Chapter 53: Chapter 53: The Industry is too Competitive
The Ford pulled into the parking area, Martin locked the car door and walked toward the soundstage, in the vast automotive production center, only the plant converted into a soundstage bustled with activity.
Robert was carrying a basket of potatoes to the catering truck, looking somewhat strained, Martin quickened his pace to help him.
"Huff... huff, I'm exhausted," Robert panted heavily.
After setting down the potatoes, Martin grabbed two bottles of water and handed one to him, "How come you're by yourself?"
Robert explained, "Mary Jane came, and the crew set aside time for a group photo; they all went there." He gestured to his own face, "I have a big face, so I'm not interested in a big face in photos."
Hearing the word "big," Martin suddenly thought of Old Cloth and asked, "Is she big at the back?"
Robert looked curious, "You like them big at the back? You should go for Kate Winslet."
Martin responded, "Buddy, you really see things clearly."
"Oh, I warned Rosa," Robert felt that introducing Martin the other day was the root cause, "I told her you had a girlfriend."
There was no dinner that day. Rosa kept asking Robert questions on the road, Robert, being an old background artist, understood her implication all too well and found an excuse to make a quick exit.
Martin walked toward a makeup trailer, "Thanks."
The crew hadn't started working yet, and no one was around. Martin knocked lightly on the trailer door, and Kate Winslet's assistant opened the door.
"Penny, I'm looking for Kate," he said.
Kate Winslet's voice came from inside, "Let Martin in."
Martin stepped onto the trailer and saw Kate sitting in a chair, reading a newspaper. He said, "A friend of mine is a die-hard fan of yours and wants an autographed photo."
Kate smiled, "Pick one yourself."
Starting with Rose, this had become a common practice for her – she always carried some when she went out.
Penny brought over an album to let Martin choose.
Martin flipped through two pages and found a photo of Kate leaning forward with both hands on a table. He said, "This one."
Kate took it and swiftly signed her name.
"Thanks, I'll buy you a drink sometime when you're free," Martin said as he put away the photo, planning to give it to Old Cloth.
Kate asked, "I heard from Louise that you can make a cocktail that starts with expansion and impact, and then follows with rich and pleasant flavors?"
Martin couldn't tell if she was talking about the cocktail or something else, so he replied, "It's a recipe that Louise and I came up with together."
Kate looked forward to it, "I'll try it when I have some time."
Martin had just come out of the trailer when he saw Robert's big head again.
The man was carrying two large bags of discarded beverage bottles, struggling a bit as he walked and called out, "Martin, give me a hand."
Martin went over and took one of the bags, asking, "Where to?"
"Shh—" Robert looked around cautiously and lowered his voice, "The crew doesn't want these. I've kept them hidden, and I can sell them for some cash later."
Having recently emerged from abject poverty, Martin understood the hardships of the poor and realized, "So, that's why you're working odd jobs on the set, to keep an eye on the food and drinks?"
Robert reminded him in a low voice, "Don't talk nonsense. Tread lightly and move fast. If the other extras see this, I won't be able to continue this business."
Martin figured it out; last time in Ma Zhen's crew, Robert took the initiative to move beverages, and now he was doing the same.
The automotive production center was very spacious but had few hiding places. Most of the plants were locked, only one had a broken door.
......
With the crew thoughtfully setting aside time for group photos, many people ran to see Mary Jane.
Rosa also wanted to go but was stopped by Adam Smith.
This was the person Adam Smith had specifically chosen; they had interacted before, and he knew what kind of person she was.
"Hold up a few minutes, can we find a place to talk?" the blond, blue-eyed Adam Smith beamed sunshine from his handsome face.
Rosa stopped, "I have nothing to talk about with you."
Adam Smith pulled a notebook from his backpack and tossed it to her, "Take a look."
Rosa, puzzled, opened it to find a dozen pages of a script with Benjamin-Calvin's signature, "What does this mean?"
