Having received precise information from Thomas, Martin said, "Let's go to the bookstore and buy a book called '24 Bills'."
"I'll have soone else go," Bruce reminded. "Don't attract unwanted attention."
Thinking of the previous projects, Martin nodded and said, "Have it delivered straight here after purchasing."
Bruce went to make a call while Martin waited patiently.
Before long, a call ca through to Bruce, who spoke a few sentences, then, covering the receiver, he said to Martin, "The book has been found. At the bookstore, aside from '24 Bills,' there's another book from the sa series called 'Billy's War.'
Martin said, "Buy them both."
After so ti, soone delivered the books to the room's door, and Bruce brought them in.
Martin took them and first looked at the covers; the genre was non-fiction biography, and the author was nad Daniel Keyes. The two books were written in 1981 and 1983, respectively.
The latter took many years to be published.
But Martin didn't have the ti to read them now, as it was almost ti to go down for dinner.
Before leaving the crew, Martin had invited everyone to enjoy a feast, sowhat of a party.
At the party, he received a call from Linda Henry.
The Fenway Group was in collaboration with the crew. The lady boss, aware of Martin's plans to leave Boston, specifically invited him to a private party.
With cooperation between the two sides, Martin accepted the invitation.
Upon returning to his room with ti to spare, he picked up '24 Bills' and read it carefully.
Billy Milligan, born in 1955, was sentenced to prison in 1975 for ard robbery. Released on parole in 1977, he was arrested again for alleged robbery and raping of three won. During Billy's defense, his lawyer had him undergo an evaluation by a psychological expert, who diagnosed him with multiple personality disorder.
ntal health experts from Ohio conducted a further psychological evaluation on Billy.
The results of this assessnt also indicated that Billy suffered from multiple personality disorder.
In the subsequent court defense, the defense attorney argued that "Billy was not in his right mind and couldn't control himself" when committing the cris, and called four psychiatrists and a psychologist to testify for Billy.
The court ultimately accepted the defense and acquitted Billy on grounds of insanity, but he was required to undergo compulsory ntal health treatnt.
Billy beca the first person in Arica to commit serious cris and be found not guilty due to ntal instability.
However, that did not an he gained his freedom; he endured a series of inhumane treatnts during his therapy.
Martin quickly flipped through the book and, with his years of experience in Hollywood, imdiately thought of two adaptation ideas.
One focused on the individual, naly using Billy as the prototype for the male lead, primarily to showcase his behavior and struggles.
The film starring Jane Yii took this perspective.
The other idea was to elevate the event, still adapting it with Billy as the prototype for the male lead, but with the plot's the and focus on the case itself.
The case of Billy was clearly a precedent with significant impact on the legal system.
Both strategies were in line with Hollywood's mainstream adaptation thods.
Martin put down the book.
Bruce also closed his copy of 'Billy's War.'
Martin asked, "What do you think after reading it?"
"It's normal for a person to have two or three sides to them, just like you and ," Bruce said as he shook the book in his hand. "If what's written here is true, this guy is even scarier than you."
Martin's face darkened as he replied, "Billy was a robber and a rapist, I would never do sothing like that."
Bruce laughed, "True, and even though I think you have a bit of a split personality as well, you never lose control."
Martin gave him the middle finger and picked up his phone to call Thomas.
......
In Los Angeles, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel,
in a suite, a beautiful woman with long brown hair popped her head out of the bedroom and said to Thomas in the living room, "Hey dear, haven't you finished your business yet?"
Thomas turned to look at her and said, "Wait a bit longer. Don't co out again until I call for you."
The beautiful woman stood at the doorway, her tall figure like that of a model, "You called over, but now you leave alone in the bedroom..."
Faced with this 3000-dollar love, Thomas was impatient and pulled out money, stuffing it into her hand, "Stay in there and wait a bit if you want to stay; if you don't want to stay, you can leave now."
The woman took the money but then thought better of it and went back to the bedroom.
This man was wealthy and generous; the future promised more lucrative jobs.
Observing the bedroom door closing, Thomas nodded to himself. This kind of love, lasting one or a few nights, was much more convenient than having a long-term girlfriend, without all the ssy complications.
He glanced at the reflection of his bald head on the TV screen, touched it, and started laughing unconcernedly. With money, status, and power, what kind of beautiful woman couldn't he find?
The room was very quiet, as Thomas gripped his phone, patiently waiting.
Having worked with Martin for many years, he knew his style well and anticipated he might get in touch at any mont.
Sure enough, the phone soon rang.
Thomas answered, "Martin, is there sothing else?"
Soone on the other end spoke directly, "Go check who owns the rights to '24 Bills' and 'Billy's War,' these two biographical moirs, and look into Billy Milligan to see if he's still alive."
