America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz-Chapter 785 - 778 A Moment of Madness

The newly renamed Dolby Theatre, located at the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Highland Street, is the most famous one in a series of commercial buildings in the Hollywood & Highland Center.

The midday sun hung high in the sky, its golden light falling on the posters at the main entrance of the Dolby Theatre, yet it could not brighten the darkness of the Batman's backdrop.

By this time, movie fans were already converging on the center.

On this stretch of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, there were many Batmans and Jokers wandering about.

In an old warehouse on Highland Street, the lights were brightly lit, and three young men around twenty-five or twenty-six were each busily applying makeup.

They painted their faces a ghastly white and drew on exaggerated blood-red mouths, looking fierce and terrifying.

Three black Joker-themed coats were worn by them respectively.

The leading Joker, James Holmes, approached a map; it was a layout of the Highland Center, surrounded by photos, all of which they had taken around the Dolby Theatre these past few days.

Bob and Kevin came over and looked at the map without saying a word.

James lifted a large tarpaulin to reveal a brown leather case underneath.

This was the weaponry they had managed to get from the small border town of Chula Vista, nearby Mexico, after arriving in Los Angeles.

James wasn't wealthy and had limited funds, so he could only get some weapons he thought suitable through a channel of Bob's friend.

Bob and Kevin both went up to the case.

"Open it," James said.

The two men opened the two cases on the ground, James picked up one of the M76 submachine guns and hung it under his long black coat, and tucked several extended magazines into the other side of the coat, perfectly concealed.

The revolver he had brought from Colorado was slipped into the holster at his waist.

He looked at his accomplices and said, "Why so serious? What we are doing is helping the world return to its essence!"

Kevin was a burly young man who dressed in a similar coat, picked up an M76 and magazines, and hung them inside his clothes, saying, "Things have to get worse before they can get better, we're just hastening this step."

Bob also chose the M76, a compact submachine gun, easy to carry.

Below the guns, there were three items resembling cylindrical grenades.

James took one and put it in his coat pocket, saying, "You all know how to use it, remember to throw it far when you do."

Bob took one and put it in his jacket pocket as well: "Pity we couldn't get any grenades."

Kevin patted the submachine gun hidden under his coat: "This will be enough!"

James had wanted to buy grenades or flashbangs, but the dealer claimed they were out of stock, only managing to acquire a few tear gas grenades.

The three of them checked their equipment one last time before getting ready to leave.

Bob, turning his head, saw a Joker poster hanging on the wall.

It was one of the main posters for "The Dark Knight," Martin's poster.

He asked, "Boss, Martin's going to be at the premiere too."

Kevin stopped in his tracks, his pale face framed by grey eyes, staring intently at Martin's poster.

James strode over to the poster and pulled out a small knife from his pocket, stabbing it forcefully into the center of the Joker poster.

The blade of the knife pierced Martin's red lips as if pinning the person to the wall.

Bob and Kevin were stunned.

James, as if seeing through the whole world, allowed his twisted face to return to normalcy, even the blood-red mouth resumed its usual look.

"We once idolized Martin like crazy, believing he was completely different from other Hollywood stars, thinking he was the real sunshine of the world that could light up the darkest parts of our lives!" He spoke with remarkable calmness, but his eyes betrayed his madness: "I used to think Martin was the Joker, the key to changing my life and the world, at least escaping this vulgar world!"

Kevin and Bob had different stories from James; their families were ruined, their lives were ruined, and, deeply influenced by the Joker, they wanted to indulge in boundless madness just like him.

Before the two could speak, James said, "Do you think Martin is the same as the Joker? No, Martin is not the Joker! Definitely not!"

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With force, he stabbed the knife deeper, enlarging the wound on the poster of Martin, nearly tearing the face apart: "Martin is not the Joker, he has become a part of this vulgar world, haven't you noticed? He's no different from the Hollywood scum, caring only about money and women, making hundreds of millions, sleeping with dozens of women, but ignorant of this world's rapid decay!"

"Yes, he's like that!" Kevin thought of the black man who often shoplifted at his store: "He's friends with a black guy, it's an insult to the Joker!"

James's knife plunged deeply into the wall behind the poster, he released his grip, and declared, "This wave of putridity that corrupts the world starts from Hollywood, and we are here to teach Hollywood a profound lesson, to stop this world from sliding into the abyss! Whoever dares stand in our way, we will send them to hell!"

Bob, reminded of the hedonistic lifestyles of Hollywood celebrities and their purported virtues, cried out, "The current Hollywood is full of demons, off with their heads! Off with them!"

"Let's go!" James led the way out of the warehouse.

The three men crossed the alleyway and walked onto Highland Street.

It was somewhat hot in July; dressed like this at any other time would certainly attract attention.

But today was the global premiere of "The Dark Knight Rises," and there were countless Jokers roaming the streets of Los Angeles.

