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After watching Ava, Hardy planned to drive back to Los Angeles. With two drivers, they could cover the thousand kilometer journey in a day.

As they drove out of the city, the roadside was barren wilderness, with distant mountain ranges. New Mexico has a dry, hot climate, so there was little vegetation, making both the mountains and the land look bare and unappealing.

Occasionally passing through a village of square adobe houses with long wooden poles sticking out from their rooftops, they encountered few vehicles on the road, only spotting two mule carts, giving off a strong Mexican countryside vibe.

They finally reached the filming base.

As soon as the car arrived, Hardy noticed that the place resembled the Mexican town from the movie. It was possible that all the towns here looked alike.

The car stopped, and many crew members looked over.

Hardy got out, and someone recognized him.

"Mr. Hardy is here! Quick, inform Director Nolan," someone shouted.

Before Nolan arrived, a graceful figure appeared at the doorway of a house—a woman dressed in a traditional Mexican dress, her hair tied up in a simple style that couldn\'t hide her beauty.

"Hardy!"

Ava ran over and hugged him without hesitation.

The nearby crew members chuckled.

Many here knew Ava as assistant Hardy\'s girlfriend. There were even rumors that Hardy invested in this film just for her.

Soon after, Director Nolan and the lead actor, Eastwood, came out. After exchanging a few pleasantries, Hardy said to Henry, "Get the wine from the car and give it to the crew."

The crew was delighted. "Thanks for your concern, assistant Hardy."

Inside the house, they discussed the film\'s progress. The shoot was going smoothly, with some minor incidents like using too much explosive in a scene, a leg injury from a horseback fight, and Eastwood getting hit by flying debris from an explosion.

But everything was sorted out. Film making was like that—no one would be hospitalize for just a finger cut.

"How\'s Ava doing?" Hardy asked Nolan.

Nolan glanced at Ava and said with a smile, "Honestly, Miss Ava\'s acting was a bit raw at first, but under my guidance, she\'s getting into the role. Most importantly, she\'s naturally beautiful, a sight to behold."

"Now that we\'re halfway through filming, I\'m increasingly confident about this movie. However, Assistant Hardy, there are some financial matters I need to discuss with you. We\'ve almost exhausted our budget."

Nolan said calmly, looking at Hardy.

Hardy could tell that Nolan didn\'t seem to feel guilty about overspending. Was going over budget a prerequisite for every director?

Moreover, the way he looked, he seemed to be saying, "I\'ve spent it all. Deal with it. If you can\'t add more, I can\'t continue working."

It reminded him of Sigel. When he managed the Las Vegas casino, it seemed to be the same. Spend as you wish, then ask investors for more when it\'s gone.

"How many more scenes need to be completed, and how much more is needed?" Hardy asked.

"We\'ve finished two thirds already. We\'ll need about $100,000 more," Nolan replied, seeming a bit embarrassed.

"$80,000 will do if necessary."

Hardy thought, thankfully, I have some spare cash lately. Otherwise, I\'d really be drained by you.

"I\'ll add another 50,000. If that\'s not enough, I\'ll consider changing the director," Hardy said.

"Alright."

Nolan agreed readily.

After discussing money matters, Nolan took Eastwood away. They still had scenes to shoot.

Only Hardy and Ava remained in the room.

Ava looked at Hardy and embraced him, kissing him passionately.

They parted after a while.

"How\'s acting compared to what you imagined?" Hardy asked, pinching her chin.

"Acting is tiring but interesting. I like the feeling. My role isn\'t substantial, but I follow the crew every day to learn. Learning on set is different from being taught by a teacher," Ava replied.

"Oh, and your song is trending now. You\'ve become famous, you know?" Hardy smiled.

Ava smiled back.

"I go to town every other week to buy groceries and bring back newspapers. I saw the news about the song—it\'s very popular now, even spreading to Europe and South America."

As Ava spoke, their lips drew close, brushing against each other as they talked.

"Actually, the success of the song is all thanks to you. Such a great song could be a hit with anyone. I was just lucky to meet you," Ava said softly.

Just as they were about to get closer again, a man\'s voice suddenly came from outside.

"Miss Gardner, are you in? I\'ve come to visit."