Thomas replied, "I'll have soone take care of it first thing in the morning."
"Good," Martin reminded him on the other end, "Make sure to keep it confidential."
Thomas hung up the phone, repeated Martin's requests several tis in his mind to make sure he wouldn't forget, and put away his phone as he entered the bedroom.
This was a love story worth three thousand US dollars.
......
Boston, the Bay Area.
The seaside villa was brightly lit, with a private party in full swing.
The spacious banquet hall was bustling with guests.
Since Martin's arrival, Linda Henry had been keeping him company with conversation, "John wanted to personally entertain you, but so unexpected issues cropped up with Liverpool, so he had to rush there early this morning to deal with them. He asked to apologize to you repeatedly."
The woman had a particular fondness for red and was wearing a red evening gown tonight.
"No problem," Martin had received a call from John Henry himself that morning and casually inquired, "The Liverpool team in the Premier League?"
Linda, worried that their business partner Martin might take offense, explained in detail, "Liverpool is having so troubles with the sumr transfer, the Brazilian player's club that we'd previously agreed on suddenly reneged. He's the key player the club wanted to bring in this transfer window, and the head coach got quite emotional, so John had no choice but to personally negotiate."
She picked up her glass and clinked it with Martin's, "Please accept our apology."
Martin smiled, "Here's to Liverpool's success next season."
Linda also smiled, "Thank you."
She engaged Martin in conversation over drinks, sharing amusing stories from the sports and entertainnt worlds and occasionally ntioned the potential for further collaboration.
Sports and entertainnt were intertwined, just as much in Arica.
This woman was not only in charge of Fenway Group's external communications, but she also had great skill and charm in public relations.
Linda was beautiful, had an amazing figure, a high level of education, and was very articulate, which easily endeared her to others.
But soone like Martin wouldn't easily commit, not even if presented with an innocent bunny.
After chatting for a while, Martin spotted a familiar face in the banquet hall and, excusing himself from Linda, he made his way over.
"Gisele, long ti no see," Martin took the initiative to greet Gisele Bundchen and also shook hands with her husband, Tom Brady.
The latter ntioned, "I heard you've been filming in Boston recently?"
Martin made polite conversation, "It's a pity that the NFL is in its off-season, so I can't go watch the New England Patriots' gas."
Tom Brady excused himself after a few words and went to another part of the room.
Gisele Bundchen looked around the banquet hall and asked, "Leo didn't co?"
Martin said, "No, I haven't seen Leo for a while either, he seems to be planning to shoot a new movie."
Gisele comnted, "Making movies, making money, chasing girls, he doesn't care about much else."
"Actually, Leo really cares about you," Martin, the bastard, didn't hesitate to dig a hole for his buddy, "You probably don't know, but when I, Jack, and Leo get drunk, Leo always ends up in tears, saying the person he feels he's let down the most is you."
Hearing this, Gisele looked sowhat taken aback, seemingly lost in mories of happy tis.
She was the only woman who had ever gotten an engagent ring from Leonardo.
But Gisele was no ordinary person, she quickly regained her composure and said, "Really cares? Don't think I don't know about all the things you three have gotten up to, it's no secret in the modeling circles."
Martin wasn't the least bit embarrassed, "We're just thin-skinned, we can't face them down, not sure how to refuse their invitations."
Gisele didn't believe a word, thin-skinned? They were the very challenge of the Fashion Supermodel Group!
"Make sure to keep in touch with Leo," Martin continued to dig, after all, Leonardo wouldn't die from falling into this pit, and Martin would get to watch the fun from above.
There were quite a few people in the banquet hall, mostly from the business and sports sectors.
Martin headed over to the bar, just as he settled onto a tall stool ready to order a cocktail, a woman approached, leaning on the bar counter.
"From the mont I walked in, you looked just like yourself," Scarlett's blonde hair was pinned up behind her head, with curly locks cascading over her shoulders, at twenty-seven the woman was at the peak of her beauty.
She turned to look at Martin and asked, "I didn't see your date co in?"
Martin smiled, "They've all gone, I'm left alone, lingering in Boston, attending these tedious social gatherings, lonely and tired, as if I had fallen into an abyss."
Suddenly, Scarlett reached out her hand towards Martin, waiting for him.
Martin placed his hand in Scarlett's.
Scarlett pulled him to his feet, "I'm the one to rescue you from the abyss."
She led Martin outside, "Please call your saving angel."
Martin thought she was more like a Bodhisattva, he waved to Linda Henry from a distance and followed in Scarlett's footsteps, "We've known each other for eight years, and it took you eight years to co to my rescue."
Scarlett replied directly, "That's because eight years ago your charm was insufficient."
Eight years ago, she was already famous throughout Arica, while Martin was just a sunnily handso actor who didn't bother anyone.
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