Marvel Salted Fish Kryptonian

Although his subordinates spoke with confidence, for some reason, Owen felt even more insecure.

Chapter 316 New CEO Inauguration Banquet

Stark Films has a new CEO, and this news should be unremarkable and cause no social waves. However, in reality, people in Hollywood are not as calm as they appear to be.

Founded by Howard Stark, it was one of the eight major studios during the early years of Hollywood's Golden Age. Stark Pictures is considered a top-tier Hollywood studio in terms of both history and seniority.

The film copyright library also includes some classic films that have gone down in history, such as "King Kong" and "Citizen Kane".

Even after World War II, when Stark Films scaled back its production and could barely release a low-budget independent film a year, it remained Hollywood's most important equipment manufacturer and supplier.

From cameras and editing machines to projectors, lighting stands, and large camera cranes, there's nothing they don't manufacture related to film production and broadcasting. It can be said that Stark Films, from another perspective, still holds a place in Hollywood.

Since its decline, Stark Films has lacked a qualified leader. Whether it's the elder Stark or the younger Stark, the CEOs are merely figureheads, with their focus elsewhere.

Now, such a company is about to welcome a new CEO. Those who have learned of the news in advance are all investigating who Henry Brown is and who has won the favor of Tony Stark.

Yes. Everyone was simply curious about who had been chosen, and no one had considered whether this person was qualified.

Because who in the industry is capable of running a film company, including top producers, is a rare talent, and their movements are closely watched by those in the industry. And Henry Brown is clearly not among them.

When Henry Brown's credentials were revealed, many high-ranking figures were stunned. What did it mean to be a mere passing actor in Hollywood? His only notable accomplishment was probably being the final young assistant to Oscar-winning actress Audrey Hepburn.

After learning that Tony Stark wasn't sure whether he would attend the banquet, many bigwigs felt that it was meaningless. The polite ones sent an assistant or secretary to attend; the unceremonious ones simply ignored him.

Henry wasn't surprised by this outcome. At Tony's insistence, the main target of this inauguration banquet were the various factions within Stark Pictures.

Since these people have been doing things their own way for a long time, if a boss suddenly appears from above, and if he appears without making any noise, then there's no way he can control anyone.

Of course, you could use drastic measures like firing a senior executive to make an example of them. However, considering the severance pay for the fired executive, compared to the cost of a banquet, it's still cheaper to hold a banquet. So, let's just hold an inaugural banquet.

Furthermore, if everyone is being quiet and just refusing to cooperate, firing people without a good excuse can easily lead to even bigger problems.

Since Tony took over, he's been known to treat his employees well. Even when changing positions, he's offered salary increases as an incentive. If this kind of persona were to be jeopardized, all his previous efforts would be wasted.

This banquet also had another significant meaning: it reminded certain people that there was a new fish in Hollywood's pond. If there was anything disgusting and dirty, they should never forget him.

Even if Henry wanted to keep things simple, and Tony, who paid for the party out of his own pocket, could he, a wage earner, say no? If he started and quit on the same day, it would surely be a Hollywood joke.

However, even more eye-catching than Henry Brown at the banquet was a pair of veteran and new actresses who weren't mother and daughter, but were more like mother and daughter: Charlize Theron and Katharine Hepburn.

The reclusive Hollywood queen's return to Los Angeles since 93 didn't actually cause much of a stir, but given her stature and presence at such an event, it's hard not to draw conclusions.

Moreover, Ms. Hepburn had a pleasant conversation with the new CEO of Stark Films and was even more familiar with his female companion, which made people curious about their relationship.

You know, Katharine Hepburn was once considered half the mistress of Stark Films. Although the old people of her generation who worked with her have long retired or are buried six feet under the ground, new employees still recognize this relationship.

There was no way around it. When old Stark was still alive, whenever Ms. Hepburn came to Los Angeles, no matter what she wanted to do, old Stark would ask the employees of Stark Films to do it.

