The sun had just dipped below the ocean, and the sky hadn't yet darkened. Five people from the Red Penguin Service Company were already busy.
A chef set up a barbecue grill in the corner of the yard, and his assistant prepared all sorts of food, from meats to vegetables and fruits.
The other three were setting up the yard, placing a wooden round table laden with various drinks and beverages in the center of the lawn.
Lister, who was personally leading the team, came to the door and asked Matthew, "Come take a look, are you satisfied?"
Matthew put down his phone, stepped out of the house, glanced around, and gave Lister a thumbs up. "Red Penguin is as professional as ever."
Lister stood next to Matthew and smiled, saying, "You know we always provide the best service."
"I do," Matthew replied. Having worked at the company, he knew this well. "That's why when I planned a party, Red Penguin was the first company I thought of."
Lister looked at Matthew.
Compared to more than a year ago, this person had changed tremendously. He seemed a bit thinner but looked more robust, filled with confidence, and possessed the demeanor of a successful person.
Who would have thought that a small-time driver could actually make it in Hollywood?
Since reconnecting with Matthew, Lister had specifically gathered news and information.
Being the lead actor in a major production invested by Universal Pictures for $40 million was already considered excellent leverage in Hollywood.
As long as the film recouped its costs, or even didn't lose too much, Matthew Horner would have established his name and certainly become a minor celebrity.
Unlike casual observers, Red Penguin Company primarily served the wealthy and Hollywood, so Lister had a certain understanding of this circle.
Even a minor celebrity meant a massive increase in income, let alone a lead actor who achieved fame in a $40 million production?
Think about the company's former major client, Jonny Lee Miller.
The only work people remembered him for was *Trainspotting*, where he was just a supporting character, yet he has been living comfortably off that fame ever since, spending over $100,000 annually with Red Penguin Company.
The person who originally developed him as a client for the company still received more than $10,000 in commission from Jonny Lee Miller every year.
Thinking of this, Lister's gaze toward Matthew was somewhat fervent.
He had specifically asked people in the industry and learned that the lead actor's salary for *the scorpion king* was as high as $500,000—that was more than ten years of his own salary!
Matthew walked a lap around the yard, with Lister accompanying him the entire time.
Compared to the beginning, their positions had completely reversed.
However, Matthew didn't bring up anything from the past. All that was history.
Lister hadn't done anything excessive to him; anyone else in Lister's position at the time would likely have just been a curious bystander.
This was simply a portrait of the most ordinary person struggling in the Los Angeles workplace.
"I watched *the scorpion king* trailer, and so did my son," Lister suddenly said, his tone clearly flattering. "It's great! I will definitely take my son to the cinema to support you when it comes out!"
"Thank you!" Matthew recalled something and said, "If you really want to go, I can get you two premiere tickets."
Besides the guests for the premiere ceremony, he, as the lead actor, had ten tickets for the film's first screening.
But Matthew didn't have that many non-Hollywood friends, and after giving some to Nebula and his fencing coach, among others, he still had five left.
Lister immediately replied, "We want to go!"
He didn't care much himself, but his son really loved the released trailer. "That kid will be thrilled!"
The two happened to arrive at the door of the house.
Matthew asked Lister to wait a moment, then went inside and brought him two admission tickets for *the scorpion king* premiere.
This could be considered a repayment, as Lister had helped him somewhat when he left Red Penguin Company.
Lister took the tickets and chatted with Matthew for a while.
As the time approached five o'clock in the afternoon, he looked at his wristwatch and tentatively asked, "Do you need female models to enhance the party atmosphere?"
Hearing this, Matthew immediately recalled the scenes of picking up and dropping off those female models.
That wasn't just about enhancing the atmosphere!
He felt a little tempted but still shook his head. "No need. This is a party where people bring female companions."
"Understood," Lister said, hearing the mention of female companions, and didn't press the matter. "It's getting late. I'll take my team and leave now. If you ever need anything, just give me a call."
Matthew smiled and replied politely, "I will. Thank you, Lister."
At exactly five o'clock, Lister took everyone, including the chef, and departed.
Matthew went over to the grill area and looked at the food the chef had prepared and the barbecue setup.
He didn't need to do much; he could just light the fire and start grilling once the guests arrived.
Before six o'clock, James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender arrived together, both bringing gifts for Matthew.
James McAvoy brought a bottle of champagne, and Michael Fassbender brought an exquisite porcelain ornament.
