Chapter 237: Wedding Invitation

Night had fallen, and apart from Nicholson and Leonardo, who had strong exteriors but were soft inside, everyone else had gathered on the yacht's top deck.

After two consecutive days of merriment, everyone was somewhat weary.

Dim lights from the pier could be seen in the distance. Heidi Klum suddenly approached Martin, giving KK and Angela Lindewald's behinds a friendly pat, and they promptly made space for her.

Leaning against the railing, Heidi spoke to Martin, "I'm getting married next week. Make sure you come to the wedding."

Martin sensed an underlying tone in her words and replied, "I'll be shooting then, so there may not be time."

Angela Lindewald turned around, still holding Carolina, and winked at Martin. She added, "Both KK and I are bridesmaids. Heidi is the bride, and we'll be in bridesmaid dresses..."

Martin quickly caught on and glanced at Heidi Klum, who flashed a suggestive smile.

In the world of modeling, supermodels could be quite intimidating...

If someone were to discover this, they'd surely face dire consequences.

Martin, ever the savvy one, replied, "I'll have to check my shooting schedule. I don't have much pull with the crew."

Heidi Klum didn't press the matter and said, "I'll keep that drum for you, then."

Martin nodded, "As long as you're happy."

Carolina asked, "What's the name of this game? It sounds challenging to pronounce."

Martin made an effort to explain, "It's called 'A Chicken Drum Wears a Flower.'"

The yacht approached the pier, and the second floor of the cabin was a mess. Leonardo had already arranged for a professional cleaning crew, all on Nicholson's tab.

The two guys lay in the cabin, still recovering.

Nicholson's condition was understandable, given his age.

However, Leonardo was only in his thirties.

The yacht blew its whistle, and it swiftly docked. Heidi Klum and her group of supermodels disembarked first, taking advantage of the darkness to depart Long Island Pier.

After waiting for a while, the three Martins disembarked.

Leonardo had regained his composure and walked ahead.

As Nicholson descended, he suddenly stopped, swaying a bit.

Martin quickly caught him and asked, "Should I call 911 for you?"

"Absolutely not!" Nicholson gripped Martin's arm firmly. "Even if I die here, my reputation must remain intact."

Martin employed the "old rascal" tactic, saying, "You'll have to pay me hush money, right? I'm someone who chats with industry friends, and old lechers like Craven can't keep their mouths shut."

Nicholson finally grasped it. "You little scoundrel, you always remember the script meeting's details!" He snorted, "Don't expect me to help you with connections. I'm too old to handle the trouble."

Martin draped his arm around Nicholson's shoulder. "What's our relationship? How could I betray you?"

Nicholson glanced at the sea beneath his feet and sighed, "Even Naomi Campbell would be too much for me on my own. I can't accept my old age."

Leonardo chimed in, "Man, you're outdated."

Nicholson retorted with a raised middle finger.

Their relationship had clearly grown closer. Martin teased, "How dare you speak ill of our Jack, the 11-second man?"

Leonardo immediately employed his signature three-move combo—winking, glaring, and growling. "Martin Davis, if you slander me again, I'll fight you to the death!"

Martin clapped his hands, getting into a fighting stance. "Bring it on, Leo, don't just talk big."

Leonardo pointed at Martin, "No wonder Kate said you're a scoundrel. The next time I have such an opportunity, I swear I won't invite you."

Sage Martin replied emphatically, "It's fine to be on my own."

Nicholson held his side and remarked, "You bastards, the car's here. Let's go." Bruce's business car had arrived at the edge of the pier. Martin and Leonardo, with their consciences intact, helped Nicholson to the car and returned to the hotel.

Inside the car, Leonardo asked, "I overheard their discussion, and I wanted to invite you to Heidi's wedding."

Martin was honest, "I declined." When it came to standing his ground, Martin didn't hesitate, "I'm afraid I'd get shot."

Leonardo admitted, "Actually, I want to go to the wedding."

Martin responded nonchalantly, "You can propose to Gisele Bündchen."

"Marriage? Are you kidding me?" Leonardo was serious, "Even though I love Gisele dearly, she's 25 years younger!"

"You're really dedicated!" Martin couldn't help but give a thumbs up.

Leonardo gestured toward the front seats, "Jack's been married. What did he gain from marriage?"

Nicholson, in a grizzled manner, advised, "Let me tell you from experience, if you want to succeed in Hollywood, don't get married. Single playboys will always be in demand."

Back at the hotel, the three of them didn't exchange many words and retired to their rooms to rest.

That night, Martin slept soundly, feeling as though he had blinked and it was already morning.

