The richest actor in Hollywood.

Under the cover of night, Brown Williams followed Matthew from a distance. When he saw Matthew approach the Jewish actress from the crew, he slowed his pace and created more distance between them. As a bodyguard, he knew his employer's habits and usually distanced himself during such moments.

As the two of them reached the outskirts of the camp near a box truck and suddenly stopped, Brown Williams watched from afar. Matthew had played many tricks when it came to wooing women, so who knew what this was all about?

Brown Williams wasn't worried. Matthew was still within sight, and he could reach him quickly if needed. Matthew also had an emergency device on him, was highly alert, and physically agile. In a hand-to-hand fight, Brown might not even be able to match him.

"What are they doing?" Gal Gadot asked curiously. "Fixing tires at night?"

Matthew shook his head. "To prevent paparazzi from sneaking into the crew, Jack requires that all ordinary staff wear uniforms and carry ID badges."

Gal Gadot peeked out and quickly pulled back, whispering, "They took off the tire. It looks like they're putting something inside."

Hearing this, Matthew quietly peeked out as well. The two Latino men had used a jack to lift the truck, removed a tire, and were pulling a fist-sized, block-shaped object from a black bag. Under the dim light, Matthew could see the block was wrapped tightly in plastic tape.

Suddenly, a man emerged from the front of the truck, his voice low and hoarse. "Is it done? Hurry up!"

Even though it was brighter on their side and darker on his, making it unlikely they'd be noticed, Matthew quickly pulled his head back. But in that brief moment, he had seen that the newcomer was wearing the crew's uniform.

"Hurry up!" the low, hoarse voice urged again. "According to my calculations, the security patrol will pass by here in about twenty minutes!"

A rough voice responded, "Don't worry, we're almost done."

Another voice chimed in, "No one will check this convoy on the way back to Los Angeles, right?"

The low, hoarse voice replied, "No! Absolutely not! This is a Hollywood A-list production! A film registered with the California state government for tax rebates, the police won't stop it!" The voice then became even more sinister. "You should know, this is Matthew Horner's film! The Los Angeles police wouldn't dare stop him. He's very dissatisfied with the LAPD… A couple of years ago, someone stole his underwear from his home, and the case hasn't been solved yet. Matthew Horner has been putting pressure on the LAPD ever since. It's said that even the top brass at the LAPD avoid him..."

"Underwear theft?" Gal Gadot leaned against the truck, stifling a laugh. "Someone stole your underwear? That's hilarious… Ha..."

"Don't laugh!" Matthew turned back to her, gesturing for her to keep quiet.

Gal Gadot realized now wasn't the time for laughter. She quickly covered her mouth, but her shoulders kept shaking, clearly still amused.

Matthew cautiously peeked out again, seeing the two men still busy placing the blocks behind the tire.

Gal Gadot's head popped out next to his, their faces close as they both watched the scene.

The man who had arrived earlier walked back towards the front of the truck.

The two of them quickly pulled back again.

"What are they doing?" Gal Gadot whispered.

Having been in Hollywood for years, Matthew could easily guess the situation. "If I'm not mistaken, they're trying to use the crew's vehicles to smuggle drugs."

Gal Gadot's eyes sparkled with excitement. "So they're drug dealers?"

"Most likely." Matthew remained cautious.

"Oh..." Gal Gadot suddenly seemed very excited. "So, what do you say, Hollywood hero?"

"What?" Matthew asked, confused.

Gal Gadot leaned closer, whispering, "Let's catch them! I'll sneak over and take care of the guy at the front! You handle the two changing the tire. How about it?"

Before Matthew could respond, she confidently added, "Don't worry about me. I may look skinny, but I've participated in several operations during my military service. Taking down an ordinary man is a piece of cake!"

"You're overthinking it." Matthew warned her, "Gadot, don't be reckless! They might have guns!"

Mexican drug dealers were almost always armed. Shooting police and officials in Mexico was common, and firefights with SWAT in California were not unheard of.

He grabbed Gal Gadot's arm, preventing the Israeli ex-soldier from doing something rash. "Don't be impulsive!"

He peeked out again and saw the men were still busy. Matthew decided to contact Brown Williams, but he couldn't use the walkie-talkie, so he pressed a button on his shirt collar.

Gal Gadot pouted, "We're not going to do anything?"

"My bodyguard will be here soon," Matthew whispered.

