Chapter 29

The black Ford sedan headed north, passing through Burbank, known as the world's media capital, gradually approaching the northern part of the Los Angeles Basin. Here, there was an urbanized valley as famous as the satellite cities of Los Angeles, such as Burbank. It was the San Fernando Valley, which would later become world-renowned.

Although it was only the early 2000s, the adult film industry in the San Fernando Valley had already developed on a massive scale over the years.

Entering the valley, Murphy slightly slowed down the car and turned into Coldwater Canyon, between Burbank Boulevard and Oxnard Street. He and Jessica Chastain, who was in the passenger seat, began to look around frequently.

On both sides of the road, there was a mural 2,754 feet long, considered one of the longest murals in the world.

However, Murphy did not stop to admire it. At the next intersection, he turned onto Ventura Boulevard and drove straight toward the northern edge of the San Fernando Valley.

Murphy required a house for filming that was far from the bustling city center. A man with a secret and who wanted to keep it would not live in a bustling area.

Such a house was not hard to find in Los Angeles, but one at a reasonable price was rare. So, after Jessica Chastain contacted a real estate agent and found a property far from downtown Los Angeles, Murphy immediately made time to come over.

"The real estate agent said the house is often used for filming..."

Flipping through the documents sent by the real estate agent the previous day, Jessica Chastain introduced some basic information to Murphy, "Because it is frequently rented out for filming, the owner has made special renovations. Many areas have designated camera positions, and it is very quiet, with the nearest neighbors about a thousand feet away. These conditions are quite suitable for filming."

Murphy glanced at the passenger seat, "Sounds good."

Jessica Chastain did have some ability, but what she lacked most was social experience. For example, she did not ask what movies or TV shows had been filmed there.

But Murphy had called to find out. The house was most often used for filming the specialty of the San Fernando Valley.

"By the way," Jessica Chastain seemed to remember something, "There's a production crew filming there right now."

"What?" Murphy frowned, "Why didn't you mention this earlier? Can we go in?"

Hearing the accusatory tone, Jessica Chastain felt a bit annoyed but still explained, "The real estate agent has already contacted the production crew. They allow us to enter as long as we don't disturb their filming."

Murphy nodded and said nothing, just drove north.

Jessica Chastain stole a glance at him, her curiosity flaring up again. She had learned that this guy had been so poor a few months ago that he could barely afford food, working as a laborer in a small auto repair shop with no job security. How could he suddenly come up with $300,000 to make a movie?

What method did he use to raise such a large sum in a short time?

To be honest, working for someone with less education, age, and professional experience than herself, Jessica Chastain always felt unbalanced. For a while, she even thought the other person was less capable, just thick-skinned and devious.

But such a person had the opportunity to produce a movie, while she, a high-achieving graduate of the Juilliard School, had to follow his lead...

"Jessica!"

Hearing the familiar voice, Jessica Chastain quickly snapped out of her thoughts, "Did you call me?"

Murphy quickly glanced at her, "Have you finished collecting the photos of the girls?"

"Pretty much," Jessica Chastain sighed, "I collected photos of twelve girls, and Lawyer Robert has signed authorization agreements with their guardians. There should be no problem using them in the film."

Turning the steering wheel, the car entered a quiet road. Murphy nodded. This was also an expense. Without authorization, any future issues could be troublesome.

Thinking about the production company's recent expenses, from salaries to rent and authorization fees, Murphy's frown deepened. According to the signed agreement, apart from the roughly one-third advance payment for personnel salaries, the rest would be paid after filming began and ended, allowing the money to stay in his bank account a bit longer.

Following Hollywood conventions, mainstream production companies often wait until the film is off screens in North America before paying the final one-third. But no one would be foolish enough to sign such a contract with Murphy. They were not stupid and knew that the film might never make it to theaters.

Hollywood produces thousands of films each year, but only about one-third make it to theaters. Among these, many have a run of just a week or even three days.

