Chapter 235: Support Team

Leaving downtown, Murphy had the taxi head straight to Century City, where he went to the CAA headquarters in the Death Star Building. There, he found Bill Rossetti and Grace waiting for him in a meeting room.

"Is the information reliable?" Bill asked first.

"Very reliable, a friend from downtown provided it," Murphy said, sitting back on the sofa with a furrowed brow. "Who would hire a private detective to investigate me?"

"Newspapers and media have their own sources, they wouldn't need a private detective," Grace pondered. "Murphy doesn't have any relatives in North America, so it's not likely about sharing any inheritance."

She suddenly thought of someone, but Bill immediately shook his head, dismissing the idea that Carey Mulligan, though rebellious, would engage in such complex scheming.

The three couldn't come up with an answer.

"This matter is now in our hands," Bill eventually assured Murphy. "Just focus on your own work and don't do anything rash."

Murphy's friend from downtown, Bill could guess who it was. Now that Murphy was a well-known director, it was best not to get too entangled with such people.

"Don't worry," Murphy stood up. "I know what to do and what not to."

As he prepared to leave, Grace stopped him.

"Murphy, the tickets for the Miss Universe pageant are here," she handed over a small paper bag. "If you're serious about a long-term relationship with that Israeli girl, try to convince her to stay in Los Angeles."

Murphy pocketed the tickets, "I know what to do."

He really did want Gal Gadot to stay in Los Angeles.

"Oh, one more thing," Grace added, "The mailroom received another batch of fan letters for you. You've never personally replied to them, but it would be good to take a look when you have time."

Bill also advised, "As a director, you shouldn't ignore your fan base."

"Alright," Murphy sat back down. "Rey, can you bring some of them over now?"

Grace stood up, "Just a moment."

Though Murphy said 'some', Grace returned with a large bag full of fan letters addressed to Murphy at CAA's public mailbox.

"All of these?" Murphy opened the bag to see piles of letters. "You're not expecting me to reply to all of them, are you?"

He hadn't expected a director to receive so many fan letters.

Grace handed him a pen and paper. "Just pick a few to reply to."

Murphy randomly selected several letters, ranging from fans praising his cult films, asking about his next project, to a female fan proposing to be his girlfriend, complete with a heavily edited photo. The most bizarre letter was from a woman named Daisy, who wanted to discuss perverse ways of killing, which Murphy promptly set aside, unwilling to reply to such odd correspondence.

After skimming through about thirty letters, he selected ten reasonable ones to reply to, expressing gratitude and promising to create more satisfying films in the future.

Finishing quickly, he handed the replies to Grace, "The rest is up to you."

He had never paid much attention to this aspect of his career, as big Hollywood stars often had someone handle such matters.

Leaving the Death Star Building, Murphy checked the paper bag in the taxi. It contained over a dozen tickets to the Miss Universe contest, which Grace had evidently gone to some trouble to obtain.

With so many tickets but no one to give them to, as the other four members of the "Stanton Clique" were overseas for promotions and most crew members were on vacation, Murphy wondered what to do with them.

Realizing these were premium tickets, it would be a shame to waste them. After a moment's thought, he called Carla Fess, "Where are you? Century City?"

"In the office," Carla's crisp voice came through the phone. "You're in Century City too?"

Murphy told the driver to wait, "I just left the Death Star Building. I have something for you."

There was a pause before Carla spoke, "Come to the Fox Tower. Let's meet at the coffee shop on the second floor in fifteen minutes."

"See you soon." Hanging up, Murphy directed the driver to the Fox Tower.

In Hollywood, besides Paramount Pictures, no major film companies remained, most medium to large production companies were now in Burbank. Twentieth Century Fox, however, had moved its headquarters to Century City, near Beverly Hills, occupying an entire building.

Arriving at the second-floor coffee shop, Murphy didn't wait long before Carla, dressed in a professional suit, hurried over and sat opposite him.

"What good thing did you bring?" Carla asked.

Murphy handed her a ticket from the paper bag, "The Miss Universe pageant is starting in a few days. These are entry tickets."

Carla accepted them without hesitation, "Perfect, I can use them to win over some people and also support your girlfriend."

"Trouble at work?" Murphy realized, "Facing many challenges?"

"A woman in a new position facing some old guards," Carla's brow furrowed, "and the director coveting my seat. It's not easy."

"Aren't you afraid of them?" Murphy teased, "I believe in your abilities and methods."

Carla shook her head, "It's different from my previous role in journalism. To establish authority here, I need tangible results. Unlike in news, where success is measured from various aspects, film production is straightforward – it's all about successful projects and box office numbers. As a newcomer, I naturally face resistance."

Murphy knew this well, "How's the project you're handling? The one with Alien and Predator?"

"Not very smooth, facing some obstacles internally," Carla's brow remained knotted, "Just found a director, Paul Anderson, who directed 'Resident Evil.' Someone recommended him to me. What do you think?"

"I'm not very familiar with him, just saw 'Resident Evil' he directed," Murphy recalled, "If the final film can maintain the pace of 'Resident Evil', with the appeal of Alien and Predator, it has a good chance of success."

"Actually, you were my preferred director," Carla sighed, "but you weren't interested."

Murphy smiled, "What if I have a suitable project and ask you to invest?"

"Aren't you working with Mira Max?" Carla was surprised.

Murphy shook his head, "Haven't you heard? The conflict between the Weinstein brothers and Disney's Michael Eisner is irreconcilable. Continuing with Mira Max now would only drag me into Disney's internal disputes."

"Do you have a suitable project?" Carla asked.

"I'm interested in the superheroes of Marvel Comics and DC Comics," Murphy said, "but Marvel doesn't see my potential, and I haven't approached DC yet, though I expect it won't be much better."

"What about X-Men?" Carla brought up, "Didn't you suggest to me before about splitting X-Men and making independent movies for some characters?"

Murphy raised an eyebrow, "You have that kind of authority now?"

"I'll find a way to get it," Carla said playfully, "Do you need me to list X-Men characters for you?"

"I'll look into it myself," Murphy pondered, "Let me talk to DC Comics first, okay?"

"Sin City" had slowly crossed $80 million in North America and was heading towards $85 million, with overseas box office surpassing $25 million, bringing the global total over $100 million. These successes could be leverage in negotiations with DC Comics, giving Murphy more credibility.

It's hard to sway Hollywood producers with just talk.

Of course, Murphy knew he needed more than leverage; a plan and a project proposal were essential.

If things went well, he could involve Carla in the project. Cooperation between big Hollywood companies was common. If successful, it would also help her accumulate capital.

After hearing Murphy's brief plan, Carla smiled, "Then I'll wait for your good news."

She stood up to return to her office, and Murphy reminded her, "Don't forget to let your friends support Gal as a backup team."

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