Martin Baum held the pen in his hand, his fingers gently stroking the surface of the pen, his eyes gazing blankly at the documents on the desk. He remained in a daze until the sound of a knock came from the door.
"Martin, Brad is here."
Martin snapped back to reality and called out, "Come in."
Brad immediately strode in with a flourish. Today, Brad was wearing a white T-shirt paired with a black leather jacket. The rugged style was accentuated by the faintly bulging muscles on his chest. At this moment, Brad was in his prime, radiating youthful energy. However, he also appeared a bit impetuous and rough around the edges. The recklessness of youth was written all over him.
Looking at Brad, Martin thought of Hugo. In fact, Martin had been thinking about Hugo earlier wondering why this young man was so unforgettable. The moment Martin saw Brad, he found the answer. The warmth of Hugo's presence might not be overpowering, but unlike Brad's piercing brilliance, it quietly seeped through, soft and silent. That young man's smile was still vividly etched in Martin's mind.
Hugo was actually four years younger than Brad. By all rights, Brad should've been the more seasoned and composed of the two, having seen more of the world but reality told a different story. Martin could still clearly recall the scene from that audition night. Faced with Brad's aggressive demeanor, Hugo responded neither hastily nor timidly but with firm and forceful rebuttals. Every move and gesture carried a powerful presence unyielding like water wearing through stone, yet swift and sharp like a rushing wind.
No wonder the A Few Good Men crew had chosen Hugo Lancaster—passing on not only Brad Pitt but even Tom Cruise.
"Martin? Martin!" Brad looked at his agent in confusion. Seeing the blank, lifeless look in Martin's eyes, Brad had to raise his voice to snap him out of it. Only after Martin's gaze regained focus did Brad finally ask, "What did you call me here for?"
Brad didn't bother asking why Martin had zoned out he knew even if he asked, Martin wouldn't answer. So Brad went ahead and sat down on the nearby couch, casually crossing one leg over the other.
Martin tucked away his inner thoughts and looked at Brad, shaking his head. "You don't seem nervous at all. Do you really think you've got nothing to worry about? That you're now a rising star and every studio is going to line up for you? I told you before you're nothing yet. You've only had one successful film. That doesn't mean anything. Don't get cocky."
Brad was already used to Martin's scolding. He still sat there with one leg crossed, unfazed. However, faced with Martin's rising fury, at least he straightened up and leaned forward slightly, showing he was paying attention and not zoning out.
"What's going on? I haven't done anything these past couple days," Brad said in confusion, clearly not understanding why his agent was going off on him again.
"A Few Good Men, remember that?" Martin cut straight to the chase, immediately putting Brad on alert.
Brad dropped his crossed leg to the ground. He even stopped chewing his gum and looked at Martin with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation. "What happened? Did the audition results come in? Did I get the role?"
Martin suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. After all he had just said, it was like talking to a wall Brad clearly didn't get it.
"No, you didn't get the role," Martin replied crisply.
"Damn it, Tom Cruise!" Brad slammed his knee hard with his fist, immediately assuming Tom had caved and secured the part. He muttered in frustration, "He was just holding out for a higher paycheck why else would he stall for so long and only agree at the last second? The film starts shooting next week, right? What a cunning guy!"
"No. It was Hugo Lancaster," Martin interrupted Brad's rant and announced the result.
"What?" Brad was momentarily stunned, staring at Martin in disbelief.
"I said Hugo got the role. Rob ultimately chose Hugo." Martin had just received the news that morning. Rob had turned down Brad. Then he heard that negotiations with Tom also fell through. The conclusion was clear Hugo had pulled off an upset and snatched the role from both Tom and Brad. Of course, Martin hadn't gotten official confirmation yet, but he'd already left a message with Columbia Pictures to verify. Still, the odds of it being wrong were slim.
"Fuck!" Brad shot up from the couch in a fury, his face contorted in anger and frustration.
"Hugo! Hugo! Hugo! It was Hugo!" Brad couldn't accept this outcome. Think about it: back during the A River Runs Through It audition, he had looked down on Hugo with such smugness. Now Hugo had turned the tables and stolen A Few Good Men from under his nose—Brad seemed to forget that this opportunity originally belonged to Tom. He had never truly owned it in the first place.
