America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz

After returning to Los Angeles, Martin began communicating about the new endorsement deal, first discussing matters with Coca-Cola representatives.

Compared with Brioni and Cadillac, Coca-Cola was much more important.

Coca-Cola had no objections; their restrictions were limited to beverages only.

Subsequently, Martin met successively with representatives from Brioni and Cadillac, reaching an agreement on all endorsement terms with both parties.

The former was a three-year contract, with an annual endorsement fee of six million US dollars, plus terms for a series of brand-related activities.

The latter was a two-year contract, with an annual endorsement fee of ten million US dollars, and the first advertisement was scheduled to be shot in January.

Just before the New Year, Cadillac held a grand signing ceremony with Martin in Los Angeles.

The press room of the Hilton Hotel was packed with hundreds of journalists.

Martin signed on the contract template and then exchanged contracts with Johnson, the representative of Cadillac.

Warm applause erupted from all around.

The backdrop behind the signing table was drawn back, revealing the flagship model Cadillac SLS 2007.

With the new car's poster as the background, including Martin, everyone stood on the stage for a group photo.

Thomas clapped vigorously from below the stage, and after clapping, he unconsciously touched his forehead, feeling his hair falling out like dead grass in winter.

But he didn't mind.

Because just these two commercial endorsements had secured him, as an agent, an income of millions of dollars.

Considering the cut from Martin's other sources of income, that's millions of dollars a year!

In the entire Hollywood talent agency business, only a few dozen people had achieved this feat.

Thomas took out his phone, using the screen's reflection to check his hair, and began seriously considering whether to shave it all off or to opt for a hair transplant.

At the signing table, the Cadillac spokesperson's voice rang out, announcing that they would sponsor the premiere and provide vehicles for all public events for Martin's new movie "Limitless".

Next, Louise Mel, the producer representing the film crew, signed a sponsorship agreement with Cadillac.

All the main creative members of the "Limitless" crew were present.

With only a month left before the release of the film, the crew seized every opportunity to promote and hype the movie.

Martin then took questions from the reporters.

Beyond the routine questions, a TMZ journalist named Jody asked a gossip question according to prior coordination with Bruce, "Many media outlets and websites are now rumoring that you're dating both Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie at the same time?"

Martin naturally denied it, retorting, "Do you think that's possible? Jen and Angie are both independent women, and I am good friends with them…"

By noon that day, the relevant video appeared on TMZ's website.

Brad Pitt, who was under home confinement, watched the video and exploded with the pent-up anger from days of being trapped, smashing the mouse to pieces: "Shit friends! Who the hell stabs a friend in the back like that! Bastard! Martin, you scoundrel, I'm going to kill you!"

He hadn't groomed himself in days, now with a messy beard and greasy hair, he looked like a rabid dog.

On the computer screen, another news article appeared, announcing that both Cadillac and Brioni had officially signed Martin Davis as their global brand ambassador.

Seeing Martin standing in front of Cadillac's SLS flagship car, Pitt felt worse than dead.

Endorsements worth tens of millions of dollars had just been snatched away from him.

Pitt picked up the phone and called his agent Maggie. Once connected, he said, "I want to sue Cadillac for unilateral breach of contract!"

Maggie counseled, "Forget it, Pitt. You better keep a low profile and hold your tongue. Metoo accusations are piling up one after another, even affecting directors and screenwriters. If you come forward now, it will only bring you more disdain. Just lay low and wait for an opportunity."

Pitt hung up the phone.

With numerous stars and directors from Meryl Streep to Kate Blanchett, and Nicole Kidman joining Metoo, CAA was considering dropping Pitt.

......

In the festive onslaught of the Metoo movement, the year 2006 quietly passed, and 2007 arrived once more before Martin.

Taking advantage of the New Year holiday, he gave himself a good break.

Conveniently, the Cody Community organized a New Year's fireworks display.

Martin and Bruce specifically went to New Chinatown to buy a large batch.","Together, they then headed to a hardware store.

The two of them selected a bunch of steel pipes and tools.

Back at home, they immediately got to work DIY-ing. Martin was a bit clumsy, but Bruce was quite skilled.

Bruce mainly took care of the ideas while Old Cloth did the crafting.

After two days of busy work, they transformed a heap of fireworks and launching tools.

Having tested everything in the yard to ensure the effects were good, Martin called Leonardo and Nicholson, "Come over tonight for a fireworks show at my place!"

As soon as they heard 'fireworks,' both immediately thought of Pine Forest Film Studio's mortars and readily agreed to come.

As dusk fell, Leonardo and Nicholson each drove over to Martin's place.

Bruce had already loaded all the modified goods into the bed of his pickup truck.

Martin got behind the wheel and beckoned the two of them, "Hang tight, let's go!"

Leonardo climbed into the back seat, leaning on it and asked, "What fun stuff have you got?"

Martin drove out the gate, "You'll know when we get there."

