Chapter 29: Instigation

Near the airship bar by Santa Monica Beach.

After leaving WMA headquarters, Matthew Broderick rushed here with a group of close friends.

At this moment, sitting on the second floor of the bar overlooking the dance floor below, Matthew Broderick felt increasingly irritable as he thought about the events of the past few days, and suddenly tilted his head back to gulp down a full bottle of dark beer.

He didn't care much about losing his role in "The Butterfly Effect."

It was just a slightly better-than-average screenplay after all; Hollywood was never short on scripts. If he hadn't managed to kick that guy out of the production team, he would have quit on his own. Already a big star, he certainly didn't need to work with people he disliked, a practice not uncommon for Spielberg.

However, Matthew Broderick never imagined that he would be the one getting kicked out in the end.

If it were just that, he might have only been sullen for a while.

But the situation took an unexpected turn.

Due to inexplicably getting involved in this unlucky incident, he not only ended up being the one kicked out but also had to sign a low-budget movie deal with Fox.

Three million dollars.

His salary had reached that amount already after "War Games" three years ago.

Now, with "Ferris Bueller's Day Off" so successful it could even make it into the top ten box office hits of the year, he still had to sign another contract for a film paying only three million dollars.

Damn WMA.

That afternoon in Norman Broca's office, Matthew Broderick was close to flipping out and firing him on the spot.

But in the end, he didn't dare to do so.

The contract with WMA was the least of it; so many had jumped ship to CAA in the past six months, and most of their contracts hadn't even expired. But the real issue was, he knew that if he pushed Norman Broca too far, he might ruin himself.

After all, the person who often knows a star's secrets best is their agent.

FACK!

He cursed under his breath, barely holding back from throwing his beer bottle into the crowd below, the repressed anger in his chest nearly driving him mad.

Withdrawing his gaze from the dance floor below, Matthew Broderick was about to grab another beer when he inadvertently noticed a blonde girl whispering in the arms of his close friend, Alan Settler, across the circular booth. He suddenly remembered the guy he passed by at the WMA headquarters that afternoon.

It was all because of that damn "The Butterfly Effect."

All because of that guy.

Pushing away a girl clinging to him, Matthew Broderick motioned to Christy Swanson across the way, then simply stood up and walked over.

On the other side of the booth, seeing Matthew Broderick approaching, everyone squeezed to the side.

Sitting down between Alan Settler and another close friend, Mark Stein, Matthew Broderick bluntly asked Christy Swanson, "Christy, don't you know Simon Westeros?"

Hearing Matthew ask this, Mark Stein leaned in immediately.

The experience in the bar's dance floor a few days ago had been deeply ingrained in Mark Stein's memory, and lately, people had even started calling him "Monkey," a nickname that had unwittingly spread and become a source of mockery for many.

As one of Matthew Broderick's close friends, Mark Stein was well aware of the series of events at WMA recently.

At this moment, hearing Matthew Broderick bring up Simon Westeros, he sharply realized that his chance for revenge had arrived.

Unlike ordinary people outside the circle, many eyes in Hollywood had gradually begun to focus on a young man named Simon Westeros in recent times.

Christy Swanson also realized that Simon was no longer the nobody he had been a few weeks ago. However, she didn't think he could compare to a Hollywood star like Matthew.

Hearing Matthew Broderick ask about Simon, Christy Swanson didn't even want to mention him, shaking her head and saying, "Matthew, it was just a chance encounter that day. I only know he works at Griffin Grocery on 25th Street."

Matthew Broderick was immediately disappointed.

If Christy Swanson knew where Simon lived, he would have loved to take a bunch of close friends over right away to give that guy a good beating and vent some of his frustration and irritation.

Now, that guy had earned $200,000 from a screenplay and obviously wouldn't still be working at a supermarket as a clerk.

Mark Stein noticed Matthew Broderick's look of disappointment and quickly suggested, "Matthew, maybe we could go check out that supermarket. Even if he's not working there anymore, the other employees might know where he is."

Matthew Broderick hesitated, not wanting to bother with the trouble.

Seeing this, Mark Stein continued to instigate,

 "Matthew, all these messes lately are because of Simon Westeros' screenplay, don't you want to settle the score with that guy?"

