Chapter 113
Martin glanced at Harvey's sour expression, swirled the grape juice in his wine glass, and suddenly chuckled.
He turned to Harvey and said, "Harvey, if you'd spoken to me from the beginning, maybe I would have agreed to collaborate with Miramax. But since you didn't have the time, I won't force it. Fortunately, Warner's sincerity is commendable, so—"
Is this guy mocking me?!
A surge of anger flared in Harvey's chest, but he suppressed it with all his might. He forced a strained smile and replied, "It's alright, Martin. We'll work together next time."
"Sure, next time." Martin drained the rest of the grape juice in his glass and turned to leave.
Martin knew that, barring any major surprises, his relationship with this "fat man" was likely over. Even if they didn't become enemies, it would be tough to collaborate again in the future.
That wasn't a problem for him, though. On the path of growing Meyers Pictures, he would always leave behind partners—and make enemies. He was confident that, one by one, he would defeat his foes and climb to the top, step by step.
Whether personally or through Meyers Films, Martin had already written the script adaptation for the science fiction novel "Hacks from Another Dimension", which would be a trilogy. The title: The Matrix, The Matrix: Reloaded, and The Matrix: Revolutions.
This famous film series was supposed to have been shot last year and released this year to critical acclaim.
It would elevate Keanu Reeves from a second-tier star to a global superstar, propelling him into the $20 million salary club, on par with Tom Cruise.
However, Martin's script didn't follow the original version, particularly for the second and third films, which underwent significant changes.
Written and directed by the Wachowski brothers, Andy and Larry, after the success of the first film, the second and third parts were shot back-to-back with far too many personal indulgences.
The films lost much of their entertainment value, became disjointed, and the pacing was off. The third film, in particular, included many long-winded philosophical segments.
What should have been a commercially successful film series turned into a philosophical mess, which neither attracted the same excitement nor maintained the box office success of the first movie. As a result, each movie had a worse box office performance and a poorer reputation.
Martin had no intention of making the same mistake. His adaptation would be a purely commercial one, with the central idea being simply one word—"cool."
He was still undecided about whether to keep the Wachowski brothers as directors for the film.
Judging by the first movie, they could make a solid blockbuster—provided they didn't go overboard.
Thinking it over, Martin realized that since the films would be shot back-to-back as a trilogy, the brothers wouldn't have the time to go off on their creative tangents.
Besides, the two brothers were known for their mastery of cool visual effects—bullet time, gravity-defying leaps, explosive action scenes—all trademarks of their style.
After the trilogy, Martin was confident he wouldn't work with them again.
By then, they would likely be too busy transitioning into "sisters" and have no time for movies!
While pondering The Matrix, Martin was interrupted by a voice in his ear.
"Mr. Meyers, do you have a moment to talk?"
Martin turned in surprise. It was Matt Damon.
After sending Ben Affleck away, he had returned!
Martin couldn't help but feel a little impressed.
"Have a seat. What's on your mind?"
"Uh, it's about Ben Affleck. I'm sorry, sir. Ben feels truly remorseful. He drank too much and lost control of himself," Matt began.
"Heh," Martin sneered. "Lost control? I think he was very clear-headed when he was trying to convince Charlize to sleep with Harvey. His arguments were quite persuasive... at least they moved my heart."
Matt Damon's heart skipped a beat. Did Martin hear about that?
Hadn't Martin gone after Richards because of what Ben did?
Perhaps both things were related.
He wondered why he hadn't spoken up sooner.
But Matt Damon had good emotional control. He quickly regained his composure and said with sincerity, "I'm sorry again, Mr. Meyers. This whole situation is on Ben and me. If there's anything we can do to make amends, we'll do whatever you ask."
Matt's attitude was impeccable. He treated Martin like an adult of higher status, without any attempt to beg or placate.
It was... sincere.
Nice acting!
Martin thought to himself and then smiled. "If I wanted something done, it'd probably be too difficult for you to manage, so I don't think you can help me right now."
Matt Damon sighed inwardly. This situation seemed to be a dead-end. He worried that he and Ben might now be under Martin's thumb, facing retaliation.
Would Harvey be willing to help us fix this?
It seemed doubtful, especially after the way Harvey had acted earlier. He might blame Ben for losing face...
Matt Damon stood up, looking dejected. "Sorry for bothering you," he said, preparing to leave.
But just as he was about to walk away, Martin spoke again.
"Don't worry. I haven't finished yet."
Matt paused and turned back, a little surprised. His heart raced as he sat down again, now even more respectfully.
"You can go ahead," he said, anxious to hear what Martin would say next.
Martin regarded him thoughtfully before speaking in an appreciative tone, "While I don't need you to do anything for me right now, it doesn't mean I won't need you later. Do you understand what I mean?"
The statement sounded contradictory, but Matt Damon quickly understood. This guy is smart.
He nodded. "I understand. You can handle some things yourself, but there are situations where you need someone to do the dirty work for you."
"Exactly!" Martin snapped his fingers.
"To be honest, I don't take Ben Affleck seriously, but I admire you, Matt Damon."
"I'll let Ben go."
Matt Damon hesitated for a moment. "What do you need us to do, sir?"
Matt, ever the loyal friend, said "we" in every sentence, letting Martin know that Ben was also involved and ready to help.
This guy really is a good friend.
"For now, nothing. Just remember, you owe me." Martin smiled with a kind expression.
Matt Damon breathed a sigh of relief and stood up. "Thank you for your understanding. Ben and I both owe you, Mr. Meyers."
Matt hadn't expected the matter to be resolved so easily. A simple verbal promise of "favors" from Martin—wasn't he being a bit too generous?
Matt was confused but more than happy to leave things this way.
There were too many ways a verbal promise could be turned into leverage later.
What he didn't know was that the moment he said, "Ben and I owe you a favor," a mysterious magic symbol formed in the air and embedded itself deep in his mind.
Heh, how could a succubus be so kind?
[•———•——•———•]
𝙥𝗮𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣(.)𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