America achieves both fame and fortune

Chapter 833 Hollywood Star Dream

Upon arriving at the television station, Olina opened her arms and hugged Martin tightly: "I've finally waited for you to come to Kyiv."

Martin smiled and said, "Since you and Alexandrovich extended such a sincere invitation, of course I had to come and see."

Olina loosened her arms and introduced the middle-aged bald man next to her: "This is our partner, Rebrov, the director of 1+1 TV station."

Martin shook hands with him: "Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Rebrov's English was quite good: "Martin, it's a great honor for our television station that you could come."

Alexandrovich came up from behind and said, "Let's go inside and talk."

The four of them went to the TV station together.

"This way," Alexandrovich led the way.

The group went straight to the third floor, and as soon as they stepped out of the elevator, they heard singing and music.

Although it was in Ukrainian, Martin could still tell from the melody that it was the classic "Stop Stop Stop".

It is also the most widely circulated song by the Holy Maidens Band.

Hearing this song reminds Martin of the live performances he often saw while watching videos in his past life, especially the performances by the trio of Black, White, and Red, which left a particularly deep impression.

Unfortunately, he couldn't remember which year the Holy Maiden Group it was.

According to Alexandrovich, the Holy Maidens' Group frequently changes its members, having already done so 16 times.

Led by Alexandrovich, Martin entered a huge training room.

The moment you step inside, the aroma fills the air, and the beautiful view across the way is almost dazzling.

The fifteen finalists, all dressed in hot pants and short-sleeved t-shirts, stood in a row opposite each other, as if waiting for Martin's inspection.

Everyone has a different face shape, body shape, height, and hair color, making their beauty highly recognizable, unlike those mass-produced, almost identical individuals.

"Good morning, everyone," Martin greeted them.

The athletes bowed in unison and said, "Hello, Martin."

They spoke English, and they sounded quite good at it.

Alexandrovich accompanied Martin and introduced them one by one: "This is Vera, this is Anastasia, this is Nastya, this is Mia, this is Erica..."

Martin shook hands with each of the athletes, offering words of encouragement, but in his hand he held several small notes.

Many of the female contestants seem to have ulterior motives.

Martin casually stuffed it into his pocket.

Alexandrovich then introduced a slightly petite girl: "This is Nikia."

Martin glanced at her briefly. She had a full head of blond hair, a small face, and wasn't very tall, but her proportions were excellent. He said, "Don't we seem to have met before?"

Nikia knew Martin was coming today and was prepared, saying, "Could we speak alone for a few minutes later?"

The girls here seemed to understand most of English, and as soon as Nikia said this, everyone else looked over.

Martin, seemingly oblivious, replied softly, "Come find me later."

All the other girls' eyes were fixed on Nikia, their envy and jealousy undisguised.

As we all know, in places with many women and intense competition, the atmosphere can often be so tense that people don't want to stay.

Another girl behind Martin also hinted, "Can I talk to you alone too?"

The girls stared wide-eyed; if looks could devour people, Martin would have been eaten alive by them.

Martin handled the situation with ease, saying, "I've known Nikia for a while now, and I have something I'd like to ask her."

Alexandrovic, as the organizer and host of the program, quickly pressed his hands down: "Everyone, don't panic, focus on training, the finals are about to begin."

Martin visited the athletes, left the practice room temporarily, and waved to Nikia.

He looked at Rebrov: "Is there a private meeting room? I'd like to have a few words with her."

Rebrov immediately said to his assistant, "The reception room on this floor."

The assistant quickly went to open the door.

Martin and Bruce went into the meeting room together, followed by Nikia.

"Sit anywhere." Martin sat down on a single sofa.

Nikia sat down opposite Martin and said cautiously, "Before Alexandrovich, I never imagined I would meet you in Ukraine."

Martin asked, "What brings you to Ukraine?"

"I'm Ukrainian," Nikia forced a smile. "I couldn't stay in North America, so I came back to Ukraine."

She glanced at Martin, a hint of wariness in her eyes, and said, "And it has something to do with you."

Martin asked in surprise, "What does this have to do with me? It seems like we've only met twice, once at Morgan Freeman's ranch and the other time at the WMA gate."

Nikia said, "Mia, Malena, and I approached you with ulterior motives; it wasn't just about Morgan Freeman's party."

Martin nodded: "I can guess."

He had someone investigate at the time, but the three girls soon disappeared from Los Angeles.

Nikia, currently in Ukraine, decided to speak about North America: "Martin, have you heard of Michelle Bryan?"

Martin, being in Hollywood, naturally knew this person: "The most famous madam in Los Angeles after Heidi Fries, who was reportedly caught being stole by the FBI a few years ago."

Nikia said, "After Michelle got out, she continued in the industry, but on a larger scale and busier. Because she was only fined tens of thousands of dollars and house arrest wasn't carried out, many people thought her business was reliable and wouldn't cause any problems. Even if problems did arise, they could easily be resolved."

Martin asked, "How long have you been working with Michelle?"

“More than a year,” Nikia said. “I went from Europe to Los Angeles, wanting to become a star. When I got there, I realized that the barrier to entry in this industry is very low, but it is very difficult to become famous. The income of an extra was not even enough to eat. Later, through the introduction of a fellow countryman, I first took photos of the attic, and then joined Michelle’s team.”

