Chapter 8 Complications

After reading through the materials sent by his reporters, Eddie frowned deeply, his face grim.

The investigation was proving to be even more challenging than he'd anticipated.

Originally, the Life Foundation had only been recruiting homeless people off the streets in San Francisco, tricking them into signing agreements they couldn't understand to conduct human trials.

Now, however, Eddie had learned from his team that the Life Foundation had joined forces with the government to create a "San Francisco Homeless Association."

Funded entirely by the Life Foundation, with Carlton Drake as honorary president, this association had set up a massive "cage" for the homeless in San Francisco's most remote corner—an encampment called "Homeless Haven."

Under the Life Foundation's control, Homeless Haven restricted the movements and freedom of its inhabitants.

The homeless, driven there by city officials, were confined, with their movements strictly regulated. In essence, they were "imprisoned."

The Daily Bugle reporters dispatched to San Francisco found it nearly impossible to slip in and gather information under the association's watchful eye.

After several days, they had only a handful of useful insights to show for their efforts.

Even if they published these few facts, it would hardly put a dent in the Life Foundation.

Such toothless reporting would have no real impact.

Without concrete evidence that could deliver a severe blow to the Life Foundation, even an expose from the Daily Bugle would be ineffective and could actually damage the newspaper's credibility.

"Carlton Drake…"

Eddie gritted his teeth. "A cunning opponent."

Homeless Haven had only recently been established in San Francisco, but already 90% of the city's homeless population had been forced there by city officials.

The remaining 10% had either left San Francisco or were constantly on the run, evading patrols.

Nowadays, it was rare to see homeless people on San Francisco's streets.

The city's cleanliness was better than ever.

As a result, both the Life Foundation and the city government were receiving praise from residents.

City officials used this opportunity to receive generous political donations from the Life Foundation.

The Life Foundation, in turn, now had an abundant supply of subjects for human trials.

With the Homeless Association under the Life Foundation's control, no one interfered.

It was a masterstroke—benefitting all involved parties.

"Editor, we've hit a wall in the investigation. We don't know where to go from here."

On the other end of the call, a young voice spoke.

"The Life Foundation conducts patrols every hour, and Homeless Haven's streets are covered with cameras. Even if we were willing to take the risk of sneaking in, we couldn't get far," the young voice continued after a pause. "There's only one option left. We could use micro-cameras, disguise ourselves as homeless, and sneak inside. If we can film the Life Foundation signing agreements or conducting human trials, they won't be able to deny it."

"No, that's too dangerous!" Eddie rejected the suggestion. "Let's try a different approach. If there's no way to find cracks from the outside, then we'll go from within."

"From within?" The young voice brightened with realization. "Good idea. We'll get started."

Eddie quickly cautioned, "Wait, Phil—don't rush it. We don't want to tip them off."

"Understood," Phil Urich replied confidently. "Editor, we won't let you down."

Meanwhile, Anton was busy with filming.

The start had been rough, with actors, props, lighting, and extras all taking time to align, giving Anton a headache.

Fortunately, he had the foresight to hire a dozen experienced assistant directors.

The crew was gradually finding its rhythm.

Seeing the talent of his assistant directors, Anton decided to delegate responsibilities, allowing for simultaneous shooting.

He took charge of the main character's scenes, keeping two assistant directors by his side to coordinate the crew and camera work, while leaving the rest of the scenes to other reliable assistant directors.

Everything was aimed at speeding up the film's completion.

Filming was a tedious, complex process.

Anton glanced at the schedule.

The seasoned Jim had planned for 120 days to complete shooting, with another 90 days for post-production and visual effects, alongside marketing, and 15 days for editing before release.

The entire process was projected to take around 200 days.

For a major special effects film, this was already a tight timeline.

But Anton was dissatisfied.

At this rate, he'd have to wait at least half a year before he could unlock the basic Batman template.

Far too long!

So, without compromising quality, Anton pushed the schedule forward as much as possible.

After all, with the final cut already clear in his mind, there was no need to film unnecessary filler shots.

The idea of "keeping one take, two takes" felt like a waste of time to Anton.

He aimed to finish everything within three months.

Jim, noticing the unorthodox approach, felt Anton was being reckless, and after reaching his limit, the two had a heated argument.

But Anton was determined, and Jim had no choice but to concede.

As the investor and director, Anton held all the power.

Reluctantly, Jim decided to turn a blind eye, essentially relinquishing control and letting Anton proceed.

Under these circumstances, Anton completed nearly half of the film in just one month.

At Anton's insistence, the VFX team joined production early, allowing for simultaneous progress.

The chance of a three-month release had skyrocketed.

However, nearly everyone else in the crew was skeptical about the film's success, including the assistant directors and the lead actors.

In their eyes, Anton was just an unprofessional rich kid.

They still remembered his initial clumsiness during filming.

Though he now seemed far more competent, his methods were still unsettling.

Some actors even regretted signing on for the movie.

Anton ignored the backstage gossip. After all, no one dared to voice these complaints openly in front of the director with the most control over the production.

Even Rachel's actress, the female lead closest to Anton, only dared to pout quietly in private.

"Today's shoot is over. Gather here at seven tomorrow."

Anton announced.

He then declined the female lead's offer to "discuss the script" and went back to his room, rubbing his sore back from sitting for so long.

Noticing a missed call from screenwriter Browning, he dialed back.

"Anton, the novel version of Batman: begins is finished," Browning reported. "I've sent it to your email. Review it at your convenience. If you need revisions, just let me know."

"Great work, thanks."

After hanging up, Anton opened his email, skimmed through the draft, and was pleased.

Browning, a master of his craft, had truly delivered.

Next, Anton called Eddie.

Eddie picked up immediately.

"Anton, what do you need?"

Eddie's voice sounded exhausted.

"I've sent a novel to your email. Make sure it's serialized in the Daily Bugle as soon as possible, with a 60-day release schedule."

Anton instructed, "This is crucial for promoting my film. It has to be done well."

"Understood."

Eddie assured him, "That won't be a problem."

"Good."

Anton paused, then asked, "You sound off—when was the last time you slept? As far as I know, the workload at the Daily Bugle isn't that intense. Is there trouble in San Francisco?"