Chapter 146: Latest Hollywood Heart-throb

On an early Saturday morning, the images splashed across gossip newspapers like "American Rumors" became even more sensational. Kim Kardashian appeared almost obsessed with Martin, and the accompanying captions read, "Kim Kardashian's Ultimate Crush" and from other tabloids, "Hollywood Star Martin Davis: Kim Kardashian's Heartthrob!"

Creating a buzz around oneself, even if it meant turning the spotlight against oneself, was a novel approach, and Martin was inadvertently pioneering a new genre.

Bruce, always full of unconventional ideas, even suggested that Kardashian and Martin enter the same hotel one after another that night, but fortunately, Martin's standards were a cut above and he didn't agree.

In this day and age, regardless of the quality of one's work, it must be strategically promoted to attain sufficient fame. Even artists of the caliber of Daniel Day-Lewis and Meryl Streep create headlines and generate news when their works are released.

The film crew also spread news of how Martin and the director had once subdued a giant kangaroo during filming. In the world of movie promotion and marketing, exaggeration was the name of the game.

As soon as the news broke, paparazzi descended upon the North Hollywood apartment building, stationing themselves right at the door. The wild paparazzi business was known for its low entry barriers, with many photographers lacking official industry certifications. Armed with just a camera and a dilapidated motorcycle, they prowled Los Angeles, hoping to capture valuable photos of celebrities and sell them to gossip newspapers and magazines to earn a living.

Antonio contemplated relaxing on his patio chair in the sun, but before he could even move it, the sound of camera shutters clicking echoed, and two small tape recorders were thrust in front of his face.

"Are you the landlord here? Who did Martin Davis spend the night with last night?" they probed.

Antonio was tempted to respond with, "Some jerk named Bruce," but considering that Old Bruce always gave him the creeps with his malicious intent, he instead bellowed, "Get out of here! You're trespassing on private property!"

The mischievous dog, Jodi, sneaked into the apartment building.

Antonio patted his coat menacingly, "Anyone who dares to intrude on my property will learn the consequences, the 'friendship' way."

Hearing the term "friendship," Jodi came to an abrupt halt.

Surrounding colleagues found no newsworthy material and dispersed, waiting patiently.

However, Jodi approached Antonio and whispered, "Want to make a deal?"

Antonio inquired, "What kind of deal?"

Jodi produced a roll of bills and said, "Let me in, and I'll take some photos of Martin's residence."

Antonio glanced at the roll, noting it contained only ten-dollar bills. This amount meant nothing to a millionaire like him. He asserted, "I'll have you know, I could call the police on you."

Jodi persisted, producing two more rolls of bills, "All of this is yours, just help me install surveillance on Martin Davis's door."

Antonio weighed the potential loss in rent and the risks that might arise after this news went public. He responded decisively, "Fifty thousand dollars, take it or leave it."

Jodi was briefly taken aback by the surprise, thinking, "You're asking for fifty thousand dollars for this? Are you still doing this kind of work?" But she didn't give up. She raised her hand and began unbuttoning her shirt, revealing a large expanse of skin, and said seductively, "I'll stay with you for a night."

Antonio, who had initially been dismissive of the money, suddenly grew wary at her words, asking, "What are you trying to do? Planning to lay claim to my property or something?"

Jodi realized that this man had a completely different mindset from hers.

Suddenly, Antonio heard a familiar voice from above.

"Landlord, you're not thinking about selling me out to the paparazzi, are you?" Martin stood on the apartment building's rooftop, gazing down at Fatty and Jodi, and called out loudly, "Your property is home to many actors. If your reputation takes a hit, who will rent from you? Where will you find tenants willing to pay your $50,000 monthly rent? You'll go bankrupt after property taxes!"

Three other tenants peeked out with beer in hand.

Antonio warned Jodi, "See that? If you dare to enter, they'll throw you out."

Jodi left the scene but kept a watchful eye on the tenants coming and going.

While some tenants might eventually reveal information about Martin to the media, he had spent most of the past few months on set and part of the time at Louise's place, limiting his interactions with fellow tenants.

On the rooftop of the apartment building, Bruce folded away his binoculars and remarked to Martin, "I spotted five paparazzi, and the boldest one is the woman."

Martin picked up the binoculars and gave a cursory glance, "Wild paparazzi and the run-of-the-mill gossip media can't afford the price that would make Antonio's heart race. When I chose this apartment, Antonio had some assets and a good reputation, and that's one of the reasons why."

Bruce didn't mince words, revealing the harsh truth, "It's not that the paparazzi and gossip media can't afford it; it's that you're not worth that much."

Martin sighed in resignation, "Why did I choose you as my manager, you stinker?"

Bruce, always pragmatic, added, "Antonio may not be swayed by these small amounts of money, but other tenants might."

Martin was already prepared, "Anything valuable, we'll handle ourselves!"

Bruce wasn't surprised by this approach; Martin had employed it more than once.

Martin signaled to the round table on the rooftop, and Emily and Jessica, who had been enjoying beers under the umbrella, quickly joined them.

"Are we continuing with positive reviews on the website?" Emily inquired enthusiastically, "We'll get right on it."