Hardy looked at Ava, silently asking who was outside.

A flash of annoyance crossed Ava Gardner\'s face.

"He claims to be David Wash, the owner of a mining company. A month ago, he brought people to survey copper mines in the nearby mountains, accidentally came here to the film crew\'s area, saw me, and has been bothering me ever since. I don\'t want to see that man at all."

"Director Nolan warned him, but he doesn\'t care and keeps bothering me every few days," Ava explained.

Hardy chuckled, taking Ava\'s hand and walking out of the room.

He noticed many crew members sticking their heads out to watch, eager for drama.

On the town street, a man in a white suit stood there, about thirty years old, holding a bouquet of flowers, with a small mustache, looking quite self-assured.

David\'s face initially wore a bright smile, but when he saw a man holding Ava\'s hand, his smile vanished, replaced by a hostile gaze toward Hardy.

"Who are you?" David asked Hardy.

Hardy smiled.

"I\'m the producer of the crew and Ava\'s boyfriend. Who are you, and who allowed you to casually enter our crew?" Hardy questioned.

David hesitated.

He had seen a new car parked at the town entrance, probably brought by this man. But the Steampunk wasn\'t a fancy car to him, and he wasn\'t sure about the man\'s background.

"I\'m the owner of Wash Mining. I admire Miss Gardner and came to visit her. Even if she has a boyfriend, can\'t she make other friends?" David said arrogantly.

David Wash was a typical playboy. He inherited a mining company worth millions of dollars, making him quite wealthy in the US.

In recent years, the mining company had been struggling, with its stock price continuously low.

The company bought a piece of land in New Mexico to dig for resources, which David found incredibly dull. Hearing about a film crew nearby, he came to see what was happening, and when he saw the stunning Ava Gardner, he was captivated.

After learning Ava\'s name and linking it to the popular singer Ava Gardner, he was even more thrilled.

He approached Ava, hoping to charm her with his playboy skills. However, he didn\'t know that Ava had once frequented nightclubs and had seen all sorts of men, she couldn\'t be swayed by David\'s words at all.

She politely declined his advances, but David persisted, visiting every few days, turning pursuing Ava into his favorite pastime in Albuquerque.

Hardy despised this presumptuous playboy, having no interest in arguing with him. Henry and Matthew were nearby, and Hardy said to them, "Escort this guy out."

Henry and Matthew stepped forward, and David Wash glanced at them unfavorably.

"I warn you, I\'m the chairman of a publicly traded company. You\'re messing with the wrong person," David said, frowning.

Matthew chuckled.

He pulled out a revolver.

David thought Matthew was an actor. Since they were filming Westerns movie here, actors carried props, and he wasn\'t afraid of a prop gun.

"Bang!"

Matthew fired a shot at David, causing the rose in David\'s hand to explode, petals scattering everywhere.

"Ah!"

David jumped in fright.

He never expected the gun to be real.

"Wow!"

The crew members watching nearby were also startled, letting out gasps.

"Bang bang bang bang!"

It didn\'t end there.

After exploding the flower, Matthew continued firing at David, who stood frozen in place.

When the gunfire ceased, people saw bullet holes in David Wash\'s clothes, shoes, and hat brim. Matthew blew on the gun barrel, then coolly holstered the gun—a very Western-style action, fitting the atmosphere of the set perfectly.

Clap clap clap clap!

The crew members around erupted in applause. They had seen sharpshooter scenes in movies, but witnessing such expert marksmanship in reality was a first and more exciting than in the movies.

David Wash was terrified.

His body stiffened.

There was even a wet sensation below his waist.

He looked down.

His pants were wet.

The large wet marks on his white suit were prominent.

"Ah!"

David Wash let out a miserable cry, dropping the stem of the flower and stumbling toward his car. Before long, he was speeding away, the car swaying unsteadily but avoiding collisions due to the empty surroundings.

It took a while to stabilize, then he vanished in a cloud of dust.

"Hahaha!"

The crew burst into laughter.

They found the scene amusing.

Ava Gardner also laughed, looking at Hardy. "You really scared him off. I can see his pants are wet; I don\'t think he\'ll dare to come back."