Chapter 208: The Star of Heaven and the Victoria's Secret Show

During the dinner, Prince Charles found the food tasteless.

What made him even more furious was that the American kid, who had ruined his plans, seemed to get along quite well with his mother.

"Oh, wow, I never thought your novel writing began with stories on the school bus..."

"Oh, wow, little Martin, you can fight? You look so well-behaved, you don't seem like it at all..."

During the entire dinner, Queen Elizabeth and Martin were the life of the party.

Prince Charles remained silent the entire evening and, by the end of the meal, still couldn't remember what he had eaten.

Princess Diana, too, kept a stern face throughout the night. The sight of Charles' face killed her appetite.

The 19-year-old Prince William had no interest in speaking to his father either. He focused solely on his food.

On the other hand, Prince Harry seemed carefree, happily listening to Martin chat with his grandmother.

After Dinner

Upon returning, Prince Charles reportedly smashed his favorite set of porcelain. Then, while playing cards with Camilla in bed, he suddenly had a severe migraine, which led to... well, a "stuck" situation.

Both were rushed to the hospital.

Luckily, the royal hospital had good confidentiality protocols, and the incident only spread within a small circle, becoming a popular joke at many noble families' dinner tables.

As for Her Majesty the Queen, she had long finished her evening routine and was in bed, waiting for her maid to read her a book, which had become her little nightly habit.

When the maid arrived, the Queen pointed to her bedside table. "Read Martin's book tonight."

"Harry Potter?" the maid asked.

"No, Twilight."

It seemed that even the most dignified woman in all of England had tastes not unlike an ordinary housewife.

The Day After the Royal Dinner

The next day, Martin returned to the film set.

Columbus quickly came to him with good news. "Martin, we're getting more media coverage in England. Even some serious newspapers are starting to publish tabloid-style stories about our cast."

Martin knew that this was the Queen's influence at work.

Meanwhile, reports on the incident involving Diana's brakes being tampered with were rapidly declining.

In this media frenzy, the tabloid The Sun was the first to cease reporting on the "brake incident."

Of course, this was to be expected. Is there really any media outlet that is entirely "objective"?

Perhaps in rare instances, some outlets can achieve such a standard, but in most cases—whether it's a reputable newspaper or a sensationalist tabloid—each has its own agenda.

The Sun was no exception. It could go head-to-head with the government or even the royal family, unafraid to offend the British aristocracy.

But there was a condition: their capital had to allow it.

And once their capital issued a stop, no matter how reckless the editor was, The Sun would bow down.

Martin wasn't bothered by this.

Now that the mastermind behind the incident had been punished, the media coverage no longer mattered. The only reason he had exposed the matter was for Diana's future safety.

With that goal achieved, what else mattered?

A Month Later in London

After a month in London, Martin had become well-acquainted with the three main stars of Harry Potter.

Daniel Radcliffe greatly admired him, Rupert Grint was a chatterbox, and Emma Watson was especially clingy.

Director Columbus was fast-paced in his filming. The comedy director, known for making family-friendly films, seemed naturally adept at handling these kinds of movies.

Moreover, Columbus had a particular talent for managing relationships with young actors, often using clever tricks to bring out their best performances.

With Martin's thick stack of detailed storyboards, the filming moved at an astonishing pace.

By May, Martin felt confident enough to leave London.

Before leaving, he spent one last night at Diana's estate.

That night, Diana passionately clung to him.

After Leaving London

Instead of heading back to Los Angeles, Martin flew to New York.

He had made plans with Leo to attend this year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

New York, Bryant Park.

Backstage at the Victoria's Secret Show.

A group of stunningly beautiful models crowded around the exit, peeking at the guests in the audience.

"What are you all looking at?" Heidi Klum, who had just changed into her outfit, asked in surprise.

"We're watching Gisele's boyfriend," Adriana Lima responded without turning.

"Oh, Leo's here?" Heidi Klum realized.

"Don't listen to them, they're all peeking at Martin!" someone else chimed in.

"Martin, the genius Martin?" Heidi asked, now curious.

"Yeah, the handsome guy in the first row, sitting next to Leo," the model responded.

"Wow, he's even more handsome in person," another model commented.

"Didn't you see his elf costume? I think that's his ultimate form."

"I agree, Martin should be an elf."

"Damn, I really want to rip his clothes off and throw him onto my bed."

"You're dreaming, girl. If anyone's throwing him on the bed, it's me."

"Alright, ladies, stop gawking, get backstage, the show's about to start," CEO Sharon Tenny clapped her hands to get their attention.

The models scattered.

As the music began, the show kicked off.

The opening model was Czech supermodel Karolina Kurkova. Tall, blonde, with an incredibly hot body.

Martin laughed, "Leo, she's definitely your type."

"No, I'm only in love with Gisele now!" Leo replied, feigning seriousness, though his lustful gaze gave him away.

Supermodels like Gisele Bündchen, Tyra Banks, and Alessandra Ambrosio strutted down the runway.

At this point, the wings and outfits were not as extravagant as they would be two decades later, but the stage setup was still exquisitely beautiful.

The crowd eagerly awaited the Fantasy Bra reveal.

This year, the bra was named "The Star of Heaven," crafted from 1,200 Sri Lankan pink sapphires and 90 carats of emerald-cut diamonds.

"I heard last year's Fantasy Bra, Gisele's Red Hot Dream, sold for $15 million, and even made it into the Guinness World Records?" Martin wondered aloud.

Are these bras really worth so much? Who would buy them?

Leo glanced around, ensuring no one was paying attention, and whispered in Martin's ear: "The price is mostly inflated. Yes, some people do buy them, but most of the time they're negotiated down. For example, Gisele's Red Hot Dream was listed at $15 million, but the actual buyer only paid $1.5 million."

"Whoa, that's just a tenth of the price. The markup is huge."

"Of course, it's all about the hype. Every few years, they always manage to find a few gullible buyers who pay the listed price. But once they sell, Victoria's Secret makes a huge profit."

At that moment, the auction began.

The atmosphere quickly heated up.

Leo pointed to a Middle Eastern tycoon who was bidding the most aggressively and mocked, "See that? That's the ultimate sucker."

In the end, the "Star of Heaven" Fantasy Bra was bought by that same wealthy man for a whopping $12.5 million.