Chapter 95: Here Comes Bruce

The audition room's door swung open, and Adrian stepped in, facing the camera. His dark brown, nearly black, medium-length hair was artfully tousled, giving him a somewhat disheveled yet stylish look.

Mary-Gail had a strong aversion to this hairstyle, much like her youthful distaste for the Beatles. However, she kept her composure and said, "Let's begin."

Adrian and his scene partner commenced their audition.

Susan Levin recalled this actor; Robert Downey Jr. had mentioned him a few times. His acting skills were decent, above the standard, but in direct comparison with Martin Davis, who had delivered the standout performance earlier, Adrian fell a notch below.

The audition concluded swiftly.

After the actor exited, Susan inquired once more as was customary, "How did he do?"

Mary refrained from voicing her personal dislike but offered a diplomatic assessment, "Average, on par with most actors."

Susan's subtle agreement reflected her own sentiments. She nodded slightly and stated, "Inform him tomorrow that he'll be cast as Dalton."

Given Robert Downey Jr.'s recent engagement, Susan was inclined to be considerate, and a minor supporting role like Dalton had little impact on the overall project.

Mary made a note of it.

The auditions continued, and by the time all the actors had performed, Jason Shaw was conspicuously absent.

Susan, nominally the third in line but the de facto producer overseeing the crew, issued a direct order to Mary, "Disqualify him from the audition." The auditions for the character Nick Jones were now complete, and Susan no longer needed to audition each actor personally.

With the audition room's door closed, the casting team convened for a meeting.

After reviewing all the audition videos, Susan addressed her team with a somewhat softened tone, "Any objections regarding Martin Davis?"

The team members, savvy in the ways of the industry, remained silent, refraining from voicing any objections.

Noting their compliance, Susan glanced at the time and instructed Mary, "Official notifications will be sent out tomorrow."

The meeting was brief. Following its conclusion, Mary and Susan walked together, and Susan inquired, "What about the auditions this afternoon?"

Susan waved her hand dismissively, saying, "I won't be attending. You have the authority to make the decisions regarding the other roles."

Mary, a seasoned industry veteran, possessed the requisite capabilities and thoroughness in her selections. Those she chose met the basic criteria.

The two parted ways, and Mary returned to her office. She retrieved some contact information and made a phone call, saying, "Same place tonight. Did you manage to find the person I asked for? Very well."

Thinking of the man with dyed blonde hair, Mary felt rather pleased. In the past few years, nobody had worked as diligently as he had to help her sweeten her deals.

...

In the Warner Studios parking lot, Martin watched as police lights flashed and an ambulance pulled up.

The rotund man, a familiar face, was being loaded into the ambulance by paramedics.

Thomas recognized him, "He seems to be a client from our company."

Martin had encountered him a few times on the set of "Entourage" and inquired, "Isn't Adrian's follower named something Bonnie or Tony?"

Martin felt that something was amiss, stating, "Find out what happened."

Thomas retorted, "I'm your agent."

Martin added casually, "It might be related to the audition."

Thomas reassured him, "It won't happen again." He then went to gather information and made several phone calls.

Upon returning, Thomas reported, "It seems that the incident is indeed related to the audition. Tony and Jason Shaw, Paris Hilton's boyfriend, had a collision, and an argument escalated into a physical altercation. Jason, to be precise, assaulted Tony and was taken into police custody. Tony appears to be seriously injured."

Martin found this incident peculiar and shook his head, "What a mess!"

Thomas, who hadn't heard clearly, asked, "What?"

Martin remarked, "Competition is fierce."

Thomas grasped the meaning behind Martin's words, remarking, "You're getting used to it. The world of male actors is cutthroat, but the female actors' arena is even more intense."

Martin had initially brought up Jason Shaw to direct Adrian and the others' attention toward him. He hadn't anticipated Adrian placing such a high value on Jason Shaw.

Reflecting on Adrian, who had been all smiles earlier, Martin couldn't help but shudder, "I'm starting to feel a sense of threat."

Adrian was a cunning individual, and Martin then asked Thomas, "Is Adrian highly regarded in the company?"

Thomas responded, "In general, he belongs to the emerging talent group."

Martin pondered whether he should shake things up. He retrieved his mobile phone, realizing it had been switched off. He promptly powered it on and received three missed call notifications.

Just as he was about to return the calls, his phone rang.

It was Bruce on the other end, his voice just as grating as ever, "You're a real piece of crap. I can't find you when I need you, and you're a pain when I'm not looking for you. I can smell your stench all the way in Los Angeles!"

Martin retorted sharply, "The stench of your brother's crap has wafted from Atlanta to Los Angeles!"

Bruce countered, "I'm in Los Angeles!"

