As he strode away, apart from his agent Morris, few people from the crew, including the former director and producer, paid attention to Matthew, as if they were accustomed to such situations and found nothing strange about it.
Pushing open the door and stepping out of the temporary set, Matthew let out a long breath, seeing the blue sky, white clouds, and the wide, quiet road outside. He didn't know why, but he felt a sense of relief, as if he had survived a catastrophe. This feeling wasn't just about the inexplicable trans-Pacific possession, but also the ease of escaping a pornographic trap.
He didn't have a car; he had arrived in his agent's sedan. Now, Morris certainly wouldn't drive him, so he had no choice but to walk along the wide road, following the direction he remembered.
The temperature in Los Angeles in January wasn't low. After walking a short distance, Matthew took off his jacket. The breeze blowing through his long-sleeved sweater felt much more comfortable.
Two rows of tall palm trees lined both sides of the road. Matthew looked up at each one he passed. Before, he had always been in the north, constantly struggling for basic necessities like three meals a day, with no time to travel south.
Now, he no longer had to wield a sledgehammer, but he still had to worry about making a living.
The memories left by the previous occupant told Matthew that the few tens of dollars and a second-hand phone he had were his entire fortune.
Moreover, the production crew and his agent Morris would definitely not let him off easily. A five-figure breach of contract penalty might not be much in Hollywood, but it was not a small sum in this industry. He would probably receive a lawyer's letter or a court summons before long, and even if they settled out of court, he would still have to pay a large sum of money.
Such an amount of money was nothing short of astronomical for him now.
He had just arrived and might already be in a huge debt that he couldn't repay in a short time... Would they force him to pay off the debt with his body then? Force him to continue acting in romantic action films?
Judging by the crew's attitude, it didn't seem to be a big deal, but it was likely that the agent named Morris wouldn't let him off easily.
"Sigh…" Matthew worried, "I've changed places, but I'm still a man of hardship."
Although he was a bit worried, he didn't complain. He was used to a difficult life.
There was a long bench under a palm tree ahead. Matthew went over and sat directly on it, regardless of the dust. Leaning back against the wooden seat, he looked up at the blue sky and white clouds, contemplating what to do in the future.
Would he continue to struggle at the bottom, with his only goal being basic survival, as he had before?
"Don't you like money and beautiful women?"
His agent Morris's words suddenly flashed through his mind, and Matthew couldn't help but think of the blonde beauty. Although her face wasn't as alluring as her figure, she had made him feel restless all over.
Should he live a mediocre life at the bottom of society, or strive to climb to a higher class? Was there even a choice?
Matthew gradually clenched his fists: "I want a better life! I want to roll around in piles of cash! I want to party with a bunch of beautiful women!"
He didn't have much cultivation, nor had he received higher education. He was just a small person struggling at the bottom. His goal, or rather his ideal, was this vulgar and realistic.
He had a goal, but how was he going to achieve it? Matthew lowered his head, looking at the wide road. Goals could be set as high as the sky, but to approach a goal, one not only had to take one step at a time but also find a suitable path!
For example, becoming the President of the United States could also achieve his goal, but he was clearly not cut out for that.
This path was not easy to find. His past arduous life made Matthew understand that the world had a very serious class solidification phenomenon. It was not easy for anyone to cross their current layer and climb to a higher step.
Although he didn't understand Americans, the society he was in before was highly information-driven. A smartphone could show countless pieces of information, both true and false. Therefore, Matthew believed that Americans in this regard should be even more difficult than his own country.
Even if there was an opportunity, it was reserved for those who were prepared and capable, not for a guy like him with no special skills.
Matthew wasn't belittling himself, but having gone through arduous struggles, he understood that while goals could be set grandly, the path to those goals had to be walked step by step, grounded in reality.
After sitting for a while, Matthew stood up and continued walking forward, analyzing himself as he went, trying to find what he was currently most proficient at. After all, his brain stored the memories of two people, so he should be able to find something useful.
High-tech? He knew nothing about it.
Finance and economics? How could a person worried about daily meals care about such things?
Write novels that were once adapted into Hollywood movies to earn royalties? He only finished junior high, and his grades were mediocre. As for the previous occupant, he didn't even finish middle school, had trouble reading complex and profound articles, and his writing skills were not worth mentioning.
Besides this well-built body and a lot of strength, and excluding driving, he seemed to have no other specialized skills.
After a round of analysis, Matthew sadly realized that even combining the knowledge of two people, he couldn't do any of those high-paying, high-status intellectual jobs right now.
