Chapter 219: Chapter 218 Martin's Advantage
Los Angeles in May was hot, but not as explosive as Hollywood's gossip news.
Following the Burbank Middle School incident in April, another Hollywood story blazed across the nation, capturing the attention of the American public.
The freshly published "People" magazine was first to disclose Brad Pitt's decision to divorce Jennifer Aniston, as he planned to be with Angelina Jolie.
The cover of the new issue featured a family portrait of Pitt with Jolie.
According to the cover story, in the name of children and family, all the fault was placed on Aniston for not wanting children.
The producers of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" also made a behind-the-scenes move, giving it a big push.
On the increasingly influential internet, widely circulated gossip articles even appeared.
"Children! Children!"
"During the 5 years of marriage between Pitt and Aniston, Pitt always wanted children, but Aniston was unwilling. She gave up family for her career, ultimately leading to the breakdown of their relationship…"
Don't expect the media to have integrity, a stance, or a sense of justice, for at such times, they only feast on the blood of others.
This is not a political event but an entertainment scandal that the public enjoys.
A film's commercial success can be effectively boosted by the exposure of the leads and the curiosity it sparks, and Fox, which invested heavily in "Mr. & Mrs. Smith", skewed all related reports towards Pitt and Jolie.
Jolie is a loving mother, Pitt is a family man.
The one who's hurt is obviously Aniston.
The latter, straightforward, quickly resolved the mess by publicly announcing her divorce from Pitt, issuing that famous statement about marriage.
"I hoped to have the most loyal relationship deep within the soul, but he had the right to choose another path, so he chose the separation."
Aniston's voluntary departure did not quell the public uproar.
This sensational gossip even spread beyond Europe and America, stirring discussions on the other side of the Pacific on the internet.
The coolest couple seemed to have come together, and even "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," the movie they starred in, received a lot of attention.
"Have you seen the online forums?"
In a room at the Four Seasons Hotel, Martin looked at a movie forum and spoke to Jolie, who was pacing back and forth, "There's a recent survey on this forum about movies people want to see, the number who want to watch 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith' has increased tenfold since last week. From my limited experience, the box office won't disappoint."
Jolie turned around and walked toward Martin, disarmingly, "Teacher, it's all thanks to your excellent guidance. Without your teaching, I couldn't have done it."
Martin was very clear that he couldn't build a normal relationship with this loose woman, so he cut to the chase, "Student, how will you repay your teacher?"
Jolie knelt in front of Martin, reached forward to his belt buckle, but without further action, instead said, "Teacher, could you call Louise, Kelly, or Blake for me? Even Annie is fine, please, I beg you! Please make a call to them for me!"
But Martin said, "You must show the proper attitude and posture when begging."
Jolie instantly understood, proceeding to undo the belt buckle when her phone rang. She originally didn't want to answer, but upon seeing that it was Pitt calling, she hesitated.
"Teacher, it's Pitt, should I answer the call?" she asked Martin, her gaze seductive.
Martin, a down-to-earth man, was not up for such perverse acts, answered, "Your own matters, you decide."
Jolie answered the phone, "It's me, what do you want?"
Pitt asked, "I'm at your door, you're not home?"
"The paparazzi harassment is severe, the children can't have peace," Jolie, as the caring mother, used her kids as a shield, "I've temporarily moved to a hotel, I'll stay there until I return to Atlanta."
Pitt inquired, "Which hotel are you at? I'll come to see you."
Since Aniston had already announced the divorce from Pitt, Jolie saw no charm in Pitt, saying, "Do you want to bring all the journalists and paparazzi over? Let the kids have some peace, they've been terrified by the reporters recently..."
Pitt, mindful of his loving father image, conceded, "Alright, we'll talk when you come back from Atlanta."
After hanging up, Jolie was extremely excited; she opened her mouth wide as if to pounce like a wolf.
Martin, the man of simplicity, silently endured the perverse initiative.
Integrating into the Hollywood circle isn't easy at all!
The following day, the media frenzy continued unabated, and "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" soared in popularity.
After attending the final promotional event for jeans, Martin met Bruce and the two bodyguards picked by WMA.
These two men, Duke and Murphy, in their thirties, plain in appearance, clean backgrounds, professionally trained, adept at spotting trackers, belonged to a type of bodyguard highly popular in Hollywood.
Normally, the people stars dislike the most are paparazzi and fanatical fans.
The former was manageable, but the latter, truly frightening.
When love reaches its deepest, it's bound to draw blood!
The daily work of Duke and Murphy was simply to follow Martin from a distance, checking for anything out of the ordinary.
Before returning to the Atlanta set, Martin made a special trip back to his North Hollywood Apartment.
The chubby Anthony sat under the rooftop parasol, sipping iced Coca-Cola through a straw, as a tenant handed over keys in front of him.