"Jessica..." Murphy asked, "I remember you studied drama at the Juilliard School?"

"Yes," Jessica Chastain nodded, a sense of unease rising in her.

"So you must have studied acting."

Glancing at Jessica Chastain's nod, Murphy lightly patted the steering wheel, "Great, Jessica, I have a role specifically prepared for you in the production."

A role? Specifically? Jessica Chastain was not stupid. She had read the script and immediately thought her role would be a one-scene female neighbor.

She asked tentatively, "What about the salary?"

"Salary?" Murphy feigned surprise, "Do crew members need to be paid for a cameo in the film? We are a team!"

Hearing this, Jessica Chastain closed her mouth but grumbled inwardly, "I knew it, I knew it. This miser, he wants to squeeze every last bit of value out of everyone!"

Encountering such a boss, she felt very sad and helpless, but the opportunity to gain practical experience in a film production was like a carrot on a stick, luring her to keep going.

If Murphy had a budget of millions of dollars, he wouldn't do this. But with only $300,000 in total investment, a production company had too many expenses. Without careful budgeting, even if all the money was spent, the project might not be completed.

Big projects have big plans, and small projects have their own survival rules.

The trees on both sides of the road grew more numerous and taller, and the surroundings became increasingly quiet. Apart from the sound of the Ford's engine, no other sounds could be heard. After about five minutes, a typical American suburban community came into view.

This community was not large. From a distance, over twenty houses were scattered at the foot of a small hill. By design, all the houses were spaced far apart, with the outermost ones about a thousand feet apart. One of these was the target of Murphy's inspection.

The black Ford sedan stopped near a gray bungalow. Murphy got out of the car and first looked around. The environment here was excellent. Behind the house was a small forest, and in front, there was no yard, but an open front garden. Standing here, one could see a small, rippling lake in the distance.

Quiet, secluded, and far from other residents... these external conditions were very much in line with his requirements.

On the other side, Jessica Chastain had already taken out her phone and called the real estate agent. After a short half-minute, a Latin man in his thirties pushed open the front door of the bungalow and came out.

"Hello, Miss Chastain," he greeted Jessica Chastain, who was waiting in front of the house, then quickly walked toward Murphy, extending his hand before reaching him, "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Stanton. You are the youngest director I have ever met."

Murphy shook his hand, "Pleased to meet you, Mr. Wayne."

After a brief exchange, the real estate agent Wayne led the way, "Let's take a walk around the outside first. I'll introduce you to the basic situation."

Following Wayne, Murphy walked around the perimeter of the house, with Wayne making the usual sales pitch, "This house was built in 1995, with brick and stone construction. The original owner was the boss of an adult film company. When it was built, the possibility of filming here was considered, so it was deliberately chosen to be far from other residents. The interior also has designated camera positions..."

After a full circle, Murphy was generally satisfied.

"Mr. Stanton," back at the front door, Wayne asked, "When does your production start filming?"

Murphy thought for a moment, "At the earliest, next month, no later than the 10th."

"October 10th," Wayne flipped through his notebook, glanced at it, and said, "After the current production finishes, two more will come to film. It will be available by the end of the month, which is perfect."

He asked, "How long do you need to film?"

"At least a month," Murphy estimated optimistically.

Wayne checked the time, "They should be finishing a scene inside now, probably on a break. Let's go in."

He walked over, opened the door, and gestured for Murphy and Jessica Chastain to enter, then closed the door and followed.

After the foyer, there was a large living room filled with blackout panels, flashlights, cameras, and other equipment. A muscular man in a baseball cap was directing the setup, seemingly the director of the production.

On the sofa in the living room sat a heavily made-up blonde woman, with a makeup artist retouching her makeup.

As they entered the living room, the blonde woman happened to look over. Murphy also got a clear view of her face, which was very familiar. If he wasn't mistaken, she was a superstar.

Despite the blanket covering her, which seemed to hide any clothing, Murphy did not linger but followed the real estate agent to inspect the house.