Approaching the Hollywood & Highland Center, Jokers were everywhere, and many others wore suit jackets too.

Near the street artists' stalls, some were waiting to get made up as the Joker or Batman.

Ahead, the Dolby Theatre was in sight, and Bob and Kevin were trembling slightly, unsure whether it was from excitement or nerves.

James stopped in his tracks and said, "Don't panic; there are lots of people around just like us."

Once the two had calmed down a bit, he said, "Let's split up and act!"

Bob and Kevin turned and walked down two different paths.

James arrived at the intersection of Highland Street and Hollywood Boulevard and waited a while. A large group of Jokers came over, waiting to cross the intersection, and he blended in with them.

At the intersection, there were plenty of LAPD officers maintaining order, but no one paid any particular attention to these Jokers.

James, mingling in their midst, crossed Hollywood Boulevard.

But there were too many fans today, and he was squeezed into a spot further on the outside.

With some time to go before the premiere's red carpet event began, James was indistinguishable from the crazy fans, patiently waiting for Hollywood's rotten ones to make their entrance.

......

Along Sunset Boulevard, a black Escalade drove into Nicholson's mansion.

The bodyguard who drove parked the car, and Martin got out, quickly walking through the villa's gate. Lorraine, who had been waiting at the door, greeted Martin and then said hello to Bruce, who alighted from the driver's seat.

Inside the villa, Jack Nicholson stood in front of a dressing mirror, adjusting his black bow tie.

The old man had aged and his figure had severely deteriorated, but he still exuded an irredeemably scoundrel's aura.

He picked up a walking stick and paced a few steps, asking, "I haven't walked a red carpet in a long time. How does this look?"

Martin sized him up for a while and said, "Very good, like an old pervert."

Nicholson turned back around, "Wait till I hit the red carpet at the premiere, and I'll show you what it means to turn on the charisma, so overpowering that people can't lift their heads."

Martin conceded, "When it comes to being a pervert, I'm indeed not one tenth of you."

Jennifer Lawrence brought a black suit jacket from the wardrobe, smiled and greeted Martin, helped Nicholson put it on, and said, "Your blood pressure has been a bit high lately; don't get too excited."

On the other side of the hall, Lorraine pursed her lips; she felt uncomfortable seeing her elderly father's young girlfriend, who was about her own age.

She just hoped her father wouldn't start dating an eighteen-year-old next.

Martin looked at the wall clock and said, "It's about time; let's set off."

Nicholson straightened his jacket slightly, leaning on the walking stick, and followed Martin out of the villa.

His nearly white-haired old chauffeur replaced Bruce at the driver's seat.

One car, four people, hurrying to the Dolby Theatre.

The new and old generations of Jokers were set to walk together on the red carpet for the premiere of "The Dark Knight Rises" tonight.

......

As the sun shifted westward, the first cheers of the evening rose from the red carpet in front of the Dolby Theatre.

The two actresses who had played Catwoman, Michel Pfeiffer and Annie-Hathaway, walked onto the red carpet together.

Warner Bros. and DC Films had also invited Harley Berry, but she declined the invitation without hesitation.

This was just as George Clooney had refused to attend the premiere as the actor who played Batman.

These roles might well be the sore points they would never forget in their acting careers.

Luxury cars arrived one after the other, slowly driving along Hollywood Boulevard, orderly stopping at the entrance to the premiere. Each time a star alighted from a car, it would cause a flurry among the many photographers and reporters.

The vehicles crowded the Hollywood Walk of Fame just like people.

Soon, Director Nolan and producer Emma Thomas, the married couple, made their way down the red carpet to the theatre entrance.

The old generation of Batmans also made their appearances amidst flashing lights.

Michael Keaton and Val Kilmer, both nearly forgotten by the media and fans.

A roar of engines sounded at that moment, as the massive Batmobile arrived at the premiere.

Christian Bale, this generation's Batman, jumped down from the vehicle, waving frequently to the crowd and stepping onto the red carpet.

After him, Vin Diesel, with his signature shiny bald head, got out of the car.

Tom Hardy, because of the "Inception" crew shooting and the stalking incident in Paris, was already disliked by Nolan and naturally wouldn't land the role of the villain, Bane.

In the film, Bane was a formidable character able to suppress Batman both physically and in combat. Nolan convinced the crew and producers to invite the leader of the homeless shelter to play the role, offering a high salary.

"The Dark Knight Rises" still adopted the dual-hero showdown format, and though Vin Diesel played the villain, his personal presence was astonishing.

He wore a white suit that was the complete opposite color of Bale's, walked with his head held high, carrying an air of "I'm the best in the world."

The fans on both sides of the red carpet were ecstatic, shouting the names of their favorite stars loudly.

At that moment, James finally squeezed through to a position closer to the front and fixed his gaze on Vin Diesel, a top-tier Hollywood star!