Indeed, exercise proved beneficial for a good night's sleep.

Arriving on set, Martin emerged after his makeup session, only to find the crew filming Nicholson's scene.

"Cut!" Scorsese's voice halted the shoot. "Jack, what's on your mind? It's work time; perk up!"

Nicholson was dedicated to his craft and replied, "Just give me five minutes."

Scorsese returned to his director's chair and settled in.

A few minutes later, filming resumed.

Scorsese stopped it again, pacing around Nicholson. He remarked, "Your energy is low. Don't tell me you spent these two days off over the weekend having affairs with women!"

"Absolutely not!" Nicholson stated confidently, for he had been the one receiving attention during these two days.

Scorsese didn't mince words with his old friend. "If you can't get your spirits up, I'll have you pumped full of stimulants!"

Once the director departed, Nicholson muttered, "When you're old, you lose your rights. I was bullied by a woman on the boat, ridiculed by those two little rascals when I got off, and now I have terrible luck on set."

He called for a glass, approached the bar on set, pointed at a bottle of whiskey, and told the extra playing the bartender, "Pour me a glass."

The extra looked unsure, glancing towards the director.

Scorsese intervened, saying, "Fill it up."

Nicholson downed the glass, waited a moment, patted his chest, and said, "Let's continue."

Possibly spurred by the alcohol, his spirits rebounded.

Martin observed in amazement, "That did the trick."

Next to him, Leonardo commented, "He's an old drunkard and rascal. Sometimes, alcohol is a performance enhancer. Many actors in the industry have this habit."

Martin nodded in understanding, "No wonder there are so many drinkers in Hollywood."

"They say you're exceptionally talented and can get into character quickly," Leonardo noted, his tone focused on work. "How do you adjust when you're not in the right frame of mind?"

Martin answered with equal seriousness, "Find someone you like, share a drink, and your spirits will lift naturally."

Leonardo waved it off, "That method won't work for me."

Martin shrugged, "That's because you've had too many girlfriends."

After filming several scenes with Nicholson and the Frenchman, the crew went into a break.

Naturally, the three roommates congregated.

Nicholson belched, "It'll probably take two weeks to recover."

Leonardo shared, "Naomi called me this morning. If you don't return her call, she wants to ask you out again."

Nicholson shook his head vehemently, "No, no..."

Martin was curious, "Leo, I didn't expect you to still be in contact with Naomi Campbell."

Leonardo sounded like a mentor imparting wisdom, "If you have the same dish every day, it's good to change the flavor occasionally."

When men got together, women were inevitably the topic of conversation.

Fifteen minutes later, the crew resumed filming.

Both Martin and Leonardo were up next.

They were to perform a confrontational scene between the two male leads.

Colin had set a meeting with Frank at the cinema, and Billy was following him.

The theater set differed vastly from the polished theaters seen in Hong Kong movies. Instead, it was grimy and chaotic, showing the raw realism of the gangster world.

Nicholson, the old rascal, retrieved his treasure chest, took out some special props, and handed them to the crew. "Figure out a way to make these look used or worn, then scatter them around the theater."

Several male crew members exchanged glances, instinctively clutching their legs.

A female crew member held a rubber rod, considering whether to find a private spot to make it look genuinely used.

Surprisingly, Scorsese not only didn't stop Nicholson, but he also approved of his actions.

Bringing props to a theater like this during a movie shoot was a common practice.

In this scene, Scorsese let Nicholson have free rein.

When filming commenced, Martin pushed open the door to the rundown and decrepit theater, entered the screening room, briefly surveyed the surroundings, located Nicholson, lowered his hat's brim, silently approached, and took a seat in the row behind him.

Onscreen, "San Francisco Valley" played.

The actor, who acted freely on set, was now brawling onscreen... Nicholson was indeed one of the quirkiest actors in Hollywood.

In this scene, Nicholson effortlessly turned Martin and Leonardo into villains within seconds.

Nicholson roared, then turned to whisper something to Martin and handed over a portfolio.

As the other party went off-script, Martin had to improvise. "You didn't do it upstairs, did you?"

Nicholson grinned wickedly, "I'm old, my stocks are running out."

Martin tucked away the portfolio and quipped, "Next time, let's choose a different location. This place has too many perverts."

Nicholson whispered, "You have to adapt. With your situation, you'll become a pervert in a few years." He snorted, "It's either messing with others or getting messed with. Which one do you choose?"

Martin maintained a stoic expression but snapped back to reality. "Of course, messing with others."

He stood up and headed for the exit.

"Cut!" Scorsese shouted, clapping. "Excellent, that's a wrap."