"Hugo, Hugo, to the left, left!" Joseph had to shout to stop Hugo, who was lost at a crossroads. He had clearly shouted to go left, but Hugo still turned to the right, which left Joseph both amused and exasperated.
Hugo was naturally poor with directions and locations. After Joseph's shout, he finally realized his mistake and awkwardly scratched his nose. The people around who were working all saw Hugo's embarrassment and chuckled quietly, making Hugo even more flustered.
Joseph caught up and said helplessly, "Left is this way." He then took the lead, and the stiff expression on his face completely relaxed. Hugo pursed his lips and followed quickly behind Joseph.
Once they were back in the elevator, Joseph's mind gradually returned to clarity. He looked up and cast a subtle glance at Hugo before retracting his gaze and saying softly, "Sorry." Joseph was apologizing for his professional shortcomings. He had clearly witnessed the confrontation between Hugo and Ron just now. He also knew Hugo had fully settled down and chosen to trust him, yet he couldn't provide Hugo with a matching opportunity. That made him feel a bit discouraged.
However, Hugo simply shrugged, unconcerned. "No need. Aren't we both working hard?" Hugo was working hard to become an outstanding actor again, while Joseph was striving to be an excellent agent. Of course, this journey wouldn't be easy, but the struggle itself was beautiful.
Joseph didn't say anything else, but inwardly he started pondering what other opportunities, besides "Basic Instinct," he could secure for Hugo. Then he thought of something and looked up at Hugo. "Your attitude towards Ron just now... was quite firm." This wasn't the Hugo he remembered. Hugo used to trust Ron deeply, mostly due to their six-year collaboration. But today was different—had Hugo finally seen Ron's true nature?
Since Hugo had openly defied Ron in the office, he was already prepared for Joseph's suspicions. Sure enough, Joseph asked, and Hugo responded calmly, "What else was I supposed to do? Get on my knees and beg Ron for an invitation?" This retort left Joseph momentarily speechless.
Hugo continued, "If he doesn't believe in my future, why should I desperately beg him to pay attention to me? Besides, he's not exactly a handsome guy I'm not into his type."
That last self-deprecating joke made Joseph recall Gary's blatant attitude earlier. The corners of his mouth twitched again, and a glimmer of amusement flashed in his eyes.
The elevator soon stopped at the 17th floor. Joseph took the initiative to step out, and Hugo followed, glancing around. The atmosphere here was completely different from the 23rd floor. The 23rd floor was a fully formal office environment, with separate rooms dividing each agent's space. The 17th floor, however, resembled a standard open-plan office, where each person had a large or small cubicle, and moving your chair back half a step allowed you to chat with colleagues next door.
As soon as they stepped out of the elevator, Hugo could feel the lively and cheerful vibe. The entire floor was filled with energy. As Joseph walked out, people kept greeting him with laughter and banter. Some also waved and nodded at Hugo. Compared to the 23rd floor's formality, this place felt much more human and warm. Hugo even wondered if this was really the same company.
Following Joseph, Hugo soon arrived at a small cubicle. Joseph sat down familiarly in his office chair, then looked up and asked across from him, "Kal, where's Charlie?"
A familiar face looked up from the opposite side, "Out." It was Kal El—the agent who once relentlessly pursued Charlize. "Hey, Hugo." Kal also spotted Hugo and greeted him with visible delight.
Joseph let Hugo sit in the adjacent cubicle that belonged to the agent named Charlie. He casually explained, "Kal changed spots at the beginning of this year. He's sitting across from me now." Then Joseph began searching his desk, which was piled high with documents, muttering, "Where did that contact list Ron gave me go?"
Kal stood up but didn't sit back down. Instead, he asked Hugo, "Hugo, are you still in touch with Charlize Theron? She hasn't returned any of my calls, so…" Kal's expression was a bit awkward. He currently didn't represent a single artist and spent most of his days daydreaming in the office. Seeing the burly Kal standing in front of him like a wall but with such an earnest expression—it was surprisingly harmonious.
In an agency, base salaries are minimal. Agents rely on commissions from their artists' work to make a living. No artists meant little to no income. Kal's life was currently quite miserable—he couldn't even afford rent soon.
