"Look!" the long-haired female assistant said, pointing towards the sea, "Matthew Horner is back."
The short-haired female paparazzo had already seen him and immediately raised her camera, aimed it, quickly adjusted the lens, and started pressing the shutter. The assistant beside her was just as quick, constantly snapping photos.
"Catherine, he has such a great physique," the assistant exclaimed.
"He certainly does!" The paparazzo moved her lens downwards and reminded, "Focus on getting shots of his lower half."
The swimming trunks he was wearing were already a slim-fit design, and after being soaked by the seawater, they clung tightly to his body, highlighting a large bulge between his legs... The paparazzo's eyes behind the camera instantly widened. If he hadn't stuffed anything into his trunks, this was a bit exaggerated, wasn't it?
While thinking this, her hands didn't stop. She focused the lens on the man's crotch and continuously pressed the shutter, faithfully recording close-up shots of his entire body through the camera lens.
Beside her, her assistant cooperated seamlessly, taking close-up shots of specific body parts with her camera.
"His size must be astonishing, right?" the assistant mused as she continued to shoot.
"Let's go!" the paparazzo called out, "Let's get closer for more shots!"
Once they had taken enough of those unmentionable photos, the two left the shade of the sun umbrella and ran directly to a spot just a few meters from Matthew, continuing to take full-body close-ups.
Matthew had noticed the two female reporters earlier. Seeing them run over, he didn't mind, gave a slight smile in their direction, and walked step by step across the soft sand towards the changing room. He had just become famous and needed continuous exposure, even if it meant appearing on the pages of a tabloid.
For him, the feeling of constantly being watched through a camera lens was a fresh thrill.
Far from feeling uncomfortable, Matthew found such a life full of fun.
In Helen Herman's words, his way of thinking was somewhat different from ordinary people. He knew this was a more tactful way of saying that Helen Herman actually meant his mind wasn't quite right.
However, he had never thought that way; who wouldn't like a glamorous life?
Matthew walked past the two women, specifically glancing at them and slightly slowing his pace. Seeing that they had no intention of interviewing him, he then sped up and left the beach.
The two women took a few more photos of him from behind with their cameras. The short-haired paparazzo said, "Let's go! Back to the car!"
The assistant put away her camera and asked, "Not following anymore?"
"No need," the paparazzo had been following Matthew for more than a day. "He's going to the gym next, there's no news value there."
Each carrying a camera, the two quickly entered the parking lot next to the beach and got into an MPV. The paparazzo had the assistant drive while she sat in the back, at a spot converted into a workstation, opened her laptop, and connected it to her digital camera.
"Eliza, go straight to the newspaper office!" She named a tabloid and then instructed her assistant, "Drive steadily! I need to select pictures and write an accompanying article."
The paparazzo opened a document and, from the camera's memory card, selected suitable photos to add to the document. She was experienced and very skillful, always starting with a full-body close-up she had taken, focusing on the crotch, followed by a matching close-up of a specific body part taken by her assistant.
After adding the photos, she began typing.
"Rising star Matthew Horner frolics by the sea, showcasing masculine charm and a robust physique. Has anyone ever tasted..."
A large section of suggestive, yet not crossing the line, explicit text quickly appeared in the document as her fingers flew across the keyboard.
The paparazzo had clearly done this many times before.
By the time she finished, the MPV had already stopped near the entrance of a newspaper office. The assistant also got out and then back in, coming to sit beside her to read the draft.
"Looking at it this way, the photos do seem a bit exaggerated, but they don't look doctored. They should all be real," the assistant, who was certainly not a conservative or reserved person to be in this line of work, said curiously, "Catherine, surely many women have been with this guy, right?"
The paparazzo, named Catherine, turned to look at her, copied the document onto a USB drive, and said, "Eliza, you won't get a chance to be with him. He's already famous, and we are naturally on the opposite side of him."
Eliza shrugged, "Even if I were with him, I'd still take pictures and sell them for money!"
Catherine didn't continue the topic. She pulled out the USB drive, got out of the car, and walked into the newspaper office. Eliza locked the car and quickly followed her.
They had been in this line of work for a while and quickly found the office of a section editor.
The bespectacled editor quickly browsed the document Catherine had edited on his computer and said, "Alright, I'll take this article. Name your price."
Catherine stated directly, "1000 dollars."
