America achieves both fame and fortune

Chapter 871 Have Some Shame?

The collaboration failed to reach an agreement, and Dwayne Johnson and his team quickly took their leave.

Thomas said, "He seems to really like the project you chose."

Martin recalled his past memories and said, "That's normal. The male lead in the original script is exactly the image he's been cultivating."

Judging from today's situation, if he hadn't discovered "San Andreas" in advance and had the first choice in the WMA, this script would probably have been chosen by Dwayne Johnson.

"Your priority at the company is number one," Thomas said, whose position at the agency was several levels higher than Raymond's. "Don't worry about them, just let the project proceed as planned."

Martin put the matter aside for the time being and continued browsing WMA's database.

This time, there was no gain.

During this time, he received a call from Alexandra Daddario, inviting him out for drinks that evening.

Martin readily agreed and told her to go directly to the Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

Alexandra is currently in Los Angeles participating in post-production dubbing for the film "Sicario" after filming wrapped.

Unfortunately, Catherine Daddario wasn't in Los Angeles, which made it somewhat incomplete.

Just as Alexandra hung up, Martin's phone rang again; it was Leonardo calling.

"Damn it, let's go out for drinks. Jack and I are going to Avalon Bar in a bit, you're coming!" He specifically reminded Martin, "Remember to bring a female companion."

"Tonight?" Martin hesitated for a moment. "Sure, but wait a minute, I need to talk to Emmanuel."

Leonardo said, "Okay, we'll wait for you."

Martin then called Alexandra again: "The plans have changed. Go to Avalon Bar and wait for me. By the way, Leo and Jack will be there too. If they go ahead, you guys wait for me for a bit."

Alexandra replied, "I'll be right there."

Martin hung up the phone and left the office with Thomas, going to the adjacent meeting room where Ali Emmanuel was waiting.

This is Martin's contract year, and Thomas isn't worried about his agent contract with Martin. Over the past few years, he's seen clearly that as long as he works diligently for Martin, Martin won't change agents.

Even if Martin wants to change agencies, he can simply follow Martin to a different agency.

But Ari Emmanuel didn't think so. Martin was WMA's star, and the annual revenue he brought to the agency alone was already number one in Hollywood. Any agency of any size would want to poach Martin.

WMA has no choice, while Martin has many.

Inside the meeting room, Emmanuel smiled and said to Martin, "We've had a very pleasant working relationship over the past few years. WMA's commission rates have consistently been among the lowest in the industry. Our relationship..."

Martin understood his meaning and said directly, "After the contract expires, I will renew it with WMA for another three years."

Hearing this, Emmanuel breathed a sigh of relief, but it wasn't time to completely relax yet, as Martin wouldn't be able to renew his brokerage contract with WMA until early next year.

Damn California laws! Look at our South Korean counterparts, we can't help but envy them.

Emmanuel also had leverage to win over Martin, saying, "Ram will support you wholeheartedly."

Martin smiled and said, "I hope we will have an even more pleasant collaboration in the future."

Emmanuel stood up and shook hands with Martin; whether or not to renew the contract was entirely up to Martin.

Martin has no plans to change agencies for the time being.

It's no exaggeration to say that as WMA's top client, the entire company was his caretaker.

Other brokerage firms have contacted him, but none have offered truly attractive terms.

It's better to use what you know than what you don't.

…………

Back in his agent Raymond's office, Dwayne Johnson was unhappy. The projects he had his eye on had already been bought by someone else, and he was still in a bad mood.

Moreover, he is not the carefree person he appears to be; on the contrary, he is quite calculating.

Raymond advised, "The copyright is already in Martin Davis's hands. There's nothing we can do even if we wanted to. The company releases new scripts every month, and we'll eventually find one that suits you."

Johnson's ex-wife and manager, Garcia, knows him better: "Go out for a walk, meet up with some friends for a drink, and you'll feel better."

"I'm fine." Johnson flashed his signature smile, pulled out his phone, and made a call: "Ray, what are you doing? Come out for a drink."

Ray Park, a friend he made while filming "G.I. Joe," replied, "Sure, I was just thinking of going to a club, Avalon, my treat."

Johnson said, "Okay, see you at the bar in twenty minutes."

Garcia patted Johnson's upper arm, which was thicker than her thigh: "Go on, wine can take away your troubles."