Martin was taken aback, "What? Bruce, you're in Los Angeles?"

Bruce delivered a chilling ultimatum, "North Hollywood Valley Boulevard, the Bank of America parking lot. Be there within half an hour, or I'll rob the bank and pin it on you." Martin swiftly ended the call and dialed Thomas.

"Drive, head to the North Hollywood Bank of America, and hurry!" Martin exclaimed.

"I'm not your chauffeur," Thomas grumbled under his breath but took the driver's seat, speeding towards North Hollywood.

Upon reaching the Bank of America parking lot, Martin spotted Bruce immediately.

Bruce had disembarked from a Ford pickup truck and remarked, "Looks like you're doing alright."

"Better than you, who's resorted to selling your backside." Martin didn't entertain Bruce's crude remarks for long and switched topics. "Did you drive here all the way from Georgia?"

Bruce nonchalantly shrugged, "After 9/11, air traffic control got too strict, leaving too many traces. Drove all the way here."

Pointing towards Thomas, Martin asked, "Who's this? Your new partner?" Thomas couldn't help but think, "Where did this redneck come from? He stinks."

"My agent, Thomas," Martin introduced briefly. "Thomas, meet Bruce, my brother, a professional fixer. If you ever find yourself in a tight spot, he'll handle things discreetly for the right price."

Thomas nodded at Bruce and then turned to Martin, saying, "I won't disturb you any further."

Martin reminded him, "If there's any news from the crew, notify me immediately."

Thomas promptly left in his car.

Martin hopped into the passenger seat of Bruce's Ford pickup truck and pointed north, saying, "Head that way." He also added a cautionary note, "Conceal your firearm; this is California, with strict gun control, unlike Georgia."

Bruce assured him, "I served in California during my army days. I have a gun license and a concealed carry permit here. Who am I? I won't give anyone a chance to empty a magazine."

As the car entered a parking lot, Martin grabbed his luggage and led Bruce into an apartment building.

Bruce, who was carrying a suitcase, snorted at Martin's choice of residence, "I thought you were living in some grand mansion in Malibu or Beverly Hills. I came all the way here to join you."

Martin opened the door and replied, "You can stay with me for now. Pick one of the two bedrooms." Considering Louise might visit to sing, he quipped, "When the apartment next door becomes vacant, I'll rent it for you."

Bruce dropped his suitcase and flopped onto the sofa. "You don't want to be with me forever?"

Martin reached into the refrigerator, retrieved a can of beer, and tossed it to Bruce. "The stench on you, I can't handle it from thousands of kilometers away. I can smell it." He added, "If you ever need to vanish through the back door, should I turn a blind ear?"

Bruce cracked open the beer and replied, "Fine by me; I don't care."

Martin was about to retrieve Bruce's gun from his bag when Bruce asked, "Did you use the Vaseline I gave you?"

Annoyed, Martin rummaged through Bruce's bag. "Bruce, do you want to meet God earlier?"

Bruce retorted, "God is a Black man; he won't meet racists."

Martin shared the events that had unfolded earlier, remarking, "Don't worry; I won't let him mess with you."

Bruce sighed, "I left one mess behind, only to land in another."

Martin looked at the time and suggested, "It's lunchtime. Let's go out to eat, and in the afternoon, I'll give you a tour of Los Angeles."

"Visit the San Francisco Valley?" Bruce was curious. "I've always wanted to see how they shoot those movies up close."

Martin inquired, "You want a live demonstration?"

Bruce shrugged.

The two exited the apartment and ran into Antonio.

The portly man descended the stairs like a rolling ball. Spotting Bruce, he asked Martin, "Is he a producer?" Bruce jumped in first, "Yes, I'm a Hollywood producer."

Antonio affectionately patted Martin's arm and joked, "Get into the lion's den early, huh?"

Martin gave Bruce a sidelong glance and introduced, "He has a thing for bigger individuals, so I brought him here."

Antonio, quivering, turned and climbed the stairs again, stating, "Don't mess around; I've got a gun!"

Martin assured him, "Who doesn't have a gun?" Worried that the landlord's heart couldn't bear the physical strain, he added, "Just kidding. He's my friend, Antonio. There's a vacant apartment here; help him secure it."

Antonio turned back, his chest trembling more than Jessica's. "No problem. When a unit becomes available, I'll notify you first."

Martin and Bruce headed downstairs, found a place for lunch, and then set off for the San Francisco Valley.

Halfway there, Martin phoned Jenna Jameson. Her production company

had officially launched after the New Year and was now shooting its first film. They were welcome to visit the set.

At the Sacred Valley studio, Martin and Bruce donned their crew IDs and arrived at the filming location.

Jenna Jameson, also the director of the film, personally stepped in when the actress was out of breath.