America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz

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In the suburbs of Los Angeles, beside a small lake.

The fervent angling aficionado Joel Mandel set up his seat, laid down the fish protector, tied the hook, and prepared the bait.

This investment manager currently only served Johnny Depp, so he had plenty of free time.

The dozen or so fishermen from the same fishing club were sparsely scattered along this fish-friendly shoreline.

Rogers, equally skilled at tying hooks, handed Joel a portion of groundbait: "This is imported Asian groundbait, especially attractive to Asian carps."

Although the two hadn't known each other for long, their shared profession as investment managers and a mutual enthusiasm for fishing quickly turned them into friends.

Joel wasn't shy and accepted it.

The groundbait proved effective, and Joel's line was the first to tighten with a particularly large Asian carp. It took turns with Rogers to finally haul the hefty fish ashore.

Understanding the mindset of fellow anglers, Rogers boasted, "Guys, come and see if Joel has just broken the club's record."

Joel, holding the big fish, was all smiles.

Quite a few club members ran over to take a photo with Joel and the large fish.

After weighing and measuring its length – though the fish didn't break the club's record for the largest single Asian carp – it still ranked within the top three.

The catch hadn't been easy; Joel and Rogers were visibly exhausted, so they decided to take a break from fishing, sitting in the shade to rest with beers.

Joel glanced at Rogers's new BMW wagon parked on the roadside and the Patek Philippe on his wrist, and remarked, "Luxury cars, watches, and booze. Every time I see you, you've got a whole new set. Made a lot of money recently, huh? Got any special investment opportunities?"

Rogers chuckled, "No special opportunities, you've been in this business long enough to know. Guys like us can only eat the scraps left behind by the big fish. Choose the wrong queue and you could even be swallowed whole."

He took a swig of his beer: "Our clients only care about their returns, they don't mind anything else. It's tough in this line of work."

Joel empathized deeply, especially since he served a tough client: "Certainly not easy."

Rogers then directly addressed his earlier question: "It's the same old tricks in the business, figuring out ways to get clients to reinvest, denying them chances to liquidate, keeping their wealth as mere numbers on their accounts, while we rake in generous commissions."

Joel couldn't hide his disappointment, feeling like Rogers wasn't telling the whole truth.

The two continued to drink, and as the alcohol flowed, Rogers began to talk more – bragging about using the money to organize fishing parties with a bunch of beautiful women and the like.

Such indulgences weren't foreign to Joel either. Engaged in their animated conversation, they eventually steered back to discussing the clients they served.

"The ones I handle are nothing but crass bastards—NBA black basketball players and ignorant Hollywood stars," Rogers complained. "They lack knowledge, taste, and decency, all scumbags, yet they're dripping with wealth, it's just too unfair."

Joel felt provoked, venting, "We well-qualified people just have to live like poor bastards, it's so unfair!"

"Those multimillionaires and billionaires from the slums only understand how to waste money." Rogers seemed influenced by the alcohol: "This money should be under our control, sending those lowlifes back to where they belong."

Joel responded, "You're damn right."

Rogers opened another bottle and passed it to Joel, glancing at his new car: "Actually, it's not that hard."

Joel got the hint, tacitly agreeing: "We just want to live a little more comfortably."

The more they chatted, the more they found common ground, delving deeper into their conversation.

As the sun set, the anglers had no plans to return to the city; night fishing and camping were also fun.

Rogers and Joel even discussed how they could legally and justifiably turn their clients' money into their own.

Such was the basic decency of investment managers.

Rogers shared several "cases" he had personally handled, subtly inciting Joel's ambition and desire.

Others may have many reservations, but Joel was overseen by his own brother, Robert Mandel.

...

At Disney Studio, "The Martian" crew.

Surrounded by green screens, Martin donned the spacesuit, arranging various astronautical electronic equipment.

Filming occasionally paused, and during these breaks, the NASA consultant Philips would enter the set to guide Martin on how to properly use some of the electronic equipment.

For a movie that leaned toward hard sci-fi, details like growing potatoes might not hold up under scrutiny, but it had to look convincing to the audience.

Today's shoot still featured only Martin. As long as Martin maintained his form, the shoot would go smoothly.

After completing a scene where the space capsule got blown away, the crew took a short break.

Ridley called Martin over, along with Philips, to discuss the upcoming scenes involving coding and communications.

Martin knew nothing about coding and basically just listened.

When the time came, he would perform however Ridley wanted to shoot.

After about fifteen minutes, Ridley ended the discussion.

