100 Chapter 100: Indeed A Good Brother

As filming commenced, Martin's followers underwent a cast change. Adrian was dismissed from the crew and replaced by an Australian actor named Ryder.

The interior scenes primarily unfolded at Warner Roadshow Studios, while the exterior scenes were set in an abandoned town west of Brisbane.

The crew made a public announcement about constructing a completely new town for the film, complete with a wax museum featuring one-to-one replicas of wax figures, meticulously crafted by skilled artisans.

In truth, only four lifelike humanoid wax figures were created.

Like most Hollywood productions, once filming wrapped up, everything was dismantled and disposed of as waste.

As for the actual reasons behind these actions, no one from the crew, including the actors, uttered a word.

Numerous large trailers were parked near the riverside where the exterior town scenes were to be shot.

With the crew ready, filming commenced promptly at the director's command.

Jared Padalecki, in the role of Wade, caught a football thrown by Mene and yelled, "Dalton!"

Ryder, the replacement actor, set down his camera, leaped up, grabbed the football, and tossed it back to Mene.

Mene shouted, "Nick!" as he tossed the ball to Martin.

Martin was seated in a chair, and the ball was supposed to be thrown at his feet for the scene.

Mene's throw went off target, and the ball sailed over Martin.

Martin swiftly extended his hands, caught the ball, stood up, took a step forward, and launched the ball far into the distance.

Mene and Judd exchanged helpless glances.

Ryder, the newcomer, approached Martin and remarked, "Boss, that wasn't quite right."

Elisha, leaning against a car, walked over and engaged in a scripted argument with Martin.

Having frequently played opposing roles in the past few days, the sibling conflict was well-rehearsed, allowing for a smooth single-shot capture.

As long as Paris was not part of the scene, filming proceeded relatively smoothly.

Paris's presence, on the other hand, was bound to bring chaos, resulting in numerous retakes.

Fortunately, Martin's character didn't share many scenes with her.

Subsequently, no lead actors or actresses appeared. Elisha joined Martin at the rest area and commented, "The way you argued back there didn't seem like a brother who cares for his sister."

Martin responded, "If you get to know me better, you'll see how much I dote on my sister."

Eliza inquired, "Do you have a sister?"

Martin nonchalantly replied, "Aren't you looking at her?"

Eliza suggested, "I'll write another blog post later, 'My Twin Brother is an Overly Doting Sister.'"

Martin brushed fallen leaves off Eliza's chair and took a seat beside her, saying, "I will read what you wrote about my twin brother on your blog. You portrayed me so accurately. If I'm not a good brother, your fans would have my head."

Eliza playfully winked at him, "Then treat me nicely and be an adoring sister."

Bruce approached at that moment, handing a phone to Martin, saying, "Thomas wants you to call him back."

Martin excused himself to make the call, dialing Thomas's number.

On the other end, Thomas inquired, "Are you okay?"

Martin assured him, "I'm fine." Thomas asked, "What's going on with Adrian?"

Martin retorted, "How should I know? There's something wrong with his judgment. He can't pick up girls properly; I'm willing to help."

Thomas inquired further, "This incident doesn't involve you?"

Martin responded with exasperation, "Seriously, use that walnut-sized brain of yours to think it through. How could someone as upstanding as me commit such a crime? This is my first time in Australia, and I barely know anyone outside the crew."

Thomas, after some consideration, realized the truth and asked, "Adrian was a young actor the company was grooming. This incident will have a significant impact on him. The resources originally allocated to him will likely be redirected. I'll do my best to fight for your rights."

Martin whispered, "The more you can fight for, the better."

He silently contemplated that if he had to sell himself, he would.

"One more thing, there's a tabloid in Los Angeles claiming you're in a romantic relationship with Elisha Cuthbert. Is there any truth to that?"

Martin clarified, "It's false. Elisha and I are genuinely close. It's hard to describe, but we're beyond just friends."

Thomas advised, "If there are any developments, please inform me."

"I understand," Martin replied casually. "When you're aiming to be a star, you have no privacy. Once you climb the ladder, everything becomes fair game for the media."

After ending the call and returning to the group, Elisha was nowhere to be seen. Martin asked Bruce about the situation.

Bruce reported, "Not great. She mentioned she's just a small-time follower, not as influential as me. The manager seems to look down on me."

Martin wasn't surprised, explaining, "I found out some information. Her father was a lawyer in the Simpson case, and her godfather is O.J. Simpson himself. While she may not be on par with Paris, her family background is quite solid."

Bruce was curious, "Why would someone with her connections work as a follower for Paris? There must be better job opportunities."

Martin disclosed, "She aspires to be the next Paris and become a socialite in high society."

Bruce realized, "I see."

Martin added, "Sex tape."

Bruce was taken aback, "Sex tape? You mean like a scandal?"

Martin nodded, looking at Bruce as if he were an alien creature. "Bruce, you haven't seen it?"

Bruce responded bluntly, "I don't like people like her. Besides, she doesn't even have much of a figure. Why would I bother watching it?"

