Chapter 319: A Major Discovery

Chapter 319: Chapter 319: A Major Discovery

Early the next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Maddy Hansen arrived at the Universal Pictures headquarters half an hour early, wearing his only decent dark gray suit.

He clutched the "intelligence" in his wallet and paced outside the team leader’s office for a long time. Just as he took a deep breath and was about to knock, the conversation from inside was like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguishing his enthusiasm.

"...Right, that useless Maddy Hansen, he can’t even write a report correctly. There’s no point in keeping him." The team leader’s voice came through the door, filled with undisguised contempt. "Don’t worry, I’ll find an excuse to fire him. That position will be perfect for your nephew. Hasn’t he always wanted to join the Marketing Department?"

Maddy’s blood instantly froze, and a layer of cold sweat broke out on his back.

He froze in place, his fingers clutching his wallet so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

It turned out the team leader had wanted to kick him out all along. If he gave the intelligence to the team leader now, the man would likely snatch the credit without hesitation and then turn around and sweep him out the door on the grounds of "incompetence."

"No way, I can’t let him benefit from this!" Maddy Hansen gritted his teeth, his eyes instantly becoming determined.

He turned and walked toward the Marketing Department manager’s office at the end of the corridor. This was his first time being so rebellious, but it was also his only way out. He was going to bypass the team leader and report directly to the manager.

Knock, knock, knock. Maddy Hansen knocked on the manager’s office door, his voice carrying a trace of imperceptible trembling.

"Come in," came a steady response from inside.

Maddy Hansen pushed open the door, and the first thing that caught his eye was a spacious and bright office. Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows was the bustling street view of downtown Los Angeles. The leather office chair, the mahogany desk, and the classic Universal movie posters hanging on the wall all made this low-level employee feel both curious and ill at ease.

He couldn’t help but glance around until the supervisor looked up at him, at which point he hurriedly withdrew his gaze.

"And you are?" Marketing Manager Richard White put down the documents in his hand and pushed up the gold-rimmed glasses on the bridge of his nose, his eyes filled with scrutiny.

He had no impression of this low-level employee who had suddenly burst in.

"Hello, Manager! I’m Maddy Hansen from the Marketing Department. I have very important intelligence to report to you regarding Irene Coppola and Echo Pictures’ next major project!" Maddy Hansen took a deep breath, trying to make his voice sound steady and powerful.

Richard White raised an eyebrow, clearly not taking this young lad’s words to heart.

"Oh? What important intelligence?" His tone was flat, and his fingers tapped casually on the desk. He was clearly only being polite by not kicking him out immediately.

Maddy Hansen hurriedly pulled out the convenience store receipt from his wallet and handed it over with both hands. "Manager, look, this is the news I got last night—Irene Coppola is going to film a monster universe movie next, putting vampires, werewolves, and Frankenstein’s monster all together. She also wants to invite Leonardo DiCaprio to be the male lead. The inspiration comes from her father’s Bram Stoker’s Dracula!"

Richard White took the receipt and scanned it nonchalantly, a dismissive smile curling at the corners of his mouth. "Mr. Hansen, do you think I would believe such news?" He tossed the receipt back onto the desk, his tone mocking. "Who is Irene Coppola? She won an Oscar for Best Picture at the age of twenty-two and is extremely meticulous. Would intelligence about her core project be overheard so easily in a bar?"

Maddy Hansen’s heart tightened, and he quickly explained, "Manager, I know it sounds far-fetched, but I have a reliable source!" He rushed to recount his experience at the bar the previous night in detail—from hearing the conversation at the next table to using money to persuade the curly-haired man, and then confirming that the man’s brother was a veteran employee of Future World Pictures. He described every detail clearly.

"Future World Pictures?" Richard White’s expression suddenly changed. His previous disdain gradually faded, replaced by a touch of seriousness.

He leaned forward slightly, picked up the receipt again, and carefully looked at the notes on it.

As the Marketing Department head of Universal Pictures, he was well aware of Echo Pictures’ acquisition of Future World.

Future World had been established for twenty years, and its internal staff composition was complex. There were many veteran employees like the curly-haired man’s brother who were used to the previous loose management style and might not take the new owner’s confidentiality requirements to heart.

Moreover, during the acquisition and integration period, personnel changes were frequent, and the risk of information leakage was indeed much higher than usual.

"Are you sure that curly-haired man’s brother has been at Future World for five years and even sat in on high-level meetings?" Richard White pressed, his tone much more serious.

"Absolutely!" Maddy Hansen nodded repeatedly. "He said so himself. He also mentioned that Future World now belongs to Echo Pictures and that his brother was kept on because of his seniority, allowing him access to a lot of core information."

Richard White fell silent, his fingers tapping lightly on the desk as he sank into thought.

He had to admit that Maddy Hansen’s words had gained some credibility. If the news really came from within Future World, then this matter deserved attention.

Irene Coppola’s films always achieved both box office success and critical acclaim. If she were really starting a novel subject like a "monster universe," plus Leonardo’s involvement, it would undoubtedly be a super commercial film that could garner a lot of attention before its release.

"Have you told anyone else about this news?" Richard White looked up at Maddy Hansen, his eyes as sharp as a hawk’s.

"No! Absolutely not!" Maddy Hansen shook his head immediately. "After I recorded it last night, I came straight to you first thing this morning. I didn’t even tell my team leader!" He specifically emphasized "didn’t tell the team leader," subtly hinting at his sincerity.

A flash of approval crossed Richard White’s eyes. He could see that this young employee not only had a sharp nose for news but also knew how to seize an opportunity.

He stood up, walked to the window, looked at the distant skyline, and said solemnly, "Maddy, you’ve done well. I will report this to the Vice President immediately, and we’ll arrange for someone to verify the truth of the information. If the intelligence is true, you’ve done a great service this time."

Hearing this, Maddy Hansen’s heart finally settled, and an uncontrollable look of wild joy appeared on his face. He knew he had made the right bet. Not only would he keep his job, but he might truly encounter a turning point in his career.

Richard White turned to look at him and added, "Until the news is verified, you must keep it strictly confidential. You must not reveal a single word to anyone else. Also, collect as much contact information for that curly-haired man and information about his brother as possible and give it to me."

"Okay! I’ll get right on it!" Maddy Hansen quickly agreed, so excited he almost jumped on the spot.

As he walked out of the manager’s office, Maddy Hansen felt his steps were much lighter.

With his head held high and chest out, he intentionally slowed his pace as he passed the team leader’s office, an irrepressible look of pride on his face.

What he didn’t know was that the "major intelligence" he had tried so hard to obtain was merely a bait set by Irene Coppola. Universal Pictures had already discovered this bait. It just remained to be seen if they would bite.