At this moment, he felt that the saying, "If you don't strive in your youth, you'll regret it in old age," still held a lot of truth.
Matthew stopped under a palm tree and suddenly felt that the previous guy's pursuit of a Hollywood star dream in Los Angeles wasn't just an impulse. Given his own talent and environment, the chances of making a name for himself in Hollywood seemed to be slightly more numerous than in other high-end industries!
Most importantly, the entry barrier for Hollywood was relatively low. In the relevant information the previous guy collected, Jim Carrey was a cleaner, Madonna worked as a fast-food salesperson, Brad Pitt dressed up as a McDonald's promotional mascot, Johnny Depp worked as a pen phone salesperson, Harrison Ford was a carpenter, and even the renowned James Cameron was a truck driver... These famous Hollywood figures, before becoming famous, were all undeniable losers, true commoners, just like him.
However, these former failures are now all scoundrels who have achieved both fame and fortune, making people envious!
There were simply too many similar examples to list. Hollywood seemed to be the best industry for commoners to rise up and become successful, rich, and handsome.
But he felt that things would definitely not be as simple as they seemed; he just didn't know why.
After much deliberation, Matthew found that Hollywood seemed to be the most realistic path to his goal and had the highest chance of success.
A person's position determines the limits of their vision. Matthew stood at the bottom of society, and looking up, he only saw this ladder called Hollywood.
"Hollywood, huh…" Matthew looked up in the direction of Hollywood Hills, which he remembered, "That's it!"
Thinking of Hollywood, a scene of success immediately appeared before his eyes: living in the most luxurious mansion in Beverly Hills, with limited edition luxury cars parked in the garage, dozens of naked blonde beauties frolicking in the pool in front of the villa, countless media reporters lined up waiting for interviews... This was life! This was the life he wanted!
Since he couldn't think of any other opportunities to change his fate, Matthew decided to continue his predecessor's Hollywood star dream and see if he could also transform from a commoner into a successful, rich, and handsome man!
With a goal and a path to reach it, he instantly felt much lighter. He stretched his long legs and strode forward.
"I want to earn a lot, a lot of money!" Matthew suddenly roared, "I want to be a big star!"
This roar made two young people cycling past glance at him, giving him a look as if he were crazy, then shaking their heads and riding away.
After shouting these few sentences, Matthew's suppressed mood lightened, even though he knew this path would be very difficult.
The previous occupant, after arriving in Los Angeles, had also registered with an agency specializing in extra work, but had never gotten an opportunity to participate in a Hollywood movie, let alone earn income. He could only work part-time as a driver for a party service company, and then was tricked by another agent into a seemingly delicious but extremely bitter pizza.
Recalling all the memories related to Hollywood, Matthew determined that he wouldn't find an opportunity for now. He could only do what those rumored big stars did: first get a job to establish himself in Los Angeles, and then try every possible way to find suitable opportunities!
Thinking of work, Matthew felt that the driver's job he had quit earlier was quite good. He would start work in the evening to drop people off, pick them up in the early morning or morning, and mostly rest during the day, which was very suitable for an actor looking for opportunities to work part-time.
Moreover, this job might even allow him to come into contact with people in the Hollywood industry. It was just that the previous occupant had bad luck and didn't stick with it before deciding to try Hollywood's so-called back door.
After some thought, Matthew decided it was very necessary to continue this job. He pulled out his second-hand phone, searched for a bit, and dialed a number.
"Hello…"
A humble male voice answered, "This is Red Penguin Company, how can I help you?"
"Hello, Mr. Lister." Matthew, having been in society for many years, knew what to say now. His voice carried a hint of flattery, "I'm Matthew, Matthew Horner, and I've come to rely on you again."
The voice immediately became arrogant, "It's you, kid? What do you want from me? If nothing, I'm hanging up."
"No, no, no!" Matthew quickly said, "I'm just trying to find you to continue making a living, aren't I?"
"Didn't you quit?" The voice was unforgiving, "Didn't you say you were going to be a big star and make big money?"
Matthew continued to humble himself, "That was my ignorance, I was deceived. You, on the other hand, had vision and saw through that scam at a glance."
"Ha, I knew it, kid." The person was clearly pleased, "You lack experience, you need to learn more from me."
"I'm planning to continue learning from you." Matthew immediately followed his words, "I didn't know until I was scammed, Mr. Lister, you are truly good to me."
"Alright, stop with the useless talk." The voice on the phone softened considerably, "You want to come back and continue working, right? I'll give you half an hour. If you can get to the company in half an hour, you'll start work tonight!"
Matthew quickly promised, "I'll definitely make it!"