America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz

The bustling work had come to a temporary halt, and Emma Thomas left the production studio to visit a nearby dessert shop for the quintessential British afternoon tea.

Upon arrival at the shop, Mene had been waiting for her.

Emma ordered black tea and sat down at the table.

With a smile, Mene said, "I ordered cake for you, with double the sugar."

As the black tea and cake were served, the sweet fragrance filled the air, and Emma's mood instantly brightened, "You really know me, Mene. Having afternoon tea with you always brings the most wonderful taste."

Mene also ordered a piece of cake, "What can I say? We share the same taste."

Despite the discomfort, he took a big bite of the overly sweet cream cake.

After Emma had relished most of her cake, feeling at her best, Mene lifted his teacup, "A cup of British black tea to calm my jitters."

Concerned, Emma asked, "What happened?"

Mene explained, "Leonardo's missing person notice scared me quite a bit. I thought the boss had gone missing, but it turns out he had just hidden himself away in a hotel."

Emma had been busy all day and hadn't paid attention to this affair, she asked, "What's going on?"

"In order to immerse himself and study the Joker character, the boss locked himself in the Four Seasons Hotel, cutting off all outside contact," said Mene, recounting the specific situation before admiringly adding, "The boss is so dedicated.

Last year, for his role in 'Infernal Affairs,' he went to live in the Boston Police Department, even partaking in drug dealer and gang member arrests with the detective unit."

Influenced by Mene, Emma, who already had a great impression of Martin, now had an even higher esteem for him, "With such a huge investment in the project, and the pressure so intense, I've always believed that the lead actor must be a reliable choice."

Why had Emma been meeting frequently with Mene lately? If not because the pressure was enormous, with a 180 million dollar investment hanging in the balance, a single mishap could ruin both hers and Nolan's futures.

Emma's conversations with her husband Nolan revolved mainly around work, doubling the pressure on her shoulders, making even breathing feel burdensome.

Having meals or afternoon tea with Mene, on the other hand, let her enjoy some relaxation and temporarily forget the troubles of work.

"I feel the same way, compared to Martin, the others are just too unreliable," reminisced Mene, referring to the relevant reports on TMZ, "I see in the media that people like Adrian Brody, Robin Williams, and Josh Brolin are either on vacation or playing around, while my boss is fighting tooth and nail to make an effort."

Emma finished the remaining cake, took a sip of black tea, and said, "Martin likes to stir things up but is renowned in the industry for his professionalism."

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In agreement, Mene said, "My boss is very committed. During 'Wanted Order,' he specifically trained in gunfire and combat; if it weren't for those skills, he wouldn't have been able to save people at Burbank High School."

After finishing their afternoon tea, Emma ended her break time and returned to the studio to wait. Soon after, she left work with her husband Nolan to head back to their Los Angeles home.

In the car, Emma mentioned Martin, "Did you hear? Martin Davis has locked himself in the Four Seasons Hotel room for 20 days to get into the Joker's character. His buddy Leonardo even issued a missing person notice at one point."

"Aulin mentioned it to me," Nolan recalled, bearing in mind Bale who he didn't particularly fancy, but still objectively said, "Martin Davis' professionalism could soon match Bale's."

Emma, recalling Bale's drastic weight fluctuations in recent times, said, "Bale is extremely professional, but Martin is no less so. Most Hollywood stars, once they've made a name and a status for themselves, only know how to enjoy life, like the other audition candidates..."

Having heard his wife's candid opinion, Nolan's internal balance tilted slightly toward Martin, but he remained cautious — with a 180 million dollar investment at stake, he said, "Auditions are coming up, we'll make a decision after seeing the audition results."

Emma had a more favorable view of Martin, but she refrained from saying more, as her husband's mind already seemed made up.

...

"Once you have a good impression of someone, no matter if their skills are already above average, even their fart smells sweet, and you can find a perfectly reasonable excuse for their murder!"Nôv(el)B\\jnn

In the living room suite of the Four Seasons Hotel, Martin's head and neck leaned forward, his figure appearing somewhat shrunk, as he walked and gesticulated.

His overly reddened lips seemed like a ravenous abyss, "My acting might not stand out more than the others, but for a 180 million dollar project, the weight given to an audition is far more substantial than at other times."

His tone grew heavier as he emphasized, "So, this is a fair and square audition showdown; from the moment we step into the audition room, we absolutely won't pull any dirty tricks!"

Bruce retorted, "Because you've already done all the scheming you could."

Martin turned around, cocking his head and staring at Bruce, "Old Cloth, I'm just ensuring the fairness of the auditions!"

Thomas, witnessing Martin in this state, looked as if he had seen a ghost and said, "The auditions will definitely be fair."

Martin burst into laughter, pointing at Thomas, "See, my agent Mr. understands clearly! I will defeat all the competitors in a fair and square audition! And if certain competitors can't make it to the audition or leave a bad impression on the crew beforehand, what does that have to do with us?"

As an agent with Martin being his top client among others, Thomas thought about it from multiple angles and agreed, "Makes sense! That's the true essence of auditioning!"

