Matthew knew how famous Britney was. Helen being able to secure an MV audition for a star of that caliber, especially for the male lead, came as a surprise to him.
To put it bluntly, he was a nobody before coming here, and he remained a nobody after arriving, so his mindset hadn't significantly changed.
"You're going to audition for Britney Spears's music video?"
Seeing Matthew put away his phone, Elena Boyar tentatively asked, "And for the male lead?"
Matthew knew she had overheard, so he didn't deny it. "Yes, I'm going tomorrow."
Elena Boyar looked at the heavily guarded mansion entrance and suddenly lost all interest. Compared to Britney Spears, who was rapidly rising to fame and almost becoming a national focal point, what were the British actors' scandals inside worth? If she could get some exclusive news about Britney Spears, why would she stay here?
Her mind kept turning, recalling her interactions with the man in front of her. This guy seemed to have mentioned that his agent had a lot of resources, and it certainly seemed to be true now.
Elena Boyar had a fiery temper but a very agile mind. She was in an industry related to Hollywood and knew that for a part-time actor to get such an audition opportunity, it was definitely not something an ordinary agent could achieve. Perhaps the audition result was already a tacit understanding, and it was this guy next to her.
With her hands crossed on her lap, her right index finger continuously tapped the knuckles of her left hand. After a while, she said, "Britney is at the peak of her popularity right now. Many people are probably vying for the male lead in her music video."
Matthew didn't know what Elena Boyar was trying to do; he just watched her.
"But for you, it's a great opportunity." Elena Boyar stopped tapping her fingers. "Britney is incredibly popular. Anyone or anything associated with her receives a lot of attention."
"Hmm." Matthew nodded.
Although he wasn't sure what Elena Boyar's motive was, that statement was true.
Elena Boyar spoke like an old friend, "Matthew, you should seize such an opportunity."
Considering Elena Boyar's identity, Matthew felt that what was coming next might not be good. He secretly raised his guard, but his face remained blank as he said, "I know I need to seize this opportunity, but how do I seize it? I don't know the MV director or producer, and I don't know Britney Spears."
"You go in and out of Britney's MV set, get a few photos with Britney," Elena Boyar instructed patiently. "Then give them to me, and I'll write an article to get you in the papers, saying you're Britney's MV male lead, hmm... boyfriend also works. That way, you'll attract attention and become famous!"
"Publicity stunt, huh." Matthew understood her meaning. "Becoming famous through hype…"
Elena Boyar propped up her hands. "Matthew, which celebrity hasn't used publicity? Many celebrities become famous through it."
Matthew frowned in thought. This method could indeed lead to fame, but it wasn't a good choice. Even if Britney Spears was a bit naive, would her record company and management company allow others to casually use her fame for publicity?
Besides, this Elena Boyar hadn't even mentioned her conditions yet.
"All this you're saying…" Matthew suddenly asked, "You're not going to help out of charity, are you?"
Elena Boyar spoke carelessly, "Just consider it an early investment. I believe you have the potential to become famous. When you become popular in the future, just occasionally leak some exclusive news to me, and that will be enough for me to profit."
Matthew felt that the conditions would definitely not be that simple. "is that all?"
"Of course, there's also a small favor I need you to help with."
As expected, Elena Boyar, this strong fox, showed her tail. "Take some time to help me take a few photos of Britney Spears, preferably without makeup, or other special ones, anything works."
She added,
"Oh, and also. If you hear or see any news or actions about Britney, you should share them with me."
Matthew didn't immediately respond, deliberately waiting a moment before saying, "You want me to help you find news?"
"Something like that." Elena Boyar couldn't deny such a simple fact. "We'll benefit each other."
She said it lightly, but Matthew felt it was unreliable. Such a thing could easily ruin his fate in Hollywood. Although he didn't have a particularly clear concept in his mind, he instinctively felt that this was different from making a deal with Angelina Jolie. If he helped an entertainment reporter secretly photograph famous celebrities, he would probably become an outcast in the entire industry.
However, he didn't refuse either; he just remained silent.
"Here's my business card." Elena Boyar took out a card and handed it over. "You can call me when you've thought about it."
Matthew took Elena Boyar's business card without any hesitation.
"Goodbye." Elena Boyar waved to him and then made a phone gesture. "Keep in touch."
She got out of the Ford minivan, no longer lingering there, and got into the yellow Chevrolet, driving directly away, seemingly having completely lost interest in the party hosted by Jonny Lee Miller.
Matthew watched the Chevrolet leave, then withdrew his gaze and flipped through the business card. It only had Elena Boyar's name and a phone number. He then put the card into his wallet.
