song with lyrics about fathers and sons.

It was filled with profanity and resentment towards the father.

After the video finished playing, Thomas said first, "This song is very popular right now, and it's trending on YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram."

Martin frowned slightly: "Why do I feel so uncomfortable?"

Kelly said, "Because he used the methods you're best at for marketing and hype, and he used you as a stepping stone."

Martin thought for a moment and said, "I don't have such an unseemly attitude, and I would never pretend to be someone else's son." He said directly, "I am where I am today mainly because I live off women, such as the support of the two of you."

Louise said softly, "That was something I got by chance."

Kelly laughed.

Martin thought this made so much sense that he didn't want to argue at all.

Even getting something for free is a testament to real strength!

Thomas's phone rang at that moment. He answered it, went outside to say a few words, and quickly came back, saying, "Quick, look at Atlanta Channel 6, that bastard is being interviewed on TV."

Kelly took a remote control from a drawer, turned on the LCD TV on the wall, and quickly switched to Atlanta Channel 6.

In the variety show that was playing, a chubby black female reporter was interviewing Paul, a black teenager.

"There have been a lot of rumors about you lately," the female reporter asked. "Do you really have a superstar father?"

Paul, speaking in a rap-like tone, said, "I grew up in a single-parent African American family in the South Side of the city. I never met my father. I used to ask my mother, 'Where did Dad go?' But my mother never answered. Growing up, there was only a mother, no father, so these things don't matter."

The female reporter then asked, "But this incident profoundly affected your life, even changed you?"

"Yes, it completely changed me." Paul replied with a maturity beyond his years, "I longed for male recognition, to reclaim what I lost during my formative years, and after experiencing numerous unfair treatments, to be able to proudly announce to the media: I am gay!"

The female reporter said, "You are very brave; not everyone dares to say this publicly."

Paul seemed to have rehearsed a lot, and he didn't need to think before he spoke; he just opened his mouth and uttered the words in a rapping tone: "As I get older, some things have brought me a lot of obstacles and have deeply troubled me."

The female reporter asked at just the right moment, "Can you tell me what it is?"

Paul pointed to his Adam's apple: "I'm gay in terms of gender identity because I believe I should be a woman. God played a joke on me, giving me a female soul but a male body. This torment started before I was ten. When I'm alone and quiet, I often ask myself, why am I not a girl?"

He didn't seem troubled at all; instead, he was very determined: "I'm saving money for the surgery. Once I've saved enough, I'll have the surgery immediately."

The female reporter opened her arms and gave him a hug: "I wish you success in realizing your dreams soon."

"Yes, it will definitely happen." Paul's words seemed pointed: "Although I will face discrimination from many people, encounter many obstacles, and even be attacked by those who discriminate, I will not back down. I will insist on being my true self. God has given us the power to choose..."

The variety show ended amidst applause.

Almost as soon as it ended, Thomas checked his phone and said, "The show is on YouTube."

"Not just YouTube," Bruce said, holding up his phone. "It's on Twitter and Instagram too."

Louise said, "It's obvious they made plans and preparations."

Kelly looked at Martin curiously: "This is a bit troublesome."

Martin looked at the young black man on the fixed screen of the TV and said, "This is the method I use to mess with people, stacking buffs. I didn't expect someone to learn it so quickly."

Louise deliberately taunted him: "It's normal for the one who schemes to get schemed against."

Kelly was overjoyed: "You opened Pandora's box and released a bunch of demons. Now you know the consequences?"

"Even if I don't open it, someone else will." Martin glanced at the people in the office and said, "Blacks, gays, shapeshifters, guys, this is going to be tough."

Bruce seized the opportunity: "It's okay, you can say you're a rice cooker and a Walmart shopping bag, you're a version ahead of him, use that version to crush him!"

"What do the rice cooker and shopping bag mean?" Kelly and Louise were both curious.

Bruce gave a brief explanation.

Kelly and Louise's gazes towards Martin changed, and the latter said, "So all these years I've been using a Walmart shopping bag."

"Stop talking nonsense," Martin said seriously. "The key now is to solve the problem."

