Just as night fell, Matthew Horner drove to the Angel Talent Agency, and as soon as he entered the gate he saw Helen Herman standing at the front desk, clearly waiting for him.
Matthew Horner walked over quickly and asked, "What's the situation?"
Helen Herman wasted no words and said directly, "After our discussion a few days ago, I specifically asked around. He should be in Los Angeles tonight; we sent him invitations to two events, but I'm not sure which one he'll attend."
"What events are they?" Matthew Horner asked curiously.
"One is a business gathering in the IT tech sector," Helen said briskly, "the other is a Hollywood charity gala."
She spoke quickly, "We each go to a different place."
Matthew Horner nodded, "Sure."
Helen added, "The IT tech gathering has a certain entry threshold; outsiders find it hard to get in. You're a highly recognizable star, so I'll go there and figure out a way in."
"Great!"
Although Frank Miller won't formally negotiate with him and Zack Snyder until late April, time is already tight, so Matthew Horner didn't hesitate, "Leave the charity gala to me."
"Here's the invitation," Helen lifted a large envelope from the glass desk at the front desk and handed it over, reminding, "The host is someone you know, Jennifer Aniston. If you meet your target, be sure to keep things under control."
Matthew Horner took the envelope and said, "Don't worry, I've got this."
Helen still trusted Matthew Horner; he had proven himself many times before.
After a quick exchange, they left the Angel Talent Agency together. Matthew Horner opened the trunk of his mercedes-benz g-class, took out a suit, changed in the first‑floor conference room, and then drove toward Beverly Hills.
The charity auction he was heading to was being held at the Regal Grand Hotel in Beverly Hills.
In Hollywood, pulling in investment sometimes isn't that hard—for example, a sequel to *pirates of the caribbean*; as soon as Disney Pictures wants external financing, a swarm of venture capitalists and film funds line up to put money on the table.
To be precise, mainstream commercial productions from the six major Hollywood studios find financing relatively easy.
But for small production companies or individuals trying to raise seven‑ or eight‑figure sums, it's never simple, especially for Matthew Horner and Zack Snyder, who have no even a mid‑size production company behind them.
What to do in this situation? With Matthew Horner's years of experience, the answer is to appeal… no, to show the utmost sincerity and approach those who have just entered the industry but already hold large cash reserves.
These days, it's like that Fox he once met—there are only a handful of patrons willing to invest in Hollywood.
Last year, when the lead for *national treasure* was auditioning, the Little Green Devil James Franco turned down the role of Ben Gates because a patron funded the script he wrote, giving him a chance to direct.
Although the movie titled *King Kong* has never been released, Matthew Horner remembered the name David Ellison.
After he mentioned David Ellison to Helen, she specifically looked into his activities in Hollywood, which unquestionably matched their requirements.
He's a young second‑generation rich who has plenty of money and invests purely based on personal preference.
Upon arriving at the Regal Grand Hotel, Matthew Horner showed the invitation, and a waiter immediately led him to the second‑floor banquet hall, where hundreds of people—many of them Hollywood insiders—had gathered.
The invitation noted that the organizer of this charity gala was Matthew Horner's old acquaintance, the nationally renowned Rachel—Jennifer Aniston.
When Matthew Horner entered the hall, he saw Jennifer Aniston standing near the entrance, greeting guests.
"Hey, Jane," Matthew Horner walked over immediately; Jennifer Aniston greeted him, opened her arms, and gave him a hug.
She politely said, "Welcome, Matthew Horner, I'm so glad you could come."
Having examined the invitation before entering the hotel, he declared grandly, "How could I miss contributing love to children with leukemia?"
He lowered his voice slightly, "Besides, this is your event."
It was as if he had a deep friendship with Jennifer Aniston.
Jennifer Aniston stepped aside, gesturing toward the hall, "Thank you for your love. Feel free to sit wherever; we'll talk later."
More guests arrived at the entrance; Matthew Horner glanced over and recognized someone who had worked with Jennifer Aniston on *Friends* and later co‑starred with him in *band of brothers*, though he couldn't recall the name.
