Echoes of Hollywood

Hannum-Williams couldn't believe his ears when he heard the conditions. He realized he had severely underestimated the shamelessness of the young director in front of him. He considered himself quite shameless, having thrown away his dignity to succeed in this industry, but this person had not only discarded his own dignity but had also covered himself in a thick layer of brazenness.

Of course, he wouldn't be foolish enough to think the other party hadn't understood his words and truly considered him a fan.

Gal Gadot looked at Hannum-Williams's dark face, then glanced at Murphy, thinking, "Is this really fun?"

Bill Rosith, however, cooperated with Murphy, "Mr. Williams, did you not bring the negatives? When will you deliver them?"

Naturally, he wouldn't be polite to someone trying to blackmail them.

Hannum-Williams realized that these two didn't just look down on him; they were toying with him like a monkey.

"Do you think this is funny?"

This severely irritated Hannum-Williams's sensitive heart. He tightened his black face and said, "I'll give you the photos for free, but for the negatives..."

He pulled a sarcastic smile, "Two million dollars! Not a penny less!"

Murphy and Bill Rosith looked at him. After a while, Murphy deliberately asked, "This is just the work of fans and has nothing to do with me. Why should I pay for them?"

"I have solid evidence proving that the person who beat the Catholic..." Hannum-Williams said confidently, looking at Murphy, "is your fan. The Catholic attacked you because of the content related to Catholicism in your new film. Do you think you can escape this matter by claiming it was just the action of a fan?"

Hearing this, Murphy became a bit more serious. If this guy were too stupid, it would take some effort, but he seemed to be relatively clever.

Hannum-Williams's voice grew louder, "You know the media better than I do. They will make a big deal out of this. With a little push, it will attract the attention of the Catholic Church. This will no longer be a conflict between a fan and a Catholic but a conflict between you, Murphy Stanton, and the Catholic Church!"

The three people opposite seemed unaware of the seriousness of this matter. Only by making them understand how severe it could get would they obediently pay up, right?

So, he spoke more excitedly, "The media will love to see a big shot like Director Stanton clash with the Catholic Church. Under media pressure, the Church will certainly get involved. Then..."

Hannum-Williams looked at Murphy, the sarcasm on his face becoming more pronounced, "Director Stanton, you will face a powerful opponent—the Catholic Church!"

"I see." Murphy nodded calmly, "Well... considering the way the media operates now, there's more than a ninety percent chance that what you say will come true."

"I am genuinely concerned about Director Stanton's reputation and future," Hannum-Williams showed a timely display of friendliness, "Two million dollars is a trivial amount for you but can eliminate a major hidden danger."

"It does seem like a bargain."

Murphy began to think, not about paying the guy a large sum but about the reaction of the Catholic Church, particularly the hardline Archbishop Marcos Costello.

Bill Rosith looked at Murphy, who met his gaze and saw a look of determination. He then said, "Two million dollars is too high, Mr. Williams. I need some time to consider it."

"Time to consider?" Hannum-Williams put away his smile and said warningly, "Director Stanton, I have partnerships with many media outlets. They are very interested in such news. If you..."

He shook his head, "I will have to sell it to the media!"

To Hannum-Williams, this was a trump card to force Murphy Stanton into a quick decision.

"Well then..." Murphy immediately replied, "Mr. Williams, you can sell it to the media."

Hannum-Williams's eyes widened, "You... you're letting me sell it to the media?"

Murphy shrugged and said to Bill Rosith, "Make preparations in advance."

He then stood up and turned to Gal Gadot, "It's getting late. Let's go home."

"Wait... wait!" Hannum-Williams also stood up, "You really want me to sell it to the media?"

"Mr. Williams," Murphy said calmly, "Be my guest."

Murphy took Gal Gadot's hand and headed for the door, seeming completely unconcerned about what Hannum-Williams had. Hannum-Williams looked at Murphy, then at Bill Rosith, unsure what to make of the situation.

