Hollywood Road

"Hello, Director Stanton."

Murphy and Gal Gadot had just stepped out of the car when a uniformed staff member approached them politely and said, "Please follow me."

The auction organized by Susan Sapperstein was held next to a seaside club in Santa Monica and was labeled as a charity event. "The Flower of Lis" was just one of the many auction items. According to the agent, most of the proceeds from the auction would go to help African American children in the USA who had lost their families.

At first glance, the charity auction seemed commendable.

However, Murphy and other wealthy individuals could easily see the catch. Not to mention the other antiques Susan Sapperstein was auctioning, the "Flower of Lis" alone was of significant value. How could the IRS overlook this income? Charity operations have always been one of the best ways to avoid taxes, and by labeling the event as a charity, it would undoubtedly save Susan Sapperstein a considerable amount in taxes.

If Murphy were in her shoes, he would do the same with a so-called charity auction.

Upon entering the auction venue, Murphy and Gal Gadot greeted Susan Sapperstein at the door. The two parties did not know each other and exchanged only polite pleasantries.

Then, they followed a staff member to their seats as arranged by the organizer.

"Hey, Murphy."

They hadn't gone far when someone stood up to greet him. Murphy turned and smiled as he approached, "Hi, Leo."

The greeter was none other than Leonardo DiCaprio.

After a brief chat, Murphy cautiously asked, "Leo, you're not interested in the 'Flower of Lis', are you?"

Leonardo DiCaprio shook his head, "My focus is on a few 18th-century masterpieces from Susan Sapperstein's collection."

He gestured with his eyes to the left, "She's your main competitor."

Following Leonardo DiCaprio's gaze, Murphy spotted a voluptuous biracial woman, the renowned diva Maria Carey.

"A strong competitor indeed," Murphy sighed.

"Isn't she washed up? Does she have that much money?" Gal Gadot asked.

Leonardo DiCaprio shrugged, "These top singers are rolling in it."

As their seats were quite far apart, after a short conversation, Murphy and Gal Gadot proceeded to their seats to wait for the auction to begin.

Murphy also glanced over at Maria Carey. If she was also eyeing the "Flower of Lis", it could indeed be troublesome. The financial strength of Hollywood singers often far exceeds that of movie stars of the same caliber.

"We can raise the funds, there's only this one estate..." Nearby, a tall black man and an even taller white man approached, the black man speaking, "With my fame, I can definitely get a bank loan."

Hearing this, Murphy knew they were also here for the "Flower of Lis." The two men took seats at a table to his left, quite close to him.

Murphy turned to look in that direction and caught the black man's eye. They exchanged nods with Murphy smiling first, but the black man appeared somewhat embarrassed.

"What's wrong?" All of this was observed by Gal Gadot, who looked at the familiar black face and then at Murphy, curious, "What happened between you two?"

Although her boyfriend never mentioned it, she knew well that while Murphy did not discriminate against black people, he wasn't particularly fond of them either.

Murphy touched his nose, "Just a little misunderstanding."

He didn't elaborate, as the incident in question was not exactly honorable, and it was better if Gal Gadot didn't know.

However, Murphy had never regretted or felt guilty about obtaining crucial startup capital from Kobe Bryant in the past. If given another chance, he would make the same decision. At that time, he had no capital to start with, and taking risks was his only option for achieving his current situation.

Indeed, the tall black man was NBA star Kobe Bryant, who had played a key role in the early stages of Murphy's career.

Since they were only five feet apart and had already encountered each other, Murphy took the opportunity to greet him.

"Hello, Kobe." He smiled across at him, "We meet again."

Kobe Bryant's expressionless black face just mechanically nodded in return, "Hello."

Murphy shook his head with a smile, not minding much as it was just basic courtesy. He didn't expect Kobe Bryant to have a good impression of him, and after a brief exchange, he turned back to chat with Gal Gadot.

Under the table, Kobe Bryant's fist was clenched. He knew all too well who the jerk was. Even if burned to ashes, he could still sense the sly and despicable aura.

The encounter from years ago was always fresh in his mind, and he knew this Murphy Stanton had shamelessly entered Hollywood to become a director.

