Chapter 76: Conspiracy

At the training ground, a total of twenty-five male actors stood askew in two lines as Tom West handed out training schedules to each person.

Matthew flipped through the plans, which included drills on formation and physical fitness, among other things. The training objectives looked daunting. It seemed the recently discharged military officer intended to train them to nearly military standards.

"Soldiers fighting for their country all possess a passionate fervor for sacrificing themselves for the nation," Tom West's resonant voice boomed. "You must experience the hardships of a soldier's life firsthand to fully understand this sentiment, which is why I've drafted this rigorous training schedule for you!"

He looked quite stern. "This morning's session will focus on formation coordination! In the afternoon, a three-mile run!"

The training soon began. The drills were dull and tedious, and someone like Matthew would rather run three miles than turn back and forth.

However, wanting is one thing, doing is another, and Matthew took it very seriously.

Not everyone was like Matthew, and soon, those with poor training attitudes were singled out by Tom West.

"James McAvoy!" he shouted at a British actor, "Thirty push-ups!"

Just then, producer Gary Gozman arrived, and James McAvoy had no choice but to comply.

More unlucky ones were called out of the formation, including Michael Coulthard, all punished with push-ups for their training issues.

After just an hour of training, including Matthew, all actors realized that Tom West wasn't just stern in appearance but also in action.

He was undoubtedly a demon drill sergeant.

The two assistant producers who brought the actors here also made appearances.

When Kate Jeffery came, Matthew distinctly saw her watching him for a while before she left after whispering to Tom West.

He wasn't naive enough to think Kate Jeffery would forget this morning's events so quickly, but he didn't expect her to influence Tom West, especially since Tom West had arrived with Gary Gozman the day before.

It seemed to be true; after Kate Jeffery left, the training continued as usual, and Matthew didn't notice any special treatment from Tom West.

However, Matthew kept an eye on the direction Kate Jeffery left, noticing she entered a small building to the north of the warehouse, then gave up.

He guessed that Kate Jeffery's office might be in that building.

After the morning session, Matthew, with his previous experience, didn't feel much, while the rest sighed heavily as they entered the dining hall, none wanting to move once seated.

After lunch, seeing Michael Coulthard and Ian Bailey reluctant to move, Matthew said, "I'm going out for a bit."

"Aren't you tired?" Michael Coulthard, a large man nearly breaking his chair, asked, "Wouldn't it be better to rest?"

Matthew shrugged slightly. "I've been working part-time before coming here, and the job was quite demanding. This morning's training was a breeze compared to that."

Ian Bailey looked at Matthew, who seemed relaxed, and waved him off, "Go ahead, we'll rest here."

"Alright!" Matthew waved at them and left, "I'll bring you guys coffee when I return."

He left the dining hall and went to a secluded spot near the vast airport warehouse, carefully observing the small northern building. It wasn't tall, only four stories, and looked somewhat dilapidated.

Most importantly, he hadn't seen any surveillance cameras or security devices on his way there.

That made sense; the set, transformed from a decommissioned military airport, was immense, covering a thousand acres just for the outdoor scenes alone. Monitoring such a vast area would be too difficult and costly.

Now wasn't the era of ubiquitous surveillance yet.

But he wouldn't jump to conclusions; the training had only started that day, and he would keep observing.

Matthew hid and watched for a while, seeing people gradually return to the office building from the dining hall, mostly drama staff and a few assistant producers.

After a while, he saw Kate Jeffery confirming she worked in that building. Waiting until she entered the office, he pretended to look for someone and toured the building, finding nothing unusual.

Then, he went to the parking lot and easily found the Land Rover.

Seeing the vehicle, Matthew felt an urge to smash it but restrained himself, considering his options.

Should he block the Land Rover's exhaust with a steel wool pad? That could cause the car to malfunction, accumulate carbon deposits, and stall mysteriously. Or should he seal the windshield wiper fluid nozzles with glue? Or perhaps pour a bottle of acetone, especially into the seams of the electric windows?

Matthew, having briefly apprenticed as an auto mechanic, hadn't learned much about proper repairs but knew plenty of dirty tricks.

