Chapter 417: Conflict

On one side of the red carpet, Martin graciously accepted a signature pen and quickly autographed the poster handed to him by the fan team led by Rachel. This devoted group had even prepared a special version of the leader and the saint Coca-Cola advertising poster for Elizabeth, requesting her signature.

Elizabeth felt deeply involved in show business for the first time in her career and her smile was so sweet that it radiated happiness.

Security personnel approached, urging them to move along. Martin extended his hand, and Bruce, who was with him, handed over two cans of Coke.

Martin offered one to Elizabeth, cracked it open, and raised a toast toward the gathering of Coca-Cola Cult enthusiasts.

Elizabeth enthusiastically joined in, exclaiming, "Coke God Cult Forever!"

In unison, hundreds of people in red shirts raised their Cokes and echoed, "Coke God Cult Forever!"

The energy was overwhelming, eclipsing the limelight of everyone on the red carpet.

Martin and Elizabeth sipped their Cokes briefly, leaving the rest to Bruce, before returning hand in hand to the red carpet.

Elizabeth was thoroughly excited, her fair face flushed, as she questioned, "I'm not a bad saint, am I?"

Martin responded with a thumbs-up, "You're perfect."

Elizabeth suddenly inquired, "How many saints are there in the Coke Cult?"

Martin responded casually, "Strictly speaking, there are only two."

One was Elena, and the other was Elizabeth.

With that, they made their way to the interview area, where they were greeted by Regis Philbin, the host of the red carpet event.

"Is this your girlfriend, Martin?" Philbin inquired.

Martin proudly raised Elizabeth's clasped hand, stating, "Absolutely."

Philbin beamed and commented, "You two make a perfect couple."

Elizabeth expressed her gratitude, "Thank you."

Philbin turned to Martin and asked, "Do you have confidence in winning the Best Actor Oscar tonight?"

Martin replied, "Of course, I'd love to win it. I'd age myself ten years for that. Most of the nominees are my seniors, and being nominated alongside them is a tremendous honor."

Seeing that it was time to move on, Philbin said, "I wish you an Oscar win tonight."

Martin then led Elizabeth into the Kodak Theater, spotting Daniel Day-Lewis and Scott Rudin in the distance.

Rudin, known for his Oscar public relations prowess, had even outshone the Weinstein brothers in their prime. Eventually, he parted ways with them and assumed leadership at Miramax after Disney ousted the Weinsteins.

Rudin served as the producer of two of this year's most acclaimed Oscar films, "No Country for Old Men" and "There Will Be Blood."

Martin and Elizabeth swiftly located the "The Reader" crew in the hall, where Kate and Sam Mendes had already taken their seats.

Leonardo, sitting in the same row as them, greeted Elizabeth and playfully teased Martin, "Good evening, runner."

Elizabeth couldn't help but laugh. She had taken the time to get to know the people around Martin, and it appeared that, besides Bruce, Mene, and Thomas, the individuals he had the closest relationships with were Leonardo and Nicholson.

Martin responded in kind, "I don't converse with someone who can run the 100 meters in 11 seconds... Oh, my mistake, it's 15 seconds for the 100 meters now."

Leonardo playfully shot Martin a middle finger, saying, "You can mock me, but your running journey with me is just beginning."

Martin nodded, "Unlike you, I've been running alongside you for ten years, and there's no finish line in sight."

Elizabeth, sitting next to them, turned to Kate on her right and asked, "Are they always like this?"

"Otherwise, what do you call a trio of misfits?" Kate paid no mind to the two jesters.

Nicholson approached at that moment, extending his arms as if he were the monarch of the world. "The true Oscar winner has arrived!"

Martin immediately shifted his aim, remarking, "This guy is out of his mind."

Leonardo concurred, "He's won an Oscar; my sanity is intact."

With a hearty laugh, Nicholson boasted, "Haha... I've got three statuettes, while you two..." He raised his fingers, almost poking Martin and Leonardo in the face, "have a grand total of zero!"

Martin and Leonardo were momentarily silenced, aghast.

This was the Oscars, where the golden statuettes reigned supreme.

Elizabeth, concerned that Martin might be affected, approached and whispered in his ear, "I believe in you. I'm confident you'll soon have your own Oscar statuette." Her sweet smile had a calming effect on him.

Martin, still a bit rattled by the old rascal's remarks, gently patted Elizabeth's hand and reassured her, "I'll certainly get one before Leo."

In the row just behind, four figures emerged: Harvey and his wife, Georgina, and the Affleck brothers.

Georgina tapped Martin's seat, waiting for him to turn around, and cordially greeted Martin, Kate, and the others one by one.

Harvey shook Martin's hand and said, "I didn't expect you to secure a Best Actor nomination so quickly."

This comment implied that Harvey's most effective tactic to lure Martin had lost its appeal.

