America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz

Chapter 313: Chapter 308: Forty Years of Professional Troublemaking

These three jerks, got into the habit of messing around when they got together.

Life, after all, is about making money to enjoy yourself, and creating fun is also a form of enjoyment.

Nicholson glared at Martin.

"Jack, I admit, it was Leo and I who set off the fireworks." At the height of the storm, Martin's rudder kept turning: "We only intended to set off some firecrackers from a distance, as a gift for you."

He had prepared his excuse: "You said that you got together with Meryl in 1981, so this was to celebrate you and Meryl… becoming silver screen lovers."

Leonardo wanted to laugh but held it in: "Right! A silver love gift for you."

How could Nicholson believe these two bastards: "Keep making stuff up, I'll help you join the Screenwriters Guild later and get Best Screenwriter."

"I swear, we were absolutely giving you a gift." Martin said this with a clear conscience because it really was a gift, and then he continued to fabricate: "But when we got there, we found those two jerks, Bale and Blanchett! Do you know what they were up to?"

He relayed what Silsa had told him: "Those shameless two, actually followed you guys and spied on you, secretly watching you and then messing around together!"

This time, Leonardo didn't leave any trace of acting: "An actress named Silsa from the 'Atonement' crew found out, she told us. Jack, you can go to the crew and ask her yourself."

Martin continued: "How could we allow those two bastards to do such filthy things, you're the boss of our trio, we should be the ones to prank you, not those two jerks, so we opened fire on them!"

Leonardo tried not to use his threefold strategy: "Martin and I were protecting you!"

Of course, Nicholson wasn't buying it: "And you blasted me along the way? Great, just wait, as your boss, I'll definitely return the favor with a big gift."

Martin laughed: "We're all family here, no need for formalities."

Leonardo added, "You better keep it for yourself."

Nicholson was thinking about something else, though, these two bastards could blast the forest, or even shoot up into the sky and explode midair, that thing was interesting.

He kicked back on the sofa with his legs crossed: "Hand over your weapon, and I'll believe you."

Martin feigned a distressed look on purpose: "This is our homemade secret weapon…"

Nicholson said, "I'm calling a reporter from The Sun."

Martin promptly replied, "You're the boss, we'll do as you say."

That bastard Leonardo, however, sneakily winked at Martin.

Martin nodded slightly in understanding.

Nicholson urged, "Come on, bring it out!"

Martin took out his phone and made a call to Old Cloth.

Soon, Bruce brought in two black cloth bags into the room.

Martin pulled open the bag with the kickstarter, and Leonardo took out a homemade mortar and hoisted it onto his shoulder.

Nicholson, well-traveled and knowledgeable, picked up a kicker, "This is a specially made firecracker often set off during festivals in Chinatown."

He then glanced at the steel pipe and nodded: "Using a steel pipe to control its trajectory after firing, whose idea was that? Damn, that's a real jerk move!"

Leonardo immediately sold Martin out by pointing in his direction.

Martin reminded Nicholson: "You like smoking cigars, don't mix them up with these, or if you pick the wrong one, say goodbye to your mouth."

He emphasized specially: "Whatever you end up doing, it's your own act, and you mustn't say it's related to me and Leo."

Nicholson assured: "When has Old Jack ever betrayed his brothers?"

Leonardo deliberately said, "There will be more people over at Pine Forest tonight, you can play if you want, just don't go there to fire… "

This reminded Nicholson, and he waved his hand, "Deal, I'll keep the stuff, but you two don't need to worry about the rest."

Martin and Leonardo exchanged a look, and the former said, "Be safe, Old Jack, if you want to have a blast, you'd better find a loader."

Nicholson nodded, "I got it."

He picked up the bags and left the room, returning to his own suite. The seriousness on his face vanished as he looked at the two bags and laughed heartily.

With the steel pipe on his shoulder, Nicholson stuffed in a kicker and took aim as if about to fire.

But without lighting it, it was unsatisfying, so he could only wildly imagine it.

It's well known that the game of firing, between thinking and doing, is worlds apart.

Nicholson really wanted to fire a few shots for real, it was easy to find a loader, being an experienced troublemaker, he pulled out his phone and dialed his longtime partner of 25 years: "Meryl, come to my room, I've got something great to show you!"

Meryl was very dissatisfied that afternoon, "What great thing? Just that lousy stuff of yours? Soft and limp like a slug."

As she said this, Meryl still went to Nicholson's room.

In another room, Leonardo asked, "Do you think Jack will go tonight?"

Martin asked, "If it was you, would you?"

Leonardo put himself in the situation: "Such a fun thing, how could I resist?" He laughed: "Given Jack's forty-year career of messing things up, there's no way he'd pass up this opportunity."

Martin was genuinely concerned for Nicholson's safety: "If Old Jack gets caught, he won't get killed, will he?"

Leonardo said, "Shouldn't happen, his face is too iconic, at worst he'll get beaten half to death."

Fooling around is all well and good, but they couldn't let Nicholson really fall into a trap, Martin thought for a moment and called Bruce, asking him to keep an eye on Nicholson's whereabouts.