Mark Stein's voice grew increasingly biting as he spoke, his volume rising.

Holding his girlfriend, Alan Settler heard Mark Stein's words and laughed loudly: "Monkey, you just want to settle the score with that Simon Westeros, right?"

The surrounding youngsters all burst into laughter.

Mark Stein, his face reddening, stood up and pointed at Alan Settler: "You motherfucker, call me 'Monkey' one more time."

Alan Settler, unfazed, provocatively raised his eyebrows and shouted louder: "Monkey!"

Seeing Mark Stein about to pounce on Alan Settler, Matthew Broderick grabbed him and said, "Cut the crap."

Saying this, Matthew Broderick then stood up and announced, "That's it for tonight. Ladies stay, guys, follow me."

Hearing the recent conversation, the young men already understood Matthew Broderick's intentions. Mark Stein was the first to jump up again, and the other youths also stood up, laughing as they followed Matthew Broderick out.

Left in the booth, Christy Swanson watched the group of boys hustle out, merely shrugging indifferently.

Just a fight.

Or, some guy would get beaten up.

But it was no big deal.

It was already past nine in the evening.

Matthew Broderick and six others drove in two cars from the airship bar and quickly found Griffin Grocery on 25th Street in Midtown.

Initially thinking about how to extract information about Simon Westeros from the employees, a young man who had just gotten out of the car easily recognized the figure standing at the cash register behind the supermarket glass door.

With the target confirmed, Mark Stein in the car behind immediately ran to the front BMW, knocked on the window, and when the window rolled down, said to Matthew Broderick in the passenger seat, "Matthew, do we just go in and drag that guy out?"

Before Matthew Broderick could respond, Alan Settler, who was driving, cursed: "Are you stupid? Doing that would be seen as a robbery. Of course, we wait for that guy to get off work. Also, Mark, what the hell are you doing with a baseball bat? You could kill someone with that."

Mark Stein, thinking about how soon he could have his revenge, didn't bother arguing with Alan Settler and waved the baseball bat he was holding, saying, "I know how to fight, don't you motherfucking teach me."

The youths, some with similar part-time experience, knew that the 24-hour supermarket would likely change shifts around 11 p.m.

Killing time over the next hour or so, Matthew Broderick and his group drove back to the vicinity of Griffin Grocery, and soon saw Simon Westeros riding a bicycle out of an alley behind the supermarket.

The two cars immediately started up, quietly following him.

After heading south on 25th Street for a while, Simon Westeros turned onto Santa Monica Boulevard, which was still somewhat busy even in the early hours of the morning, obviously not a place to start a fight.

Continuing to follow him for a while, when Simon Westeros turned into a dimly lit narrow street in a residential area, the two cars synchronized their acceleration.

"I'm not going over," Matthew Broderick thought for a moment, then cautiously told his eager comrades in the car, "Beat him up hard, I'll take everyone to Las Vegas next week."

Hearing Matthew Broderick's promise, the expressions of the young men in the car became even more excited.

Then, Alan Settler hit the brakes, the car doors opened, and three youths charged towards Simon Westeros, who was riding ahead.

The figure behind them seemed even more impatient, overtaking the three with a baseball bat, reaching Simon Westeros from behind, and ruthlessly swinging the bat, striking hard on the backpack on Simon Westeros' back.

Watching from the car, Matthew Broderick saw Simon Westeros being knocked down on the road ahead by Mark Stein's swing, and the other young men then seamlessly dragged the young man on the ground towards a nearby alley, a flicker of concern crossing his mind, then excitement, and even some regret that he hadn't joined in.

In the darker alley, the dull sounds of fists and sticks hitting flesh continued.

The sudden impact of the baseball bat nearly knocked Simon Westeros unconscious.

The lingering instinct made Simon curl up, protecting his head with his hands.

What's happening?

Such a question emerged in his mind.

The relentless kicks and punches mixed with a thick wooden stick.

That's a baseball bat.

Simon vaguely recognized it.

But.

That could kill someone.

Was there such deep hatred?

The icy sensation of water soaking through his clothes from a puddle beneath him gradually cooled Simon's consciousness.

In the dim light, Mark Stein's