America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz

Chapter 216: Chapter 215: The Fanatic

The environs of the Sunshine Theater's red carpet were nearly all occupied by Martin's fans, their raised light signs and posters as dense as the foliage in a tropical rainforest.

Typically, those who chase stars are young people.

Especially with a film like The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

But on the sidelines of the red carpet there was also a large group of middle-aged and elderly people.

They held up specially made posters and banners.

"Martin, you're a hero!"

"Support Los Angeles' hero!"

Like Mene, Martin had become a favorite among some of the older crowd as well.

Among these people were likewise fanatics.

The incident at Burbank Middle School had truly taken Martin out of his usual circles and broadened his public influence.

So when Martin alighted from his car and walked on the red carpet, the atmosphere on-site erupted like a tsunami.

Screams, shouts, and even excited cries of tears swept over like a deluge.

The latter were from those middle-aged and elderly supporters, who believed that Martin, having overcome pain and psychological trauma to reappear in public, had really achieved no small feat.

Martin frequently waved toward both sides.

Approaching the middle section, he spotted an elderly woman with white hair.

This was the woman who had comforted him at the entrance of Burbank Middle School.

Martin immediately walked over, opened his arms, and embraced the elderly woman.

"Thank you, thank you for the comfort you've given me," Martin's words were laced with genuine feeling as if everything he said was true, "You all truly helped me to come out of it."

The old woman smiled at Martin and said, "It's good that you could come out of it."

Martin turned around and gestured for the media photographers to look this way, so they could take a photo of him and the elderly woman together.

The photographers eagerly snapped pictures.

Martin returned to the red carpet and, upon reaching the media zone, came across the hardcore fan group led by Rachel and Phoebe.

With Jessica's coordination, the fan group had prepared a special gift.

Rachel commanded with a loud voice, "Begin!"

Hundreds of fans uniformly pulled out a can of Coca-Cola, opened it one after another, raising it towards Martin, and drank together.

"The Cola Cult!"

Emily, mingled in the crowd, shouted at the top of her lungs, and the sides of the red carpet erupted completely.

"The Cola Cult!"

"Sect Leader Martin..."

Similar shrieks were endless.

Martin simply walked over, took an unopened can of Coca-Cola from Rachel, popped the seal, and took a few sips.

Then, he handed the Coca-Cola to Bruce and stepped into the media zone.

Ever since he received the Honorary Citizen's golden key to Los Angeles, Martin rarely made public appearances.

At this moment, a crowd of reporters surrounded him.

However, Martin only accepted interviews from the official media designated by the crew.

The interview was conducted by Helen, a familiar face from Warner Television Network.

She asked, "How does it feel to be a Sect Leader?"

Martin answered seriously, "I have no idea how to be a Sect Leader."

Helen asked another question, "Can I join the Cola Cult?"

Martin waved a hand and Bruce immediately handed over a bottle of Coca-Cola, which he presented to Helen, "You've joined."

Helen couldn't help but laugh.

Another commotion stirred on the red carpet as Blake Lively made her way quickly into the media zone.

Helen immediately pulled her over and asked, "You play a couple with Martin in the film, how does that feel?"

Blake's gaze fixed intensely on Martin, "You can't imagine what a stroke of luck it is, like being favored by the goddess of fate, Martin and I are a natural match, with an exceptional understanding between us, regardless of what we do or say, we're always on the same wavelength."

Her sycophantic comments were direct and devoid of pretense, "Martin is my god of men, I really hope to work with him again, in any capacity."

Helen thought to herself, you're just short of kissing him right here.

Martin tactfully ended the interview and stood with Blake in front of the photo backdrop.

Blake reached out her hand and firmly held onto Martin's arm.

The camera flashes kept lighting up.

In those days, aesthetic standards were still very normal; everyone liked to see handsome men and beautiful women.

A few minutes later, the two entered the cinema.

Blake was still clung to Martin, asking as they walked, "I called you last night, but you didn't answer, why?"

Martin said, "I was so tired from the flight, I went to sleep as soon as I got to the hotel and slept like the dead."

Blake was very concerned about him, "Is the work too exhausting? You should take care of yourself."

"Yes, it's exhausting," Martin thought to himself, how could it not be, with a row of juicers waiting their turn, even a man of steel would be extruded into molten iron.

He said with a sense of helplessness, "There's always endless business to attend to. At this stage, I can't afford to relax; to not advance is to fall back."

Bruce understood the pressure of the industry and wanted to alleviate Martin's stress. After careful thought, he realized it wasn't appropriate and didn't know what to say, so he just held Martin's arm tighter.

As they were nearing the entrance to the theater, she remembered something important and invited him in advance, "My 18th birthday is at the end of August. Will you come to my party?"

Martin swore solemnly, "I swear to God, I'll be there."