Johnson left his office, quickly went downstairs alone, got into his Mercedes G-Class, and headed straight for the Avalon bar on Sunset Boulevard.

Arriving at the bar, Ray Park, who lives near Sunset Boulevard, was already there.

The two found a booth and ordered a bunch of drinks.

Avalon Bar and the Vineyard across the street have always been nightclubs frequented by Hollywood stars. Located in Beverly Hills, a neighborhood known for its celebrities and socialites, this area is one of the most bustling parts of the Sunset District.

As soon as Johnson sat down, Gal Gadot, who had starred alongside him in the "Fast & Furious" series, came over to say hello.

The two were somewhat acquainted, and Johnson exchanged a few perfunctory words before sending the man away.

Ray Parker stared at the long legs that had walked away and asked, "What, not interested in her?"

Johnson shrugged and jiggled his chest, his muscular pectoral muscles jiggling as he wore a tight T-shirt: "What's the point of a girl with smaller breasts than me? Touching her is less interesting than touching myself."

Ray Parker couldn't help but laugh: "Most of the actresses in the industry aren't in your league anymore."

Johnson picked up his glass and drank with him: "Can you accept a woman with smaller breasts than you?"

Ray Parker poured them both more drinks: "I hope you find someone older than you soon."

Johnson took another sip of his drink.

The two chatted and drank, and soon the bottle was almost empty.

As the alcohol took effect, Johnson's mood improved considerably, and he began talking about the movie.

Ray Parker asked with some concern, "Will there be a sequel to 'G.I. Joe'?"

Johnson shrugged. "Who knows? Paramount says the commercial response hasn't been good." He glanced at his friend across from him. "Hey, you played a masked man, and you never showed your face from beginning to end."

Ray Parker, who had also had quite a bit to drink, scratched his head and said, "I'm also an action director and stunt double. A few years ago, I was much better than Chad Stahelski. In the same crew, Chad could only be my assistant."

He shook his head and sighed, "Look at me now, Chad is a top-tier action movie director with tens of millions of dollars in assets, while what about me? My career is still a mess."

Johnson said, "You and I are both just missing a great opportunity."

At this point, he remembered the script he had read today. He didn't know why, but he felt that if that script were made into a movie starring himself, it would be even more successful than Hercules.

This strange intuition, which is hard to explain, has occurred in many successful movie stars.

The two drank another glass. Ray Parker picked up the bottle to pour himself a drink, but paused for a moment as his eyes were drawn to a woman walking towards them.

The woman wore a dark, short jacket over a tight white T-shirt that accentuated her enormous figure, which unconsciously reminded Ray Parker of Jennifer Connelly riding a rocking horse.

To be precise, she's even more outstanding than Jennifer Connelly.

Ray Parker gestured with his chin: "Dawn, there's someone with bigger breasts than you."

While they were talking, Alexandra Daddario quickly walked past the booth, went to an empty seat diagonally opposite, sat down, and took out her phone to send a message.

Now it's Johnson facing Alexandra at an angle.

This woman with husky-like icy blue eyes, both in figure and appearance, perfectly fits Dwayne Johnson's aesthetic.

Johnson recognized her as Alexandra Daddario.

The woman who was rumored to have had several affairs with Martin Davis.

Johnson wanted to approach her and get closer, but he hesitated.

Ray Parker's idea was simple: "If you like something, just ask for its contact information."

Johnson picked up his glass, downed it in one gulp, took out his phone, and walked over there.

Before the person even got there, a signature smile appeared on his face—a professionally designed and trained smile that easily inspires trust and a sense of security.

The early Dwayne Johnson and the current Dwayne Johnson look like two completely different people, just by looking at their appearance and demeanor.

When he first entered Hollywood, Johnson gave off a very aggressive vibe.

Now, however, he's like a kind, honest, and strong neighbor.

"Good evening, Alexandra," Johnson greeted with a smile.

Alexandra nodded: "Hello."

Johnson, with a bit of finesse, said, "Well, I have a movie in pre-production that needs a female lead with an exceptionally striking appearance. I just saw you walk past me, and I think you might be suitable."

He smiled and invited, "Could you give me your contact information? I'll contact you to schedule an audition when the casting call starts."

Before meeting Martin, Alexandra might not have refused, but Martin helped her play leading roles in several films, broadening her horizons, and she immediately smiled and declined, saying, "My schedule is fully booked for the next two years."

