By the time "Scent of a Woman" wrapped up filming, it was already early March. The shoot had lasted nearly six weeks in total, and the icy snow of New York was gradually being replaced by the footsteps of spring. After the excitement of the Grammys and the Oscars, Hollywood was slowly returning to peace. Hugo, after experiencing a period of upheaval since his transmigration, had finally started to adapt.
Back in Los Angeles from New York, Hugo finally got a moment to breathe. In fact, using the word "breathe" wasn't exactly accurate, since Hugo didn't have any work on hand. With "Scent of a Woman" finished, he was completely free.
Given Hugo's current reputation, and without Tracy's assistance, it was almost impossible for a script to come knocking. Though Joseph could still look for new audition opportunities for Hugo, finding a second "Scent of a Woman" wasn't so easy. Instead of endlessly auditioning only to be rejected, it might be more practical to wait until "Scent of a Woman" was released and see how the media responded before pursuing new roles.
Of course, this approach came with risks. If "Scent of a Woman" succeeded, that would be ideal. But if the film failed or if Hugo's performance didn't receive recognition from critics his acting career could keep sliding into the abyss.
To avoid that outcome, Joseph, as Hugo's agent, had to come up with something. Especially since post-production on "Scent of a Woman" had only just begun, and they still had to wait on Universal Pictures to decide when to release it. That left at least a six-month gap. If Hugo just stayed idle at home during that time, they'd soon run out of money.
But the problem circled back to the original point: with Hugo's current standing, no work would come looking for him. Joseph thought for a long time and finally decided to start with small things to boost Hugo's exposure. Maybe it could lead to some work outside of film like a guest appearance on a TV show or a program performance.
Joseph had already been busy before returning to Los Angeles, and after returning, he kept running around, clearly working hard—but with not much progress to show.
After Hugo hung up the phone, Joseph hesitated for a while before making up his mind. But instead of speaking right away, he asked, "Still no answer?"
Hugo frowned slightly, then nodded.
Ever since that night with Charlize, Hugo had gone straight to New York. After that, he had thrown himself completely into filming "Scent of a Woman," almost forgetting about Charlize. Just like that, over a month had passed without any contact.
Now back in Los Angeles, Hugo wanted to ask Charlize out for dinner again after all, she was pretty much his only friend in L.A. but after calling three times with no answer, he almost thought she had moved. On second thought, Charlize was a model, and February and March were among the busiest months of the year for models, so it wasn't that surprising. Once again, Hugo felt how inconvenient the early '90s were no cell phones, no computers getting in touch was just so difficult.
Temporarily putting Charlize out of his mind, Hugo turned back to Joseph and asked, "Forget it, I'll try another day. So, what is it? Aren't you going out today?" Since returning to L.A., Joseph had been constantly on the go it was clear he was very busy.
Joseph paused and finally said, "I'm thinking of going to see Ron. Want to come?" After much hesitation and struggle, Joseph had decided to seek Ron Meyer's help. Joseph hadn't been in the business long and had limited connections. Even with the company's resources, finding the right exposure opportunity for Hugo wasn't easy.
After much effort, Joseph found that Ron happened to have an upcoming movie premiere that would be a good fit for Hugo to attend. Joseph really didn't want to turn to Ron, though. He was worried that just as he was making progress in his relationship with Hugo, Hugo might start leaning toward Ron again making all his recent work meaningless and the future path uncertain.
But thinking it over, Joseph knew everything he was doing was for Hugo's sake—to help him escape his current rut and find new opportunities. And of course, as Hugo's agent, his own success depended on that too. So if asking Ron for help could make that happen, Joseph felt it was worth it. After all, this is what an agent is supposed to do. Joseph was slowly becoming a competent agent.
Hugo had heard of Ron Meyer but had never met him. Since transmigration, the only friends Hugo had actively made were Charlize and Leonardo. But now Charlize couldn't be reached, and after that one encounter during "Scent of a Woman," he hadn't seen Leonardo again. As for the recently wrapped cast and crew, they'd gotten along well. So thinking about it, Hugo realized he should be more proactive. Since he had come here through time, he ought to try harder to adapt to this new life.
