America achieves both fame and fortune

Chapter 829 The Spy Photographer

As a group of elite agents, these people naturally possessed a basic skill—emptying magazines when facing armed criminals!

The sound of automatic rifles locking out of their chambers rang out one after another. The trolls, still smoking after venting their anger, changed their pistol magazines.

The lead DEA agent shouted, "Cease fire! Cease fire!"

Several agents cautiously approached the vehicle, glanced at the two Black men inside who were riddled with bullets, and said, "Danger clearance! Danger clearance!"

The lead agent came over and took a look. Inside the car, two people were slumped in their seats, their bodies riddled with bullet holes, each holding a gun.

"Come over here and take pictures!" he ordered. "Take pictures of the scene."

Immediately, someone came over with a camera.

The lead agent wasn't worried because he was also Black, and there were several other Black people firing in his team.

Unlike the PD, the DEA doesn't operate with such restraint. The lead agent reported the situation to Kurt Lynch, instructing the DEA to temporarily seal off the area and clear it.

The evidence in this case is conclusive. The suspect who was shot dead not only possessed illegal firearms and intended to attack law enforcement officers, but a large quantity of drugs was also found in his bag.

With such ample evidence, if they still can't produce an ironclad case, they should quit working for the DEA.

Meanwhile, another team of DEA agents stormed into Paul's studio and easily subdued four black men, including Dorothy and Ace.

Dorothy was pinned to the ground, shouting, "I'm Black! I'm a woman! I demand a Black female officer to guard me!"

Before she could finish speaking, two heavyweight Black female agents in DEA uniforms plopped down on her, leaving Dorothy with no chance to resist.

As expected, the DEA found drugs, a large amount of cash of unknown origin, and illegal firearms.

These can actually be found in many people's homes; the question is whether to look for them or not.

With conclusive evidence, the scene was cordoned off, and the individuals were taken away.

In the following days, many netizens noticed that Paul, the son of Martin who had been making a lot of noise, suddenly went silent, and all the hype stopped.

On Atlanta's Channel 6, a producer looked extremely grim.

He asked the intermediary, "Short, we haven't received the final payment for Paul's show yet. I'll give you one day..."

Salt, who is also Black, kept scratching his head: "I've been trying to contact them, but their phones suddenly became unreachable."

The producer doesn't care about any of that; clients who don't pay are all jerks: "Go tell them that if they don't settle the final payment within two days, I'll do a special program to expose their true colors."

Shaot had no choice but to obey.

But Paul and his men seemed to have vanished.

Not only television stations, but also two Japanese executives from Sony Music were very interested in Paul and even contacted him to discuss a record deal.

After arranging a meeting by phone, the personnel sent by Sony Music for initial contact arrived in Atlanta.

Then, Paul suddenly lost contact.

All the phone numbers were unreachable, and the mailing address was blocked by the DEA. Sony Music wasn't stupid, and with no sunk costs, they immediately chose to give up and withdraw their personnel.

A week later, the DEA issued a statement that several people in Atlanta were involved in armed drug trafficking, illegal possession of firearms, and other crimes. During a raid, they resisted arrest by using firearms, resulting in minor injuries to three agents. The DEA took decisive action, killing two criminals, arresting four, and seizing drugs, cash, firearms, and other evidence at the scene.

Of course, the announcement wouldn't tell the public that the slightly injured agent had suffered a minor muscle strain in his finger while emptying the magazine.

As for other details, even when asked by reporters, the DEA refused to disclose further information, citing that the case involved more criminal organizations and was still under investigation.

Magic is nothing but a piece of cake in front of the masters of firearms physics.

Within days, Paul and his group were automatically forgotten by the media, as new hot news emerged one after another.

…………

Gray Film and Television Center, the cast and crew of "Interstellar".

After filming a major interior scene in a spaceship, Martin returned to the rest area, took the water bottle Bruce handed him, took a couple of sips, and said, "Filming space scenes in the summer is so uncomfortable."

Bruce said, "Drink more, don't get dehydrated."

