Hindenburg Bar, near Santa Monica Beach.
After leaving WMA headquarters, Matthew Broderick brought a group of his close friends here.
Sitting in a booth on the second floor of the bar, overlooking the dance floor below, Matthew's mood grew increasingly agitated as he recalled the events of the past few days. He suddenly tilted his head back and chugged an entire bottle of dark beer.
He wasn't too bothered about losing the role in 'The Butterfly Effect'.
It was just a slightly better script, and Hollywood had no shortage of scripts. If he couldn't have kicked that kid out of the crew back then, he would have voluntarily withdrawn anyway. He was already a big star, so of course, he didn't need to work with someone he disliked. Spielberg often did the same.
However, Matthew Broderick never expected that he would be the one to be kicked out in the end.
If it were just that, he might have only been depressed for a while.
But events unfolded in a way that once again exceeded his expectations.
Because he inexplicably got caught up in this unfortunate incident, not only was he the one who got kicked out, but he also had to sign a movie deal with Fox at a low price.
Three million dollars.
His salary had already reached that amount three years ago, after 'WarGames'.
Now, with 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' being such a box office success, even making it into the top ten highest-grossing films of the year, he was still forced to sign another contract for only three million.
Damn WMA.
In Norman Brokaw's office that afternoon, Matthew Broderick almost flipped out on the spot, ready to fire the man directly.
However, he didn't dare to do so in the end.
His contract with WMA was the least of his worries; many people had jumped ship to CAA in the past six months, and most of their contracts hadn't even expired. The crucial thing was that he knew if he angered Norman Brokaw, he could very likely ruin himself.
In this world, the person who knows a star's privacy best is often their agent.
Fuck!
Muttering a low curse, Matthew Broderick barely restrained himself from smashing the beer bottle in his hand into the crowd downstairs. The pent-up, unvented anger in his chest made him feel like he was going crazy.
He pulled his gaze away from the dance floor below, and Matthew Broderick was about to grab another drink when he inadvertently noticed a blonde girl whispering in his close friend Alan Ruck's arms across the circular booth. He suddenly remembered the guy he brushed past at WMA headquarters that afternoon.
All of this was because of that damn 'Butterfly Effect'.
It was all because of that kid.
Pushing away a girl who was clinging to him, Matthew Broderick gestured to Kristy Swanson across from him, then simply stood up and walked over.
On the other side of the booth, seeing Matthew Broderick approach, everyone else squeezed over a bit.
Matthew sat down between Alan Ruck and another close friend, Mark Stein, and then asked Kristy Swanson without concealment, "Kristy, don't you know that Simon Westeros?"
Hearing Matthew ask this, Mark Stein, to his left, immediately leaned in closer.
Mark Stein was still deeply affected by his experience on the bar's dance floor a couple of weeks ago. Because of how he struggled in Simon Westeros's hands at the time, some people had even started calling him 'Monkey' recently. This nickname, which had spread unknowingly, had made Mark Stein the laughingstock in many people's eyes.
As Matthew Broderick's close friend, Mark Stein was well aware of the ins and outs of the recent series of events at WMA.
At this moment, hearing Matthew Broderick voluntarily bring up Simon Westeros, he keenly realized that his chance for revenge might be at hand.
Unlike ordinary people outside the industry, many eyes in Hollywood had, unbeknownst to them, begun to pay attention to a young man named Simon Westeros during this period.
Kristy Swanson also realized that Simon was no longer the unknown nobody he had been a few weeks ago. However, she didn't feel that he could compare to a hot young Hollywood star like Matthew in the slightest.
Hearing Matthew Broderick ask about Simon, Kristy Swanson even felt somewhat reluctant to bring up the person. She shook her head and said, "Matthew, that day was just a chance encounter. I only know that he probably works at a convenience store on 25th Street in Midtown".
Matthew Broderick was immediately somewhat disappointed.
If Kristy Swanson knew Simon's address, he would have immediately gathered his friends and gone there to give that guy a good beating, to vent the frustration and annoyance in his chest.
Now, that guy had earned $200,000 from a single script, so it was obviously impossible for him to still be working at a convenience store.
Mark Stein noticed Matthew Broderick's dejected expression and immediately said, "Matthew, maybe we can go to that convenience store and see. Even if he doesn't work there anymore, someone else at the convenience store should know his whereabouts".
Matthew Broderick, however, began to hesitate again; he was a person who generally disliked trouble.