Even without asking for permission, Katharine Hepburn could command the people at Stark Films to do trivial things just by showing her face. Of course, serious matters still had to go through the procedures, but it probably wouldn't be rejected by old Stark.

So today's banquet is like a home game for Katharine Hepburn.

However, she was not there just to support Henry, but to arrange a meeting with a very capable agent for Charlize to introduce them to each other.

In order to leave a good impression on the agent she had never met, Charlize specifically asked for advice on how to behave appropriately and express herself at such a banquet.

Perhaps it was the perfect match between the South African diamonds and the Hollywood queen's aura that Charlize mastered in a short time, thanks to Katherine's guidance. The only drawback was the excess collagen in her face, giving her a bit of baby fat.

Even though Charlize had never experienced such a situation before and was extremely nervous, she was able to react calmly and appropriately without falling into the attitude of a girl trying to please others at a party.

She wore a blue plaid narrow skirt with a hunting coat on top, a perfect Katharine Hepburn style. In the eyes of many people, it was just like Katharine Hepburn in the golden age, jumping out of a black and white movie into this colorful real world.

So the entertainment reporters present at the event used most of their film footage on the new and old actors, even though most people didn't recognize the younger one, only knowing that she was the girlfriend of the new CEO of Stark Films.

Some people even speculated that one of Katharine Hepburn's great-nieces was preparing to reign in Hollywood again under the care of her great-aunt.

"Oh my God. Is this the golden age of Hollywood coming again?" An older middle-aged woman wearing black-framed glasses came up to Charlize Theron and exclaimed.

Catherine happily hugged the other person. "Jane, you're here. I was worried you wouldn't come."

"How is that possible? You told me you wanted to introduce me to a diamond in the rough. Even if there's no chance, I'll overcome all obstacles to broaden my horizons. Could this person be your great-niece?"

"None of my brother's kids are interested in Hollywood. This is Charlize Theron, a kid I'm very optimistic about." After the introduction, Catherine went on to introduce the other side:

"Charlize, this is JJ Harris, Jean Joseph Harris. A wonderful manager and producer, and of course, a wonderful woman."

Charlize Theron smiled, extended her hand, and greeted, "Ms. Harris, it's an honor to meet you."

"Call me JJ Harris, or just Jen like Katherine did. It's an honor to meet you, too."

"Just call me Charlize, Jen."

Chapter 317 The Uninvited Agent

The two greeted each other happily and shook hands. JJ Harris suddenly approached and asked, "Tell me in secret that you are actually Catherine's secret granddaughter. The one that has never been exposed."

Catherine said, "Wrong answer. Tell me, whose child do you want me to give birth to?"

"I don't know. But whoever it is you've had an affair with, your children will be very cute. Just like Charlize."

Hearing this, Catherine looked at Charlize suspiciously. Suddenly, she chuckled. "Honestly, if I weren't involved, I wouldn't know that it was true. I think having a child like you wouldn't be such a bad thing."

Charlize's defense was suddenly broken. She could no longer maintain her queenly aloofness. Instead, she said coquettishly with a helpless expression, "Catherine."

This different expression made JJ Harris's eyes sparkle. "Katherine, that's not an expression you would have."

"If I say that this child's imitation of me today was all acting, what do you think? Is she a promising talent?"

"What! Isn't it because Charlize's temperament is very similar to yours, so..."

Katherine took Charlize Theron's hand and shook her head. "No, that's not true. She's not like me in her normal life. Her performance today was the product of carefully practiced acting."

"Oh, my goodness. Honestly, if you hadn't been standing right here, I'd have thought you'd drunk some kind of rejuvenating potion and turned back to your twenties."

Holding Charlize Theron's hand, JJ Harris looked around and touched her, which made Charlize feel embarrassed and her restrained temperament could not help but break through.

