"The winner of this year's Venice Film Festival Golden Lion is... Brokeback Mountain!"
As the figure on stage spoke, the Brokeback Mountain crew below erupted in cheers.
Martin and Ang Lee went up to the stage together to receive the award.
During the acceptance speech, Ang Lee was overwhelmed with emotion and especially mentioned how Martin had saved his career.
"…After the failure of The Incredible Hulk, I thought, it's over for me, Ang Lee, your career is over... With a heavy heart, I called Mr. Martin, and his words deeply moved me. He said: 'Ang, the director position for Brokeback Mountain has always been waiting for you… Thank you, Martin, you saved me!'"
The Venice Film Festival came to an end.
While the crew members flew back to the United States, Martin stayed behind.
He had someone to meet.
...
In a luxurious estate in the northern suburbs of Venice.
A rather inconspicuous black Mercedes-Benz drove in.
The car stopped by a fountain near the estate's entrance, and the driver, Gordon, got out. He quickly scanned the surroundings with caution before heading to the backseat and opening the door.
Martin got out of the car, adjusted his clothes, took a look at the building in front of him, and smiled.
"The decoration seems a bit too extravagant."
"Quite the opposite," a voice responded from the steps. "I think it's still too plain. There should be more gold used for decoration."
Martin turned to see a tall man with brown hair, a high nose, and brown eyes descending the steps.
This man was Mutassim Bilal Qaddafi, the fifth son of Colonel Muammar Qaddafi.
"Welcome to my home in Venice, Martin Meyers. I admire your courage. I honestly thought you wouldn't dare to come."
Mutassim walked toward Martin, extending his hand.
Martin met him halfway, and they shook hands.
"Mr. Qaddafi—"
Mutassim interrupted him. "Call me Mutassim. I'll call you Martin."
The tone was forceful.
Martin shrugged nonchalantly. "Well then, Mutassim."
"Wait, let's go inside to talk. Your bodyguard can stay outside."
Once again, Mutassim interrupted Martin.
It was clear that he wanted to establish dominance and control the conversation.
But he had miscalculated. Martin showed no anger or impatience. He calmly told Gordon, "Gordon, you stay outside. Don't worry."
Then, Mutassim led Martin into the living room, where a beautiful woman stood up from the sofa. Her eyes lit up when she saw Martin.
Mutassim shook his head helplessly and pointed at Martin. "Vanessa, you wanted to meet Martin, and now he's here."
Martin turned his gaze to the woman.
She was young, probably around seventeen or eighteen, with brown hair, brown eyes, and perfect facial features. She was incredibly beautiful.
No wonder Mutassim was so infatuated with her.
This woman was Mutassim's Italian girlfriend—Vanessa Hessler, who had started her modeling career at fifteen, rose to fame in 2004, and appeared frequently in fashion shows for world-renowned brands.
She and Mutassim had met at a fashion show.
After dating Mutassim, Vanessa began to venture into the film industry, using her own money to secure roles in several films, rapidly gaining popularity and becoming one of Europe's hottest stars.
"Oh my God, you really invited Martin! Oh my God, this is unbelievable. Martin, the real Martin, not the one on the posters or in the movies! I watched Brokeback Mountain just two days ago, and your performance was amazing!"
Upon seeing Martin, Vanessa Hessler let out a series of astonished exclamations, rushing toward him with the look of an excited fan, seemingly about to leap into his arms.
Mutassim's face changed, and he hurriedly stepped in front of her, separating her from Martin.
With a serious expression, he said, "Darling, I have business to discuss with Martin. You stay here and watch some TV. I'll take Martin to the study."
"But I haven't shaken hands with Martin yet!" Vanessa Hessler said in disappointment.
"We really have business to discuss," Mutassim insisted, not wanting any physical contact between his girlfriend and Martin.
Seeing the way his beloved looked at Martin with such shining eyes, he regretted ever letting the cat out of the bag.
At that moment, Martin unexpectedly bypassed Mutassim and walked toward Vanessa, a charming smile on his face. He extended his hand and said, "It's just a handshake, won't take much time!"
Vanessa Hessler eagerly reached out both her hands to shake his, her face full of excitement.
"This is amazing! I shook hands with Martin!"
"Actually, we could hug too!" Martin added playfully.
"Really?!" Vanessa's excitement was palpable.
"No, he's lying to you!" Mutassim interrupted, pulling Martin away and leaving his disappointed girlfriend behind.
He remembered the words Martin had once threatened him with.
Looking at his girlfriend's current expression, he realized that if Martin truly wanted to seduce her, he probably could… no—he definitely could!
Mutassim, despite his arrogant and violent demeanor toward others, was incredibly devoted to this woman.
[GodOfReader: The paragraph below belong to author and i'm having a hard time if i should delete it, but nvm.]
(It's not fabricated—Vanessa Hessler, although Mutassim's lover, was his only true love.)
(After Mutassim's death, Vanessa was the only one willing to speak positively of him. She publicly stated: "We were together for four years, and Mutassim was the perfect lover—romantic and considerate. Even though we lost contact after the rebellion, our past was warm and beautiful.")
(Despite the support for the opposition from North Africa and America, no one truly understood the extent of the aid they gave to Libya. Mutassim had been captured alive, yet he died under mysterious and painful circumstances. The Qaddafi family wasn't as evil as the media made them seem. They were normal people who met untimely and brutal deaths.)
(After these statements, Vanessa lost all her endorsement contracts and almost every job opportunity, quickly disappearing from the public eye. She was quite a unique woman.)
They arrived in the study.
Mutassim's face darkened immediately as he sat at his desk in the leather chair without acknowledging Martin.
However, what angered him was that as soon as he sat down, Martin leisurely took a seat on the guest sofa, grabbed a high-end cigar from the shelf, and, after rummaging through a drawer for a moment, found the necessary tools to prepare the cigar. With a leisurely attitude, he cut off the tip and lit it, taking a few puffs.
This kid really doesn't treat himself as an outsider!