Capítulo 71: Chapter 71: You Can Invest in Me
The sun had just climbed above the horizon. A box truck careened into the narrow streets amidst furious glares, finally halting in front of a dilapidated building.
The person in the passenger seat dialed a number and exclaimed, "Boss, we're here. Come on down."
This phone call seemed to signal the beginning of a spectacle. The previously quiet building suddenly bustled with activity as burly men emerged, carrying packed boxes.
The last person to emerge was a Latin man with tattoos covering his hands. He loudly reminded, "You idiots, be careful! Those boxes contain artwork!"
"Boss..." a bald man approached the back of the truck, handing a box to another person above. He turned back, grinning, "Relax, boss. We got this under control, nothing we can't handle."
As the sun peeked over a nearby building, casting its rays upon the man's forehead, reflecting tiny specks of light, he smiled, his teeth gleaming white. "Boss, I didn't know you really knew the boss of a movie company. Can you tell Mr. Stanton when we can make an appearance in a movie?"
Murphy, carrying a briefcase, coincidentally walked out of the building. "If you're willing, next month should work."
Upon hearing this, the man was taken aback. Murphy walked over to Ross's side and added, "But there's no salary, no lines, and you might end up getting killed off."
Laughter erupted around them as the man sheepishly rubbed his head.
With many hands, the few boxes were quickly unloaded. The truck slowly started up and left the area, heading towards Murphy's newly found house.
Having been back in Los Angeles for almost a week, Murphy spent most of his time with the real estate agent Robert had recommended, looking for a suitable house. His requirements were somewhat demanding; the house had to serve as both an office and a temporary residence, and the price couldn't be too high. After some time searching, he finally signed the formal lease agreement just yesterday.
The house was located on the outskirts between Santa Monica and West Hollywood, in the valley area. It was a standalone two-story building, with a ground floor area of approximately 150 square meters and two independent bedrooms with bathrooms and a study on the second floor, perfectly meeting Murphy's requirements.
Situated in a relatively good location and with a decent size, the rent wasn't cheap. Murphy would have to pay $5,500 per month, albeit at a friendly rate, thanks to Robert's connections.
One more thing that Murphy liked about the house was that it used to be an office for a small company. The company had recently moved to a commercial building, leaving behind many old office desks, chairs, and equipment that were supposed to be discarded but were purchased by Murphy at an extremely low price.
As the truck drove through West Hollywood and past the Santa Monica green area, along the road lined with palm trees, it finally stopped in front of the standalone house. Murphy's Ford followed suit. After parking, Murphy greeted Ross, who had arrived in another car, and directed his men to unload.
Opening the wrought iron gate and crossing the short stone path, Murphy ascended the tall steps, unlocked the door with his keys, and waved for the others to follow him inside.
Through the foyer was a spacious living room, devoid of typical furniture like sofas, but instead occupied by a dozen partitioned office desks. These were the office equipment Murphy had acquired, appearing somewhat dated but had been cleaned by a cleaning company before moving, giving an orderly appearance.
"This way..." Murphy walked to the staircase leading to the second floor, opening a door to reveal a nearly equally spacious basement storage room.
Most of the items brought here, apart from a few useful ones like laptops, would likely never be used again, at least not for a while. They could easily be stored in the basement for now, to be sorted out later.
With many hands, the move was completed swiftly. Murphy treated them to a nearby restaurant, believing it was his duty as the host.
Yesterday evening, Ross had called him back upon hearing about Murphy's plans to move, and he had decided to bring this group of people over.
In the restaurant, the others sat together enjoying barbecue while Murphy and Ross sat alone in a booth, chatting as they ate.
"So..." When Ross heard Murphy's experience at the Sundance Film Festival, he raised his head in astonishment. "You invested over $300,000 in a film and sold it for $1 million?"
"Yeah," Murphy mumbled through the delicious barbecue. "It won't be long before you can see the film in theaters."
As the film was relatively small-scale, MiraMax wouldn't invest too much resources. After simple promotion, it would be pushed into the theatrical market, followed by television and video channels.
"Such high profits?" Ross furrowed his brow, his scarred face showing a pensive expression. "The return on investment is remarkable."
Murphy swallowed his food. "Just luck. If luck hadn't been on my side, that $300,000 could've turned into worthless paper."
"No, no," Ross set down his utensils and raised a finger to shake, "If it were just luck once, it wouldn't be enough to explain all the times before."
Since meeting Murphy in prison, Ross had lost count of how many unexpected things Murphy had done.
Murphy chuckled and suddenly changed the subject, calling out to the
people at another table, "When my film is released, I'll treat you all to a movie."
Laughter erupted once again. The bald African American seemed to be quite lively, loudly asking, "Can we find some pretty actresses to accompany us? Aren't there plenty of beauties in Hollywood?"
Raising a hand, Murphy gestured a middle finger towards them.
Laughter filled the room once more.
Murphy shook his head, turning back to find Ross still deep in thought.
"Will you continue making movies?" Ross looked at him and asked, "Will you?"
"Didn't I tell you?" Murphy picked up his glass and took a sip, returning to his previous tone, "My future is in Hollywood."
Ross didn't tease or ridicule him anymore; instead, he asked seriously, "Do you have any plans for a new film?"
"I have some ideas." Murphy had always treated him as his best friend and didn't hide anything. "Still sorting them out, need some time."
Nodding gently, Ross suddenly said without any warning, "I can invest in your new movie."
Murphy was surprised, completely unexpected Ross to have such thoughts.
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