She also reminisced: "I earned a good income under her, about five figures a month. However, some clients had such unusual interests that it was unbearable. Michelle was also extremely controlling, and often resorted to less-than-honorable methods to attract wealthy, high-profile clients."

Martin nodded slightly: "Like a client like me?"

Nikia said cautiously, "Yes, before going to Morgan Freeman's farm, Michelle specifically sought out Mia, Malena, and me. Perhaps the three of us are the prettiest, and with different styles, there's bound to be one that suits your taste."

Martin recalled that Malena was like an innocent girl, Mia was a blonde bombshell, and Nikia across from her was the standard fair-skinned, thin, and young girl.

One can only say that he truly deserves to be a leader in this industry.

He asked, "Just making me your customer? How much money can you make from me?"

Even if he occasionally rents out entire venues for parties, how much would that cost?

Besides, this kind of love that's bought gets boring after a few times.

Nikia said, "Michelle will first have us lure you in, and once you relax and get into the party, she'll prepare a special gift for you, which will most likely be drugs."

Martin wasn't surprised at all: "Make me a drug addict?"

"Actually, many drug addicts in Hollywood are Michelle's big clients, like Depp." Nikia quickly emphasized, "I have no evidence. These are just rumors we discussed in private. Depp sometimes invites people to hang out with him, and these people then discuss it privately."

Martin, recalling his time at Death Valley National Park, asked, "Did Michelle supply Depp when he was filming 'The Lone Ranger'?"

Nikia shook her head: "I don't know, this business seems to be independent."

Martin then asked, "Actually, I noticed you, but you suddenly disappeared from Los Angeles."

"Michelle was determined to turn you into a major client, and she offered the three of us exceptionally high compensation," Nikia described the situation at the time. "We got the money, but then we felt you were too wary, and somewhat..."

She glanced at Martin and said apologetically, "There are some perverts who made us dance for so long without doing anything. Malena said that if we continue to do as Michelle says, it might arouse your suspicion, and you're not someone to mess with. So we've decided to take Michelle's money, do nothing, and then run away."

Martin said, "You went back to Ukraine and even participated in the auditions for the Holy Maidens' Group."

Nikia smiled and said, "I was just trying it out, but I didn't expect to win over so many supporters."

She suddenly remembered something: "People from my hometown called me a few days ago and told me that someone had come to inquire about me. Recently, when I've been out, I've felt like someone is following me suspiciously. Maybe I'm just being paranoid..."

Martin asked, "How did Michelle deal with people like you who ran away before?"

"I don't know," Nikia said after a moment's thought. "But privately, Michelle said that no one could take her money and live a good life without doing anything."

Out of worry, she felt anxious: "I suspect Michel's people have come to Ukraine."

Martin glanced at Bruce, who nodded slightly and picked up his phone to send a message.

Nikia asked, "What...what should I do?"

Martin stated directly, "Focus on training, follow the program's instructions, do not go out privately, and wait for the competition to begin."

Nikia replied, "I will completely follow the arrangements made by the production team."

Martin told Nikia to go back, and when he came out of the reception room, he saw Alexandrovich and the TV station director Rebrov. He then explained what had just happened in detail.

"Someone's trying to kidnap our players?" Alexandrovic wasn't tall, but he was furious. To mess with his boss's carefully planned program right in front of him—wasn't that a slap in the face?

The show's exorbitant fee caused a sensation within the CIS and Eastern Europe. Arresting the contestants was tantamount to robbing the show's various stakeholders. Rebrov, furious, declared: "Let those bastards come! The TV station has armed bodyguards, and their AKs are loaded with bullets!"

Alexandrovich, now with a bit of the village chief's confidence, said to Martin, "Boss, this is Kyiv, not Los Angeles. Those bastards don't understand the rules here!"

Martin had some ideas, but this wasn't Los Angeles. He had only brought four extra bodyguards, and he still needed to rely on the locals to get things done. He said, "We can't be completely sure if those rats exist, but we can't risk the show."

Involving a share of the profits in the tens of millions of dollars, Rebrov nodded repeatedly: "Yes, we can't risk pretending the rats don't exist."

Alexandrovich agreed: "Boss, what do you suggest we do?"

Martin said, "According to you, the athletes basically live a monotonous life, either training at the TV station or resting at the hotel?"

Alexandrovic said, "The schedule before the finals was very tight, and they didn't have any extra time."

Martin asked, "Are our security personnel sufficient and professional?"

Rebrov said, "The television station belongs to the Privat Group and has sufficient professional security personnel."

Martin had done some research before coming here and knew that the Privat Group was one of the oligarchic groups in Ukraine, and its core Privat Bank was ranked among the world's top 500 banks.

Of course, this minor matter wouldn't alarm the top echelons of the oligopoly.

Martin said, "We are relaxed on the outside but tight on the inside. The external environment remains the same, but the internal staff, except for the essential personnel, have all been replaced with professionals."

Alexandrovich added, "We need some female security personnel."

"No problem," Rebrov said as he made the phone call.

