บท 2: Chapter 2: A Golden Opportunity
The greatest privilege of humanity is the right to chase dreams, but before pursuing dreams, one must first fill their stomach. If one cannot even achieve the most basic survival, everything else is but an illusion.
Having spent over a year in this world, almost all of it confined to prison, the hardships endured by Murphy have imparted many lessons. Before his Hollywood dream can be realized, he must first secure a job that can sustain him.
Though the previous occupant of this body was a fool, they left behind some useful things, such as this modest apartment.
Situated in a Latin community, like most houses in downtown Los Angeles, it's a low-rise, aging building. The security here is concerning, with many idle individuals nearby, some resembling Ross, who often lurk in the neighborhood.
Perhaps due to good luck or the place's remoteness and dilapidation, this "aunt's" apartment hasn't been burglarized in the past year. Even the furnishings and work equipment left by the previous fool are still intact, much to Murphy's surprise.
After locating the apartment from memory, Murphy embarked on a thorough cleanup and took stock of his current possessions.
First and foremost is this temporary residence, which, by American standards, is of decent size, approximately fifty square meters. Apart from the kitchen, bathroom, and the combined bedroom, living room, and balcony, there's also a small studio, formerly the workspace of the previous occupant, a freelance journalist.
As his house was confiscated as fines and compensation, Murphy realizes he'll have to live here for the foreseeable future.
The interior décor is very basic, indicative of the Stanton family's humble status. The departing aunt left behind old-fashioned appliances like a color TV, refrigerator, and washing machine. The furniture is equally basic: two chairs, a chipped dining table, a worn-out fabric sofa, and a foldable single bed.
Returning to downtown Los Angeles from the state prison in a day's time, Murphy, with his stomach growling, takes out his meager savings, carefully counting: two hundred and forty-three dollars.
Taking out a ten-dollar bill and stuffing the rest into his pocket, Murphy leaves the room and heads to a nearby burger joint, buying a burger combo for dinner.
Though it's already dark, and the security here isn't great, Murphy encounters no mugging incidents. Perhaps it's his tough demeanor that deters trouble, having gone through so much in prison, he exudes a faint aura of fierceness.
Dinner costs only five dollars. With no source of income at present, Murphy must plan the use of every cent carefully.
Ascending the stairs, much more dilapidated than his room, Murphy returns to his room, locks the door, turns on the TV, only to find no signal due to long-term non-payment. He settles for a quiet dinner.
Chewing the tasteless burger, Murphy's mind races, contemplating how to make a living.
Stock market? He doesn't even have the capital. It's June 2000, amidst the Nasdaq-induced stock market crash. Moreover, he's just a poor student from a mediocre film school, knowing nothing about stock operations...
Investing? Who would invest in him when he can't even invest himself...
Swallowing the food in his mouth, leaving the remaining half of the burger on the chipped table, Murphy sits back in his chair, supporting his head with one hand, brainstorming for quick wealth schemes.
Of course, planning to continue Ross's illegal business like drugs and firearms is not advisable.
After much thought, Murphy returns to his area of expertise, anything related to the film industry. Though lacking practical experience, during his studies, he's analyzed countless Hollywood classics and scripts and listened to many widely circulated film songs.
Adjusting to a more comfortable sitting position, Murphy dismisses the idea of songwriting. Writing songs is worlds apart from his abilities, something he couldn't achieve even if his life depended on it.
Such unreliable thoughts would only lead to his demise...
That leaves films and scripts. Though the film school he attended wasn't top-notch, the basic education was guaranteed. He was a diligent student, familiar not only with classic art films analyzed in class but also delving into numerous films of personal interest during leisure time.
Suddenly, a thought rushes into Murphy's head. He'll write a script for a future classic film, mail it to major Hollywood companies, and like a traveler in the desert stumbling upon an oasis, the executives of Hollywood's big six will flock to him, treating him as a super genius. From then on, Murphy-Stanton will embark on a glorious path of wealth, power, and beautiful women in Hollywood.
"Hasn't this past year been enough suffering?" Murphy suddenly chuckles, self-mockingly whispering, "You're not that naive student anymore. Please don't entertain such low-level and foolish ideas."
Even as an outsider, Murphy knows Hollywood is never short of scripts. Not to mention the big six companies now, even second-tier film companies have countless scripts lying in their archives, gathering dust.
Many non-adaptation films in the future have spent years in the script archives of major companies...
Murphy remembers vividly some scripts on Hollywood's blacklist that appeared in the 1980s and 1990s.
The likelihood of a newcomer's script being noticed by a film company is infinitesimally low. Yet, it's still a path, albeit one with ridiculously slim chances. There's always a glimmer of hope. If Murphy can secure a stable income, he might as well give it a try, a stroke of luck.
With that in mind, Murphy stands up and walks to the window, gazing at the starry sky in the distance, then sighs, abandoning those impractical thoughts and shifting his focus to the most realistic matter at hand: finding a job with a legal income to sustain himself.
Chasing dreams is his right; Murphy can endure the insane despair of prison life for it and is willing to do odd jobs if necessary.
Of course, Murphy has another option, to continue his predecessor's work.
Entering his predecessor's studio, which he's also cleaned up, Murphy finds the simple workstation, wooden chair, and shelf free of dust. Neatly arranged on them are a laptop, a Canon camcorder, and a car-mounted Los Angeles police receiver.
These are the predecessor's work equipment.
Seated at the workstation, Murphy opens the laptop, finding some news videos his predecessor shot. From the videos, it's evident the guy primarily focused on social events like car accidents, fires, and robberies. Later, tempted by hefty rewards, he foolishly delved into filming Samo-Reichstone's personal privacy.
Not only are there videos, but also instructions on using the police receiver, Los Angeles police codes, and contact information for several local TV news department heads in Los Angeles.
The previous work wasn't complicated. Basically, it involved wandering the streets of Los Angeles, capturing public attention-grabbing news footage, then selling it to interested TV stations.
However, Murphy doesn't intend to continue such work. He's merely interested in these devices; after all, they can be exchanged for money to sustain him.
Though he's given up on those foolish ideas, Murphy still has some plans. This is Hollywood, where countless individuals work in the film industry, making it his preferred place to seek employment.
Starting with any job related to the film industry, even the most basic labor, would allow him to accumulate experience and seek opportunities...
In fact, the film circles worldwide are the same, with countless talented individuals pouring in, and only a few succeeding. Often, opportunity outweighs talent.
As night falls, Ross calls, asking if Murphy needs anything. Considering his current situation, Murphy cuts to the chase, stating he'd like to borrow a car temporarily to look for suitable work.
The next morning, a young man delivers a relatively new Chevrolet to the crossroads. Ross is very attentive; the car is obviously refueled. Murphy parks the car in an alley beside the apartment building, buys breakfast and multiple newspapers, returns upstairs, and while eating, peruses the job listings section, hoping to find something suitable.
With his current conditions, his requirements are very low; as long as the job is related to the film industry and pays promptly, it's acceptable.
This is Los Angeles, the home of Hollywood, with over a thousand large and small film production companies and studios, with several crews starting work every day. There are still opportunities like that out there.
After browsing through two newspapers, Murphy transcribes several interesting job postings to contact later. As he reaches the last newspaper, a large recruitment advertisement catches his eye. His eyes light up instantly.
This colossal crew is just beginning preparations, openly recruiting various personnel like set designers, costume makers, painters, assistants, and many more. The project's name? "The Matrix"!
Just reading a few lines, Murphy understands. It's a recruitment ad for the sequel to the Wachowskis' "The Matrix," a golden opportunity indeedindeed.
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