JJ Harris asked with satisfaction, "Charlize, what school did you attend? Or which acting school did you train in? You're very good at controlling your expressions."

"I spent some time at the Joffrey Ballet School in New York. Then I took classes at Mr. Salvatore's acting school for over a month. The rest of the time, I practiced at home with my boyfriend, Henry."

"Practice at home? How do you practice?" JJ Harris asked curiously.

"Every day I would watch a movie that had won an acting award or was nominated, and then I would try to imitate the performance once, and he would film it with a camera. Then we would discuss the results of my performance, where it differed from the original movie, and how to improve it."

"Your boyfriend?" JJ Harris asked again. "Henry Brown?"

"Yes, that Henry Brown."

"Yeah." JJ Harris looked at the unremarkable man with a complicated expression and said, "I thought that guy was a classmate or friend of Tony Stark, and he got a job under him just to pick up girls."

Catherine said, "That kid is very talented, but he's not that interested in acting. The good thing is that he's also talented in other areas, so acting isn't necessary."

"Have you ever acted in any movies?" JJ Harris continued to ask. She already wanted to sign this girl, but she still wanted to see more of her performance before she knew what direction to push her in.

However, when asked about this, Charlize said a little shyly, "They were just background roles in small productions. They didn't even have any lines."

"Ah, what a shame. You deserve more."

Just as the two were about to discuss deeper issues, an untimely commotion disrupted their pace.

In front of Henry stood three white men in neat suits, one old and two young. The two younger ones took out their IDs and said loudly:

"FBI. Henry Brown, we suspect you are involved in the disappearance of State Representative Mike Liddell Horton. Please come back to the bureau with us to cooperate with the investigation."

He was shouting so loudly, as if he was afraid no one would hear him. Sure enough, the flash lights of the reporters present, which had been silent for a long time, lit up again, afraid that if they pressed the shutter too late, they would miss the chance.

Henry smiled and asked, "Is there a warrant for your arrest, sir?"

"No, I just ask you to cooperate with the investigation."

"Does it have to be on an occasion like today?"

"We would like to do it in another setting, but you know how long we've been looking for you. If you refuse, it will constitute obstruction of justice, and we can arrest you directly."

"I have the right to hire a lawyer."

"Notify him to come to the police station and accompany you for questioning."

The two FBI agents didn't dare to publicly block the lawyer's request. However, they still resorted to delaying tactics, refusing to wait for the lawyer to arrive. They also intended to arrest the man.

Charlize Theron saw this and anxiously rushed to Henry's side to defend his rights, even though she didn't understand what was going on.

But Katherine grabbed Charlize and stopped her from rushing forward rashly.

Although Henry didn't look over, he secretly made a blocking gesture. Regardless of whether he was seen or not, he continued to ask, "My two lords, this is not the first time we meet, is it?"

One of them said quickly, "This is the first time we've met. In order to investigate Councillor Horton's whereabouts, we finally found the person with the most serious connection, you.

"If we had met before, the matter would have been sorted out long ago, and it wouldn't have been delayed until this moment. Don't you agree?"

Henry didn't answer, just put his hands into the pockets of his suit jacket.

Such an action naturally alerted the two FBI agents. They quickly drew their guns, pointed them at Henry and shouted, "What are you doing! Take your hands out and put them where we can see them! Don't move!"

Henry didn't even bother to complain about the contradiction between wanting someone to take it out and not touch it. He just pressed the play button in his pocket, and suddenly a sound came out from the cheap speaker, attracting everyone around him.

"FBI, Mr. Henry Brown, right? Please cooperate with our investigation."

'Can I ask what this is? Or do you have a warrant out for my arrest?'

'Arrest warrant? Have you done anything that warrants our arrest?'

'Don't worry, kid. Just come with us, and everything will be fine.'

'What if I refuse?'

'Then you're in trouble.'

