Chapter 181

"As graceful as a startling giant, as graceful as a swimming dragon!"

"It sounds like thunder, angry yet clear, like a river or a serene sea."

These two lines perfectly captured Martin's movements at that moment.

Not only had he imitated Tiger Chen's routine exactly, but he had also infused it with an artistry and fluidity that Tiger had not.

Yuan Heping was stunned, his mind ablaze with inspiration. It felt a lot like Peter Jackson's realization when he first saw Martin's elf costume.

Genius. A true genius in martial arts!

As Martin finished his set of moves, applause erupted from around him.

"Is this what we're doing in the movie?"

"Oh my God, this is Chinese Kung Fu, it's so beautiful!"

"Martin is so handsome. I want to marry him—"

Nicole immediately shot a glance at the woman who spoke, silently vowing to keep a close eye on Martin on set and make sure this woman never got too close.

"Martin, have you ever thought about learning Chinese Kung Fu?" Yuan Heping asked eagerly, stepping forward.

To his surprise, Martin simply shook his head.

"No, I'm sorry. It's not that I don't respect Chinese Kung Fu, but I really don't have the time."

In truth, Martin believed he could grasp the routines of Chinese Kung Fu just by reading them. There was no real need for him to go out of his way to study them. The primary purpose of these routines was to stretch the muscles, improve bone health, and strengthen internal organs—not for combat skills.

As for stretching and strengthening the body, wasn't his magic already far more effective in those areas?

The real fighting techniques of Kung Fu were with the Chinese military, and honestly, even if he learned them, they wouldn't be much use to him.

No matter how skilled he became in hand-to-hand combat, could it really surpass the power of magic?

For Martin, any fighting skills in this world seemed irrelevant and largely unnecessary. Yuan Heping felt a little disappointed. He had acted impulsively in thinking he could convince Martin to take up Kung Fu. The man before him wasn't just some poor boy—he had bodyguards coming in and out, and he was already well-versed in martial arts.

So, Yuan didn't push the matter further.

The training continued, with the occasional grunt of pain echoing across the room.

Martin glanced toward Nicole and noticed the Australian beauty had changed into a white training suit and was working hard on her splits, assisted by a female martial artist. Her expression... was something to behold.

Martin couldn't help but laugh, noticing her struggle. Nicole, feeling his gaze, shot him a sharp glare.

Nicole had practiced ballet as a child, stretching her ligaments, opening her hips, and lowering her waist. She hadn't trained for long, though, and had lost much of her flexibility over the years.

Martin watched for a moment before turning away to chat with Tiger Chen, who was standing nearby.

In the future, Martin would definitely form his own action team. After all, action films were a growing trend, and he couldn't afford to pay someone like Yuan Heping full-time. Tiger Chen was a perfect choice.

Martin had connections with both Yuan and the review committee; it was just a matter of timing.

In the original timeline, Keanu Reeves had helped him, but in this life, he decided to take matters into his own hands and bring in the succubus.

With her affinity and ability to charm, she would be easy to win over.

Plus, she had years of experience living in the U.S., which would make it easier for her to integrate into Hollywood.

Yuan Heping sat on a chair off to the side, watching his apprentice. He had no idea that someone was eyeing Tiger Chen.

Yuan had long stopped performing himself, passing on demonstrations to Tiger and other apprentices, only offering advice when needed.

In the meantime, "Agent Smith" was grinning. This man had just wrapped up his role in The Lord of the Rings and was now working with Martin.

At first, he was grateful to Martin for giving him another opportunity, but now... he regretted it. Pressing his legs at his age was painful!

"How's it going, Hugo?" Martin asked with a smile during a training break.

"Not great. I feel like my legs are going to fall off. Damn, Martin, you need to raise my pay," Hugo Weaving said between gasps.

"Alright, alright, raise your pay!" Martin teased.

"Bonus! Bonus!" the other actors chimed in.

Martin shrugged, grinning. "The pay's fixed. The contract's been signed. But as for the bonus..."

"This depends on the box office, folks. We all have to train hard and make this film a success. If the box office exceeds expectations, I'll be generous with the bonuses."

"Oh, long live Martin!" the actors cheered.

Laurence Fishburne, the big guy who played Murphy, gave a bittersweet smile. "Looks like I'll have to work extra hard for that bonus."

"For the bonus!" a chorus of voices rang out.

"By the way, here's some good news – extra lunch! Barbecue and fried chicken!" Martin added with a grin.

Nicole couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "This isn't good news. The heat's so high. I need to stay in shape, or I won't fit into that tight leather jacket."

"I think it sounds pretty good," Hugo Weaving remarked. "Barbecue? Fried chicken? Yes, please!"

"Damn it, you men don't have to stay in shape," Nicole shot back.

"Hey, I suspect you're complaining about my figure," Hugo teased.

"Then sue me!" Nicole fired back with a laugh.

After this little banter, everyone seemed to loosen up. The training became more relaxed as the actors chatted, and the pain didn't feel quite so bad.

Martin walked around the room before heading out. He had a lot of work to do, including some coding every day.

Fortunately, being a succubus, he didn't feel the exhaustion most humans would.

As he stepped out of the studio, Jeff was already waiting outside.

"What's up, Jeff?"

"Sony and Columbia agreed to our terms. Meyers Films is on board for the investment."

"How much of a share?"

"20%!"

"And what about the division of royalties and video sales?"

"Royalties are a no-go, because Marvel has a stake, and Sony Columbia doesn't have a huge share either. But they did agree to 20% of video sales."

"Okay, let's sign the contract. And by the way, how much will my salary be?"

"10 million dollars!"

"Nice, I'm officially in the Ten Million Club!"

At this point, Martin wasn't particularly focused on the salary; he cared more about film investment. That was where the real power lay.

Still, the salary was a reflection of his status, which mattered a lot to him. Status gave him influence and authority, and who could ever have too much of that?

"Oh, and there's a guy named Tiger Chen from Hong Kong. Get in touch with him. Hollywood's action style is too rigid. We need some fresh blood."

"Are you poaching him?"

"Exactly!"

"I know what to do," Jeff said.