Initially, he had

 followed Murphy's career, waiting to revel in his misfortune. However, far from being merely disappointed, it was like a slap in the face. Murphy Stanton continuously succeeded, becoming one of Hollywood's hottest young directors...

These thoughts nauseated him to the point of wanting to vomit.

Occasionally remembering that incident, Kobe Bryant had thought about leaking it to the media, but considering it involved his own disgrace, he had to restrain himself. Holding incriminating evidence against an opponent yet being unable to use it was beyond frustrating.

Hearing the name Murphy Stanton, and seeing those letters, Kobe Bryant felt an urge to explode.

Kobe Bryant looked at an empty chair nearby, contemplating whether to smash it over Murphy Stanton's head.

"Kobe, do you know Murphy Stanton?" A voice filled with excitement came from the tall white man accompanying him, "You know the famous Murphy Stanton!"

"Luke Walton..." Just as Kobe Bryant was about to respond, the overly excited Luke Walton interrupted, "Murphy Stanton is my idol! His movies are fantastic! 'Gone Girl', 'Man of Steel'... each one better than the last!"

Kobe Bryant's face darkened instantly, but his complexion was naturally dark, and Luke Walton didn't notice, instead rushing over to get an autograph from Murphy Stanton!

Having his subordinate turn into a fan of his arch-enemy was a stark contrast that left Kobe Bryant speechless.

After all, it was an auction venue, and Luke Walton soon returned with an autograph. As Kobe Bryant was about to explode, the excited Luke Walton spoke first.

"Kobe, this doesn't look good." Sitting down, he said earnestly, "Murphy Stanton is also bidding for the 'Flower of Lis'. I advise you to give up."

Lifting the water glass on the table, Kobe Bryant drank it in one gulp. The cool liquid momentarily quelled the rising anger.

He looked at Luke Walton and asked, "Why should I give up?"

"The income gap is too big." Luke Walton was genuinely concerned, "You can't compete with Murphy Stanton."

He too took a sip of water and continued, "You might not know, but it's all over the media. Warner Bros. signed a deal with Murphy Stanton for a twenty percent global box office share. 'Man of Steel' has already grossed over a billion dollars worldwide, and he could make two hundred million from that alone! And 'Game of Thrones', I forgot which newspaper or TV station reported it, but his personal income from the first two seasons won't be less than a hundred million dollars..."

While Luke Walton went on listing, Kobe Bryant's head was about to explode. How could that bastard make so much money? Why was he so successful?

The question circled his mind and returned to the starting point. Kobe Bryant quickly realized that all this might be because of the money he had been swindled out of!

Even if Murphy Stanton's rise wasn't entirely due to that money, he believed it played a crucial role.

His enemy had used the funds provided by him to achieve tremendous success, and now he had to defer to him, a more frustrating situation in the world.

Kobe Bryant felt a lump in his throat, causing tightness in his chest and making it difficult to breathe.

Meanwhile, his normally subservient teammate kept praising Murphy Stanton's success and virtues...

"According to authoritative media statistics, Murphy Stanton has a net worth of at least three hundred million dollars," Luke Walton continued, "Taking out a hundred million is easy for him..."

Kobe Bryant abruptly stood up, his angry gaze directed at Murphy.

Murphy immediately sensed the prickly stare and turned his head, looking at the standing Kobe Bryant with a relaxed and comfortable smile.

Only Gal Gadot next to him felt her boyfriend tense up all over, like a lion ready to pounce. She had no doubt that if anyone offended him, Murphy would make sure they regretted it.

She had heard from Robert Downey Jr. about the many things Murphy had done in prison and knew he was not someone who shied away from confrontation.

Luke Walton had already stopped talking, realizing the atmosphere was off.

Many eyes in the venue turned towards Kobe Bryant, and some followed his gaze to Murphy. The organizers' staff also approached immediately...

___________________

(Support with power stones, comments or reviews)

If you guys enjoy this story, In support me on Patreon and get access to +200 advance Chapters

Read Ahead

Patreon.com/INNIT

Get 33% off all subscription levels from Jan 11–18! Use code: 5CEC6