Chapter 295: Chapter 292 The Next Best One

Getting out of the car, Martin turned back and took Blake's hand, helping her down from the car as nearby reporters swarmed around to take pictures.At the same time, on both sides of the red carpet, shouts for Martin and the Sect Hierarch rose and fell, their presence rivaling that of any celebrity.

Martin was no longer an unknown actor.

So, the pace at which he and Blake walked the red carpet wasn't slow.

The few stops they made were so Blake could strike poses, allowing the photographers to take pictures.

Halfway along the red carpet, someone shouted loudly, "Martin, this way! Come here!"

Martin, holding Blake's hand, went over, where Rachel and Phoebe, with his most die-hard fan club, were there cheering them on.

They first took a group photo with their fans and then proceeded with the routine signing.

Actually, meeting these old friends who had supported him before he became famous also made Martin very happy.

Especially when he considered the autograph books they'd given, as long as no one asked what exactly was written, he felt particularly good.

If someone asked, that would be awkward.

In the future, when writing memoirs or an autobiography, this would also be a highlight to emphasize.

Of course, at this moment, Coke could not be absent.

Martin took the two cans of Coca-Cola handed to him by Rachel, opened one, and handed it to Blake, then raised a toast to all his fans.

Not just his fan club but also the hundreds of spectators on both sides of the red carpet collectively shouted, "Cola Cult Forever!"

As one of the advertising sponsors, the head of the Coca-Cola Los Angeles Branch present at the Oscar ceremony couldn't help but smile at the almost unison shouts.

He said to his deputy, "Martin, this spokesperson, has a strong sense of responsibility, always remembering to advertise for Coca-Cola."

The deputy agreed, "It's not easy to find a star spokesperson with such professional ethics."

Thinking of the steadily rising sales figures since the foundation of the Cola Cult, the head said, "The headquarters should sign a longer contract with him!"

Arriving at the media area, since they hadn't received any nominations, no media reporters came over to interview the two of them.

Martin and Blake stood in front of the sponsors' backdrop for photos, showcased their affection, and then entered the Kodak Theatre together.

"Starved for over a week, just for these few minutes," Blake remarked with a sigh, whispering, "It's truly a crazy game."

Martin laughed, "Countless people are fascinated by it."

Upon reaching the entrance to the theater's lobby, Blake pulled Martin to face her and meticulously adjusted his suit and bow tie, exclaiming, "So handsome it's intoxicating, you mesmerize with just a look."

Martin never had any delusions about changing the mindset of Blake's female fans, pulling her into the theater and walking towards the front.

Inside the Kodak Theatre was the best interpretation of Vanity Fair and the hierarchy of power; the most popular and influential stars of the past year were basically seated in the first three rows.

Artistic stars favored by the Academy often had seats even closer to the front.

Martin wasn't nominated, so his seat was in the middle of the third row, slightly to the left.

As he walked by, he happened to run into Kate Blanchett.

Their gazes barely touched before they automatically recoiled as if positive and negative poles had collided.

Blanchett harrumphed coldly in her throat.

Martin, as if not noticing anything, passed by her.

Blake followed behind Martin, murmuring to herself, "It's tough getting older for a woman, getting injections until your facial lines are as hard as stone."

Blanchett appeared not to hear and sat unmoved.

Martin tugged Blake's arm, and the two of them moved to take their seats on the left side.

Blake said, "She attacked you in an interview, saying you weren't magnanimous. You're a man; it's not good for you to hit back at a woman, but I can!"

She glanced over at Blanchett, "She dares to slander you, I'll make sure she pays if I catch the chance."

Martin didn't want her to get involved in these trivial conflicts, "You focus on your career; I can handle these little matters."

At that moment, Nicholson walked in, his seat in the second row, and he made a point of passing by Martin's side.

Martin walked up to him and asked, "You're feeling alright now?"

Nicholson patted his chest, full of vitality, "Strong as an ox."

Martin saw he was indeed better and immediately responded in a scoundrel's manner, "Yes, like an ox, slow to scare, only moves when whipped."

As a scoundrel himself, Nicholson understood the meaning behind his words and moved closer, lowering his voice, "Do you want me to mail Blake the photos and the video?"

Martin said bluntly, "You're really a rotten guy, always doing rotten things."

Behind them, Leonardo and Kate Winslet also came over.

Blake, who was chatting with Amy Adams, stood up to greet them.

Kate shook hands with Martin, saying, "Any chance we could have a talk some time?"

Martin replied, "After tonight, anytime."

Kate made a gesture, "I'll give you a call."

"Sounds good," Martin answered.

As more people entered, the group could not continue blocking the way, and they quickly dispersed to their seats.

Blake curiously asked, "You're close with Kate?"