As dinner time approached, Kate Winslet placed a call to Martin, wanting to chat about rehearsal.

Martin thought for a moment and said, "Let's wait for tomorrow. I have to go out tonight, and I might return a bit late."

With no scenes involving Martin these past two days, Kate said, "Alright, I'll contact you after work tomorrow."

On the ride back from Pine Forest Film Studio, Kate put down her phone. Due to some difficulties with filming those scenes, the crew had to change their plans last minute and shoot individual parts instead, in order to free up enough time for both actors to rehearse.

Those kinds of scenes were not easy to rehearse.

Kate, a mature actress, had no psychological barriers to this, even considering methods used by some within the Hollywood circle.

This movie was extremely important to her, and for the dearly coveted Oscar for Best Actress, it was the largest scale she had taken on in her career.

For art, some sacrifices are normal.

Looking back, aside from those artificially promoted to stardom, everyone else had delivered breakthrough performances.

Kate was fully aware that to win over more judges during the awards season, publicity was key, but breakthroughs were the foundation.

Upon returning to the hotel she was staying at, she went to her room to rest for a bit, deciding to talk to her husband and the director of this project, Sam Mendes.

As the lead actress, initiator of the project, and co-producer, Kate intended to take the initiative.

...…

As night fell, Martin received a message from Bruce that Nicholson was personally driving, taking Meryl with him and heading toward the Pine Forest Film Studio.

Leonardo said, "Let's go, let's watch the show!"

It wasn't too hot today, and after the sun went down, there was a cool breeze. Martin took out two hoodies, tossed one to Leonardo, and corrected him while walking, "We're not going to watch a show; we're going to cover for our brother."

Leonardo donned the hoodie and said, "Buddy, you're such a good guy! No—we are good guys, the royalty should knight us."

They went downstairs, where Old Cloth was already waiting in the car below, and they drove straight to Pine Forest Film Studio.

Martin asked, "Is the studio still crowded this late?"

Bruce had looked into it: "There are quite a few crews shooting night scenes tonight. The 'Harry Potter' crew has been working on night scenes recently."

Arriving at the studio gates, the three spotted Nicholson's car and immediately went into the studio to switch to an electric cart, heading straight for the Pine Forest.

Built several decades ago, many of the facilities at Pine Forest Film Studio were old, with streetlights near the Pine Forest being somewhat broken, and those still working emitting a weak yellow light.

Nicholson appeared from behind a pine tree hoisting a metal pipe and said, "Be careful, don't light the wrong end."

Meryl lit the firecracker, stuffed it into the metal pipe, and after a muffled boom, a loud explosion echoed overhead, followed by colorful smoke bursting forth!

"Hahaha..."

Excited, Nicholson shouted, "This is fun! Quick, load another round!"

Meryl, dignified in public as if a lady of high standing, was completely different behind the scenes, like all actors, especially when following Nicholson.

Her hands busy loading rounds, she yelled out, "Fire! Blast all those shameless deviants out!"

Compared to the random firing and indiscriminate blasting by Nicholson and Meryl.

Amidst shrill screams, a young couple ran out from a few dozen meters away, rushing towards the light.

The shameless old Nicholson, while launching fireworks, also shouted names to make sure the victims were thoroughly embarrassed, "Look, look who it is, Hermione and Malfoy, huh!"

Meryl, energized by the event, vented out her frustrations from the day, shouting as if she was commanding a battle, "Keep going, keep at it! Don't stop!"

Suddenly, the dark Pine Forest above and within erupted with one red mist after another.

Even though Martin and Leonardo had caused trouble in the afternoon, there were still quite a few people around that night, their figures constantly shifting in the moonlight.

Suddenly, someone yelled, "There are the troublemakers! Hey, don't run, let's get them together!"

"Get them!" Six or seven shadows ran toward them from the distance.

Nicholson, aware that he couldn't afford a head-on confrontation at his age, immediately called to Meryl, "Run!"

The two turned and dashed off.

The electric cart was not far parked away, and Nicholson hopped in, checking Meryl was seated, and floored the accelerator.

They had not gotten far when three vehicles started chasing them from behind.

Then, even more vehicles followed.

Suddenly, the entire northern part of the studio was in chaos.

Martin and Leonardo, with their hoods up, drove into the mix of chasing vehicles, shouting and hollering, caught up in the excitement.

"They're two people!" shouted an impassioned young Malfoy from a vehicle in front, "Stop them! Block those bastards and beat them so their parents won't recognize them!"

Leonardo, disguising his voice, yelled, "Break their dog legs!"

Martin, with a British accent, added, "Break the man's third leg, and drive the woman mad with rubber bullets!"

"Jack Nicholson! Meryl Streep! Bloody hell, how could it be them!" exclaimed Malfoy in surprise as they reached a well-lit area.

With their names called out, Nicholson ran even faster.

Martin and Leonardo laughed heartily, predicting The Sun would sell out tomorrow.