CH32

-Aaaaaah!

Blood seeped into the torn inside of his lips, staining his teeth black as they cracked open.

Facing the grotesque figure, Ian abruptly extended his hand.

Crunch.

"Wow, this snack is delicious. Was it sent from the Korean community?"

"Right. Take this and go play over there. Maybe climb a wall or something."

"What am I, a monkey? And who climbs walls on a set?"

Muttering, Miles took the snack and left. Ian then made a call.

-Ian! Danny is something.

Larry's opening wasn't out of the blue. It came from asking what Daniel usually does to hang out.

"Really? How so?"

-I didn't know, but the kids told me he practices at the academy until late every night.

"I see. That must be tough."

-Right? I heard Mr. Brown is nice to us, but he seems strict with Danny. They say you can hear him yelling at night.

Ian recalled.

The screams blaming him and the guilt-ridden face of Easton Brown.

'Could it be that he turned to drugs because of the abusive education? It makes sense if you think about it.'

The pieces of the puzzle fit, but it was uncomfortable to jump to conclusions.

As Ian pondered the reason, he quickly found one.

"…No. He loved acting."

Daniel seemed to enjoy being in front of the camera more than playing with other kids, showing strong pride in his acting skills.

Is this the look of being forced into education? It didn't seem like it at all.

-Eh? What did you say?

"Ah, thanks. I guess I should visit the academy to get closer to Daniel."

-Great! Make sure to tell me too!

After securing a promise, Larry hung up, and Ian sighed briefly.

He had gained a clue, but that was it. The possibilities had not been narrowed down.

'Maybe there was no passion when he started using drugs. Or maybe he encountered drugs without any particular reason.'

Having seen many addicts while living on the streets, he knew life wasn't a drama or movie, and plausible reasons weren't necessary.

Addictions can start from something as trivial as curiosity-driven smoking or a roulette spun while on vacation.

Knowing this yet searching for a plausible reason was due to the illusions in front of him.

'It's not like I have to follow him around like a nanny for the rest of his life, right? If that were the case, I'd quit in a heartbeat.'

"Ian! We're starting to shoot again!"

Called back to reality, Ian stood up and checked the time.

One hour of shooting left, followed by an appointment.

"I hope the party animal gives a proper clue."

It was time to meet Charlotte Underhill, the troublemaker of Hollywood.

***

The office, adorned with luxurious interior materials, displayed bags, shoes, and clothes neatly.

Entering the innermost room of the bustling office, a zesty and sweet fragrance wafted through the air.

"Top notes of orange and peach? And is that a hint of mimosa I smell?"

"Oh, you're interested in perfumes too?"

Charlotte, holding a perfume bottle, asked with a surprised look as Ian shrugged.

"I read up on it on the internet on my way here. I figured I should at least pretend to know something since I came to the company."

"…What?"

After a brief pause, she burst into laughter like a young girl.

Her laughter, fitting with the zesty and cheerful scent of the perfume, filled the room.

"I felt this when we met before, but you're really funny. Oh, and your mom?"

"Hello. I'm Chloe Pryce, Ian's mother."

With Chloe's polite greeting, Charlotte quickly closed the distance.

"Oh my, your hair is so beautiful. Do you do anything special for it?"

"Oh, no?"

"You were born with it then. I'm jealous. Your ankles are pretty too. They would look great with shoes. Wait a moment. Maya!"

Charlotte instructed the woman who entered.

"Could you check if we have shoes that would match? I want to give them as a gift."

"No, you don't have to give us a gift!"

"I'm not expecting anything in return, so please don't refuse. If it feels like too much, just make sure to wear them often. I can't exactly have Ian wear the shoes, can I?" 

Chloe was pushed out with a smile and a gentle push, and the office door closed behind her.

Left alone in the office, Charlotte laughed playfully.

"Was I being too nosy by sending her away?"

"I'm thankful."

It saved him the trouble of beating around the bush.

Charlotte, having led Ian to the sofa, glanced at the time.

"We have a party to attend soon, so shall we get to the point? You asked about Easton Brown, right?"

"Yes."

"He's the father of the child actor in the drama you're filming."

Ian had anticipated this. 

It was the perfect pretext for unnecessary suspicion.

Despite the penetrating gaze that seemed to delve into him, Ian nonchalantly nibbled on the chocolate in front of him.

"Why? Do you think I'm investigating him because he annoys me?"

After tapping her fingernails, which had been done with nail art, on the table a few times, she smiled.

"Who said that? Just curious. There's no need to talk about Easton Brown's work since it's all over the internet. But I heard some bad rumors about him."

"Bad rumors?"

"Yeah, that he has a bad personality and will cause problems on set. That's the rumor going around."

Such a bad personality?

'That's strange.'

If his personality were so problematic that he'd cause issues on set, it would have been the same at the academy.

At the very least, Larry wouldn't have mentioned anything about kindness.

"Do people who worked with him say the same?"

"Well, everyone seems to keep quiet about it. At least, no one actively denies it."

Charlotte chuckled and unwrapped a chocolate, popping it into Ian's mouth.

The taste of sweet and bitter dark chocolate filled his mouth.

Ian felt like he was one step closer to uncovering hidden truths.

Just a bit more to go, he thought and asked another question.

"So, his acting career ended around that time too?"

"Exactly. Even if he was a good actor, there's no reason to cast someone with such rumors floating around."

A son involved in drugs, a father with a halted filmography, rumors that differ from reality.

These three facts intertwined, forming a dark shadow.

"…Then, one last question. Do you know who started those rumors?"

