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Chapter 256: Despicable Means
🕑 Added 2025-03-27 17:47:15 +0000 UTCJames Raymond was a post-production editing assistant.
Standing at 1.85 meters tall and weighing 210 pounds, he looked like a mountain when seated.
However, due to his dedication to exercise, this mountain appeared more like a steep peak rather than mere bulk.
As he carried his briefcase and unlocked the editing room with his key, he found it empty.
The usual working hours started at ten, but today, he had arrived at six-thirty. Not only were the other editors absent, but even the HR ladies, who were usually the earliest to arrive, hadn't shown up.
This gave him ample time.
James slowly placed his briefcase on the chair, looked around, and after noticing the security camera above, he remained calm. He then took out a set of screwdrivers from his bag and started dismantling the film reel box on the control console.
He had already prepared for the worst. He had no wife, no children, and his parents were no longer in America.
As long as he successfully destroyed the film, he would receive three million dollars, leave America, and return to his hometown in Canada.
If he chose to stay and keep working, it would take him more than a decade to earn that amount.
But now, all he needed was a screwdriver and a little bit of time.
He felt no guilt about this. After all, he wasn't an editor, just an assistant—why should he uphold any so-called professional ethics for the company?
His movements were swift. After opening the reel box, he immediately saw the black film inside.
Although he couldn't see the contents and confirm whether it was Lucy, they had been editing it recently, and he didn't believe anyone would have replaced the film.
So, without hesitation, James took out a bottle of diluted sulfuric acid and poured it into the box.
"Sizzle—" The film emitted a pungent odor, causing James to instinctively wrinkle his nose.
"It should be destroyed now." He didn't believe that film corroded by sulfuric acid would still be usable, so he didn't bother checking further. He simply tossed the bottle into his briefcase and left the editing room.
Upon stepping out, James immediately took out his phone and dialed an unfamiliar number.
"How did it go?"
"Smooth. It's done."
"Good. Head straight to the airport."
Like a secret agent in a movie, James tossed his phone into a trash bin on the side of the road, got into his car, and drove straight to the airport.
Meanwhile, Tracy, who had just received confirmation that the film was destroyed, was waiting for the next piece of news.
He needed to make sure Lucy's film was truly beyond recovery.
The update came quickly—within just two hours, he learned of Norton's Eye's panic and Ethan's furious questioning.
Tracy kindly arranged for a police car for Norton's Eye before heading to a public phone booth to inform Victor that they could release the news in the afternoon.
"Everything is ready." Tracy entered the office and said to Ronald Tuttle, "Victor has everything set up for the exposé. But honestly, I never expected Avril, Jessica Alba, and Anne Hathaway to all be Ethan's private lovers."
"It's Hollywood. A top director like Ethan is bound to have mistresses," Ronald Tuttle responded nonchalantly.
"That's true. Still, just thinking about these women who act like pure saints on screen being under Ethan makes me a little envious."
"Haha, once we succeed in this takeover, we'll be Hollywood big shots too. We can put a red couch in the office."
"Exactly."
Though they were prominent figures in the investment world, their personal exploits were limited to interns or secretaries within their companies—entirely different from the celebrity circle.
Of course, it wouldn't be hard for them to date an actress, but to have a rotation of stars like certain directors? That was another story.
After their chat veered into personal territory, Tracy turned back to business. "Is the capital ready?"
"I've got everything prepared. Once the scandal breaks, we'll start acquiring Norton's Eye's stock in large volumes."
"Hmm… There shouldn't be any issues, right?" Tracy felt everything was proceeding too smoothly, as if Norton's Eye was completely unaware of their actions.
"Of course. Ethan may be at the top of the film industry, but in the world of corporate warfare, he's just a child." Ronald Tuttle laughed heartily.
Tracy laughed along with him.
Just as they both burst into laughter, a knock suddenly came from the door.
"What is it?" Tracy called out. When the door opened, his personal secretary entered, holding a newspaper with a deep frown.
"Boss, it's news about Ethan." She handed him the paper.
"That's odd. I just called Victor. How could it be out so soon?" Tracy felt a sense of unease. As he opened the newspaper, he saw The Hollywood Reporter's headline:
Shocking! Multiple Famous Actresses Admit to Dating Ethan, Including Anne Hathaway, Avril, Scarlett Johansson, Cayden Kross, and Cindy Shay.
Additionally, according to an investigation, reporters have discovered that Ethan and Jessica Alba have a daughter together!
"What?!" Tracy clenched the newspaper tightly, unable to contain his shock.
"What's wrong?" Ronald Tuttle looked confused, not understanding his partner's reaction.
But the moment he saw the headline, he gasped. "How could this be such a coincidence?!"
Yes—how could it be that just as they were about to release damaging news about Ethan, this article had already been published?
And not just any article—it completely undermined their exposé.
Not only had they lost the advantage of breaking the news first, but since several actresses had openly acknowledged their relationships with Ethan, the entire scandal had already been framed in a different light.
Anne Hathaway and Scarlett had personally confirmed they were Ethan's ex-girlfriends.
This meant their intended exposé—accusing Ethan of two-timing and secretly keeping multiple actresses as mistresses—was now baseless.
Even if they published it, the public would dismiss it as malicious misinterpretation by unscrupulous media.
Their plans had fallen apart.
But what truly sent chills down Ronald Tuttle's spine was—why was it this coincidental?
If the article had been released a few days earlier or later, he might not have thought much of it. But it had dropped just hours before they planned to leak their story.
What did this mean?
It meant their every move had been under Ethan's watch the whole time. It meant Victor, their supposed insider, had long been compromised.
Otherwise, it would be too much of a coincidence!
