"You mean, you want me to get along with Jerry Bruckheimer?" Matthew asked.
"Jerry Bruckheimer is widely recognized in the industry as a golden producer of commercial films," Helen Herman reminded Matthew, "You're too far down the ladder to talk about getting along, you'd best leave some impression on him."
Matthew understood, "Hmm, I know."
If he could leave a slight impression on Jerry Bruckheimer, he would have an advantage if he ever auditioned for a project produced by him in the future.
As for the new project Helen Herman mentioned, she didn't have any more concrete news.
Jerry Bruckheimer is a prolific producer; Matthew had heard James McAvoy mention that Jerry Bruckheimer was one of the producers for films like "Breakin'", "Top Gun", and "The Rock". Even though "Black Hawk Down" was still being filmed, his previous production, "Pearl Harbor", had just begun post-production.
Josh Hartnett's ability to become the male lead with the most screen time in this ensemble film was not unrelated to his collaboration with Jerry Bruckheimer on "Pearl Harbor."
Helen Herman called the waiter to pay the bill and asked Matthew, "Do you have a scene this afternoon?"
"No." Matthew stood up, "Want me to show you around Moraywood?"
"It's all desert, what's there to see?" Helen Herman was clearly not interested in the surrounding desert. "Take me to the set, I'll go see Uncle Scott."
Matthew pulled out his phone, checked the time, and said, "The crew should be working by now. I'll go find a car."
He walked out of the restaurant first, went downstairs to the hotel lobby, and found the lobby manager. The hotel had a special partnership with a car rental company, and an SUV was quickly arranged, though it required a thousand-dollar deposit.
"I'll pay," Helen Herman said, cutting in front of Matthew and paying the deposit.
Matthew didn't stand on ceremony with her. He stood by the hotel reception desk, waiting for Helen Herman to complete the relevant procedures.
"Alright," Helen Herman said, putting away the deposit slip, "The car will be here soon, let's head out."
Matthew walked towards the hotel entrance, with Helen Herman following behind him. They walked and talked, mostly discussing work-related matters.
As they neared the hotel entrance,
A person emerged from the revolving glass door, saw Matthew and Helen Herman walking side-by-side, and immediately shouted, "Matthew Horner!"
Matthew was originally discussing tax filing for April next year with Helen Herman, trying to figure out how to legally avoid taxes to the maximum extent. He arrived here in early 1999, and it was now late 2000; almost two years had passed in the blink of an eye. He was gradually gaining a better understanding of the social situation here.
For instance, the critical issue of taxation. High-income earners in America all racked their brains to legally avoid taxes, as the nickname "the land of a thousand taxes" truly lived up to its name.
Hearing someone call him, Matthew immediately looked up and saw Jonny Lee Miller standing opposite him.
Jonny Lee Miller stared intently at the man and woman in front of him, especially the woman. She was wearing a professional suit, her blonde hair tied back, tall and slender. Even with a slightly old-fashioned pair of black-rimmed glasses on her face, it was clear she was a very beautiful woman.
He couldn't help but swallow. He had been in Morocco for almost two months, and it had been too long since he had seen a woman like her.
Helen Herman also heard someone call Matthew. When she looked over, she happened to see Jonny Lee Miller swallowing, and she couldn't help but frown in disgust.
Of course, she knew who this person was and had heard Matthew talk about the messy situation with him and Angelina Jolie.
"Could Matthew really..." A thought popped into Helen Herman's mind, "be so insidious and despicable as to befriend Jonny Lee Miller?"
It was very possible. In her impression, Matthew Horner was capable of selling someone out and then making them help count the money.
Matthew saw Jonny Lee Miller staring at Helen Herman and guessed he might have misunderstood. He quickly greeted him, "Hello, Miller."
Jonny Lee Miller took two steps forward, lowered his voice, and said directly, "Since your friend is here, give me back the video quickly!"
His voice was very low, but it was enough for Helen Herman to hear.
She was slightly surprised and turned to look at Matthew. Matthew, quite helpless, said to Jonny Lee Miller, "You've misunderstood, this is my agent."
A hint of gloom flashed across Jonny Lee Miller's face as he reminded him, "Don't forget your promise!"
"I've always remembered it!" Matthew vowed again, "I am a very trustworthy person."
This was a busy hotel lobby, not suitable for a long discussion about such matters. Jonny Lee Miller glared at Matthew, then turned and walked past him towards the elevators.
