"Sylvester Stallone?" Matthew asked, not recalling any such invitation. "What's he planning?"
Jason Statham thought for a moment before replying, "While filming The Expendables, Stallone came up with the idea of making a movie starring several action stars, particularly those who haven't worked together before. The plan is to bring them together for a classic action film with plenty of intense fight scenes."
Hearing this, Matthew felt a vague sense of familiarity but couldn't quite place it. He decided to ask for more details. "That sounds interesting. Can you tell me more?"
Since the movie was still in the planning stages and the information would soon be public, Jason Statham didn't need to keep it a secret. He explained, "Stallone plans to write, direct, and invite many famous action stars to participate. As far as I know, Bruce Willis, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Mickey Rourke, and Arnold Schwarzenegger have already agreed to join."
Matthew nodded slightly. These were all big names in the action movie world.
Jason continued, "Given the status of these actors, Stallone believes the movie can't just be a simple shootout between cops and robbers. Fans would find that underwhelming. So, he's aiming to gather this group for a large-scale action blockbuster."
At this point, Matthew's memory became clearer, and a movie title surfaced in his mind—The Expendables.
"A bunch of action stars, huh," he mused. "Just their salaries alone could blow up the budget."
Then he realized that these were aging action stars, so their paychecks might not be as high as he initially thought.
Jason then added, "Stallone mentioned wanting to invite you to be part of it."
Matthew smiled but didn't respond directly to Jason's comment, choosing instead to shift the conversation to the work planned for the next day.
Since they had more filming to do the following day, both men stopped after drinking three small bottles of beer each and called it a night.
The next day, Matthew continued with the outdoor scenes. However, his role was less demanding than before, with only a few scattered shots remaining for the crew.
Karolina Kurkova, who had recovered from her illness, also rejoined the filming. Some scenes had been delayed due to her absence, so Matthew had to step in as a background character for the red-haired woman.
Jason Statham's character, Colonel Brad, had already been killed off by Matthew's character, so he left the set shortly afterward.
The remaining scenes focused on Duke, the red-haired woman, and Heavy Duty fighting off the regular Cobra soldiers.
Gunshots, explosions, and screams filled the air above the set.
"Scene 125, Take 32 of G.I. Joe..." An assistant director announced as he clapped the slate in front of the main camera. "Action!"
With the clapperboard's sound, the crew quickly got into shooting mode.
Matthew, dressed in desert camouflage, lay behind a small sand dune, flanked by Karolina Kurkova and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje. Both actors instinctively centered their positions around Matthew.
"About 1.5 miles ahead, there's a small Cobra squad, roughly 15 men," Matthew said while observing through binoculars. "We'll tail them. They'll lead us to Cobra's desert base. Brad has to be there!"
Karolina Kurkova cautioned, "Duke, calm down. Don't let revenge cloud your judgment."
Matthew glanced at her and replied, "Don't worry, I'm perfectly calm."
With that, he ducked back behind the dune, then, using it as cover, stood up and started running forward in a flanking maneuver.
Karolina Kurkova and Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje followed closely behind.
The three of them moved in a tactical formation toward another dune, running until they reached the far side. Only then did director Stephen Sommers' voice call out, "Cut! That's a wrap for this scene!"
Hearing this, Matthew slowly came to a stop, taking a few deep breaths of the scorching air. He took off his sweat-soaked desert camo uniform, slinging it over his arm as he headed back.
Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje was the quickest, soon disappearing behind the dune.
Karolina Kurkova seemed to be struggling with the heat, tugging at the collar of her black bodysuit, but the outfit was too tight to offer much relief.
Matthew approached her and asked, "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," Karolina Kurkova replied, twisting her body slightly, feeling how her skin was soaked under the tight suit. "Let's head back."
She followed Matthew as they walked toward the rest of the crew.
Matthew, with his desert camo uniform slung over his shoulder and a prop automatic rifle in hand, looked like a laid-back soldier. This was the final shot in the Sonoran Desert, so there was no need to worry about makeup or styling anymore.
Just before they rounded the dune, Matthew heard Karolina Kurkova call out to him.
