Chapter 116: Hollywood Nightmare (Part 1)

[Chapter 116: Hollywood Nightmare (Part 1)]

June 1. International Children's Day. On this day, a major incident broke out.

A shocking massacre occurred at Narayanhiti Palace in Nepal, where King Birendra, Queen Aishwarya, and ten members of the royal family, including young Prince Niranjan and Princess Shruti, were shot dead.

Ian found it unfortunate. His reach wasn't long enough; otherwise, he might have rushed to Nepal to cover the shooting himself, asking the king, queen, and princes about their experiences of being shot, while also having fun saving a princess or two.

But this also made Ian realize that the vast majority of historical inertia still existed.

His future self wouldn't just be engaged in making news; he could directly pursue those approaching major events -- he might forget many financial changes in history, but, as a journalist, he was aware of most of the major news events of the next twenty years.

So, the future wasn't just 9/11; there would be scandals from the World Cup next year, the Bolshoi Theatre incident, and so on. If played right, he could reap huge rewards! In the days to come, all significant historical events would have his footprint!

...

With the acquisition of the Los Angeles Times, Carr Media Group expanded its operations again. Their first order of business was to move.

Interestingly, Ian chose Trump Tower in Los Angeles.

Yes, that Trump, the one who would become the loudmouthed president. He had a tower in Los Angeles.

Carr Media secured the top four floors of Trump Tower. The top two floors were controlled by the media group, while the other two were intended for the Los Angeles Herald, leaving the Times as it was.

Unfortunately, Ian didn't meet Trump during the move. The big boss was busy; he couldn't meet every client and would have to connect later. Ian knew that if he ran for president in the future, he definitely wouldn't miss out on the chance to build a rapport with him.

...

Gaskill's health was improving, and the entire Carr Media Group's value had now reached around $1.1 billion, with a debt ratio of 48%.

After the Gaskill shooting incident, alongside resolving issues with Bloods and Etna, Ian began shifting his reporting focus towards Hollywood.

Despite sharing quite a bit about Hollywood the past few months, he had held back somewhat, so Hollywood hadn't yet truly felt the terror of Ian Carr!

...

At dusk, at a cafe on Luxury Boulevard, Ian entered and spotted a plump guy sitting at a nearby table.

He seemed to be seriously looking at his laptop, but the long-legged waitress he was eyeing gave him away.

Ian sat down beside the plump guy. "Hey, Dan."

Dan Mills smiled and looked up. "Hey, Ian."

Dan was a producer in Hollywood and owned a low-tier film company, Lockbridge Productions, which was essentially a shell company, making only a few hundred thousand a year.

To make ends meet, Dan worked multiple side gigs, including supplying bits of insider gossip to the media.

He had collaborated with Ian's dad previously and worked with Ian a few times. After all, Harvey Weinstein wasn't all-knowing.

At that moment, Dan looked at Ian with admiration.

Last year, he had been just a struggling nobody, and now in less than a year, he had transformed into a legendary journalist and a business tycoon in America.

This made Dan's expression especially flattering.

"I need a good lead," Ian said straightforwardly.

Dan's expression turned serious. "This is heavy news: I want $3,000."

"Let's hear it first."

"Madonna."

Ian raised an eyebrow, not hesitating to pull out a check and write the amount, passing it to him.

Dan happily accepted it. "You're generous, but I have to warn you; this won't be easy."

Saying this, he quickly scribbled down an address and handed it to Ian. "It's in the next few days."

Ian nodded lightly.

He stood up to leave but suddenly turned back to Dan. "Dan, is your company for sale?"

Dan was taken aback. "Are you interested in buying it?"

Ian smiled slightly. "I think having my own production company might be more convenient."

Dan got excited. "$5 million and Lockbridge is yours."

Ian shook his head lightly. "It's not worth $5 million, but I could offer you $2 million. This amount includes your value, so think about it. Oh, and stop checking out that long-legged waitress; she's a guy."

What?

Dan was stunned.

Ian chuckled and walked out of the cafe.

...

Nightfall.

At the Roosevelt Hotel. In the luxurious suite, Ian was cuddling with Jessica Alba.

The other girls had gone home to console their parents, who were upset, while Jessica temporarily stayed beside him.

With fewer people around, the intensity didn't lessen; it only deepened.

Jessica Alba sat on Ian's lap, radiating youthful vigor and sweat.

Not far from them, a camera was facing out the large floor-to-ceiling window.

As a long sigh escaped, Jessica melted like a puddle in Ian's arms.

Her eyes sparkled with satisfaction as she softly kissed Ian. "I don't understand why haven't you brought me to your home. Am I not worthy?"

Her voice carried a hint of grievance.

Ian quickly soothed her with a touch. "No, it was just too late before, and there were too many reporters in Beverly Hills. I wasn't sure then if you'd want to follow me long-term."

"What about these days?" Jessica blinked her lovely big eyes at him.

"Work," Ian answered.

Jessica paused slightly. "Work?"

Then realizing, she asked, "Is there a case?"

Ian shook his head with a smile. "No; this time there's no blood or violence, just someone's private affair."

As he sighed, he added, "That's Hollywood for you."

Most of the gossip news from Hollywood revolved around scandalous stories, with the only real differences being the genders involved -- men, women, or bending the rules with same-gender pairings.

To put it simply, there were variations but no fundamental breakthroughs.

Well, they had to be satisfied if there were any headlines.

...

At that moment, Ian put Jessica down, getting off the bed to walk over to the table, counting out some pills, frowning. "You didn't take your meds, babe."

Jessica walked over with a pouting expression. "I want to have kids with you."

"Don't think like that; you're still young." Ian gently placed the pills into Jessica's mouth, tenderly comforting her. "Go take a shower now."

Jessica Alba had yet to achieve true fame, still in the rebellious stage.

Most importantly, interpersonal relationships varied; Ian Carr was always dominant, and in his presence, every strong-willed girl had to yield.

This made Jessica comply sweetly, lowering her head as she stepped into the bathroom.

As she left, Ian smiled, saying, "No spitting those out! You can't fool me, babe."

Jessica turned around to give him an adorable face, reluctantly swallowing the pills before sticking out her cute tongue in a teasing way.

Ian chuckled, pulled over a chair, sitting beside the camera while watching her across the room. A faint smile crept across his lips. "Madonna, you will become my heavyweight bombshell."

*****

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