Martin picked up a fan and fanned himself, then noticed Thomas approaching and asked, "Any results?"

Thomas said, "Paul's YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram accounts have all been deleted, and all content has been wiped clean."

Martin nodded and looked at Bruce: "Say thank you to your old friend in the DEA."

Bruce replied, "No need. This has nothing to do with you; it was my personal action."

Martin stopped mentioning the DEA and said, "Don't worry about the magic."

Thomas grasped the essence: "If you physically destroy the person who uses magic, then magic becomes useless."

Martin gave a thumbs up: "You're right, but there's more."

Thomas was initially puzzled, but after glancing at Martin and considering Martin's current wealth and status, as well as his actions of opening Pandora's box, he suddenly realized: "For the upper class, so-called magic is just a tool to deal with the lower class. They use it when they want to and throw it aside when they don't."

The more he listened, the more sense it made: "You have many ways to render their magic useless, right?"

Martin said, "So-called magic is nothing more than a toilet for the American high-ranking officials. Physical attacks are just the simplest and most brutal way to deal with magic."

Bruce asked, "Like, being shot in the back and committing suicide?"

Martin joked, "Old Brooks is a brainless idiot who only knows how to deal with things in a simple and brutal way."

Bruce retorted, dissatisfied, "That's your idea too."

Martin immediately changed his tune: "A simple and direct method is effective and saves effort, so why use something too complicated?"

Bruce and Thomas simply stopped talking.

The costume designer then came over and said, "Martin, it's time to put on your spacesuit."

"July is the hottest month in Atlanta." Martin didn't need to go to the dressing room; he simply put on the costume with the help of the costume designer. "Wearing such a thick costume is truly a pleasure."

The costume designer helped Martin put on his spacesuit and helmet. Even though the studio had central air conditioning, he was still sweating profusely after moving around a bit.

Martin didn't say anything more. After entering the set, he followed Nolan's instructions and went into the specially designed multi-dimensional space.

The next scene to be filmed is a one-man show.

The male protagonist feels guilty towards his daughter.

Such emotional expression was quite unfamiliar to Martin, after all, he had no children in either his past or present lives.

But a good actor like Martin can adjust to the right emotions even when he is unfamiliar with the role.

After all, actors who play psychopaths are not necessarily psychopaths.

After several takes, Martin cried his eyes out, finally meeting Nolan's requirements.

Taking advantage of the actors' heightened emotions, Nolan filmed more than a dozen takes in one go.

When Martin emerged from the multidimensional space and took off his thick spacesuit, he looked as if he had been pulled out of the water.

Martin quickly hydrated and cooled down, and a makeup artist came over to help him absorb sweat and touch up his makeup.

Mackenzie Foy ran over from the other side and handed Martin an unopened popsicle: "This will cool you from your mouth to your stomach, try it."

"Thank you." Martin opened the packaging, took a bite, and felt much better.

Not far away, Charlotte Kirk watched this scene, seemingly understanding something.

At such a young age, she already knows how to take the initiative. Actresses who want to make it big definitely need to be more proactive.

Charlotte Kirk felt a pang of jealousy as she watched Mackenzie Foy and Martin talking in the lounge. Seeing that no one was paying attention to her, she immediately took out a pen and notebook and started writing.

"Martin Davis has an unusual interest in child actors and often spends time with young actress Mackenzie Foy during breaks in filming, raising suspicions about their relationship."

Charlotte Kirk plans to give this notebook to Kevin Tsujihara when she returns to Los Angeles, to prove to him that she got the role and that she really cares about Martin.

Although Kevin Tsujihara is a bit stingy, he is, after all, the CEO and chairman of Warner Bros., and Charlotte never thought of giving up on this line.

At the same time, she also plans to open up new fronts.

Nolan didn't need to think about anything; during filming, he only had work on his mind and barely paid attention to his wife, Emma Thomas.

It was as if nothing in the world, except for movies, could capture his attention.

Therefore, Charlotte's gaze fell on Martin again.

Charlotte had originally planned to proceed slowly, but after seeing McKenzie Foy deliver the goods directly, she felt they should be more direct.

