America's No. 1 financial conglomerate

Chapter 131 Australian Aries

In the MGM parking lot, when Ernst arrived at his car escorted by bodyguards, it immediately alerted Muller and the others.

Right next to his custom-made Rolls-Royce, a black BMW was parked at an extremely subtle angle.

This angle neither completely blocks the passage nor prevents anyone from having to pass by the BMW to approach the Maybach.

What's even more alarming is that the BMW's hood was propped up, revealing its complex internal mechanical structure. A burly man was half-lying on the engine, holding a wrench in a somewhat deliberate posture. His muscles were taut and defined under his tight-fitting clothes, clearly the result of long-term high-intensity training.

Müller, who was walking at the front, suddenly raised his hand to signal a stop, his pupils contracted slightly, and his gaze locked onto the other person like a hawk.

"Sir, stay here and don't move." Muller's voice was very low, and his right hand instinctively rested on the holster at his waist.

The four bodyguards instantly formed a diamond-shaped defensive formation, protecting Ernst in the center. Their leather shoes made a slight sound on the ground, their eyes swept across the shadows of the parking lot pillars like searchlights, and their fingers were on the gun handles in their suit pockets.

Ernst frowned slightly; he could feel the tension in the bodyguards' muscles.

Muller took half a step forward and exchanged a glance with Tom beside him.

Tom understood, keeping his right hand in a position as if ready to draw his weapon at any moment, and moved with the lightness of a feline as he cautiously stepped forward to investigate.

No wonder they were so careful. In the MGM garage, the broken car was parked right next to Ernst's car, and the mechanic looked like a professional. It was all too much of a coincidence.

However, it turned out that Ernst was overthinking things. Tom had already walked to the BMW, whispered a few words to the burly man, and even bent down to check the inside of the engine.

When he turned around and walked back, the seriousness on his face had faded considerably. He quickly walked to Ernst's side and whispered something to him.

Ernst's eyebrows suddenly rose, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He then pushed aside the bodyguard in front of him and said, "I'll go take a look."

The moment he took a step, the rear door of the BMW opened from the inside.

A tall figure emerged, her long golden hair still gleaming like honey under the dim garage lights. Her white dress accentuated her smooth shoulders, and her long legs, hailed as the most perfect in Hollywood, were firmly planted on the ground in stiletto sandals.

Nicole Kidman.

It must be admitted that this Australian Aries has an impeccable bone structure.

"What's wrong with the car?" Ernst walked to the engine and glanced at the exposed engine compartment.

His tone carried a natural familiarity, as if the two were friends who had known each other for many years.

Nicole Kidman was clearly caught off guard by Ernst's overly familiar manner, but the other party was an American tycoon and a Hollywood media mogul. In this world of fame and fortune, it is certainly beneficial to befriend such a big shot.

"The car won't start, I don't know why."

Ernst's bodyguards are all expert car mechanics, but he certainly can't help with this.

"Let's go, I'll see you off."

Nicole Kidman was clearly stunned, and even the burly man repairing the car looked up at Ernst.

Isn't that a bit inappropriate? It's a man and a woman meeting for the first time, and the key point is that Nicole Kidman is a married woman.

Ernst immediately realized his slip of the tongue. In Hollywood's unspoken rules of social interaction, such an invitation could indeed easily lead to speculation. In Hollywood, this statement was no different from asking me to stay overnight.

"Don't misunderstand," he added, his tone tinged with appropriate apology. "I meant I would simply take you to your destination. If you're not in a hurry, you can wait for the car to be sorted out or for a tow truck to arrive."

After Ernst finished speaking, he opened the door to get into the car, when Nicole Kidman's apologetic voice came from behind him, "Sorry, that's not what I meant."

After hesitating for a moment, Nicole Kidman didn't want to offend Ernst, this super tycoon; on the contrary, she really wanted to make his acquaintance.

"If it's not too much trouble, Mr. Garfield, would you mind giving me a ride to Beverly Hills?"

Ernst's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile, but as he turned away, his expression returned to its gentle one. "It's my pleasure."

He understands the psychology of these Hollywood stars all too well: they want to keep their distance, yet they don't want to miss out on any potential resources.

By retreating in order to advance, he knew the other party would definitely take the bait.

Nicole walked over to the burly man and whispered a few words to him. He nodded and started making a call to contact a tow truck.

She turned and walked toward Ernst's Rolls-Royce, bowing to get in as Ernst politely greeted her.

Ernst's gaze lingered for half a second as she bent over. This woman certainly knew how to showcase her strengths; her waist-to-hip ratio was as perfect as an ancient Greek sculpture.

She looks slim where she should be, and curvy where she should be.

"Is that your bodyguard?" Ernst asked as the car started and the big man drove past.

"No, Mr. Garfield," Nicole Kidman shook her head, "it's the agent."

I never expected that the other party would be an agent. Who would have thought that at first glance?

