Echoes of Hollywood

"This estate is quite nice," remarked a brown-haired young woman in the sitting room, politely complimenting Murphy. "Very tasteful."

"It's all Gail's doing," Murphy replied briefly, then got straight to the point. "So, what brings you here, Megan?"

The visitor was Megan Ellison, sister of David Ellison. Murphy had heard from David a while back that Megan had dropped out of the USC School of Cinematic Arts, just like he had, and was looking to make her mark in Hollywood.

Even if Megan didn't say it outright, Murphy had a good idea of why she was here.

David Ellison, through his collaboration with Murphy, had shed the awkwardness of being a newcomer and gained recognition in Hollywood. He was now a rare investor with substantial funds in the industry.

To put it mildly, David Ellison had achieved success.

Megan Ellison was well aware of this and knew that Murphy preferred directness when it came to business. She didn't beat around the bush. "I heard you're preparing a new film? The one about the financial fraudster, Jordan Belfort?"

Murphy nodded slightly. "The project is currently with 20th Century Fox."

"How's the funding coming along?" Megan probed. "Can I invest in it?"

She added quickly, "Just part of the investment. I won't interfere with the crew or your work."

Megan Ellison had seen how David succeeded by investing in Murphy's projects. It was almost like a foolproof financial plan.

Unlike Hollywood superstars like Leonardo DiCaprio, who demanded power proportional to their investment, Murphy didn't mind investors like David and Megan Ellison. They had no ability to interfere with the crew's operations.

However, this wasn't something Murphy could decide unilaterally.

Murphy thought for a moment and said, "Do you know Kara Faith?"

"Yes," Megan replied. "She's the head of production and distribution at 20th Century Fox."

Murphy wrote down Kara Faith's private number on a notepad, tore off the sheet, and handed it to Megan. "You should contact Kara Faith. You'll need to discuss this with her."

Megan instantly understood that Murphy wasn't against her investment. She quickly pocketed the note, smiling warmly. "Thank you, Murphy."

"No need to thank me," Murphy shook his head. "You're David's sister, and David once helped me."

Hearing this, Megan's smile faltered for a moment before recovering. She knew she had no personal rapport with Murphy, and without David, she wouldn't have been introduced to Kara Faith.

She stood up. "I'll take my leave now."

Murphy nodded and walked her out of the sitting room.

Hearing the commotion in the hallway, Gail Gadot, who was on the same floor, opened her study door, glanced at Murphy, and then walked over.

"How's your thesis coming along?" Murphy asked, concerned.

This year was Gail's graduation year. After years of preparatory and formal studies, she was set to graduate from the UCLA School of Law.

"I haven't written anything..." Gail shook her head. "I wasn't in the right mood today. I spent the day online researching and reading the news."

She led Murphy into the lounge, chatting about the news she had just read.

"I just saw some news online," Gail said, taking a sip of water from the cup Murphy handed her. "Paramount Pictures and Tom Cruise's Cruise/Wagner Productions have reached a new cooperation agreement. They released a joint statement this morning."

Murphy's expression turned thoughtful. "What are the terms of their new deal?" he asked.

Gail recalled, "The statement didn't specify, but the website reporting the news said that Paramount canceled the annual fee for Cruise/Wagner Productions. In future collaborations with Paramount, Tom Cruise will certainly lower his salary and share of profits, and the reduction might be significant."

"That's probably true," Murphy nodded.

This tactic of hitting first and then pulling back was quite clever. Sumner Redstone was indeed a shrewd old fox.

No doubt, even in the current era where star power wasn't as influential as in the 90s, superstars like Tom Cruise still held significant value. Sumner Redstone and Paramount wouldn't entirely abandon Cruise. The initial blow was primarily to reduce Cruise's salary demands.

This was also the true aim of Hollywood's major production companies in their push to suppress star salaries.

Murphy sighed inwardly. "Sumner Redstone is, after all, a media mogul."

Such individuals are powerful, smart, capable, and experienced. Standing against them would be incredibly challenging.

Murphy speculated that the reason Redstone hadn't troubled him over the years was either because the mogul didn't care about that past incident or had forgotten about it. Redstone was undoubtedly busy, and ongoing family disputes likely consumed much of his time and energy.

However, human intentions are unpredictable. Who knew when Redstone might remember that old incident and decide to act?

Even Murphy, with his current status, wouldn't underestimate Redstone's influence. Despite media reports during the last economic crisis that Redstone might no longer be a billionaire, how credible were those reports?

Taking media hype at face value would be foolish.

However, Murphy was no longer the person he used to be. With his close cooperation with 20th Century Fox, even if Redstone wanted to do something, he would have to consider potential repercussions.

Predicting the exact development of such matters was challenging since the initiative didn't lie with Murphy. He wouldn't foolishly bow and apologize to Redstone. For now, the best approach was to stay vigilant.

After chatting with Gail about Tom Cruise and Paramount's complicated relationship, Gail suddenly remembered something else.

"Are you planning to buy property in New York?" she asked.

"It's just an idea," Murphy explained. "We'll be spending a lot of time working in New York. Owning a house is more comfortable than staying in a hotel, and property prices aren't too high right now."

Gail nodded lightly. "You handle these things as you see fit."

Murphy continued, "We can't just live in Los Angeles. Experiencing the vibe of the Big Apple occasionally isn't bad."

Gail rolled her eyes. "Darling, do you mean experiencing the traffic jams?"

"New York and Manhattan aren't that congested," Murphy shrugged.

He had experienced worse congestion. In the city where he once lived, known for its springs, the road conditions were often beyond words. Even surpassing cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen in terms of congestion, it ranked first in the nation for several consecutive months.

Much of this congestion was man-made. Every spring, multiple main roads would undergo construction simultaneously. A major north-south road might be under construction, while the alternate routes were also being worked on, causing widespread gridlock.

The most ridiculous incident involved a road in the city center. Due to pipeline installation issues, it was dug up and repaired three times in just over six months. Murphy often passed through there and, like the locals, was left speechless by the inefficiency.

Such congestion is inevitable in major cities worldwide.

Afterward, Murphy had Grace contact several real estate agents in New York. They provided numerous options in Manhattan, including several in the prestigious Upper East Side, which was Murphy's preferred location.

Manhattan's Upper East Side stretches from 59th Street to 96th Street, bordered by Fifth Avenue to the west and the East River to the east. The avenues from west to east include Fifth Avenue, Madison Avenue, Park Avenue, Lexington Avenue, Third Avenue, Second Avenue, First Avenue, York Avenue, and East End Avenue.

From Fifth Avenue to the east and Lexington Avenue to the west is New York's most expensive and desirable residential area, known as the "Gold Coast." It's home to the wealthiest residents of New York, a true affluent district.

Some say that Manhattan's Upper East Side not only represents the richest part of New York but also exudes the scent of money and conservative values. Its charm, tempered by capital and time, is reflected in its numerous famous museums and world-class designer boutiques, embodying the city's refined taste. The best private and public schools subtly reinforce class distinctions.

Despite the recent economic crisis, property prices in the Upper East Side remained high. A standard four-bedroom apartment still cost at least $3 million.

Murphy set a budget of $15 million to $25 million and tasked Grace with finding suitable properties in the Upper East Side.

While neither Murphy nor Gail was keen on excessive property acquisition, owning homes in New York and Los Angeles was simply a basic necessity at their level.

After gathering relevant information, Murphy made a trip to Manhattan to view properties and assess potential shooting locations on Wall Street.

When he returned to Los Angeles, Kara Faith brought good news. 20th Century Fox had completed its review of the Jordan Belfort film project and decided to invest in the movie.

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