Seeing this, Mark Stein continued to instigate, "Matthew, all these recent troubles were caused by Simon Westeros's script. Don't you want to teach that guy a lesson?"
By the end of Mark Stein's words, his tone was clearly tinged with gritted teeth, and his voice had involuntarily grown a few decibels louder.
Alan Ruck, who was embracing his girlfriend, heard Mark Stein's words and laughed loudly, "Monkey, you're the one who wants to teach that Simon Westeros a lesson, aren't you?"
The young people around them all burst into laughter.
Mark Stein's face flushed red as he straightened up, pointing at Alan Ruck and saying, "You fucking dare to call me Monkey again, just try it".
Alan Ruck was not intimidated in the slightest, raising an eyebrow in defiance and raising his voice, "Monkey!"
Matthew Broderick saw Mark Stein jump up, about to pounce on Alan Ruck, and pulled him back, saying, "All of you, stop fucking messing around".
Saying this, Matthew Broderick then stood up and said, "Let's call it a night. Women stay, guys come with me".
Hearing the recent conversation, the young men already understood Matthew Broderick's intentions. Mark Stein was the first to jump up again, and the other young men also chuckled and stood up, following Matthew Broderick out.
Kristy Swanson, left in the booth by her boyfriend, watched the group of boys leave with a shrug of indifference.
Just a fight.
Or rather, some guy was going to get a beating. But it was nothing major.
It was already past nine in the evening.
Matthew Broderick and his group of six, driving two cars, set off from the Airship Bar and quickly found the convenience store on 25th Street in Midtown.
They had originally been wondering how to extract Simon Westeros's address from the store clerk, but one of the young men sent to scout out information had just gotten out of the car when he easily spotted the figure standing behind the cash register, visible through the convenience store's glass door.
Upon confirming the target, Mark Stein, in the car behind, immediately ran to the BMW in front, knocked on the car window, and when the window rolled down, he said to Matthew Broderick in the passenger seat, "Matthew, should we just go in and drag that guy out?"
Matthew Broderick hadn't answered yet when Alan Sellers, who was driving, cursed, "Are you stupid? Doing that will get us mistaken for robbers. Of course, we wait for that guy to get off work. Also, Mark, what the hell are you doing with that baseball bat? You'll kill someone".
Mark Stein, thinking that he would soon get his revenge, no longer bothered to argue with Alan Sellers, and waved the baseball bat in his hand, saying, "I know how to fight, I don't need you to fucking teach me".
Among the youths, there were many who had similar part-time experiences and knew that the 7-Eleven convenience store would change shifts at 11 PM.
After idling away the next hour or so, Matthew and the others drove back to the vicinity of the convenience store and soon saw Simon Westeros emerge from the alley behind the convenience store, riding a bicycle.
The two cars immediately started and quietly followed him.
After traveling a distance south along 25th Street, Simon Westeros turned directly onto Santa Monica Boulevard, which was still quite lively even in the early hours of the morning. This was clearly not the place to make a move.
They continued to tail him for a while, until Simon Westeros turned into a narrow residential street with only a few sparse streetlights. It was then that the two cars simultaneously and tacitly accelerated.
"I won't go" Matthew Broderick said, looking at the figure getting closer and closer ahead. He thought for a moment, then cautiously told his eager friends in the car, "You guys beat him up thoroughly. Next week, I'll treat everyone to a trip to Las Vegas".
Hearing Matthew Broderick's promise, the faces of the young men in the car showed excitement.
Immediately, Alan Sellers slammed on the brakes, the car door opened, and three young men rushed towards Simon Westeros, who was cycling ahead.
A figure behind the three seemed even more eager, waving a baseball bat, he overtook the three, caught up to Simon Westeros from behind, and mercilessly swung the baseball bat, smashing it hard against Simon Westeros's backpack-covered back.
Matthew Broderick, remaining in the car, saw Simon Westeros on the bicycle being knocked to the ground by Mark Stein's swing. The other young men then, with practiced coordination, dragged the young man on the ground towards a nearby alley. A flicker of worry crossed his heart, which then turned into excitement, and he even regretted not having joined in earlier.
In the darker alley, the dull thuds of fists, feet, and clubs hitting flesh continued.
That sudden baseball bat blow had almost knocked Simon unconscious.
With what little instinctual awareness remained, Simon curled his body, protecting his head and vital areas with his hands.
What was happening?
This question arose in his mind.
Amidst the merciless fists and kicks, a thick wooden club was mixed in.
This was a baseball bat.
Simon vaguely distinguished it.
But...
Someone could die.
