Entertainment: Starting as a Succubus, Taking Hollywood by Storm

Martin and Keira spent a joyful evening together.

The next day, Martin picked up an award for his role as Neo in The Matrix, winning the Saturn Award for Best Actor.

Afterward, he finally returned to his home at 222 Tremblen Street.

If he stayed away any longer, his mom might have come looking for him with a kitchen knife.

"Hello, Linda, you're looking lovely today."

"Oh, it's you, the son who's been gallivanting everywhere and refuses to come home. I was starting to forget what you look like!"

"Don't be like that, Mom. I've just been too busy lately—investing in Disney and Warner Bros., shooting movies, attending premieres. Tell you what, once I get some free time, how about we all go to Hawaii for a vacation?"

"When will you have time?"

Linda's face remained cold, and the coffee cup in her hand clattered ominously.

"Uh…" Martin scratched his head. That was a tricky question. He was about to start work on Bruce Almighty soon, meaning this year was completely booked. Next year, perhaps?

"How about… next year? I promise to set aside time!"

"Fine, fine. I really regret giving birth to a genius like you."

Linda's tone softened, but her mood turned fiery again when Grant, Martin's father, walked in and overheard her last sentence.

"Oh, darling, don't lie. Yesterday, I heard you bragging about our son to Mrs. Neville."

Linda's fingers tightened on her coffee cup, ready to make more noise.

Martin quickly intervened, grabbing the cup and downing its contents in one gulp. He grinned and said, "Mom, spare the cup!"

"You two—father and son—are nothing but trouble!" Linda laughed despite herself, her stern expression melting away.

At dinner, the family chatted casually. Grant brought up a topic that had been on his mind.

"Martin, your career is on a solid trajectory now—better than I ever imagined, a thousand times better. Are you planning to continue your studies after graduating high school?"

Martin paused, unsure how to respond, but Linda jumped in.

"Of course he's going to college! Even if Martin doesn't need a diploma, university is a place to build connections. It'll help him when he needs support later."

In the United States, alumni networks were invaluable resources in politics and business, acting as natural allies.

Martin thought for a moment and said, "If it's about networking, I should probably attend law school, right? Law schools at top universities are breeding grounds for future leaders in politics, and those connections would be the most useful to me now."

"Why not study film at USC?" Linda was surprised. She was a professor at USC's School of Cinematic Arts and naturally wanted her son close by.

Martin shook his head. "I've already built my network in Hollywood and made plenty of friends in the financial world. But I don't have much influence in politics. Law school could expand my social circle."

Grant nodded. "Law school sounds like a good idea. With your grades, Columbia or Harvard shouldn't be a problem. Yale is also a solid choice."

"I'm leaning toward Harvard," Martin said thoughtfully.

He knew that future President Obama had graduated from Harvard Law School. Attending Harvard would give him an early connection to someone destined to wield significant influence.

After a night at home, Martin returned energized to the set of Bruce Almighty.

Tom Shadyac, the original director, had been dismissed.

Shadyac was far from happy about it, publicly complaining to the media.

"Martin is a tyrant. He's completely wrong for Bruce Almighty, but no one would listen to me. Just because I suggested Jim Carrey for the role, I was fired!"

"Jennifer Aniston knows nothing. She's completely under Martin's thumb!"

"This is humiliating—no respected director should be treated this way."

Jim Carrey also came to his friend's defense, saying, "I hadn't even decided whether to take the role when Tom called me to say he'd been fired. It's shocking that a production would treat a talented, experienced director so poorly. It's unfair."

On set, Jennifer Aniston voiced her concerns to Martin.

"Will all this negative press hurt the movie?"

Martin glanced at the newspaper, then casually tossed it aside.

"These are just some petty complaints. If anything, they'll bring more attention to the movie. Here's what we'll do: I'll have my PR team engage in a heated public spat with these two. The more intense and prolonged, the better."

"Is that really a good idea?"

Jennifer Aniston was one of the rare Hollywood stars with little guile. Protected by her father throughout her career, she had rarely faced the industry's cutthroat side.

Her debut TV role in Molloy was as the lead. She then starred in the fantasy horror-comedy Leprechaun and landed a role in Friends, which catapulted her to fame as America's sweetheart and an A-list star.

Unlike other actresses who fought tooth and nail for every opportunity, Jennifer's rise had been unusually smooth.

By contrast, actresses like Julia Roberts, who reached A-list status, often paid heavy personal costs—rumors abounded about her cozying up to entire production crews for roles.

Jennifer lacked the aggressiveness and toughness of those who clawed their way to the top. Her passive approach was evident during her divorce from Brad Pitt, where she silently endured media attacks until Brad's affair with a housemaid came to light.

Martin understood Jennifer's personality and wasn't surprised by her reaction. Before he could reply, producer Roger Birnbaum walked over.

Birnbaum greeted both Martin and Jennifer before addressing the issue.

"Martin is right. We can't let those two tarnish the production's reputation."

"Jim Carrey declined our offer. Whether he was negotiating for a better deal or genuinely uninterested in comedy, that's on him. It's unfair for Tom Shadyac to claim that Martin abused his influence to push Carrey out. That narrative is damaging and untrue."

"Besides, a public feud could generate more buzz for the movie. Why not capitalize on it?"

Jennifer hesitated but eventually nodded. "Alright, I'll leave it to you. I don't really understand this stuff anyway."