Martin had no special relationship with Kate, so he spoke frankly, "When I was in Atlanta, I met Kate who was filming there and stayed in touch. Later, as I fought for the Saturn Award for Best Young Actor and the leading role in The Hills Have Eyes, when I got to know Wes Craven, she helped me a lot."

Blake remarked, "Owing favors is always a pain."

Martin had no choice; he and Blake were completely different. Although Blake wasn't a top-tier second-generation star, her producer father had the capability to generate projects.

All he could do was try his hardest to climb upwards, which had led to forming solid relations with a close-knit group like the Trio of Scoundrels.

The award ceremony started quickly, and tonight was a true cake-sharing event, with no single crew emerging as the big winner.

In the midst, Martin took to the stage alone as a presenter and awarded the Best Documentary to "March of the Penguins."

The four weightiest awards—Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Actor and Actress—were divided among four different films.

Reese Witherspoon, known for romantic comedies, received the Best Actress award, stirring up quite a bit of discussion.

Ang Lee secured the Best Director Oscar for "Brokeback Mountain," while the more Americanized and Los Angeles-centric "Crash" garnered Best Picture.

After the ceremony, Martin and Blake rushed off to the Vanity Fair Oscar Night party.

No sooner had they sat down at a table than Blake, smelling the food, grabbed Martin by the arm and said, "Food, I need something tasty!"

Martin asked, "What would you like to eat?"

Blake, who had endured a week of ascetic living, decided to indulge herself, "Burgers, I just want a burger right now."

Martin went to the food area to get some snacks and had just picked up a tray when he ran into Heath Ledger, who had also attended the awards ceremony that evening.

The other man was there to get food for his fiancée Michel Williams.

Martin nodded in greeting, "Good evening."

Heath Ledger, with a tense expression, didn't speak, took the food, and walked away immediately.

As he left, he looked back over his shoulder. He had been confident about an Oscar Best Actor nomination but ended up off the shortlist.

After so much investment and yet gaining nothing, resentment was inevitable.

Returning to the Brokeback Mountain crew's table, Michel Williams picked up a piece of cake and started eating voraciously.

Ang Lee, holding his Best Director statuette, was cheerfully posing for photos with others.

Blanchett then came over, first congratulating Ang Lee and the producer Shamus, and then consoling Heath, "It's okay, there will be other opportunities."

Heath responded, "I'm fine."

Blanchett added, "Bale is a good guy. He put pressure on The Prestige's crew, which rejected Martin Davis and went with Hugh Jackman instead."

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Heath felt somewhat relieved, "Thanks for the good news."

Blanchett said, "We're outsiders, only unity can get us more resources."

Heath nodded repeatedly.

"Don't rush, take it slow," Blanchett said, patting his shoulder before leaving.

Heath turned to find Martin, who was chatting and laughing about something with Leonardo and Nicholson.

This group of American stars stuck together, keeping outsiders at bay.

On the other hand, Blake held a large burger, savoring every bite.

At that moment at the party, the male actors were polite, busy socializing.

The image-conscious female actors, on the other hand, were seen indulging in food, with more than half of them feasting.

Many opted for high-calorie options.

The newly crowned Oscar Best Actress was even seen holding a slice of pizza in each hand, having tossed aside her statuette.

No one would ridicule them for it.

Those like Blake, who had dieted for a week, often had the shortest bouts of indulgence.

Having finished one burger, Blake was ready to grab another, but Martin quickly stopped her, "Eat slowly, give your stomach some time to react."

Blake laughed embarrassingly, "Did I look very ugly just now when I was eating?" S~eaʀᴄh the NôᴠeFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Martin instead said, "You looked like you were enjoying it a lot, now I want one too."

After waiting a while and seeing that Blake still wanted to eat, Martin got another burger, and the two shared it.

It was also a night of revelry, where the stars indulged not just in food but also their basic instincts.

Take for instance the infamous elevator episode; it happened on Oscar Night.

Martin was a conscientious and good man, so when the party was winding down, he took the initiative to take Blake home, spending their own Oscar Night together.

Having refueled with plenty of calories, Blake, who had lacked energy the previous week due to dieting, regained the vigor of an eighteen-year-old.

Martin generously gave Bruce the day off and partied through the night with Blake.

Poor Bruce, after leaving in his car, gave the surveillance camera the finger and ended up wandering the street, somehow turning up at Cohler Kardashian's doorstep.

For some reason, Bruce thought Cohler seemed more his type than the free-spirited Kim.

A philanderer always looks for the next one, and the next always seems the best.

The Oscar buzz lasted only two days. Before the rainbow flags could celebrate the victory of Brokeback Mountain, news about that year's Oscars was overshadowed by another headline-grabbing story.

Jennifer Aniston held a press conference with WMA, announcing that she had successfully terminated her contract with CAA, and along with her agent Steve, switched to WMA.