Hugo walked to the elevator and looked at the numbers displayed above. When it changed from four to three, his brows involuntarily furrowed. He glanced to both sides and then saw the large numeral "5" on both sides of the elevator doors.
Hugo immediately realized he had made a blunder. The audition was on the third floor, but he had come to the fifth floor, so of course he couldn't find anyone—only to run into Brad by accident. Thinking back to last night's embarrassment of accidentally walking into the women's restroom, Hugo couldn't help but groan and slap his forehead. Truly muddle-headed.
Hugo quickly got back into the elevator, triple-checking that he pressed the button for the third floor before letting the doors close and letting it descend.
As soon as the elevator doors opened, the atmosphere was different from the cool quiet of the fifth floor. A low murmur of chatter came from the right. Hugo stepped out and saw the lively scene in the hallway—it was clearly the audition venue for A River Runs Through It.
There actually weren't that many people here today, fewer than thirty. Just as Joseph had said, they were all auditioning for the main roles. This wasn't one of those large public auditions. It seemed likely that everyone who got the chance to audition was represented by an agency.
Stepping out of the elevator, Hugo curiously looked around. He tried to spot a familiar face in the crowd, hoping to see someone like Brad Pitt.
Hollywood, just twelve hours ago, had been a faraway land to Hugo. It felt like a different world entirely. His only contact with Hollywood had been through the big screen—there had never been any real overlap. But now, Hugo was standing in Los Angeles, standing at the audition venue for A River Runs Through It, standing in the golden age of Hollywood cinema in the 1990s. It was simply unbelievable.
"Yo, if it isn't Hugo Lancaster, the guy who just won a Golden Raspberry," a greasy voice interrupted Hugo's wonder-filled gaze. He turned around and saw a man about five-foot-eight with shoulder-length straight blonde hair walking toward him. "'Thank you, really thank you,My dream has finally come true.'" The man mimicked Hugo's acceptance speech at the Golden Raspberry Awards with an exaggerated expression.
"George, no, you forgot what the paper said. Hugo's first 'thank you' was spoken while crying, all broken up—you're speaking too clearly. That performance doesn't pass," said another man with curly black hair who walked up behind the first, standing next to him with a teasing smile on his face. He made silly faces at Hugo like a circus trainer mocking a monkey.
Looking at the two clowns in front of him, Hugo realized there was no way last night's Golden Raspberry Awards news had escaped the public. But he had originally thought that, since this was the early 1990s, the Razzies hadn't yet attracted much attention, let alone televised broadcasts, and the internet hadn't risen yet—so news wouldn't spread that fast. But clearly, the highlights of last night had already made waves by this morning.
"Sorry, and you are…?" Hugo offered a polite smile and spoke with gentlemanly grace. But that one sentence immediately left the two men speechless. The meaning couldn't be clearer: Who the hell are you? What right do you have to comment on me?
The blond-haired man's face instantly darkened, and he shouted furiously, "Who we are isn't something you deserve to know! But you, being nominated for the Razzies three times in two years, how bad must your acting be? At least have some self-awareness. You're a disgrace."
The curly-haired man quickly added, "Exactly! If it were me, I'd be hiding at home in shame. But you still come out to audition? Attending something as trashy as the Razzies is bad enough, but to actually be moved to tears when accepting the award—what a disgrace to actors. I'm embarrassed for you. We represent all actors in looking down on you."
After transmigration, Hugo still hadn't fully adjusted. Things had been happening one after another, and his thoughts were still stuck in 2014 though his soul was now firmly planted in 1992. But at this moment, facing these two jesters, Hugo unexpectedly felt amused. The chaos of the transmigration suddenly seemed humorous.
"Oh? Are you jealous?" Hugo spoke sincerely, a focused smile on his face, as if genuinely expressing heartfelt emotion, with no trace of negativity. And yet, the words themselves were infuriating. "I'm actually worried for Stallone. Hearing you two 'represent all actors' with that kind of statement—I wonder how he'd feel."
"Want to compare yourself to Stallone? Wait until you make Rocky first!" the blonde man shouted in rage. Though Sylvester Stallone had made movies like First Blood that critics disliked, he also made Rocky, which won the Oscar for Best Picture and earned a Best Actor nomination. Not to mention Rocky was made for one million dollars and grossed $117 million. "Actors ultimately speak through their work. Aside from Dead Poets Society, what else have you got? Nothing, absolutely nothing!"
