As soon as Matthew got off work in the morning, he handed over his duties and rushed to Burbank, arriving at Angel Agency. He first went to the front desk to find Amanda and inquire about the situation.
"It's all my fault," Amanda said apologetically. "Helen asked me a few questions in a roundabout way, and I wasn't on guard, so I accidentally let it slip."
"It's alright, it's alright," Matthew quickly comforted her. "We didn't do anything illegal or criminal. If Helen knows, she knows."
Amanda's mind turned around. "That's right, I was just helping you get the role. Anyway, Helen also said that it's the same whoever gets the male lead."
She was a relatively simple girl and ultimately didn't know what Matthew had done behind the scenes.
"Has Helen arrived?" Matthew asked.
"Yes," Amanda pointed upstairs. "She's waiting for you in her office. You can go up."
Matthew nodded, walked around the front desk, and went up to the second floor. He arrived at Helen Herman's office and gently knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Hearing Helen Herman's voice, Matthew pushed the door open and walked in, greeting Helen Herman, who was sitting behind the desk, familiarly, "Good morning, Helen."
Helen Herman pointed to the sofa. "Have a seat. Water or coffee?"
"No, thank you." Matthew wasn't thirsty right now. He walked over to a single sofa and sat down, asking, "Did you need to see me about something?"
"Yesterday, I met with Michael Sheen." Helen Herman clasped her hands on the desk and asked, "I've already terminated his contract. He's been cursing you and Martin Jackson. What exactly happened?"
At this point, Matthew didn't intend to beat around the bush and said directly, "After the first audition, Martin Jackson called me and asked me to meet him at a hotel to discuss something. I went that evening and found that he had ulterior motives, so I refused him."
Helen Herman seemed disbelieving. "You refused him?"
"Come on, I have my limits too!" Matthew spread his hands. "I'm only interested in women! The thought of that kind of thing disgusts me."
Regardless of whether Helen Herman believed him, he continued, "After I came down, I happened to see Michael Sheen also going to see Martin Jackson. The next day, Michael Sheen invited me to lunch and bragged to me that he would get the male lead in the MV. He was walking very strangely at the time, and I guessed that he must have made a deal with Martin Jackson."
Helen Herman adjusted the black-rimmed glasses on her face. "Why did you end up winning?"
"I didn't want to lose this opportunity, so I made some efforts." Matthew showed no shame and spoke even more grandiosely, "My efforts, coupled with some good luck, ultimately led to the current audition results."
Helen Herman had already learned some things from Amanda, but she was sure that Amanda only knew a very small part.
"Tell me the details," she looked at Matthew.
"I heard Amanda say that Britney was the key to the audition." Most of what Matthew said was true, but some was false. "Coincidentally, I have a friend who is an entertainment reporter, so I specifically asked around to see how I could impress Britney. My reporter friend told me that Britney and Christina Aguilera had sharp conflicts privately and were arch-enemies back in the Mickey Mouse Club. So I asked Amanda for help, and outside Britney's dressing room, I deliberately said that I hated Christina Aguilera."
"A very crude method, but quite effective." Helen Herman's tone was calm. "You truly surprise me, Matthew Horner."
For most major roles in Hollywood, which audition doesn't involve behind-the-scenes maneuvering and competition? The less famous the actor, the more intense the struggle. This guy was even more suited for Hollywood than she had imagined.
"You shouldn't have involved Amanda," she said coldly.
"I didn't want to, but I couldn't find anyone else," Matthew argued, "You can't bring an entertainment reporter to the set, can you?"
Helen Herman reminded him, "You should have come to me. I'm your agent."
Matthew reminded her, "You're also the agent for all my competitors."
Helen Herman was speechless for a moment. Although she felt that Matthew was more suited to thrive in this industry than others, she hadn't invested more resources and attention in him. After all, opportunities are far more important than ability in this industry. Many people who seem to have good potential never make it big in their lives, while some become famous overnight without even realizing it.
"Next time, remember to inform me." Helen Herman didn't intend to dwell on this matter. "You are now ranked very high among my clients."
Hearing her say that, Matthew tentatively asked, "Not first?"
Helen Herman didn't respond to him, but instead said, "Let's talk about Michael Sheen and Martin Jackson again."
Matthew looked innocent. "Does their business concern me?"
"Michael Sheen is an Angel Agency client, and he directly attacked the director on set." There was a hint of pressure in Helen Herman's eyes behind her glasses. "Do you think he will affect you?"
