Echoes of Hollywood

Thanks to lawyer Robert's connections at the police station, Bill Rossis quickly clarified the incident's details. Apart from the fact that the Catholic had indeed attacked Murphy, the rest of the blame lay entirely with Daisy and her friends. Fortunately, their actions hadn't been too severe, causing the Catholic only minor injuries, which avoided significant complications.

Robert had already visited Daisy at the police station. Daisy and her friends had no idea there were reporters around and didn't know where they came from.

Subsequently, Bill Rossis, using a contact number provided by the company's mailroom, personally reached out to the reporter and arranged a meeting at Stanton Studio as per Murphy's instructions.

The meeting was set at Stanton Studio because Murphy intended to meet the reporter in person. This issue could potentially affect his entire plan.

Whether the impact would be positive or negative depended on how it was handled.

"The other party is a freelance journalist," Bill Rossis informed Murphy and Gal Gadot in her office at Stanton Studio. "He isn't affiliated with any media or group. He primarily shoots news and sells it to media outlets and TV stations."

Gal Gadot looked at Murphy. "Isn't that similar to the work you initially did?"

"Sounds about right." Murphy propped his chin on his right hand, resting on the chair's armrest, and thought for a while. "Freelance journalists have fewer scruples and can be tougher to deal with than media reporters."

From what he knew, many freelance journalists were more daring and reckless than their media-affiliated counterparts.

"He might ask for a very high price," Gal Gadot suggested.

"Yes..." Bill Rossis nodded, "That's very likely."

Murphy chuckled. "If it were me, holding such a piece of news, especially one that looks very damaging to us, I'd definitely ask for a hefty sum!"

Gal Gadot shook her head. "How much would you ask for?"

"In my days as a freelance journalist, at least thirty thousand dollars..." Murphy thought for a moment, "With the dollar depreciating and news prices rising, if he asks for less than fifty thousand dollars, well, he wouldn't be a competent freelance journalist."

Bill Rossis and Gal Gadot laughed, showing no signs of the seriousness and tension typically associated with handling a crisis.

In reality, Murphy didn't see this as a crisis. Often, opportunities accompanied crises.

A knock on the door interrupted them. Gal Gadot's assistant entered, saying, "He's here."

Gal Gadot glanced at Murphy. "Bring him in."

In the lobby of Stanton Studio, the black journalist, carrying a briefcase, waited patiently. Seeing the assistant return, he reached into his briefcase and pressed the record button on his recorder.

"Mr. Williams..." The assistant gestured for him to follow. "This way, please."

"Okay." Williams grinned, showing his white teeth. "Thank you."

Following the assistant, Williams quickly entered an office. As he stepped in, his professional instincts made him swiftly scan the room.

The office, like the studio, wasn't very large but was elegantly decorated. The walls were adorned with movie posters, with "Hard Candy" to "Game of Thrones" on the left and "Man of Steel" to "City of Chaos" on the right—all directed by Murphy Stanton.

Then he saw the three people sitting at the desk.

Nearest to him was a man in his forties, dressed in a sharp suit. Williams had done his homework—this was Murphy Stanton's agent, CAA partner Bill Rossis.

His eyes moved to a tall man who looked younger than his actual age, around twenty-five or twenty-six. His expression was calm, showing no emotion.

This was Murphy Stanton!

Williams knew this was the real decision-maker in the room.

Lastly, his eyes fell on the only woman in the office. Her slender figure made her appear exceptionally tall even while seated. Her fitted business suit highlighted a smart, efficient aura. Her deep brown hair was neatly tied in a ponytail, and her bright eyes were fixed on him. Unlike Murphy Stanton's calmness, her gaze was as sharp as a sword.

Though her forehead was slightly large and her face a bit long, she was undoubtedly a beauty, even compared to Hollywood's top stars.

Such a woman working behind the scenes for Murphy Stanton instead of continuing as Wonder Woman was truly a pity.

For some reason, Williams's first thought upon seeing Gal Gadot was of Wonder Woman.

"You must be Hannum Williams," Murphy said, glancing at him and gesturing to a chair. "Take a seat."

Hearing the seemingly indifferent but actually dismissive tone, Hannum Williams felt a bit irritated. However, considering what he had in his briefcase, he calmed himself and sat down.

Before he could speak, Bill Rossis extended his hand. "The material?"

Hannum Williams frowned visibly. Their superior attitude, displaying a sense of superiority, was quite annoying.

Neither Bill Rossis, Murphy, nor Gal Gadot seemed to care. This wasn't because they were exceptionally arrogant but a pre-agreed strategy.

Seeing Williams not moving, Bill Rossis, with a touch of impatience, said, "If you don't let us see the material, how do we know if you're telling the truth?"

"I am a man of integrity..." Williams began, only to be interrupted by Bill Rossis, "I don't care what kind of person you are. I'm only interested in what you have."

"You..." Williams felt a lump in his throat, incredibly irritated.

"Mr. Williams!" Bill Rossis's face darkened. "Our time is valuable. If you don't have real material, don't waste our time."

Though highly annoyed, Williams pulled out an envelope from his briefcase and handed it to Bill Rossis. Bill Rossis glanced through it before passing it to Murphy.

Murphy briefly reviewed the photos, recognizing the Catholic who had attacked him lying on the beach getting beaten. Although he didn't know the boys doing the beating, he did recognize Daisy.

"Is it Daisy?" Gal Gadot, who didn't know the fan club leader, leaned over to look. "Is it her?"

"Yes, it's her." Murphy nodded slightly and continued browsing the photos, noting they included pictures of the queue and the signing session, clearly showing the boys involved in the beating. "It's clear they should be my supporters."

Overhearing Murphy and Gal Gadot's conversation, Williams smiled faintly, feeling confident. Despite their bad attitude, they would eventually have to bow and pay up.

Big director? So what? They were still at the mercy of journalists like him.

"Director Stanton..." Williams ignored Bill Rossis and addressed the real decision-maker directly. "Yesterday, I was lucky enough to capture these scenes on the Santa Monica beach. I had attended your signing event at the mall earlier and recognized this girl as one of your die-hard fans."

He put on a smile that seemed warm but was actually full of pride. "I enjoy your films, I'm a fan. Although seeing them beat that attacker was satisfying, I captured it out of professional instinct."

Murphy watched Williams quietly, letting him talk.

"Back at my studio, I worried these scenes might damage your reputation," Williams turned to Bill Rossis, "So I took the initiative to contact your agent."

"Oh, is that so?" Murphy saw in Williams the same shamelessness he had once possessed. However, he wasn't buying it. "Thank you! If you bring the photos and negatives, I will be very grateful."

He paused thoughtfully. "Well... to show my gratitude..."

Williams's smile widened. Murphy Stanton seemed to be on the right track. How much would he offer? A hundred thousand dollars? Two hundred thousand dollars? Anything less than a hundred thousand, and he wouldn't agree! For a director and billionaire like him, this amount was nothing.

Getting over a hundred thousand dollars from Murphy Stanton, then selling the video to the media for tens of thousands more...

Williams was sure of it. A huge conflict between Murphy Stanton and the Catholic Church, news of him inciting fans to beat a Catholic, was worth that much!

Even after sharing some of the money with his team, he'd have enough to retire early.

Murphy seemed to be considering how to thank Williams, finally saying, "Since you're a fan, to express my gratitude, Mr. Williams, I'll send you a complete set of my signed Blu-ray movies."

"What?" Williams couldn't believe his ears. "Director Stanton, did you say a complete set of signed movie discs?"

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