"Him?" Winona Ryder turned to look at Matthew and asked, "What is your name?"
He figured she wanted to remember his name. Matthew muttered inwardly, but still replied, "Matthew, Matthew Horner."
Winona Ryder nodded. "Matthew Horner? Good! I'll remember you."
Matthew forced a relaxed smile, pretending not to care, though in reality, he wished Winona Ryder would forget him tomorrow.
"I will find you a suitable role," Winona Ryder said.
"It must have lines," Angelina Jolie had discussed this with Matthew beforehand. "And better pay!"
Winona Ryder's expression turned ugly. "Roles with names have already been cast. It's impossible to change them arbitrarily, and you know that very well."
Matthew didn't ask for an important role with a name; that would have been wishful thinking. Furthermore, if he were given a major role, he currently lacked the ability to handle it and would only embarrass himself.
Angelina Jolie stated the result of their negotiation, "A role with lines will suffice." She looked at Matthew. This young man was greedy but knew when to stop, leaving her with a decent impression. He had also been a great help this time. After thinking for a moment, she added a condition: "His name must appear in the end credits."
Hearing that, Matthew couldn't help but slap his forehead. He truly was an amateur.
This was something his Agent should have fought for, but his Agent... Matthew shook his head. He had no leverage right now, so this would have to do for the moment. When things improved, he would definitely drop Dennis Coulter.
"Fine, none of those are problems." Winona Ryder gradually returned to her cold and detached demeanor. "I can agree to your terms."
Bingo—
Angelina Jolie snapped her fingers. "Alright, the problem is solved."
She turned to leave, and Matthew stood up too, but Winona Ryder said, "Wait!"
"Something else?" Angelina Jolie stopped and asked.
"I agreed to your conditions," Winona Ryder quickly stated, "But how do you guarantee you won't talk about this?"
"Why would I talk about it? Does it benefit me?" When Angelina Jolie wasn't being reckless, her mind was quite clear. "I've already gotten what I wanted. Why would I spread the word? To saddle you with scandal? Would that affect the film? If the film is dragged down by scandal, would that benefit me? Wouldn't everything I just fought for become a joke?"
Winona Ryder thought for a moment, then nodded slightly. "I can trust you."
Then, she turned to look at Matthew. "But what about him?"
"I promise I won't say a word!" Matthew immediately interjected.
"I don't trust you," Winona Ryder said bluntly. "I don't trust people like you."
Matthew helplessly spread his hands. "I have excellent credibility! Miss Jolie can vouch for me."
"I can't vouch for anything!" Angelina Jolie actively distanced herself. "I don't know you at all."
None of these famous people were fools.
Matthew frowned slightly and asked Winona Ryder, "What do you suggest we do?"
"It's simple!" Winona Ryder also stood up. "I'll call my lawyer, and you'll sign a non-disclosure agreement with me!"
Matthew thought about it and could only look at Angelina Jolie. His education was limited, and he didn't understand American law. Aside from Angelina Jolie, he truly didn't know who else to consult.
Angelina Jolie, however, asked, "Aren't you worried about one more person knowing?"
"I will only limit him in the clauses from mentioning anything related to me during a certain time period," Winona Ryder seemed prepared. "We don't need to write down the specific incident."
"That's also a solution." Angelina Jolie nodded.
Matthew couldn't voice any objection.
As long as Winona Ryder fulfilled her promise today, he wouldn't be stupid enough to publicize the bookstore incident.
Once both sides reached an agreement, the remaining matters were easy to handle. Winona Ryder and Angelina Jolie called their respective lawyers. These two women were not pushovers; despite their pleasant words earlier, they still signed a private agreement.
As for Matthew, with the help of Angelina Jolie's lawyer, he also signed an agreement stating that if he obtained a role in the crew and still publicized the bookstore incident, he would have to pay a massive fine.
When leaving the office, Matthew glanced back. If a crew with relatively simple personnel relations was already fraught with hidden conflicts, how intense must the competition in Hollywood be?
The others left one after another, leaving Winona Ryder alone in the office. She pulled out her phone and dialed her Agent's number. "It's me. Go to a bookstore outside Universal Studios and buy all their surveillance footage. Remember! You must go personally!"
After hanging up, Winona Ryder felt slightly relieved. She turned and looked outside the office, thinking again of that scoundrel—a mere extra—who had actually forced her into this situation!
Her already fair face grew paler. Her phone suddenly rang; it was her boyfriend.
"Hi, Matt..." She listened for a moment, then said, "I have to work late tonight, so don't come pick me up. Bad mood? Yes, I ran into a very annoying guy, an extra named Matthew Horner. He provoked me! I'll tell you the details when I get back. What are you doing for dinner? With Ben? Okay, send my regards to Ben."
