"They're insane," Raul Aleman muttered as he drove away from the opulent mansion on Crestwood Drive. "Absolutely insane." Bertrand Erwin from HUP and Marey Villrong from Times Publishing—both of those guys had clearly lost their minds.Back at the mansion, they'd witnessed a bidding war that defied all logic. Based on just a few chapters of a novel by an unknown writer, both publishers had offered terms that were unheard of in the industry. HUP had proposed a 30% advance and a 15% royalty rate, while Times had countered with an even more generous offer of 20% upfront and 20% on subsequent sales.For context, those kinds of deals were usually reserved for established literary giants like Harper Lee, whose To Kill a Mockingbird had been translated into dozens of languages and sold millions of copies. And yet, here they were, offering similar terms to a complete newcomer."How could they be so reckless?" Raul wondered aloud. "That kid doesn't have a name, no reputation, and he's only shown us a few chapters. It's madness."Raul couldn't understand why his colleagues were acting so irrationally. He'd been on the verge of walking out, but something had compelled him to stay and watch the madness unfold.In the end, it was HUP that had secured the publishing rights, with an even more outrageous offer: a 40% advance and a 20% royalty rate. Raul had done the math, and the numbers were staggering. HUP was essentially betting a huge sum on an unknown quantity."It's insane," Raul repeated to Earl Hakanson over coffee. "They must have gone completely mad."Earl nodded. "I know. It's as if they've forgotten how this business works. There must be something we're missing."They speculated about the reasons behind the publishers' irrational behavior. Perhaps the young author had a powerful agent working behind the scenes. Maybe he'd leaked his manuscript to influential critics. Or perhaps there was something truly exceptional about his work.Whatever the reason, one thing was clear: the publishing industry was changing, and traditional rules no longer seemed to apply."Or maybe they've read the entire thing and think it has potential, so they're willing to go all in," Earl Hakanson suggested."That's the least likely scenario," Raul responded without hesitation. Earl nodded in agreement, clearly sharing the same thought. "If that's not it, then it must be something else. Like... Dave Smith."Dave Smith was a best-selling American author. He was also a congressman and the Register of Copyrights at the Library of Congress. In other countries, a library was just a library. But the Library of Congress in the United States had unique powers. Its governing body included a department called the Copyright Office, and Dave Smith was its current director.He had published several novels, each claiming millions of copies sold according to public records. They were incredibly popular, but the general public's reviews were lukewarm, with few people actually reading his books.Raul, of course, knew what the name Dave Smith represented in the publishing world. Earl hadn't mentioned it, but Raul had considered this possibility too. Otherwise, why would HUP and Times Publishing be offering Milo such a crazy deal? If only Raul had received a heads-up before coming here, he would have joined the bidding. Earl seemed to be thinking along the same lines.Raul sighed. "Let's finish this coffee and head back. We should report this to the higher-ups. I'm sure someone will investigate and tell us what to do next," Earl suggested.Raul nodded, his tone firm. "Let's go.""Hey, our coffee hasn't even arrived yet.""I'll buy you one next time. I'm not in the mood now.""Fuck you!"......"We can sign the contract tomorrow," Wendy told Milo in the living room of the mansion on Crestwood Drive 9406, after sending Bertrand Erwin from HUP away. "When will you finish writing your novel?""It's supposed to be 380,000 words, and I've already finished 300,000," Milo replied with a smile. "Once we sign the contract, they should be able to get my novel.""I thought... I thought..." Wendy made a few gestures unconsciously."You thought I was joking? Come on, Wendy, I'm dead serious." Milo raised an eyebrow. "I'm telling you again, I've changed!"Wendy took a deep breath and shrugged. "I believe you, but... okay, I still find it hard to believe. But I guess... everyone will be happy to see you doing something."It was finally time for him to do something. Even if it was something absurd and outlandish. At least, he was doing something."Everyone changes, Wendy. After Paladin passed away, I was no longer the same person." Milo waved his hand. "Alright, let's not talk about that. How's the thing I asked you to do going?""The acquisition?""Yes."Paladin Pictures had been in Hollywood for over three years. But the entire company had less than ten people. The chairman was Milo Blackburn, and the general manager was Wendy Aris. That accounted for two people. Apart from a part-time cleaner, there was an accountant, an investigator, and two runners. Such a small team was clearly insufficient to realize Milo's filmmaking ambitions.Before going into seclusion, Milo had asked Wendy to acquire a film company. It didn't have to be a big one, as long as it had a complete department and basic connections."It's not a difficult task. There are countless companies like that in Hollywood," Wendy shrugged. "Besides, Disney owes us a big favor, and I've already taken care of it.""That's good," Milo nodded in satisfaction.