Soon, the three security captains entered the meeting room and began to discuss the matter together.

Martin then found Nikia and gave her an alarm provided by the security personnel. If anything went wrong, pressing the button on the watch would immediately alert the security personnel.

…………

"Servant of the People" made Alexandrovich a household name in Ukraine, and the selection competition for the Holy Maidens, which he initiated and organized, caused a sensation in the preliminary rounds of the Commonwealth of Independent States and Eastern Europe.

Martin's addition as a judge for the finals further fueled the hype.

There were many reporters covering the program, some even staying around the clock.

Andrei, with a name tag hanging around his neck and a camera in his hand, left the TV station entrance and got into a car.

Not long after, two other people got into the car.

Andrei asked the bearded man, "Victor, what's the situation on your end?"

Victor rubbed his beard and said, "That girl named Nikia keeps going back and forth between the TV station and the hotel. She's very careful, and our people can't get in touch with her."

Andrei asked, "Can we take action along the way?"

Victor shook his head immediately: "They were traveling in a bus, with security personnel in front and behind them. Unless it was an armed robbery by their employees."

Andrei tapped the steering wheel: "Looks like we need to devise a trap plan."

He then looked at the blond young man on the other side: "Leonid, any progress on your end?"

"Yes, a dance teacher took our money and our information," Leonid said, tossing his beautiful blond hair. "I've already spoken to her; she'll try her best to persuade a few of the more naive ones."

He added, "Some of these contestants come from ordinary backgrounds and have limited experience, yet they are obsessed with becoming stars."

"Who wouldn't want to leave Ukraine and go to a paradise?" Andrei was just like that; he left Ukraine to pursue his dreams in America: "Believe me, the dream of becoming a star in America will touch many people."

Leonid said, "Boss, after this is over, can we go to America too?"

Andre laughed: "Of course! I'll take you to enjoy the warm Los Angeles sunshine. As long as you work with me, you'll earn five times more than you do here, and in US dollars!"

Victor and Leonid both laughed happily.

…………

The TV station, in a lounge near a practice room.

Erica Helseg, with her golden ponytail, slowly entered, took off her sweat-soaked dance clothes, kicked off her dance shoes, and sat down on the floor.

Nastya Rekhpunikova, with her long, dark brown hair cascading down her shoulders, gave a wink to her companion.

Mischa Normanova tossed her long, red, wavy hair, walked to the door of the lounge, looked outside, and seeing that no one was there, closed the door tightly.

The three were roommates and had the best relationship among the finalists. Seeing the door was closed, Erica asked, "Is there a secret you want to tell me?"

Nastya said, "Based on the recent dance rehearsals, I have a bold prediction: the finals, as they reach a crucial stage, may be conducted in three-person teams."

Erica hugged her knees and kneaded them: "There's been no notification from above."

Misha said, "Get your head moving under that blonde hair, Erica! You're not really all looks and no brains, are you?"

Erica shrugged: "I've been a switchboard operator for too long, so I'm a bit out of touch with society and don't see much of the world."

Nastya rolled her eyes: "If it weren't for me and Misha, you would have been sold out long ago!"

The friendship between girls is peculiar; they often become best friends as soon as they hit it off. She also reminded Erica, "There are a lot of bad people in the candidate group. Think things through carefully when you encounter problems. If there's anything you don't understand, ask Misha and me for our opinions first."

Nastya is the youngest, but she started performing on stage at the age of six and participated in two talent shows after the age of fifteen. She is undoubtedly the most knowledgeable of the three.

Misha added, "Don't get sold out and then help the seller count the money."

Erica quickly replied, "Okay, okay, I'll definitely consult you if I encounter any problems."

Nastya got back to the point: "As you know, I've participated in two talent shows, and although I was eliminated in both, I'm very familiar with the process of talent shows. The Holy Maiden Team only selects three members, and in the end, they will definitely make us form teams of three as an important part of the assessment."

She suggested, "The three of us can live together, and after we get back in the evening, we can practice singing together. If we're physically able, it would be best if we could also practice dancing together."

Misha said, "The opportunity is right in front of us; we can't let it slip away!"

Compared to Nastya and Misha, who were born in the 1990s, Erika, born in 1988, values ​​opportunities more. At 25, she has achieved nothing and doesn't want to go back to being a switchboard operator.

After the three finished their discussion, they changed their clothes and left.

Erica went to the Latin dance studio next door to ask Olga, the dance teacher, some questions about dance.

After a period of training, Olga gained a basic understanding of the trainees. She found them to be naive and innocent, and patiently answered their questions.

Erica was somewhat anxious.

Olga said, "Be patient, you need to have a calm mind."

Erica tossed her golden ponytail behind her head: "I'm the oldest of all the candidates. If I miss this opportunity, I'll never get ahead in my life. Teacher, I don't want to go back to being a switchboard operator."

Olga shook her head with a smile: "We're never short of opportunities... Well, I have a student, about your age, who was eliminated in the finals in the Kiev region. She was so upset she wanted to jump off a building, but opportunities always seem to appear unexpectedly. A Hollywood talent scout took a liking to her!"

(End of this chapter)