Was there really such great hatred?
A puddle of stagnant water beneath him seeped into his clothes, and a chilling sensation washed over him, gradually cooling Simon's consciousness.
In the dim light, Mark Stein's expression was somewhat distorted. All the humiliation he had suffered these past few days was being avenged. Seeing the young man lying in the sewage, utterly powerless to resist, Mark Stein even felt a hint of the loneliness of a master.
Kid, if you've got the guts, get up again!
Shouting this in his heart, Mark Stein swung the baseball bat at Simon again, this time aiming for his shoulder. The dull thud of the impact was particularly clear amidst the sounds of fists and feet.
However, this time, when Mark Stein instinctively tried to raise the baseball bat again, he suddenly found his hand empty.
Immediately after, amidst the scattered kicking sounds, a distinct swishing sound abruptly rang out.
Whoosh—
Crack!
A clear sound of bones breaking came.
One of the young men attacking Simon immediately fell to the ground, clutching his leg and screaming in agony, his voice even tinged with a whimper.
"Ah, my leg, ah ha, my leg, my leg is broken."
The sudden turn of events stunned the other four.
Mark Stein was the first to react, directly pouncing on Simon, who was on the ground, and shouting, "He snatched my baseball bat!"
A companion's leg being broken clearly did not scare the other four; instead, it ignited the ferocity of these young men.
So, at Mark Stein's reminder, the other three also pounced.
"Hold him down, hold him down!"
"Grab the baseball bat first".
Whoosh—
Crack!
Another young man immediately fell.
"I told you all to hold him down, my leg, ah, quickly call an ambulance, I need an ambulance".
"Shut up, stop wailing."
"Kill him."
In the narrow alley, the remaining three youths were still attacking the young man who was trying to get up from the ground. One held his body down, one was punching and kicking, and the last one tried to snatch the baseball bat from his hand.
Failing to get up once more, Simon decisively abandoned the baseball bat in his hand, which prevented him from moving freely. He glanced sideways at Mark Stein, who was pressing down on him, then suddenly gathered his strength and delivered a fierce elbow strike directly to the side of the other's face.
Mark Stein felt as if an iron hammer had struck his face, his head jerked to the side, and he spat out several teeth accompanied by blood.
Seeing Mark Stein also fall to the ground, screaming in agony, the remaining two youths finally felt a hint of fear.
Simon, however, gave them no time to hesitate. Without Mark Stein's restraint on him, he easily repossessed the baseball bat.
Whoosh—
Crack!
"No".
Whoosh—
Crack!
"Ah ah ah, my leg, murder, this is murder, I'm going to sue you for murder".
He finally stood up.
Simon raised his head, feeling the light before his eyes turn somewhat reddish. Listening to the young man's words beneath his feet, a thought flashed through his mind: Murder, huh, that's a pretty good charge.
However.
One, two, three, four.
Oh.
It seems one is still missing.
That's not good.
Footsteps sounded behind him, and Simon turned and gave chase.
The first scream from the alley made Matthew Broderick feel that something was wrong. He could tell that the scream must have come from one of his close friends.
Then.
The second scream.
The third scream.
The fourth scream.
Matthew Broderick still felt his hands and feet growing cold; all traces of his earlier drunkenness had completely vanished.
However, the clearer his mind became, the deeper his fear grew.
The commotion grew louder and louder, lights came on in some of the surrounding residential homes, and dog barks could be heard.
Matthew Broderick touched the car door, wanting to get out and check.
In the end, he couldn't muster the courage.
Perhaps, it was just his imagination.
His gaze was fixed on the alley entrance not far away, hoping his friends would emerge from it, laughing and joking as usual.
Then.
Indeed, someone came out.
However, Matthew Broderick witnessed a horrifying scene that he would be unable to forget for many years to come.
Mark Stein, whose face was half-covered in blood, had just appeared at the alley entrance when he suddenly collapsed onto the ground nearby, as if hit by a truck.
Then, that 'creature', covered in so much grime that it was hard to tell if it was human or ghost, silently emerged, carrying a baseball bat. It silently picked up one of Mark Stein's legs and dragged Mark Stein back into the dark shadows like a dead dog.
A moment later, similar screams of agony once again emerged.
Silence.
Unconsciously, his hands and feet had begun to tremble.
His brain froze for a moment, then Matthew Broderick suddenly remembered his current predicament. Fearing being discovered, he tremblingly moved to the driver's seat, started the car, and fled, regardless of anything, from that place that had terrified him to his core.