America gains both fame and fortune

Chapter 81: The Calamity of Californians

Thanksgiving is an important holiday for Americans. The Carters sent out formal invitations early on, and Martin specially ordered a roast turkey.

In the afternoon, Elena prepared dinner in advance.

Martin called Harris and went to the restaurant to pick up the roast turkey.

In the car, Harris talked about the star business: "I recruited a partner, and he helped to create an official website for the Atlantic Astronomical Association. All customers who bought stars will be able to check the corresponding records on the website in the future."

Martin agreed: "You are very thoughtful, which will increase the customer's trust."

Harris said, "This month's performance has increased by 24%. The Astronomical Association has sold stars. Martin, I have converted your portion of the income into shares. You can sign the agreement later."

He mentioned it several times, and seeing that he insisted, Martin responded, "I'll sign it when I get back."

The two took roast turkey and desserts such as pumpkin pie and chocolate pie and returned to Carter's house.

Entering the living room, Martin found that the atmosphere was not right. Lily and Hall seemed to have cried, and Elena had a stern face and didn't speak.

He put down the lunch box and asked, "What happened?"

Lily lowered her head and said, "Emma just called."

"Which Emma?" Martin didn't react at first. Emma had disappeared from his life in the past six months.

Elena said: "Emma Carter, Scott's wife, my mother, and your father's lover."

Martin's mind was bewildered, and the relationship was very complicated.

He asked, "Is Emma back? Where's Jack?"

Lily shouted, "Jack the bastard abandoned Emma!"

Martin looked at Elena.

"Emma called from Hawaii and said Jack had taken all her money." Elena felt very complicated: "Then he disappeared."

Martin thought of an important question: "She didn't borrow money from a loan shark, did she?"

"No." Elena motioned for Martin to go out and talk to him. When they came to the yard, she said, "I will go to the bank tomorrow to transfer $200 to her and book her a flight from Hawaii to Atlanta."

She lowered her voice: "I don't trust her, but Lily and Hall had better have a mother."

Martin grabbed her arm and proposed again: "Now that Emma is back, will you come to Los Angeles with me?"

Outside the wooden fence, Scott staggered over with his legs apart, holding a bottle of tequila without a cap in his hand.

Elena looked at Scott and said, “I might go to Los Angeles in a few years, but I can’t go now. Emma and Scott together will ruin them.”

This is a very contradictory mentality, as one needs parents but also has to be on guard against them.

Scott entered the yard and said, "What are you two losers doing here? Is Thanksgiving dinner ready?"

Elena glared at him: “Today is Thanksgiving, don’t force me to drive you away.”

She went back to making dinner.

Martin specifically reminded Scott: "It's a festive evening, so talk less."

Scott, who was not drunk or high, responded, "I'll try."

Inside, Martin went to help Elena.

Scott found a place to sit down, but no one wanted to talk to him, so he had to drink alone.

The dinner was very sumptuous. In addition to the turkey and dessert that Martin bought, Elena also made macaroni, mashed potatoes, vegetable salad and honey ham.

Everyone sat around the dining table, and Scott wanted to get a knife and fork to share the roast turkey.

Elena took the lead and took the knife and fork.

Martin roughly understood that this seemed to represent the head of the family.

Dinner was in silence, not as lively as before, even Lily didn't want to talk.

After dinner, Elena and her sister cleared the table, and Martin took a bottle of beer and went out to sit on the steps, thinking about the upcoming trip to Los Angeles.

During his more than half a year in Atlanta, Martin gained not only key connections and qualifications, but more importantly, money.

I didn’t have enough money, so I had to work part-time when I went to Los Angeles.

Martin now has $13 from the kettle income and $15 from the zombie gigolo.

The social investigators’ salaries are sufficient to cover daily expenses.

The door suddenly opened, and Lily also came out with a bottle of beer and sat next to Martin.

She touched Martin's bottle with hers, took a sip, and said, "It's not as good as the Bubble Beauty you made, although that thing tastes weird..."

Martin stared at her.

Lily was very self-conscious and stretched her head over: "You hit me."

Martin pushed her head back and said, "If you don't mess around, Elena will be 50% more relaxed."

Lily didn't seem to understand: "You sound just like Harris."

Martin drank his beer slowly.

Lily searched her pockets, took out a crystal star, and handed it to Martin: "You are going to Los Angeles, and you will probably never come back. I hope you will remember a girl named Lily Carter in Atlanta."

Martin looked at the blue stars carefully under the light of the yard: "Did you do this?"

"All handmade." Lily gestured and said, "You forgot that I also made the kettle."

Martin accepted it: "Thank your lucky stars." But Lily hid behind it: "It will make you lucky enough not to break your arm like Harris!"

Martin was so angry that he wanted to hit someone with a beer bottle.