"Martin, no. Anyone else can play that role, but not Hugo." Brad stormed to Martin's desk, slamming both hands on it as he shouted, his face flushed red. "He's not right for the part. You tell Rob—I'll do it better. A hundred times better than Hugo!"
Brad's confidence had taken a huge blow. He'd thought Hugo was finished after the Golden Raspberry Award, but clearly that wasn't the case. Scent of a Woman wasn't just a fluke. Now Hugo had landed A Few Good Men and beaten someone as big as Tom. The shock hit Brad like a punch in the gut.
Martin had predicted this reaction. Though he wasn't certain, he suspected that woman Tracy might have played a role in this. Regardless, the fact remained: Hugo had beaten Brad head-on. That was bound to shake Brad's confidence. But Martin had no intention of indulging Brad's arrogance.
"Don't forget both you and Hugo had a chance in front of Rob. You lost that audition. In Rob's eyes, Hugo was the better choice. You're not even in the same league." Martin delivered the hard truth, and Brad's face went pale in an instant.
Then Martin suddenly stood up and roared at Brad's downcast face, "If that's all you've got, then stop dreaming of competing with Hugo. He's a hundred times better than you. If you're really a man, pull yourself together. Stop goofing off. One success and you think you've made it? Wake up! Opportunities will always come even if they don't, I'll make them for you. What you need to do is strengthen your skills and seize those chances!"
Martin had called Brad in to shake his confidence on purpose. Lately, Brad had seemed overly smug and directionless. As an agent, Martin had to stay vigilant. But he couldn't criticize Brad head-on—Brad wouldn't listen. So Martin had to seize this moment to reignite Brad's fighting spirit.
Sure enough, Brad gritted his teeth. He quickly realized that in his two head-to-heads with Hugo, it was one win and one loss. He hadn't truly lost the battle. So there was no need for despair or defeat. What he needed was a new direction to be ready for the next round.
"Hugo Lancaster, our rivalry is just beginning!" Brad clenched his right fist and slammed it on the desk with force. He didn't even feel pain only boundless determination!
On the other hand, after confirming the news, Joseph excitedly rushed back home from the company. Seeing the door on the third floor wide open, he shouted from the corridor, "Hugo! Hugo!" His voice was filled with uncontrollable excitement and joy, which surprised the three people who were helping Charlize unpack her luggage in her room. They all came out and looked at the unusually uncomposed Joseph in astonishment.
"Hugo!" Joseph didn't even seem to notice his own loss of composure. He continued in a voice two pitches higher than usual, trembling as he said, "You got the role of Daniel! You beat Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt for the role! You're going to be in 'A Few Good Men'! You'll be working with Rob and Jack!"
Joseph rattled off a whole string of words, but the message couldn't have been clearer Hugo had landed another role through his own efforts! Joy surged in Hugo's chest and instantly exploded, blossoming into brilliant fireworks in his brows, eyes, and smile.
"Really?" Hugo excitedly ran over to Joseph. "Really?" he asked again and again. Joseph nodded repeatedly in confirmation, and then Hugo jumped up on the spot, punching the air hard to fully release the joy in his heart.
This successful audition was far too important and hard-won, so it was no wonder that Joseph lost his composure, and Hugo was even more thrilled and beside himself with excitement.
Even Kal and Charlize, who were standing nearby, were infected by the atmosphere. Although Charlize didn't fully understand the situation or how important this audition was, the two of them cheered along with Hugo and Joseph, joining the celebration with the most direct action.
"Oh yeah!" Alex, who had just walked into the house, saw the four people celebrating and joined in with a cheer, even though he didn't know what was going on. The excitement on his face showed no awkwardness or hesitation at all. "Wow, that's awesome! That's amazing!" Alex's shouts were even more exaggerated than the combined volume of the other four.
After everyone finished shouting, they stood there catching their breath, their faces full of joy as they looked at one another. Then Alex suddenly asked, "It really looks like something great happened what exactly are we celebrating?"
..
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