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Chapter 76: Hellfire Agency

She sighed, her expression a mix of exasperation and something else. Pity, maybe? "I can\'t just bend the rules for you, Arthur. You\'re a civilian now, remember?"

Her words hit like a bucket of ice water. I was about to slink out when she dropped another bombshell: "By the way, I\'ve been hearing rumors. Did you really bribe the MFF to sweep the awards?"

I froze, then turned to face her. Looking her dead in the eye, I said, "Bribed? The MFF? Come on, Lucy. Everyone knows they\'re as incorruptible as they come. It\'s not possible, and you know it."

She nodded, but her eyes were sharp. "I hope you\'re telling the truth. Bribing an event like the MFF... that\'s not just frowned upon. It\'s asking for a world of trouble."

"Don\'t worry about it," I said, trying to keep my voice light as I made my exit. But inside, I was seething.

***

Days crawled by, and I was no closer to solving my agency problem. With "Lord of the Rings" set to release in two weeks, I knew the value of actors like Firfel, Shafel, and Rupert would skyrocket. I needed to act fast.

Just when I was about to throw in the towel, an unlikely savior appeared: Anubis Flameworth, a local mob boss with a surprising soft spot for cinema. He offered to help navigate the legal hurdles, no questions asked.

I was skeptical at first - getting in bed with the mob wasn\'t exactly on my to-do list. But Anubis worked miracles. In just two days, he had "Hellfire Agency" up and running, all above board. Well, as above board as anything involving the mob can be.

With the legal stuff sorted, I snagged a cheap building in the district nobody wanted and set up shop. My newly hired team hit the ground running, negotiating with the agencies holding Firfel, Vivienne, and the others.

Meanwhile, I wasted no time signing Imkrag, Kurt, and Rocky. Imkrag and Kurt were priority - with "Lord of the Rings" still unreleased here, they were flying under the radar. For now.

The ink was barely dry on the contracts when I saw Imkrag and Kurt\'s jaws drop. You\'d think I\'d offered them the keys to the kingdom instead of a measly thirty grand upfront.

"This... this is for real?" Imkrag stammered, his eyes wide as saucers.

I couldn\'t help but smirk. "Welcome to Hellfire Agency, boys."

Their pens couldn\'t move fast enough. In the blink of an eye, I had two new talents under my belt. It was a start, but I knew the real challenge lay ahead.

Later that day, I found myself in my new office at Hellfire Agency. The place was still a work in progress, but I was determined to give it a different vibe from my Hellfire Studio setup. New venture, new me, right?

I\'d hung up some self-drawn posters of "The Demonfather," "Lord of the Rings," and even "Dragon Ball" back at the studio. But here? This place was getting the VIP treatment.

My fingers traced the cool metal of the Lunar Laurel as I placed it on my desk, right next to the Celestial Crown. Not too shabby for an exiled prince, if I do say so myself. The rest of the Moonlight Film Festival awards found their homes on the shelves, a testament to how far I\'d come.

I was lost in thought, adjusting a crooked frame, when Klein burst through the door like he had hellhounds on his tail.

"What\'s up?" I asked, not bothering to turn around.

Klein\'s voice was strained. "Boss, we\'ve hit a snag. The agencies holding Firfel, Vivienne, Shafel, and the others? They\'re not budging."

I nodded, unsurprised. This was exactly why I\'d been in such a rush to get Hellfire Agency off the ground, even stooping to asking my greedy sister for help. With "Lord of the Rings" set to hit theaters in two weeks, I knew the value of those actors would skyrocket. Especially Firfel as Arwen, Shafel as Galadriel, and Rupert as Boromir. We needed to move fast.

I leaned back in my chair, eyeing Klein. "Look, this isn\'t unexpected. Here\'s what we\'ll do: ask them to name their price. If it\'s steep, we\'ll negotiate. Find their bottom line."

Klein nodded, a determined glint in his eye. "Got it, boss. I\'ll get on it right away."

As he hurried out, I turned to the window, my mind a whirlwind of possibilities and potential pitfalls. The clock was ticking. In just two weeks, "Lord of the Rings" would hit screens across the Morningstar Kingdom. I needed to move fast, especially when it came to Firfel, Shafel, and Rupert. Their stock was about to soar, and I wanted them under the Hellfire Agency banner before that happened.

***

The next few days were a blur of negotiations and number-crunching. My team worked around the clock, juggling offers and counteroffers. It was like trying to herd cats – if the cats were shrewd agents guarding their golden geese.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of back-and-forth, we made a breakthrough. The agencies\' resolve crumbled when I put serious money on the table: two hundred thousand for Firfel, fifty thousand for Shafel, and eighty thousand for Rupert. It was a hefty sum, but I knew it would pay off in the long run.

As I signed the final contract, bringing these talented actors under the Hellfire Agency umbrella, I couldn\'t help but feel a surge of satisfaction. We\'d done it. The core of my "Lord of the Rings" cast was now part of my growing empire.

Of course, there was still work to be done. Charles Flirt, Johnny Devilkin, and Vivienne Westwood were still out there, free agents waiting to be scooped up. But I wasn\'t in a rush. They\'d come around eventually.

***

Two days later, I welcomed Firfel to my office. As she stepped in, her eyes widened with surprise.

"Wait, it was your agency that bought out my contract?" she asked, a mix of disbelief and amusement in her voice.

I couldn\'t help but grin. "Yep. Hellfire Agency is officially open for business. And let\'s just say, acquiring your talents wasn\'t exactly cheap."

A slow smile spread across Firfel\'s face. "So you\'re the mysterious new agency everyone at my old place was buzzing about." She paused, her expression softening. "You know, I was a bit worried at first. Didn\'t know if I was being handed off to some shady outfit."

I chuckled, leaning back in my chair. "Shady? Well, you\'re not entirely wrong. Now that you\'re under my agency, I\'ll be saving a fortune on casting fees for my future projects. You work for me now, remember?"

Firfel rolled her eyes, but I could see the amusement dancing in them. "You\'re terrible, you know that?"

"So I\'ve been told," I replied with a wink. "But admit it, you wouldn\'t have it any other way."