Hunting in Hollywood

With Simon's words, the hospital room fell into a brief silence once again.

Simon's hint was clear. His demand for $500,000 in compensation was merely a test to see if there was a manipulator behind the scenes, one he had likely already suspected.

Perhaps driven by certain factors, or perhaps because the individual frightened by last night's events wanted to settle quickly, Simon easily obtained the $500,000 check.

But he clearly didn't care about the money.

He despised it, in fact.

He only wanted a tooth for a tooth.

Catherine did not understand the saying "White head as new, overturning the cup as before," but from the first meeting, Simon had given her a sense of déjà vu, and he always managed to leave a profound impression on her with every encounter.

Though they only met occasionally and spoke over the phone now and then, Catherine had unknowingly come to regard Simon as one of her best friends.

Hearing Simon say this, Catherine couldn't help but feel a strong worry.

The extensive injuries on Simon the previous night made her unconcerned about whoever Simon wanted to break the legs of next, even feeling that it wouldn't be excessive to teach them a harsher lesson.

However, Catherine did not want Simon to fall into further trouble because of this.

Anyone who could easily write a $500,000 check was definitely not a nobody. Breaking the leg of such a person would make it very difficult for Simon to get away afterward.

Moreover, Catherine was slightly worried about Simon's mental state.

Jeanette's craziness was ultimately just a manifestation of a spoiled girl under affluent conditions.

But Catherine vividly remembered that when they first met, Simon had indeed boarded the bus from Watsonville.

And then he said he came from the Watsonville Psychiatric Hospital.

Ordinary people might take Simon's statement as a joke, but Catherine did not.

Then there was the time an inexperienced newcomer like him successfully convinced Jonathan Friedman to sign him on as the only screenwriter under his name. Originally, when she introduced him, she had merely hoped that Jonathan Friedman, the vice president of WMA, would assign him an ordinary agent. Just being signed under WMA was a rare opportunity for most people.

Following that, she saw the astonishing performance of "Flight of the Bumblebee" at Venice Beach.

Then came the first contract with a movie company, earning him $200,000. Although there were some unspoken negotiations involved, this was an astonishing accomplishment for an 18-year-old, enough to turn many heads.

And finally, there were the five legs he broke last night.

The same baseball bat that hit him did not cause much damage, yet he shattered the youths' leg bones, a feat not possible for an ordinary person.

All of this confirmed to Catherine that Simon was a genius.

However.

Genius and madness are only separated by a thin line.

Thinking this, Catherine unconsciously grasped Simon's hand, looking sincerely at the young man on the bed, and softly said, "Simon, promise me, let's end it here, okay?"

Simon was never good at forgiveness.

However, feeling the coolness of Catherine's palm, Simon found the intense anger that had been simmering in his heart since last night slowly melting away like ice and snow.

After a moment of silence, under Catherine's hopeful gaze, Simon finally nodded slightly, "Okay, Catherine, I'll listen to you."

Hearing Simon's response, the somewhat tense atmosphere around them finally eased.

Jeanette, who had been stunned by Simon's previously indifferent and emotionless gaze, came back to her senses and noticed the two holding hands. She blinked, suddenly wanting to pull Catherine's hand away and replace it with her own.

George Norman, silently observing as a bystander, remembered the recent scene and the current situation, suddenly feeling that his niece would be very pleased with this outcome.

For some reason, Jennifer, who had eagerly come this morning to deal with the case and heard the young man demand $500,000 in compensation, had been very down all morning, responding only with silence to his inquiries.

"So, everyone," seeing that everything was settling down, George Norman took the initiative to speak, "Since that's settled, I think I should take my leave."

Catherine, realizing she had been holding the young man's hand a bit too long, quickly let go as if nothing had happened, not daring to look at Simon on the bed again, and stood up, "Mr. Norman, I'll walk you out."

George Norman nodded but took out a business card from his suit pocket and formally handed it to Simon on the bed, "Mr. Westeros, this is my card. If you need anything, you can call me anytime."

Simon took the card, nodding, "I will, Mr. Norman. Also, I don't have a fixed address yet, so please send today's bill to Catherine; she will forward it to me."

Although Catherine's persuasion led Simon

 to abandon his plan for further retribution, the incident did not fade away silently.

In Hollywood, it's hard to keep any secret hidden.

In the days that followed, rumors of a leading actor's friends having their legs broken spread quickly throughout Hollywood, and various rumors about the incident continued to ferment.

As the protagonist, Simon, a newcomer just stepping into Hollywood, also fell into many people's field of vision once again.

Unaware of how he was being discussed in the circle, Simon, during his brief hospital stay, saw most of the people he had met since arriving in Los Angeles come to visit him, including David Giller, the producer of "Butterfly Effect," who made time to appear despite his busy schedule.

Furthermore, the five youths whose legs Simon had broken also became the focus of many people's attention.

Everyone knew that these youths were close friends of Matthew Broderick. Considering recent events, it wasn't hard for people to infer some truths.

Jonathan Friedman, during his visit, also specifically discussed this matter with Simon.

It was said that Norman Broca had issued an informal gag order, but it did nothing to stop the spread of speculation. Meanwhile, the agent also subtly advised Simon not to pursue the matter further.

Since he had made his decision, Simon naturally would not go back on it.

Although the doctor wanted Simon to stay in the hospital for observation for at least a week, Simon, admitted on a Tuesday night, only stayed until the weekend before hastily arranging his discharge.

The new week had the first production meeting for "Butterfly Effect," related to script revisions, and Simon, when David Giller visited, stated he didn't need to adjust the timing specially for him; he would be on time.