"Impossible," the bespectacled editor said, pointing at the person on the computer screen, "He's not worth that much!"
"He's not worth it?" Catherine couldn't help but sneer, "Hamilton, are you still living two months ago? Do you want me to tell you who he is?"
Before Hamilton could answer, she said, "This is Matthew Horner! The male lead of a blockbuster movie! The absolute star of a film that grossed over 100 million at the North American box office! A currently red-hot actor!"
Hamilton looked at the man on the screen again, and when his gaze swept to the close-up shot of his crotch, he couldn't help but feel a mix of envy and jealousy.
Catherine continued, "It's still in theaters, and the global box office is almost 200 million dollars. If you don't want it, that's fine; many newspapers are interested in news about Matthew Horner."
With that, she took a step forward and directly pulled the USB drive from Hamilton's computer, emphasizing, "Hollywood stars with such prominent features are rare."
"Wait!" Hamilton wasn't really living two months ago; this was just a tactic to drive down the price. As a section editor for a tabloid, how could he not know who Matthew Horner was? Among the films released in the past month or so, Tobey Maguire and Matthew Horner were the hottest male actors. News about Matthew Horner would certainly not lack readers, especially with such distinctive photos. He thought for a moment and said, "A thousand dollars is impossible, at most eight hundred dollars."
"Deal!" Catherine immediately put down the USB drive. "It's a deal!"
Given Matthew Horner's current status, such purely tabloid photos were only worth this much money. A few months ago, his photos would have been hard to sell for even a hundred dollars.
After receiving the eight hundred dollar check, Catherine and her assistant quickly left the newspaper office.
Leaving Santa Monica Beach, Matthew originally intended to go to the gym to continue practicing fencing, but just after driving out of Santa Monica, he received a call from Helen Herman. He drove straight through Westwood to Angel Agency in Burbank.
"You called me in such a hurry."
Walking into Helen Herman's office, Matthew immediately asked, "What's going on?"
Helen Herman calling him definitely meant it was about work.
"First, the important news," Helen Herman said with a serious expression, "Next Monday, Walt Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer will jointly announce the official launch of the project."
"It's finally being announced," Matthew wasn't surprised by this at all, as even the sets had started to be built. He then asked about the issue he cared about most, "What about the script? What about the roles? Are they confirmed?"
Helen Herman adjusted her black-rimmed glasses and said, "The script is not finalized; it's still being revised." She had used her father's connections to get some related information from Disney Pictures. "However, the overall framework has been determined. Barring any surprises, this will be a three-protagonist film."
"Three protagonists?" Matthew realized it should be similar to before.
Helen Herman knew the general situation but wasn't clear on the detailed content. She said, "Two male protagonists and one female protagonist. The male protagonists are a scruffy pirate and a handsome swordsman who goes on an adventure with the pirate. The female protagonist is a noble's daughter."
Matthew felt relieved, it must be right: the effeminate pirate, the little blacksmith, and the flat-chested female protagonist.
"The scruffy pirate doesn't fit your image," Helen Herman continued, "So, our target is the handsome swordsman."
"Exactly!" Matthew agreed, "For someone as handsome as me to play a scruffy pirate would be a complete waste!"
To be honest, he didn't think he could play that role well, and who knew what changes would occur if the effeminate pirate was played by a powerful actor like him?
If it flopped, he'd truly be inconsolable.
The little blacksmith was a much better fit for him, and he had also done a lot of preparatory work to compete for that role.
Helen Herman spoke again, "As soon as the casting for the crew begins, I will submit your information. I've done a lot of preliminary work, so getting an audition invitation won't be difficult."
Matthew nodded and asked, "Has Jerry Bruckheimer confirmed the director?"
Helen Herman had intended to discuss this. "It hasn't been officially confirmed yet, but it's highly likely to be Gore Verbinski. I'm trying to get in touch with him."
Matthew had only watched the series before and didn't care who the director was, nor could he confirm if the final director would be Gore Verbinski.
However, Helen Herman was always well-informed. If she said it was highly likely, it should be correct.
The two continued to discuss some of the detailed issues regarding securing the role until it got dark. Matthew checked the time and said, "Let's have dinner together, my treat."
Helen Herman packed her bag and declined, "Another time. I have plans tonight and need to leave now."
Matthew didn't insist. As he was about to leave, Helen Herman reminded him, "Don't forget Universal Pictures' party tomorrow night."