At some point, a fiery new post began circulating online:
"Have you all noticed? Starting from 127 Hours, Martin's films seem to follow a pattern—one artsy, one commercial. 127 Hours was artsy; Iron Man was commercial; District 9, artsy again; Wanted, commercial. So can we guess that his next project will definitely lean toward the artistic?"
The post exploded, racking up over 50,000 replies. Some agreed. Others pushed back.
"Bro, did you forget The Dark Knight? That came right after 127 Hours."
"The one above—actually, I think the OP's order still works. The Dark Knight was half-commercial, half-artistic. It still fits the pattern."
"Art film? Commercial? Come on. You're calling 127 Hours an art film, but it grossed $178 million. District 9 is supposed to be 'art' too, but it's about to hit $300 million worldwide. Martin's films, whether art or not, are all blockbusters."
"Dude, they're categorizing based on film style, not box office numbers. If we're going by sales, every single one of Martin's movies is 'commercial.' But if we're talking about cinematic content, it's not that simple."
"That's Martin's genius—he makes artistic films that everyone wants to watch. Those directors whining about audiences 'not getting art' should take notes."
"Exactly. 'Art' and 'commerce' don't have to conflict. If no one wants to see your film, it's not because it's 'too deep'—it's because it's boring!"
This hot topic had long caught Ivanka's attention.
Meyers Studios' marketing team the water army was already secretly pushing the hype. Martin's next film didn't even have a title yet—and people were already going wild with anticipation.
And Martin?
———
Martin was munching on watermelon.
As he ate breakfast, he held up a newspaper and laughed uncontrollably.
The cover featured paparazzi shots of Leonardo and Blake making out on the street.
"Those two can't keep it in their pants," he muttered.
"Look, it's all over the internet too." Ivanka, browsing celebrity forums on her laptop, beamed. After last night's sex session, she was glowing—her eyes sparkling with post-pleasure warmth.
Martin glanced over at her screen. A photo of Leonardo licking ice cream off the corner of Blake's mouth was trending, with hundreds of comments beneath it.
"Can't you two get a room? Public makeouts? Yuck."
"Agreed. There's no such thing as real love in Hollywood. Look at all these messy couples—none of them end well."
"Sounds like jealousy to me."
"Yeah, they look great together! Don't ruin it just because you're bitter."
"I ship it."
"Leo should settle down anyway. He's not young anymore. Wishing them the best."
"He's only 34! That's not old!"
"LOL, 34 and still being called young?"
"34 is a weird age—especially for men. Anybody want some Viagra? I've got an 80% discount!"
"Are they FDA approved?"
"Totally. I tried one last night—my legs are still jelly. My girl's still in bed!"
"Pics or it didn't happen!"
"Pics or it didn't happen!"
"Pics or it didn't happen!"
Martin cracked up.
———
Kristen Stewart was also online—and saw the exact same trending post about Martin's upcoming project.
Truth be told, even she was curious what his next movie would be.
She left a casual reply: "I really hope I can play the female lead in Martin's next film!"
To her surprise, even that offhand comment gained traction.
"Who doesn't hope that?!"
"I literally dream about it."
"More than being his co-star, I'd rather be his girlfriend in real life."
"Dream on, girl."
"Must've had a few too many drinks, huh?"
———
At Meyers Studios...
"Honey, what's your next project gonna be?"
Ivanka asked sweetly, plopping her curvy self onto Martin's lap and swinging her hips.
Martin, still flipping through documents, replied absentmindedly, "Might do something about a clown."
"A clown?!"
Ivanka didn't panic—if anything, her eyes lit up with intrigue.
"You mean like the Joker from Batman?"
"Something like that."
"Oooh, using a DC villain as the lead? That's actually really interesting! Honestly, Joker's a solid choice. Just look at how people reacted to The Dark Knight—he totally stole the show. That character could definitely carry a whole movie."
"When are you planning to start?"
"No rush. There are still a few things I need to handle. The elections are hitting a crucial phase, and I don't want to let my investments go down the drain."
Martin tapped Ivanka's plump rear as a cue for her to get off his lap.
To his surprise, she giggled and said, "No worries—you keep working, I'll just take care of my business."
And with that, she…
Martin exhaled, settling back into focus.
———
Meanwhile, in the North African coastal oasis of Tripoli, Libya...
Muammar Gaddafi was pacing in deep thought.
"What did you say? We've lost contact with our special ops in West Africa? Who did it—Americans? The Israelis?"
To Gaddafi, the two threats he least wanted to provoke were the U.S. and Israel.
"We don't know. It happened too fast. Six agents went off the radar—almost simultaneously."
"Damn it. Deploy more agents. We have to find Tadatmo. Where did they vanish?"
"Gambia, Mali, Burkina Faso, and Guinea."
"What?! You're saying they disappeared in different countries at the same time? Are you kidding me?!"
The intelligence officer replied, "Sir, those are the facts. Whoever's behind this... clearly has massive power. Honestly, I think your guess was right—it's either the U.S. or Israel."
"Damn those rogue nations!" Gaddafi cursed, then added, "This mission is too important. Activate our intelligence networks in Egypt. Mobilize our sleeper agents—they resemble the local population and know the customs better."
"Yes, sir!"