Matthew was stunned for a moment. How could he have overlooked this! If he had thought of it earlier, he wouldn't have provoked Michael Sheen!
But then he quickly returned to normal and said, "Didn't we sign contracts with the crew and the record company?"
"Do you know how much convincing I had to do to suppress this matter?" Helen Herman looked very displeased.
Matthew clapped his hands, a look of indignation on his face. "Damn Michael Sheen! He wants to die and drag me down with him!"
Helen Herman was a little puzzled. "It wasn't you who was stirring things up behind the scenes."
"No!" Matthew certainly wouldn't admit it. "What I wanted was the male lead, not anything else."
He really hadn't expected Michael Sheen to resort to violence, and to be so ruthless.
That being said, he clearly hadn't thought this through and hadn't considered the possible impact on the agency and himself.
"It really was a very crude method," Matthew scoffed inwardly. "My brain still isn't good enough."
Helen Herman didn't quite believe Matthew, and Matthew could tell. He simply said, "You might not be able to understand the mindset of a normal man. If it were me, having paid such a humiliating price and still not getting what I wanted, let alone hitting someone, I might even kill them."
Helen Herman was half-convinced and didn't pursue the matter further. Angel Agency terminated its contract with Michael Sheen, and the record company took the opportunity to fire Martin Jackson. That was the end of the matter.
Moreover, she had spent a lot of time talking, but she had once again confirmed that Matthew Horner was a client with considerable potential.
Perhaps she could invest more resources in him?
Seeing Helen Herman deep in thought, Matthew didn't try to defend himself further. He reflected on the actions he had planned to win the MV's male lead. Looking back now, there were many loopholes and even more oversights. If not for exceptionally good luck and the advantage of his foreknowledge of Britney Spears, he wouldn't have been the ultimate winner.
But all of it was ultimately worth it!
"You need to trust your agent," Helen Herman suddenly said. "My job is to get you work."
Matthew said earnestly, "I've always trusted you, Helen. You should trust me too."
Helen Herman looked at Matthew. "Can I trust you?" She took off her glasses and rubbed her temples. "Next time you cause trouble, let me know first!"
"I promise!" Matthew could see that Helen Herman was quite annoyed. He needed this agent now. "From now on, I will consult you before doing anything related to roles."
Helen Herman put her glasses back on. "Also, don't drag Amanda into these messy affairs again. She's just temporarily helping me here."
Matthew nodded very seriously this time. "I won't."
He looked at the clock on the wall, stood up, and said, "I need to go to North Hollywood for class."
"Go on," Helen Herman waved her hand. "Remember to study your role and script. If there's anything from the crew, I'll notify you in advance."
Matthew left the office, went downstairs to the lobby, greeted Amanda, and then hailed a taxi to his school in North Hollywood to continue his acting classes.
Because he had spent quite some time at Angel Agency, he was late when he arrived at school.
Today's class was not taught by David Astor, but by a middle-aged woman. Matthew apologized and entered the classroom, finding everyone standing in front of mirrors, spaced apart from each other.
This lesson taught how to control facial muscles and micro-expressions.
Previous lessons had mentioned that an excellent actor could even control every muscle in their face. This required long-term, extensive practice. There were many acting schools and courses in Los Angeles, and various genres and training methods were highly specialized. Every experienced actor had their own unique approach.
Compared to others in his class, Matthew was clearly lagging in this area. Many people who came to Hollywood to be actors, such as Rachel McAdams next to him, had actually discovered their interest in high school, apart from the influence of their family background, and had started joining acting clubs.
And in college, in addition to specialized acting schools, many universities also had very top-tier drama clubs.
It is well known that school clubs in America are quite influential.
Even without professional university training, many students who discovered their interest in this area during high school already had some acting experience and ability.
These were all things that Matthew, who had dropped out of school very early, couldn't compare to.
Therefore, Matthew was even more diligent and cherished every opportunity.
He stood in front of the mirror and practiced according to the requirements of a simple script.
The morning passed in this seemingly quite dull and boring training. Having been in the industry for so long, Matthew truly felt that behind the seemingly glamorous facade, there were efforts that outsiders could hardly understand.
After class, Matthew rubbed his face and looked to his side. Rachel McAdams was tidying her textbooks.
"What are we having for lunch?" he asked directly. "My treat."
Rachel McAdams smiled sweetly. "Did you strike it rich? You're so generous."