Matthew entered the revolving glass door and left the hotel. Helen Herman followed him.
The car hadn't arrived yet. Helen Herman asked, "What videotape? The ones you filmed for Angelina Jolie back then?"
"No." Matthew thought for a moment and decided it was best to tell his agent about this. He then briefly recounted what had happened that day, finally saying helplessly, "I was eager to protect myself at the time, so I made up that lie."
Helen Herman, however, said, "You're actually a bit clever."
"So what do we do?" Matthew shrugged, "I reported this to Jack, and he said to just let it go. He didn't handle it at all."
"As long as it doesn't affect the normal work of the crew," Helen Herman said to Matthew again, "the crew won't bother with such things. Have you ever seen a crew without conflicts and disputes? If the crew had to deal with all these things, they wouldn't get any other work done."
Matthew thought about Jack's attitude, still a bit indignant, "What if I become the victim?"
Helen Herman said calmly, "Didn't it not happen?" She thought for a moment and said to Matthew, "You handled it very well. Keep dragging it out; there's no other good way. Try not to bring your conflicts out into the open."
An SUV arrived in front of the hotel. Matthew looked at the license plate and said, "The car's here, let's get in."
He and Helen Herman got into the car and told the driver to go directly to the set. The set was still busy with filming, and the thunderous sound of explosions could be heard from afar.
With Matthew leading the way, the two easily entered the set, which resembled a refugee camp. Ridley Scott was busy filming, and the set was covered in rubble and debris. Gunshots crackled like popping beans, non-stop.
"Wait a moment," Matthew stopped at an intersection. "Don't go any further for now, it's not safe."
He didn't care much, having long been accustomed to roughing it on set. Helen Herman, with her delicate skin, would likely scar if she took a fall or a bump.
Helen Herman didn't go any further. Like the other onlookers, she stood at the intersection and watched the filming.
The scene being filmed was of Somali militiamen, and the shooting wasn't going smoothly. While the professional actors playing the militia leaders were fine, the locally hired black actors kept causing problems. Most exaggeratedly, an unknown black extra, during filming, suddenly ran in front of the camera and sprayed the lens with his AK-47. Although the gun only had blanks, it still scared the cameraman badly. If the camera hadn't been mounted on a Steadicam, it would surely have been dropped.
Matthew waited there for over an hour before he saw the crew pause filming, and Ridley Scott took a short break.
"Let's go," Matthew led the way, said something to a crew assistant, and entered the set. When Helen Herman caught up from behind, he said, "Watch your step, don't twist your ankle."
As they approached the director's area, the bearded Jack saw them both and quickly waved to Helen Herman, while also saying something to Ridley Scott.
"Helen..." Ridley Scott stood up from the director's chair, "You didn't even call when you came."
"That's what makes it a surprise!" Helen Herman walked over and hugged Ridley Scott. "Isn't that right, Uncle Scott?"
Ridley Scott smiled, "Seeing you has made me feel much better."
Watching Helen Herman and Ridley Scott reminisce, Matthew didn't join them, standing silently to the side.
After they chatted for a while, Helen Herman suddenly asked, "I heard Jerry Bruckheimer is planning a new big-budget project with Disney?"
"I'm not too sure," Ridley Scott shook his head. "I've been swamped lately."
He thought for a moment and asked, "Do you want me to ask about it?"
Helen Herman smiled, "No need, I just heard people mention it and was a bit curious."
Jerry Bruckheimer's projects are almost a guarantee of success and blockbusters, and they easily make people famous.
The crew's break was about to end. Helen Herman proactively left the director's group and, accompanied by the bearded Jack, walked back towards the intersection they had come from.
Matthew followed behind them, not saying much.
"Jerry Bruckheimer's new project, I occasionally heard him mention it," the bearded Jack proactively told Helen Herman, "It seems to be related to a pirate ride at Disneyland."
Helen Herman nodded, "Thank you, Jack."
The bearded Jack smiled, "You're too polite with me."
Matthew could tell that Helen Herman was particularly interested in Jerry Bruckheimer's new project.
Helen Herman stayed in Morocco for two days, then returned to North America. During these two days, Matthew heard her on the phone several times, trying to gather information about Jerry Bruckheimer's new project.
Matthew wasn't thinking about these things for now. He knew what he could do was to work hard on set and leave a good impression on Jerry Bruckheimer.