"Daniel, I remember someone once said something to me…"
Daniel recalled the night of the Sherlock Holmes wrap party, when Director Edward raised his glass of red wine and smiled at him as he offered a toast.
"When you succeed, you'll find that everyone around you seems like a good person. They'll smile at you, offer their help, and want to associate with you."
Daniel murmured the words softly to himself as he stared at the messages on his phone.
Former university classmates, middle school friends, casting assistants, assistant directors, people claiming to have been his teachers, and even some asking to borrow money—
They were all there.
And every single one of them now seemed like a "good person."
Their tone was warm and caring, as if they'd known him forever. Their messages were so enthusiastic that Daniel actually felt a bit uncomfortable.
After all, his number had always been in their contacts. But for all those years, none of them had ever messaged him.
Some had even blocked him before—only to now unblock and message him, chatting like old friends and congratulating him on his breakout success in Sherlock Holmes.
Edward had kept the production of Sherlock Holmes under tight wraps.
And since Daniel had been completely unknown, few people realized who he was—until the credits rolled and confirmed it: the actor playing the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes was indeed that same Daniel Clovis who had all but disappeared from the public eye.
Suddenly, his unread messages on the Delibird messaging app broke the "99+" cap and were still climbing.
His social media inbox was flooded with DMs and new follower alerts.
Everything was telling him one thing—he was famous now.
Famous beyond belief.
Yet just days ago, those same apps might as well have been broken—no messages, no interest, no one who cared.
Except for one message.
Daniel instantly grabbed his phone, his eyes squinting with joy as he beamed.
He messaged his parents—the only ones who had always cared. He told them everything: how excited he was, how overwhelmed, how indescribable his feelings were.
Daniel didn't know how to put his emotions into words.
It was a blend of euphoria, complexity, and a joy that brought tears to his eyes. But in that moment, there was no doubt—Daniel was truly happy.
Only he knew what his life had been like before this.
Middle-aged, with no savings, unable to support his aging parents—in fact, sometimes even needing their help. When his mother was sick, he couldn't afford a doctor and just quietly took medicine himself.
Those days had torn him apart inside.
He had thought about giving up on his acting dream countless times.
But he just couldn't let go.
He had decent looks, and his acting was constantly improving—why, then, couldn't he get even a single decent role?
He was always cast as an extra, and worse—an extra without lines.
Until Edward gave him a chance.
And Daniel grabbed it with everything he had.
"Sherlock Holmes…"
He took a deep breath. His vision blurred as the letters on his phone twisted and warped.
He bit his lip.
He had thought he was strong after all he'd been through. But it wasn't until this moment of success that he realized—beneath his thirty-something exterior, he still had a soft and tender heart.
When he woke up the next morning, his phone had shut off on its own from the overload.
He quickly charged it, freshened up in the bathroom, and then turned it back on.
The moment the screen lit up, it froze like it was overwhelmed.
After a few seconds, it began to process everything—countless notifications, a flood of unread messages, and dozens of missed calls from people who hadn't spoken to him once in a year.
Daniel ignored all of them.
He scrolled through until he saw one message sent at 8:30 AM:
[Daniel, remember to call back later. We've got some promotional events for you to participate in.]
It was from an employee at Ghost Film Pictures.
Without hesitation, Daniel called back immediately.
He didn't care about those "good people" suddenly crawling out of the woodwork now that he was successful.
He cared only about the one who had given him a chance.
The rest could wait—he'd reply after he got on the plane.
…
"So, you've decided to sign with our company?"
Edward looked at Daniel, who was now dressed in a formal suit, his eyes filled with… sincerity?
Was that devotion he saw?
Was he imagining it?
"Yes, Director Edward," Daniel said with conviction. "I'm incredibly grateful that you gave me the opportunity to play Sherlock Holmes. I'd like to become one of your contracted actors."
Zoroark glanced from Daniel to his boss.
He hadn't expected this.
SherlockHolmes had become a massive hit.
The final viewership stats were in: 5.1%, breaking the previous league-wide record.
A number so impressive, it would be nearly impossible to surpass—unless SherlockHolmes surpassed itself.
And as the lead actor, Daniel had shot straight into the ranks of A-list male stars.
If he continued to take on good roles, he'd be well on his way to becoming a superstar.
At this level, countless agents would be fighting to represent him—from Rustboro City all the way to Verdanturf.
He could've even started his own studio and become his own boss.
That would've been normal.
But instead, Daniel wanted to join Ghost Film Pictures and have them manage his career.
That meant no matter how much he earned in the future, Ghost Film Pictures would get a cut.
If Edward were the greedy type, Daniel could easily become the company's biggest cash cow.
"Alright then. Since you've made up your mind…"
Edward scratched his head and turned to Zoroark.
"Call Legal and have them go over the contract details with Daniel."
He understood what Daniel meant now.
It was surprising—but Edward had no intention of turning him down.
Having Daniel as a signed actor would make future SherlockHolmes productions much easier.
Besides, the guy really could act. As long as he stayed away from scandals or bad habits, there was no doubt Daniel's success had only just begun.
"Thank you, Director Edward!"
Daniel was visibly moved.
Edward simply waved his hand with a smile, saying nothing.
But watching Daniel's heartfelt gratitude, his mood improved considerably.
It reminded him of a line from Mencius:
"You treat me as a statesman; I shall repay you as one."
(End of Chapter)