Chapter 221: Car Accident

Dusk was settling in. Shermer had contacted Fred once, who advised him to stay calm and wait for an opportunity if nothing occurred soon.

Suddenly, a knock came from the passenger window, and a white man gestured to the right front wheel, exclaiming, "Your tire is low on air!"

Shermer opened the door to inspect the situation.

"Don't move," Ivan warned as he blocked the outside, gun in hand.

Before Shermer could react, two individuals approached from behind, pressing something hard against his lower back.

One of them commanded, "Move forward, and don't speak."

Shermer complied cautiously, saying, "Listen..."

"Shut up!" Before he could finish, he felt something sharp pierce through his clothes, into his skin.

Shermer was ushered into a commercial vehicle.

The golden retriever left after ensuring Shermer's car was undisturbed.

Almost simultaneously, Pratt and Lina were also ushered into the vehicle.

Inside a warehouse near the Atlanta airport, Sophia, clad in a tank top and shorts, exercised with dumbbells while waiting.

Chris Pratt had been hoisted to a steel beam by Ivan, while Bruce accompanied Martin to the second floor through a fire escape, overseeing the situation through a large window.

Sophia, without hesitation, instructed Scott beside her, "Remove his pants."

Scott positioned himself and complied, unbuckling Pratt's belt.

Pratt, terrified, stared at the peculiarly moving Scott and exclaimed, "Please, don't do this!"

Sophia snapped her fingers, and the others tightened the ropes, leaving Pratt in discomfort.

Scott retrieved a pink water bottle and a baton from a bag.

Panicking, Pratt urged, "What do you want to know? Ask me quickly!"

No one questioned him. Scott raised the baton.

Pratt's screams filled the warehouse.

"What do you want to know? Just ask!" Pratt pleaded with frustration. "How can you interrogate like this?"

Scott, relishing his moment, continued to wield the baton with enthusiasm, creating a deafening cacophony.

Sophia approached and picked up the pink bottle.

Martin turned to Bruce, who was sweating profusely.

More agonizing screams echoed.

Martin commented softly, "I wonder if he has a considerate landlord who introduced him to a proctologist."

He asked Bruce, "When you..."

"Shut up!" Bruce warned fiercely.

Sophia's voice rang from below, "Tell me, why did you do this tonight?"

Gasping for breath, Pratt divulged, "I didn't want to do it; Shermer framed me!"

He recounted the events.

Bruce remarked, "A rather brutal method."

Martin heard but stated, "It's sometimes the most effective with men."

The trifecta of money, power, and sex was the surefire way to manipulate them.

Shermer, also subjected to the same treatment, vomited information, even confessing to an embarrassing incident involving a 300-pound, middle-aged neighbor during his school years.

As for the young blonde Lina, under 16 years old, her role was to seduce Martin.

Bruce scrutinized the girl and commented, "She's like a blend of Lily and Blake."

Martin retorted, "You're incorrigible."

Bruce shrugged, "Just an observation."

The interrogation concluded, and Sophia ascended to the second floor alone.

Witnessing her approach with the pink bottle, both Martin and Bruce unconsciously retreated.

Sophia assured, "Don't worry, I'll make it enjoyable, not painful."

Bruce remained skeptical and positioned himself behind Martin.

Martin inquired, "What about Tyler Perry's involvement?"

Sophia's eyes narrowed. "He wants us to invest millions, but I want to expose him and toss him to the sharks."

Martin cautioned, "We're in the legal business. The Methodist Church may be linked to Tyler Perry. Kelly Gray's opinion is crucial."

Sophia, impulsive but clear-headed, agreed, "Alright."

Martin wasn't naive; he knew Kelly had used him as bait to capture someone. The Free Association, Kelly's organization, and their adversaries were locked in a bitter feud.

The best strategy was to let both sides squeeze him and see who blinked first.

Martin took the recordings and headed to Kelly's villa, placing a call on the way before meeting with her.

Kelly meticulously reviewed the recordings. "Stay here; I need to go out," she said before heading to meet Chairman Julia.

Martin waited for Kelly for less than half an hour before she returned.