Hugo widened his eyes in surprise. He hadn't known this body had once acted in Dead Poets Society. That was a pleasant surprise, since he really liked that film. But he couldn't remember seeing his current face in the cast. He'd have to go back and check it out sometime. But now wasn't the time for nostalgia. After pausing for a moment, he replied, "Yes, I only have Dead Poets Society. So what are your representative works…?"
At this moment, most of the people nearby had turned their attention this way. The voices of the blond man and the black-haired curly man were simply too exaggerated, interrupting everyone who was preparing for the audition. And with people's natural curiosity to watch drama, they couldn't help but look over.
When they saw that the person caught in the center of the dispute was Hugo Lancaster, everyone suddenly understood—today's front page of the "Los Angeles Times" would definitely be a hot topic. Whether it was being the first actor in Golden Raspberry history to show up in person to accept the award, or that tearful acceptance speech, it was enough to make Hugo the best after-dinner conversation piece.
Those who came to audition were, of course, insiders of the industry. At first, they thought Hugo would be left helpless and embarrassed in the face of the two-man attack. After all, last night's award ceremony was humiliating enough to make anyone ashamed, and a few jeers would likely make him want to crawl under the table. This is also why no one in Hollywood wanted to attend the Razzies—it's absolutely a disgrace.
But unexpectedly, Hugo's calm and unhurried response made the two attackers seem flustered and awkward. Instead of laughing at Hugo, people couldn't help but be influenced by his positive energy. Especially when Hugo said that last sentence, "So, what are your representative works?"—paired with his polite smile—the entire room burst into laughter. Obviously, the sarcasm was aimed at these two unknown actors.
Though Hugo was a bit careless, prone to things like walking into the wrong restroom or pressing the wrong elevator floor, and always wore a bright, friendly smile like a guy-next-door, that didn't mean he was an idiot. When someone picked a fight with him, he certainly wouldn't flee in shame. On the contrary, he would fight back in his own way!
The two men were immediately left in an awkward situation by Hugo's counterattack. They had intended to mock Hugo, but instead ended up shooting themselves in the foot. Surrounded by harsh laughter, the black-haired man held it in for a long time before finally speaking up, "Who knows, maybe 'A River Runs Through It' will become my representative work!"
"Yes, 'A River Runs Through It' will definitely be my representative work," the blond man hurried to add.
Hugo nodded meaningfully to show he understood, but then added, "You two are that confident?"
"Of course! Anyway, the one who'll land the role in the end definitely won't be you!" the blond man couldn't wait to strike back. After saying that, the ugly expression on his face finally eased, and he once again wore a smug smile, as if he could already picture Hugo walking away in shame. The black-haired man also kept nodding in agreement, looking noticeably more cheerful.
Hugo didn't refute that sentence. Although he didn't have absolute confidence in himself, he was determined to give it his all. As for the outcome, that wasn't something he could control. The decision wasn't in his hands—nor was it in the hands of these two nobodies—so there was no need to argue.
"Then which one of you will have 'A River Runs Through It' as your representative work?" Hugo nodded to show he understood their point, then suddenly dropped another bombshell.
That line instantly turned the two men's faces sour. They looked at each other—indeed, everyone wanted the lead role of Paul, but there was only one spot. So, who would land the role? After all, the two of them were rivals too.
Many of the onlookers couldn't hold back their laughter again. Everyone felt that Hugo was truly a witty character. Never mind the emotional speech at the Razzies; just today's humorous and sharp comeback was enough to brighten one's day.
Hugo took a step forward, preparing to walk past the two men and join the line of other auditionees. But after just one step, he stopped again, turned around, and asked, "By the way, after chatting for so long, I still don't know your names. May I ask who you are?" This question was like rubbing salt in their wounds—the label of "nobodies" was thoroughly stamped on their foreheads.
The blond man immediately yelled in anger at Hugo's back, "My name is George Wood! He's William Stone!"
"Wood, Stone..." Hugo nodded as he repeated, "Wood, Stone. Very good. Nice to meet you both." Hugo gave a polite wave with his right hand, then turned and left.
No matter how you listened to it, that polite and calm line was full of hidden barbs. Yet the two men had no way to fight back, and could only watch in frustration as Hugo walked lightly down the hallway.