Martin returned to his resting area.

Philips also entered the resting area, sitting next to Martin.

Curious, Martin asked, "Does NASA have any plans for a Mars landing? When can we expect to land on Mars at the earliest?"

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"It's quite unlikely within the next twenty years; NASA has no such plans for now," Philip said. "Martin, are you interested in astronautics?"

"Rockets, spaceships, extraterrestrial colonies, and the like – don't all men find that fascinating?" Martin replied offhandedly.

Recalling Martin's close connections with Washington, Philip said, "In a while, NASA is hosting an investors' conference in California, would you be interested in attending?"

Martin immediately showed interest, "What do I need to prepare?"

"You'll need an invitation from NASA, but that's not a problem. With your recent collaboration with NASA, a phone call should sort it out," Philip explained.

Martin gestured to Bruce behind him.

Bruce made a note of it and texted Thomas to get in touch with NASA.

By the time shooting wrapped up in the afternoon, Thomas called Bruce to say that NASA had replied – the invitation to the investors' conference would be mailed to Los Angeles next week.

On the way to the makeup room, Bruce asked, "Are you planning to invest in a NASA project?" Experience more tales on My Virtual Library Empire

"I'll see what it's all about first," said Martin.

After finishing makeup and stepping out, most of the crew had not left yet, but Andy Weir, the author of the original book, had arrived.

The book signing of "The Martian" had moved from New York to Los Angeles.

Andy Weir had come specifically to give away copies of the original novel to all the crew members that day.

Martin and Bruce each received a copy, complete with Andy Weir's handwritten signature on the title page.

"Thank you," Martin said, planning to add the book to his collection back home.

Andy Weir was very excited and, while walking out with Martin, announced, "I have some great news for you; 'The Martian' has just topped the New York Times Best Sellers list for this edition!"

"Congratulations, Andy. You're now a bestselling author," Martin said with a smile.

Andy Weir sincerely replied, "Martin, I wouldn't be where I am now without you. If I have a new work, I'd definitely want to collaborate with you again."

Martin believed these words were heartfelt, but also knew with time things could fade. If someone else offered more money, much like Gillian Flynn, Andy Weir's new work might not be a collaboration with him.

In business, that was nothing to fault anyone for.

He asked, "Do you already have an idea for a new work?"

"Not yet," Weir answered. "'The Martian' took so much of my energy; I need some rest before I can find the right angle for a new piece."

Martin nodded, "If you do come up with something new, let me know first. Whatever other companies can offer, Davis Studio can match."

"I will," Andy promised.

Stepping out of the studio, they happened upon Louise coming from the office building.

Andy Weir, knowing they needed to talk, excused himself to find director Ridley.

Louise stood by the roadside, gazing across at the "Lone Ranger" studio, and said, "They've finished all their scenes over there; they're officially wrapping up today."

Joining her, Martin said, "I heard about that. Apparently, Depp and Amber Heard are busy planning their wedding now."

Speaking of Depp, Louise looked around, and when she saw no one else nearby, she said quietly, "My people have struck a deal with Depp's investment manager, but these kinds of million-dollar dealings can't be rushed; you need to be patient."

"Let's take it slow, don't let Depp catch on," Martin said.

Across the way, Depp and Amber emerged from the studio and made their way to the roadside.

Depp spotted Martin and Louise.

His entourage glared at them angrily.

Bruce watched these men, who did nothing more than glare.

The security team brought up an electric cart, and Depp got in, sitting on the side facing Martin.

His entourage got into another cart.

Depp, thinking about Hodgson who was about to be incarcerated, turned around and flipped the middle finger at Martin.

Then, he told the security guard, "Drive, quick!"

The electric cart was driven away with the speed of a car.

Watching the cart disappear in the distance, Martin instructed Bruce, "Have someone follow Depp, see where he's heading."

After making a few calls, Bruce reported, "They're probably off to Rodeo Avenue in Beverly Hills. It seems Depp and Amber are going wedding dress shopping."

"It's their happy day; perhaps we should send a gift as congratulations?" Martin suggested.

"What do you plan on sending?" Louise asked.

"Isn't your women's rights organization targeting Depp online?" Martin wasn't about to let Depp have an easy time. "Why not protest and demonstrate against this sleazebag who's offended women?"

"Good idea. With the women's movement thriving, even if we take actions that are a bit over the top, the police will at most issue a warning," Louise said.

Martin checked the time, "Let's also take a stroll down Rodeo Avenue."