The fire had been extinguished, but the charred and smoky lawn left the entire crew feeling uneasy. Dunn couldn't understand why this had happened. Despite his rising fame, he was still relatively new to Hollywood.
Most of the crew members had been promoted by Dunn from the bottom ranks and were already frightened out of their wits. Although Nicole Kidman and Sofia Coppola had more experience, they were still just two women facing a troubling situation.
The immense pressure weighed heavily on Dunn 's shoulders, making him feel the burden of responsibility. Sofia, a pampered heiress who had lived a privileged life for over twenty years, was already pale with fear, standing behind Dunn and biting her lip nervously.
Nicole Kidman, on the other hand, showed the independent and strong side of herself that had once braved Hollywood alone. She grabbed a towel and gently approached Dunn . "We've called the police already. Don't worry too much; this is a lawful society."
Dunn took the towel, wiped his face, and thanked her.
Nicole advised, "Maybe you should get in touch with Bryan. He would be better suited to handle something like this."
Dunn smiled, "Thanks, Nicole. I'll keep that in mind."
Nicole sighed softly. After all, Dunn was only nineteen, and the entire crew was relying on him. The fact that he could remain calm and even joke around under such pressure made Nicole secretly admire him.
Dunn didn't immediately contact the AA agency. He didn't want to show any sign of panic in front of the crew. Running to others for help over a minor issue might solve the problem, but it wouldn't leave a strong impression of him as a capable leader.
This was the first time his trusted team was making a film, and he needed to build a sense of core unity among them.
After a few minutes, an old police car pulled up, and out came two detectives—one slim and one stocky.
Dunn frowned slightly and was the first to approach them.
"Is everything resolved?" The stocky detective glanced around, not seeming in any hurry.
Dunn replied sternly, "Can't you see the mess here? Those gasoline barrels caused at least $500,000 in damages. I hope the police can give me a reasonable explanation."
The slim detective sneered, "Who are you? You think you deserve an explanation just because you ask for one?"
He patted the gun at his waist and smirked.
Dunn immediately realized things were not looking good.
Collusion between police and criminals is not uncommon anywhere in the world.
Due to the needs of the film, the crew had rented a house in Chicago's relatively poor western side to depict the life of a middle-class family. This area was a melting pot of different ethnicities, not just the Greek community depicted in the film but also descendants of Irish, Swedish, Polish, Italian, and German immigrants.
This diversity naturally led to a less orderly environment.
Before arriving, the crew had already greased the wheels with the city government and police department, receiving a warm welcome and assurances. But now, it seemed things were different at the local level.
"So, you're not planning to handle this?" Dunn 's face darkened with anger.
The slim detective's eyes flashed with annoyance at Dunn 's lack of tact, while the stocky detective spoke more earnestly, "Well, Mr. Walker, we really can't do anything about this. Those guys are of Italian descent. Besides, no major harm was done, right? Why not just let it slide?"
Dunn felt a chill run down his spine, realizing the situation was even worse than he had thought.
The fact that these officers knew he was the hottest young director in America, Dunn Walker, yet still acted so brazenly, meant the people behind this were no small fry.
Sure enough, the slim detective then added coldly, "I know who you are, Dunn Walker. But this isn't Los Angeles, it's not Hollywood—this is Chicago! Even if Spielberg were here, he'd have to toe the line!"
Dunn 's expression gradually changed from anger to a calm, almost serene look, and he smirked slightly. "In that case, you two can go now."
The stocky detective breathed a sigh of relief, while the slim one forced a smile, nodding in approval. "That's more like it. You're a director, so just focus on making your movie. Don't go looking for trouble where it doesn't belong. Honestly, I watched your 'Titanic' five times! When this new movie comes out, I promise I'll take my whole family to the theater to support it!"
Dunn clasped his hands in a gesture of thanks. "I appreciate that!"
The detectives were startled by Dunn 's unexpected gesture, momentarily thinking he might start a fight. The slim detective reached for his gun, his face tense, while the stocky one hurriedly tried to smooth things over. "Haha, Mr. Walker, did you learn that from Bruce Lee? That's interesting. Well, if there's nothing else, we'll be on our way."
...
The police car came with the wind and left just as quickly.
No compensation, no mention of punishment, no added security—everything remained the same as before.
The entire crew felt depressed, as if they had been greatly humiliated, yet they had to swallow their pride. But what could they do? Even when Dunn Walker personally stepped in, they were still disregarded.
Nicole Kidman, worried that Dunn , being young and stubborn, might ruin things, quickly said, "Dunn , maybe we should just let it go this time. Anyway, we're almost done with the scenes here. Let's finish shooting as soon as possible and get out of this cursed place."
Despite their current cold war, Dunn could still feel Nicole Kidman's concern.
"Thank you, Nicole, but please trust me—I can handle this."
Dunn 's youthful face still exuded the same confidence as always.
"Well… just be careful." After all, Nicole Kidman was still a woman, and in this unfamiliar place, she was genuinely a bit scared.
Dunn stepped forward, hesitated for a moment, and gently hugged her. "I promise!"
Sophia was really frightened. As a young lady from a wealthy family, she had never experienced such a terrifying situation. The police weren't even going to intervene? Is there no justice left?
When she saw Dunn approaching, Sophia's panic was on the verge of breaking, and with a slight sob in her voice, she said, "Dunn , what on earth is going on? Maybe we should just go back and not shoot this movie anymore. It's too scary!"
Dunn placed his hand on her shoulder and lowered his voice, "Hey, Sophia, calm down! Calm down! I'm here, and we don't want to let everyone see us make a fool of ourselves, do we?"
"But…"
"It's okay, maybe it's just some kids messing around, or maybe… we just didn't pay the protection fee to smooth things over with the locals. But it doesn't matter, as long as the two of us work together, we can solve this." Dunn softly comforted Sophia Coppola.
"Me?" Sophia was stunned for a moment. "Can I help too?"
Dunn smiled, "It's actually quite simple. I want to make a personal call to your father, and I hope you can help me get in touch."
"My father?" Sophia's eyes flashed with a bit of surprise and confusion. "Dunn , what exactly are you planning to do?"
Dunn 's response was straightforward and resolute, yet filled with a deadly intent. "It's simple, just two phone calls. This matter… isn't over yet!"