Lily stood up: "I have to go back to review my lessons."

"Are you reviewing your lessons?" Martin was quite surprised.

"Don't look down on me." Lily walked back, still talking: "If I work hard, I can skip a grade and get into a school in Los Angeles sooner."

The girl kept saying nonsense all day long, and Martin was too lazy to tell whether it was true or not.

After finishing a bottle of beer, Martin felt someone staring at him from behind. He turned around and saw Scott leaning against the wall at the door.

"Asshole, I'm warning you for the last time." Scott was about to go back to the grocery store. He came to Martin and said, "Your father Jack kidnapped my wife. If you dare to kidnap my eldest daughter, I will never let you go..."

He raised the tequila bottle in his hand: "I'm going to smash your head in with this!"

Martin pointed outside and said, "Go back to bed quickly. Be careful not to get robbed by black men on the road."

Scott's heart tightened and he was very careful along the way, especially before opening the door, he took out a high-intensity flashlight he bought specially to illuminate the dark place.

Martin went into the house and said something to Elena, then went back to pack his luggage. He didn't have any large items, so he put his clothes and some daily necessities in the suitcase and could leave early tomorrow morning.

Just as he was about to take a break, Elena came over. The old, broken wooden bed finally collapsed after being tossed and turned by the two of them.

Martin had no choice but to drag the mattress out and throw it on the floor.

The two of them were fighting so hard that James in the backyard almost crawled out from the ground.

Martin picked up the car keys on the wooden floor and threw them to Elena: “It’s yours.”

"I'll drive for now." Elena was always simple and direct: "I won't see you off tomorrow, you have to find a way to get to the airport."

Martin took out his cell phone and called Bruce: "Old Bruce, get up early tomorrow and take me to the airport."

A strange voice came from the receiver, and Bruce yelled, "You stinking piece of shit, can't you call during the day?"

"Go on." Martin hung up the phone.

Elena had been leaning over the phone to eavesdrop, and couldn't help laughing: "Old Bu is such a pervert."

Martin said: "Old Bull has the potential to become a perverted killer."

The next morning, Bruce drove his new car to pick up Martin.

Harris helped carry the suitcases and put them in Bruce's car.

Elena ran back home, took out the new phone that she had forgotten last night, and gave it to Martin.

People didn't have much sadness about parting. With modern transportation and low-cost airlines, it was not difficult to travel between Los Angeles and Atlanta.

Bruce drove out of the Clayton community and asked, "Think carefully, what else did you miss?"

Martin smiled and said, "As long as you bring money, what can't you buy?"

Bruce speeds up: "Atlanta will be a lot more peaceful without a piece of stinky shit like you."

Martin shot back: "Without civilized people like you, it would be much more peaceful."

Bruce didn't care: "Man, go and wreak havoc on the Californians. Beat up all the gays, lesbians, drug addicts, perverts and the like there. You have to believe in yourself. You have enough bad ideas and bad methods!"

Martin replied: "If I can't solve it, I will definitely call you, a civilized person."

The two arrived at Atlanta International Airport, and Bruce accompanied Martin all the way to the security checkpoint.

Martin prepares to line up.

Bruce patted him on the shoulder heavily and said, "You're going to wallow in that stinking quagmire of Hollywood, man. Don't come back in disgrace."

Martin still said the same thing: "Civilized people, don't die, I won't answer your funeral call."

Bruce waved his hand: "Let's go."

Martin passed through security and came to the boarding gate. He sat down and waited for a while. Benjamin and Catherine came over together.

Katherine dressed very beautifully, and in terms of appearance alone, Julia Roberts couldn't compare to her.

The three of them were familiar with each other, so Catherine had no scruples and said, "I don't want to come back after this trip."

Martin didn't need to hide the fact: "I also want to stay in Hollywood and develop. Maybe this is a good opportunity."

Martin hadn't really told anyone except Kelly Gray about Louise Mayer and Robert Patrick.

People like him will not give away their connections to others.

Catherine continued to fantasize about the scenery of Hollywood.

In contrast, Benjamin is more conservative: "I will complete the contract with Gray Company and then decide where to develop."

The good news of the large-scale release of "Zombie Gigolo" constantly stimulated Katherine's nerves: "If the film can become a small hit, will I have a chance to get a big role? Julia Roberts boarded the plane to the road of superstardom from here."

Benjamin warned: "You are a little too excited and fantasize too much."

The sound of boarding reminder sounded on the radio, and Martin called the two people: "Get on the plane."

We walked along the boarding channel onto the plane and into the economy class. Martin's seat was next to the window. The engine was roaring and the runway was rapidly receding.

The passenger plane rushed into the sky, and looking down from the height, Atlanta was in full view.

Whether you go to heaven or hell, you have to transfer in Atlanta.

(End of this chapter)