I am Hollywood

[Chapter 1158: Shameless]

From their initial interaction, Eric could sense that Robert Cromwell's identity was certainly more than just an officer from the London Metropolitan Police Service's Special Operations Unit. He likely had experience working in more confidential intelligence agencies such as MI6.

During this time, Eric's investigations had generally confirmed this suspicion. Moreover, Robert had openly expressed his desire to transform Firefly's security department into an integrated agency for both security and intelligence collection. With that in mind, it was clear that he was the best candidate to monitor Thomas Jackson.

After all, if they sought an external private investigation firm, Firefly could only keep itself hidden. Even if an unexpected incident arose, they wouldn't suffer any repercussions. However, outside detective agencies were still not part of their inner circle. If they uncovered any intelligence that could hugely benefit them, who could say they wouldn't be tempted to act otherwise?

After contemplating for a moment, Eric asked Kelly, "You've been in contact with Bob quite a bit lately. Do you think he could handle this matter? This isn't exactly a dignified job?"

Kelly thought for a moment, then nodded seriously, "Bob is one of those very straightforward people. He has his own code of conduct. From the information I've gathered about his past, he wouldn't feel any moral guilt about this kind of work. Plus, Bob has been wanting to involve Firefly Security in intelligence collection, so this task should fall within his domain."

"Given that, why don't you feel him out first?" Eric weighed the options for another moment. "If he's on board, I can make time for a chat with him tomorrow."

Kelly nodded in agreement. After discussing a few more topics, the female assistant took her leave, and Eric returned to the post-production center to focus on the final cut of Gravity.

...

As the workday ended, Kelly called to inform him she had already spoken to Robert about the matter from the afternoon, and he had agreed without any special reservations. Just after Kelly hung up, Robert promptly called Eric's cell phone, and they quickly arranged a meeting for the following morning.

...

The next morning, Eric arrived at Firefly Studios at nine o'clock, where Robert had already arrived ahead of time. As they exchanged pleasantries, the twins, whom he hadn't seen in a while, drove up together as well.

After the awkward incident that night, the shy Eve had been avoiding Eric, and Natasha seemed embarrassed in front of him as well. After Eric had introduced them to Robert Cromwell as his students, aside from occasionally helping manage some personal affairs at Liberty City estate for Eric, the two girls rarely appeared in front of him and usually resided at Trousdale Manor.

Noticing Eve's still flushed cheeks and evasive eyes, combined with Robert's presence, Eric simply greeted the two before leading them all to his office.

Once seated in the meeting area of the office, the twins took the initiative to brew coffee. Instead of rushing into the main topic, Eric chatted with Robert about the establishment of Firefly Security, which was ultimately his primary concern.

...

Since obtaining Olivia's introduction last month and gaining Eric's approval, Robert had thrown himself into the groundwork for Firefly Security. With years of experience from the British security intelligence agency, Robert quickly took on a leading role within the trio that Eric had established comprising him, Kelly, and Carter Moen.

Within just a week, Robert submitted a detailed proposal and swiftly began the practical implementation of the project. Now, under two months later, Firefly Security, which had registered as part of the Firefly system, had already chosen a 1,000-acre land near Palm Valley in Northern Los Angeles to build the company's training base.

In addition to reformulating security regulations for the entire Firefly system and training Eric's bodyguard team, Firefly Security also initiated a discreet recruitment plan. To prevent infiltration by career spies and other external forces, the recruitment process was entirely proactive.

The various companies within the Firefly system first collected personnel data under the guise of talent recruitment from North American universities, headhunting firms, and veteran organizations. From there, they filtered out suitable candidates, and Firefly Security would then proactively invite them to apply.

Firefly Security offered compensation and benefits that far surpassed those of the U.S. Secret Service. Thus, while the selected candidates often felt puzzled about receiving unsolicited job invitations, most proactively contacted Firefly Security, hoping to undergo further interviews.

Eric previously believed that bodyguards should be selected from special forces or similar military professionals. However, following Robert Cromwell's explanation, he realized that this wasn't the reality.

Many everyday individuals were actually better suited to be trained as bodyguards than those locked into rigid behavioral patterns from military training. Furthermore, in North America's education system, which prioritized sports, many elite individuals, like Laura Spencer, an ABC news anchor with a history as a national-level diver, often excelled as athletes. This put them on par physically with professionals, making them capable of undergoing rigorous security training.

...

"The main concern now is manpower," Robert elaborated, "To support the training plan for 2,000 individuals at the Palm Valley training base, we will need at least a team of 100. We can only recruit from various security firms or military training centers, which will likely take about three months. Of course, this time will also allow us to conduct background checks, physical assessments, lie detector tests, and psychological evaluations on the interview participants upfront. I'm proposing a training cycle of a year, with the eventual goal of selecting 200 qualified candidates from those 2,000 individuals. This means, Eric, that you probably won't have a fully operational Firefly security team until the end of next year. As for the future plan, it will continue using these initial 200 individuals as the core, so we must be very cautious in selecting this group. You also need to be patient during this time; I will closely monitor the current state of your security team to ensure that no issues arise."

After listening to Robert's account, Eric said, "Robert, Firefly Security is not just responsible for my personal safety; it also needs to maintain the entire Firefly system. I don't seem to see your plans in this regard?"

"I only handle the training of the core team," Robert Cromwell clarified. "As long as you don't have problems, the entire Firefly system won't have issues. Therefore, Carter can handle the outer team; all I expect from them is that they can provide cover for the core team and make Firefly Security seem ordinary -- nothing too conspicuous."

