Chapter 71: I Can Invest in You

The sun had just crept over the horizon, not yet illuminating the gloomy Latin neighborhood. A van sped through the narrow streets, finally stopping in front of a dilapidated building amidst the angry glares of numerous onlookers.

The passenger in the front seat picked up a phone and dialed a number, shouting, "Boss, the car is here. You can come down now."

This phone call seemed to signal the beginning of something, as the previously quiet building suddenly came to life. Several burly men emerged, carrying packed boxes out of the building.

The last to come out was a Latin man with densely tattooed arms. He loudly reminded them, "You fools, be careful! The boxes contain artworks!"

A bald Black man walked to the back of the van, handed a box to someone inside, and turned back with a grin. "Boss, don't worry. This is a piece of cake for us."

The sun began to rise above a nearby building, casting rays of light on the bald man's head, which sparkled like stars. He flashed a bright smile, his teeth exceptionally white. "Boss, I didn't expect you to actually know the owner of a movie company. Can you ask Mr. Stanton when we can have a cameo in a film?"

Murphy, carrying a briefcase, walked out of the building at this moment. "If you're willing, you can do it next month."

Hearing this, the bald man was taken aback. Murphy walked over to Ross and continued, "But there won't be any salary, no lines, and you'll be dismembered."

Laughter erupted around them, and the bald man sheepishly scratched his head.

With many hands helping, the few boxes were quickly loaded. The van slowly started and left the Latin neighborhood, heading towards Murphy's new place.

Murphy had been back in Los Angeles for nearly a week. Aside from finalizing the deal with Miramax Films, he spent most of his time house hunting with a real estate agent introduced by Robert. His requirements were extensive: the house had to serve as both an office and a temporary residence, and it couldn't be too expensive. After some searching, he finally signed a lease yesterday.

The house was located at the border of Santa Monica and West Hollywood, on the outskirts of the Valley. It was a two-story detached house with about 150 square meters on the first floor, and the second floor had two bedrooms with bathrooms and a study, perfectly meeting Murphy's needs.

Situated in a relatively good area and with ample space, the rent was understandably high—$5,500 per month, even at a friendly price thanks to Robert.

Another appealing feature was that the house had previously been used by a small company as an office, which recently moved to a commercial building, leaving behind old desks, chairs, and equipment. Originally meant to be discarded, Murphy bought them at a very low price.

The van traveled through West Hollywood and Santa Monica, along palm tree-lined roads, finally stopping in front of the detached house. Murphy's Ford followed closely behind. After parking, he greeted Ross, who arrived in another car, and directed his men to unload the van.

Opening the iron gate, crossing the thirty-foot stone path, Murphy climbed the steps, took out a key, and opened the front door. He waved to the people behind him and entered first.

Through the entrance hall was a large living room, filled with about a dozen partitioned office desks instead of typical living room furniture. These were the second-hand office supplies Murphy had acquired, slightly worn but cleaned up by a housekeeping company before the move, now looking neat and orderly.

"Over here..."

He led the way to a door by the stairs leading to the second floor, opening it to reveal a basement storage room almost as large as the living room.

Most of the items being moved, except for a few useful ones like laptops, were not immediately needed and could be stored in the basement for future organization.

With many hands helping, the move was quickly completed. Murphy took everyone to a nearby restaurant, as it was customary for the host to provide food.

Ross had called Murphy the night before, and upon hearing about the move, had brought these people along.

In the restaurant, while the others enjoyed barbecue together, Murphy and Ross sat in a separate booth, eating and chatting.

"So..."

Hearing about Murphy's experience at the Sundance Film Festival, Ross raised his head in surprise. "You invested over $300,000 in a film and sold it for a million dollars?"

"Yes," Murphy replied, chewing a piece of fragrant barbecue, his words somewhat unclear. "Soon, you should be able to see the movie in theaters."

Given the small scale of the film, Miramax wouldn't invest heavily in it. After a simple promotional period, it would be pushed into theaters, followed by TV broadcasts and video releases.

"Such high profit?" Ross frowned, a thoughtful look crossing his scarred face. "The return on investment is amazing."

Murphy swallowed his food. "Just lucky. If luck wasn't on my side, that $300,000 could have turned into waste paper."

"No, no," Ross put down his knife and fork, raising a finger to shake it. "If it happens once, it's luck. If it happens many times, it's more than luck."

Since meeting Murphy in prison, Ross had lost count of how many unexpected things he had accomplished.

Murphy smiled and suddenly changed the subject, shouting to the others at a nearby table, "When my film comes out, I'll take you all to see it."

Laughter erupted again. The bald man, clearly the lively one, loudly asked, "Can you get some pretty actresses to join us? They say Hollywood is full of beauties."

Murphy raised a hand and gave them the middle finger.

More laughter followed.

Murphy shook his head and turned back, noticing that Ross still wore a thoughtful expression.

"Are you going to keep making movies?" Ross asked, looking at him.

"I've told you before," Murphy took a sip of water and returned to his earlier tone, "My future is in Hollywood."

Ross didn't mock or tease him but asked seriously, "Do you have any new film plans?"

"I have some ideas," Murphy, always seeing Ross as his best friend, didn't hide it. "I'm still working on them. It'll take some time."

Ross nodded slightly and unexpectedly said, "I can invest in your new movie."

Murphy was surprised, having never expected Ross to make such an offer.