Chapter 52: The Industry is Overly Competitive

Ford drove into the parking area, Martin locked the car door and walked towards the studio. In the vast car production center, only the factory turned studio had some hustle and bustle.

Robert was struggling with a basket of potatoes towards the food truck. Seeing his struggle, Martin quickened his pace to help.

"Whew... whew, that wore me out," Robert was panting heavily.

After putting down the potatoes, Martin took two bottles of water and handed one to Robert. "Why are you doing this alone?"

Robert replied, "Mary Jane came, and the crew set aside time for photos, so everyone went." He pointed to his face, "I have a big face, so I'm not interested in big faces."

Hearing the word "big," Martin suddenly thought of Old Bruce and asked, "Is her rear big?"

Curious, Robert asked, "You like big rears? You should go after Kate Winslet."

Martin said, "Buddy, you've got it figured out."

"Oh, by the way, I reminded Rosa," Robert thought his polite introduction of Martin was the root cause the other day: "I told her you have a girlfriend."

That night's dinner didn't even happen as planned. On the way, Rosa kept asking Robert questions. Being an old background artist, Robert understood her intentions and quickly found an excuse to slip away.

Martin headed towards a makeup trailer, "Thanks."

The crew hadn't started working yet, and no one else was around. Martin lightly knocked on the trailer door, and Kate Winslet's assistant opened it.

"Penny, I'm looking for Kate," he said.

Kate Winslet's voice came from inside, "Let Martin in."

Martin got on the trailer and saw Kate sitting on a chair reading a newspaper. He said, "A friend of mine is a huge fan of yours and wants an autographed photo."

Kate smiled, "Pick one yourself."

From Rose onwards, it had become a norm; she always carried some with her while traveling.

Penny brought over an album for Martin to select from.

Martin flipped a couple of pages and found a photo of Kate leaning forward on a table, supporting herself with her hands. "This one."

Kate took it and quickly signed her name.

"Thanks, whenever you have time, I'll buy you a drink." Martin put the photo away, planning to give it to Old Bruce.

Kate asked, "I heard from Louise that you can mix a cocktail that initially expands and impacts, leaving rich and pleasant flavors behind?"

Martin couldn't tell whether she was talking about the drink or something else and replied, "I came up with the recipe with Louise."

Kate eagerly said, "I'd like to try it someday."

As Martin stepped out of the trailer, he saw Robert's big head again.

The guy was lugging two big bags of discarded drink bottles, struggling quite a bit, and called out, "Martin, give me a hand."

Martin took one bag and asked, "Where to?"

"Shh--" Robert looked around and whispered, "The crew doesn't want these things. I tucked them away to trade for cash later."

Martin, who had just escaped abject poverty, understood the difficult lives of the poor and realized, "So, you're working odd jobs in the crew, focusing specifically on food and drinks?"

In a low voice, Robert cautioned, "Don't say anything. Tread lightly and act quickly. If the other extras find out, I can't make a living off this gig."

Martin now understood. Last time in another crew, Robert volunteered to carry drinks and he was still doing it now.

The car production center was mostly empty, with few places to hide things. Most of the factory doors were locked, except for one with a broken door.

...

The crew had thoughtfully set aside photo time, and many people went to see Mary Jane.

Rosa wanted to go, but Adam Smith called her over.

Adam Smith had specifically selected her. They had crossed paths before, and he knew what kind of person she was.

"Can I have a few minutes? Let's find a place to talk?" With blonde hair and blue eyes, Adam Smith's handsome face had a radiant smile.

Rosa stopped, "I have nothing to talk about with you."

Adam Smith pulled out a notebook from his backpack and tossed it to her. "Take a look."

Rosa, puzzled, opened it and saw a dozen pages of a script with Benjamin Garvin's signature on it. "What's this?"

