Echoes of Hollywood

"Excuse me, have you seen a person wearing a red baseball cap and a gray jacket?"

Two reporters holding cameras and small camcorders suddenly appeared in front of Justin, asking, "Did you see where he went?"

Although there weren't many people around, Santa Monica Commercial Plaza was huge. They had been chasing the Catholic over here, but lost track of him at this crossroads leading to four different directions. Fortunately, they encountered someone who seemed to be waiting here.

Justin had just arrived and, understanding that the reporters were looking for the person he was following, he pointed in the opposite direction, knowing Daisy didn't like reporters. "I saw him. He went down that corridor to the food court."

"Thanks!"

The reporters glanced that way and ran off.

As soon as the reporters left, Justin quickly walked in the opposite direction, pulling out his phone to call Daisy. "It's Justin. The guy just left through the exit leading to the beach. Did you see him?"

He had already contacted Daisy and the others.

Daisy's voice came through the earpiece. "A red baseball cap and gray jacket, looks like he's in his twenties, right?"

"Right!" Justin confirmed. "That's him."

"We've got him." Daisy's voice came again. "He's on the beach now. Hurry up!"

"What does she want to do?"

Justin couldn't figure it out. He shook his head and quickened his pace, guessing Daisy might want to teach the guy who attacked Murphy a lesson.

Leaving through the exit near the beach, Justin crossed the road and stepped onto the sand. It was December, and the beach was almost deserted. From a distance, he could see a man in a red baseball cap walking along the coastline, not too far away from Daisy and two others who seemed to be admiring the beach scenery.

The sea breeze was chilly, and sand got into Justin's shoes as he walked, but he didn't mind.

Daisy saw him and waved, then suddenly quickened her pace with the others. By the time Justin caught up, Daisy and the two others had already surrounded the Catholic.

Justin had known Daisy for years and understood that this feisty girl was likely planning to give the attacker a good beating.

Just as Justin reached Daisy and the others, several reporters appeared on the road above the beach, spotting the group on the sand.

The reporters stopped behind some large billboards at the edge of the beach, using the signs to conceal themselves.

"That's him," one of them pointed to the beach, "the guy in the red baseball cap!"

A reporter with a camcorder wanted to rush down, "Hurry! Get over there, don't let him escape!"

"Wait!"

The lead reporter, a man in his forties, stopped him. "Look at those people surrounding him. Do they look familiar?"

A bespectacled reporter immediately recognized them, saying with some surprise, "Aren't those Murphy Stanton's fans?"

"Definitely!" The first reporter confirmed. "See that blonde girl? I saw her today; she was first in line for the signing!"

"What are they doing?" The camcorder reporter aimed his lens at them, puzzled. "Do they know each other? Or is this all staged...?"

The lead reporter raised his hand to cut him off, "Focus on filming!"

Without another word, the camcorder reporter concentrated on capturing the scene, while the others took photos of what was happening on the beach.

It was clear that things were about to get physical.

Murphy Stanton's fans versus the guy who attacked Murphy—what a sensational story, sure to make headlines!

"What do you want?"

The guy in the baseball cap realized he was surrounded by some unfriendly people.

"Just want to beat you up." Daisy made no attempt to hide her intention. "You attacked Murphy; now we attack you. Fair enough."

She waved to the boys, "Go for it!"

The three boys, including Justin, rushed forward. The Catholic tried to run but was tackled by Justin, with the others piling on and knocking him to the ground.

"Hit him!"

Daisy ordered fiercely, "Beat him so badly that his own priest won't recognize him!"

Outnumbered, the Catholic was kicked hard in the stomach, curling up like a boiled shrimp. The boys didn't stop, continuing to kick him.

Fortunately, Justin and the others retained some sense, avoiding his head and ribs, focusing instead on his legs and backside.

"Ah..."

The Catholic screamed in agony, his cries echoing across the quiet beach, attracting the attention of a few distant passersby, one of whom called the police.

Unaware of the call, the beating continued.

The Catholic, unable to fight back, could only cover his head and scream. Daisy watched him with a tilted head, shouting, "Enough!"

Justin and the others stepped back, panting.

Daisy walked up, looking down at the guy lying in the sand, holding his head with no reaction.

She placed her sneakered foot near his ear, pressing down hard, pushing his face into the sand, making him look extremely miserable.

"You dare attack Murphy!" she hissed, "You actually dared to attack Murphy!"

Seeing him so pathetic, Daisy felt an inexplicable thrill, akin to the excitement from watching the elaborate killings in "Saw."

"Should I try something similar on this guy?"

The thought crossed Daisy's mind, making her even more excited. She pressed down harder with her foot, saying, "I'm a fan of Murphy. Your actions are heresy to us Murphy fans!"

She adopted a sinister tone, "Do you know how the Catholic Church dealt with heretics in the Middle Ages?"

Justin, seeing his leader's ruthless look, felt his temples throb and said, "Daisy, you're not thinking of burning him alive, are you?"

"Why not?" Daisy turned to Justin, "Is that a problem?"

"Uh..." Justin opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.

Daisy looked at the guy, seriously considering whether to burn him alive.

"Well..." another boy suggested, "Beating him up is enough. This kind of person isn't worth the trouble."

"Yeah." Daisy nodded, stepping back and squatting down. She grabbed his hair, pulling his head up to look at his sand-covered face, and viciously warned, "Stay away from Murphy. If you attack Murphy again, I'll burn you alive on a stake!"

She let go of his hair, pushing his face back into the sand. "And don't follow Catholicism anymore! It's just asking for trouble!"

Not far from the beach, the reporters crouched behind the large billboards, continuously filming everything on the sand.

"How's it going?" the lead reporter asked softly, "Did you get it all?"

The camcorder reporter, without saying a word, gave him a thumbs-up.

They had captured everything. For their news studio, this was huge, and such big news was sure to sell for a good price!

They weren't reporters from any major media outlet but rather a freelance news studio. The lead reporter was also the boss and chief reporter.

Getting such news wasn't easy. They had followed the attacker all the way here, having lost him once before spotting him again while driving to the beach.

"Boss!"

One of the photographers said, "We've hit the jackpot!"

The camcorder reporter grinned, unable to close his mouth. "I got footage of that girl in line at the mall and leaving with a stack of signed DVDs. Comparing these two clips, plus Murphy Stanton's movie and the Catholic angle—it's going to be sensational!"

The boss nodded excitedly, "Guys, double bonuses this month!"

He had already planned this out. This story would bring in a windfall. He could first contact CAA and reach Murphy Stanton, who would likely be interested in buying such potentially damaging footage.

Then, he would sell it to the media as well, making another hefty profit.

As for selling to both sides, it was an easy fix. Sell the photos to Murphy Stanton and the video to the media, both as exclusives...

They could even use different names. After all, they had enough people.

In a split second, he decided to approach Murphy Stanton himself, then have his team sell to the media. Different people for different outlets, no problem.

"Boss! Boss!"

One of his men's voices interrupted his delightful thoughts, "Shouldn't we get out of here? The police are coming!"

The boss looked and saw a patrol car approaching fast.

He thought for a moment, "You stay and keep filming. The rest of you, follow me!"

The police's arrival not only stopped the beating but also successfully apprehended the group on the beach.

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