Chapter 54: For the Sake of the Male Lead

The scene turned chaotic at the back. Bruce saw that Martin was safe and immediately ran to the back, keeping the camera focused on Ward and Adam Smith, who were handcuffed.

Lynch glanced and thought to himself, "How did this loser become a reporter?" He was on duty and couldn't ask more questions. He carefully opened the confiscated can and placed its contents in the car, recording the entire process with a body camera.

Lynch had his subordinates lift Ward and Adam Smith's faces to confirm they weren't their "informants."

Adam Smith saw the can, looked shocked, and endured the pain to shout, "This isn't ours! It's not! You guys got it wrong!"

Ward also said, "It's definitely not ours!"

The two couldn't help but glance at each other, wondering how something that was supposed to be in Martin's car ended up in theirs.

A DEA agent shone a UV light on the can and said, "There are fingerprints on it, easy to confirm."

Lynch motioned with his hand, "Take them away!"

Bruce had a sudden idea and loudly asked, "Agent, what happened?"

Lynch wanted to flip him the bird but, out of respect for the past, replied, "Dealers, caught red-handed."

Bruce kept the camera focused on Ward and Adam Smith. Though he was inexperienced, he had no problem capturing their faces.

Meanwhile, two APD officers found nothing and had to let Martin go.

Martin made some perfunctory complaints and drove away.

Half an hour later, Martin and Bruce met in a parking lot.

Bruce handed the camera to Martin. Martin took it, checked the footage, and said, "I'll call you later."

Just as he was leaving, he suddenly remembered and took out a signed photo of Kate Winslet, handing it to Bruce, "Old Bru, I owe you this crappy debt."

Bruce took it, smiled brightly, and kissed the photo vigorously in one spot, "First time I've seen you so eager to pay back."

Seeing him stick out his tongue, Martin averted his eyes and quickly got in the car. He called Elena to go to her friend who could copy the video and edit out the beginning part shot by Bruce.

The mini-camcorder had to be returned to Andrew, and the video was copied onto a USB drive.

Justice must be spread far and wide.

Speaking of which, did the big chunk of crap from back then also get framed?

Martin found a suitable TV station from the media contacts Bruce had gathered last time. Using a public phone, he said he had important news tips. He put on old-fashioned glasses, a wig, and a fake mustache.

Not far from the TV station, Nina, the middle-aged deputy editor of the news program, saw him.

Nina plugged in the USB drive and saw it was a DEA capture video. She said, "I'll take this. You can get 100 dollars."

Martin pointed at the footage, "It's worth more than that! Look at the quantity of the seized goods and the fact that dozens of DEA agents were involved. It's a major operation. You can feature this in a series of reports by following up on the DEA."

Nina shook her head, "Too much happens in Atlanta."

Martin pointed at Adam Smith, "Look at this guy. Don't you recognize him?"

Nina looked closely, "He does look familiar. I remember now. That's Adam Smith."

"Correct!" Martin snapped his fingers, "He's a star in Atlanta."

He praised Adam Smith effusively, "He has at least hundreds of thousands of fans in Georgia, and the number of female viewers who know him could be in the hundreds of thousands, maybe even more. He's a real star! This is big news!"

Nina knew that among women who liked watching late-night shows, Adam Smith was indeed quite famous.

Martin continued hyping, "He frequently visits some high-end women's clubs and is very popular. Could there be a connection between him and these goods? You could dig up a lot of news."

Nina pondered, "Name your price."

Martin said, "A scandal involving a big star is worth 3,000 dollars!"

Nina said, "500 dollars!"

After some haggling, they settled at 1,200 dollars.

Martin left the TV station with two 600-dollar checks.

The news featuring Adam Smith would air tonight.

Martin called Robert and Bruce, inviting them to dinner.

At the same restaurant and booth as last time, Robert arrived first and sat opposite Martin, "I've been meaning to treat you to dinner but never found the time."

Martin pretended not to hear it and handed him a check, "I owe my success to your luck; here's your share."

Robert glanced at the amount and quickly pocketed it, "Don't joke with me; I'm not giving it back."

Martin said, "I can't let you help for free."

Bruce also arrived then, and Martin had them order.

Once the food arrived, he handed the other check to Bruce, "For the cleanup costs."

Bruce didn't move, "You've already paid me."

Martin replied, "It was just a photo."

Bruce suddenly licked his lips.

Martin quickly stopped him, "Be civilized; no need to explain, I understand."

He couldn't just give the photo as payment, "I don't know how you got the DEA to pursue justice, but you had to treat people. You shouldn't foot the bill; you need your money for lube."

"Shut up!" Bruce pocketed the check, "You're the worst, always the worst."

The three then leisurely began their dinner.

Bruce was curious, "Why did that idiot target you?"

Martin had some guesses and had Andrew inquire indirectly, "Benjamin, the director at Gray Company, wrote a script where the male lead was inspired by my words and experiences. The script was temporarily shelved by Kelly, but once approved, it might get more than a million in funding and potentially be released in theaters."

Bruce understood, "So he saw you as competition and tried to take you down early?" He shook his head, "This rotten circle isn't much better than mine."

Martin didn't care, "To us nobodies, every circle is rotten. To climb up, you not only drag down those above but also step on those below."

He briefly mentioned, "I sent your video to the TV station, and it'll be on tonight's news. Adam Smith has some fame in Atlanta."

Bruce commented, "So you got him."

"I get it now!" Robert realized slowly, "By taking down Adam Smith, you become the first choice for the male lead in that movie."

Martin spoke firmly, "Buddy, it's about the duty of Atlanta's citizens. I have a heart dedicated to justice. I'm fighting against evil and won't tolerate gambling or drugs!"

Robert shook his big head, "No wonder I can't land significant roles. Wanting to be a lead means having to be shameless!"

Bruce added, "That's because his head's full of crap."

After the meal, Martin called Barkley and gave him a copy of the video.

Given their past cooperation, he didn't charge this time.

The evening news reported Adam Smith's detention by the DEA.

Subsequent coverage by the Atlanta Stargazer newspaper followed up on this news for several days, and they got confirmation from the DEA. The evidence against Adam Smith was solid, and he was transitioned from detention to arrest.

The DEA searched Adam Smith's home, finding ample incriminating evidence.

Due to various ongoing proceedings and cases, Adam Smith was not being granted bail for the time being.

At the same time, the DEA discreetly confirmed that the goods had no connection to the DEA or agencies like the CIA.

For the sake of America, these uncontrolled goods and channels had to be eradicated.

*****

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