Chapter 64: Green Light

A Ford car cruised through the Clayton community, and the drug dealers who used to be a common sight had vanished completely, like trash that had been disposed of.

Martin parked the car in front of Carter's house. Lily, Hall, and Harris, crammed in the back seat, couldn't wait to disembark and dashed towards the house's entrance.

Across the street, Mr. Wood ambled over.

Elena and Martin opened the trunk and called the three kids over to help with their luggage.

Mr. Wood approached and inquired, "Did you have a good trip?"

Lily beamed and handed Mr. Wood a wolf keychain, saying, "Mr. Wood, I brought you a gift."

Mr. Wood seemed pleasantly surprised. "This looks like it's from the Grand Smoky Mountains."

Martin chimed in, "I only found out after leaving Atlanta that our Atlanta-made tourist souvenirs are sold all over."

Mr. Wood grinned warmly.

Martin inquired, "Did the drug dealers disappear?"

"It appears the DEA took down a group, and the rest fled," Mr. Wood answered with satisfaction. "Our Neighborhood Defense Committee was a resounding success, and Clayton has returned to its previous peaceful state."

Elena concurred without pressing further. "I can finally return to my normal life."

Martin instructed Harris and Hall to carry the luggage into the house.

After a brief conversation, Elena and Lily returned with the rest of their bags.

Martin raised the topic once more, "We could consider moving to a better community."

"We grew up here, and now that there are no issues with the black dealers, everything is back to normal," Elena said, reluctant to leave. "We have familiar neighbors here, and while they can be a pain at times, they are good people. Money goes a long way here, and Harris is about to start college."

She tried to avoid using harsh words. "Without enough money and decent job opportunities, if we move to another community, we'll just face discrimination."

Harris shared, "I found a part-time job tutoring elementary school students at the planetarium."

Lily, in a rare moment of seriousness, added, "I deliver newspapers every morning."

Hall mentioned, "The church cemetery is hiring people to dig graves. I'm good at it."

Elena, half-jokingly, half-seriously, scolded him, "Your responsibility is to look after the house!"

Martin thought for a moment and suggested to Harris, "You should learn more about astronomy at the planetarium and inquire whether it's feasible to establish a for-profit astronomy association."

Harris nodded, saying, "I'll look into it."

Elena interjected, "Your accent sounds really awkward right now."

Martin explained, "I started late with my Hollywood accent, so I practice it every day."

Lily playfully interrupted, "He wants to become a big star!"

Both Elena and Lily raised their fists, aiming for Lily's face, causing her to lower her head in dismay.

Martin, who was mostly bluffing, retracted his fist and handed Elena the key to the Ford. "This car is for you; it'll make your commute easier." Then he turned to Lily.

Just as he was about to respond to the disappointment that had spread across Lily's face, he noticed a subtle smile playing at the corners of her mouth. He was about to speak when she suddenly blurted something out.

In unison, they both raised their fists towards her face, but Martin stopped short of making contact.

Elena asked, "And what about you?"

Martin took out another car key. "I recently helped someone secure an investment, and this is a bonus." He promptly shifted the conversation, saying, "Who wants to go out? I'm heading to buy a searchlight."

Elena volunteered, "I'll go with you."

Martin realized that the old man in black was the real threat, particularly the one who donned black attire at night. Black cloths were an incredibly effective camouflage.

He planned to install searchlights outside the house to counteract the old man in black's stealthy tactics.

Just past noon, Elena drove the Ford to nearby Target.

Martin first attended a meeting to collect his salary for the past two weeks, then proceeded to Gray Film and Television Company. He located Kelly's assistant, Ella, presented her with a small gift, and requested her assistance in preparing a social investigation report.

Obtaining payment from the Neighborhood Defense Committee was no walk in the park, and the social investigator had to submit an official report every three weeks.

Director Benjamin received word that Martin was visiting, phoned him, and invited him to his office.

"The boss informed me this morning that he's giving the green light to the project and appointing you as the leading actor," Benjamin relayed the news, easily discerning that Martin had convinced the boss.

He expressed his emotions, saying, "After holding onto this dream for so many years, I can finally see a glimmer of hope."

Martin responded graciously, "Director, I'm here today thanks to your support. Without that memorable circus, I wouldn't have this opportunity."

Benjamin realized Martin's significance to his boss and started seeing him as more than just an actor. He assured Martin, "Don't worry, I'll craft a remarkable role for you this time." However, for some reason, Martin suddenly felt a chill.

But when it comes to taking the plunge and committing to a role, he couldn't back out halfway. He had to see it through.

Contemplating the script, Martin realized the male lead needed to stand out and began forming some ideas.

Benjamin brought up the topic of striptease and asked, "You've spent quite some time at the strip club; you must be familiar with striptease, right?"

Martin understood why he felt a sudden chill and replied, "I was a bartender."

Benjamin advised, "Prepare in advance and practice."

Martin sighed inwardly. After going through this elaborate process, he was still ending up on the stage.

Why bother? If he were to head to Los Angeles eventually, wouldn't he just circle back to the San Francisco Valley?

Not wanting this outcome, Martin decided to push the envelope and said, "Director, in the role of the strip club's boss, you've written an unattractive character."

Benjamin simply explained, "In every bouquet, you need some green leaves. The boss's role serves as that greenery, complementing the dancers and making them appear more handsome."

Martin suggested, "I have a friend who would be perfect for this role."

Benjamin knew Martin was a temporary actor and pointed out, "The boss has a significant number of lines."

Martin assured him it was Robert and explained, "His acting skills are decent, and he can handle the lines."

"Alright," Benjamin responded promptly. "When the crew sends out a casting notice, have him come in for an audition. As long as his basic acting skills are fine, I'll give him the green light." He didn't hesitate to offer this favor without any qualms. "Do you remember the theater company you're part of?"

Martin nodded, boasting slightly, "I'm with the Marietta Community Theater Company. They have one of Atlanta's most professional background artist teams, and we've collaborated on numerous late-night productions."

Benjamin assigned him a task directly, stating, "You're in charge of the contact."

After discussing the male lead's role further, Martin bid Benjamin farewell and left, running into Andrew in the company lobby.

Andrew's face was filled with enthusiasm as he exclaimed, "I just heard from Ella that you're also going to be the production manager for this play?"

Martin clarified, "It's just a title."

Andrew looked around and lowered his voice, sharing, "Lynn got caught up with Adam Smith, who was nabbed by the DEA last week. The boss decided to let him go."

Martin immediately congratulated the casting director, knowing that Andrew had helped him considerably during that time. He raised his fist, acknowledging, "Congratulations to us, I should say."

They bumped fists, and Martin added, "I had Jerome reach out to you."

Andrew assured him, "No problem, he can call me anytime."

With the project now on a stable path, Martin called the team leader, Jerome, and set up a meeting with Robert. He handed Robert the character script that Benjamin had provided.

Robert looked at the character script, recalling the discussions he'd had with Martin about backdoors during their dinners. He raised an eyebrow, saying, "Martin, I'm not interested in playing a gay role!"

Martin chuckled, "Man, I'm even less interested in that! I'm the lead actor in this play, and I can't afford to lose the role. I'm worried someone might snatch it away."

Robert defended himself, "I really haven't done anything, it's just a coincidence."

"I understand," Martin replied, not wanting to delve further. "This character has fewer than 20 lines. Go home and prepare. If you mess up the audition, I'll hand you over to Bruce. He's the one who likes go through the backdoor, you get what i mean."

One day, Dave, representing Gray Films, reached an agreement with Sophia and Vincent, officially giving the green light to the "Zombie Stripper" project.