America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz-Chapter 612 - 605: The Shortcut to Wealth

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New York, Brooklyn Studio.

The "John Wick: Chapter 2" crew had been here since July, filming scenes that didn’t require Martin or Mene’s presence.

Chad Stahelski even got into the fray himself, making a cameo as a mafia boss.

Inside the studio, Martin sat on the dolly, operating the camera to film Chad’s close-up shots.

"All departments, pay attention!" he shouted loudly, "Script supervisor, get ready."

The script supervisor came in front of the camera to clap the slate.

Martin began shooting with focused concentration, filling the frame with Chad’s close-up.

"That man is a mystery, a legend, a madman, who with just a pencil killed three elite hitmen in a bar!" Chad masked his fear, "He is Jonathan, a living legend!"

One of the henchmen across from him said, "If that’s the case, why don’t we just let go."

The dialogue that followed was crucial, echoing the hottest spot from the first movie as Chad transformed fear into ferocity: "He killed my nephew, killed my brother, all for just a dog!"

He shouted angrily, "Just for a damn dog, he killed my only two relatives!"

The topic of a dog is something that can never be skipped in this series.

Phrases sparked by the dog, like the killing spree and the threats against one’s life over a dog, had already become popular internet slang.

Not to mess with Martin Davis’s dog was also a consensus worldwide. Find exclusive stories on novelbuddy

As a warning to those who would provoke, there’s the blood-splattered "John Wick" in films, and the Santa Monica Pier incident in reality.

"Cut…" Martin called a halt to the shooting and raised his head from behind the camera, yelling to Chad, "The last two lines, you’re pushing too hard!"

Chad raised his hand, "My fault."

Martin called out, "All departments, back to positions."

The crew got busy and the shooting started again after a few minutes.

When it came to Chad’s angry shout, Martin called cut again, saying, "You’re pushing too hard, focusing too much on the external expressions. Your eyes, old pal, they lack spirit!"

The third take was still not right.

Martin simply got off the dolly and entered the set, asking deliberately, "Chad, who taught you acting? Leonardo? You’ve learned none of his strengths, just glaring, frowning, and roaring."

Chad said, "I’m good at action scenes…" Seeing Martin across from him, he laughed awkwardly, "In front of you, I don’t dare claim to be good at action scenes."

Martin reminded him, "This is a close-up shot, convey emotion with your eyes."

Chad replied, "I’ll try it."

The crew had to reshoot seven or eight times before Martin, the temporary director, finally approved the take.

Chad’s performance was far from Leonardo’s, but for an action movie, his acting was passable.

The directing from this director had been truly poor before.

Martin had only shot a few scenes before returning to his primary job, having had his fill of being a temporary director.

Latter on, this would also work as a topic for promotion.

His directorial talents were limited, and these scenes were shot strictly according to Chad’s planning.

In the afternoon, Martin joined the shooting.

In the set arranged as a used car warehouse, Chen Hu reminded him, "Warm up first."

Martin nodded and began warming up with Chen Hu.

After warming up, he took a Glock handed to him by Bruce.

As a sequel to a blockbuster, the production upped the ante in advertising and, failing to reach an agreement with Heckler & Koch, Glock, an Austrian company, swooped in to secure the movie’s handgun advertisement sponsorship.

In this installment, Jonathan, the male lead, would be using Glock pistols throughout his battles.

Considering the shooting incident on the "Inception" set, the "John Wick: Chapter 2" crew established even stricter firearms regulations. All prop firearms were managed by a specialist, undergoing three levels of checks before being handed to any actor, who must examine them personally as well.

All because the props were actual firearms.

Safety first.

After checking the gun, Martin entered the set and started shooting action scenes.

The sounds of gunfire rang out.

Gunfight scenes remained one of the highlights of the film, and Martin, maintaining his training, exhibited agility and tactical movements, nearly perfect in executing the choreographed actions.

Compared to the first installment, this one had more chase and combat scenes.

However, most of the chase sequences would be performed by stunt doubles.

After another action scene was completed, Martin returned to the resting area and took a few sips from the water bottle handed to him by Bruce.

The firearms action advisor, Marcus, passed nearby.

Martin called out to him, beckoning him over, and asked, "When did you get back?"

The increasingly portly Marcus sat beside Martin and said, "I got back to North America in early July. ’Lone Survivor’ is shooting smoothly in Jordan, probably wrapping up this month."

His laugh made the fat on his face bunch together, "Mark Wahlberg is a good actor, he took a lot of my advice."

Martin said, "I’m having people negotiate the film’s release. It shouldn’t be a problem to premiere next year."

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Marcus nodded, "This would fulfill a great wish of mine and let Americans know that my teammates are true patriots who paid a huge price for America."

