Chapter 30: Invitation

Despite being a single-story house, the property was quite large. It was evident that the owner had intended to use it as a filming location when constructing it. The interior was both exquisite and elegant, displaying a high level of taste. The living room, bedrooms, kitchen, study, and workroom were all fully equipped. Moreover, in some relatively hidden spots, the camera placements were thoughtfully reserved, allowing for comprehensive shots of the corresponding rooms.

Murphy was very satisfied with the house. After making a round, he entered the soundproof study with the real estate agent.

"Mr. Wayne..."

Seated on a high-backed sofa, Murphy looked at the real estate agent beside him, "If I rent this place for a month and a half, what's the rent?"

Wayne's mind worked quickly, and he immediately replied, "Nine thousand nine hundred dollars!"

"What?" Murphy frowned, "That's too expensive."

"Mr. Stanton, that's not fair." Wayne raised his hand, pointing outside, "That crew rents by the day, and their daily rent is five hundred dollars. I know you're different from them, shooting a proper film, so I offered a discount."

He continued his spiel, "I dare say, finding a house suitable for filming in Los Angeles isn't easy. This place has ample space, fully furnished, and almost new renovations. You can directly shoot indoor scenes here. Renting a studio to build sets would cost more and might not be as effective."

It was clear that Wayne was a very experienced real estate agent.

Murphy remained unmoved, "The price is still too high."

In reality, the offered price was entirely acceptable, but the current situation called for thrift. The money saved could be reinvested in the production.

The real estate agent pondered for a few seconds, "Nine thousand dollars. Any lower, and I won't be able to explain it to the landlord. You'll have to find another place."

Lightly tapping the sofa armrest with his fingers, Murphy made a decision, "Alright, nine thousand dollars."

After agreeing on a formal contract signing time, Murphy was the first to leave the study. As he turned into the living room through the hallway, Jessica Chastain beside him saw the scene being filmed and involuntarily opened her mouth. She quickly covered it with her hand to stifle a gasp.

Someone across the room made a stop gesture, and Murphy immediately halted, standing at the hallway's entrance.

In the living room, the director behind the camera suddenly called for a stop, removed his baseball cap, and stood up to question, "What's wrong with you? Can you manage today or not?"

The question was directed at a completely naked male actor, who was clearly distressed.

Opposite him, the blonde woman Murphy had noticed earlier was also fully nude, lying on the sofa. She glanced at the actor and then loudly addressed the director, "Marco, replace him. Otherwise, we'll waste the whole day."

The director immediately pointed at the male actor, "Take a break."

The male actor looked down at himself, dejectedly leaving the living room.

Initially, there were only these two actors in the living room. Now, with the male lead gone, the director didn't look for a replacement but instead instructed the cameraman before stripping down and stepping in as the male lead himself...

"Turns out... turns out..." After the initial shock, Jessica Chastain gradually recovered, stealing glances at the explicit scene being filmed, "So this crew is shooting that kind of film."

Murphy crossed his arms, watching with interest. This was his first time witnessing the filming of such a movie, "Don't underestimate this industry. Its annual revenue rivals the total North American box office."

In fact, the actress on the sofa would later surpass ninety-nine percent of Hollywood stars in terms of net worth and income.

Seeing Murphy watching appreciatively, Jessica Chastain muttered, "I hope this movie fails, and you end up being part of it."

Her voice was low, but Murphy heard it. He responded indifferently, "At first, I considered making such films to gather initial capital."

Jessica Chastain realized that the man beside her was even more shameless than she had imagined.

The filming scene was far from the smooth sequences Murphy had seen on his computer. They frequently paused, and the strenuous positions clearly exhausted the actors.

Standing there for nearly half an hour, Murphy watched as the scene finally wrapped up and the crew entered another break.

The lead actors, seemingly exhausted, didn't care about the others' gazes. They sat naked on the sofa, drinking water and catching their breath.

Seeing this, Murphy could only sigh inwardly, "This industry isn't easy to make money in. Besides the high risk of contracting diseases like AIDS, filming requires significant physical strength and stamina."

With the scene over and no one stopping them, Murphy had no intention of lingering. Watching the behind-the-scenes process was interesting at first but soon became tedious, especially realizing that the so-called high-difficulty actions were painstakingly filmed.

