America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz

The sky had darkened, and with the courtyard lights turned on, Martin and Elizabeth stood in front of the fountain, welcoming guests as the hosts.

Leonardo and Nicholson had arrived early.

Martin's regulars like Mene, Chad, Marcus, and Bradt also made their way there together.

One luxury car after another drove into the Sunset Boulevard North District.

Soon, both sides of the road by Martin's house were lined with parked vehicles.

Since it was a gated community, the paparazzi who came to join in on the excitement could only wait outside the neighborhood, unable to capture much of anything.

Martin greeted guest after guest, his only surprise being that Wes Craven had personally come over.

In the past two years, the old man's health hadn't been great, and he seldom went out for fun anymore.

Martin had only sent the invitation as a courtesy.

Craven looked around Martin's new house and said, "Very beautiful home, and an even more beautiful hostess."

Elizabeth smiled sweetly.

Martin said, "And a very lively party."

Craven glanced around and remarked, "I still miss the party where Jason and Freddy showed up together, but unfortunately, I'm too old now to play those games."

Elizabeth, curious, asked if he was talking about Jason vs. Freddy.

Martin said with a laugh, "Whenever you have time, we'll go 'cleanse our faces' together again."

Craven waved his hand and said, "I'll pass on that, those activities aren't for me anymore. But you need to remember one thing, Martin, we can't lose the traditions of the Face Gang!"

Martin replied very seriously, "The traditions of the Face Gang definitely won't be lost."

Craven patted Martin on the shoulder, "Become a superstar soon." He pointed ahead, "I'm going to talk to some old friends."

Martin watched him go to the left side of the lawn where Leonardo, Nicholson, Warren Beatty, Robert De Niro, and others who had 'cleansed their faces' together were all gathered.

Elizabeth said softly, "It's apparent, you respect Director Craven a lot."

Martin replied, "Without Craven's support, I might not have progressed this smoothly."

At that moment, Thomas came over quickly and said, "Ali and Jim Whit are here."

These two were the top bosses at WMA; Martin moved forward to greet them, walking out a short distance before meeting Ali and Jim head-on.

Martin shook hands with them and gestured for Elizabeth to accept the gifts they brought.

Ali spotted the cluster of aging white men right away and said to Martin, "Jim and I will go talk Oscars with them."

Martin was forthright, "There are some things it's not proper for me to say, and Thomas doesn't carry enough weight."

WMA still didn't have a super-giant client, but Ali saw hope in Martin, "I'll handle this."

Jim also said to Martin, "A nomination for Best Supporting Actor the year before last, Best Actor nomination last year, you're no longer purely a newcomer, you already have the credentials."

Together, the two men joined the group of aging white men.

Aside from the veteran actors, prominent Los Angeles critics like Kenneth Turan and Todd McCarthy were also part of this small circle.

Nicholson, having enjoyed his role as a commander lately, steered the conversation toward Martin and the Joker: "Speaking of superb acting, you can't overlook Martin. A comic book superhero role, and he played it so brilliantly."

He was having fun and didn't mind boosting his brother a bit: "Honestly, my portrayal of the Joker isn't as good as Martin's."

Warren Beatty said, "Old buddy, you're actually being humble for once, that's rare."

Nicholson took a drink from a waiter and said, "That's between us privately. In public, I'd never admit it. Jack Nicholson, Oscars 3, Martin, zero!"

The group burst into laughter.

Ali chimed in at the right moment, "Martin really has a spirit of inquiry. In today's Hollywood, how many young actors are willing to immerse themselves in darkness and solitude to feel the inner world of their characters?"

These old white men had little respect for young actors who found quick fame and then became incredibly arrogant, yet Martin's image fit their taste perfectly.

Warren Beatty commented, "Indeed, Martin has fully embodied the darkness, madness, and perversion of the character."

Kenneth Turan, the leading film critic for the Los Angeles Times, experienced a sense of accomplishment watching Martin, like a student he guided, growing step by step.

It was a strange feeling, yet it could affect one's mood, and he added, "Such a deeply bone-marrowed, selfless performance! The Joker, such a complex character, has earned Martin respect from everyone."

Leonardo casually said, "That bastard Martin, after playing the Joker, really turned into a complete jerk. He'd been seeing a psychologist continuously and took a long break before he could move on."

Ali added, "Many people around me say they fell in love with a movie because of a villain. Martin played a supporting role, yet he stole all the limelight from the protagonist."

He purposefully highlighted, "When was the last time such a classic villain appeared? I remember now, Anthony Hopkins' Hannibal!"

