Upon receiving a personal call from Clinton laced with flattery, Martin wasn't the least bit surprised.
This display of muscle wasn't just for Trump and his team to see.
He happily accepted Clinton's invitation to meet.
The Clinton family's connections in the U.S. were impressive, but Martin figured his own were no less formidable.
However, the Clintons' influence in Europe and Latin America was something Martin couldn't match—not even with his magic, which still required the right people to wield it effectively.
They could absolutely collaborate.
After all, Trump's presidency would only last four years. Martin had no intention of wasting his magical energy to extend his would-be father-in-law's political life.
No need for that.
...
A month passed peacefully, but Trump was unhappy again.
His son-in-law had gone to meet the Clintons—that mongrel couple, Hillary and all.
He couldn't help but say to his daughter, "Ivanka, I've given you some time off lately. Go spend time with Martin; you two haven't seen each other in ages."
...
When Ivanka saw Martin, he was filming underwater scenes for Aquaman.
Martin was using the traditional method for shooting underwater sequences.
Of course, it didn't involve actors actually performing underwater. Instead, they set up a transparent tank filled with water above the set, then used dimmers to control special lighting equipment that shone through the tank, while agitating the water inside. This created the illusion for viewers of being submerged.
"Ivanka, see those lights? They're custom-made. One big challenge for Martin's film is shooting underwater scenes in a dry environment. So we use dimmers to control the lighting and moving lenses to create an ocean floor atmosphere. Light propagates in a specific way underwater. We've studied it and simulated it in some scenes. We also use special shutter speeds, angles, and exposure times to manipulate the image, making the audience feel like they're in the deep sea."
Martin was busy filming, so Sofia took Ivanka on a tour and explained things to her.
Ivanka half-understood.
Sofia continued, "Of course, these practical sets are just a small part; most underwater scenes will require special effects. But Martin still had the prop masters build two functional studios to showcase a realistic underwater kingdom."
Sofia noticed Ivanka's boredom and smiled. "Come on, I'll show you the underwater scene that impressed me the most—it's in Studio 8: There's a shipwreck surrounded by vines and seaweed..."
Studio 8 featured the interior of a massive shipwreck hull. In this enclosed space, there was also a waterfall device called a "cascade."
"We use this 'cascade' to simulate water curtains, but it was tricky during initial shoots because the curtain only hangs in the air for a short time before gravity disperses it. After multiple adjustments to the water pressure, we nailed that scene. Later, when we film Arthur emerging from the waterfall to ascend the throne, we'll use the cascade again, but we'll scale it up three times in range and height, and readjust the water pressure."
This time, Ivanka listened with rapt attention.
Then Sofia led Ivanka to Studio 9, where they'd film the "Ancient King's Temple" scene.
This studio was enormous, with a pyramid-like structure in the corner. The ancient king Atlan's "corpse" sat rigidly on the throne, clutching the sacred trident.
"Wow, this corpse looks so realistic. Is it made of silicone?"
Ivanka gasped and stepped forward to inspect it.
Nearby, Sofia smirked mischievously and stealthily flipped a switch.
The "corpse" of Atlan on the throne suddenly stood up, scaring Ivanka out of her wits.
"Ah, Sofia, how dare you scare me! I'm gonna get you!"
"You should thank me for perking you up."
"No way."
"Ahaha, stop, I'm ticklish."
"Hahaha."
"What's this?"
"Damn, you didn't shave your armpits." [???]
"Ah, I've been too busy to notice."
After some playful tussling, the two women straightened their clothes, and Sofia continued introducing the studio to the now-energized Ivanka.
"Look, this temple has a massive domed roof; in the script, it's hidden beneath the earth's crust."
"When we film, right here, here, and there, we'll set up thirty-foot blue screens for the CG team to add cave backgrounds."
"We also built a studio in Queensland, Australia, on Deebrook Island, right off the coast of Brisbane, Queensland's capital."
"The toughest part is probably handling the actors' hair, since hair, clothes, and everything looks different underwater. Every strand of hair needs CG overlay. We have to constantly use different rigs and move the actors in various ways to create that underwater movement feel."
"I have a feeling that when the movie's done, the underwater world Martin creates will blow the whole world away..."
"Oh, Ivanka, have you seen Amber's green scale armor?"
"Ah, I have—super sexy."
"Right? You like it?"
"Of course, it looks amazing."
"Hehe, Martin had one made for each of us."
"Each of us? I get one too?"
"Yeah, each of us—you too. You can wear it tonight."
Ivanka's face flushed.
"Ah, what are you talking about, Sofia?"
"Don't pretend; you're thinking about it, aren't you?"
"Hey, ladies, where are you? Filming's wrapped; we need to head back."
Martin's voice called out.
Sofia and Ivanka emerged from the studio.
They immediately spotted Amber standing beside Martin, radiating in her queen's armor.
Ivanka thought: That armor really accentuates the figure—it's basically a thin membrane clinging to the body. Good thing there are scales covering it, or it'd be like wearing nothing at all.
Sofia glanced around. "Where's Nicole?"
"She left after her scenes—to the school. Connor, that little rascal, got into another fight."
As he grew older, Martin's eldest son, Connor Meyers, began showing his extraordinary qualities—handsome, smart, sturdy. Though only eight, he'd already received love letters from girls at school, making him a thorn in the other boys' sides. Fights became routine.
Fortunately, Connor never lost.
At first, Martin handled these incidents, but after Nicole overheard how Martin "educated" his son a few times:
"You should reach under his arm like this first, then pivot and smash his throat with your elbow—wait, not the throat, that could kill him. The chest, then. That'll knock the fight out of him for sure."
"And when they attack, remember not to close your eyes. Protect your head like this, dodge, move, counter."
Nicole revoked Martin's parenting privileges; she didn't want her son turning into a violence junkie.
Little did she know, Martin's influence on Connor didn't need words.
So little Connor became the undisputed overlord of the schoolyard.
No one dared challenge him anymore.
He never bullied others proactively either.
Lindsay felt a pang of nostalgia; back in the day, Martin had been just as domineering in school. Father and son were so alike.