Bang—Bang—Bang—
Standing in front of the shooting position, Matthew held an AR-15 rifle, aimed at the target thirty meters away, and pulled the trigger repeatedly. The semi-automatic rifle fired round after round, accurately hitting the bullseye.
After pulling the trigger ten times, Matthew put down the semi-automatic rifle and took off his headphones.
"Eighty-nine rings!"
The voice of the electronic scoring officer rang out.
Charlize Theron, dressed in sportswear, walked over and said to Matthew, "Your marksmanship is excellent."
Matthew removed the rifle magazine and said, "I practice often."
He picked up a new magazine, loaded it, and asked Charlize Theron, "Want to give it a try?"
Charlize Theron shook her head, "Forget it, my wrist still hurts from firing the pistol just now." She crossed her arms, "I knew I shouldn't have come here with you. I should have just stayed in the Room reading."
Matthew pulled the bolt, making a rattling sound, and added, "Staying cooped up in the Room for too long, you'll get moldy."
After speaking, he didn't put on his headphones, raised the rifle, aimed at the target thirty meters away again, and the gunshots rang out continuously.
Seeing Matthew's enthusiasm, Charlize Theron voluntarily stepped back a few paces. It seemed men always had an unusual obsession with guns.
This was the VIP shooting range of the Gun Club. Besides her and Matthew, there was no one else here today. Seeing Matthew finish one magazine and pick up a new one, Charlize Theron simply retreated to the rest area and sat down.
She looked at Matthew. This man always seemed to have boundless energy. After attending the Mercedes-Benz event yesterday, he returned close to midnight, spent so much time with her, and still woke up on time this morning to run, then came here to shoot targets, showing no signs of fatigue whatsoever.
Thinking of this, Charlize Theron stretched and yawned again. Last night's activities lasted too long, and she hadn't slept well at all.
"Ninety-one rings!"
After another ten shots, the electronic scoring officer's voice sounded again.
Charlize Theron also noticed that Matthew's shooting level at thirty meters averaged around nine rings, which could be considered high level among amateur shooters.
The door to the VIP Room was pushed open from the outside. A strong man around forty walked in. Charlize Theron turned to look; she remembered this person, who had attended the engagement party last week.
The man walked over and greeted her familiarly, "Hi, Charlize."
Charlize Theron remembered who he was, stood up, and responded with a smile, "Hello, Nebula."
Matthew also heard Nebula's voice, put down the semi-automatic rifle, walked over, and said, "What brings you here?"
Nebula smiled, "I'm one of the owners of the Gun Club now."
"Oh?" Matthew couldn't help but ask curiously, "Are you expanding your business again?"
"Far from matching you," Nebula casually explained. "One of the club's major shareholders had some issues with his other businesses and needed cash flow, so I bought the shares."
He glanced at Charlize Theron and added, "Matthew, I originally wanted to bring you in, but you've been too busy lately, so I didn't bother you."
Matthew laughed, "It's a good thing you didn't look for me. I haven't had any money lately; it all went into buying a house."
Aside from the down payment for Horner Estate, the rest of the payments are mortgaged. However, this has benefits, as many home purchase expenses can be used for tax deductions.
Of course, buying a house in this land requires paying property tax every year. The property tax rates across America vary by state and county, generally ranging between one percent and three point three percent. This rate is not based on the purchase price but on the current actual value of the house.
Cities like Los Angeles, Houston, and New York,
are all places where property taxes are generally high.
Los Angeles is slightly better, with the average tax rate in various counties and cities being less than one percent. Luxury homes in Beverly Hills are relatively higher; for example, Matthew's mansion has an annual tax rate of 1.2 percent.
In other words, based on the purchase price of $25 million, the property tax for Horner Estate that year was $300,000.
This is not even the highest; property tax in Manhattan, New York, is as high as three percent.
Living in this country, housing costs are quite high.
The only silver lining is that as long as you can afford the property tax, the house is your permanent private property.
The law stipulates this, and America is said to also have disguised forced demolitions. But Matthew doesn't need to worry; no matter how they demolish, they won't touch a super-rich area like the South Slope of Beverly Hills.
Regarding taxes in a Country of Ten Thousand Taxes, Matthew has only gained a superficial understanding over the past few years; his taxes are handled by lawyers and accountants from PwC.
Moreover, as his income soared, Helen Herman was also planning new legal tax avoidance strategies.
