Entertainment: Starting as a Succubus, Taking Hollywood by Storm-Chapter 428 - 427: Two Films, A Very Important Guest

"Mr. Bush, perhaps you should look on the bright side!"

Cheney finally spoke, sensing that Bush had almost finished venting his anger.

Bush glared at him. "Look on the bright side? Could this situation possibly get any worse? How the hell am I supposed to find a silver lining here?"

Cheney replied, "Well, actually, the fact that the Iraq War has turned into a quagmire could help your re-election. Wasn't that one of the reasons we started this war in the first place?"

"Uh..."

Bush fell silent, rubbing his chin as he mulled over the words. Gradually, his furious expression faded, returning to normal.

Cheney had a point—part of the motivation for launching this war was to secure re-election. After all, if his opponent didn't want to inherit this mess, then Bush's chances of staying in the White House were much higher.

Technically, the American public decided elections through voting, but in reality, there were plenty of ways to manipulate the outcome—especially if both sides quietly agreed on the result.

Fair, just, and transparent? Those were just words. No one actually believed them.

Bush calmed down—only to frown again.

Yes, the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq had turned into endless struggles, and that did increase his chances of staying in office.

But—

The war had not delivered the expected returns, and the pressure from the financial backers behind him was mounting.

Of course, the arms dealers were delighted. The longer the war dragged on, the more money they made.

But Bush knew all too well how dangerous it was to become a puppet of the arms industry. He needed the Texas oil giants to counterbalance them.

However, as long as the Iraq War dragged on, the oil companies couldn't safely take control of the oil fields.

Recently, oil industry executives had been relentlessly pressuring him to wrap up the war as soon as possible.

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But is that up to me? It's those damn Iraqis who refuse to surrender!

Frustration returned to Bush's face.

Maybe I need another force to counterbalance the oil companies. Otherwise, those old bastards will think they have me cornered!

The moment that thought crossed his mind, an image flashed in his brain—his former "good buddy" Martin.

He quickly shook his head, pushing the thought away.

I must be insane. Bringing Martin into this? Haven't I already suffered enough because of him?

He set those concerns aside. The immediate priority was to establish a pro-Western government in Iraq and complete the regime change.

Once the new government was in place, the Iraqi army would surrender—right?

Of course not. But Bush still clung to that illusion.

Meanwhile, Martin was in Las Vegas, where The Hangover production was underway.

The director was Todd Phillips, with whom Martin had collaborated smoothly on Bruce Almighty.

Phillips was currently flipping through the storyboard script that Martin had provided, his face filled with astonishment.

"No wonder they say that any film Martin writes could be directed by a trained dog—this level of detail is unreal!"

Martin was rehearsing scenes with the assistant director and the three main actors.

He wasn't starring in this film himself, only making a cameo as the missing groom.

At most, five days of filming, and his scenes would be wrapped up.

The three leads remained the same as in the original timeline—

Bradley Cooper: Entered the industry in 1998 through Sex and the City, hosted a travel show for Lonely Planet, and appeared on the Discovery Channel. He later played a gay character in Wet Hot American Summer and starred in Alias alongside Jennifer Garner.

Ed Helms: A comedian and correspondent for The Daily Show, best known for his role as Andy Bernard in The Office.

Zach Galifianakis: Had a minor role in Heartbreakers and was also a screenwriter.

All three were registered with the Screen Actors Guild and weren't difficult to cast.

To be honest, aside from Bradley Cooper, the other two were Hollywood nobodies. When they received audition notices for The Hangover, they were stunned—so were their agents.

It felt like winning the lottery.

"This is a Meyers Pictures film!"

So far, every movie backed by Meyers Pictures had been a massive success.

Martin's scenes went smoothly, and the three leads went out of their way to accommodate him.

Three days later, he left Las Vegas and headed to the set of another film shooting at the same time—High School Musical.

"Jessie, how's everything going?"

"Fantastic! The songs are amazing, the dancing isn't a problem, and everyone's really friendly."

Unlike Lindsay, who was still a Hollywood rookie, Jessica Alba was already familiar with the perks that came with being associated with Martin's name.

But now that Martin was also an oil tycoon, things had changed yet again.

Before, people "looked after" her. Now, they practically worshipped her.

Before, she enjoyed convenience. Now, she had privileges.

Everyone in the crew treated her with utmost respect—especially the male lead, Wentworth Miller, who was practically groveling at her feet.

Watching Jessica and Martin chat closely, Miller secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

I was right—just like Lindsay, Jessica has a special relationship with Martin.

His efforts to get on her good side hadn't been in vain.

After talking with Jessica, Martin also exchanged a few words with Wentworth Miller.

"Jessica mentioned that you've been looking out for her on set. I appreciate it."

"Oh, it's nothing," Miller said quickly. "Jessica's a great person, and besides, running errands isn't something a lady should have to do."

Martin nodded approvingly and patted Miller on the shoulder.

"Keep up the good work. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."

Miller's eyes lit up with excitement.

Leaving the set, Martin drove toward Los Angeles International Airport.

He was here to pick up an important guest.

Gordon and the bodyguards followed in two separate vehicles.

A familiar voice greeted him as soon as he arrived.

"Hey, Martin, I'm in L.A.! Happy to see me?"

"Of course, of course! A very warm welcome!"

"That sounded so insincere. Whatever, where's your car? Show me around the city."

"Right this way, my dear princess. Your knight, Martin Meyers, is at your service."

Princess Haya giggled and playfully teased, "A real knight wouldn't hide behind sunglasses and a mask."

Martin smirked. "I can take them off—if you don't mind making headlines tomorrow."

"No, no, let's not do that! I don't want to end up like Nicole Kidman, getting roasted online by your crazy fangirls!"