Martin discussed methods with Ivanka over the phone, making Trump's eyes light up.

This aligned perfectly with his campaign team's strategy at the start of the primary elections, though there were some differences.

For instance, his campaign team wanted him to occasionally make unconventional statements while mostly expressing mainstream opinions and viewpoints.

But Martin and his daughter suggested the opposite: have him make more unconventional, even extreme, statements to grab attention and popularity; occasionally express mainstream opinions and viewpoints to demonstrate his capability to govern.

Add a touch of "stunning impact"...

Trump felt that Martin and his daughter's approach was more to his taste—he was essentially a performer by nature.

"Good ideas, Ivanka. Go refine these and I'll have my assistants discuss them."

"Okay, Dad."

Watching his daughter leave, Trump leaned back in his chair, feeling quite pleased with himself.

He knew many people mocked him for handing his daughter over to Martin as a mistress.

So what!

A man this good—rich, powerful, and capable—shouldn't he have more women?!

Just like himself!!!

"Alright, you can go now."

He shuddered slightly and slapped the table.

A young, beautiful head emerged from under the desk.

...

March 6, 2016.

Martin held a test screening for Suicide Squad.

Half a month earlier, the test screening for Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice had been successfully held. Warner Bros. executives and theater chain representatives were satisfied with the film.

This let Zack Snyder breathe a sigh of relief.

In fact, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice was made with extreme care in terms of special effects and cinematography.

Its failure was due to an overly convoluted story trying to express too much, resulting in many plotlines, Easter eggs, and foreshadowing that weren't clearly conveyed, making it seem chaotic to non-fan audiences.

But at the test screening, the executives had reviewed materials provided by Zack Snyder beforehand, so they naturally weren't worried about this point and didn't consider it a major flaw that would affect the box office. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ ⓝovelFire.net

After watching Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and then Suicide Squad, everyone could feel that the special effects of the two films were not on the same level.

Of course, the difference in film budgets was also significant.

After the screening, several theater chain representatives gathered to chat and expressed uncertainty about the box office potential of this film.

"Hard to believe this is a film directed by Martin. It feels a bit too... too simple."

"Man, Martin is human too, not a god. He's bound to slip up sometimes."

"So you also think Martin might fail with this film?"

"Not necessarily. After all, it's a Martin Meyers production. His name alone is worth $200 million."

"It might not sell as well as his previous films, but it definitely won't lose money."

"I feel the same way."

"But 'Harley Quinn' really left a deep impression on me. What's that actress's name?"

"Margot Robbie. She had some intense scenes with Leonardo in The Wolf of Wall Street."

"Ah, it's her!"

...

Soon, Zack Snyder, who had been closely watching Martin's side, heard about the theater chain representatives' evaluation of Suicide Squad.

"Could it be that I might win this competition?"

The thought of possibly breaking Martin's box office myth made Zack Snyder a little excited.

Now, Martin had become a living legend in Hollywood. Which young director didn't want to challenge Martin's professional status?

He was like that, Nolan was like that, and the new generation was like that too.

This wasn't hatred, but the competitive spirit of industry elites regarding their professional abilities.

...

Mid-March arrived.

The annual Oscars came again.

The 88th Academy Awards ceremony was held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles, hosted by Chris Rock.

Compared to previous years, the 88th Oscars proceeded steadily on the same old path. The tastes of the Academy jury hadn't progressed much, remaining conservative year after year.

In the end, Spotlight, which narrated the media's confrontation with real evil, won Best Picture, reflecting to some extent the Oscars' tendency to favor moral victories and the film industry's pursuit of social justice and human conscience.

However, this seemingly righteous move still followed the same path as previous years' films like The Escape of the Dark Knight and 12 Years a Slave.

At the Oscars, the political correctness of social topics often matters more than the film itself.

But this correctness can only maintain a reputation temporarily.

Before the awards ceremony began, the issues of race that had been brewing since 2015 intensified in 2016. Discussions about black and white issues, LGBT topics, and controversies outside film stirred up again, making the Oscars a target of attack, with calls for change from the industry...

Watching the 88th Academy Awards, one could only say that black host Chris Rock was too clever, using a segment where black people were interviewed to satirize those "white" films, mixing humor with sharpness.

Of course, the trend towards diversity at the Oscars still has a long way to go.

In the end, Spotlight won Best Picture.

Alejandro González Iñárritu won Best Director for The Revenant.

Leonardo DiCaprio was nominated for Best Actor for The Revenant, but unlike in the original timeline, he did not win.

Brie Larson won Best Actress for Room.

This year's Oscars also saw some controversial behavior.

Host Chris Rock arranged a skit where Asian children appeared on stage with glasses and briefcases, which was criticized by outsiders as having strong discriminatory implications against Asians.

Director Ang Lee and other Asian members of the Academy submitted a joint letter of protest.

On March 16, 2016, the Academy issued an apology letter, acknowledging that this had hurt the audience.

Meanwhile, the issue of the lack of diversity among Oscar nominees was criticized again—all 20 nominees for the four major acting awards (Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress) were white actors for the second consecutive year.

Black director Spike Lee and actress Jada Smith jointly announced a boycott of the Oscars ceremony held on February 28 in protest.

Faced with questioning and boycotts, the Academy held a board meeting and unanimously passed a reform plan to improve the diversity of its membership.

This year's Oscars didn't have much participation from Meyers Pictures' films, so Martin and others were absent.

Thus, the most talked-about moment of this year's Oscars wasn't Martin, but the reunion of Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet on the red carpet.

As time passed, both had begun to gain weight.

Many netizens were moved to tears, that they could finally see them together in their lifetime.