America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz

Chapter 486 Traffic Code

New York, Lincoln Arts Center, Metropolitan Theater.

Thousands of movie fans gathered on both sides of the red carpet, most wearing red T-shirts, and a few dressing up as Jonathan, the male lead from the trailer, in a neat black suit.

They had one thing in common, many had their faces painted to resemble the Joker.

NYPD dispatched quite a force to maintain order, as there had been too many recent crimes committed by people disguised as the Joker.

Mene, Chen Hu, Marcus, and Alexandra Daddario, among other main creative personnel of the crew, walked onto the red carpet one after another.

Taylor Swift, who sang the theme song, also made a glamorous appearance.

The advanced release of "Safe and Sound" brought her a wave of attention.

Director Chad led his canine companion Daisy onto the red carpet, and this character that sparked a huge bloodshed in the movie instantly became the focus on the red carpet.

Martin, the lead actor and the most influential figure of the cast, made his appearance last.

He arrived in a Cadillac flagship sedan, wearing a pristine black Brioni bespoke suit, a shining Cartier gold watch, and holding the latest Nokia N95 phone, and went to the area with fans in red T-shirts, where he picked up a Coca-Cola to toast with the moviegoers.

As they finished the Coca-Cola, a thunderous shout arose from the crowd.

"Cola War God! Cola War God!"

Lamelas, the film's sponsor who attended the premiere, couldn't stop smiling.

Every time Martin walked the red carpet, it was a significant promotion for Coca-Cola.

The sales of the commemorative Coca-Cola bottles were increasing every day.

Arriving alone at the media area, Martin blew a whistle towards Chad's direction and called out, "Hey, Daisy."

The dog turned around and ran to Martin, circling around him.

Martin took out a dog biscuit and fed it to Daisy.

Photographers went crazy, capturing the affectionate interaction between man and dog.

The event host approached to interview Martin.

Martin patted Daisy on the head, and she returned to Chad's side.

The host asked, "You seem very familiar with Daisy?"

Martin responded, "Chad adopted Daisy in Atlanta while serving as the action coordinator for "Wanted Order." She was still small when I would often play with her on set."

The questions asked by the host were all pre-arranged, "Because of the trailer, Daisy has gained a lot of popularity online, and some netizens are curious, why haven't you adopted a dog?"

This question was meant to preemptively silence some criticisms, and Martin seriously said, "I've always wanted to, but I've been too busy with work these years. Picking scripts, choosing roles, preparing for shoots, often locking myself away to get into character, then traveling everywhere to film and make appearances. There's simply no way I could be there to watch it grow."

He smiled, "I feel like having a dog is like having family; you need to accompany them and give them enough love. I'm not in a position to do that right now."

After a brief interview, Martin joined other key members of the production for a photo in front of the sponsor's backdrop.

Alexandra gave Mene a look.

Immediately, Mene stepped aside to clear the spot next to Martin.

Alexandra stood close to Martin's left side and casually slipped her arm through his.

Martin just felt something soft and heavy, a peculiar presence pressing against the outside of his arm.

Taylor Swift, standing to his right, looked down at herself, a glimmer of despair in her eyes: I really can't compare!

But Taylor was bolder and more straightforward. Right in front of countless media cameras, she leaned into Martin's ear, covered her mouth, and whispered, "The song about you is finished. After the premiere, do you want to come and hear it? I'm staying at the Hilton Hotel."

Martin was indeed interested in hearing the song Taylor wrote for him. He also covered his mouth and whispered back, "Meet me tonight, I'll come to your room."

Taylor continued, "This song will be the first track from my upcoming album. I'll say it's specifically for you—can you respond?"

The group photo had ended by this time, and Martin whispered back, "As a friend, I invited you to write a song for me."

Taylor's smile was especially brilliant—this song could possibly hit the top of the Billboard charts.

Everyone started to walk into the theater, Alexandra stayed close to Martin, and when Taylor was far enough away, she asked, "Are you free tonight? Shall we go to your apartment for a drink?"

Alexandra was wearing a waist-cinched spaghetti strap evening dress, its highest point conspicuous like the summit of Mount Everest.

She turned to Martin, her eyes as adorably dopey as a young husky—how could anyone refuse?

Martin was a nice guy; he didn't want to hurt someone's feelings, nor let down a beautiful lady, so he said, "How about tomorrow night? We can enjoy the view of Central Park at night and savor some fine wine."

Alexandra smiled, "Call me tomorrow, I live close to there."

Not far behind them, Mene and Bruce walked together.

Mene looked at the tall Taylor up in front, then back at the volcanic Alexandra behind, and said, "The boss is going to be busy these next few days."

Bruce nodded in agreement, "He came to New York for a vacation—how naive!"

Mene suggested, "Old Cloth, should we go out for drinks tonight?"

Bruce shook his head, "I've made plans with a friend tonight."

