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Under the clear blue sky in early September, Martin sat alone on a bench in front of the art gallery, wearing a Dodgers baseball cap, patiently waiting for soone to co over.
A few minutes later, Lily, who had just finished her class, jumped down the steps of the art gallery.
She landed behind the bench and yelled at Martin, "Boo..."
Martin turned around and said, "How old are you to still play these gas?"
Lily had her long hair tied into a simple ponytail at the back of her head and said, "It's no fun, I didn't scare you."
Martin got up, "I knew it was you by the sound of your running."
Lily's long eyebrows lifted in surprise, "It turns out you care so much about ."
As Martin walked toward the college entrance, he said, "I've known you since you were a little brat, always running and jumping around with your accent, likes and dislikes, and a mouth full of swear words. What about you don't I know?"
"I've stopped swearing," Lily said softly. "Actually, there are so things you don't know about."
Martin turned his head to look at her and asked, "What don't I know about you?"
Lily laughed, "A girl's secret, I'm not telling you."
People were coming toward them, greeting them first, "Hi, Lily."
Lily waved back at them.
From the art gallery to the parking lot near the school's entrance, at least six or seven people greeted Lily.
Martin asked, "It seems like you know a lot of people?"
"I've made a lot of friends, just like at Marietta High School," said Lily, who used to be the queen bee at the public middle school. "Many girls envied and resented my beauty, making sneaky moves behind my back, but I always dealt with them in groups."
Martin admonished, "Don't go too far."
Lily said with a grievance, "I haven't, they all say I'm a good person."
Martin understood Lily's style; she was a girl who grew up under her sister's iron fist, then applied the sa iron-fisted education to her brother Holle, and carried it on to school.
Lily never stood on ceremony with Martin, "Don't worry, I'll call you if there's anything. And that Louise, she knows a lot of people and has called a few tis..."
Martin approached the Escalade and pulled open the driver's side door, "Get in."
Lily got into the passenger seat.
The car left the college, heading straight for Sherman Oaks, and Martin turned into Cody Community. As they neared ho, they encountered Jenna walking her cat.
Seeing Martin's car, Jenna waved.
Martin stopped the car and rolled down the window.
Jenna ca over, looked at the passenger side, and asked, "Girlfriend?"
Lily imdiately greeted her with a smile, "Hello, miss, you're so beautiful."
Martin pushed her back, "This is my sister, Lily."
Jenna nodded, examining Lily carefully, "Nice figure and looks, extrely talented."
Lily had a good first impression of Jenna, eagerly responding, "Everyone I know says that, do you think so too?"
Martin glanced at Jenna, and Jenna imdiately corrected herself, "I invited you to the set, but you were always busy..."
"I've been too busy with work," Martin found an excuse and said, "Maybe another ti."
Jenna nodded and then said to Lily, "Pretty girl, co visit the set with Martin when you have ti."
Lily replied, "Sure."
Martin drove up to the front of the house.
Lily looked back and said, "She's nice."
"Indeed, she is," Martin had gotten to know her a bit through several encounters, and aside from Jenna's specific profession, he found her to be quite a quality person.
He simply said, "In your letters of recomndation, one of them was from her father."
Lily asked, "Should I visit her set to express my thanks and to get a bit closer to her?"
She rembered Jenna's words from earlier, "What works has she been in? With such an outstanding appearance, I would definitely rember her if I've seen her."
Martin said straightforwardly, "She's in films from Sacred Valley, where she's the director and the leading actress."
"Uh..." The answer was so unexpected that Lily was taken aback and didn't know what to say.
Martin added, "Jenna Jones' entire family is in the arts, and she entered this line of work because, it's said, she has hormonal issues."
As for whether that's true or not, no one really inquired.
The car entered through the gates, and Lily's attention shifted. When Martin parked the car in front of the garage, she leaped out and exclaid, "What a beautiful house."
Then, she caught the sll of barbecue and turned to say, "Hey, Old Cloth, long ti no see."
Bruce was barbecuing and waved at them, "Lily, you get prettier every ti I see you."
Martin drove the car into the garage.
On the poolside, a long dining table and several chairs were set up.
Martin didn't invite anyone else, and it was just him, Lily, and Bruce dining together.
A simple al of grilled at, vegetables, and fruit.
Unlike the people he t after moving to Los Angeles, all three of them were from Atlanta, truly his own people.
The dinner was a joyful affair for the three of them.
After they were full, Lily toured Martin's house and sat in the big G in the garage, only to hop out imdiately.
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Martin didn't mind and said casually, "If you need a car, you can drive it for now."
Blake was very particular; he kept all the valuable gifts he gave on this side, only keeping a few ntos for himself.
Lily however noticed that the forr owner of the car was a girl and shook her head, "I don't need a car right now. Once I get familiar with the school, I'll find a job to earn money and buy my own car."
Before the sky turned completely dark, Martin had dropped Lily off at school and reminded her to seek out Louise if she needed anything.