"How did it go?" Martin inquired eagerly.

Kelly relayed, "Sophia will hand over the person to APD, and someone else will take over. We'll just be observers. That's exactly what Martin had hoped for."

He remained by Kelly's side, receiving continuous updates from her.

That night, the APD Special Operations Team, armed with an emergency search warrant, led a significant force to raid the Mandela Club, rescuing over 20 underage girls and confiscating a cache of illegal firearms and drugs.

A conservative city councilor found himself cornered in a private room.

Initially unrelated to APD's operation, the team leader discovered that the entire private room was under surveillance.

The congressman grew increasingly agitated.

The news spread like wildfire, enraging conservative figures who had frequented Mandela's nightclub.

The Methodist Church, which had provided support, bore the brunt of the fallout.

Tyler Perry, although legally and in terms of shareholding structure, had no direct connection to the Mandela Club, but influential conservatives knew otherwise.

News eventually reached Tyler Perry's ears, and though he couldn't grasp the specifics, he decided to make a hasty exit.

In the early morning, Tyler had booked a flight, gathered valuables, and rushed to the airport.

During the journey, they had to navigate a section of a highland highway with elevated sides.

As Tyler's Lexus turned at an intersection, a runaway heavy truck collided with it.

The truck showed no signs of slowing down, and Taylor had no chance to evade the collision.

With a deafening crash, the truck plowed into the Lexus, sending it spinning like a wounded crocodile before it tumbled into a roadside ditch.

The truck itself collided with a roadside barrier, and its driver appeared unconscious, never emerging from the wreckage.

A passerby called the police, and several patrol cars arrived within ten minutes.

The truck driver was unscathed, but the patrolman noted, "He was driving under the influence, reeking of alcohol and possibly drugs."

Another officer surveyed the mangled car in the ditch and commented, "Poor guy."

A colleague who assessed the situation shook his head in agreement.

The first officer instructed, "Call for a tow truck and crane."

Someone activated the car intercom to request assistance.

Such accidents were a near-daily occurrence in Atlanta, rarely drawing much attention.

...

"The renowned black actor, screenwriter, and director Tyler Perry tragically lost his life in a car accident. Atlanta mourns the loss of this exceptional artist..."

In the reception room of Gray Film and Television Base, Congressman Erica set aside her copy of "The Atlanta Journal-Constitution" and glanced at Kelly Gray.

"They're moving swiftly," she remarked softly. "In the realm of film and television entertainment, they'll struggle to compete with us for some time."

She then inquired, "Did the earliest reports come from Martin Davis?"

Kelly nodded, "He was the one who reeled it in first."

Erica recalled, "I remember the pink bottle incident was also tied to him."

Kelly smiled, "Yes, we collaborated on that one."

Erica asserted, "Martin Davis, an American hero, is making waves in Hollywood. The impact of Hollywood movies on culture and public opinion cannot be underestimated. We must establish our presence in Hollywood."

Sensing her influence over Martin, Kelly concurred, "Martin's base is in Atlanta, and no one is better suited than him."

Erica decided, "We'll increase our support for him, allowing him to rise higher and amplify his voice."

Kelly assured, "I'll provide full support."

Erica issued a warning, "Nurturing talent isn't easy, especially with Georgia's enduring conservative influence, particularly the Methodist Church. He must tread carefully."

Kelly shared some good news, "There's more. The Coca-Cola Company has officially chosen Martin as their North American spokesperson for the next three years."

Erica couldn't help but smile, "There shouldn't be any issues in the near term."

Meanwhile, on the set of "Wanted," the crew received unsettling news: actor Chris Pratt had been arrested by the APD for criminal offenses.

They made necessary adjustments due to his remaining scenes, but the impact was minimal.

Martin, seemingly unaware, continued to film as usual.

Simultaneously, The Coca-Cola Company announced Martin as their North American spokesperson for the next three years.

This announcement effectively overshadowed the media and public attention surrounding Tyler Perry's car accident.

Shaping public opinion through the selective coverage of news was a common strategy.

The Coca-Cola Company also revealed plans for a unique signing ceremony at their headquarters on June 5.