Seeing Jennifer Aniston still greeting other guests, Matthew Horner didn't linger and headed to the other sign‑in desk, writing his name in the guest book and, like the other celebrity sign‑ins, leaving an amount beneath his name.
Helen Herman had given him instructions beforehand, so Matthew Horner left an amount of one hundred thousand dollars.
At a charity gala like this, anyone who shows up without donating becomes a laughingstock in the industry, and some financially struggling stars would even take out loans just to keep up appearances.
Of course, one could write down an amount and later back out, since the money isn't collected on the spot; when the donations are tallied later, you can simply change your mind, and no one can force you.
But doing that would be a serious breach of decorum, instantly dropping your class by many levels—a very unwise move.
Finding a seat with a clear view of the banquet hall, Matthew Horner scanned the room quickly, saw no target, and then his eyes landed on Jennifer Aniston.
Jennifer Aniston now radiated confidence, seemingly having completely escaped the whirlpool of her divorce; Matthew Horner had even read in the papers that she seemed to have a new boyfriend.
That's Hollywood—no one hangs onto a single tree; a breakup or divorce isn't the end of the world.
In fact, after her divorce Jennifer Aniston has been living carefree, never fading after the end of "Friends," and her popularity remains sky‑high, still a national sweetheart.
Tabloid coverage is often the most direct reflection; paparazzi are opportunists, and paying them to chase obscure or unfavored stars is rarely worthwhile. By contrast, Jennifer Aniston appears in gossip columns all year round.
Just the fact of a pregnancy can be spun and reported repeatedly—"Jennifer Aniston is pregnant," "Jennifer Aniston isn't pregnant," "Jennifer Aniston secretly conceived," "Jennifer Aniston may have had a miscarriage"—such sensationalism is common and readers love it.
Brad Pitt, on the other hand, has been trying to rehabilitate his image since his divorce from Jennifer Aniston; despite fan support, his reputation took a hit and his career has stalled. Lately, every interview he gives ends up mentioning Jennifer Aniston, comfortably riding his ex‑wife's lingering fame.
Without "mr. & mrs. smith," Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie are far from the easygoing days of the past; their situation has become considerably more complicated.
At that moment, footsteps echoed at the banquet entrance. Matthew Horner turned again and saw a young man with short, brown‑gold hair walk in, head straight for Jennifer Aniston, greet her, and then sit a short distance away.
Matthew Horner didn't rush over; instead, he pulled out his phone, texted Helen Herman, and patiently waited for an opening.
You can't be too hasty with this; moving too quickly might backfire.
He kept his eyes on the young man. Earlier, Helen Herman had shown him a photo confirming he was David Ellison, the son of Larry Ellison, the CEO of Oracle.
Helen's research indicated that David Ellison has an extraordinary passion for Hollywood's film industry; he attended the University of Southern California's School of Cinema, but left early to chase a Hollywood career before graduating.
Rumor has it that Larry Ellison gave David Ellison a full two hundred million dollars as seed money.
That's just gossip; the truth is impossible to verify.
After arriving in Hollywood, David Ellison initially tried to invest in flagship projects from the six major studios, but unsurprisingly faced the industry's natural resistance to outsiders. Over a year later, aside from James Franco's "King of the Apes," he couldn't find a suitable project.
Much like financial investing, having money doesn't guarantee success; David Ellison kept hitting dead ends in Hollywood.
Someone like him fits Matthew Horner's crew's needs perfectly.
By any measure, David Ellison is a super‑wealthy patron.
Matthew Horner waited patiently, and the charity gala began. After Jennifer Aniston, the host, finished her speech, he approached her.
"Anything I can help with?" Jennifer Aniston still remembered Matthew Horner's assistance to her last year.
Matthew Horner gestured toward David Ellison and asked, "Jen, are you close with Larry Ellison's son?"
Jennifer Aniston replied, "Not really close, we just know each other."
"Could you do me a small favor?" Matthew Horner said, looking at David Ellis, "Would you introduce us?"
Jennifer Aniston wasn't sure what Matthew Horner wanted, but it wasn't a problem. She said, "Sure," and invited him, "Come with me, I'll make the introduction.