Kelly said, "If we go through legal proceedings, the buff Paul has will attract a lot of attention and even gain support from certain groups, while you... will become the villain."

Martin looked at Thomas: "What did Attorney Hamlin say?"

Thomas said, "We will undoubtedly win, but the final result will most likely be a public apology, the removal of the relevant content, and damages of no more than $50,000. There have been many similar cases in the past, with countless cases of people trying to ride on the coattails of movies, directors, and celebrities."

Louise continued, "The most impactful case in recent years was when a screenwriter claimed that James Cameron plagiarized Avatar. James Cameron won the lawsuit, but the compensation he received was less than the amount he spent on his lawyers."

Martin said, "So, if we go through the legal channels normally, regardless of whether we win or lose, the other side will get the results they want?"

Thomas said, "Actually, they've already got it now. Paul is trending on YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram, and his father-son rap song has gained widespread attention."

He cautioned, "The equality movement is ongoing, and you must consider the potential impact of the other side's buffs."

Bruce said, "Didn't you say that only magic can defeat magic?"

Kelly grinned from ear to ear: "You should hold a press conference right away and announce the rice cooker or shopping bag, leading a new social trend..."

Louise tugged at Kelly and whispered, "Shut up."

Kelly nodded, noticing Martin pacing back and forth in the office, and said nothing more.

Stacking buffs can be troublesome, but it's not a big problem for Martin. He just doesn't want to get into trouble.

Those who have actually used magic know that using magic to defeat magic is just a joke and not a good method.

Martin stopped and asked, "I remember the information said that the group of people surrounding Paul all came from South Atlanta."

Bruce said, "That's right, from a more chaotic Black community."

Martin asked a crucial question: "I understand that Black people are particularly talented at rap, but where does the funding come from to achieve their current level of success online?"

Everyone here has worked with Martin on internet hype and marketing, and knows that creating these trending news stories requires a considerable amount of money.

That group wanted to create a star, to use the internet to create that Paul, but these huge upfront investments were not backed by a powerful company.

That being said, if they had the backing of a large company, they wouldn't have resorted to this kind of stacking buffs and forcing their way in.

Kelly, a true local strongman, said, "Leave it to me... Let's do it this way, simultaneously, and have Sophia investigate as well."

Martin looked at Bruce: "Bruce, go talk to Sophia."

Bruce rubbed his backside and sighed, "Okay, I'll call her now."

Martin added, "We won't use magic to defeat magic; we'll defeat magic in a fair and square way, without leaving any lasting effects."

Louise understood what she meant: "Those bastards want to fight you with magic, and you're going to deal with them with physical attacks?"

Martin snapped his fingers: "Correct!"

Just like his approach to winning Oscars, Martin never plays by the rules, and he certainly doesn't engage in head-to-head battles on routes planned by his opponents.

After discussing it for a while, everyone left to get busy.

Attorney Hamlin continues to pursue normal legal channels.

Bruce found Sophia, leaned against the wall, and quickly explained the situation.

Sofia readily agreed. Over the years, she had profited handsomely from investing in films with Martin and had no worries about the future.

It's not difficult to find out the truth about this.

Soon, all sorts of information were relayed to Bruce. Martin glanced at it and then handed it over to Bruce and Thomas to handle.

Although the other party thought they had grasped the essence of society and had multiple magical buffs, Martin determined after reviewing the data that it was nothing serious.

He devoted all his energy to filming.

…………

Atlanta, Morrow District.

Bruce drove a Chevrolet and gradually approached a detached house.

A bronze plaque hangs in front of the house's gate, which reads: "Paul's Studio".

Bruce looked at his old comrade in the passenger seat: "After all these years, you've only been promoted one level?"

Kurt Lynch said, "You don't understand. In the DEA, this is the best position. Going up there is too much trouble, and going down there is too little profit..."

The two served together in the British Army and had a history of clashing with the British. Back in Atlanta, when someone framed Martin with drugs, Bruce contacted Kurt Lynch.