"No, I haven't heard from her since I went to New York." Hugo could only apologize. Seeing Kal's disappointed face, Hugo added, "But I did tell her before that you're a good agent someone trustworthy."
That last line gave Kal a glimmer of hope, and he smiled faintly, "Thanks."
"Hey, Hugo!" A voice from behind interrupted Hugo and Kal's conversation. Hugo turned around and saw a middle-aged man nearing fifty. The unfamiliar face left Hugo full of question marks. "Who is this?" Unfortunately, the memories from his predecessor's mind gave him no answer.
Thankfully, Joseph also noticed the voice. He looked back, stopped his work, stood up, and greeted him with a warm smile, "Mr. Witt! What brings you to the company today?"
Witt? That surname combined with the strangely familiar face finally stirred Hugo's memory. This man was Paul Junger Witt, a film producer. The reason he knew Hugo was because he was the lead producer of Dead Poets Society. Simply put, Paul was one of the people responsible for Hugo's rise to fame.
"Mr. Witt, it's really been a long time." Hugo also took Paul's extended right hand and greeted him politely. Although Hugo hadn't experienced the filming process of "Dead Poets Society" and had no familiarity with Paul, that didn't stop him from expressing admiration after all, "Dead Poets Society" was one of his favorite films.
Paul chuckled, "You've been lost in the dazzling neon lights of Hollywood these past few years. It's not so easy to see you." As a senior, he teased a little, and Hugo couldn't refute it. "But I heard your collaboration with Al Pacino this time went really well. The crew speaks highly of you. It's finally good news again."
"Whew, hopefully it's not too late." Hugo replied with a laugh, causing Paul to burst out laughing.
"I didn't expect to run into you here today either. Since we've met, let me ask you I'm holding a premiere for a movie next week. Would you be interested in attending?" Paul was straightforward, smiling as he looked at Hugo. "I came to the company today to collect invitation cards. There are only two hundred invitations for this premiere. The lead actors already took most of them. Two of my friends wanted to attend but couldn't get any, so I came over especially today."
As he spoke, Paul lifted the few invitations in his hand, "Luckily, I still have some face left and didn't let my friends down. Otherwise, I'd be nagged for the foreseeable future."
Hearing Paul's words, Joseph's eyes lit up instantly. It was like someone delivering a pillow just when he was about to doze off. Although he had been harshly rejected by Ron, who would've thought there'd be a silver lining Paul, who had once given Hugo a leg up, had shown up today. Perhaps this was truly Hugo's opportunity.
"Aren't the invitations for your friends?" Joseph asked cautiously, but the seriousness in his eyes revealed his inner desire. He didn't want to miss out on this golden opportunity.
"No, my agent gave me one extra to make up for things. If Hugo has time, he's welcome to come and support our movie. I think the reporters would love to see him there." Paul had always appreciated Hugo. Although it was Tracey who had brought Hugo into the "Dead Poets Society" crew, Hugo had proven himself with talent, winning over the whole production team and earning the critics' love. "As long as you guys don't mind our movie being small in scale. The budget is just twenty-five million this time, and next week we'll be facing Columbia Pictures' Basic Instinct. I honestly don't know what our prospects look like."
A twenty-five-million-dollar investment, while not quite up to Basic Instinct's forty-nine million, was still substantial. This was truly a rare opportunity.
"Being able to attend the premiere would be wonderful," Hugo said, glancing at Joseph. He quickly sensed Joseph's eagerness, so he naturally agreed, "You know, job opportunities haven't come easily for me lately." As he spoke, he made a self-deprecating smirk.
Ever since the Golden Raspberry Awards, people in the industry more or less knew about Hugo's awkward position in Hollywood. That was also why Paul had approached him the moment he saw him—he didn't mind offering Hugo another chance, especially after hearing how well Hugo performed in Scent of a Woman.
"March 18th, Fox Theatre. Don't be late." Paul grinned broadly at Hugo's self-deprecation, then pulled out an invitation and handed it to him, "I've got more errands to run, so I'll leave you to it. See you at the premiere."
Only after Paul had completely left did Hugo finally break into a radiant smile. He clenched his right fist and raised the invitation in his left hand, "Joseph, I got a new job opportunity!" Joseph and Kal, standing beside him, couldn't help but get excited too when they saw Hugo's sunshine-like smile.
....
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