The black market is still developing. When you see the opposite sex, all that remains in your mind is DNA.
So? Sean glanced at the old man kneeling on the ground, his face darkened, then turned to Jonas and Norris, who stood nearby. "You two are still in front of these other men?"
"Is this really for people to see?" He spat, disgusted. "You could spend some money on this kind of thing. Even if it's prostitution, it doesn't cost much. At least it would be discreet!"
"This is just banditry—worse than banditry!"
"But she's not my wife," Norris Dennis defended himself quietly.
Everyone in the room fell silent. Sean looked at Norris and blinked. "No?"
"Of course not! This is Hollywood. There are beauties everywhere. Who would sleep with their own wife?" Norris spread his hands, wearing a confident expression.
"Uh... wait. I don't get it." Sean tilted his head, frowning at Norris. "Aren't you angry?"
"Nah, how could I be angry?"
"Well, maybe a little?" A look of helplessness flickered across Norris's face. He raised his hand in a vague gesture and continued, "Later, that woman was shouting so loudly—like... Falk, that's just ridiculous!"
Sean gasped, sensing that things weren't as simple as they seemed.
Looking at Jonas, he shrugged. "Maybe that woman just has a particular taste. She certainly looks cool."
Sean covered his face with his hands, truly at a loss for words. "Will that woman just talk nonsense?"
"Just give her some hush money, and she won't say a word," Norris assured him.
Sean nodded, then glanced back at the man kneeling on the ground. He reached into Bill's waistband, pulled out a gun, and tossed it to Norris. "If you're angry, go ahead and shoot him. Don't hold back on my account."
Norris recoiled in fear, not daring to pick up the gun. It clattered to the floor with a loud bang.
The kneeling man howled, promising he would never do it again. Jonas held him down, tightening his grip around the old man's neck to silence him.
"Come on!" Sean urged.
"No, no, no!" Norris backed away, waving his hands frantically. "Killing someone over such a small matter? That's insane!"
"I'm giving you a chance for revenge!" Sean insisted, eyeing Norris closely.
"I'm not angry, really. I'm over it," Norris quickly backtracked.
Sean seemed slightly disappointed. "Okay!" He motioned for Jonas to release the man.
"Forget it." After a moment's thought, Sean said to Norris, "Send him back to the San Fernando Valley for filming, and I'll take my anger out on you!"
"Are you sure that's not a reward?" Norris quipped.
By the time the commotion settled, dawn had arrived. Norris insisted he didn't need to eat and headed back alone.
Once home, he gave the woman some money to leave, but sleep eluded him.
Overnight, everything had changed. He had been beaten half to death, and now his money was gone!
Norris realized that Sean's group must be gangsters, and powerful ones at that. Their dismissive attitude toward the drug criminals in New Mexico made that clear.
Now completely under Sean's control, Norris still didn't consider running away.
"Where would I even go without money?"
"What would I do? Wash dishes?"
Norris wasn't a good person, but he would rather work for someone he considered a villain than live in poverty.
Resigned, he prepared himself mentally and fell into a deep sleep, utterly exhausted.
The next morning, hunger woke him, and as he descended the stairs, he saw two people sprawled on the sofa in the living room.
"What are you doing here?" Norris asked, eyeing Jonas and the kneeling man.
"I'm just making sure you don't run away," Jonas replied, sitting up and stretching. "Sleeping on the sofa isn't the most comfortable."
"When did you get here? Why didn't I notice?" Norris was annoyed.
"I've been following you. If you found out, I might as well be dead," Jonas said with a smirk.
"I... I can't run. It's pointless!" Norris clenched his fists.
Jonas shrugged. "Good. Get ready. We're meeting after we eat."
Norris shook his head, quickly washed up, and met Sean an hour later at the Hilton Hotel near Hollywood.
He didn't dare ask why they weren't meeting at yesterday's villa.
Sean wasn't alone; the queen's lawyers and accountants, Saul and Lamb, were also present.
"Tell me about that brokerage company Sure! Here's the continuation of the revised text:
"Tell me about that brokerage company in detail."
"The brokerage company is called Bowers Brokerage Company, and the boss is Bowers Pine. The company has been in business for four years. Besides Bowers, there are several brokers, but the main focus is bringing in girls for adult services. Occasionally, they also participate in movie castings, trying to give those girls a glimmer of hope while making money off them."
Norris continued, "They have over twenty signed artists, mostly women, but there are a few men as well."
"Men? Really?" Sean raised an eyebrow, surprised. "What could a company like this want with men?"
"Some women need services too. Plus, there are times when men are called in for work," Norris explained, gesturing to clarify.
Saul shook his head, speechless. "Your industry is truly chaotic."
When Norris finished, Saul turned to Sean. "This company is as filthy and disgusting as the trash in a back alley. You're not actually considering buying it, are you?"
Lamb echoed Saul's disbelief. "This company has no value at all."
"Why not?" Sean smiled enigmatically. "You all see their unscrupulous side, but I see something different."
"Ha! What do you see?" Saul scoffed.
"I see reality—the reality of Hollywood," Sean replied, narrowing his eyes. "Yes, their methods are unclean, but that also means their connections are extensive. They've never thought to leverage those connections properly, nor do they have the means to do so."
"But if I acquired this company, everything would change once I had access to their secrets!"
"The darker the network, the stronger it becomes," Sean continued. "It's often challenging to navigate through conventional channels, especially in such a closed-off industry. The strongest defenses are usually breached from within."
He held out his left hand. "With my left hand, I'll hold onto their secrets."
Then he extended his right hand. "With my right hand, I'll grasp the money!"
"You need to control both sides; you have to hold on tight with both hands!"