บท 2: Chapter 2: Fifty Thousand Dollars
Sitting on the chair in a daze, Matthew's head filled with more memories, confirming that the film crew was indeed preparing to shoot a romantic action film.
More importantly, his predecessor had been fully aware and willing, having signed an official contract.
And the reason, of course, was money.
Additionally, his agent had convinced him that this was a backdoor into Hollywood—a path to film stardom.
Matthew rolled his eyes. Even someone as unfamiliar with America as he knew that starring in such films wouldn't lead to Hollywood stardom. Perhaps the agent wasn't ignorant but had been blinded by money.
His predecessor had struggled after arriving in Los Angeles for several months, unable to find even a background role as an actor. Faced with financial desperation, the agent's empty promises led him down a path many young people took in moments of heated folly.
But wait, it was only a planned path; the filming hadn't even started yet.
Realizing this, Matthew breathed a sigh of relief. If he had really filmed and widely distributed such a movie, how could he face anyone afterward?
For someone like him, without education or skills, acting might seem a way out, but this type of acting was a dead end.
Matthew would rather take another hammer to the head than star in such a film!
Having settled this, and seeing himself dressed only in boxer shorts, Matthew searched the makeup room. Combining the clothes with the memories in his head, he quickly found his own clothes and changed without hesitation.
He put on an old pair of washed-out jeans that felt comforting, and while changing, he also realized why the agent had targeted his predecessor.
He was indeed an attractive prospect: tall, robust, handsome, with dreams of stardom...
Thud! Thud! Thud—
The urgent knocking resounded once more, and the same voice came through the door, "Matthew! What are you doing?"
The voice seemed angry, "Didn't I say, come out in fifteen minutes, now..."
Matthew walked over, opened the door, and saw a bald white man with glasses—Maurice, the deceptive agent.
"@##!" Maurice cursed starting with an F upon seeing Matthew in his original clothes, then stepped inside and shut the door, glaring, "What are you doing?"
"I quit!" Matthew said bluntly.
Maurice's eyes widened as if he couldn't understand Matthew, "What? Drop your damn Texan hillbilly accent!"
Matthew had blurted out something even he found awkwardly unintelligible and coughed softly before adjusting his speech, "I... I... said... I quit."
Clearly, he needed to get used to American English.
"You quit?" Maurice took it as a joke, "Cut the chatter, change your clothes, the whole crew is waiting for you."
"I said..." Matthew adjusted his speech to be more fluent and serious, "I quit! This is no joke!"
Maurice looked up at Matthew's face, realizing he was serious, and his expression chilled, "Are you crazy? This isn't some driver job that you can just quit! You signed a contract with the production, if you breach it..."
His voice turned cold, "You'll owe a lot of money!"
"I don't have money!" Matthew had already checked; there were only a few dollars in his wallet.
"Then stop messing around, stop talking nonsense!" Maurice's tone softened, "You're getting eight thousand dollars for this contract! With your looks, you'll become a big star, make big money! Fifty thousand dollars for a future film, even a hundred thousand, no problem!"
As an agent skilled at enticing young people, Maurice knew exactly how to sway them, "With money, you won't have to drive anymore, you can do whatever you want. The opportunity is right in front of you, miss this and it won't come again!"
His eyes lowered, "Not everyone gets an opportunity like yours." He patted Matthew's shoulder, "Don't waste your talent!"
Feeling those eyes on him made Matthew's skin crawl, but he was silently relieved that his predecessor hadn't gone too far...
"Do you know how powerful this production company is?" Maurice was clearly seasoned, "The top shareholder of the company is General Electric! They can crush someone like you as easily as stepping on an ant."
After using the stick, Maurice offered a carrot, "I introduced you to Jessica when you came in, did you think she was pretty?"
Matthew knew he meant the blonde woman and unconsciously nodded.
Maurice switched to a weird tone, "Jessica is recognized as a beauty in the industry!"
He patted Matthew's shoulder again, "Money and a beautiful woman are right before you, don't you want them?"
"I… I…"
As someone who had struggled for twenty years, the lure of money and beauty was significant. Matthew swallowed, "Of course I want!"
Hearing this, Maurice smiled, thinking
how few poor country boys could resist such temptation. Those he had lured before had sometimes backed out at the last moment, but under threats and enticements, they had all submitted.
This one would be no exception.
Maurice stepped back to open the door, glanced back, and perfectly framed the tall Jessica. He didn't believe this barely twenty-year-old could resist!
Then, he sharply noticed Matthew's eyes drifting outside.
Seeing Matthew's expression, Maurice thought he was back under control, already calculating in his mind. This disobedient guy, once the novelty wore off, perhaps it was time to push him into...
For someone who had been poor for twenty years, the temptation of money and beauty was immense.
Matthew's blood rushed to his head, and his hormones urged him to agree, but having struggled at society's bottom for years, he knew well the potential lifetime cost behind this lure of fame and fortune.
He slowly dragged his gaze away from the blonde woman, his eyes hardening.
Maurice, however, didn't notice this change, thinking he still had full control as he reached out to pat Matthew's shoulder.
"Matthew, follow me, and you'll be a star, make lots of money, drive the best cars…"
His hand hung in midair as Matthew sidestepped, clearly rejecting the touch.
Maurice's eyes widened, but before he could speak, Matthew cut in, "I like money, and I like beautiful women."
He smiled slightly, then his tone shifted, "But not this way."
"What?" Maurice's eyes widened further, "What did you say?"
"My point is simple!" Matthew pointed to his chest, "I quit!"
"You…"
Maurice pointed a finger at Matthew, but Matthew raised his voice, shouting, "I quit!"
The shout echoed through the studio, drawing the attention of many, including the middle-aged director with glasses who approached.
"What's going on?" the director asked.
"I quit," Matthew said first, "You'll need to find someone else."
"What are you trying to do?"
The director, also the producer, looked at Maurice, who shook his head, indicating it wasn't his fault, but his face was twisted with anger. The director pointed at Matthew, telling him, "Handle this."
"Do you know the consequences of breaching the contract?" Maurice's face darkened completely, "You'll owe a huge breach of contract fee! You have to pay ten times the cost of the costumes, props, and everything else customized for you! Plus, you think you can just walk out…"
Matthew interrupted him, "Don't try to scare me. I have nothing, I'm a broke nobody."
He pulled out his cellphone from his pocket, waving it in front of Maurice, "Just one press, and I call the police. This is a busy part of Los Angeles, right? You want to deal with the police?"
"Hmph!" Maurice grunted. It wasn't the seventies or eighties anymore; some things couldn't be handled recklessly, especially in a sensitive industry that could bring massive trouble.
The director-producer suddenly said, "You can quit, but you'll owe five times your contract fee plus what the crew has spent on you. Our company's legal advisor will claim fifty thousand dollars from you!"
This industry often saw last-minute casting changes, and this director had even stepped in to perform when no suitable replacements were found. Although this young man was talented, he wasn't worth wasting precious time.
"I'll have our legal advisor claim this amount from you," the director-producer said nonchalantly, treating Matthew's last-minute refusal as a minor issue, and walked away, leaving Maurice with a parting shot, "Find someone reliable next time!"
After the director left, Matthew shrugged at Maurice, "Goodbye."
With that, he prepared to leave.
"Prepare fifty thousand dollars! Our company does what it says!" Maurice blocked his path, "Kid, I'll make you bankrupt and come crawling back to me!"
"Whatever." Matthew, having nothing to lose, bypassed Maurice, "Los Angeles is big; you think you're the only game in town?"
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