In essence, like regular movies, these were just performances. One belonged to the glamorous Hollywood, the other to the infamous San Fernando Valley.

Walking through the living room, Murphy opened the door. Just as he and Jessica Chastain stepped outside, someone hurriedly exited from behind.

The person had loose, curly blonde hair, with a sharply defined face still showing signs of post-exertion fatigue. Perhaps in her haste, she wore nothing but a long, thin blanket, revealing glimpses of her body as she moved.

"Mr. Stanton..." She called out as she approached, "Please wait a moment."

Murphy turned to look at her, wondering why the actress wanted to talk to him, showing a deliberately puzzled expression.

She seemed to know a bit about Murphy and Jessica, greeting them, "Hello, Mr. Stanton. Hello, Ms. Chastain."

Murphy nodded at her, "Hello."

"Sorry to interrupt..." The blonde woman in slippers came closer, "I'm Jenna Jameson."

She pointed to the house behind, "The lead actress and one of the investors in this crew."

This was the famous Jenna Jameson. Murphy certainly knew her and made a polite remark, "Nice to meet you, Ms. Jameson."

"Just call me Jen or Jenna." She smiled warmly and spoke directly, "I heard from Wayne that you're planning to shoot a feature film here?"

Hearing this, Murphy understood her intention and nodded, "Next month."

Jenna Jameson immediately responded, "It's really impressive to be a Hollywood director at your age. Very enviable."

Murphy smiled, "Just lucky."

"Really?" Jenna Jameson reached out from under her blanket, handing over a business card, "This is my card..."

She made a call-me gesture but didn't leave immediately. Instead, she turned to Jessica Chastain, looked her up and down, her eyes finally resting on Jessica's ample chest, then produced another card as if by magic and handed it over.

Jessica, not understanding her intention, took the card politely.

"You have great potential..." Jenna Jameson said in a probing tone, "If you're interested in this industry, call me. I guarantee you'll be a nationwide sensation with just one film."

Hearing this, Jessica nearly burst a vein in anger but couldn't find words to respond.

Murphy wanted to laugh but held back. He gently patted Jessica's back, taking over the conversation, "That's unlikely. Jessica is a top graduate from Juilliard."

Jenna Jameson shrugged, saying nothing more. She looked at Jessica with subtle envy and jealousy, as if lamenting the unfairness of fate.

"Goodbye," she waved at Murphy, her words carrying a double meaning, "I hope to hear from you."

As Jenna Jameson left, Murphy headed to the car. Once Jessica was in the passenger seat, he started the engine and drove back the way they came.

Jessica sat in the passenger seat, glaring at the business card in her hand.

Murphy glanced at her, casually advising, "It's just an invitation."

"But she invited me to the adult film industry!" Jessica protested.

"So what? She has the right to invite, and you have the right to refuse."

After all, the girl beside him had just stepped out of the ivory tower, lacking experience and the thick skin. Murphy turned onto the main road and added, "It also shows that you have great potential."

Jessica thought about it and realized it made sense.

She remembered that Jenna had given Murphy a business card too, and asked, "Why did she give you a card? Is she trying to seduce you?"

"Seduce me?" Murphy shook his head, "I have no interest, and I'm sure she wasn't interested either."

In her tired state, there's no way someone at the top of her game would be interested in an unknown like him.

Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley might seem like separate worlds, but there were connections. For example, big Hollywood stars often invited adult film stars to their parties, especially those masked, wild parties where these stars were enthusiastic participants.

Jessica had long noticed her lack of experience compared to the cunning person beside her, who was younger but as sly as a fox.

Curiously, she asked, "Then what was her purpose?"

"She just wants to expand her network and make connections, especially with Hollywood-related people." Murphy raised a finger to point at himself, "To her, I'm a potential rising star. Getting on good terms with me could help her enter Hollywood if I succeed."

Understanding, Jessica nodded but still wondered, "Is that possible?"

"Absolutely not." Murphy shook his head, "These women think the San Fernando Valley is a gateway to Hollywood. Unfortunately, once you enter that circle, the path to Hollywood is permanently closed."

Though he said this, Murphy kept Jenna Jameson's card, thinking it might come in handy someday. After all, the queen of that industry didn't earn her reputation for nothing.