The two entered the lobby of the cinema, greeted the other members of the cast, and took their seats next to each other.

The creative team of the production gradually arrived.

Aibo, Yamerica, and Alexis, the three female leads, specially came over to express their gratitude to Martin.

They were among the 16 people Martin directly saved.

After the Burbank Middle School incident, the atmosphere among the four leading ladies of the cast, including Bruce and Aibo, had improved significantly; they at least didn't confront each other anymore, subtly forming a kind of sisterhood.

Perhaps, as time passes and with personal growth, they would realize that the squabbles that occurred on set were truly insignificant.

Because as they aged, who knows how many hands would reach out to tear them down. Embark on a quest with m,vl_em|p_yr

After the production's creative team finished the routine interaction with media and the audience, the film officially started.

This was a movie about girls' friendship. Although many scenes with Martin were added to the version that went to theaters compared to the initial cut, his screen time was still limited; it didn't unbalance the story.

The story of four girls connected through a pair of jeans, each representing true experiences, first love, first loss, and facing tragedy for the first time—experiences many are going through or have gone through.

If it can resonate emotionally with the target audience, the film is bound to be successful.

Besides, the film had become well-known because of the noise Martin generated.

Those who came to watch because of Martin wouldn't be disappointed; every single frame of Martin's scenes showed him at his most handsome, worthy of being used as computer wallpaper.

In the audience, some were praising, "This film is worth the ticket price just for Martin and Bruce.

Bruce Lively, in her current age, represents the most enchanting phase for a blonde white female. Even with a naturally mature-looking face, she still looks fresh and radiant.

As for Martin, his short screen time shone with charisma, impossible to ignore.

So, when the credits began to roll, the entire audience gave a warm round of applause.

All the creative members of the production stood up and applauded.

Hearing the thunderous applause, Bruce couldn't help but look back, then turned around to hug Martin, asking, "We made it, didn't we?"

Martin replied, "We are definitely going to make it."

The premiere ended, and the audience gradually left the theater.

The production's creative team also prepared to leave.

Bruce said goodbye to Martin, and accompanied by her agent, she made her way to the cinema's main entrance.

No sooner had she stepped out than a large crowd of fans surrounded her asking for autographs.

Journalists and paparazzi nearby began taking photos with their cameras.

Bruce was initially flustered, but she quickly calmed down under the protection of her agent and several security personnel and took a signing pen to autograph for the fans.

Being the center of everyone's attention, this feeling as if she were the center of the world could intoxicate someone new to the experience.

Once she was in the car, fans still blocked the front and back, calling out Bruce's name.

The paparazzi nearby also followed.

Suddenly, Bruce felt that college didn't matter at all; what she wanted was the life she had experienced that evening.

The success of a film can change a person's choices and destiny.

Martin returned to the Four Seasons Hotel, and no sooner had he entered his suite, than he received a call from Blake Lively.

"I've made up my mind!" Bruce wanted to share with Martin the moment she decided, "As long as this movie is a success, I won't apply for college; I want to be a star, just like you."

Martin didn't say anything biased, simply replying, "Talk it over with your family."

Bruce said, "I'm home now, I'll call you again tomorrow."

Martin put away his phone, thinking he could finally get a good night's sleep, but then the phone rang again.

It was a call from Wes Craven. The old man invited Martin to join him for a facial.

Martin certainly wouldn't refuse, he quickly changed and headed to the hotel's side door, waiting for a somewhat old business van to come by, into which he climbed.

Aga and Zomi were there; the four headed straight for their usual haunt.

It was another refreshing night.

At the break of dawn, Bruce came downstairs from the upper floor, sent her brother Eric out, and bought back a pile of newspapers and magazines.

Without having breakfast, she hugged the newspapers and went back to her room, flipping through them for news about The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

"It's a genuinely enjoyable good film; the young actors in it have all demonstrated impressive acting skills," was the short comment from the New York Times that made Bruce quite happy.

Hollywood Reporter even lavished praise on two actors, "When Martin and Bruce appear together in the film, it always becomes exceptionally charming."

Having read some newspapers and statistics, Bruce called Martin, and as soon as he answered, she couldn't wait to say, "Martin, have you seen it? The media reviews are leaning positive, and the film has a good reputation!"

On the other end, Martin sounded out of breath, "Yes, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants has a good reputation, and the box office won't be bad. Bruce, you're going to be famous!"

As a die-hard fan, who believed she knew everything about her idol, Bruce could tell something was off about Martin's voice and couldn't help asking, "Your voice sounds strange, are you sick?"

"You must be punished!" Martin released his hand, increasing the strength and speed simultaneously.

Instead, Jolie grew even more excited, even becoming fanatical, "Tell me, how many women have I cuckolded?"