Auditions last only a few minutes, but the preparation can extend for months beyond the audition room.

Martin laughed again, "The agent Mr. also acknowledges that this is a fair and square audition!"

"Indeed, it's fair. You haven't resorted to any form of violence," Bruce commented.

"If it's about a higher salary, even considering guns and bombs isn't out of the question," Martin held his chin, his smile mild yet sinister, "The true essence of a fair duel is that all the opponents get run over by dump trucks before stepping into the arena, winning the battle without a fight, right?"

Thomas found Martin's thoughts dangerously unhinged, "Are you sure you're acting? Not something else? Not so immersed in a role that you can't get out?"

Martin tilted his head at Thomas, "Of course, so I'm just thinking, not actually doing." He then asked, "How's Lily on set?"

"She adapts well and knows how to socialize," Thomas simply put, "Everyone on the set knows she was recommended by Louise, and no one dares to bully her."

He scratched his head, "I've heard from the crew that she's not easy to mess with, she demonstrated how to stab someone with a carving knife without killing them as soon as she joined."

Martin was very pleased, "Good, she's a smart girl."

Bruce chimed in, "Don't worry, with Mene on set, he's persuaded key people in several departments with his words."

Even Martin had to admire Uncle Mene at this moment.

Thomas reminded, "The audition for Joker is coming up soon."

Martin said, "Before the audition, have the signed stylist and costume designer come over."

Although much had been done, when it came to the audition, Martin still gave it his all.

Nobody dared to take the risk of ending their career to cast an actor who performed poorly in an audition, especially not for a project with such a large investment.

Thomas added, "Everything is ready, they will come on time before the audition."

Bruce asked, "What about the others?"

After thinking, Martin said, "We'll discuss Nicholson's contract after the audition; we're not doing the kind of thing where we pop champagne at halftime."

Thomas was very curious about what Martin had discussed with Nicholson.

"If the audition is successful, I'll tell you," Martin had agreed with Nicholson last year.

Nicholson, who was so rich and bored that he didn't know what to do with himself, was willing to play a game of manipulating people's hearts with Martin.

To have money and leisure was to seek a bit of fun.

Thomas soon took his leave.

Bruce reminded, "You owe Leonardo and Nicholson a big favor this time."

"I know, I'll still repay debts of favor to the Trio of Scoundrels," Martin suddenly changed his tone and asked, "Old Bruce, what do you think I should give them? Two big, black, and strong men? Or a short, awkward, and poor black woman?"

Although he knew Martin was joking, Bruce could almost see Leonardo and Nicholson silently weeping, and he said, "Just be a decent person."

But Martin knew well what the other two scoundrels were thinking, "They must be plotting how to screw me, so before they get to me, I want them to take a ride in a dirt plane and enjoy the ultimate joy in life."

......

At the Avalon Bar, Leonardo and Nicholson were drinking.

The latter asked, "Martin has invited the two of us to help him out, we should collect some interest."

Leonardo gently swirled his drink, "How can we properly screw him over?"

Nicholson lowered his voice, "He mentioned some ideas to me last year. If he gets through the audition and lands the role, shall we screw him over?"

Leonardo's eyes widened, "No matter how much of a scoundrel Martin is, he's still our brother. At most, let him die in a pile of women..."

"That's not what I mean," Nicholson waved his hand, "Let him die of depression!"

Leonardo leaned in, "You have a plan?"

"I have some preliminary thoughts, which will depend on the situation at the time," Nicholson whispered. After talking for a while, he asked, "Wouldn't it be pleasing to see someone who played Joker end up a depressed villain?"

Leonardo was in high spirits and slapped the table, "I think Martin would definitely like that ending!"

When the Trio of Scoundrels got together, they could turn the set upside down.

These two scoundrels, when combined, thought they could drive a person to depression.

Leonardo took a drink and suddenly saw an enemy, "Jack, Orlando Bloom has arrived!"

Nicholson, old and cunning, held down Leonardo's arm and reminded, "Our muscle is not here today, we'll let him off the hook and find plenty of opportunities to mess with people later."

"I've got something to tell you," Leonardo said with a mischievous air, "You know I have a lot of friends in the modeling circuit. After coming back from Miami, I specifically had people inquire, and sure enough, right after the Victoria's Secret show last year, Miranda Kerr indeed accepted Orlando Bloom's advances and became his girlfriend..."

He began to laugh, "Martin must have received news about this, and on the island, he targeted Ke'er, resulting in her not recognizing Orlando the next time they met. After that day in the bar, she even ran straight to Martin's room."

Nicholson remarked, "That's so Martin, always likes to steal other people's women."

Leonardo wholeheartedly agreed, "Martin is a real pervert!" He sighed, "Aren't ordinary women fragrant? Stolen goods have a different flavor, huh?"

Nicholson was alert, "Thank goodness I don't have a wife or girlfriend."

His words were too true and made Leonardo realize a sudden enlightenment, "For the sake of our brotherhood, I've decided, no wives for me!"