17. First Customer

Walking ahead were two workers carrying a huge bookshelf, which appeared to be made of mahogany and quite expensive. Matthew followed them into the building. The ground floor was a lobby with many benches, and in the center was a prominently designed reception desk with bold black letters that read: Angel Talent Agency!

There was no one at the reception desk, and the lobby had a scent of fresh renovation.

Seeing no one to greet him, Matthew thought for a moment, then followed the workers up the stairs to the second floor.

The bookshelf was extremely heavy, and as the two workers ascended the stairs, the one behind bent over, struggling to lift it. After a few steps, Matthew noticed the bookshelf suddenly slipping from the worker's hands, plummeting towards the stairs, posing a risk of injuring someone's legs.

Matthew, who had a background in manual labor, naturally sympathized with these workers. He quickly stepped forward, grabbing the bookshelf from the other side.

With his considerable strength, Matthew stabilized the bookshelf, and the worker beside him felt the load lighten. Turning around, he quickly thanked Matthew, saying, "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Matthew nodded slightly to him, "Let's go."

Since he had extended a helping hand, he didn't plan on retracting it. He helped the two workers carry the bookshelf and ascended to the second floor together.

"Watch your step here."

At the top of the stairs on the second floor stood a woman in her twenties, directing the workers to move items into an office, "Handle with care, don't damage the floor!"

The floor was newly polished and bright, clearly freshly renovated.

Matthew assisted the two workers in moving the bookshelf into the office, placing it behind a large mahogany desk.

"Thank you!"

After placing the bookshelf, the worker behind immediately smiled at Matthew and said, "If it weren't for you, this bookshelf would have been damaged."

"It's nothing." Matthew noticed that the worker was about his age, perhaps just in his early twenties at most, and casually replied, "You're too kind."

The two of them walked outside together, and the young worker spoke again, "Are you an employee of this company?"

Matthew shook his head as they walked, "No."

Exiting the office, he saw the woman at the stairs giving tips to the workers and quickly approached her.

The woman handed him a bill, but Matthew didn't take it. "Are you an employee of Angel Talent Agency? I'm an actor. I called you yesterday."

"Oh?" The woman looked at Matthew in surprise. The young worker also looked surprised and interjected, "He just saw the bookshelf was heavy and helped us out a bit."

"Are you an actor too?" The woman turned to the young worker.

To Matthew's surprise, the young worker nodded eagerly, "Yes, I am!" He scratched his head and chuckled, "I'm here today to deliver goods and thought I'd drop by."

"Wait here!" The woman went to dismiss the other workers.

Matthew glanced around and realized that this company seemed to have only one employee.

"Hello!" The young worker introduced himself, "Michael Sheen from Idaho."

"Hello," Matthew nodded lightly, "Matthew Horner, from Texas."

At this moment, the woman returned and gestured for Matthew and the young worker, Michael Sheen, to follow her.

Matthew followed her into an office, with Michael Sheen following behind.

The woman turned on her computer and gestured for Matthew and Michael Sheen to sit down. Introducing herself, she said, "I'm Helen Herman, the owner of Angel Talent Agency."

She asked, "Do you both have your documents with you?"

"We do." Matthew opened his bag, while Michael Sheen patted his head, "I left mine on the truck, I'll go get it now!"

Helen Herman nodded, "Sure."

Michael Sheen hurriedly ran out.

Matthew observed the woman. Having dealt with Dennis Kurt before, he was cautious of agents.

The woman was about 5'7" tall, with typical deep brown hair common among American women, neatly combed back. Her face had distinct features, and she wore black-rimmed glasses over her sunken eye sockets. She wore a gray lady's suit, exuding a shrewd and capable aura.

In terms of appearance alone, she left a better impression than Dennis Kurt.

Matthew handed her a stack of documents, and Helen Herman began entering them into the computer. As she typed, she said, "Congratulations, Matthew Horner, you are the first client of Angel Talent Agency."

"The first?" Matthew asked, somewhat surprised. "Is this company newly established?"

"Yesterday was the first job posting I posted," Helen Herman replied without lifting her head.

