Chapter 117
You know you love me , I know you care Just shout whenever , and I'll be there You are my love, you are my heartAnd we will never, ever, ever be apart.
…
Michael Jackson closed his eyes, tapping his toes to the rhythm of the song, a smile spreading across his face.
As the chorus hit its climax—my first love broke my heart like this, and then I said,
Baby, baby, baby, oh,
Baby, baby, baby, no!
Baby, baby, baby, oh!—
Michael's smile grew wider, and he began to hum softly, "Baby, baby, baby, oh…"
The rhythm, the melody—it was incredible!
As the song ended, Martin walked out of the studio.
"Michael, why are you back?" Martin asked.
"I lost my brooch. Luckily, I found it, or I wouldn't have been able to enjoy this perfect song. It's so great. What's it called?" Michael asked, still buzzing with excitement.
"Uh, I haven't decided yet," Martin said, deliberately vague.
"Just call it Baby. The simpler the name, the easier it is to remember," Michael suggested.
"Okay, then it's Baby," Martin agreed.
The conversation had brought the two closer, and now, Martin's new album had another potential hit on the horizon.
"BOSS, your brooch is here," Paul, Michael's bodyguard, called out as he found the missing brooch on the floor. But Michael didn't hurry to leave.
"Martin, do you have any other new songs? Can I stay and listen?" Michael asked.
"Certainly!" Martin replied.
Back in the recording studio, Martin began recording the second song, USmile—a classic from Justin Bieber.
As the music played, Martin's clear voice rang out.
…
Another classic. Michael Jackson had no doubts about Martin's abilities.
He was even a little jealous of Martin's creative talent. From pure music to rock, pop, and now blues—this kid seemed to be able to do it all.
Then came the third song, Boyfriend.
Michael continued to be amazed, but this time, it wasn't just the creativity that astounded him. It was the speed with which Martin recorded.
In just half an hour, Martin had nearly perfected the song. No, there weren't any flaws at all!
What kind of voice control was this? Michael couldn't even imagine doing it himself. He doubted anyone in the world could do it as effortlessly as Martin.
This talent was unparalleled—it was a gift from God!
Michael was truly envious, even more so than for Martin's creativity.
After all, the voice was the foundation of every singer's success. Creativity was important, but it was the voice that mattered most.
When Martin stepped out of the recording studio, Michael said bluntly, "Martin, I'm jealous of you. God gave you too much—it's just not fair."
Martin could hear the emotion in Michael's voice—he was really jealous. But strangely, the way Michael expressed it didn't make Martin feel offended.
Martin shrugged with a smile. "Michael, many people have probably said the same to you, right?"
"In fact, I'm jealous of you too. Your achievements, your fame, your influence around the world—there's only one Michael Jackson in the world. The one and only King of Pop!" Martin said sincerely.
Michael smiled at the praise. He liked hearing compliments, especially the kind that seemed genuine.
The kid was really interesting, Michael thought. I've got to invite him to visit my Neverland Ranch sometime!
…
Martin continued recording songs for his debut album at an astonishing speed.
…
On this particular day, Martin, accompanied by a portly man named Peter Jackson, arrived at Warner Brothers' headquarters in Burbank.
Peter Jackson, a mix of nervousness and excitement, followed Martin through the door.
"After today, the Lord of the Rings project will officially launch, and I can finally show off my ambitions!" Peter thought to himself.
Alan Horn, the president of Warner Bros., greeted them personally, giving Martin a lot of respect.
The two walked to the conference room, joking casually, with Peter trailing behind like a loyal assistant.
Peter watched in admiration as Martin chatted so easily with a big executive like Alan Horn, silently swearing that one day, he too would be treated like an equal by these powerful figures.
Maybe this will be an inspiring story, not a sad one, Peter thought, considering his path. With Martin's help, it seemed likely that it would be the former.
Once in the conference room, the team at Warner Bros. was already waiting. After exchanging pleasantries, everyone sat around the long table.
"Martin, you seem to have grown taller. I think you'll be able to play tough guy roles in the future," one of the executives joked.
Another chimed in, "Yeah, in the future, Martin could be our next action star—Ben Affleck has already proven that it's possible!"
Laughter filled the room, and Peter Jackson laughed along, though no one really paid attention to him.
Once the meeting started, however, it was Peter who took center stage. Martin let him present his vision, which Peter was grateful for.
"Everyone, take a look at the beautiful scenery of New Zealand's South Island that I photographed. The natural beauty here is almost untouched by human hands—it's still in its original, pristine state. I think this will be the perfect location for Middle-earth," Peter said, showing off his photos.
Martin added, "It's a wise decision to shoot far away from the U.S. In New Zealand, the crew's taxes, labor, and living expenses will be far lower than shooting in America."
"As for the actors, except for Martin, I don't plan to invite A-list stars. Lord of the Rings is more of an ensemble piece, so there's no need to spend too much money on actors. And besides, I believe in Martin's box office appeal," Peter continued.
"But isn't the elf prince supposed to be the main character?" an executive asked, having read the original work.
"I plan to increase Martin's role. The script has already been revised. I promise that the Elf Prince in this movie will be one of the most outstanding characters people will remember," Peter assured.
"That's not necessary, Jackson. It's all about the film," another executive remarked.
"I can do it, Martin. Don't worry," Peter said with confidence.
[•———•——•———•]
𝙥𝗮𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣(.)𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