Charlotte's smile deepened.

Like an adult teasing a child opening a surprise box, her suspicious smile seemed to anticipate his reaction to the answer.

"Herman Goldschmidt. Do you know who that is?"

"…I do."

How could he not? A powerhouse producer in Hollywood, known for strategic promotions that led numerous distributed works to Oscar glory, despite his notorious reputation.

'A famous sex offender.'

A monster of Hollywood whose deeds were so publicly known that even obscure actors heard the rumors, yet he had long managed to silence the press.

"Looks like you know quite a bit. I'm not sure how Easton Brown got tangled up with that vile man."

She leaned forward and whispered in Ian's ear.

"It's better to lose interest. Otherwise, you, die."

Seeing his stern face, Charlotte stood up and went behind Ian, embracing him as if to comfort him.

"Of course, I mean your acting career would be over, but you have a bright future ahead. It's not that everyone is silently complicit; they're avoiding it fearing they might stir up trouble. Are you close to that child actor?"

"Not really."

"Then that's good. Or perhaps, like the media has portrayed, do you have a strong sense of heroism? Doesn't seem like it to me."

"Right. I'm not courageous or just enough to poke my head into matters that won't end well."

Charlotte had grown up in a prominent family and had seen countless people through her business and parties.

Ian, though young, appeared savvy and realistic, unlikely to ignore warnings and engage in reckless actions.

Pleased, she straightened up.

"Our conversation today was fun. Next time, let's talk business, as you mentioned before. I can't maintain the party animal image forever, after all."

"Talk business? Sure, why not now?"

"Now?"

Charlotte glanced at her watch. Parties are an extension of business.

Dressed in outfits given in exchange for bundles of dollars and requiring corresponding makeup, there wasn't much time left.

"Can we talk about this next time? Hold on a sec."

Stepping back at the sight of Ian's earnest smile, Charlotte felt a chill, anticipating what he might say.

"You're not thinking what I think you are, are you?"

"You said you wanted to shed your party animal image."

"…I said I wanted to change my image, not become a lunatic. Would you rather I strip and dance?"

"If you did that in front of me, you'd get arrested. Right, Lottie?"

Lottie, what?

Charlotte sat down heavily, disgusted by the pet name.

"Do you think no one has ever claimed to be a victim? Everyone's been trampled on. Do you think we can take him down?"

"It's tough but not impossible."

Simply having a sharp weapon doesn't guarantee a successful hunt. It requires the right plan and timing.

'After all, he's a man whose crimes will be exposed and whose downfall is inevitable in the future.'

He's not an immortal monster. Just meet the right conditions.

"Herman, that man is also a fervent Democrat supporter like most of Hollywood, right? And there's something important happening in the US this year."

"…You mean the midterm elections?"

The midterms, affecting the Senate, the House, and even governors, were fast approaching.

Ian smiled innocently.

"Such turbulent news at this time would make the Republicans very happy. And we're still not out of the financial crisis, right? Hollywood's struggling too."

"…So?"

"Herman's business must be suffering too, right? I wonder if he still has the power to suppress things as before. And how great would it be for the victims to receive a hefty settlement in these tough times?"

Money can't completely heal the wounds and trauma of being crushed and traumatized, but it's better than nothing.

Charlotte looked sickened. It wasn't easy seeing someone more ruthless than herself.

"I thought you were out of your mind when I saw you drop-kicking a robber, but this confirms it."

"I do wonder that about myself sometimes."

Ian had lived as a homeless person for many years, experiencing all kinds of humiliation before eventually finding success as an actor.

It wouldn't be surprising if one part of him was a bit twisted. 

He wasn't keen on confirming it through psychological counseling, though.

"There's a possibility of success, but there's a major issue. You know what it is?"

"…Someone to take the lead?"

"Let's nicely call it a figurehead. No matter how much I talk, I'd just be squashed like a bug, right?"

He might be a popular child actor, but that's it.

To Herman, he would barely register as an irritation.

"You want me to do it?"

"Lottie's family sells luxury goods, right? Most of the victims are foreign actors or models, so it would be easy to find them and gain significant support from women. It's profitable."

Business is all about balancing risk and return.

After quickly crunching the numbers, Charlotte messed up her neatly arranged hair.

"I really shouldn't have met you. How am I supposed to enjoy the party now? Hey!"

"What?"

"I can't give you an answer right now, okay? This could affect my family, so I need to discuss it, and we need to find willing victims. Securing a media outlet for the exposé is a given. If any part of this falls through, I'm out."

A half-baked effort could lead to serious harm.

This was a different scale from appearing like a wild party girl.

Charlotte sighed deeply and asked,

"Why are you doing all this? Is that child actor really that important to you?"

"I'm not sure."

Why did he have such a fantasy? 

Was it because one of the three homeless people planted the dream of acting in him?

Maybe that person could be a great help in the future, or maybe there's another reason he couldn't grasp.

'Isn't there a saying about destiny being linked by even the slightest touch? If I let this slide, I'd regret it forever.'

Plus, there was another reason he could proceed with this plan.

Ian looked at her with a mischievous smile.

"But even if it fails, there's no problem for me, right?"

"Hey! What if I expose everything later? Saying it was all started because of you?"

"Go ahead. Who would believe a primary school kid came up with this plan? So, please take care of it. Shall we call the plan Giant Killing? Sounds good, right?"

"Hmph, fine. It sounds really good!"

Giant Killing

A plan to turn Hollywood upside down was quietly set in motion.

TL/n - 

Herman Goldschmidt = Harvey Weinstein