Martin elaborated, "It might not be entirely accurate, but I personally believe that what truly catapulted her to fame was that video tape. Watching a celebrity video is an entirely different experience from regular adult films."

Bruce dug deeper, "So she gained fame through a scandalous video?"

Martin continued, "Yes, exactly."

Bruce ventured further, "What other reasons contributed to Paris's fame today, aside from the Hilton family's influence?"

Martin casually replied, "The sex tape."

Bruce, deep in this unfamiliar territory, began researching more extensively. He had taken on the role of Martin's manager and was now responsible for dealing with Martin's dirty laundry. A character like Martin was bound to engage in many questionable activities in the future.

Bruce looked around, ensuring no one was listening, and proposed, "What if I practice some of her skills?"

Martin was puzzled, "What skills?"

Bruce elucidated, "The ways of the civilized aren't always suitable for Hollywood, especially when dealing with a character like you. I've been conducting some research lately. If I'm going to be your manager, I'll need to handle all kinds of messes, even the stinkiest ones."

A wry smile appeared on Martin's face as he realized Bruce's evolving perspective.

Bruce commented, "Your illustration is so compelling that even a civilized person like me must adapt to the ways of mischief."

After a brief discussion, Elisha returned from the trailer, diverting their conversation.

Soon, it was Martin and Elisha's turn to return to the stage. They applied their makeup and stood before the camera, ready to continue their scenes together.

Due to the Adrian incident, Susan Levin enforced stricter management on the crew. Nobody wanted to cause any trouble for the producers during this time. After several days of shooting, the atmosphere on set became more subdued.

Susan's demeanor was grimmer than Mene's, and even Martin, who was usually close to her, maintained some distance for the time being.

In the blink of an eye, Friday arrived, and the rest of the crew was occupied with filming. Action director Gerdes summoned the two twins to a flat area for rehearsal of some action sequences.

Gerdes asked Martin, "Are you proficient with a crossbow?"

Martin received the prop from the prop master and replied, "I've used one before."

With ease, he cocked the string, fitted a rubber-tipped arrow provided by the crew, aimed at a tree, and let the arrow fly. The crossbow had a soft arm, and the arrow was lightweight, resulting in an inaccurate shot.

Martin handed it back to the prop master, saying, "I'd also like to try hunting a big kangaroo."

Elisha, holding a bat, approached and questioned, "Why hunt kangaroos? They're quite cute."

Martin's mind briefly conjured an image of a kangaroo boxing like a professional fighter.

Brian Holt, who portrayed the villainous twins, had visited Australia several times and cautioned, "It's best to stay away from big kangaroos. They have short tempers and can put up quite a fight."

Action director Gerdes, a burly man, reassured them, "Don't worry, if a kangaroo shows up, I'll turn it into minced meat."

Under Gerdes's guidance, the two twins rehearsed the action scene. It wasn't an action-packed film, so there were no complex maneuvers. Actors with professional physical training found it manageable.

The crew's temporary location was a riverbank with shallow water where pebbles on the riverbed were visible in the distance.

After their training, the crew continued filming. Martin pointed to an area upstream of the riverbank and suggested to Elisha, "Shall we go take a look? Bruce and I went for a walk there yesterday, and the scenery was beautiful."

Elisha agreed, "Sure."

Martin returned to the rest area, grabbed his bag, placed two bottles of water inside, and retrieved mosquito repellent. He said, "Give it a little spray."

Elisha took a sniff.

Martin reassured her, "It's made from pure natural plant extracts, completely eco-friendly."

Eliza accepted it, applied some on herself, sprayed a bit on Martin, then handed it back. She led the way upstream, urging, "Hurry up."

Martin followed, cautioning her, "Watch out for slippery rocks beneath your feet."

After walking a few hundred meters, the river expanded and became shallower, with numerous large rocks emerging from the water like piers.

Martin pointed to the tallest and largest rock, inquiring, "Where are we heading?"

Eliza, leaping ahead, called back to Martin, "Let's race to see who gets there first. The loser must grant the winner one request!"

Martin hastened to catch up, requesting, "Slow down."

Having visited this location with Bruce the previous day without incident, Martin believed it to be safe.

Eliza hopped from rock to rock with nimbleness, maintaining a brisk pace.

Martin explored alternate rocks, moving ahead of her.

The stones near the middle of the river were particularly smooth due to water erosion.

Martin had carefully selected this spot for their fun. He chose a rock, waited for Elisha to approach, and extended his hand to help her up.

The rock wasn't very large, just enough for the two of them to stand facing each other.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Martin leaned in to kiss Elisha, and she didn't pull away. Instead, her hand, which had initially held onto Martin's arm, wrapped around him, and she tilted her head upward.

Amidst the flowing river, a man and woman embraced, sharing a passionate kiss.

Using his hands, Martin lifted her up and carried her to the largest rock, declaring, "I won."

Elisha expressed her discontent, saying, "Clearly, we were together."

Martin pointed downwards, teasing, "Your feet never touched the ground."

With no further words needed, Elisha wrapped her arms around Martin's neck and sealed their moment with another kiss.