And this news must have been approved for release by Ethan himself. After all, if a journalist had really uncovered these matters, they wouldn't have needed to wait for several actresses to confirm it together—the news would have been published long ago. There was no need to wait until now.
This could only prove that Ethan had grasped their movements and was deliberately warning them.
"SHXT!"
"Bang!"
Ronald Tuttle slammed his palm on the table, furious.
"What should we do now?" Tracy looked a little uneasy. He subconsciously glanced out the window, feeling as if someone was watching them.
"Whoosh!" He pulled the curtains shut, plunging the office into darkness.
"No problem." Ronald Tuttle took a few deep breaths. "We can leak the news that Lucy's film reels have been destroyed. There's no way he could know about this."
"I'll handle it right now!" Tracy had originally planned to release the news later, but now, all they cared about was gaining the upper hand against Ethan. They had no patience to wait any longer.
"Hurry up!" Ronald Tuttle urged Tracy to get the news out immediately.
By the afternoon, a media outlet had reported:
"This morning, we received news that Lucy, a film in post-production at Norton Eye, has suffered irreparable damage to its film reels. However, when we attempted to investigate, multiple police officers on the scene prevented us from filming. The worst-case scenario is that the entire movie may need to be reshot, which would mean that the $200 million film will not be released as scheduled."
As soon as this news broke, the industry was in an uproar.
Numerous calls flooded into Norton Eye as media outlets rushed to verify Lucy's progress.
Norton Eye quickly held a press conference. Journalists from major media outlets, including The New York Times and the BBC, were present.
"Click! Click!" As Ethan walked into the press conference with a serious expression, all the reporters snapped photos.
"Quiet, please!" Yuffie managed the scene.
After Ethan sat down, Yuffie announced, "We will now provide a detailed statement on Lucy's situation. Please remain calm."
Hearing that Ethan was getting straight to the point, the reporters quieted down, readying their notebooks to take notes.
Ethan nodded and spoke. "First, I want to say that Lucy did encounter some unforeseen obstacles."
The reporters gasped. Could the afternoon reports be true? Had the film reels really been destroyed?
If that were the case, wouldn't Lucy need to be reshot?
This wasn't just any film—it was a $200 million investment. If the reels were truly ruined, investors would certainly demand answers from Ethan, and Norton Eye's stock price would undoubtedly plummet.
The reason the stock market hadn't reacted yet was simply that the news had broken too quickly, and no one knew the full truth.
But if Ethan personally confirmed it, then by tomorrow, Norton Eye would surely take a heavy hit.
Just as they were speculating, Ethan continued, "But I must clarify—Lucy's film reels were not damaged. In fact, they are perfectly safe. The reports from this afternoon were completely fabricated."
"Ah!" The reporters were stunned. A complete reversal of the situation.
"Then, Mr. Norton, what was the obstacle you mentioned?" One reporter blurted out the question.
"Please remain quiet." Yuffie restored order once again.
After the room calmed down, Ethan explained, "Here is what actually happened. This morning, at 6:30 AM, our post-production assistant arrived at the company, broke open a film reel case with a tool, and poured a bottle of sulfuric acid inside, destroying the contents."
That sounded almost identical to the previous reports. There was a destroyed film reel.
The reporters were puzzled at first but soon realized—was it possible that the reels in question weren't Lucy's?
"The reel he destroyed did not belong to Lucy. It was just an experimental reel we used to practice 3D filmmaking." Ethan confirmed their suspicions.
In reality, for the past several nights, they had been carefully storing Lucy's actual film reels in a secure location and replacing them with decoy reels. This was to prevent any intentional sabotage.
After Ethan noticed subtle clues from the detective's investigation, he realized that the Clooney Group was orchestrating an attack against him. He immediately ordered strict security measures for the reels.
He even stayed on-site every night.
Aside from him, Yuffie, and the lead post-production editor, no one knew where the actual reels were.
Every precaution had been taken for this exact moment.
"I see!" The reporters marveled at the situation. Ethan's luck was incredible—such a well-planned sabotage had still ended in failure.
They couldn't help but recall Ethan's Hollywood nickname, "Lucky Ethan." Everything that had happened in recent years seemed to reinforce this title.
But just then, Ethan spoke again, drawing everyone's full attention.
"The reason the police were present this morning was that we caught the assistant who attempted to flee after destroying the reel. His name is James Raymond. He is currently being interrogated at the NYPD. I just came from the police station. The reason we scheduled this press conference in the evening is that the information we uncovered was shocking."
Ethan's voice was grave. "I never imagined that some companies would resort to such despicable tactics to achieve their goals."
The reporters leaned in, sensing that the real bombshell was coming.
"The Clooney Investment Group and Los Angeles businessman Ronald Tuttle privately contacted James Raymond and offered him three million dollars to destroy the film reels!"
The entire room erupted in chaos!
While it was no secret that Hollywood studios often engaged in underhanded competition, it was extremely rare for such matters to be publicly exposed.
And yet, Ethan had just revealed it outright in a live press conference. This was a major scoop.
The reporters, like vultures smelling fresh carrion, were practically trembling with excitement.
And Ethan didn't stop there. He dropped another bombshell:
"Furthermore, after police investigations, we discovered that Victor—the writer I previously dismissed for incompetence—also has ties to this group. Over the past three months, his wife and Mother has received multiple large deposits from undisclosed sources."
"But wire transfers alone can't be used as evidence," a reporter reminded him.
"That's correct," Ethan folded his hands across his chest, "but I have a recording of Tracy from the Clooney Group speaking with Victor."
Once again, the room erupted. The excitement in the reporters' eyes burned like wildfire.
Good heavens, Ethan was planning to bury his opponents completely!