"The Joker really is comparable to Hannibal," Warren Beatty said slowly, "If this weren't a comic book adaptation, I would even be willing to cast my Best Actor vote for Martin."

Ali said in a half-joking tone, "A Best Supporting Actor is always possible, right?"

This is the inherent disadvantage of non-realistic genres; if The Dark Knight hadn't been closer to a realistic crime film, these people probably wouldn't even be interested in discussing it.

The discussion here was in full swing.

Meanwhile, Martin was greeting Charlize Theron and a man whose name he hadn't remembered.

"It's an honor for us that you could come," said Martin, the host, who tonight had nothing but nice words to say.

Charlize Theron looked past Martin to see the many directors, actors, and producers, knew she had come to the right place, and said with a smile, "Martin, we're neighbors; no need for such courtesy."

Martin said, "Back in my hometown of Atlanta, there's a saying that a good neighbor is better than kin."

The catch is that the good neighbor's last name isn't Wang.

Charlize laughed, "That makes a lot of sense."

Stuart Townsend seemed a touch impatient.

In fact, this couple, where the woman was stronger and the man weaker, had already had several intense conflicts.

For some reason, Stuart didn't take kindly to Martin and quietly tugged Charlize, gesturing toward the far right, "See a friend over there, shall we go say hello?"

Martin said with a smile, "Please, go ahead."

Elizabeth looked at Charlize's retreating figure, not without envy, "She has such a great figure, a natural clothes hanger."

Martin appeared quite indifferent in front of her, "She's just a clothes hanger."

Charlize Theron, tall with long legs, broad shoulders, and a large frame, looked more than ordinarily stunning in the right clothes but... well, didn't seem bad without them either?

Martin vaguely remembered that this Oscar-winning actress had a tradition of often taking off her clothes on camera.

The conversation of that engaged couple also turned to their new neighbor.

"I don't have a good impression of this guy; let's keep our distance in the future." Contrary to the wealth and fame of the two, Stuart was very dominant in front of Charlize.

Charlize said, "He's got a decent reputation in the industry."

Stuart looked around, made sure no one was nearby, and said in a low voice, "I don't think he's a good person. I've told you to keep away from him, so keep away."

Charlize didn't want to argue in such a setting and took a step back, "I understand."

The last to arrive was David Fincher, who shook hands with Martin and said, "I've been busy with post-production of 'Benjamin' all day and lost track of time."

"No problem," Martin asked, "Haven't had dinner yet, have you?"

David Fincher had been so busy that he was disoriented, "Actually, I didn't even have lunch."

Martin simply led him to the dining area.

David ate some barbecue and had a glass of wine without any formality, then said, "Warner Bros. and Paramount Pictures are bidding for the film to compete in next year's Cannes Film Festival. Remember to keep mid-May free next year, and we'll go experience the romance of France together."

Martin purposely asked, "David, it looks like you've experienced the romance of France?"

David Fincher said, "I'd rather experience the romance of Isabel Adjani, but I've never had the chance, my former French goddess has aged."

Martin asked, "I remember after she broke up with Daniel Day-Lewis, she has remained single."

David Fincher shook his head repeatedly, "Even if she were single, I wouldn't pursue her. A goddess is to be admired from afar because I'm not going to get married. Marriage is too terrifying."
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Hearing him speak of the horrors of marriage, Martin suddenly remembered a novel that Gillian Flynn had just begun writing and said, "Right, I have a novel here about love and marriage, dark in theme and background. I think it would be great as a film adaptation. Would you like to take a look?"

David Fincher immediately showed interest, "A dark tale of marriage?"

Martin described it roughly, "A couple that goes from loving each other to hurting each other, thrilling and filled with dark humor."

David Fincher, who knew Martin as a very serious person in work matters, took note of his high assessment and said, "Perfect, I will see you at the studio for post-production recording soon. Bring it then."

"Sure, I will bring the manuscript then," Martin, who had seen David Fincher's works in a previous life and had collaborated with him in this life with good relations, naturally approached David Fincher first.

David Fincher caught on, "The work is not finished yet?"

Martin nodded, "The original author is a deputy editor at Entertainment Weekly. The novel is only partly finished, and my studio has already signed a film adaptation agreement with her. It might take about another year for the novel to be completed."

David Fincher calculated the time — "Benjamin" would also premiere a year later, which fit the schedule quite well.

Martin ended his brief chat with David Fincher and, joining up with Elizabeth again, mingled among the guests, freely displaying the host's enthusiasm.