Chapter 130: The Best Fighter

In the studio, Martin, his body smeared with blood and grime, emerged from behind a scrapped car. He leaped onto the car's hood, gripping a bat with both hands and brought it down with force.

On the other side of the car, a prop dummy, sporting a wig, was obliterated by the bat, causing the concealed ketchup-filled dummy to burst open. Red liquid showered onto Martin and splattered onto a nearby vehicle.

Landing solidly on the ground, Martin proceeded to kick the dummy, delivering two more blows to its head with the bat. The final strike left no chance for the perverse character to rise again.

Ajia and Craven had grown weary of the typical two-protagonist plot in American horror films, where the villain rarely met his end in a single stroke.

Breathing heavily, Martin, now with the bat in one hand, approached a nearby house, using his arm to wipe the red liquid from his face as he went, resembling a warrior with war paint.

Ajia shouted, "Cut! That's a wrap!" He couldn't help but commend, "Martin, you did an excellent job!"

Martin halted in his tracks.

Ajia, a romantic Frenchman, bellowed enthusiastically, "Martin Davis, unleash the beast within!"

Martin, having left the intense scene, playfully retorted with a smile, "Well, then everyone on the crew will in danger."

Action director Walter chimed in, "What, are you trying to take us all down?"

Martin contemplated for a moment and said, "Why do I suddenly think that's a good idea?"

Walter, in jest, raised a middle finger, remarking, "Because you're a complete and utter idiot. A pervert, to be exact."

Martin, maintaining his seriousness, explained, "This way, no one will compete with me for the beauty next door."

Walter smiled and conceded, "I'm sorry, man, but the beauty next door is already under contract with whoever can outperform everyone on the crew."

Martin declared confidently, "Well, I am the best on the crew!"

Others in the vicinity echoed, "Yes, Martin is the best. Walter, you may talk a big game, but you can't match Martin's actions."

Walter found himself without a rebuttal, as he was notably smaller and shorter than Martin.

Ajia interjected, "Alright, let's transition and prepare for the next scene."

Martin made his way to the rest area, where the makeup artist immediately began to touch up his appearance.

A production assistant rushed in and whispered something into Ajia's ear, receiving a nod of acknowledgment from the director before leaving.

Craven entered the room accompanied by five or six individuals. They kept their distance from the set, observing from afar.

Martin glanced around, recognizing the creative team from the adjacent film crew. He identified director Ken Kwapis, producer Brad Erisman, and the blonde actress Blake Lively among them.

The rest of the group remained unfamiliar to him.

Martin decided to ignore them and returned to the set.

Covered in blood on his face, head, and body, he bore the likeness of a demonic figure emerging from hell to harvest lives in the human world.

In front of the camera, Martin obliterated another dummy's head with a swift strike. He then grabbed a rusty knife from the ground and concealed himself behind a house. Waiting for another perverse character to pass by, he emerged, strangled the character, and thrust the prop knife into the stuntman's chest. The fake blood bag attached to the stuntman's abdomen spewed crimson liquid.

It was the final blow!

Martin withdrew the knife and repeatedly stabbed the dummy, causing blood to gush out like a fountain.

Once again, Ajia halted the scene and praised, "Martin, well done. You were born to play a killer."

Martin turned, holding the bloodied bat in one hand and tightly gripping the fake knife with the other. His blood-splattered face split into a wide, unsettling grin, revealing two rows of gleaming white teeth.

This image evoked the sinister aura of a deranged serial killer or a malevolent version of DC Comics' Joker, sending shivers down onlookers' spines.

Ajia accidentally struck the director's chair with his loudspeaker.

In the distance, Ken Kwapis inquired, "Is that Martin Davis? His appearance and demeanor are worlds apart."

Craven replied, "He's a talented actor who can master various roles."

Blake Lively chimed in, "I've met him and had conversations. If Uncle Kwapis hadn't said it, I wouldn't believe that was Martin." She recalled her interactions with Martin, finding him to be sunny, handsome, amiable, and articulate.

However, the contrast with his current appearance was astonishing.

Kwapis remarked, "He's playing an entirely different character on our crew."

After concluding filming for the day, Martin headed to the dressing room to shower and change. When he emerged, Bruce informed him that the group was having a discussion and invited him to join.

Martin greeted each person in the rest area and took a seat. Ken Kwapis, glancing at Martin in his ordinary attire, commented with a smile, "This is the sunny and handsome football coach."

Martin chuckled and took a chair, replying, "I'm all about sunshine, but sometimes, darkness is the right backdrop for a character."

Ajia and Craven shared a laugh.

Kwapis steered the conversation, asking, "Does the ending of your film resemble the revenge theme of 'I Spit on Your Grave'?" Ajia replied, "Yes, those perverse murderers nearly wipe out the male protagonist's family, and after losing his child, the male lead seeks revenge and to rescue his child. His burning vengeance will consume all the perverts."