Martin consoled him, "Just focus on your work."

Marcus hesitated.

"Is there anything else?" Martin asked.

"After the autobiography was published, many rumors detrimental to me have appeared on the internet," Marcus seemed troubled, "Many people also say I deserted or something..."

Martin waved his hand and said, "Don’t care too much about those gossips on the media and the internet. You should have seen, there are also slanders on the internet about me messing around with Leonardo and Nicholson, is that possible? Some things are best ignored. If someone goes too far, just have someone send them a legal letter."

The smile on Marcus’s face was tinged with bitterness, "Maybe I’m not mentally strong enough, I always get angry when I see those comments and want to beat someone up."

"I was like that at the beginning," Martin went on, "But think about it, you’re now a celebrity, a wealthy man. Those people would love for you to hit them; it’s a shortcut to their fortune!"

Hearing the last sentence, Marcus touched his head, remembering Brad Pitt, Ben Affleck, and Harvey Weinstein—classic cautionary examples.

"I’ll do my best to adjust and ignore those negative comments as much as possible," he said.

Martin stood up, ready to enter the set, and slapped Marcus on the shoulder, "Come to the hotel bar for a drink tonight, I’ve invited Chen Long, Chad, and Mene."

There were no scenes for Winston today, so Mene didn’t come to the set.

"I’ll be there on time," Marcus said.

Entering the set, Martin struck a pose.

With the command to start filming, stuntman Lewis ran towards him, wielding a wrench.

Martin dodged, grabbed his arm, and kicked between his legs.

Lewis screamed in pain, the wrench dropped to the ground, and he fell, clutching his groin.

Martin rolled over, picked up a gun from the ground, and fired a shot at Lewis’s head.

With the crisp sound of gunfire, the scene was completed.

Martin got up from the ground and went to check on Lewis, asking, "Are you alright?"

"Luckily, I had a special protective plate in my crotch," Lewis replied.

Martin pulled him up and said, "I know how to control my strength."

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The two had a good relationship since working together on "The Hills Have Eyes," and Lewis jokingly said, "I don’t want to risk my only pair of ’eggs’ on you making a mistake."

Martin laughed heartily, "At worst, you’d feel a faint sadness."

The day’s filming ended, and on the way back to the hotel after wrapping up, Chad got into Martin’s car.

"When are the actresses for the female assassin and Gianna coming?" he asked, "You left these two roles for me."

Patting his head, Martin said, "My bad, I’ve been busy with ’Inception’ promotions abroad and the Cola Cult gathering in Washington and forgot about this."

Chad, exasperated, said, "Can I see the actresses soon?"

Bruce, who was driving, reminded him, "You asked me to inform Sputlana, the one playing the female assassin, to come to New York for auditions."

Martin had indeed forgotten and said, "Old Cloth, notify Marina Alexandrova too, tell her and her agent to come to New York for auditions."

He asked Chad, "When do we shoot Gianna’s scenes?"

Chad spoke generally, "The underground castle set is already built in the studio. If the person is right, we can start shooting at any time."

"Marina is a trained actress who has played significant TV and film roles in Russia; there shouldn’t be a problem," Martin said.

"The role of Gianna isn’t difficult." As Chad had set it, the character was meant to be a transitional figure to provoke conflict, so there wasn’t much screen time: "She’s not critical; we can start as soon as she arrives."

He emphasized, "The female assassin Ares has fight scenes; she needs some essential training."

Martin straightforwardly said, "Let’s have the auditions first. If it’s not suitable, we’ll just replace her."

There were other roles available from Thomas’s side.

Arriving at the hotel and entering the lobby, Martin reminded, "Don’t forget, come out for a drink tonight."

"I remember," Chad said, nodding towards a girl approaching from the rest area to remind Martin, "I’ll head up first."

Martin turned around and saw Lily, asking, "What brings you to New York?"

"I’m here for an art exhibition," Lily replied.

Martin curiously asked, "Do you have works on display?"

"Of course," Lily said with a hint of pride, "My work is very sought after now."

She specifically said, "When you have time, come check out my exhibition, and it’s best to bring a few friends along."

"No problem, but... you’re paying for today," Martin firmly said.

Lily asked, "What do you want to eat?"

While calling her upstairs, Martin said, "I’ll treat you for dinner, but tonight I’m inviting friends from the cast to drink, and you’re in charge of the bill."

Lily wouldn’t refuse Martin’s request, "I don’t mind paying, but it can’t exceed thirty thousand dollars. If Elena checks the accounts and sees it, she’ll blow my head off."

Martin laughed, "A few thousand dollars at most."

Going upstairs to his room, his phone rang; Taylor Swift was calling.