As soon as he said that, Brown Williams emerged from the shadows. Matthew quickly signaled him to stay quiet, and Brown Williams crept over like a cat.

"Drug dealers trying to use the crew's vehicles to smuggle drugs," Matthew pointed to the front.

Brown Williams signaled the two of them to stay back and carefully looked outside, nodding in understanding. He turned to Matthew and said, "You should leave..."

As a bodyguard, his employer's safety was his top priority.

Without hesitation, Matthew grabbed Gal Gadot's hand and started walking back. He also believed that nothing was more important than staying alive.

Afraid of alerting the drug dealers, Gal Gadot didn't speak until they were a good distance away. Then she said, "Matthew, we're just leaving? Not doing anything?"

Matthew, now farther away, replied, "Don't worry. With Brown here, they won't escape. He's already called for my other bodyguards. They're all elite veterans from counter-terrorism units. Handling a few drug dealers is no big deal."

Gal Gadot nodded, glancing at Matthew and saying, "You really value your life."

"You only get one life," Matthew replied calmly. "You have to cherish it."

Given his unique experiences, Matthew naturally valued his life highly.

"But you're not very brave," Gal Gadot said, shaking her head.

Matthew just smiled, "I'm only brave when it's necessary."

Gal Gadot asked, "When is it necessary?"

"For example," Matthew continued calmly, "If they had noticed us when we first turned the corner and hadn't retreated, I would have immediately reacted, possibly rushing in to subdue them!"

That was easier said than done. His first instinct had been that they might be drug dealers or Mexican smugglers. Los Angeles was in Southern California, near the U.S.-Mexico border, where stories of these people being armed were common.

He wasn't foolish enough to think that a few self-defense classes could stand up to guns. If they had been discovered, he likely would have grabbed Gal Gadot and run.

"And what if I didn't listen to you and went to subdue them?" Gal Gadot asked deliberately.

Without thinking, Matthew replied, "I obviously couldn't let you throw your life away."

Gal Gadot sighed, "The way you put it, it's not exactly reassuring." She raised her arm to show Matthew, revealing a few distinct finger marks. "I probably wouldn't have been able to break free from your grip."

Seeing the marks on her pale arm, Matthew apologized sincerely, "Sorry. I was worried you'd act impulsively. This isn't a game."

Gal Gadot thought about it and nodded slightly. "I know you meant well," she said. "Thanks for stopping me from doing something stupid."

She had been a bit carried away by her military training, but in hindsight, Matthew's cautious approach was the right one.

Matthew smiled, "No need to thank me."

Suddenly, his walkie-talkie crackled to life. After a brief exchange with Brown Williams, he turned to Gal Gadot, "Let's go back. Brown and the bodyguards have caught them."

"Okay." Gal Gadot followed Matthew back.

Soon, they returned to the box truck and saw three men tightly bound together. Matthew's bodyguards were standing guard nearby.

Bearded Jack, Justin Lin, and the crew's security chief, along with other senior staff members who had been notified, rushed over.

After a brief explanation of the situation, Brown Williams added, "Two of them are drug dealers who sneaked in from Mexico. Due to recent increased inspections by Southern California police, they contacted this Mexican crew member to hide cocaine and heroin in the crew's truck to avoid detection. I roughly estimated that the total weight of the drugs exceeds five pounds."

Matthew's lips twitched at the mention of five pounds. Even without a clear concept of drugs, he knew that was no small amount.

If the crew had been caught with that during a police inspection on the way back, it would have been a massive scandal.

There's a big difference between drug trafficking and drug use.

"And," Brown Williams pointed to two pistols on the ground, "We found three Colts on them."

Hearing this, Matthew nodded. It was a good thing he hadn't been impulsive.

Gal Gadot shot him a grateful look.

After Brown Williams finished, Justin Lin asked, "What should we do now?"

Bearded Jack thought for a moment and said, "Call the police."

Matthew agreed, "I think calling the police is the best option."

With their agreement, there was no more discussion. The crew's security chief had a satellite phone brought in and dialed the police. When the authorities arrived, they handed over the drug

 dealers, drugs, and guns to them.

The crew was not significantly affected and continued with their previous filming schedule.

_________________________

[Check out my Patreon for +200 additional chapters in all my fanfics! $5 for all!!] 

[w w w . p a t r e o n .com / INNIT]

[+50 PowerStones = +1 Chapter] [+5 Reviews = +1 Chapter]