Adam Smith explained, "For Grey Company's new movie, Director Benjamin is planning a theatrical release. I'm the male lead and the boss gave me part of the script. You should know I'm the first choice for Grey Company's late-night movies. If you're willing, I can recommend you for a supporting role."

Rosa skimmed through the script and handed it back to Adam. She said bluntly, "Where to? Lead the way."

The area was crowded and noisy, not suitable for conversation. Adam Smith picked a small alley between two factories and led her there.

Around the corner, there was no one, only the howling of wind blowing through broken windows.

And the sound of cans and plastic bottles rolling.

Rosa came around the corner and immediately unbuckled her belt, pointing at her head and legs. "Top first or bottom?"

Adam Smith hurriedly told her to pull her pants back up, "Now's not the time. Let's not talk about this now."

"What do you want?" Rosa didn't believe Adam Smith would offer such a big gift for free.

Instead of answering directly, Adam Smith asked, "Did Martin Davis reject your advances?"

Rosa's actions over the past few days weren't exactly secretive; she didn't deny it, "He has a girlfriend."

Adam Smith patted the script in his hand, using his trump card, "A supporting role in a theatrical film."

"What do you want me to do?" Rosa wanted to see if the deal was fair.

Adam Smith said, "Find an opportunity to get a cup or bottle that Martin Davis has used."

Rosa replied, "You can get it yourself."

Adam Smith shook his head, "I'm not close to him; it would raise suspicions."

Rosa asked, "What are you planning?"

Evasively, Adam Smith said, "Just to give him something nice, lend him a hand." Seeing that Rosa was intrigued, he added, "If you land an important role in a theatrical film, even if you don't make it big, you'll have an edge in high-end clubs or in the Valley. Your rate will naturally go up a few notches."

Rosa had nothing but her body and nothing much to lose other than that. She said, "Adam Smith, remember your promise. I'm a poor person with nothing to lose."

Adam wasn't afraid of blacks as he had plenty supporting him.

The wind continued to howl, and the sound of drink bottles rolling persisted.

The two didn't pay attention and went their separate ways.

In a factory separated by a wall, Martin motioned Robert to stay away from the broken windows.

After they moved away, Robert whispered, "Those jerks are targeting you; let's go out and beat them up!"

Martin was thinking about more things, like scripts and theatrical films.

It wasn't hard for him to link this to the script Kelly was holding.

The industry is too competitive!

The project hadn't even got off the ground yet, and that jerk was already eliminating potential threats?

Martin slowly said, "If we expose this time, will he have another next time?"

"You know Kelly."

"Using high-end resources for this kind of crap?" Martin shook his head, "If we use them this time, we won't be able to next time."

Robert, an old hand in the background acting, had seen his fair share of things. He said, "Buddy, your head isn't big, but you blocked Adam Smith's path."

"He's blocking my path too." Martin murmured under his breath and asked, "What does he want with something I've used like a bottle or a cup?"

Robert, who had watched many movies, said, "With your biological samples on it, he could kill someone and use it to frame you."

Martin looked at his big head, "Now I understand why your head is so big. It's to hold a black hole."

This left Robert befuddled.

"It's full of my lucky stars," Martin had already thought things through and took out his phone to call a professional. "Old Bruce, I've got a tricky situation and need your help."

"I don't work for free!"

"Relax, I've got good stuff for you this time." Martin quickly explained the situation.

Bruce said, "Sounds like a good deal. Wait for me. Let's find a discreet spot to meet."

After Martin put away his phone, Robert asked, "Did you call the police?"

"Calling the police won't help," Martin said: "I called in a cleaner."

While waiting, he racked his brain, especially about the industry's dirty secrets. He suddenly remembered something. How did the big shit get in?

Bruce arrived quickly, and Martin met with him in a cemetery near the production center and shared his thoughts.

"There's a strong possibility. We'll act when the time is right," Bruce said: "Get me a pass to get in and out of the crew."

That was easy enough. Martin got it sorted with Andrew effortlessly.

*****

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