Chapter 70: A Critical Step

"Pleasant cooperation!"

"Pleasant cooperation!"

In the hotel conference room, Murphy and Jones Butler exchanged contracts. Murphy then received a film copy of "Hard Candy" from Paul Wilson and symbolically handed it to Jones Butler. Aside from crediting Stanton Studio for production and Murphy Stanton for directing, writing, and producing, the film was no longer his.

Members of the film festival's organizing committee were present to officiate the transaction.

After several rounds of negotiations, Murphy opted to sell the rights to "Hard Candy" to Miramax Films outright.

With the contract signed, Jones Butler reminded him, "Director Stanton, please deliver the original film prints to us as soon as possible."

Murphy wouldn't delay. "I'll hand over the prints to your company as soon as I return to Los Angeles."

Jones Butler smiled, signaling her team to pack up. She shook Murphy's hand, "You can call me when you produce your next film."

Murphy returned her polite smile. "I will."

This deal successfully connected Murphy with Miramax. As long as "Hard Candy" performed reasonably well in the market, future collaborations were likely.

Besides the sale price, this connection was another significant gain for Murphy.

After seeing Jones Butler and her team off, Murphy finally breathed a sigh of relief. Though his lofty dreams had been proven naive, selling the rights to "Hard Candy" had achieved his main goal. More importantly, he now had funds to initiate his next plan.

One million dollars was the final transaction price, temporarily making Murphy a millionaire.

In just over six months, Murphy had gone from a destitute ex-convict to a man of some wealth. Luck had certainly played a role.

Even with all expenses accounted for, the total cost of "Hard Candy" was just over $300,000. Turning a $300,000 investment into one million dollars in a few months left Murphy with no reason to complain.

Back at the hotel, Murphy packed his bags, preparing to return to Los Angeles. But there were still some matters to handle before leaving.

First, he and Bill Rossi visited the film festival committee's office to deal with the aftermath of "Hard Candy." Since the film had been screened and sold at the festival, a three percent commission was due, amounting to $30,000.

Additionally, Bill Rossi had leveraged his network to bring Miramax into the deal. According to their prior agreement, Rossi would receive a five percent commission.

Although this payment could be deferred, Murphy chose to pay it immediately, leaving him with just under one million dollars.

Murphy also planned to give Paul Wilson a bonus of around $2,000 to $3,000. He appreciated this hardworking and perceptive intern and wanted to ensure he remained loyal.

With these tasks completed, Murphy and Paul Wilson boarded a flight back to Los Angeles.

Upon arrival at Los Angeles International Airport, Murphy hailed a taxi, first dropping Paul Wilson off at his school and then heading to lawyer Robert's office. With tax season approaching, Murphy needed a clear understanding of how to manage his finances, including legal tax avoidance strategies.

The transaction for "Hard Candy" was conducted under Stanton Studio, which was registered in Delaware, a state with favorable tax laws. According to Robert, there were also various investment tax credits and other benefits to consider, complexities that were better left to professionals.

It was evening by the time Murphy returned to his house in the Latin community. Shutting the door and dropping his luggage, he collapsed onto the old sofa. The intense mental strain of the past few weeks had left him feeling utterly exhausted.

Despite this, the thought of the amount in his company's account made him smile and pump his fist in the air.

Whether back in the Pacific or now in the USA, Murphy had never experienced such success. He felt that the chaotic road ahead was gradually clearing, revealing a promising future.

He had taken a crucial first step, laying a solid foundation for his future plans.

Murphy wasn't one to rest on his laurels. Alone in his home, he didn't suppress his excitement. He ordered takeout from a nearby upscale Chinese restaurant and included a bottle of wine.

He had never told anyone, but the pressure he had been under since the beginning of the project was immense. A failure would mean that everything he had gained from Bill and Kobe Bryant would be wasted, and he might never have such good fortune again.

Murphy didn't share his pressures or joys with others.

The takeout arrived quickly. Sitting by the window in the dark, Murphy sipped his wine. Outside, people walked through the rundown neighborhood, their noises barely muffled by the flimsy walls.

Listening to these sounds, Murphy sat quietly, his earlier excitement fading into a calm. The joy of success felt hollow without someone to share it with.

He couldn't express these feelings in front of Paul Wilson or Bill Rossi.

After finishing a glass of wine, Murphy took out his phone and called Rose's number, only to hear the cold, mechanical "The number you have dialed is turned off" message.

Putting down his phone, Murphy shook his head. In the vast city of Los Angeles, he was alone in this rundown, chaotic, crime-ridden Latin community.

Maybe it was time to move? The thought occurred to Murphy.

Living in downtown Los Angeles wasn't ideal. With more money on hand, and given his future plans, buying a house wasn't wise. However, renting in a better area was feasible.

Stanton Studio couldn't stay in the slums forever. It needed a proper office, and conducting interviews at a place like Milton Café wasn't sustainable.

Moreover, his crew had already worn out their welcome at Old Lynch's, who likely wouldn't support him as before.

Murphy was a man of action. He immediately called Robert to ask if he knew any good real estate agents.