Kim and Khloe were currently in New York, and they had arranged to have a late-night meal with Bruce tonight.

"Female friend?" Mene, upon seeing Bruce nod, was filled with desolation, and with an inexplicable sense of sorrow and rage, said, "You have the nerve to leave me all alone?"

Just as Bruce was about to speak, the sound of a text message suddenly echoed from his phone.

Mene quickly pulled out his phone; the text was from Celine Dion. He stopped in his tracks and called her back.

The voice on the other end said, "I saw you on the broadcast just now, you're in New York, I'm in New York too, will you come to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel after the premiere is over?"

Mene replied with a smile, "Wait for me tonight, no matter how late it finishes here, I'll definitely come over."

Setting his phone on vibrate, Uncle Mene raised his head high, puffing out his chest, "Old Cloth, I have plans tonight, Celine Dion. I won't be joining you."

Bruce scolded angrily, "No loyalty!"

Mene hummed a song as he entered the theater lobby and headed straight to the first row.

As he walked, he observed that the Metropolitan Theater, capable of holding more than 4,000 spectators, was packed to the brim. Everywhere he looked, there were either black suits or red cultural shirts.

Following Martin meant you were on the right path.

Many things Martin never said, but Mene knew them well in his heart.

For example, on Director Nolan's new project, Emma Thomas had only agreed to let him play a supporting role, but, not long ago, Martin had a chat with Director Nolan, and soon after, the role he auditioned for became the second male lead. Your next journey awaits at My Virtual Library Empire

A part second only to Martin's.

Though there was the addition of being politically correct in terms of skin color, Mene knew Martin was the key.

Of course, he had long stopped talking about those politically correct things.

Having been through too much, Uncle Mene knew the drill and after becoming famous, he never nagged about those so-called nuclear weapons again.

The film's main creative staff together reached the front row and waved to the audience in greeting.

The Metropolitan Theater immediately erupted into thunderous applause.

"Martin, I love you!"

"The eternal Cola War God!"

Similar shouts kept coming one after another.

Ted and a few friends sat up high, perfectly positioned to see Martin.

The surrounding area was full of the frenzied shouts of fans.

Makara, attending a premiere for the first time, was stunned by the fervor, saying, "The movie hasn't even started yet."

She was not a Martin fan; it was the Santa Monica Pier incident that caught her attention to this film, and the topic of dogs that drew her in, prompting her to come see the premiere with friends.

Ted raised his voice, "Haven't you seen the preview screening's reputation? It's unusually good!" He exclaimed, "Martin is the best guarantee of the film's quality!"

No one knows who started it, but the people all around began shouting.

"Cola War God! Cola War God…"

Ted joined in the chanting as well.

In such an atmosphere, even though she wasn't a Martin fan, Makara couldn't help but be caught up in the moment and shouted out loud with the rest.

In the first row, Taylor listened to the roars that almost flipped the theater's ceiling and felt all the more that this was all worth it.

With Martin's popularity, when it comes time to create a related topic, her single will definitely attract a lot of attention!

A song for Martin!

This girl, not even twenty years of age, was becoming increasingly adept at understanding the code for traffic.

Chad, making his debut as a director, was quite excited, nearly moved to tears.

There were so many in Hollywood who dream of becoming a director, but only a very select few get the chance to direct a movie; among them, an even smaller portion are fortunate enough to have their works shown in theaters.

The noise gradually subsided as the film's main creators took their seats. The big screen began to flicker with light, and the lights on the ceiling went out.

The premiere screening of "John Wick" began.

This was a film with minimized drama, full of non-stop fighting and killing from start to end; all the dramatic scenes served merely to link the main character's relentless path of slaying.

A murdered pet dog and a stolen beloved car prompts the super assassin Jonathan, who retired out of love, to re-enter the fray, igniting a prolonged and deadly journey of vengeance.

Martin's action scenes were mostly completed in long takes, with his explosive gunfights, fierce hand-to-hand combat, and chase scenes all being portrayed with a sense of dynamism and excitement.

Director Chad even used action long takes that lasted more than two minutes on multiple occasions, and each punch that landed solidly, every intense gun battle, ignited the audience's passion.

Especially, Martin's unhesitant and brutal killing scenes—whenever an enemy was downed, he would either shoot or stab them to finish the job, never giving his foes any chance to fight back.

This left fans, who had frequently been subjected to the clichés of traditional Hollywood action films, with a refreshing sense of satisfaction.

Martin fully embodied the concept of a hitman in a suit—although the movie had limited dramatic dialogue, he still delivered a brilliant performance, allowing fans to easily feel the character's humanity and emotional world beyond his cool exterior.

Whether it was Ted, Makara, or other moviegoers, they were completely drawn into the vibrantly dangerous world of "John Wick" by Martin's professionalism and exceptional expressive power.

It was as if they were Jonathan themselves, charging through adversaries right up to taking down Daisy's killer and his Russian Mafia father.