From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

The Hollywood insiders, never ones to shy away from a spectacle, were fueling the flames and watching with detached amusement, constantly speculating that Sony Columbia was playing a grand game with far-reaching goals.

Most likely, everyone at Sony Columbia, from top to bottom, was secretly delighted. Whether it was a calculated move or a stroke of luck, their objective had been achieved.

"Spider-Man 2" was generating phenomenal buzz. The mere glimpse of a brand-new costume was enough to ignite discussions across the internet, easily overshadowing all the summer blockbusters in terms of attention.

Was this even possible?

Everyone believed that the biggest winner of the summer was "Pirates of the Caribbean." Johnny Depp's performance propelled him to stardom, with his decade-plus of hard work finally culminating in a triumphant ascent, even revitalizing the pirate movie genre. No one expected "Spider-Man 2" to disrupt the party.

Now, everyone was talking about "Spider-Man 2." Sony Columbia was sitting pretty in their offices, having stolen the spotlight of the entire summer. If all of this was orchestrated by Sony Columbia themselves, then it would all make sense.

However, the reality might be slightly different.

Inside Sony Columbia, the atmosphere was quite different.

"Shut up!"

Michael Lynton was trying to quell the ongoing argument in the office. The mutual accusations, insults, and blame-shifting were truly unsightly.

However, the voice of this refined gentleman was completely drowned out by the high-pitched noise. No one seemed to notice that their superior was using all his strength to suppress his anger. They were all still fiercely debating, trying to gain the upper hand and prove that their point of view was correct.

Bang!

A deafening crash silenced the room. Everyone, startled, turned their gaze toward Michael, cutting off the noise.

A thick stack of documents had slammed onto the ground, scattering papers everywhere.

The desk, meanwhile, had been cleared of its contents.

However, Michael's face remained calm, without any change in expression. He maintained his usual composure, as if he had no idea why the stack of documents had fallen off the desk.

"Shut up," Michael said.

"Calm down. This is Sony Columbia. Even if it's the end of the world, you shouldn't be running around like headless chickens, wailing and screaming. At least show some poise and demonstrate your intelligence."

"There's no need to stage a dog-eat-dog show in front of me."

Unhurried, calm, and collected, he maintained his usual demeanor, but the icy tone in his voice was bone-chilling. Everyone could sense the deep-seated coldness, sending shivers down their spines.

Without pausing, Michael continued, bringing the attention back and also steering the conversation back on track.

"Halt all contact with potential replacement actors. Refrain from taking any rash actions for the time being."

"Those actors who have already been contacted, instruct them to keep their mouths shut. Even if there are leaks, even if there's media coverage, they'd better keep quiet."

"Otherwise, they'll face the consequences."

This was a small meeting, attended only by Michael's direct team.

In other words, trustworthy individuals.

Despite the immense pressure, someone still spoke up, asking, "It's probably too late now. The media has already caught wind of it. It's only a matter of time before the news breaks. Suddenly stopping our actions won't help."

"Besides, haven't we already prepared a contingency plan?"

"We didn't really prepare to replace Anson. It was just a precautionary measure, to be prepared for any eventuality."

Before Michael could respond, someone immediately muttered a rebuttal.

"That was then, this is now. A day ago, that excuse could still be used to plausibly appease the general public. But now, Anson has become a victim. If we continue with that excuse, we'll be besieged."

"What does that even mean? Why is Anson a victim? We're the victims, okay?"

Michael could barely stand to watch this scene.

The back-and-forth dialogue was completely disjointed. Everyone was talking to themselves, failing to express themselves fully, while also closing their ears and refusing to listen to each other. The communication efficiency was truly terrible.

Michael couldn't hold back any longer. "Stop!"

He raised his hand directly to interrupt the conversation, briefly summarizing the situation.

"Who took the photos of the Spider-Man costume, and when? Is this related to Anson's injury? And how did the photos leak out?"

"Then, who sneaked into Anson's hospital room, trying to take photos of Anson? Are they the same person who took the photos of the Spider-Man costume?"

The person across from him still didn't understand. "Paparazzi. All of this was done by paparazzi. It has nothing to do with us, does it? Wait, are you saying that all of this was arranged by us?"

"Exactly. People can't condemn a general 'paparazzi,' but they can condemn a clear target, which is us. Our calm objectivity, our professional demeanor will also be interpreted as cold-blooded, inhumane, and then become the target of people's anger."

The air completely stilled.

Including Michael.

Michael, who was always calm and rational, was now also lost in thought.

Simply put, if no paparazzi were involved, things would be very simple. The on-set accident would just be an accident. Anson would be the victim, and the production team would also be the victim.

In this situation, considering that Anson's condition is unclear and his return date is uncertain, the production team making two preparations to protect its own interests, although not very pleasant to hear, is logically justifiable. Even if Sony Columbia bears some infamy, they will still be able to get the support of public opinion.

However, now, the situation is completely different. The involvement of the paparazzi also means two things.

First, this is a man-made disaster.

Second, Anson is a victim, and the production team is too, but at the same time, the production team's poor management of the set led to the intrusion of paparazzi, and the production team also needs to bear certain responsibilities. In other words, the production team is no longer just a victim, they also need to apologize for poor management.

At this time, Sony Columbia is actually starting to look for a replacement. From a moral point of view, this is not justifiable. Cold-blooded, cruel, inhumane, etc. are all fine. The most worrying situation is conspiracy theory—

People condemn Sony Columbia for having planned to replace Anson long ago, so they deliberately arranged an accident, harming Anson in order to re-select actors.

When things develop to this point, it is not so simple.

At that time, Sony Columbia may really become a rat running across the street that everyone shouts and beats, and will other competitors in Hollywood miss the opportunity?

Michael believed that they would not. At least, if replacing an unknown, he would definitely not miss the opportunity.