Eric pondered this for a moment and nodded, "That works for me. So, Robert, what about the issue from yesterday?"

"It's just a minor matter," Robert chuckled and shook his head, glancing over at the twins sitting quietly beside him. "I won't delve into the specifics, but if it's just monitoring one person, the twins can handle it."

Eric frowned, "Them?"

"Eric, Natasha and Eve have more talent than you think. Although they've only been by my side for a little over a month, their learning abilities astonish me. I'm already convinced I have good successors."

"I, of course, believe in Natasha and Eve's capabilities," Eric nodded but then shook his head. "It's just that they're both my women. I don't want them personally involved in these unscrupulous tasks."

At Eric's words, the twins blushed simultaneously. Robert Cromwell, however, didn't react much. He merely joked and then turned serious, "If that's the case, Eric, you should give them enough room to excel instead of having them serve as little maids, folding your blankets all day long. That would be too much of a waste of their potential. Besides, secret monitoring requires the most trusted people around you. With me guiding them, this small task can be ensured without fail. Moreover, even if they get discovered, it's not the end of the world. Didn't you earlier face monitoring that led to some findings which ultimately went nowhere?"

Eric recognized Robert's point and then turned to the twins: "Natasha, Eve, are you willing to do this?"

Natasha nodded, "Of course, Master."

"Eric, I must insist on something here. I really don't want my promising students to refer to someone using such objectifying terms, so they both must use a different title moving forward."

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Eric replied, "Alright then, from now on, Natasha and Eve can just call me Eric."

"Then it's settled for now," Robert nodded, satisfied. He stood up and said, "As for the ongoing business, just instruct the two of them. I need to fly to Minnesota shortly; there's a well-established private bodyguard training center near the Canadian border, and I hope to recruit a few reliable people from there."

Eric stood up, accompanying the twins to the parking lot to see Robert off before returning to the office.

...

Pulling out Thomas Jackson's file from the safe, he looked at the two girls before him who were dressed in shirts and pants with ponytails, resembling two slender green onions. Eric hesitated again, "Are you sure you can handle this?"

Natasha nodded once more, "We can do it, Master."

Eric peered discreetly at the door, shaking his head, "You should really change how you address me. If Robert finds out, I'm going to hear it again."

"Got it."

"Now, this is the target you need to monitor. He currently resides in Washington, and your task over the next two weeks is to closely observe everything he does and says, documenting as much as possible." After Eric finished, he reminded them, "And the most vital point: protect yourselves. Make sure not to get discovered. Even if you fail, it's okay as long as you're safe."

Natasha took the file folder without immediately opening it, and, with bright eyes, she looked back and asked, "So, Master... is there anything else?"

Eric rubbed his nose, realizing it would be tough for the twins to change their way of addressing him, and he replied, "That's all for now."

Natasha stood up, "Then we'll get to work."

As Eric stood to send the twins to the door, he thought about how they might be in Washington for the next two weeks. Just before they stepped outside, he gently pulled Natasha back, embracing her and kissing her on the lips.

Natasha's face turned a deep red, momentarily frozen. After a brief moment, she shyly responded but quickly realized her sister was standing right beside her. She pushed Eric away gently, whispering, "Master, I need to prepare some things first. Eve can stay behind."

With that, Natasha departed from Eric's embrace and walked out the door.

Eric watched as Natasha's figure quickly disappeared down the hallway. Turning back, he noticed Eve, who looked trapped like a small animal. He approached and cuped her face with his hands, kissing her gently, saying, "This time, I won't let you squeeze me."

Eve's normally fair face turned a captivating shade of rosy red as she softly murmured, "Master, I didn't do it on purpose."

Seeing the girl's alluring demeanor, Eric can't help it, scooping her up and heading to the lounge next to his office.

...

After their moment of joy, perhaps because it was daytime, Eve secretly slipped away while Eric was showering. When Eric emerged from the bathroom, the air was left with just a hint of the girl's sweet scent.

Back in his office, recalling the work schedule for the day, he picked up the phone and checked with the secretary outside. He learned that Paul Abbott had arrived and had been waiting outside for an hour, so he instructed to let him in.

Paul Abbott was a screenwriter from Britain, and his most notable work in history was the critically acclaimed television series, Shameless, which garnered significant attention in both the UK and the US.

Having secured a deal with Showtime, Eric had been looking into scripts suitable for Showtime's style during this period. The original Shameless, notably, didn't begin production until 2004 in the UK.

However, since this script was based on Paul's childhood experiences, the script had already been drafted for years. Paul Abbott was nearly 40 years old already, and far from being an unknown in the screenwriting industry. With targeted searches, Eric quickly obtained the Shameless script.

...

Upon receiving Eric's notice, a cultured middle-aged man promptly entered Eric's office. After standing up to shake hands with him and engaging in some brief pleasantries, Eric instructed the secretary to prepare coffee for both of them, and then he settled down with Paul Abbott on the couch in the reception area, script in hand.

The work schedule was tight, and Eric didn't waste time chatting. He dove right in: "Paul, I've read the Shameless script. The current issue is you need to change the story's setting from Manchester to an American city within a month, and the details must not vary too much. So, is there any problem with that?"

Paul Abbott received his coffee from the secretary, politely thanked her, and asked, "Mr. Williams, may I ask which American city you intend to set the story in?"

*****

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