So Hugo nodded. "Sure, let's go together."
Hugo's straightforward response made Joseph sigh to himself: it seemed Hugo's trust in Ron hadn't completely faded. Joseph had hoped that after the Golden Raspberry Awards incident, things might be different. But… he quickly adjusted his mindset. After all, he was the one who asked Hugo to go along in the first place no point in dwelling on it.
"Why are we going to see Ron? Is something going on?" Hugo asked curiously. In fact, he only knew some basic things about the relationship between Ron, Joseph, and the former version of himself—he wasn't clear on the details. But that didn't stop Hugo from making a judgment: his current agent was Joseph, he had no binding interests with Ron, and they weren't friends either, so it didn't seem necessary to meet.
Joseph didn't answer but instead led the way out of the house. Hugo followed closely behind, closed the door, and went downstairs with Joseph. That was when he finally heard Joseph mutter from ahead, "To talk about a job."
Hugo curled his lips, not quite understanding what Joseph meant. Joseph was his agent so why go to Ron to talk about a job? Was it because one of Ron's clients had work to offer him? Hugo had been curious and wanted to ask, but when he saw Joseph's serious expression, he shut his mouth.
Looking at the white Volkswagen Golf in front of him, Hugo remembered that the first time he rode in it, he had strongly suspected the car might fall apart at any moment—but now, after riding in it many times, he found it quite decent. You had to know that in the 21st century, people were still enthusiastic about collecting such antique cars. At the height of the retro trend, owning a car with such distinct characteristics of its era was also a mark of taste and now, sitting inside, Hugo felt a kind of flair except for the occasional bump and rattle.
Thinking about his upcoming first visit to International Creative Management, Hugo's curiosity naturally began to stir again. But this curiosity couldn't be expressed to Joseph. Hugo could only mull it over in his mind, wondering what one of the top three talent agencies in the entire U.S. would be like. Would it be grand, magnificent…?
Passing through Beverly Hills and heading southwest along Santa Monica Boulevard, one would reach Century City—Los Angeles's most densely populated residential community. Constellation Boulevard sat in the middle of this area's Century Park, surrounded by lush greenery. Along Constellation Boulevard, many entertainers had chosen to live here it wasn't as expensive as Beverly Hills but wasn't far from the heart of Hollywood either. The well-developed neighborhood facilities were just icing on the cake.
International Creative Management had its headquarters located on Constellation Boulevard. From Joseph's residence, it was less than a fifteen-minute drive very close. This route passed through Beverly Hills and Century City, with many artists living nearby, which made conducting business for the company very convenient.
Joseph turned the car onto Constellation Boulevard, and Hugo soon saw a tall glass tower, estimated to be at least thirty stories. It was obviously an office building, but there was no signage around the building. Hugo couldn't help but guess, "This entire building belongs to International Creative Management?"
"Yes," Joseph replied simply, which left Hugo's mouth half-open and frozen in place.
Hugo had thought he already had a deep understanding of the company, but it turned out that International Creative Management was even bigger than he had imagined. As the top talent agency in the U.S., the scope of its business and roster of artists was far more extensive than Hugo had thought.
Joseph didn't notice Hugo's reaction. He smoothly drove the car into the parking garage, then led Hugo into the elevator. The elevator shot upward and finally stopped on the twenty-third floor.
After stepping onto the floor, Hugo kept glancing around at the busy surroundings. In fact, it looked no different from any ordinary office. The workspace was mainly composed of transparent glass offices, with small assistant desks just outside. Aside from that, there wasn't anything particularly remarkable.
"What, so curious? You act like you've never been here before." Joseph noticed Hugo's behavior and casually commented.
Hugo immediately realized he'd let his guard down again but this time, he wasn't nervous. "No, I just haven't been here in a while. Seems like there are a few new faces."
It had been nearly two months since Hugo crossed over, so it was perfectly normal for there to be staff changes. In the entertainment industry, turnover and headhunting were always the fastest even behind the scenes.
Joseph nodded, expressing agreement. Then his steps stopped at the door of an office. Hugo guessed this must be Ron Meyer's office—but instead, Joseph stood at the door and asked the assistant next to it, "Who are you?"
....
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