America Tycoon: The Wolf of Showbiz

"He's too modest," Martin gave his brother face in public, "Actually, the whole idea came from Alexandrovich and his team."

Gesturing as he spoke, he continued, "One day, Alexandrovich told me about a TV series idea he wanted me to see. After I took a look, I felt it was fantastic. Alexandrovich..."

Martin made his way through the crowd of media journalists, pulling Alexandrovich, who stood on the periphery, into the fold and putting an arm around his shoulder, "My good friend here is an absolute genius, a great artist of the people. I still remember when I saw the 'Servant of the People' script, he said he wanted to use art to awaken the people of Ukraine!"

Alexandrovich looked at Martin with eyes full of respect and gratitude. The boss was giving him all the credit for "Servant of the People."

He had never encountered such a boss before.

Martin went on to say with high esteem, "My friendship with Alexandrovich represents the rich fruits of cultural and artistic exchange between America and Ukraine."

"Yes!" In front of a large group of media journalists, Alexandrovich and Martin shook hands firmly, "Our friendship is more solid than the Caucasus Mountains!"

The pair easily became the center of attention in the banquet hall.

Martin was high-profile for several reasons: his visit to Kiev was public, involving many public events, and given his status in Hollywood, being low-key was not realistic.

On the other hand, as a focus of official attention, he was also signaling to certain people that he was there in an official capacity.

The situation here was actually quite sensitive, swinging back and forth, with occasional news on joining NATO causing a stir, followed by pressure from the bear next door, which would then ease off for a while.

Caught between two behemoths, with all their aces destroyed, the bitter sweetness of it all was something only he could understand.

...

Kiev Inter-State Hotel.

"Boss, I've procured some of the goods the client needed."

In a suite of the hotel, Lynch from Los Angeles was on the phone with Michel Brian, "They will be sent to North America soon, and you'll need someone on your side to pick up."

Michel Brian replied, "I understand." Then she inquired, "Has Nicky been found?"

Lynch responded, "Yes, I went to her hometown and found out Nicky had entered the Saintess Pop Group selection competition and even made it to the final round."

Michel emphasized, "No one takes my money and gets away with living so freely! No one!"

"I understand," Lynch said, "Boss, don't you think we need to replenish our Eastern European stock? Over here... Well, let's just say, there are too many beauties at shockingly low prices. It's truly the womb of Europe."

"What are you suggesting?" Michel asked.

Lynch explained, "The ongoing final round of the Saintess Pop Group selection has 15 participants, but only three winners will be chosen in the end. I've looked over the information of these 15 individuals, and each one of them has top-notch appearances and figures. Taken to our side, they could all be headliners."

Familiar with the quality of goods from this region, Michel acknowledged, "Slavic women, as long as they don't get married and have children..."

Lynch continued, "We could take some of those who are eliminated and infiltrate the final round of the Saintess Pop Group, which would be a big selling point. The best of them could also be gifts for the higher-ups."

Michel praised, "You're getting smarter, aren't you?"

However, Lynch heard the implicit warning and quickly added, "Of course, it would be you, boss, presenting them to the higher-ups."

"Is it easy to manage?" Michel asked.

"It shouldn't be difficult." Lynch had ideas and had done his research, "Once these participants won their regional competitions, they gathered in Kiev for unified training. Most of them come from ordinary families."

He organized his words carefully, "The economic situation here is pretty bad. Having come to Kiev, they stay in luxury hotels, have transport to and from events, enjoy the standards of living of a star, and are chased by a crowd of admirers. Once eliminated, all of these privileges disappear. Having experienced such luxury, how could these girls possibly go back to a life of poverty?"

Michel laughed heartily, "You are indeed a genius at dragging others down with you."

Lynch said, "I'm working on getting in touch with them. This way, I'm offering them an additional choice. Once they are eliminated, they're bound to make a decision. What I'm offering them is a road to the American dream."

Michel reminded, "There's also Nicky. If she wins and becomes a member of the Saintess Pop Group, trying to deal with her in Kiev will be troublesome."

Lynch assured, "Don't worry, boss. I'll make sure that woman pays the price!"

After Michel hung up.

Lynch put away his phone and beckoned his assistant, Andre, calling him over, "Get your people to move faster; they're too slow!"

"The organizers are keeping a tight lockdown on the hotel and training areas to prevent media journalists from sneaking pictures," Andre wasn't making excuses, "It's difficult for our people to get close to the contestants."

Lynch said, "We can't waste any more time. We might not be the only ones eyeing this premium stock. Once they're eliminated, they might take other paths."

Andre assured him, "We've made contact with some service personnel. We should have results soon." He asked, "What's our pitch?"

"Those who enter such contests often dream of becoming big stars," Lynch's tactic was not new or surprising, but it was effective, "Where is the world's entertainment industry most developed?"

Without hesitation, Andre answered, "America, Hollywood!"