Entertainment: Starting as a Succubus, Taking Hollywood by Storm-Chapter 446 - 445: Reality Is Stranger Than Fiction

"There's a mole. There has to be a mole." Bush muttered to himself.

Like Chevanton, he was convinced that this wasn't just an oversight. Someone must have switched the documents.

At the courtroom.

Director Goldson's expression changed dramatically. Then, as if struck by inspiration, his eyes turned sharp and filled with suspicion as he looked toward Goodman Hall.

Goodman Hall, sensing something, turned his head and met Goldson's gaze.

His heart skipped a beat.

Shit! Is Goldson suspecting me? What for?!

At first, he was indignant.

Then, a realization hit him.

Oh damn... I actually am the most suspicious person here, aren't I?

After all, from the moment of signing, to document review, to presenting the evidence in court—he was the only one who had continuous access to the contract.

"Your Honor, we now wish to file a countersuit against Texas Oil Group for stealing our confidential documents..."

Campbell Oil's lead attorney spoke smoothly, while his assistant, Dean Smith, handed one document after another to the judge.

Among them were photographs of Martin shaking hands with Iraq's new Minister of Oil and pictures of them signing a contract.

These photos were genuine.

The catch?

The contract in the images wasn't for the sale of West Qurna-1—it was for a much smaller, insignificant oil field.

Of course, thanks to Martin's magic, the Iraqi Oil Minister had completely forgotten this.

In his memory, the only contract he had signed with Martin was the one selling West Qurna-1.

So, when this newly appointed minister was called as a witness in the International Court, he testified with full confidence:

"Yes, I signed a contract with Mr. Meyers' Campbell Oil Company to transfer 32.7% of the shares of West Qurna-1..."

"Yes, it was with Campbell Oil, not Texas Oil Group..."

"You're lying!" Goodman Hall shouted in anger.

"I am not lying. I swear upon the Quran." The minister replied solemnly.

The courtroom erupted into a buzz of whispers.

The reporters present were seasoned business journalists, well-acquainted with Texas Oil Group's overwhelming influence in the energy sector.

Until now, Texas Oil had always been the one crushing its competitors.

But today, they were the ones being played.

Yes—played.

To these journalists, Texas Oil Group had been outmaneuvered.

"How the hell did Campbell Oil pull this off?"

"Ask Martin!"

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"This is one of the most fascinating business battles I've ever seen. I still can't wrap my head around how that contract ended up with Campbell Oil's name and seal on it."

"What I don't understand is—how did Texas Oil Group fail to secure Iraq's new Minister of Oil?"

"Yeah, that part makes no sense. If this guy was already in Martin's pocket, why would Texas Oil even bother suing?"

"There must have been some hidden power plays behind the scenes that we don't know about."

"This move by Martin should be taught in business schools as a case study."

"That is—if Campbell Oil is willing to reveal their methods."

Seated in the front row, Director Goldson's face grew darker and darker.

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, he stood up abruptly.

Before the trial could even conclude, he stormed out.

A large group of Texas Oil executives and legal representatives followed him out of the courtroom.

Goodman Hall slumped into his chair, his face ashen.

He knew it was over.

The case was over.

And he was finished, too.

As the most likely suspect for an internal leak, no one in the energy industry would ever trust him again.

If not for his last name being "Hall," he might have mysteriously ended up dead in a ditch somewhere.

"Total victory. Martin Meyers' Campbell Oil Company has defeated the corporate giant Texas Oil Group in an unbelievable turn of events... I originally thought this would be a Don Quixote-style charge against a windmill, but it turns out Texas Oil was the one playing Don Quixote."

"An impossible victory. A small oil company has taken down an energy empire and successfully secured one of the world's largest oil fields—West Qurna-1. After this, no one in the industry will ever dare to underestimate Campbell Oil or Martin again."

"Reality is stranger than fiction. As the plaintiffs, Texas Oil Group fumbled at every turn, as if they had entered this lawsuit solely to boost Campbell Oil's reputation... From start to finish, this case was filled with inexplicable twists—even Martin himself would struggle to write a novel as absurd as this."

Across Europe and America, major financial and business news outlets covered the lawsuit, filled with headlines using words like:

"Unbelievable," "Incredible," and "Bizarre."

Ordinary spectators also found the case endlessly fascinating.

Online forums were flooded with theories:

"There has to be a mole. I bet it's Goodman Hall. He was the one who signed the contract and submitted the documents—he's the most likely suspect."

"No, no, no. It has to be the lawyers. They were the last ones to handle the documents. Anyone who's been in a lawsuit knows this."

"Which law firm handled Texas Oil's case? I seriously doubt their competence."

"The lawyers wouldn't risk their reputations like that. If they got caught, their careers would be over."

"Unless Campbell Oil paid them enough to retire early."

"Why is no one suspecting Iraq's Oil Minister? He outright confirmed that he signed the contract with Martin."

"No way. Even if he signed contracts with both companies, how did Texas Oil's contract get swapped so perfectly?"

"I think the mole was inside Texas Oil's own legal team."

"Not possible. Major firms have teams of over a hundred lawyers, and these key contracts are reviewed by at least six different people."

"Then what? Are you saying Martin somehow bought off the Iraqi Oil Minister, Goodman Hall, and the entire Texas Oil legal team?"

"That's ridiculous! That level of coordination is impossible!"

Regardless of how the internet speculated or how the media screamed 'unbelievable'—

One thing was clear:

After this lawsuit, Campbell Oil had made a name for itself.

It had become a major player in the global energy industry.

Texas Oil did achieve its goal of showcasing corporate strength—

Unfortunately, they did it for Campbell Oil.