Chapter 243: The Impact of the Disaster, Queensland

The day after the charity event.

All the major media outlets in North America featured the event on their front pages.

At the same time, they all mentioned Martin's live performance and his two new songs.

"Martin's music creation ability has once again been proven. His talent is like the ocean, inexhaustible and endless." — The New York Times

"Whether it's the deep emotion of Rolling in the Deep or the passionate intensity of Burn It All Down, they prove one thing: Martin is bound to become a legend in the music industry." — Musician Magazine

"Both new songs once again demonstrate Martin's musical talent. If it weren't for his distractions with films and writing, I think he would release more than one album a year." — Los Angeles Daily News

A memorial charity event has once again made Martin a hot topic.

That evening, Martin and Ivanka had a very simple dinner together.

Over the meal, they talked about many things. Martin discovered that Ivanka had a lot of business ideas, such as her "microwave fast food" concept, which Martin thought had great potential.

Of course, he would never steal someone else's idea.

For him, there were so many opportunities to make money.

As time passed, the impact of the disaster on America became more evident.

Especially in Hollywood, the impact on the entertainment industry was the most significant.

People lost their enthusiasm for movies, and box office sales plummeted. Many films were delayed in their release dates.

For example, Martin's The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, Leonardo DiCaprio's Gangs of New York, and Arnold Schwarzenegger's Collateral Damage.

In addition, production teams that were in the middle of filming or about to start filming canceled almost all of their overseas shooting plans.

Many of Hollywood's A-list stars expressed unwillingness to film abroad, fearing for their safety.

According to the Associated Press, since 9/11, top stars like Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, Jim Carrey, Julia Roberts, and many A-list Hollywood producers all voiced that they were unwilling to work as "airborne laborers" anymore.

At that time, Americans firmly believed that their own country was the safest.

They could not have imagined that, more than 20 years later, this country would still be far from achieving the government's post-disaster vision of "creating a more united, safer, and more prosperous America," and instead, would fall into a deepening crisis of domestic extremist violence.

The sense of safety for Americans at home did not increase; it was eroding day by day.

Martin, however, was not worried about safety issues. He continued to fly back and forth between America and New Zealand, dealing with minor issues related to The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring.

At the same time, he would meet with his girlfriends in his free time to ease the exhaustion and pressure from work.

That day, Martin once again flew to New Zealand. After meeting up with Peter Jackson, the two of them, along with bodyguards and assistants, flew to Queensland, Australia.

"Queensland is Australia's agricultural province, as well as a major tourist destination with the famous Gold Coast."

"But it's also the most sparsely populated area in Australia."

"The non-coastal areas of Queensland are desert, with scarce water resources and almost no residents."

"Only in the state capital, Brisbane, and near the Gold Coast are there any human settlements."

"Brisbane is Australia's third-largest city, with a population of about 2.36 million. The Brisbane River runs through the city, providing a relatively abundant water source."

"The farm we're going to see is near Brisbane, not far from the Gold Coast."

On the plane, Peter Jackson started introducing the details of the farm to Martin. Martin was half-asleep listening, as Peter was not the best at explaining things.

After landing, the group rented a car and headed towards the farm.

Once outside the Brisbane city area, all Martin could see was desert. There were no towns along the way, just sparse shrubs and hundreds of massive termite mounds.

"My God, this place is so desolate. It's like being abandoned by God," Gordon commented.

Martin, however, was quite interested in the view outside and said, "This place is actually perfect for shooting an apocalyptic film. No need for set design; it's naturally an apocalypse."

"Hmm, could be used for a horror movie as well," he added.

"Look at those termite mounds. Don't they look like sculptures built by demons? Or like ghosts silently watching us from the grass?"

A cold wind blew through, and Peter Jackson pulled his neck in, feeling slightly frightened by Martin's words.

The road outside the city was straight and desolate. They hadn't passed a single car for a long time. Even though Gordon had sped up to 140 kilometers per hour, it didn't feel like they were going fast.

Along the side of the road, dead kangaroos could be seen—some decayed, some half-decayed, and some reduced to skeletons.

"It's going to rain. Look at those dark clouds," Gordon suddenly said.

Martin glanced at them and laughed, "No, those aren't clouds, they're birds."

"What the hell, those are birds? This place is giving me the creeps! Martin, are you really going to buy a farm here?" Gordon widened his eyes.

Even Peter Jackson, who had recommended the farm to Martin, seemed a bit uncertain. He scratched his head and said, "The photos my friend sent me of the farm looked beautiful, very suitable for vacationing."

"You'll see once we get there," Martin replied noncommittally.

The bird flock got closer, and the sound of their wings flapping became deafening.

As they passed, bird droppings fell like raindrops.

Luckily, the bird flock didn't fly over their car, or the vehicle would have turned into a mobile toilet.

But soon, this desolate stretch of road was behind them.

The land gradually became wetter, and there was more greenery. It was no longer just dry bushes; rolling hills appeared.

"We're almost there, ten more minutes," Peter said.

"It's a half-hour drive from the city, not too far!" Martin calculated the time.

"Look, it's right there!" Peter Jackson pointed to the left and shouted, "Turn in from that small road ahead."

Five minutes later, a massive English-style manor came into view.

It was a white, pale gray building complex with a square and upright design, and four tall towers at each corner of the building.

"Is that a water tower?" Martin, with his sharp eyesight, noticed the huge cement water tank at the top of the towers.

"Yes, it's used to store potable water during the dry season," Peter replied.

"Does the farm lack water?" Martin asked.

"No, there are specially designed water troughs that transport fresh water from the river. Only during the dry season in August, when the water level in the troughs is too low and taking water becomes inconvenient, do we use the water from the towers," Peter explained.

Beep beep beep!

The car stopped at the farm's entrance, where a large wooden fence blocked the road.

With Gordon honking the horn, a man dressed as a cowboy jogged over and shouted at the car, "Is this Mr. Jackson and Mr. Myers?"

Peter Jackson poked his head out of the window. "Yes, it's us. Open the gate."

As the cowboy opened the gate, Peter Jackson turned to Martin and said, "This guy is a farm worker, responsible for herding. I forgot his name."

"How many workers are there on the farm? Do they want to stay?"

"Seven or eight, and of course they want to stay. Every cowboy loves working on a familiar farm. The salaries are about the same for everyone," Peter replied.