Entertainment: Starting as a Succubus, Taking Hollywood by Storm-Chapter 458 - 457: Your Punishment—Stay with Me for a Week

That's right—Martin's strategy was simple: self-blackening.

Thanks to his past life's memories, Martin knew that internet users had a strong tendency to push back against criticism, especially when it targeted something they liked. The urge to defend their favorite things was almost instinctual.

Early internet users, in particular, had a sense of "mission" when it came to defending what they loved.

Once Martin's hired trolls spread poorly written, obviously malicious negative reviews about Step Up online, those who had actually seen the film couldn't sit still. They began countering the negativity, defending the movie, and encouraging more people to go watch it.

Even those who hadn't initially cared much for Step Up found themselves compelled to type out justice-fueled responses when faced with such blatant, groundless attacks.

People always sympathize with the underdog!

And at this moment, the internet was painting Step Up as the "underdog" being unfairly targeted.

A massive online campaign to promote Step Up took off.

"Go watch Step Up! You won't regret it!"

"Martin is ridiculously handsome, Jessica is drop-dead gorgeous, and the movie is amazing!"

"Want to see Martin's abs? Watch Step Up! Want to see Legolas doing a dance-off? Watch Step Up! Want to see the stunning Jessica Alba move like a goddess? Watch Step Up!"

At the same time, a wave of backlash against Hulk was also brewing.

People started connecting the dots—if someone was paying trolls to bash Step Up, it had to be its biggest competitor, right? And the only other major film in theaters at the time was Hulk.

"No way I'm watching Hulk—if its producers are this shady, their movie must be garbage too."

"Not watching Hulk. Competing through honest box office numbers is one thing, but resorting to dirty tricks? Despicable!"

"I already saw it, and I deeply regret it. It's boring as hell."

"Same here—Hulk is a total snoozefest. The pacing is painfully slow, and the director shoehorned in way too much of his personal artistic 'vision'."

"Hulk? More like Romantic Walks Through Lavender Fields with Hulk or The Coming-of-Age Tale of a Poetic Green Giant. This is NOT a Marvel movie. It's nowhere near Spider-Man."

At first, when the flood of negative reviews about Step Up began appearing, Kevin Johnson—Martin's industry rival—was thrilled.

He genuinely thought the movie was bombing.

But then...

As the situation evolved, he started to sense something was wrong.

Wasn't everyone supposed to be trashing Step Up?

Why did it suddenly flip, with the internet now bashing Hulk instead?!

Overnight, all the haters of Step Up had vanished, replaced by a tidal wave of Hulk criticism.

Martin's "reckless self-blackening" strategy not only fueled sympathy for Step Up and gave its box office numbers a huge boost, but it also silenced would-be detractors. After all, not every movie is universally loved—but when a film is already being unfairly attacked, who would want to pile on?

On top of that, Hulk simply wasn't a well-made movie.

Critics hailed it as a perfect blend of commerce and artistry, but in Martin's view, it failed at both.

Ang Lee's ambition was too great, but he wasn't Christopher Nolan. His strengths lay in arthouse films, not in balancing commercial appeal with artistic depth.

He overestimated himself this time.

By the third week, Step Up had surpassed $100 million at the box office. Meanwhile, Hulk saw another catastrophic drop, earning just $12 million that week. With a $140 million production budget, its breakeven point was nowhere in sight.

"How... how could this happen...?"

In his office, Kevin Johnson clutched his head, sweat beading on his forehead. His tie was askew, his hair unkempt—a stark contrast to his usual meticulously polished appearance.

The secretary who entered the room was startled.

Kevin Johnson had always considered himself an elite businessman, keeping his image spotless. She had never seen him look this disheveled.

"What is it?"

His voice was sharp and tense—no trace of his usual flirtatious tone with the pretty secretary.

The secretary quickly answered, "Mr. Johnson, the chairman's office just called. You're needed for a board meeting."

Swish!

Kevin Johnson's face turned pale, then ashen.

He staggered out of the office, leaving his confused secretary behind.

His career... was over.

His instincts were right.

The moment he stepped into the boardroom, the verdict was handed down:

"After a unanimous vote by the board, Kevin Johnson, you are hereby terminated."

Not only did Universal fire Kevin Johnson, but the studio also wasted no time in reaching out to Martin to mend their relationship.

Martin, however, barely acknowledged the gesture.

With his current status, a "small fry" like Kevin Johnson wasn't even worth his attention.

July rolled in.

On July 9th, Disneyland in Los Angeles was bustling with excitement.

This world's first-ever Disney theme park, built in 1955, was still the largest amusement park on the planet.

Today, its grand theater was hosting a major movie premiere.

That's right—the premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean.

Martin's version of Captain Jack Sparrow was about to make his grand entrance.

Nearby, Jessica, Lindsay, and Scarlett giggled as they stared at the movie poster. Even though it was just a silhouette, they were so familiar with Martin that they could already imagine his quirky pirate look.

Meanwhile, on the red carpet, Martin had his arm around Keira Knightley's slender waist, both of them flashing picture-perfect smiles for the cameras.

Even as he struck poses, Martin leaned in to whisper to Keira, "You've been in England for so long. Didn't you miss me?"

Keira chuckled. "Of course I did. Did you miss me?"

"I did!"

"Then why didn't you come visit me in London?"

"Uh..."

Martin paused for a split second—so this was what she was getting at.

He quickly explained, "Weren't you busy filming Love Actually?"

"You could've visited me on set."

"...Okay, my bad!"

Martin immediately raised his hands in surrender.

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The truth was, during his time in London, he had completely forgotten about Keira.

"Hmph. Your punishment is to spend an entire week with me."

"No problem!"

Martin exhaled in relief.