Bruce punched his stomach: "If you keep skimming off the profits, you'll become pregnant."

Kurt Lynch swayed and said, "My belly is much smaller than that of the German soldiers."

Bruce said, "You've stooped so low as to compare yourself to them?"

The door of the detached house opened at that moment, someone took a newspaper from the mailbox, and then went back inside.

Bruce asked, "Are you ready?"

"Of course," Kurt Lynch said. "According to the intelligence you provided, their operating funds come from drug trafficking. This day of the week is when they pick up their drugs and then resell them to places where rap enthusiasts gather, making a profit from it."

This is his job, and he knows enough about it: "Those who do rap, just like those who do rock, can't do without these things."

Bruce cautioned, "What if they don't receive the goods today..."

Kurt Lynch laughed: "It's reasonable for the DEA to have some inventory on hand, isn't it?"

Bruce, who wasn't morally fastidious, instead warned, "Be careful. From what I've gathered, they have illegal firearms."

Kurt Lynch wasn't surprised at all: "It's perfectly normal for the black guys from the South Side to have guns. If they dare to pull out a gun..."

The house door opened again, and two black men came out carrying bags. One of them was the same black man, the gay and shapeshifter Paul.

Bruce said, "There's a meet-and-greet with his supporters today, at a black bar, which normally ends up being a crazy party."

Kurt Lynch said, "That Paul is sixteen years old."

Bruce nodded: "That's right."

Two Black men got into a Hyundai sedan and drove onto the road.

Kurt Lynch picked up his phone and dialed: "Follow the target vehicle and find a deserted, un-surveilled section of road to check them. They might be armed, so be careful."

"receive."

As the modern car passed through different intersections, other cars followed in turn.

In the car, the chubby, dark-skinned Kainan was very excited and said, "You're famous now. Several record companies have contacted me. Now it's a matter of who offers the best terms."

Paul grew up in a predominantly Black neighborhood and has a typical Black swagger, rapping in the middle of his song: "Thanks to my great dad Martin, it was so much fun to mooch off him."

Kennan said, "Even if we lose the case, it doesn't matter! Paul, you have to keep up the good image!"

He thought he had grasped the social code: "Black plus gay plus deformed, so what if it's Martin Davis?"

Paul chuckled, perhaps influenced by his long-term exposure, and began to have some ideas: "How about this? After the lawsuit is over, I'll pursue Martin Davis. I've publicly come out as gay, so who can say anything if I openly pursue Martin? It'll cause a new sensation."

Kennan thought for a moment: "Good idea!"

The two were chatting as they drove, completely unaware that the surrounding traffic was gradually thinning out.

As the Hyundai drove into a relatively desolate area, a van suddenly appeared ahead of it, blocking the road as it passed an intersection.

Kennan slammed on the brakes. Just as the Hyundai came to a stop, several black Chevrolets turned out from the intersection behind and blocked the way back.

Paul grew up in a predominantly Black neighborhood and was used to all sorts of vendettas. When faced with this emergency, his first reaction was that someone was going to rob or even murder him. He immediately opened the locker and pulled out a handgun.

The doors of the van and the Chevrolet opened, and agents wearing bulletproof vests got out.

Instead of approaching, these people used their vehicles to surround the Hyundai.

The leader shouted, "DEA, if I see your hands, get out of the car and lie face down on the ground!"

Paul instinctively brandished the gun in his hand.

The detective on the other side of the van had a clear view and shouted, "He has a gun!"

Someone else shouted, "Put down your guns, get out of the car and lie down!"

"Fuck you!" Paul, now a celebrity and a sixteen-year-old internet sensation, rolled down his car window and yelled, "Do you guys even know who I am? I'm Paul, the son of Martin, a Black man, a gay man, and a shapeshifter!"

His hand holding the gun was sticking out of the window.

"Fal'e!" The shout rang out, and gunshots followed.

DEA operatives are equipped with more than just pistols; many of them also carry automatic rifles and shotguns.

Gunshots rang out, and the Hyundai was riddled with bullets.

Magic was defeated by physical attacks!

(End of this chapter)