Entertainment: Starting as a Succubus, Taking Hollywood by Storm

The oilfield bidding was still some time away.

Martin tasked his think tank with analyzing the bidding process while asking his father to help scout for a suitable oil company.

Energy has always been one of the most lucrative industries in the world and the most effective in securing political influence.

After recent events, Martin realized that the protective talismans surrounding him were still insufficient. As a capitalist, his only option was to keep moving forward, ensuring he wouldn't be bullied or swallowed up by others.

This is the very nature of capital itself.

On the set of Bruce Almighty

Inside a grand banquet hall, Martin climbed the stairs with a wine bottle in one hand and a glass in the other, exuding confidence and elegance in every step.

Amid the cheerful greetings of the crowd, he poured himself a drink, then raised the glass and spoke in a tone of absolute control:

"Bless you. Bless all of you. Bless every single one of you!"

"This year has been extraordinary!"

With just two sentences, he perfectly captured the demeanor of a successful man at the peak of his career. Beneath his composed delivery was an undertone of madness—yes, madness.

Director Todd Phillips was immensely satisfied. After all, how could a regular person suddenly gain godlike powers without a hint of madness?

In the next scene, Martin had to transition his emotions to portray heartbreak and frustration after his wife left him.

"She's gone... Grace has left me!"

Lying lazily on the couch, Martin delivered this line with such melancholy in his striking blue eyes that it struck a chord of sorrow.

Standing nearby, Jennifer Aniston felt an unexpected pang in her heart. She even began to feel guilty.

"No, I shouldn't have left Bruce. This is wrong!"

Wait—

Damn it, am I caught up in the act?

Jennifer shook her head vigorously to cast off the strange emotions swirling in her chest. She had just been brought into character by Martin's single line.

Hollywood Police Department

A middle-aged man in his forties, slightly chubby, was leaving in despair with a box of personal belongings.

Just an hour ago, he had been the boss of the precinct.

Now, he was unemployed.

"Damn Washington. Damn Bush. Untrustworthy liar!"

He cursed silently as he walked away.

Behind him, the precinct was abuzz with celebrations that only amplified his loneliness.

"Congratulations, Paul. You finally made it!"

"Paul, I always knew this day would come. Gru was never as competent as you."

"Hey, Paul, we've booked a spot at the bar tonight. Let's celebrate your promotion."

Gru, the ex-chief of the Hollywood Police Department, grumbled internally, That bastard Paul actually latched onto Martin!

Regret weighed heavy in Gru's heart.

Los Angeles Police Department

An old officer returned from his fishing trip, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I didn't expect Martin to so effortlessly neutralize the suppression from that man. And now those two are reconciled. Who knows what Martin said to Bush during their meeting in Washington?"

The same confusion plagued Bush's confidant, Mr. Chervanton.

As one of the president's trusted aides, he couldn't fathom how the once-enraged Bush could completely reverse his stance after meeting Martin.

Behind closed doors, Bush now referred to Martin as "my good brother Martin" with genuine warmth.

"How did you pull this off? What dirt do you have on him?" Grandpa Myers called Martin, unable to hide his curiosity.

He had speculated before, but he hadn't anticipated such a dramatic shift. Not only had Martin changed Bush's attitude entirely, but he had also gleaned critical information about the UAE's offshore oilfield auctions.

The UAE oilfield auction was a once-in-a-decade opportunity for energy and oil companies.

The fact that Bush, via political means, had obtained this intelligence wasn't surprising. What baffled Grandpa Myers was that Bush had shared it with Martin!

If Martin chose to sell this information, wouldn't it create a flood of competitors for the Texas Oil Group backing Bush?

"Grandpa, don't worry about the details. Just know that Bush is no longer our enemy," Martin said with a sly grin, dodging the question.

Unbeknownst to Myers, the auction news hadn't come directly from Bush but from Chervanton, who had inadvertently spilled the beans under hypnosis.

What Martin had extracted from Bush were the auction's detailed terms and conditions.

"You're amazing!" Myers said with a chuckle, letting it slide. He could never stay mad at his favorite grandson.

"You mean Grandpa let you off just like that?" Martin's father, Grant, was beside him during the call, astonished by what he heard.

Martin smirked. "Dad, I'm not you."

"Damn it!" Grant exclaimed, glaring at his son. "I can't believe I'm jealous of my own child!"

Washington, D.C.

President Bush couldn't shake a peculiar feeling lately, as if he had divulged something important but couldn't remember what or to whom.

Whenever Martin's name came up in conversations with his staff, Bush felt an inexplicable closeness, almost as if Martin truly were his good brother.

His aides found the rapid change perplexing but ultimately chose not to question the president's decisions.

During a private meeting discussing the UAE offshore oilfields, the conversation shifted to bidding logistics.

"Have the locations been confirmed?"

"Not yet. The Emiratis insist on revealing them only after the auction starts."

"Heh, just a tactic to drive up the price. Corruption runs deep in those Gulf states."

"Can we acquire the bidding documents ahead of time?"

"They're asking for a million dollars."

"F***!"

"Pay them. The oil companies will cover the cost."

"Of course. Having access to the documents a month early is a huge advantage."

Between filming, Martin stayed updated on the oilfield developments, occasionally calling his "good brother" President Bush to "chat."

"Good brother, let me tell you—Middle Eastern oil resources are absolutely irreplaceable. Many outsiders think finding oil is the hard part, but the real challenge is extracting it profitably..."

Bush listened attentively as Martin laid the groundwork for his next moves.