"Matthew!" She stopped, looking at him. He turned and asked, "What's up, KK?"
Karolina Kurkova nodded seriously, stepped closer, and said quietly, "I want to use the medicine."
Even Matthew, with his typically strong nerves, was momentarily stunned by this. Of course, he didn't think she meant the medicine for mosquito bites or heat relief.
"I've been thinking about using it ever since I saw it. I want to know what it feels like." Karolina Kurkova boldly continued, "I've been holding back, but I really can't wait anymore."
She directly invited him, "Come to my trailer tonight, okay?"
How could Matthew possibly refuse such an intriguing invitation? Besides, with the desert filming complete, they'd be heading back to Los Angeles the next day, so there wouldn't be any work delays.
"Sure," Matthew agreed, looking at her. "I'll come by after nine tonight."
They then walked around the dune and saw the crew already packing up their equipment, preparing to return to camp.
Karolina Kurkova said nothing more, climbing into her off-road vehicle to head back to the crew's camp on the desert's edge. As the car bounced over the desert terrain, she watched the golden dunes and saguaro cacti speed past the window, suddenly feeling like something had changed within her over the past few months.
But she didn't dwell on it. Once G.I. Joe was released next year, all this would be over. Just a few more months to endure.
Shortly after nine that evening, Matthew entered Karolina Kurkova's trailer. On the table in the center, the paper bag he had previously brought sat next to a red box of Qingliangyou and a green bottle of Fengyoujing.
Karolina Kurkova, dressed in sleepwear, looked as if she had completely recovered from the effects of her hormonal imbalance, her tall and slender figure back to its previous glory.
Matthew pulled out a chair and sat down.
Karolina stood by the table, glancing at the Fengyoujing, then the Qingliangyou, and asked, "Which should I start with?"
"Do you prefer red or green?" Matthew asked.
"I don't like red," she replied. "Red brought me too much pain in my childhood."
Matthew pointed to the bottle of Fengyoujing. "Then let's start with the green one."
As night fell and preparations for the crew's departure from the Sonoran Desert continued, Arenas was tasked with dismantling a wind speed meter located on the edge of the women's residential area and the equipment zone. The crew wouldn't be filming anymore, so these devices could be packed up now.
The wind speed meter was mounted on top of a tall trailer, requiring Arenas to climb up a ladder.
This was no difficult task for Arenas, just a routine job. However, just as he started climbing, a sharp, high-pitched scream from a nearby trailer pierced the air.
The sound was a mix of pain and excitement, as if it could pierce through the clouds gathering above.
Arenas was so startled that he lost his grip and footing, falling off the ladder with a thud.
Fortunately, he hadn't climbed high, and the soft sand cushioned his fall, leaving him with only a sore butt and back.
Then, the high-pitched sound rang out again, and continued without stopping.
"Is that…" Arenas recognized the voice from conversations he had heard before. "Is that Karolina Kurkova?"
That night, many people in the crew heard Karolina Kurkova's cries, but no one said anything. Everyone knew about her close relationship with Matthew, and no one was about to offend a Hollywood big shot over a bit of noise.
The next day, when the crew was boarding their flight out of the Sonoran Desert, many noticed that Karolina Kurkova seemed to have difficulty walking and needed assistance from her assistant.
"Matthew Horner is really something," Arenas remarked to the person next to him in the economy section of their charter flight. "Think about it—he must be incredibly strong to make a supermodel like Karolina Kurkova, who's been through so much, scream like that last night. Did you see her this morning? She could barely walk on her own."
The person next to him nodded repeatedly. "I even saw Matthew Horner. He was acting like nothing happened. He's truly strong!"
Arenas couldn't help but feel a deep admiration. "Matthew Horner is a role model for men everywhere." He added enviously, "Getting with so many beautiful women—it's something to be jealous of. But you have to have Matthew Horner's abilities to
pull it off!"
This conversation reached the ears of nearby passengers, prompting a chorus of agreement from the other men.
That afternoon, after returning to Los Angeles, Matthew went straight to Angel Agency instead of heading home to Beverly Hills, as Helen Herman had received an invitation from Stallone.
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