Had he not analyzed thoroughly enough? Wasn't Murphy Stanton supposed to be a very smart director? Did he not understand his words?

Alright, maybe the two million dollar price was too high. Lowering it a bit might work?

With this in mind, Hannum-Williams said, "One hundred and fifty thousand dollars! No less, or I'll sell it to the media!"

"Do freelance journalists dare to ask for such prices now?"

Hearing the amount, Murphy felt a sense of nostalgia. Just ten years ago, could a news story potentially spark a hot topic and sell for over a million dollars? Was the journalist crazy, or did he look like a sucker?

Murphy had no intention of stopping, even if the guy offered to sell it for a dollar. Getting involved would mean dealing with the media himself, which was a hassle.

"One hundred and twenty thousand dollars!" Hannum-Williams squeezed out the price through his teeth.

"Mr. Williams," Murphy glanced at the black man and said directly, "I have no interest in your news, photos, or ideas. Keep them for the media you're working with."

He turned back to Gal Gadot and said, "Let's go home."

The office door opened and closed again. Hannum-Williams stared blankly at the spot where Murphy disappeared, seemingly unable to believe he just walked away.

The door opened from outside, and the assistant who had shown him in stepped in, gesturing politely, "Mr. Williams, it's almost closing time."

The polite words clearly meant it was time to leave.

Hannum-Williams glanced at Bill Rosith, who was leisurely packing his briefcase, showing no intention of continuing the conversation.

"Damn!"

He cursed under his breath, ignoring the photos, and left the office without looking back. Outside the Stanton Studio building, he went straight to the parking lot, got in his car, opened his briefcase, and took out a recording pen, pressing the play button.

Surely, the secretly recorded content could be sold for some money, right?

Holding this thought, Hannum-Williams put the pen to his ear and listened for a while, only to find nothing but static. There were no conversations between him and Murphy Stanton.

"Fuck!"

Hannum-Williams couldn't help but curse, "That despicable bastard!"

It was easy to guess that Murphy Stanton's office had equipment to interfere with recordings.

He tried the pen again and found it functioning perfectly. Replaying the previous recording, it was still all static. He threw the pen back into his briefcase, grabbed his phone, and dialed a number.

"It's me, Hannum." He said into the phone, "Things didn't go well on my end. You contact the magazine; I'll go to the TV station. Try to sell it at the highest price possible!"

Starting the car, Hannum-Williams sped away from Century City.

Meanwhile, at the Santa Monica Police Department, Daisy and her group followed Robert outside.

"Did Murphy really arrange for you to bail us out?" Daisy tidied her slightly messy hair, "Say something!"

Robert ignored them until they reached the parking lot. He opened the door of a business car where Grace waved at them, "Hello, everyone."

"Grace!"

As the discussion group leader, Daisy knew Murphy's public relations manager, having dealt with her a few times. She was the first to get in the car, saying, "Did you arrange our bail?"

"No." Once everyone was in, Grace continued, "Murphy hired a lawyer right after he heard about it."

"Sorry," Daisy sighed, "We caused him trouble."

Grace, who had just received a call from Bill Rosith, said, "Daisy, someone recorded you beating the man. It might end up in the media."

"We did it ourselves!" Daisy immediately said, "I will take responsibility!"

"You are Murphy's fans..." Grace shook her head with a smile, "You beat the guy who just attacked Murphy. The media will definitely link it to Murphy."

Daisy became anxious, "What should we do? I'll find a reporter to explain..."

"No need," Grace said, "You just need to keep supporting Murphy. He'll handle the rest."

Daisy nodded gently. Justin and the others were all excited. Their favorite director was defending them, making their past support completely worthwhile.

In the future, they would call on more people to support Murphy! This was their genuine thought.

The business car drove towards downtown Los Angeles. Daisy kept her head down, always a smart girl, realizing that beating a Catholic might bring Murphy trouble. Religious forces were quite difficult to deal with.

If those people really used this as an excuse to attack Murphy, what would they do? Daisy vowed she wouldn't let those nasty guys off!

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