Charlize Theron yawned again beside him. Matthew saw her trying to stay awake and said to Nebula, "Let's talk tomorrow when I go to the fitness club. I have something else to do, so I'll be leaving now."
Nebula probably understood and didn't try to keep him, saying, "Then I'll see you tomorrow afternoon."
Matthew and Charlize Theron quickly left the Gun Club, went to the parking lot, and got into the car. Matthew started the mercedes-benz g-class and turned onto the road back to Beverly Hills.
"I'm going to sleep for a bit." Charlize Theron lifted the hood of her sweatshirt and pulled it over her head.
Matthew gradually sped up and said, "That sleepy?"
Charlize Theron gave him a pair of white eyes, "It's all your fault."
Matthew shrugged, completely lacking self-awareness, "You were the one holding onto me last night, telling me not to stop."
"I was feeling it then," Charlize Theron said without reservation. "You know I'm usually slow in that regard. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't even have much interest."
She didn't say the latter half of the sentence: Matthew was simply too potent.
"Right." Charlize Theron suddenly changed the subject and asked, "Have you discussed the reason I told you that day with Helen Herman?"
Matthew held the steering wheel with one hand and slapped his forehead with the other, "I forgot about that."
Charlize Theron frowned, "You'd better discuss it with Helen Herman as soon as possible."
Since they had found a suitable reason, they should quickly find the right moment to break up. If they dragged it out, who knew what complications might arise.
Matthew understood the implication behind her words. As the saying goes on the other side of the Pacific where he once lived, a melon forced off the vine isn't sweet.
"How about this, you go back and rest in a bit." Since Charlize Theron was urging him repeatedly, Matthew no longer hesitated. "I'll go to Angel Talent Agency to talk to Helen in person."
Driving back to Horner Estate, Matthew dropped off Charlize Theron, called Helen Herman first to confirm she was at the Agency, and immediately drove to Burbank. Arriving at Angel Talent Agency, he met Helen Herman and roughly repeated what Charlize Theron had said that day.
Helen Herman wasn't embarrassed at all. She crossed her hands, propped up her chin, and began to think.
Matthew remained silent, sitting patiently in the chair opposite the desk. Helen Herman's judgment in this area was far more reliable than his.
After a full two or three minutes, Helen Herman finally spoke, "This is indeed a good idea. It reduces negative effects better than the reason I originally found for you two. No one can really criticize this."
"After Sally told me that day," Matthew also said, "I thought about it too, and it seemed like what she said made some sense."
Helen Herman raised a finger and shook it, saying, "It doesn't just make some sense, it makes a lot of sense. We can imagine that Charlize Theron already had similar rumors. At most, the rumors in this area will spread wider, but for an actress of her caliber, it's not a bad thing."
Matthew thought for a moment and nodded slightly. Having had multiple in-depth exchanges with Charlize Theron, he naturally knew the rumors were true: Charlize Theron was unusually slow to get aroused.
"And for you," Helen Herman suppressed the urge to laugh, maintaining her calm demeanor, "You are a man, and a famous Tough Guy and Powerful Type man in Hollywood and all of America. This sort of thing has absolutely no downside for you."
She added, "To be precise, even if widely discussed, this sort of thing is never a bad thing for any man."
Matthew asked directly, "Should we use it?"
"Hmm..." Helen Herman considered it again and said, "How about this: I'll first communicate with Charlize Theron's Agent and the Crew. We also need to give Mercedes-Benz a heads-up in advance."
"Alright." Matthew knew this matter involved many parties and couldn't be rushed.
Helen Herman warned again, "Before I confirm everything, absolutely do not act on your own initiative."
Matthew nodded, "I understand."
This show was not just a personal performance by him and Charlize Theron. It involved a Movie Crew and two major brands. Acting recklessly would only mess things up.
Helen Herman changed the subject. "I talked to Akiva Goldsman yesterday. He estimates he can deliver the script in three to four months. As things stand, his desire for you to take on the lead actor role is very strong."
Matthew said directly, "Then let's wait until he delivers the script."
"That's what I thought too," Helen Herman continued. "Regarding 300 spartans, I've recommended Jack to Zack Snyder and David Ellison to serve as executive producer and negotiate with Buena Vista Pictures, a subsidiary of Walt Disney."
After Matthew mentioned it to Robert Iger that night, the two sides have already made formal contact.
"Jack?" Matthew felt the name sounded familiar.
Helen Herman reminded him, "The Bearded Man assistant who used to be with Ridley Scott."