Echoes of Hollywood

This area was a wealthy enclave, and in the USA, as well as worldwide, such locations always had excellent security. Two police cars arrived almost simultaneously. Faced with a "criminal" like Cameron Douglas, it didn't take much effort to control the situation.

The sound of the sirens attracted other people, and a few onlookers gathered nearby. Among them, some wearing sanitation worker uniforms realized this was a good opportunity to make money and immediately pulled out their phones to call the paparazzi who had previously sought them out.

In celebrity-packed Hollywood, entertainment reporters always had the most up-to-date information. No matter where a star had an accident, they would always be alerted by someone who saw it.

A simple phone call could bring in a decent income, which was very appealing to many people.

The four police officers were not fools. Seeing Catherine Zeta-Jones' face, they knew this would be a troublesome case. They immediately called the station for backup.

"Ms. Jones..." The officer with the highest rank walked to the red BMW and asked, "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Catherine Zeta-Jones nodded slightly.

She glanced at Cameron Douglas, who was being controlled by the police, her look of disgust fleeting but noticeable. She made sure to point out, "It looks like he's on drugs."

"We thought so too." The officer smiled at Catherine Zeta-Jones, then turned to a young officer behind him. "Search him and his car."

The young officer nodded, spoke to the two officers holding Cameron Douglas, and then walked to the red Ferrari.

"I'll have my lawyer contact you..." Catherine Zeta-Jones, already regaining her celebrity composure, said sternly, "I will pursue this matter rigorously..."

Having faced such a threat, there was no way she would let Cameron Douglas off easily. If she didn't seize this opportunity to get this annoying guy locked up for a few years, she wouldn't be Catherine Zeta-Jones.

"Cliff!" The young officer near the Ferrari called out, waving. The highest-ranking officer apologized to Catherine Zeta-Jones and hurried over.

The young officer had opened a backpack labeled with Cameron Douglas's name, and inside was a transparent plastic bag about the size of an adult's hand, filled with white powder.

One glance, and the senior officer picked up the radio, calling for backup again.

This time, it looked like they had caught a big fish. If the contents of that bag were real, it would be worth tens of thousands of dollars!

Even in Southern California, near the Mexican border, this was no small case.

As backup police cars arrived, the rest would follow police procedures. Murphy and the others no longer needed to watch.

"Let's go," Murphy started the car, "We should head back."

Robert Downey Jr. nodded, feeling a long-standing frustration lift from his chest.

As the police left with their detainee, the onlookers gradually dispersed, though some paparazzi who arrived in time managed to snap photos of Catherine Zeta-Jones.

But Catherine Zeta-Jones couldn't worry about that now. Borrowing a phone, she immediately contacted her lawyer.

On the way to the Malibu police station, she sternly told her lawyer, "I'm certain Cameron was on drugs, and there's over 100 grams of cocaine in his car. I want you to pressure the police to make sure he spends more years in jail!"

After such an incident, she wouldn't be satisfied unless Cameron Douglas paid a hefty price.

The story was quickly sold by the paparazzi and reporters and then exposed on some entertainment websites. However, the reporters hadn't captured Cameron Douglas's photo, and since he wasn't well-known, the online buzz focused on Catherine Zeta-Jones being robbed. The internal conflict within the Douglas family remained unknown for the moment.

Catherine Zeta-Jones didn't immediately inform Michael Douglas. She gave her statement, and once the police had taken Cameron Douglas's blood and gathered enough evidence against him, Cameron Douglas finally sobered up from his drug-induced high and realized he needed a lawyer...

But by then, it was too late to make any significant moves.

Moreover, the Malibu police were under pressure from Catherine Zeta-Jones and her lawyer, along with subtle messages through hidden channels urging them to handle the case fairly and impartially.

Those familiar with this land knew that the so-called judicial fairness in the USA was also a joke.

The police didn't need to do anything beyond the rules; they just needed to follow legal procedures. This could be said to be an error-free handling method.

After Murphy and the others left, they continued to monitor the event. Their goal was never just to get Cameron Douglas into jail. Such a small fry wasn't worth their effort. This incident was merely a fuse, a spark that could ignite the entire Douglas family.

After having lunch at an Italian restaurant in Century City, Murphy and the others didn't split up. They joined Robert Downey Jr. in attending an afternoon event promoting the DVD and Blu-ray release of "Iron Man," to support their friend.

Since "Transformers" sold over 6.8 million DVD copies in its first week in North America, Hollywood's DVD sales had been declining. Even Warner Bros.' flagship "Harry Potter" series wasn't immune. Most people knew that, like the decline of VHS tapes, the golden age of DVDs was ending.

However, Hollywood's DVD sales were still relatively substantial. Compared to other revenue sources like box office, DVD sales had low input and high output, making it a high-profit revenue stream.

Due to his contract with Marvel Studios, Robert Downey Jr. received a share of the DVD sales, so he worked hard at promotional events.

Murphy, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, and James Franco were there purely to help their friend.

During the event, Murphy and the others also accepted media interviews. When asked about their views on Robert Downey Jr., they all gave high praise.

"Robert Downey Jr. has incredible charm and influence," Murphy said generously. "He embraces the difficult times of his past. He is like Tony Stark, the 'Iron Man' of the entertainment industry. Without the suit, he is a talented actor, a loving family man, an engaging conversationalist, and the best friend and brother one could have."

These words reflected not only Murphy's current views but also some past sentiments.

In the comics, Iron Man was originally a second-tier character. He couldn't compare in popularity to DC's big names, and even within Marvel, he wasn't particularly notable.

To make a movie out of such a mediocre character and then revive Marvel was a significant achievement for Robert Downey Jr.

Many say that characters make actors, and while this is true, it doesn't apply to all roles. If any actor could bring a previously popular character to the same level of success, there would be no issue.

Iron Man was different. Tony Stark made Robert Downey Jr., and Robert Downey Jr. made Tony Stark.

Sometimes, even Murphy found it hard to distinguish between Robert Downey Jr. in real life and Tony Stark in the films.

Achieving such success with Iron Man was partly because Tony Stark was a second-tier character. If he had been a top-tier character with a massive fan base, no actor could have fused with the character so seamlessly.

Who could imagine characters like Batman, Superman, or Spider-Man being completely synonymous with a real person?

From this perspective, Iron Man's mediocre status actually benefited Downey.

This was an event for Iron Man, so the media focused on Robert Downey Jr. After answering a few routine questions, he was ready to attack the old adversary who had once sent him to jail.

Such an attack had to be based on real but lesser-known events, unlike his previous rants about Michael Douglas.

"Downey..." A reporter called out, "How would you describe working with Jeff Bridges?"

Hearing this question, Robert Downey Jr. thought for a moment, then said, "Jeff Bridges is an outstanding actor with great moral integrity. He always helps young actors, and many in our cast have benefited from his guidance. He is a respected actor who commands genuine respect from young people."

Then Robert Downey Jr. shifted his tone, "Jeff Bridges is a model for his generation of actors, more respectable than some older, more famous actors."

This statement practically begged the reporters to dig deeper.

With Robert Downey Jr.'s infamous reputation in Hollywood and the media, a reporter immediately asked, "Downey, who are these people you're referring to?"

"Of course! There's no reason not to say!" Robert Downey Jr. immediately replied, "For instance, Kirk Douglas is a classic example of moral corruption!"

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