He considered less dangerous tactics like placing screws in front of the tires, which would be difficult to repair.

Or he could pry the automatic folding mirrors a bit.

If all else failed, he could use a slingshot

 with steel balls to break the Land Rover's windshield. He was confident in his aim with a powerful slingshot from thirty meters away.

While Matthew pondered which approach to take, he noticed a security camera on the other side of the parking lot, the first he had seen in the vast Hartfield Airport.

The camera looked dirty, as if it had been neglected for years and was possibly out of operation, but Matthew didn't want to take any risks. He quickly abandoned his plans and left the parking lot.

"It's better to be kind-hearted!" he muttered as he walked away, "Step back to broaden the horizon, endure a moment of calm."

Matthew looked back at the Land Rover from afar; his real anger was at the people, not the vehicle.

On his way back, he called Brittany, but her assistant answered, saying Brittany had just entered the recording studio and couldn't take the call.

With no other option, he hung up and bought three cups of coffee, returning to the dining hall.

"Where did you go?" Michael Coulthard asked upon seeing Matthew return, "Isn't it cold outside?"

Matthew gestured with his phone, "Calling my girlfriend." He pulled up a chair, pushed the two cups of coffee toward them, "Drink it while it's hot."

The three chatted and finished their coffee, just in time for the afternoon session. Although Michael Coulthard and Ian Bailey were tired, they had to assemble on time.

The afternoon was set for a three-mile run. To enhance team coordination, every three actors formed a group, with Matthew, Michael Coulthard, and Ian Bailey teaming up. Per Tom West's orders, each group had to reach the finish line together, or their results wouldn't count. The three groups with the worst times had to do fifty push-ups.

With actors ranging from 40 to 18 years old, Matthew was confident he could easily be among the top five if he ran alone. Ian Bailey, born in 1976, was also strong, but Michael Coulthard, born in 1964 and naturally large, was the slowest.

By two-thirds of the way, Michael Coulthard was gasping for air. Matthew and Ian Bailey kept encouraging him as they pulled him along.

After another lap around the training ground, Michael Coulthard bent over, panting heavily, "I should have... I should have... never joined this crew."

Matthew almost dragged him as he ran, "Didn't you read the training schedule? Today is easy; soon we'll be running with thirty-pound weights!"

Sweat poured down Michael Coulthard's face, "I'm done for!"

His words were exaggerated, but with Matthew and Ian Bailey's help, he barely made it past the three-mile mark. Since poor fitness was common among the actors, their group didn't perform too poorly, ending up near the front.

The last three groups, predictably, were punished with fifty push-ups, not allowed to leave until they finished.

Just the first day, and Tom West had already shown everyone he meant business.

It seemed he had directly transferred his military methods here.

But he overlooked one thing; many of these actors were somewhat famous and well-connected. How could they possibly be as obedient as soldiers?

After a day's training, most actors were dragging themselves back to the changing rooms, with only a few like Matthew feeling at ease.

In the following days, Matthew trained diligently but began to notice something off. Every time Kate Jeffery came to the training ground, Tom West would watch him for a while, as if waiting for him to make a mistake.

But he performed very well, possibly the best among the trainees.

Perhaps he was being pessimistic, but he felt like Kate Jeffery and Tom West were planning something against him.

Matthew suspected that Kate Jeffery wanted to kick him out of the crew.

Unfortunately, he was an actor personally confirmed by Tom Hanks, and without a solid reason, it was impossible to replace him.

Kate Jeffery, as the assistant producer, should have been aware of this. So, she came by daily but hadn't done anything yet. However, she was observing Matthew, and Matthew was also watching her, albeit not as overtly.

On the fourth day of training, just like the previous days, Matthew said he was going to call his girlfriend after lunch and again went to a concealed corner near the warehouse, watching the northern office building.

Soon, he saw Kate Jeffery leave the office building and head toward the warehouse.

Matthew changed his position and continued to watch discreetly as Kate Jeffery opened a side door and entered the warehouse.

As an assistant producer, her entry into the warehouse, where props and costumes were stored, was perfectly normal. He initially planned to wait but changed his mind when, after only a couple of minutes, Tom West approached from a distance and also entered through the side door.