When the tenant left, his walk reminded Martin of Scott.
Martin waited for a while, until the tenant went downstairs before approaching.
Anthony offered him a can of Coca-Cola, "Please enjoy, Sect Hierarch."
Martin popped open the Coca-Cola and took a gulp, saying, "I really envy you, enjoying life every day."
"You're not bad either, reaching this level without using the business card I gave you," Anthony chuckled and pointed toward the staircase, "Just now, that guy, he's been to the Hyena Doctor several times, but to no avail, so he can only leave Los Angeles."
Continue the experience on m-vle-mpyr
Martin knew he was referring to the proctologist, "I've paid a high price as well, at least a hundred billion."
Remembering the two women who had sung in the apartment, Anthony commented, "Your rear hasn't received a gift of several hundred billion, so you should celebrate with a drink."
Martin lifted his Coca-Cola to toast with Anthony, "I'll be receiving a few million dollars soon and am considering buying a house; weren't you going to recommend me some?"
Thomas had already settled the endorsement fee with Coca-Cola—$15 million over three years, to be paid in installments of $4 million, $5 million, and $6 million.
Real estate was a pressing need for Martin, an honorary citizen of Los Angeles, who also ought to own a decent property in Los Angeles.
Additionally, Martin was planning to buy Elena a separate house in Marietta.
An established millionaire in Los Angeles with wide connections, Anthony asked, "What are your specific requirements?"
Martin detailed, "A detached villa with a small garden, a better community, preferably one with a reliable community committee and Neighborhood Defense Alliance."
Los Angeles wasn't safe, and he still had the potential threat from the Russians, "As for the location, North Hollywood, Sherman Oaks, Malibu, Burbank, or Brentwood, and such areas would be fine."
At this point, Martin recalled some things and added, "Priority is given to Sherman Oscar."
Anthony took note of everything, "I'll keep an eye out for you, and absolutely not get you a problematic house or one with a violent history. You know there are hustlers all over this city, and if you buy a house with something left over from a hustler, it could be really troublesome."
"Then I'll leave it to you," Martin stood up to leave the rooftop, "I'm going to grab something real quick and then I'll be off."
Downstairs, Bruce had already picked out some crocodile tooth pendants.
Jessica was talking to him.
Martin called her into the room and told her, "Over the next two months, you and Emily have an important task."
Jessica's perspective had widened and she gave up her acting dream, becoming very proactive at work, "Just give the word."
Martin continued, "Sort through the fans who regularly comment under the blog, categorize them by city, and on behalf of the Los Angeles fan club, reach out to the active ones, looking for suitable candidates to start local fan clubs."
Jessica understood, "I'll get right on it."
Martin said further, "Start with the populous, major cities first."
Just like the consumers of a brand, the supporters of a celebrity also needed nurturing and management. As long as he kept a certain number of core followers, he would maintain enough market competitiveness. Along with strong creative works, he would naturally gain much more.
The task was quite tedious, and Jessica was already starting to plan.
With the right person carrying the burden, Martin left the apartment with Bruce.
That afternoon, he and Jolie appeared at the airport at the same time.
Martin waited right in front of the security checkpoint.
As Jolie arrived, the airport seemed to erupt in chaos, as throngs of paparazzi flooded in, crowding close to Jolie to take mad snaps.
Jolie, as always, right arm carrying the youngest, the left hand leading the eldest, fully displayed her nurturing motherly grace to the media.
Whether the children would be scared was not a concern for Jolie just then.
Jolie then joined Martin, passed through security, and entered the VIP channel.
The reporters snapped away but captured no photos of the two engaging in any intimate or excessive gestures or expressions.
"Why didn't we see Pitt coming to see her off?" a reporter wondered aloud, "Could there be trouble between Jolie and Pitt?"
Another said, "Those two are in the eye of the storm; how could they appear together?"
A paparazzo speculated, "What if Jolie is hooking up with Martin Davis?"
The entertainment reporters almost simultaneously shook their heads, with one of them commenting, "Why did Jolie snatch Pitt? Not just for Pitt's charm, but also his star power! With the commotion between Pitt and Jolie, constantly hitting the entertainment headlines, Jolie has become hot news again!"
Another agreed, "What has Martin Davis to compare with Pitt? Not enough in terms of star power, money, or status. As long as Jolie is in her right mind, why would she pick a minor celebrity? Even if there were something going on, it would be a one-night stand at most. What does Martin Davis have? Good looks?
Is that thing big?"
But that paparazzo insisted, "I always feel there's something off with Jolie's head. Something's not quite right, but I can't figure it out."
The reporters stopped paying him any mind and rushed off to leverage the trend with their pieces.
Psychological quirks like Jolie's are more commonly found in men.
Martin's advantage was that he had plenty of female company.