Nicholson, with dirty thoughts in mind, asked, "Are we going to LA's most popular make-out spots? I know where they are, a few mountains in Malibu…"

Martin was surprised, "Why would we go there?"

Nicholson said, "Of course, to shoot off fireworks, to startle those bastards making out, making the guys rip their sponges and the girls all cramp up!"

Martin countered, "I'm not you, why would I do such boring things."

Nicholson was furious, "Who did all those crappy things at Pine Forest Film Studio?"

"Wasn't it you and Meryl who did it?" Martin asked Leonardo, "Am I remembering wrong?"

Leonardo said earnestly, "That's right, it was Jack and Meryl who did it, the media reported it."
Your next journey awaits at empire

Nicholson was very angry, and the consequences were severe, "If you do any more crappy things in the future, don't think of getting me to take the fall for you."

Martin said, "You should watch this fireworks display before you say that."

The pickup truck drove to the community square, where Martin had a brief conversation with Harold from the community committee, and the truck entered the cargo parking area.

Jennifer Aniston, who had been scheduled, also showed up.

As darkness fell, hundreds of people gathered in the vast square. The community prepared fireworks, and some of the owners also brought their own fireworks to set off in the designated area.

Martin and his two companions moved several fireproof boxes to the edge of the launch area and took out a pack of sparklers, which he handed to Jennifer Aniston.

The latter lit one, attracting many children.

Martin brought over another big pack and said, "They are all the children of neighbors, you hand them out."

Jennifer Aniston didn't like kids very much, but handing out sparklers was easy enough.

A group of children, brandishing lit sparklers, swirled around Aniston.

Joy is contagious, and suddenly Aniston found these kids kind of cute.

But her attention was quickly drawn to the Trio of Scoundrels.

Martin opened the box, took out a thick pipe stuffed with several thin, long fireworks.

Leonardo also took one and asked, "What's this new toy? Looks a bit like a Gatling gun."

Martin laughed, "Let's call it a Gatling gun."

He and Old Cloth had searched all over Chinatown and some fireworks shops but hadn't found a Gatling gun, so they had to modify it themselves.

"Jack, light it up for me," Martin said, holding up the Gatling gun.

Nicholson came over and lit the fuse.

Martin raised the Gatling gun, and after a puff of burning smoke, series after series of dazzling fireworks soared into the night sky.

It was like a Gatling gun firing tracer bullets.

"This is fun!" Leonardo urged Nicholson, "Jack, light mine!"

Nicholson, too, was in high spirits and, disregarding Leonardo, took one up himself and shouted, "Light mine up first."

The two scoundrels were trying to outdo each other.

Aniston brought over a heart-shaped sparkler and said, "I'll light it for you guys."

She used the sparkler to light up the Gatling guns for both scoundrels.

Nicholson, acting like a crazy grandpa, raised the Gatling gun and started shooting into the sky, shouting and hollering.

This kind of romance is something only men can appreciate.

Martin's Gatling had run out, and he switched it for a new one.

Aniston came over to light it.

Martin asked her, "Do you want to try?"

Aniston shook her head, "It's prettier to watch."

Fireworks are for viewing, not for lighting personally.

This one hadn't finished going off when suddenly a few people came over and asked, "Your fireworks..."

Nicholson had just finished one and butted in, "We're selling ours for 50 US dollars each."

The person paid and bought two.

The commotion here attracted many people, and seeing that fireworks were for sale, even more people gathered around.

Old scoundrel Nicholson, seeking only joy without shame, took the fireworks Martin and Bruce had made and hawked them, not earning much, but there was a certain thrill in selling someone else's goods and keeping the money himself.

He even found time to say to Martin and Aniston, "I'll treat you guys later, to a face wash."

Aniston didn't understand, "Face wash? Going for a beauty treatment?"

Martin said, "Don't listen to Jack, he's never been serious."

As they sold and set off fireworks together, several boxes quickly ran out.

When there was only one box left, Nicholson sat on it and declared, "This box is mine, huh!"

Leonardo asked, "What do you want that stuff for?"

"Over at Malibu, those hills are a haven for trysts," said Nicholson. "Leo, we'll go there in a few days, and blast all those lovebirds out!"

Leonardo agreed, "Great idea, let's see how many people end up in the hospital."

These two scoundrels knew no limits to their antics, and Martin quickly said, "I've just realized something."

Nicholson frowned, "What do you understand now, you rascal?"

"Turns out, that's the real truth behind the Malibu Hills fires!" As the third of the Trio of Scoundrels, Martin really had his heart broken by the other two, "It was you two scoundrels who did it!"

Nicholson and Leonardo grasped the meaning in Martin's words.

Malibu was notorious for its high risk of fires, and Nicholson sighed, "We can only set them off at the film studio then."

Leonardo said, "Every studio will put you on their blacklist."

Nicholson didn't care, "I'm about to retire, and before I do, I want to explode every famous film studio!"