Then, the distinct sound of a car door closing and an engine starting up was audible. Throughout this time, Henry's voice, over the cheap speakers, continued to question his rights, his destination, his motives, but all of it was met with silence.

Henry, who was being held at gunpoint, had already raised his free hand. His other hand, which was in his pocket, slowly pulled out a small Sony Walkman. It was this that was playing the tape and making the sound.

He raised both hands above his head, only one of them holding the Walkman. Henry smiled and said, "I think this is not the first time we meet. Two FBI officers."

Chapter 318 A recording that shouldn't exist

The quick-witted FBI special agent asked dumbfoundedly, "When was this..."

"Oh, you asked when the recording was made? That was the day you two illegally escorted me to the home of State Representative Mike Liddell Horton.

"If you continue listening, you can hear the recording of me and the congressman's bodyguard confirming his identity and location. This is completely different from what you two said at the time about cooperating with the investigation. Shouldn't it just be a visit to your FBI station for questioning?

"So I'm curious, is this 'cooperation with the investigation' going to be the same? If I go with you, I'll end up in an unknown place, and then something unspeakable will happen."

"You...what nonsense are you talking about!" The agent's tone was timid but it was obvious that there was something wrong.

The entertainment reporters' flashbulbs lit up again, this time acting as political reporters. The people they were filming were two FBI special agents.

It’s just that some newbies had foolishly used up all the film in their cameras, and now they were hurriedly changing the film.

Of course, there were also veteran reporters who used up all their film. But then they skillfully took out their second camera and started snapping away again!

Henry didn't intend to stop talking. He lowered his hands and continued, "The two officials said they wanted to investigate Councillor Horton's case, but I know nothing about it. I left as soon as I arrived at the location."

"On the contrary, on whose orders did you two take me to Councillor Horton's house? And why did you take me there? Why did you come to me to ask about Councillor Horton when you knew all this?

"Aren't you all more knowledgeable about these things than I, who am still baffled by them? So what's your purpose in insisting on my cooperation with the investigation and asking me about this?"

Henry was hinting that the FBI was planning to frame him. The reporters present were all shrewd. Even without these hints, they knew what the most sensational headline would be and from what angle to approach the matter.

Another FBI special agent reacted more quickly. He shouted, "You are obstructing justice! Your messed-up recording cannot be used as evidence. The person speaking never identified themselves. You are just insinuating and slandering us."

"Scientific identification is so advanced nowadays. For such a small matter, wouldn't it be enough to compare voiceprints to confirm whether the speaker is the two officers? Are you sure you're denying it so hastily? You're not just showing guilt?"

"Okay, give me the tape. I'll have the FBI lab do the forensic work."

Faced with the agent holding a gun in one hand and asking for evidence with the other, Henry did not hand over his Walkman. Instead, he said, "The client is holding a gun and asking for evidence. Is this the FBI's protocol?"

"Maybe this is just the norm on the West Coast, but it's really eye-opening for me. I should talk to my friends in Washington, D.C., and tell them about the absurd things happening on the West Coast."

The person who said this was Tony Stark, who had emerged from the crowd. His appearance once again murdered the film in the reporters' cameras.

However, the flashes were sparse. Because more people were rushing to change film, this made the young master feel a little unhappy...

With this man on the scene, Owen Davis couldn't let his men keep their guns pointed. If a gun accidentally went off, regardless of whether it hit this man or not, the consequences would be serious.

Tony Stark's current backers are a bunch of American thugs. Who in the political arena dares to confront such a group of people? Aren't they afraid of being tied to a missile and fired at some strange place?

He also had to figure out how to resolve the farce that had just unfolded. The recording in the other party's hands was indeed an unexpected nuisance. If he had known about it, he would never have agreed to take the other party away in such a public place, especially with reporters present.

"Mr. Stark, I'm Owen Davis, the assistant director in charge of the FBI's Los Angeles office." As he spoke, he extended a friendly hand to the young man who was much younger than him.