Chapter 227: Martin, Martin, It's All Martin

"Hi, Mom, I'm really fine."

"Don't worry, I had it under control, I'm really good with my hands."

"Okay, okay, don't cry, don't cry. I swear I won't put myself in danger again, alright?"

"What, have I made a vow like this before?"

"Which time? Shooting the cheetah? Uh, this time I swear it's sincere!"

"…"

After finally calming down his mom, his dad called.

However, in comparison, Grant was much more rational. After seeing the live broadcast showing that his son was fine, he had already relaxed.

But the call still had to be made. Aside from comforting his son, there was also an invitation to pass on.

"Martin, I'm glad you're alright. Remember not to do such dangerous things next time, life only comes once."

"Behind Manhattan Second Bank is Chase Manhattan Company. They want to invite you to their company's cocktail party and give you some small gifts as a token of gratitude."

"Who's inviting me? Manhattan Second Bank or Chase Manhattan?"

"Manhattan Second Bank."

"Where is it?"

"It's in New York, on the 12th floor of the Twin Towers. The entire floor belongs to Manhattan Second Bank."

"Uh, I won't go to the cocktail party, and I'll skip the gifts too, I don't have time."

"Alright, it's not a big deal, you decide."

After hanging up, Martin looked out the window. The Twin Towers, as a landmark of New York, were quite eye-catching.

Though it was only July, who knew if his existence had changed the timing of those people's attack? A butterfly flapping its wings in South America might cause a hurricane in America — having read so many books, how could he not know about the butterfly effect?

Safety first, safety first.

...

As time passed, the news of Martin's brave fight against the bank robbers for his friends did not die down. Instead, it became even more sensational.

Three days had passed, and the front page headlines of the three major North American newspapers — The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, and The Washington Post — were still all about Martin's heroic rescue.

Jessica, Lindsay, and Dorothy had clearly gained a lot of fame from this incident.

The three girls had been interviewed many times, praising Martin.

However, soon Dorothy stopped accepting interviews. She wasn't an actress and didn't rely on fame to survive.

Jessica and Lindsay had received many offers and spent every night discussing which film to accept.

"Martin, something's off. The buzz is too high, it seems like someone is secretly controlling public opinion," Jeff Raymond said, frowning.

Martin laughed, "It's normal, it's probably the authorities deliberately controlling the narrative. Wow, look at this close-up, how did they get it?"

"Why?" Jeff, not very politically sensitive, asked, puzzled.

"I've gathered some inside information," Martin replied. "There's some political maneuvering behind the large-scale protests, and it's not just in New York — Los Angeles, Chicago, and other big cities are preparing for similar protests. It seems to be about the police shooting of a black man in Cincinnati."

"Of course, the shooting incident is just an excuse. There's something deeper behind it, but I don't know what it is."

"Anyway, because the protest in New York caused problems, the protests in Los Angeles and Chicago were canceled. The authorities don't want the deeper issues to come out, so they're using me to divert public attention."

"Will there be any side effects?" Jeff still looked worried.

"Don't worry," Martin smiled, "this is a good thing for me!"

"Well, as long as you're aware of it," Jeff nodded.

He knew that Martin had much more powerful connections than he did, and was privy to information he couldn't get.

...

"Martin, Martin, it's all about Martin!"

Harvey swung his arm forcefully, knocking the newspapers off the table.

The top page of The Los Angeles Times featured a large photo of Martin, with the bold headline: "Martin Myers, the Spider-Man of real life, he is a true superhero."

The Washington Post had the most exaggerated headline: "He is America's genius, the embodiment of the American Dream, the idol of all American teenagers, he is Martin Myers!"

"What's wrong now?"

Bob walked in and saw his furious older brother.

Honestly, he was already tired of Harvey's short temper. A Harvey like this couldn't lead "Miramax" forward…

"What's wrong?" Harvey stared wide-eyed, pointing at the newspapers on the floor. "Look, look, that little bastard is famous again. At this rate, he's going to become America's spiritual icon."

"But this isn't our problem, is it?" Bob said coldly.

"It's not our problem?" Harvey paused, then tried to slam the table. But halfway up, he gave up and let his arm fall.

"Yeah, it's not our problem."

"Harvey, forget your grudge against Martin. This guy is beyond your reach. No, he never was! Don't go after Martin again, you promised me."

"I... I... Damn it! Alright, alright!"

...

New York.

Anne Hathaway sat nervously in the taxi.

Since landing the lead role in The Princess Diaries, she hadn't been in contact with Martin.

She never expected that after seeing the news about Martin yesterday, she would be completely stunned.

"This guy is really amazing!"

After seeing the reporters interviewing Jessica and the other two girls, a sense of envy rose in her heart —

So annoying, I really want to be one of those girls, saved by Martin, and gain fame too…

So, she decided to go see Martin.

She used the premiere of The Princess Diaries as an excuse.

The Princess Diaries had already finished filming and was set to be released in North America on August 1st, 2001.

After making the phone call, Anne Hathaway felt a little smug — Martin hadn't forgotten her.

(PS: This girl is famously low in emotional intelligence in Hollywood.)

I shouldn't have forgotten to keep in touch with Martin, such a good connection shouldn't be broken!

Becoming Martin's friend will bring more opportunities, earn more money, I want to buy my own house, my own car, I never want to rent or take a taxi again…

The girl secretly encouraged herself.

At that moment, the taxi driver turned on the radio and tuned to a certain channel.

"Ladies and gentlemen: Three days ago, a very tragic event occurred..."

The voice of the President of the United States came through the radio.