Adam Smith explained, "It's a new play by Gray Company. Director Benjamin is going to shoot a theatrical movie, and I'm the lead actor. The boss gave me part of the script. You should know, I'm Gray Company's first choice for the male lead in late-night shows. If you're interested, I can recommend you for the role of the supporting actress."
Rosa skimmed the script quickly, handed it back to Adam, and was to the point, "Where to? Lead the way."
With so many people around, this wasn't the place to talk. Adam Smith picked a small path between two plants and turned into it.
There was no one behind the corner, only the howling of the wind as it moved through the broken windows of the factory.
And the sound of cans and plastic bottles rolling.
Rosa turned the corner and without a word, she undid her belt and pointed at her head and legs, asking, "Top first or bottom?"
Adam Smith urged Rosa to pull her pants up quickly, "Now is not the time, don't talk about that."
"What do you want?" Rosa didn't believe Adam Smith would offer such a gift for free.
Adam Smith didn't say directly, instead he asked, "Martin Davis rejected your kindness, didn't he?"
Rosa's actions these past few days hadn't been a secret, she didn't deny it: "He has a girlfriend."
Adam Smith slapped the screenplay in his hand, using his trump card, "A supporting female role in a theater film."
"What do you want me to do?" Rosa wanted to see if the trade was equal.
Adam Smith said, "Find an opportunity to take a cup or bottle that Martin Davis has used."
Rosa said, "You could go get it yourself."
Adam Smith shook his head, "I'm not close with him, it would raise his suspicions."
Rosa asked, "What do you want to do?"
Adam Smith said ambiguously, "Give him some nice stuff, help him out a bit." Seeing that Rosa was tempted, he added, "Playing an important role in a theater film, if you don't become famous later, taking the high-end club route or the Sacred Valley path, naturally, your asking price will be several levels higher."
Rosa had nothing but her body, and nothing much else to lose, "Adam Smith, remember your promise, I'm a person with nothing to lose."
Adam was not afraid of black people because there were a lot of black people behind him.
The draft wind kept blowing, and there was the sound of beverage bottles rolling again.
The two of them didn't pay attention and left separately.
In the factory, just a wall away, Martin pulled Robert aside, signaling him to keep away from the broken windows.
After moving away, Robert lowered his voice and asked, "Those two bastards are targeting you, let's go out and beat the crap out of them!"
Martin had more on his mind, like the script and theater films.
It wasn't hard for him to associate with the script that Kelly had.
The industry is too complicated!
The project isn't even off the ground, and that bastard is already starting to eliminate potential threats?
Martin said slowly, "If we expose him this time, won't he just try something else next time?"
"You know Kelly."
"Use high-end resources for this kind of dirty work?" Martin shook his head, "If we use it this time, it won't be good for next time."
Robert, an old background artist, had seen much and said, "Buddy, your head isn't big, but you're blocking Adam Smith's way."
"He also blocks my way," Martin muttered to himself, then asked, "What's he going to do with my used bottle or cup?"
Robert, who had seen many films, replied, "He'll have your biological samples on it, go murder someone, leave it at the crime scene, and frame you."
Martin looked at his large head, "Now I understand why your head is so big, it's because you've got an extra black hole."
That comment left Robert speechless.
"It's full of my lucky stars!" Martin, having pondered the situation, pulled out his phone to call a professional, "Old Cloth, I've got a problem and I need your lump of stinking shit to help."
"I don't do it for free!"
"Don't worry, I've got something good this time," Martin quickly explained the situation.
Bruce said, "Good deal, wait for me to come over, find a discreet place, and we'll meet."
After Martin put away his phone, Robert asked, "Did you call the police?"
"Calling the police is useless," Martin said, "I called a cleaner instead."
While waiting, he racked his brain, especially about the rotten things in the entertainment industry, and suddenly thought of something, how did the big shit get in again?
Bruce arrived quickly, and Martin met him in the graveyard near the production center, sharing his suspicions.
"The possibility is great, let's act when the opportunity arises," Bruce said, "You get me a pass that allows normal entry and exit from the film set."
That was too easy for Martin, he quickly sorted it with Andrew.