Chapter 47

"Dad, Mom, why are you here?"

Martin quickly picked up his mood and approached Grant and Linda.

Linda's face looked a little strained, as Martin's earlier state had scared her.

"Oh, my little Martin, are you okay? You scared your mother."

"Haha, Mom, I'm fine! I was just a little too into the drama." Grant chimed in with a serious expression, "Do you need me to hire a psychiatrist for you?"

He didn't want his genius son to develop psychological issues while filming a movie.

"No need, Dad! Look at me—I'm perfectly normal now. I can act very quickly; this is my talent."

Martin looked proud.

He had indeed come out of the role quickly. As a succubus, he could not be affected by the character at all. He merely pretended to be in the play, mainly to avoid raising suspicion.

After comforting his parents, the three of them chatted for a while.

Grant said, "Martin, you have more and more money in your account now. I think it's time to consider tax avoidance."

Martin had opened a bank account with Grant a year ago, which contained his royalties, movie shares, and record shares, amounting to nearly eight million U.S. dollars. This figure was substantial, especially in the 1990s.

"Dad, I've already thought about it. I want to invest this money."

"Invest? Did someone on Wall Street approach you?"

Grant frowned slightly, worried that his son might be deceived by those Wall Street investors. These "hyenas" were known for eating people without spitting out bones.

"No, it was my own idea. I have my eye on two stocks."

"Oh? Which two?"

Grant was interested. Did his son have financial talent?

As a part of a financial family, Grant certainly hoped his son possessed this ability.

"Apple and Microsoft!"

"The internet? That's not a good choice. The internet bubble has raised the Federal Reserve's vigilance. This huge 'air balloon' could burst at any moment. When it does, bankruptcy and severe drops in market value will be the theme for internet companies."

Martin secretly admired his father's insight. Of course, he knew that the market value of internet companies was extremely high. He even knew the specific time when the bubble would burst. But he also knew that the future belonged to the internet. Since he had money now, why not use it to invest in these companies? Most of his income would be directed towards internet companies in the future.

Even if he knew that now was not the best time to enter, he believed that even if he invested now, in ten or twenty years, the money he put in would turn into an astronomical figure.

"The internet is the future, Dad. The so-called 'bubble burst' will eliminate uncompetitive companies. This is actually beneficial for the surviving internet firms because the market will be less crowded, and investors will know where to place their bets."

"So, do you think Apple and Microsoft can survive?"

"Yes, Dad. I trust my own judgment."

...

After leaving the set, Grant pondered Martin's words.

He contemplated them during the drive home, feeling they made sense, but the risk was significant. No one could predict how large the bubble would grow or which companies it would affect before it burst.

Then he suddenly recalled that many media outlets had mentioned that his son's words were blessed by God. As is well-known, people involved in finance are often superstitious, especially in the West, so...

On the way back, Grant placed an order. His future self would praise this wise decision, which would multiply the wealth of the Meyers family countless times, elevating it to one of the truly super-rich families.

...

By May, filming for "The Sixth Sense" was progressing rapidly, nearing completion.

On this day, there was a break in shooting.

Martin's agent, Jeff, brought him news.

"Martin, Benjamin from Random House called me. Your 'Kung Fu Panda' is No. 1 on the latest North American bestseller list, while 'Ready Player One,' released two months ago, is in thirty-sixth place."

"According to Benjamin, the sales momentum of 'Ready Player One' is impressive. Not only do children enjoy it, but adults do as well. The sales figures are likely to exceed those of 'Kung Fu Panda.'"

"You are such a genius, Martin!" Jeff smiled and complimented him.

"Oh, God!" There was an exclamation from the side.

Both turned to see Bruce Willis staring at Martin with a shocked expression, his mouth agape.

As the two exchanged looks, Bruce raised his hand in embarrassment, "Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but the director asked me to call you over."

"It's okay, Bruce," Martin replied, unfazed.

On the way to meet the director, Bruce sighed, "Before I participated in this play, my agent told me about you. He said you were a best-selling author and had written a very popular book, but I didn't expect it to be so successful. And not just one, but two!"

Martin laughed, "I didn't expect the stories in my head to resonate so much."

"Martin, you are a true genius."

After spending so many days together on set, Bruce no longer viewed Martin as a child. In fact, Martin had surpassed him in terms of achievements.

After they met with Shyamalan, they chatted briefly about the upcoming filming schedule.

Then Shyamalan shifted the topic, saying to Martin, "I know you can compose music. If possible, I hope you can be responsible for composing the background music for this movie."

Martin frowned slightly, "Harvey found you, didn't he? Is this what he meant?"

Shyamalan smiled awkwardly, "You guessed it. Well, that makes me feel relieved. This doesn't count as me betraying him."

Then Shyamalan added, "He said he couldn't talk to you in person because he was afraid that if the talks collapsed, it would affect your relationship. So, let me tell you—honestly, I don't want to jeopardize our relationship."

Shyamalan was serious; he wanted the opportunity to collaborate with Martin again in the future.

"How much is he willing to pay?" Bruce helped Martin ask the key question. "You won't let our little genius compose music for free!"

"This one…"

Judging by Shyamalan's expression, it was clear that this was what the stingy fat man had intended.

Just as Martin was about to speak, Bruce stopped him, saying, "Martin, let Jeff handle this matter. Ask him to contact Harvey. You don't want to get involved."

Bruce didn't know Martin's abilities and was concerned that he might be betrayed by Harvey. His caution was well-intentioned.

Martin smiled and thanked him, realizing that the agent should have taken care of this from the start.

[•———•——•———•]

𝙥𝗮𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣(.)𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧

✨ • 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝙂𝙚𝙩 𝟲𝟬+ 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚.