How could this happen?
As his phone slipped from his hand, Harvey, with a shocked expression, plopped down onto the ground.
"Hello, hello? Are you still there? Harvey, Harvey? We're in deep trouble this time..."
Bob's voice came through the receiver, distorted.
Harvey was too dazed to pay attention.
His mind was in turmoil, and he had a strong sense of having shot himself in the foot.
Suddenly, it seemed like something occurred to him, and he grabbed his phone again, shouting, "Bob, was this Martin's doing? Was it Martin? Can I ask him for compensation?"
From the other end came Bob's helpless voice. "The fire department and the police have all confirmed it—this was just a coincidence, a damn coincidence."
"Shit, shit, shit! Could this guy really be God's favorite?"
Harvey's offhand remark caused a jolt of unease in Bob's heart.
Bob hesitated before speaking, "H-Harvey, hearing you say that... I don't know why, but I'm kind of getting the chills. Maybe... maybe you shouldn't go after Martin anymore."
"I'll think about it, I'll think about it," Harvey muttered, hanging up the phone in a daze.
...
The warehouse fire unexpectedly brought some additional attention to The Bourne Identity production team, and the media that had left quickly returned.
Of course, they weren't alone this time—The New York Gangsters team had arrived as well.
Due to the destruction of their equipment, The New York Gangsters had to temporarily halt production. The lead actor, Leonardo DiCaprio, took the opportunity to visit the Spider-Man set to check on Martin.
But he wasn't alone. He brought along a woman—Cameron Diaz, the female lead of The New York Gangsters.
When Leonardo saw Martin walking towards him in a red and blue tight suit, he couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Wow, wow, wow, that outfit is stunning! Dude, don't you think it's a bit too tight?"
Whoosh!
Just as Martin was about ten meters away from Leonardo, he suddenly sprinted, leaped high into the air, and did a somersault, flipping right over Leonardo's head. He even playfully flicked Leonardo's forehead.
"Ow!"
Leonardo held his head and crouched down.
As he landed, Martin straightened one leg, bent the other, put one hand on the ground, and extended the other forward in a spider-like gesture—striking the classic Spider-Man landing pose. In a playful Spider-Man voice, he said, "With great power comes great responsibility. It's a gift and a curse. So don't ask me if it's uncomfortable, because this is the pain Spider-Man must bear. Also, don't try to show off in front of me, because nobody can outdo me when it comes to showing off!"
"Pfft, hahahaha…"
Cameron Diaz couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Martin, you're hilarious!"
"Really? Lady, I'm honored by your approval. Now, let's get rid of this trash, then have a nice candlelit dinner!"
"Haha, sure! Martin, if Spider-Man really is this funny, I'll definitely go watch the movie. I swear!"
"Lady, trust me, it's worth your movie ticket, I swear!"
"Hey, you two, could you stop flirting already? My head hurts! Damn it, Martin, you little bastard, I'm gonna kill you!"
Whoosh!
Martin bounced off the ground, did a backflip, and flipped back over Leonardo, who was still crouching, giving him a shock and making him sit down with a thud.
At this moment, Martin took off his Spider-Man mask, revealing his handsome face.
He smiled at both of them, his earlier mischievousness gone, now polite as he greeted Cameron Diaz and helped Leonardo back up.
"Sorry, that wasn't me earlier, it was Spider-Man. He just loves to mess with people."
"Don't act innocent. That was totally you."
"No, the body is mine, but the soul inside isn't Martin Meyers, nor is it Peter Parker. It's Spider-Man."
Leonardo looked at Martin, astonished. "Did you really get into character? What's it like?"
Martin replied seriously, "How should I say it? It's like another soul has entered my body. He is me, but also not me—like a piece of my soul that's been separated and mutated!"
"Wow! That sounds like a fascinating experience. It's something I've always wanted to do but can't. I envy you, Martin."
Leonardo spoke seriously.
As a leading figure of the "young bucks" after Tom Cruise, Leonardo DiCaprio had always wanted to prove his acting chops.
But to be honest, his acting talent wasn't particularly outstanding.
Even in Infernal Affairs, a film highly praised in the original timeline, his performance didn't really break the mold.
Truth be told, before the age of 40, Leonardo's performances were mostly the same—serious, furrowed brows, and clenched jaw—anytime you saw that expression, you knew he was about to "deliver an emotional performance."
"Don't envy me, Leo. You've got your own path to walk. Just focus on being yourself," Martin said with a smile.
"My own path?" Leonardo furrowed his brows. "What path is that?"
"Of course, the lifetime achievement Oscar!"
"Pfft!" Cameron Diaz couldn't help but laugh again.
This award was usually given to elderly actors who had never won an Oscar during their careers.
"Damn, Martin, you dare curse me like that? And I even came here to visit you."
"Aren't you here because you had nowhere else to go? The crew's on break, your girlfriend's gone, and since she left, you can't go to those places, so you thought, why not come find me?"
"How did you know!"
Leonardo looked at Martin in surprise.
"Come on, let's go find a place to sit. I know a good coffee shop nearby."
Without changing clothes, Martin just threw on a jacket and led them out of the set.
"Diaz, how's Drew doing recently?"
"She's doing well. The success of Charlie's Angels really gave her confidence. She's looking for new projects now. Oh, and call me Cameron or Poopoo."
"Okay, Poopoo."
"Charlie's Angels was really good," Leonardo nodded. That movie really fit his "taste."
Suddenly, he had an idea and turned to Martin seriously, saying, "When can we collaborate on something?"
Martin thought for a moment and nodded. "Sure, let me think of a script. Do you prefer something commercial or more artistic?"
"I'm good with either!" Leonardo replied. "But it'd be best if it gives me room to showcase my acting skills."
"Got it, I'll make a note of that!"
Cameron Diaz felt a bit envious. Nowadays, no one doubted that Martin's scripts were a guarantee of success. She also wanted to star in one of his films, but—
Her relationship with Martin wasn't quite at that level yet.
Maybe Drew could help make that happen…