On the other side, Nolan watched the replay of the footage, looked up and saw Martin and Mackenzie Foy talking. He couldn't help but nod slightly, noting that good personal communication between the main actors was beneficial for filming.

In particular, Martin and McKenzie play a father and daughter.

Nolan held up one finger.

Assistant director Anderson immediately took out a pen and notebook and wrote down the director's words: "During filming, Martin developed a good personal relationship with Mackenzie Foy, who played his daughter. The two were like a real father and daughter."

Nolan continues to focus on filming.

At 10:30 a.m., Martin left the set early and returned to his trailer to rest.

I wasn't particularly tired, but it was too hot and stuffy to film in a spacesuit.

Even though the crew used breathable materials, wearing such a thick spacesuit and mask, even with Martin's outstanding physical condition, couldn't stop him from sweating profusely.

Back in the dedicated rest trailer, Martin adjusted the air conditioning to a slightly higher temperature and, following the plan devised by the health therapist, replenished his fluids in an orderly manner.

Bruce brought over a newspaper and handed it to Martin: "The final touches."

Martin flipped to the entertainment section and quickly browsed through it. Atlanta Channel 6 issued a statement saying that they had been scammed by Paul, and there was concrete evidence that he was not gay at all and had several ex-girlfriends in Atlanta's Morrow district.

Magic has been completely subdued by physical attacks, and no one has come forward to refute it; the matter is now settled.

Bruce said, "There will be other people trying to ride your coattails in the future."

Martin said, "If it's just normal freelancing, let them freelancing, as long as they don't cross the line."

Bruce nodded. "I'll keep that in mind." He added, "Sophia texted me to ask if you're free tomorrow night. If you are, she'd like to treat us to dinner."

Martin asked, "Where?"

Bruce said, "House of the Beasts."

Martin's interest was piqued: "The Wild Things House we left?"

"Just that one," Bruce said simply. "The shop is always open, but tomorrow we'll be hosting a special dinner for old friends like you and me."

Martin agreed: "Okay."

Bruce got out of the car to call Sophia and noticed that actress Charlotte Kirk came out of the studio diagonally across the street and was walking towards him.

Charlotte, carrying a handbag and wearing a beige pencil skirt, gradually approached the trailer.

Upon seeing Bruce, she instinctively tightened her grip on the bag strap, feeling a little nervous, but her face was all smiles as she waved to him: "Hello, Bruce."

Bruce put away his phone. "Is there something you need, Miss Kirk?"

Charlotte smiled slightly: "I'd like to have a word with Martin."

Bruce walked up to the trailer, opened the door, and went inside: "Charlotte Kirk is looking for you."

Martin nodded. "Let her in."

Charlotte picked up her handbag, got into the trailer, and glanced around.

The trailer has ample space and a luxurious interior; many of the hardware components appear to be gold-plated.

The trailers used by superstars for temporary rest are vastly different from ordinary trailers.

Charlotte greeted Martin, who had changed into a short-sleeved t-shirt: "I need to talk to you about something."

Martin gestured to the armchair: "Sit wherever you like."

Charlotte sat on the sofa opposite Martin, her handbag casually placed to her side, one end of the bag facing Martin.

Martin glanced at the actress, who had long, golden-brown waves in her hair and was considered exceptionally beautiful even in Hollywood.

Charlotte crossed her legs, and as her skirt twitched, a unique view seemed to appear.

Martin could roughly guess why this woman had come to find him.

Charlotte gently patted her handbag and said with a smile, "You looked really tired during filming today, it was so hot. In my hometown, there's a way to prevent the body from losing moisture..."

Martin glanced at Charlotte's handbag, opened a drawer next to the low table, took out a small remote control, hid it in his palm, and pressed a button towards Charlotte.

In one corner of the trailer's ceiling, Bruce's concealed instrument turned in that direction, suddenly flashing a red light and emitting a piercing alarm.

"Beep! Beep—"

Charlotte was taken aback when she heard the voice.