He had just made a deal costing several hundred million with Louise.
When Lily left, Martin gave her a big bag filled with gifts.
Despite having ten thousand complaints in her heart, Lily accepted the gifts with tears in her eyes.
The award season was about to comnce, and Martin was soon heading to Canada to participate in the Toronto Film Festival.
The promotion and award season campaign for "Infernal Affairs" would start with the Toronto Film Festival.
The film would have its premiere during the festival period and would be released across North Arica in October.
"So far, the film has had one internal screening and one for theater managers and dia people, and the feedback has been very positive,"
In the Warner Building conference room, producer Graham King briefed the core creative team on the current situation: "MPAA has rated it R, and the distributors have managed to secure around 3200 theaters for the release. The North Arican box office is expected to cross 100 million US dollars."
Many people's eyes fell on Leonardo and Martin.
Aside from Matt Damon, who was shooting "The Bourne Ultimatum 3" in London, they were undoubtedly the most comrcially powerful among the creative talent present.
Nicholson, sitting next to Martin, suddenly said, "Don't look at . As long as I'm not holding you back, you should be grateful to ."
Leonardo couldn't help but laugh.
Scorsese said, "Jack, what new tricks can you co up with?"
Nicholson pointed his finger at Martin, "For any crappy ideas beyond conventional promotion, you find him."
Martin spread his hands, "I've just co back from London and haven't even gotten a grasp on the situation yet."
In front of others, he was good at praising the top two of the Trio of Scoundrels, "With Leo and Jack here, drawing in audiences won't be a problem. Leo appeals to the young and the old, and Jack is the idol of middle-aged and older won."
Graham said, "For every major promotional event in Toronto or Los Angeles, all three of you need to attend."
All three of the Trio of Scoundrels confird there would be no problem.
Afterward, the focus shifted to discussing the Oscar campaign.
The team's primary focus was on Best Picture and Best Director, while Martin's Best Supporting Actor would also strive for a nomination.
The only surprise was that Leonardo wouldn't use this film to contend for Best Actor.
After the eting, the Trio of Scoundrels naturally gathered together.
Martin curiously asked, "You're not using this film's role to go for the Oscar?"
"The resources of this movie are concentrated on Best Picture and Best Director; there's too little left for the others," Leonardo was quite pragmatic, "It's not hard for to get nominated with the role of Billy, but winning is completely hopeless."
With no one else around, just the three of them, Nicholson didn't forget to hold them back, "With your 'stare-frown-and-shout' acting technique, you wouldn't stand a chance with any other roles either."
Leonardo, furious enough to kill, retorted, "Fine! Fine! You're the great actor, you're amazing!"
Nicholson mimicked his antics, bulging his eyes and ostentatiously boasted, "I'm nothing special, just two Best Actor Oscars and one Best Supporting Actor Oscar to my na."
Leonardo was knocked speechless by this crushing blow.
Nicholson delivered the final hit, "If you ask , Martin has a much better shot at getting that little gold man than you."
Leonardo looked up at the sky, speechless, almost on the verge of tears.
"You're not going to sink into depression, are you?" Compared to Nicholson, Martin was relatively humane, "You've got tons of golden-haired, long-legged models waiting for you."
Leonardo moved closer to Martin, "Buddy, you're my real brother here."
Martin hadn't finished his sentence, "They all want to experience what an 11-second sprint feels like."
"I'm going to kill you guys!" Leonardo executed his three trademark moves, glaring, frowning, and roaring, "You two scoundrels!"
Nicholson said, "See? Compared to Martin the jerk, I'm the good guy here."
The three laughed and talked as they got into Nicholson's stretch Lincoln.
Martin set aside the frivolity and asked, "Leo, which film are you planning to use for the Oscar race?"
"Blood Diamond," Leonardo briefly ntioned: "I fild it before 'Infernal Affairs.' I acted alongside Jennifer Connelly, and the male lead has more screen ti in it than in 'Infernal Affairs.' More importantly, the production's primary target is Best Actor."
Martin rembered this film, a saga triggered by a red diamond.
It seed to have even stirred controversy; De Beers was worried the film's impact would be too significant, causing consurs to shun diamonds, and had joined with other diamond companies to protest against the film.
Martin ntioned it.
Leonardo said, "They've already protested to the production, but it's fine, this is good on an artistic level."
Martin understood, "An artist who isn't afraid of power."
Nicholson interjected, "That's the way it's done, Oscars for Best Actor and Actress always need so packaging," he looked at Martin, "Didn't you do so packaging on your end?"
Martin let a little slip, "Yeah, the agency has put a lot of resources into it; I'm preparing to beco a children charity ambassador."
Leonardo nodded, "That's not easy to ss up."
Martin added, "That's why I chose it."
Originally, he had considered going for equal rights, but for so unspeakable, inexplicable reasons, that path was no longer viable.
The three decided to go to a bar for drinks and agreed to head to Canada in a few days to participate in the promotional activities for the Toronto Film Festival.
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