Hanging up the phone, she picked up the receiver on the desk and dialed Director James Mangold's number to begin coordinating the filming schedule.
Matthew had just left the Universal Studios filming area when Angelina Jolie's driver pulled the car up to the entrance.
Her female assistant, Vanessa, opened the car door. Angelina Jolie was about to get in, but she saw Matthew heading toward the bus stop and asked, "Where are you going?"
"Hollywood Boulevard." Matthew was planning to go to the Red Penguin Company; he still had to continue his 'old driver' job tonight.
"Get in," Angelina Jolie called out, then got into the car herself. Matthew hesitated briefly, walked over, opened the door, and slipped inside.
"Thank you," he said politely.
The luxury car's back seat had two individual seats. Angelina Jolie sat on the right, having already pulled out a magazine. Without even looking at Matthew, she casually replied, "Don't mention it, you helped me out too."
Matthew smiled. "I was helping myself."
Angelina Jolie opened her magazine. "People like you are very suited for this industry."
"Really?" Matthew said confidently. "I thought so too."
"I don't like owing favors." Angelina Jolie finally revealed the real reason she had asked Matthew to get in the car. "Tell me, what do you want?"
Matthew immediately understood that Angelina Jolie was merely treating this as a small transaction.
He didn't expect a Hollywood Star like Angelina Jolie to treat a small extra as an equal. What happened today made it perfectly clear that the people in this industry were incredibly influential.
"I need professional training," Matthew knew this was a rare opportunity. "Miss Jolie is a veteran in the industry. I hope you can help me recommend a good acting school."
Hearing this, Angelina Jolie was somewhat surprised. She had expected him to ask for money or another job opportunity. She hadn't expected him to understand the importance of professional training; he seemed to have some sense.
This wasn't difficult. She thought for a moment and nodded slightly. "Alright, if I find a suitable one, I'll have Vanessa notify you."
After saying this, Angelina Jolie focused entirely on her magazine and didn't speak another word to Matthew. Matthew wouldn't seek out awkwardness either, turning to look out the window until the car reached a spot on Hollywood Boulevard near the company, where he asked the driver to stop early.
"Goodbye," he politely said to Angelina Jolie.
Angelina Jolie simply nodded.
After getting out of the car, Matthew walked to the Red Penguin Company, picked up the keys and his assignment from Lister, and waited for the sun to set before driving out the ford minivan to continue his nightly job of dropping off and picking up people.
Night fell. Hollywood Boulevard was ablaze with lights and revelry. Dragging his obese body, Dennis Coulter squeezed into a nightclub, sat at the bar, and ordered a stout. Thinking of the afternoon's events, he felt depressed and quickly chugged a mouthful of beer.
Winona Ryder, the film's lead actress and producer, clearly held a prejudice against that idiot. He had only just managed to establish some connections within the crew, and now he might be implicated.
Dennis Coulter felt another wave of gloom, raised his glass, and took a larger gulp.
Suddenly, the phone in his pocket rang. Dennis Coulter impatiently pulled it out. After just a glance, he stood up, tossed down a banknote, and rushed out of the noisy bar as quickly as possible, finding a slightly quieter spot to answer the call.
"Dennis!" The voice of Casting Director Rubin sounded in the receiver. "Matthew Horner is your actor, right?"
"Ah..." Dennis Coulter desperately wanted to deny it to avoid being implicated, but Matthew was already registered with the crew, so he couldn't deny it. He reluctantly said, "Yes! However, Director Rubin..."
He quickly distanced himself. "I left very early this afternoon. Did Matthew Horner cause trouble?"
Dennis Coulter was slightly nervous, afraid that the afternoon's incident would cause him to lose his connection with Director Rubin.
"Cause trouble?" Rubin's voice sounded quite normal. "I'm calling to inform you that you and Matthew Horner need to come to the set tomorrow to sign a supplementary agreement. His role has been changed. He has two lines, and his pay has been increased to $200 per day..."
"What..." Dennis Coulter could hardly believe his ears. "What did you say?"
"Didn't you hear me clearly?" The voice in the receiver suddenly grew louder. "Bring Matthew Horner over tomorrow! That scene will be shot immediately after the contract is signed. Don't be late!"
Dennis Coulter said blankly, "I... I understand."
Hanging up the phone, he stood there, completely confused. How could the situation change so fast?
He pulled out his phone and dialed Matthew's number, but got no answer. He kept calling until it finally connected. Matthew sounded very busy on the other end, and after Dennis finished talking, Matthew only gave a few casual replies, agreed to meet on set tomorrow, and hung up.
Dennis Coulter stood on the road, lost in thought for a long time. Did that little extra have a hidden side?