Martin waved them off, appreciative, "You've both been a great help these past couple of days."

Jessica chimed in, "You're treating us to beer tonight, remember?"

Martin was generous, "Of course, consider it a reward."

Before Emily could finish her sentence, Jessica jumped in, saying, "No, seriously, I can help with something..."

Martin held up his hand to cut her off, saying, "Listen to me. I haven't actually lived in the apartment for a long time, so what could attract the attention of paparazzi and gossip magazines?"

Emily was still pondering, but Jessica swiftly responded, "I often bring one or two women back, and it gets noisy. The whole building can't sleep at night."

Martin waved his hand dismissively, "Go downstairs and sell this story to the paparazzi. You can keep whatever you make."

He added, "Just make sure you know what to say."

Jessica nodded, "I got it. You're a real ladies' man, and none of them can resist your charms..."

"Good," Martin urged, "Hurry up, don't let others steal your business."

Jessica led Emily downstairs, acting like they were about to go shopping and quickly caught the attention of Jodi.

"Martin, he's our neighbor," Jessica, younger but sharper, said. "We chat with him occasionally."

Jodi inquired, "Can you tell me more about it? What do you chat about, and have any scandalous incidents occurred?"

Jessica locked eyes with the paparazzi, "Well, we might have some stories..."

Jodi understood and pulled out two ten-dollar bills, handing them over, "These are for you."

Emily instinctively reached for the money, but Jessica discreetly held her back, whispering, "We've got some juicy gossip related to women. We're his neighbors, so we've got the inside scoop."

Seeing that Emily wasn't budging, Jodi produced two more bills, and since the exceptionally fair-skinned girl was still unsatisfied, she gave away the rest of the bills in the roll, stating, "The news about Martin Davis is worth all this."

In her eyes, news about Martin Davis might be worth a hundred dollars at best, primarily because "House of Wax" had received favorable reviews upon its opening and enjoyed a boost from Kim Kardashian's recent appearance.

Jessica pocketed the money, "Martin often brings a few women back. I don't know all the details, but no matter how many he invites over, Martin manages to keep them up all night, making a racket. The apartment's soundproofing isn't great, and the noise keeps the neighbors awake. The landlord almost threatened to break into Martin's place with a gun."

Jodi's interest was piqued, "Any of these women famous? Like the Kardashians? Or Eliza Cuthbert?"

Jessica shook her head, "Can't say for sure, we don't know them."

As the conversation failed to yield any more valuable information, Jodi gave up on Jessica and Emily. She contemplated her next move and decided to photograph the exterior of their North Hollywood apartment from behind.

Compared to many of her colleagues, Jodi exhibited more professionalism and had prepared to take pictures and write articles.

She quickly outlined the news frame in her mind: "Award-winning young actor succumbs to indulgence, hosting nightly carnivals with women, even occasionally involving two attractive neighbors. Due to his prowess, the loud revelry disturbs fellow tenants, leading to the landlord taking up arms…"

Jodi, who primarily worked in online entertainment news, recognized the importance of headlines. As the frame took shape, a title automatically surfaced in her mind: "Shocking Revelation: Hollywood's Most Handsome Man Revealed!"

After driving around for a while, Jessica and Emily soon returned to the apartment building.

Emily asked, "So, do we split the money?"

Jessica replied as she headed upstairs, "We'll discuss that later."

Though she was younger, Jessica had the right idea. She ascended to the rooftop of the apartment building and placed ten dollar bills on the table in front of Martin.

Naturally, Martin didn't want to accept it. "I told you, this is your reward, take it."

Jessica picked up the money, separated five bills for Emily, and smiled, "Thanks, Martin. For lunch, you can have whatever you want, my treat."

Martin didn't decline and gestured downstairs, "With so many paparazzi around, both Bruce and I won't be going out. It's still early. Just wait until 11 o'clock to get some fried chicken burgers or something. A successful movie can always generate excitement and lead to a series of news reports, creating new stars."

On its opening day in North America, "House of Wax" raked in an impressive $7.23 million at the box office, surpassing contemporaneous releases like "Dirty" and "Lets Dance" to secure the top spot.

The following Saturday and Sunday also saw the film maintaining its position at the top of the North American box office rankings.

In its opening weekend, which included advance box office sales, "House of Wax" grossed $20.13 million, surpassing Warner Bros expectations and the North American Theater Alliance's initial box office forecast of $15 million.

While the film had received mixed reviews as a traditional North American horror movie, with an IMDb audience score of just 6.3, it earned a decent B Cinema Score, which best reflected the market's response.

Cinema Score's official prediction pegged the film's final North American box office earnings at around $50 million. Typically, overseas earnings for American horror films are comparable to their North American counterparts, indicating a potential global box office haul of $100 million for "House of Wax."

The film's publicly disclosed production budget stood at an inflated $40 million, largely sourced from various financing arrangements.

Martin didn't bother to inquire about the actual investment, but director Jaume had dropped some hints during a drinking session. From what he gathered, the combined costs of production, promotion, and distribution for "House of Wax" likely didn't exceed $40 million.

Martin wasn't surprised to see Louise involved in financial wheeling and dealing.

Incidents like these, which generated much speculation in Hollywood, were hardly rare.