Of course, he wouldn't be foolish enough to secretly photograph Britney Spears during an audition or other situations, especially sensitive photos.
But this female reporter might prove useful.
Elena Boyar's words made Matthew think of other things. He remembered a time when almost everyone had a smartphone, and gossip flew everywhere. He had seen gossip about some celebrities, both domestic and international, especially big stars like Tom Cruise or Britney Spears.
The veracity of those things was hard to discern, but some widely circulated ones shouldn't have been baseless. Could he cleverly use them?
For example, regarding Britney Spears, Matthew had seen on smartphone entertainment feeds that she had a period of extreme decadence and debauchery: shaving her head, quick marriages and divorces, smashing cars, and so on. She also had a sworn enemy, and the two constantly feuded.
What was the sworn enemy's name again? He thought for a long time but couldn't recall the full name, only vaguely remembering that they had been in the same club when they were young, something like 'Na' something 'Ala'.
He would look it up later; she was also a very famous female singer.
The question was, how to use these things? How could they help him? Taking Elena Boyar's business card was just keeping an option open.
Because of Elena Boyar, Matthew wasn't sleepy at all. He pulled out his old Nokia phone and looked at it. It had almost no entertainment features, no 4G network, and no social apps… Network? Social apps? Matthew tapped his head. He remembered that back then, some big Vs and internet celebrities had a lot of influence. Perhaps this could also be an aspect to utilize?
Instant messaging apps were out of the question; they certainly didn't exist yet. It seemed like blogs were born in the US? He wondered if they had appeared yet. He would check online when he had time.
Since coming here, Matthew had been constantly busy and hadn't even been online.
Cars kept arriving from a distance, driving into the mansion diagonally opposite, and another party began.
Matthew had been doing this job for a long time and gradually got used to it, no longer feeling envious, jealous, or hateful like before. Seeing that there was nothing to do for the moment, he simply reclined the back seat, lay down, and went to sleep, as there was a very important audition tomorrow.
The next morning, he picked up a group of tired female models from the mansion, dropped them off one by one, and then returned to Red Penguin Company to wash up thoroughly. Seeing that it was still early, he took a relatively cheap bus to Angel Agency in Burbank.
"Hi, Amanda!"
As soon as he walked into the company, Matthew greeted Amanda familiarly, "You look really beautiful today."
"Do I?" Amanda touched her face, looking quite pleased. "Thanks. Matthew, it's always a pleasure to see you."
She pointed to a glass door next to the lobby. "You can wait in the conference room for a bit; Helen and the other actors haven't arrived yet."
Hearing there were other actors, Matthew leaned closer and asked, "It's not just me?"
"Of course not," Amanda said casually. "There are about ten other actors."
Matthew realized things weren't as simple as he thought. "Competing for one role?"
Amanda shook her head. "You could say that."
"Can you reveal a little?" Matthew leaned towards the front desk, deliberately lowering his voice. "Among everyone in the company, you're the most well-informed."
Amanda laughed. "It's not a big deal. Helen secured an MV audition. They'll use signed actors from Angel Agency, but which one specifically isn't up to us; it depends on your audition performance."
Matthew got the information he wanted. Seeing a computer at the front desk, he asked, "Can I use your computer? I want to look something up online."
Amanda didn't refuse. "You can."
There were no secrets on her computer, and Matthew came here often, so they could be considered friends.
Matthew went to the computer. Seeing that Amanda wasn't paying attention to him, he opened a web page and searched for a while. Through Britney Spears's online information, he found the existence of something called the Mickey Mouse Club.
"Thanks!" He chatted with Amanda for a few more minutes, then went to the conference room.
As time passed, people gradually entered the conference room. They were all young white men. He had seen three of them during the last signing, but he wasn't interested in greeting them. He simply sat quietly in a chair, closing his eyes to rest.
Around nine in the morning, more than ten people had entered the conference room, all seemingly actors participating in the audition, including Matthew's acquaintance—Michael Sheen.
Michael Sheen saw Matthew as soon as he entered the door, frowned slightly, then relaxed. He came and sat next to Matthew, just about to greet him when the conference room door was pushed open from outside again, and Helen Herman walked in.
Matthew nodded to Michael Sheen beside him and looked at Helen Herman. Helen Herman didn't waste any words. After clapping her hands to get everyone's attention, she said loudly, "Angel Agency has secured you an audition opportunity for the male lead in Britney Spears's new music video. Whether you can get this role depends on your performance now."
She glanced at her watch. "Alright, let's go now!"