Martin pulled a pistol from the drawer with incredible speed.

With a muffled bang, the trailer door was pushed open from the outside, and Bruce rushed in with a gun in one hand.

Charlotte turned her head at the sound and saw the gun in Bruce's hand. Turning back, she saw the gun in Martin's hand. Instinctively, she raised her hands and shouted, "I didn't do anything! I didn't do anything!"

Bruce said, "Miss Kirk, to avoid any accidents or misunderstandings, you'd better keep your hand up and not move it."

Charlotte's body was trembling, but she said from the bottom of her heart, "I won't move, I absolutely won't move."

Martin gave Bruce a wink.

Bruce stepped forward, examined Charlotte's bag carefully, and nodded to Martin.

Martin pulled out his phone and dialed producer Charles Rowan directly: "Charles, you'd better come to my rest area and get a tow truck. It's an emergency."

Charlotte held her hand up for a while, but it got so tired that she could barely support it. She wanted to put it down but didn't dare, and her arm felt so uncomfortable, like she was having a seizure.

Not long after, producer Charles Roven and the Nolans, who had just finished filming, got into Martin's trailer.

Charles Rowan saw Charlotte with her hands raised, then looked at Bruce, who looked like he was facing a formidable enemy, and asked, "Martin, what's going on?"

Martin stood up, pointed to the bag Charlotte had brought, and said, "She brought a miniature camera to secretly film us."

Charlotte instinctively denied it: "I didn't!"

Martin gestured towards Bruce's side: "Old Bruce will be recording, you guys don't mind, right?"

Nolan said, "It's okay."

Charles Rowan replied, "Yes."

"You can put your hand down now." Martin pointed to the handbag. "Miss Kirk, this is your bag, isn't it?"

Charlotte put her hands down and moved them around for a moment before forcing herself to say, "Yes."

Martin said, "Please open your bag."

Charlotte knew the consequences were serious: "These are my personal belongings, they contain my private items, I refuse to accept them."

Martin shook his head: "Old Brooks, let's call the police. I suspect Miss Kirk is carrying something that could endanger my safety, hidden in this bag."

Emma Thomas stepped forward: "Charlotte, you'd better open it yourself."

Charles Rowan glared at Charlotte: "You'd better know what you're doing!"

Martin glanced at Charles Rowan and took out his phone.

Charlotte had no choice but to unzip her handbag.

Bruce said, "The middle layer."

Charlotte hesitated for a moment, then closed her eyes and opened them.

A miniature camera is placed in the middle, with its lens connected to the outside of the bag; it is quite ingeniously made.

Nolan stated directly, "My film crew doesn't need a paparazzi."

Charles Rowan said, "I will give you an explanation..."

Martin interrupted Charles Rowan, saying, "Miss Kirk, there's no conflict between us. We first met on set. Why are you doing this?"

He suddenly raised his voice: "Who ordered you to do this?"

Charlotte thought of Kevin Tsujihara. Looking at the important figures in the film crew in front of her, she had no hope for these people. Kevin Tsujihara had become her only support.

She knew that Kevin Tsujihara absolutely could not be involved at this time, so she quickly shook her head: "No, no one instructed me to do it. I wanted to do it myself."

Charles Rowan asked, "Why?"

"I'm just a nobody actress, all alone, with nothing but my body," Charlotte said, adopting an unusually pitiful expression. "In the film crew, I'm practically dispensable. I'm not resigned to this!"

She almost shouted, "My acting is no worse than Jessica Chastain's, and I'm prettier than her, so why is she the lead actress? I also want support, I want to get important roles..."

This answer is perfectly reasonable and entirely within Martin and others' expectations.

Charlotte looked at Martin: "I came to see you with no ill intentions. I just want to offer you the only presentable gift I have, in exchange for your attention and recognition, so that you might give me a chance."

She closed her eyes briefly, then opened them and said, "Like many beautiful actresses who never made it in Hollywood, I've slept with many big shots, but too many of them forget about me after they've done their thing. So I came up with this plan so that at least you'll remember what you got from me!"

(End of this chapter)