"Ernst, that's what my friends call me."

Seeing that the other person's skin was so white it practically glowed, Ernst suppressed his admiration and changed the subject, "What brings you to MGM?"

"Attend an audition for a movie."

Her fingers unconsciously rubbed against the leather seat, a gesture that betrayed her nervousness. Even a top actress would feel pressured in front of someone of Ernst's stature.

"Shakespeare in Love?"

This is a new project chosen by Orion, and Ernst only just found out about it.

Who could have imagined that just after acquiring Orion, the wheels of history would turn again, with high-quality projects emerging one after another?

Not only did they secure the script for "Shakespeare in Love," but they also attracted Nicole Kidman.

"Should I say hello?"

Nicole Kidman smiled wryly to herself. It seemed that the influence of this character on the selection of the female lead in this movie was undeniable; it was all up to him.

But why would the other party help me? They certainly don't lack money.

Connections? The connections the other party needs are beyond my reach.

What is missing is self-evident.

Once he refuses, even if he's a perfect fit for the role, the movie probably won't end up in his hands. Rumor has it that this tycoon is a total playboy, and it seems he's really impatient.

"Thank you for your kindness, but I want to try my best to achieve it on my own."

Nicole Kidman declined, her eyes resolute, which earned Ernst's admiration for her even more.

In Hollywood, actors who can resist the temptations of unspoken rules are rare, even married actresses.

"How's Tom doing lately? Is he still so obsessed with that church?"

It's really strange how Tom Cruise is, or perhaps it's because Americans are too ignorant and easily fooled.

Tom Cruise has suffered from dyslexia since childhood, which has caused him great distress.

In an attempt to solve his problems, he began studying psychiatry, but it proved to be completely irrelevant to his condition. As a result, Tom Cruise eventually developed a strong aversion to psychiatry and even openly stated on a TV show that it was pseudoscience.

However, even though psychiatry did not solve his problem, he did not give up and continued to actively seek new treatment methods.

In 1987, Tom Cruise was introduced to Scientology by his first wife.

But no one expected that his reading disorder would miraculously be cured during this period.

This major breakthrough led him to attribute all the credit to Scientology, and from then on, he trusted it implicitly, even to the point of loyalty.

So much so that he attributed his later success in filming and his rise to superstardom entirely to the Scientology.

The Church of Scientology also gave Tom Cruise considerable attention, providing him with luxury cars, yachts, airplanes, and even a villa built in the desert—whatever Tom Cruise liked or wanted, the Church of Scientology would fulfill his desires.

The funniest thing is that this has become an unspoken agreement between Hollywood and Scientology.

Hollywood pays Tom Cruise high salaries and good scripts, while Scientology provides huge sums of money to support every one of Tom Cruise's films.

Robert Iger once told Ernst that Scientology contributes at least $20 million to the box office of every Tom Cruise film, and indirectly drives at least $40 million in box office revenue.

What Scientology wanted was Tom Cruise's fame. Through his fame, Scientology gained more than two million followers in just five years.

However, this is data published by Scientology, and the actual number is certainly not that high.

But this is clearly a win-win-win collaboration: Hollywood gets the box office, Tom Cruise gets paid, and Scientology gets a large number of followers and countless fees.

This is no secret in Hollywood, and many people have warned Tom Cruise, but he simply doesn't believe them, immersing himself in this Truman Show world.

However, it's clear that this Aries doesn't believe in any of this. Not only does he not believe it himself, but he also wants to help Tom Cruise escape his misery.

Judging from the other person's expression, it was clear that they had not succeeded.

It was as if he had found a confidant to whom he could pour out his heart, and he talked a lot with Ernst.

"He rarely went to church anymore, and I thought I could help him get through it." Nicole Kidman's voice began to tremble.

"But who knew that recently he's been frequently contacting those people again, and even intentionally avoiding contact with me. Last time I overheard him talking about a purification ritual, and when I asked him about it, he said I must have misheard..."

Nicole Kidman became increasingly emotional as she spoke, and finally, the emotions she had been suppressing burst forth, even bringing tears to her eyes.

Ernst glanced at the buildings outside the window, narrowed his eyes, reached out and pulled out a few tissues, handing them over.

"He'll understand." His other hand wasn't idle either; he gently patted her back, feeling her slender bones in his palm. "With you by his side reminding him, I believe he'll eventually come to his senses."

Nicole Kidman took the tissue, wiped her tears, and whispered, "Thank you."

After calming down, she realized that the street scene outside the car window had become familiar, and she had arrived at her doorstep.

"Ernst, I still want to thank you for bringing me back today."

Ernst smiled and said, "I don't think any gentleman would mind taking such a beautiful lady home."

Nicole Kidman got out of the car and went into the villa, while Ernst glanced at the window on the third floor of the mansion in the distance; the figure that had been standing there just moments before had now disappeared.

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