In the morning, Elena had just finished preparing breakfast when Martin, with his hair still wett, arrived at Carter's house right on time.
Lily seemed to want to speak, but Martin's raised fist halted her.
Elena inquired, "coming back from a workout?"
Martin pulled out a chair and seated himself, explaining, "Staying committed isn't easy; you can't afford to slack off."
Suddenly, Lily interjected, "Is Martin really physically fit?"
Elena's thoughts processed slowly as she replied, "How would I know?"
With a quick thrust, Martin's fork impaled the most raised portion of his circular bread.
Lily's spoon slipped from her hand, but she swiftly retrieved it, continuing to eat as if nothing happened.
Martin turned to Harris, asking, "How many copies did you sell?"
Harris beamed with pride, "Six copies! I made $1,200."
"Even someone as clueless as Lily managed to sell four copies," Elena marveled, "Is this business really that easy?"
Martin clarified, "You can't judge it that way. The initial customers were carefully chosen."
Harris added with detail, "Out of the six people I targeted, five bought it, and the last one was just a passerby."
Martin guessed that the passerby was likely Andrew.
Harris then retrieved a bag from his room and offered to give Martin half of the money.
Martin waved his hand, saying, "Consider it payment for my culinary expenses."
Elena, who had never been one to politely decline, took the money directly.
The door suddenly swung open, and Scott entered, carrying a cloth bag.
All four of the Elena siblings stared at him.
Scott, bearing the scent of alcohol, grabbed a sandwich and began eating.
Elena's tone was far from welcoming as she questioned, "What are you doing here?"
Scott finished his sandwich, wiped the sauce off his T-shirt, and tossed the bag he was carrying onto the sofa. He gazed at Elena and Harris in succession before stating, "I only have these."
Martin couldn't help but be curious about the contents of the bag as he observed Scott.
Elena opened the bag and discovered six small rolls of 20 US dollars inside.
Harris asked, "Scott, what are these for?"
Scott remained tight-lipped, turning to leave. After taking a few steps, he abruptly spun around, hurried back to the bag, picked up one roll, and slipped it into his pocket. "I want some for wine and other things."
He hesitated for a moment, then grabbed another roll and tucked it into his pocket.
With this act, Scott's gaze became fixated on the dollars, and he reached out once more, attempting to seize the bag.
Elena promptly snatched the bag away and concealed it behind her.
"They're all idiots, a bunch of trash!" Scott muttered as he limped away.
Lily dashed out and pursued Scott to the door, only to see him walking towards the new dealers' stronghold without glancing back.
She returned with her head hung low.
Elena handed the bag to Harris, cautioning, "Don't spend this recklessly."
Martin chimed in, "Scott didn't earn this money easily."
Elena voiced her concern, "He won't get involved in dealing, will he?"
Martin responded vaguely, "No."
Elena reached out and quietly held Martin's hand, saying, "It's good that that jerk, Jack, is gone. Scott..."
She struggled for words, her voice softening, "Scott just has moments where he loses it."
After breakfast, Elena handed Harris the car keys, and he and Lily continued their mission of selling stars, determined to sell the entire universe.
Martin accompanied Elena to the mall for some clothes shopping.
"Can you believe people actually buy the rights to name stars?" Elena found it hard to fathom.
Martin replied casually, "Moon land can be sold."
After helping Elena shop for clothes and having lunch together, Martin dropped her off at work at the Bishui Bar and then drove to the Atlanta branch of the Savannah School of the Arts to audit language courses at the acting school.
In the subsequent weeks, Martin led a structured life, primarily focused on his studies during the day.
Occasionally, he'd meet up with Bruce and continue their target practice, partly for his future career and partly for self-defense.
In addition, Martin enlisted Kelly Gray's help in gathering information and learning how Hollywood movies operate, areas in which he felt lacking.
By September, Harris had started college, and Elena was flourishing in the bartending industry, earning enough in tips alone to support the family.
Facing stiff competition to poach employees, her boss, Mary, had raised the hourly wage to $10.
Martin was also kept occupied, spending most of his time at Gray's Company, voicing the original cut of "Zombie Stripper."
His role in the film was extensive, resulting in a significant amount of voice acting.
Director Benjamin, a multi-talented individual who also served as an editor and voice director, was at the helm.
"Ah! Huh... Ha!"
The male voice coming from the dubbing studio sounded peculiar, as if engaging in something unsavory. "Come on!"
After the session, Director Benjamin gave a thumbs-up from within the dubbing studio.
Martin removed his headset and emerged, taking a towel from his assistant to wipe the sweat from his hands. "Ben, the time you've directed me has brought me invaluable experience."
Director Benjamin responded, "No need to be modest; it comes naturally to you."
Martin playfully retorted, "You're the ideal director for the San Francisco Valley. It needs you to save it! The films in the Sacred Valley are increasingly devoid of plot; they've lost their charm." He approached Benjamin, saying, "With your talent, you're sure to win Best Director."
Benjamin mentioned casually, "I haven't found a wife yet."
This caught Martin off guard. "What does that have to do with winning Best Director?"
Benjamin quipped, "Don't you know? To win Best Director, you either have your wife as the lead actress or your husband as the lead actor."
Martin sighed, "That's even more ruthless than the Oscars!"
After a few light-hearted exchanges, the conversation eased, and Martin returned to the recording booth.
The lines Benjamin had written fit the B-movie atmosphere perfectly.
Martin immersed himself in the role, gesturing at the screen within the booth. "Either surrender to me, or I'll blow your head off!"
As he approached the flying battle scenes, Martin watched himself and Jenna soaring through the skies, locked in a fierce struggle.
With his extensive real-world experience, he knew precisely when to deliver the most appropriate battle cries.
The dubbing for this sequence concluded, and it was time for lunch.
Andrew approached and invited Martin and Benjamin for lunch at a nearby restaurant, where they discussed the afternoon's dubbing.
Benjamin remarked, "Martin, an exceptional actor like you needs to engage in more in-depth interactions with women. For our film, one experienced actor is enough to make shooting proceed smoothly."
Martin agreed wholeheartedly.
As the three engaged in a serious discussion on the art of film, they were far from judgmental.
Benjamin added, "If an inexperienced actor had been used in these scenes, even if I'd written all the lines, they wouldn't have known the right tone to use." He praised Martin, "You're a seasoned pro."
Martin almost choked on his soup but swiftly changed the topic. "Ben, can we have post-production completed by mid-October?"
Benjamin assured him, "No problem. Everyone knows I'm highly efficient, and the film will be ready for the Savannah Film Festival well ahead of time."