Johnson's smile froze for a moment. In the past, he would have left, but he had been turned away that afternoon and had just drunk quite a bit, so his thoughts were different from usual.

He added, "There's always another option."

Alexandra said, "Thank you, but no need."

Johnson didn't leave; he continued to pester them.

At the bar entrance, Leonardo and Nicholson each entered the bar with their female companions.

Following Leonardo DiCaprio was Australian actress Margot Robbie.

Nicholson brought his daughter Lorraine, not Jennifer Lawrence.

Leonardo caught up with Nicholson in a few strides and asked, "Why did you bring Lorraine along?"

Nicholson raised an eyebrow and said deliberately, "Of course, it's to cultivate the relationship between her and Martin so they can get married as soon as possible."

Lorraine rolled her eyes in exasperation: "You three can do whatever you want, but can you please not drag me into it?"

Nicholson said, "There's nobody else to deal with now, so we have to go after Martin."

Lorraine said, "Because of your infamous reputations, no one wants to mess with you."

Margot Robbie pointed out, "Isn't that Alexandra Daddario, the woman Martin mentioned? It seems like someone's harassing her."

"That bastard Martin won't be here for a while, let's go check it out." Leonardo led the way.

Nicholson then followed.

Out of habit over the past few years, Lorraine immediately took out her phone and turned on the camera.

The main problem is that the trio of scoundrels are always causing trouble for people, and if you hesitate even slightly, you might miss a great opportunity to earn a lot of pocket money.

…………

Faced with Johnson's persistent, intoxicated manner, Alexandra grew increasingly impatient and said directly, "Please have some self-respect!"

Johnson's head, which had been spinning from being shaken, cleared up slightly in that instant. Just as he was about to say something to save face, someone suddenly came running up from behind.

An old man with a protruding belly, slicked-back hair, and sunglasses in the bar stood between Johnson and Alexandra.

Nicholson, a veteran and a mascot of the Academy and the Oscars, was naturally not friendly when he saw this muscleman harassing his brother's mistress: "Dude, can't you hear this lady repeatedly rejecting you? Have some shame."

The appearance of Nicholson and Leonardo immediately attracted a lot of attention, with many people turning their heads to look in their direction.

Being called shameless in public, Johnson was a little embarrassed: "I'm inviting Ms. Daddario to play a role!"

He looked down at the slightly hunched Nicholson and said, "Watch your words!"

Seeing that things were going badly, Ray Park immediately went to Johnson's side.

Leonardo DiCaprio also rushed over: "It's not gentlemanly to harass a lady like that. You should apologize to her."

Lorraine chose a good angle and skillfully took the photo with her phone.

Margot Robbie turned to look at the bar entrance and saw Martin come in. She quickly waved to him.

Martin saw what was happening, and he also saw Johnson, who had a bald head and muscles that looked like they were about to explode, and he quickly ran over.

The sound of footsteps attracted more attention.

In many people's eyes, Hollywood stars are mostly a group of people who are rich, have plenty of free time, and have low moral character.

It might not be the case elsewhere, but it's almost universally acknowledged in Los Angeles' most famous nightclubs.

Hollywood stars have gotten into fights because of drinking too much or other conflicts.

Avalon, having long been accustomed to this, did not immediately go to deal with it.

They were experienced; they figured it wouldn't be too late for the bar staff to show up after both sides had truly vented their anger on each other.

You can ask for compensation however you like, and you don't have to worry that arguing or fighting will affect the bar's business; on the contrary, it can attract more people to come.

At this moment, the trio of scoundrels were all present, and the onlookers were extremely excited. Many even gathered around, eager to get a big, sweet piece of gossip.

Martin approached Leonardo, glanced at Daddario across from him, and asked, "What's going on?"

Leonardo DiCaprio put it succinctly: "That bastard is harassing Alexandra."

Alexandra across from Martin nodded.

Martin turned to Johnson, his tone firm: "Apologize to her."

"I only invited Miss D'Addario to play a role." With people all around, how could Johnson possibly apologize in this situation? Besides, Martin's tone had already annoyed him, and emboldened by the alcohol, he couldn't help but add, "I remember Martin, your girlfriend was Miss Elizabeth Olsen, wasn't she? When did you change her?"

If it really comes down to a fight, Johnson isn't afraid. Not to mention himself, Ray Park was a British martial arts champion.

(End of this chapter)