Capis commented, "It sounds quite intriguing."

"Strictly speaking, this is a horror and action film," Craven and Ajia noted that Martin had influenced them during the creative process, saying, "The first half of the film focuses on repression, building up to the explosive action in the latter part. The protagonist will resort to a massacre to achieve revenge."

Martin chimed in, "It's a purely commercial and thrilling film."

Producer Brad from the Jeans crew remarked, "This might offer a fresh perspective, breaking away from the traditional model of monsters preying on ordinary people in horror films."

Craven, the godfather of modern horror, added, "Ordinary people have been tormented and killed in horror films for far too long. It's time for them to fight back fiercely. In movies like 'Scream' and 'The Turn,' human resistance always seems feeble, and survival feels like sheer luck."

The two crews continued discussing the film, and Martin cast a glance at Ajia, who understood their silent agreement. Ajia swiftly shifted the conversation, suggesting, "Ken, Brad, our two crews are located side by side, and it feels like destiny. I have a proposal. How about having a joint party during the weekend break?"

In Hollywood, parties were an essential part of the scene. Brad, the producer, readily agreed, "No problem, let's have a beach party."

Craven nodded in agreement, adding, "Yes, you can swim if you like."

It seemed that the silent understanding between these "perverts" reached an astonishing level of unity.

Next door, a football training camp was being filmed, and dozens of young actresses would be coming.

The "perverts" had now shifted their focus to planning an exciting beach party.

Blake quietly trailed behind Martin, observing the man who had appeared so sinister and vicious during filming but now looked sunny and handsome. The setting sun's glow cast an enchanting light upon him.

Young Blake couldn't help but approach Martin and introduce herself, saying, "Hello, Martin, I'm Blake. Do you remember me? We've met a few times at WMA."

Martin replied, "Of course, I remember. You approached me to inquire about audition results."

Blake found her topic and continued, "My brother Eric auditioned for the same role as you but was rejected by the director. He's not willing to give up and always wanted to seek clarification. That's why I approached you."

Martin said, "I didn't get that role either."

Blake understood why and commended him, "That shows you're a person with principled."

Turning to face her, Martin politely responded, "Yes, although I'm an actor, I have principles and boundaries."

The soft light graced the side of Martin's face, leaving Blake mesmerized. She whispered, "You're incredibly handsome!" Then, summoning her cheerleader's courage, she continued, "Martin, I've never met anyone as good-looking as you. Back in school, I was a cheerleader, and I've never seen anyone quite like you."

"Thank you," Martin replied graciously. "You're quite a beauty yourself."

Blake found Martin not only handsome but also intriguing.

Meanwhile, the "perverts" ahead had decided to join forces and host a grand swimsuit party over the weekend. The costs would be split evenly between the two crews.

Later, after politely declining Blake's invitation, Martin returned to his hotel room to have a video call with Louise and Kelly. During the conversation, Kelly mentioned that there had been no updates on the package sent back to Atlanta.

...

After her summer vacation, Lily Carter, who had gone to a nearby city with her brother Harris to sell stars, finally returned to the Clayton community.

Nani, who ran a store at the entrance, intercepted Lily and informed her that she had a package.

Lily took the express mail home and examined the sender's address, discovering that it was once again from the "idiot" Martin.

Seated on her sofa, she grabbed a utility knife and carefully opened the package. Inside, she found a set of exquisite carving tools.

"Is this 'idiot' satisfied with the gift I sent?" Lily pondered, speculating, "So, he's gifted me a set of carving tools?"

Intrigued, she also retrieved some bison horns from her storage room. Lily flexed her wrists and fingers, ready to experiment with her new tools.

She successfully crafted a few new toys, feeling confident in her ability to create intricate pieces.

...

In the hotel's gym, Mike Vogel from the Sisterhood of travelling pants crew was engaged in strength training. After script meetings and rehearsals, they would soon be heading to Greece with the crew.

A production assistant approached Vogel. Vogel walked towards a quieter area, waiting for the others to follow, and asked, "Rick, how's the investigation going?"

Rick reported, "The neighboring crew is filming normally, with Martin Davis as the lead actor. This afternoon, the director, producer, Blake, and others paid a visit to the neighboring team."

Vogel made his way to the rest area and took a seat, inquiring, "What's so special about that?"

Rick shared his findings, saying, "I asked a colleague from the neighboring crew. Martin is filming an action scene, and many people have praised him this afternoon as the best fighter on the crew."

The last statement piqued Vogel's interest. "The best fighter?"

Rick elaborated, "No mistake. Many people on the neighboring crew have heard him claim more than once that when he gets excited or has a few drinks, he boasts of being the best fighter and the number one in Atlanta."

Vogel analyzed, "A small-timer who got lucky, won a few auditions, and started getting arrogant easily?"

Rick added, "We're planning a joint party with the neighbors over the weekend, a beach swimsuit party."