Chapter 35: The Mouth Almighty

The TVs installed all over the club switched to a cable channel, broadcasting an art drama.

The movie's biggest feature was its cast of handsome men and beautiful women, with high attractiveness and great physiques.

As for other aspects, better left unsaid.

After all, even the music was classical pieces that didn't require licensing fees.

Kelly was in a good mood and joked, "I remember, the supporting actress fights zombies?"

Martin played along, "Invest in a movie, and I'll show you how a zombie fights a beauty."

Kelly, a little tipsy after a glass of wine, said, "I'll discuss with Benjamin, have him write a script, so your... how did your crew say it?"

She laughed heartily, "Mortar shelling!"

Martin asked, "Catherine? Or Benjamin? I'll have to settle accounts with them later."

Kelly looked up at the TV, "Your scene's starting."

On stage, Hart's voice came through, "Our handsome Martin is making his entrance, look! He's got a gun and is charging at the beauty, trying to capture her!"

He exaggerated, "Cheer for Martin, the thrilling moment is here, we're about to see Martin's epic fight..."

Hart couldn't finish because Martin's character on the TV got shot in the head by the male lead and fell to the ground, dead.

Even worse, he died with eyes open, while the male lead and the supporting actress had an intimate scene right above him.

Bruce sympathetically consoled, "Watching others do it while you're down..."

Martin consoled himself, "I got a close-up! Did you see that? My first movie, and I got a close-up!"

Benjamin Galvin, the perverted director, gave a close-up to a background character for contrast.

Hart sensed the atmosphere was a bit awkward and, to avoid Martin Dad being upset, he quickly shouted, "Martin Davis, you really want to blow up the Earth!"

The crowd was stunned before bursting into laughter.

Kelly laughed so hard she covered her face with one hand and kept slapping the bar with the other.

Martin looked aggrieved, "Is it that funny?"

"Sorry," Kelly said, trying to hold back her laughter. When she saw Martin's handsome face, she remembered his terrified look while staring at the leading couple and burst out laughing again.

Martin sighed, "Great, my good reputation is finished!"

Kelly stopped laughing and stood up, grabbed a microphone, and loudly announced, "A drink for everyone tonight, to Martin Davis, he's a great actor!"

The uproar turned into applause and cheers, with people encouraging him in honor of Kelly's free drink.

"Martin, you were fantastic!"

"Your terrified face will stick with me for a week."

More inappropriate comments came too.

"Handsome, I'm the Earth, come capture me!"

"I will maintain your weapon for you!"

"I need to check your ammo stockpile!"

As the waiters brought out beers, the noise finally quieted.

Martin poured himself a glass of whiskey and a fruit wine for Kelly, "This is terrifying; hell is empty, and the succubae are among us."

Kelly marveled, "It's impressive you've survived this long."

"Because no matter how much they offer or tempt me, I remain unmoved." Martin held his principles high. "I know what my goal is."

He was ever so honest, "I want to be an actor, a star!"

Kelly reminded, "The path isn't easy."

Martin clinked glasses with her, "For someone like me, is any path easy? The easiest one would be joining a slum gang, selling powder and seaweed, and not knowing which day I'd end up dead in a gutter."

He shrugged, "The hard path and the easy path are all the same to me, damned hard."

Kelly didn't mind Martin's crude language and felt a bit sentimental over his heartfelt words, "Life is always a bitch."

Martin downed his drink, "Always a bitch."

Kelly finished her fruit wine, settled the beer bill with Bruce, and looked back, "Martin, you're fun to talk to, you're an interesting guy." She took out twenty dollars and put it on the bar, "Same rule, you buy the drinks, I leave the tip."

Martin took the money, "I won't be polite."

"You've bought me two drinks, I'll treat you to a meal sometime. No promises on when though, I'll call you." As Kelly was leaving, she suddenly beckoned Martin closer and whispered, "Next time, I'll introduce someone to you."

Martin naturally wondered, "Who? So mysterious?"

Kelly waved her hand, "You'll know then."

Just for that Paper Plane, the female drunk would definitely come over again.

As people gradually left, Bruce asked, "Just going like that?"

Martin was surprised, "What, stay instead?"

Bruce nodded, "I get it, your skill is all talk."

Compared to Bruce's thick skin, Martin outclassed him and immediately retorted, "Of course, unlike you whose skill is all on the tongue."

The bar was still bustling, with a third more customers than usual. By closing time, Martin's pockets were stuffed with tips, and he called Bruce who was hitching a ride to Marietta.

Bruce's old pickup was falling apart, and he was ready to get a new vehicle.

When they reached the Buckhead neighborhood, Bruce got off, and Martin saw his house lights were on and purposefully shouted, "Old Bruce, don't sneak out the back door."

Bruce left with a high middle finger raised.

When Martin got home, he saw the Carter's front yard light was on and went over quickly.

Elena and her three siblings were having a late-night snack in the yard.

Martin asked, "Why are you still up?"

Elena threw him a beer can, "We were waiting for you."

"Waiting for me?"

"Enough talking," Elena told Harris, "Watch the house!"

She then told Lily and Hall, "You two, come with me."

Martin asked, "Where to?"

Elena said, "You drive, you'll know when we get there."

Martin didn't argue and drove the car from the backyard to the front door.

The three got in, and Elena lowered the passenger window, "To the church cemetery."

Martin started the car and headed that way, "Wood?"

Elena said, "Worthless stuff that jerk Scott wouldn't steal."

Guard against fire, theft, and your old man!

This was a poor area. The Methodist church cemetery was only enclosed by a wooden fence, which was already full of holes made by the poor, homeless, and stray cats and dogs.

Martin turned off the car lights early and drove slowly; the four of them got out and started dismantling the fence.

Lily looked into the cemetery and whispered, "Could a female ghost come out and take Martin away?"

Martin pointed to a nearby pit, "Idiot, you see that? That's a grave."

Lily's face turned pale with fear, "A female ghost came out?" Her voice trembled, "Hey, can you hear me? Take Martin, leave us..."

Martin creepily said, "If you don't shut your trap, I'll bury you in that pit!"

Lily didn't dare say another word.

The four dismantled and smashed enough to fill half the trunk with fence wood and left under the cover of night.

Hall suggested bringing back a coffin lid for Harris to use as a bed board, and Martin swatted the back of his head.

Hall sulked, not wanting to see the dumbass Martin again, laid down on the car's back seat, watching out the rear window.

In the distance, not far from the cemetery, a large house's lights suddenly flashed on. Hall vaguely saw a girl running out, followed by someone chasing her.

Before he could see clearly, the lights went out again.

Hall scratched his head but didn't think much of it.

The poor couldn't even manage their own lives.

*****

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