America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz

Companies in rapid development always face a shortage of funds, and Gray Film Company was no exception.

Kelly Gray saw a broad prospect in the business of renting out studios through her cooperation with Hollywood this time.

Of course, the basic plate of film and television production couldn't be lost.

Kelly was very interested, "Let's hear it."

Martin had already considered it: "The place I used to work at, the House of Beast, was owned by Vincent Lee. His stepmother is named Sophia, a muscular woman who is keen on fitness. They came from Savannah."

Kelly immediately grasped the key point, "They launder money through the nightclub, not other high-end ways, which means their power is limited."

Martin said, "Facing the vice-chairman of the ATL Freedom Association and the future congressman, they are just rats in the gutter, but for me, they are a behemoth."

Kelly did not joke with Martin, but asked directly, "The daily turnover of the House of Beast?"

"I'm not too clear about the exact numbers," Martin could only estimate based on the tickets and sales: "At least forty thousand US dollars a day."

Kelly picked up her phone, "Wait for a moment."

She made a call, "Big brother, I need a bit of your precious time to help me check something out. Vincent Lee and Sophia from Savannah, the former has set up the House of Beast Club in West Strip. I am planning to get them to invest in films, the Hollywood model I mentioned to you before. I want to know if there will be any problems on my end."

Martin had heard from Louise that Kelly came from a well-off family, but the family's resources were mainly in the hands of the males.

Not too long after, a call came in, and the person on the other end was straightforward, "They are involved in smuggling, any problems would just be minor inconveniences."

"Thanks, I'll bring you a gift when I come home," Kelly Gray ended the call and got down to business, "If you can pull in enough investment, you'll be the male lead. The more money you bring in, the higher your pay. I can offer you a producer manager position so you can have a double salary."

Martin confirmed, "A theatrical release?"

Kelly smiled, "As long as the funding issue is resolved, everything else is easy to talk about. There's the Savannah Film Festival later this year, a great opportunity for the film to be showcased and sold. Louise and I have connections all over Hollywood, so inviting distributors to watch the film won't be a problem."

"Won't this have a negative impact on you?" Martin appeared to be especially caring.

A warmth rose in Kelly's heart, she grasped Martin's hand and gave it a light kiss, "It's not just you who wants to climb the social ladder, but me as well. Money is one of the best tools."

Martin held her in his lap, "We'll work hard together."

Kelly let out a soft sigh, "If only you were born into a wealthy family."

This impractical thought flashed through her mind, and then she asked, "Do you have any other good ideas?"

Martin admitted honestly, "I can only think of despicable and shameless schemes."

Kelly snuggled into his arms, "As long as they work."

Martin said, "I'll just be responsible for the rotten ideas."

Kelly propped herself up, looked down for a moment, then settled back down, exhaling deeply, "I suddenly don't want to let you go to Los Angeles."

...

In the afternoon, Martin left Kelly's apartment building, got into her BMW 7 Series, and headed to West Strip.

All the way, he pondered what to say.

With Kelly Gray, he could speak directly because she wouldn't leak a word.

But with Vincent, it was best to switch the narrative.

As he neared West Strip, Martin called Vincent, mentioning he had something to discuss, and Vincent told him to come to the club.

Martin arrived at the club, went straight to the second floor, and entered the office.

Vincent, wearing a rolled-edge cowboy hat, sat behind the office desk leisurely smoking a cigar. When he lifted his head, his sharp, hawkish nose was pointed right at Martin, "Take a seat wherever you like."

Martin pulled back a chair and sat down, "Boss, long time no see, I've heard the club's business has been booming."

Vincent was quite satisfied with Martin's past contributions, showing rare approval with a smile, "You played a big part in that."

"Boss, I've come this time to bring a new opportunity," Martin said, avoiding any mention of money laundering, "It could make the club famous throughout Georgia, and if we're lucky, even across the entire US."

He had heard from Bruce that Vincent had visited Las Vegas to scout: "In time, Boss, you could expand the club to Las Vegas."

Due to his previous successes, Vincent valued Martin highly and asked, "What opportunity?"

Martin said, "Investing in a film, one set in a male strip club as the backdrop. Directed by Benjamin of Grey Media Company, who spent months perfecting the script. Once production is finished, it'll be released in theaters nationwide."

Vincent didn't speak—this industry was unfamiliar to him.

Martin took out the script, handing it to Vincent, "Boss, you know me, I don't do things I'm not confident about."

Without the consecutive successes before, Martin wouldn't have come so quickly.

Vincent opened the script, quickly skimmed it, and realized after just a few pages that the story indeed took place in a male strip club. The mentioned circular stage and other elements matched the House of Beast Club perfectly.

The script was clearly inspired by Martin's part-time background.

So, to Vincent, the story seemed like it was definitely set in the House of Beast.

Even as an outsider, he could imagine that once the movie was widely released, House of Beast's fame would skyrocket.

Martin continued, "The film project has received the green light from Kelly Gray. Gray Company will publicize a notice in the newspapers tomorrow, calling for investments from the broader community. Boss, I came right over to tell you as soon as I got the news."

Vincent was puzzled, "They're soliciting investments from the public?"

Martin elaborated, "It's quite normal in the film industry. For example, the famous 'The Godfather' is said to have received funding from certain Italian powers. 'Saving Private Ryan' and 'Band of Brothers' had investments from India..."

Vincent was unfamiliar with the latter but had heard about the former. The connection Italians had with movies clicked immediately after Martin's implication.

He took off his cowboy hat, lighting a well-prepared cigar: "You're well-informed, investing in movies..."

"Boss, when I left, I said I will always be a part of the club!" Martin interrupted Vincent's words: "I've always been a poor kid from Clayton. If it weren't for you taking me in, giving me a job, I wouldn't be where I am today."

"You know what a mess Jack Davis was. After becoming an adult, the three people who've helped me the most—two of them are from the club. One is you, Boss, and the other is Old Cloth. You guys saved my life multiple times!"

Just counting Old Cloth, the statement wasn't much of an exaggeration.

Martin added, "The owner of Grey Media Company is Kelly Gray, an Atlanta native with both her home and company based in Atlanta. The Gray Family has always had a good reputation, so I felt confident recommending this project for your investment."

A local person with a local company seemed more reliable than an outsider, and Vincent remembered hearing about the Gray Family somewhere.

Martin said, "Boss, although I come from nothing, I know gratitude."

"Just that?" Vincent didn't believe someone could be so simple-minded.

Martin scratched his head sheepishly, "Kelly Gray promised me that if I can secure the investment, she'll let me be the male lead in the film."

Vincent pointed at him, "You sly dog!"

Martin quickly added, "I also recommended the handsome strippers. When the time comes, let Hart and the others play as strippers in real performances, which would be excellent publicity."

He emphasized, "They would all be paid actors."

The latter remark reminded Vincent: inserting our own people into the film crew, inflating acting fees...

His gaze went past Martin, towards the main hall of the club. The club served as a film set during the day and as usual in the evenings, claiming a one-to-one setup for the shooting stage, yet another considerable "legitimate" expense!

No wonder those Italian guys invested in 'The Godfather', no wonder the Germans, Indians, and others were crazily investing in Hollywood.

Even an outsider like him could think of many ways to do the accounting properly.

After a while, Vincent said, "I'll think about it."

Martin left the office, turning off the recording pen in his pocket as he descended the stairs.

He felt only exhaustion at that moment, securing the leading role in a theatrical film was too difficult, jumping through hoops like a monkey.