Matthew accepted them all without ceremony.
"Why the sudden party?" Sitting by the round table in the center of the yard, James McAvoy curiously asked Matthew, "Don't we usually just go to the bar to drink?"
Michael Fassbender, who knew Matthew as well as James McAvoy did, added, "You don't have some unspeakable secret, do you?"
"What if I told you I planned to use this opportunity to pick up girls?" Matthew joked intentionally. "Would you believe me?"
"Pfft..." Michael Fassbender immediately gave him a look of disdain. "Don't you have a girlfriend? Even if she's practically nonexistent..."
James McAvoy said earnestly, "Yeah, isn't your girlfriend coming?"
Matthew shrugged. "She's not in the States; she went to Europe on a business trip."
He changed the subject and said seriously, "Listen up, you two. If I say anything about the film at the party, just pretend you didn't hear it. It'll all be lies I made up."
Michael Fassbender looked puzzled. "What are you trying to do?"
James McAvoy chimed in, "It must be something shady."
"It definitely is shady," Matthew said seriously. "James, Michael, tonight you are simply and purely my guests."
"Did someone provoke you?" Michael Fassbender asked with a serious expression. "Don't forget, we are comrades fighting side-by-side."
Matthew smiled. "No one provoked me. If I needed your help, I would certainly ask. You two just eat and drink your fill tonight, and absolutely don't take anything I say seriously."
He didn't want to drag his two friends into trouble.
Seeing Matthew emphasize this point repeatedly, Michael Fassbender and James McAvoy both nodded seriously.
James McAvoy also changed the subject and asked, "Matthew, what do you predict *the scorpion king*'s North American box office will be?"
Matthew shrugged. "Of course, I want the North American box office to exceed $100 million!"
In Hollywood, a lead actor whose film grosses $100 million in North America is on a completely different level than one whose film grosses tens of millions, even if the difference is only a few million dollars.
The resulting effect is vastly different.
"is there hope?" Michael Fassbender asked.
"It's difficult!"
Matthew used to think it was common for those major Hollywood commercial blockbusters to pull in over $100 million in their opening weekends, but now that he was in the industry, he realized how challenging it was.
"I think it would be enough if the North American box office just exceeds the production and publicity costs."
He had also discussed this issue with Helen Herman.
According to general Hollywood standards, as long as *the scorpion king* grosses $50 to $60 million in North America, plus the overseas market, and sales and rentals of TV broadcasts, DVDs, and video tapes, it wouldn't be hard for Universal Pictures to recoup its costs.
The only remaining question would be how much profit they would make.
Universal Pictures has direct distribution companies in many countries and regions across the Western world.
The box office split in these markets is lower than in North America, but not by much.
The markets with truly low box office splits are those that rely on third-party companies for import and distribution, such as The other side of the Pacific, where the box office split for Hollywood films is currently only thirteen percent.
Of course, Matthew speculated that *the scorpion king* would not be able to enter The other side of the Pacific market as a revenue-sharing film.
He just didn't know if Universal Pictures could sell them the exclusive screening rights.
In truth, Matthew really hoped that the first film in which he served as the lead actor could enter the cinemas on The other side of the Pacific.
That subtle psychological desire was hard for outsiders to understand.
The three men sat in the yard and chatted about work.
Matthew learned that James McAvoy had already signed a contract with the *Dune* crew and would be the lead actor in that television series.
Michael Fassbender was also preparing for the British television series *The Witch* and would soon return to London.
Both of their schedules were fully booked for the next two years; they had no free time.
At six-thirty, Ben Foster arrived.
Matthew introduced him to Michael Fassbender, while James McAvoy was an old acquaintance, having worked with him on the set of *black hawk down*.
About ten minutes later, Orlando Bloom arrived.
Unlike the previous three, he brought a female companion.
"Legolas and the beautiful Princess Arwen step out of Middle-earth, hand-in-hand..."
Facing Orlando Bloom and his companion, Matthew deliberately used a British accent, mimicking *the lord of the rings: the fellowship of the ring*, and said, "I... am truly honored."
"Get lost!" Orlando Bloom slapped Matthew on the arm, then introduced her to everyone. "This is Liv Tyler, a good friend I met on the set of *The Lord of the Rings*."
Matthew politely shook hands with Liv Tyler, and then introduced James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, and Ben Foster to her and Orlando Bloom.
The barbecue party immediately commenced.