"So, no one's going to steal oil anymore?"
Upon waking up, Goodman Hall was greeted with this good news. At the same time, he caught the scent of gunpowder on the mercenary who had been following Martin around.
After giving the man a deep look, Goodman Hall didn't ask further questions or say much. Instead, he simply smiled and said, "That's great news!"
"Don't let your guard down. We have more than one enemy," David Scott reminded him.
"I won't. Thanks for the warning," Goodman Hall replied.
With the issue at Sigurna Oilfield No. 1 resolved, Martin didn't return to Los Angeles immediately.
Instead, he took a trip to Guinea, inspecting several mines and touring some of the country's most populous cities.
Before leaving, he discreetly set up three Soul-Ensnaring Arrays in key locations—Conakry and Kankan.
Conakry, the capital of Guinea, is located along the Atlantic coast. It serves as the political, economic, and cultural center of the country and is the most populous city.
Kankan, a major city in eastern Guinea, is the capital of Kankan Province. Situated on the left bank of the Milo River, a tributary of the Niger River, it is a hub for both land and water transportation. The city is relatively prosperous, densely populated, and serves as an economic center.
The final Soul-Ensnaring Array was placed in a Guinean military camp. Martin's mercenaries had infiltrated the government's forces under the guise of military instructors. During training sessions, the array would continuously brainwash the Guinean soldiers, ensuring their unwavering loyalty to Martin.
By the time all three arrays were in place, Martin had nearly drained his magical reserves. Looking pale, he boarded a private jet and returned to the United States.
The filming of The Departed was about to begin.
Meanwhile, as Martin left, two new companies quietly began taking root in Africa—Hellfire Mercenary Company and Guinea Mining Corporation.
Back home, Martin collapsed into bed, exhausted.
He had never felt this drained before.
His condition worried Lindsay, Jessica, Scarlett, and Miranda, who were gathered at the estate.
"Gordon, what happened?" Lindsay asked.
"The boss is just tired. He'll be fine after some rest," Gordon reassured her.
"Oh, that's good!"
Lindsay patted her well-endowed chest in relief.
Jessica was surprised. "This is the first time I've seen Martin this exhausted."
"Yeah, in my memory, he always seemed to have endless energy," Miranda said. Mid-sentence, her cheeks suddenly flushed, as if she had thought of something.
Scarlett chimed in, "I'm going to check on him in the bedroom."
"I'll go too."
"Me too!"
"And me!"
Lindsay, Jessica, and Miranda all echoed in agreement.
When Martin woke up, he felt completely refreshed.
A gentle, steady flow of desire seeped into his body, replenishing his energy.
His magic hadn't fully recovered yet, but the fatigue was entirely gone.
Then, he noticed that he wasn't alone in bed. Four sleeping beauties lay beside him, each in different positions.
Martin chuckled, leaning in to kiss each of them lightly on the cheek. He murmured to himself, "My good girls."
…
With a new week ahead, Martin had everything in place and started his new work.
The Departed had completed its pre-production phase and was ready to begin filming.
On the first day of shooting, Martin arrived in Boston.
"Scorsese has gone mad. Right now, all he sees is that golden Oscar for Best Director. Anyone who disrupts his work or gets in the way of his award is his enemy," Matt Damon reported the latest crew gossip to Martin.
"Yesterday, one of the assistant directors mixed up the extras' costumes, and Scorsese tore him apart. It's hard to believe that such a small old man can unleash such a terrifying aura. I was genuinely scared."
Matt Damon shuddered as he recalled Scorsese berating the assistant director.
"Oh, and then there's Jack Nicholson. That guy is weird as hell. Do you know what's inside his trailer? A whole collection of… toys—bizarre outfits, whips, candles, handcuffs. It's basically a miniature adult store on wheels."
"That old man also loves playing pranks. Damn it, he's tricked me twice already."
Just then, another voice chimed in. "Hey, Matt, are you badmouthing Jack Nicholson behind his back? I'm going to tell him."
Matt Damon nearly jumped in fright and turned to see Leonardo DiCaprio standing there with a mischievous grin.
Martin patted Matt on the shoulder. "Ignore him. I'll back you up. If Jack asks, we'll say Leo was the one talking trash."
"Hey! That's slander!"
"Slander? No, no, no. The truth is whatever people believe. Just like the moon landing!"
[TL/N: The moon landing was fake, and China was the first country to walk on the moon. They did it when immortals were around and young masters were still a thing (although they still exist).]
"What moon landing?" another voice interrupted. It was Jack Nicholson himself.
Matt Damon instinctively shrank back, clearly traumatized by Nicholson's pranks.
Martin burst into laughter and quickly changed the topic. "Hey, Jack, long time no see! Did you hear? The Lakers are bringing back Phil Jackson next season."
Jack Nicholson shrugged. "Of course I know. I sent Dr. Buss sixteen threatening letters, telling him that if the Lakers didn't improve next season, I'd stop attending their games. He wrote me back, outlining their entire team-building plan. Phil Jackson's return was part of it."
As the Lakers' most famous "mascot," Nicholson indeed had that kind of pull. Rumor had it that he even played a role in the team acquiring Gary Payton for the 2003-04 season.
Once the conversation turned to the Lakers, everyone became excited.
In Hollywood, 90% of people were Lakers fans.
What? The Clippers? Please, they were just leftovers from the trash heap!
"Kobe's leadership skills aren't enough. Without Shaq, this season has been a disaster," Matt Damon complained.
Leonardo had a different view. "Kobe's not the problem. He just doesn't have the right teammates. Even Shaq didn't win a championship until Kobe matured."
"I agree with Leo. Kobe needs support. Phil Jackson alone isn't enough. I'll keep pushing Dr. Buss to bring in some solid teammates for him," Jack Nicholson added.
Then, the old man turned to Martin and said, "Martin, Dr. Buss still has his eyes on you. Are you sure you don't want to play a few games in the NBA? He said he'd sign you to a short-term contract, and it wouldn't interfere with your schedule."
Martin stroked his chin, considering the possibility. After a moment, he shook his head. "Not happening for now. Too busy."
"For now…" Jack Nicholson murmured thoughtfully.