In the realm of commercial film success, Martin had surpassed even Weinstein Pictures' productions.

Martin smiled and replied, "Luck was on my side."

Harvey then gestured to Ben Affleck and Casey Affleck by his side, saying, "Ben has become a director now. If he has suitable projects, perhaps you can collaborate."

He turned to Sam Mendes, resuming their conversation.

Given his close friendship with Matt Damon, Ben held a somewhat unfavorable opinion of Martin, which he expressed humorously, "I'm just a small director. I can't afford a big star like you, Martin." It was a compliment laced with sarcasm.

Unfazed, Martin replied, "If the project fits and the compensation aligns with my requirements, I'll certainly consider it."

Casey Affleck, sporting a substantial beard, remarked, "Back when Ben was earning big as a superstar, you were nowhere to be found."

Leonardo, never one to shy away from a jest, responded, "It seems the three of us are not qualified."

Nicholson, always eager for fun and never one to back down from a challenge, inquired playfully, "Young man from the Foot Gang, which kid are you?" His audacity left Harvey and Ben perplexed.

Quickly, Ben intervened, saying, "We meant no harm and certainly didn't intend any disrespect."

Martin cast a glance at Casey and warned, "Don't stir the pot. The Face Gang and the Foot Gang have no enmity with each other."

Casey appeared sullen and said no more.

Harvey heard the exchange and, concluding his discussion with Sam Mendes, turned to remark, "What's with the Face Gang and the Foot Gang? We're all friends in the industry." Georgina, sitting beside him, silently shook her head.

In reality, she had reservations about several people in Harvey's circle, particularly Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. It was challenging to conceal certain activities from her, as her personal brand relied on gaining attention without promoting anything too controversial.

Georgina had heard rumors that Matt Damon and Ben Affleck had been involved in certain activities as accomplices of her husband.

The three principal members of the Face Gang turned back around and resumed their seats.

Harvey and the Affleck brothers did the same.

Kate and Georgina continued their quiet conversation across the seats.

Harvey, glancing at Martin in the row ahead, refrained from broaching the topic of an invitation.

At the Oscars, Martin had secured nominations for both Best Supporting Actor and Best Actor.

In terms of commercial success, Weinstein Pictures had lagged behind Louise Meyer's Pacific Pictures in recent years.

To outshine the competition with sheer force was a formidable task, especially with Martin as part of the Bastard Trio and the formidable, unapologetic Nicholson in his corner.

It was a challenging situation that gave Harvey a headache.

Casey Affleck, sitting beside Ben, appeared frustrated and whispered, "They're looking down on us, bro."

Ben remained silent for a moment before responding, "We've been going through a tough time these past two years."

Casey reassured him, saying, "Your directorial debut, 'Gone Baby Gone,' was well-received. If you find the right script and project, you'll definitely turn things around."

Ben nodded in agreement. As an actor, he had hit a dead end and decided to venture into directing, leading to the unexpected success of his first project.

Casey observed Harvey's distracted attention and remarked, "We, along with Matt, have done a lot for Harvey, so he must support us."

Ben emphasized, "He is supporting us." He looked at the three individuals in front of him and cautioned, "The three bastards don't have any direct conflicts of interest with us. Let's not provoke them."

Casey nodded and glanced at the trio. Nicholson and Leonardo were untouchable figures.

In the front row, Elizabeth inquired, "Do they have conflicts with you?"

Martin briefly explained, "The Face Gang and the Foot Gang have had several conflicts."

Elizabeth playfully offered, "I can help you wash your face."

Before Martin could respond, Leonardo chimed in, "The Foot Gang seems to want to challenge us."

Nicholson interjected, "Do you want to mess with them?"

Martin contemplated for a moment, saying, "The timing isn't right. The Weinstein brothers are backing them. Let's hold off on any confrontations for now."

Nicholson pondered, "That glum-looking boy doesn't bode well. Both of you, please be cautious." He then mused, "Face Gang versus Foot Gang, I need to think of a plan."

Elizabeth overheard their conversation and marveled at the colorful life Martin led.

In another row of seats, Saoirse Ronan from the "Atonement" crew took out her phone and sent a text message: "Teacher, look to your left."

Martin checked his vibrating phone, glanced to his left, and saw Saoirse waving. She sent another text: "It seems like you're having some trouble with those guys in the back row. Do you want me to secretly take their photos?" Martin gestured downward as a sign of approval.

Saoirse complied and stopped texting.

Elizabeth also noticed her. The two had crossed paths on the set of "Benjamin." Elizabeth mentioned, "Saoirse is nominated for Best Supporting Actress."

Martin pointed toward the stage, and Elizabeth refrained from further conversation.

As the music began and the stage lights illuminated, the awards ceremony got underway. Even Leonardo, the jovial companion, became serious.