Curious, Matthew asked, "Is this company run by only you?"

"There are currently two of us," Helen Herman still didn't look up. "But today, I'm the only one working."

She continued, "Do you have a part-time job?"

"Yes, as a night shift driver," Matthew said simply. "Most of the time, I'm just waiting and can sleep or do other things during the day."

Helen Herman asked again, "Do you want to develop long-term in Hollywood?"

Without hesitation, Matthew said, "I want to become a big star and earn big money."

As he spoke, he carefully observed Helen Herman's expression. If she were like Dennis Kurt, even if she didn't say anything, she would have shown a mocking expression.

However, this woman showed no change in expression. She just glanced up at Matthew and said, "Having goals is a good thing."

She stopped typing and looked up, saying, "Since you want to work in this industry for a long time, even for several years, and your actor's income won't support you during that time, you need a part-time job! Your part-time job sounds good."

Matthew nodded. This was also the main reason why he chose to stay at Red Penguin.

He wasn't unable to find other jobs with higher income, but none offered the same freedom as his current job as a driver at Red Penguin. Jobs like working as a temporary worker at McDonald's or KFC wouldn't be as good as his current job.

"Are you a union member?" Helen Herman asked.

"No," Matthew shook his head. "I haven't joined it."

"Why?" Helen Herman asked.

Matthew replied straightforwardly, "I don't have the money! I can't come up with $3,000 for the membership fee, and I'm worried that if the minimum wage increases, it will reduce my competitiveness."

Helen Herman continued to enter the information into the computer. Seeing the special remark Matthew had made on his file, she couldn't help but ask, "Did you have lines in your first role?"

"Yes," Matthew knew this could affect his future job opportunities. Afraid the other party might not believe him, he said, "I just finished shooting yesterday, and many people on the set know about it."

"Who recommended you to this role?" Helen Herman asked, getting to the crucial point.

"Jolie," Matthew raised the flag again, "Miss Angelina Jolie recommended me."

"Oh?" Helen Herman paused her work. "Are you close to Jolie?"

Matthew shook his head, "Not really." He shrugged, "If we were close, I wouldn't be here."

Helen Herman continued to look at him.

"It was a coincidence. I helped Miss Julie out a bit," Matthew explained casually, "and she helped me get a role with two lines."

Although she didn't say anything more, Helen Herman made a special note on Matthew's file. With the information entered, she said to Matthew, "Keep your phone on 24 hours a day. If there's a job suitable for you, I'll call you."

This was similar to what the other two companies had said. Matthew didn't expect any special treatment. He stood up, exchanged pleasantries with Helen Herman, and left the office, heading towards the stairs.

Just as he reached the staircase, the same Michael Sheen from earlier ran up.

"Done already?" He saw Matthew and asked, "Are you leaving now?"

Matthew nodded, "Yea! I got everything sorted out, now it's time to play the waiting game."

"Have you got any roles yet, buddy?" Michael Sheen asked again.

"Just one," Matthew sighed, "The competition is fierce."

"Don't worry, it'll get better," Michael Sheen smiled. "I was in the same situation when I started, but now I've played over twenty roles."

Perhaps because Matthew had helped him just now, the young mover said again, "If you have time, try going to more talent agencies for auditions. The more opportunities, the better."

Matthew thought the same, "Thanks, I'll visit a few more tomorrow."

Michael Sheen had to go back for auditions, so he left quickly. After leaving the building, Matthew bought several newspapers from a newsstand, then entered a nearby street-side park, found a bench, and sat down. He flipped through the newspapers, searching for similar job postings, noting down phone numbers, and then calling them one by one to schedule information entry appointments.

Perhaps because he had played a role in a production, these companies hardly refused him.

Over the next week, during the day, Matthew visited over twenty talent agencies in the Los Angeles area, and even went to the two major actors' unions. However, due to various conditions, he could only be a transient member of the unions for now.

During this time, he also received calls from talent agencies and obtained a job in a horror movie as a dead body lying on the ground.

Such jobs weren't much to boast about. Matthew's face was facing the ground, covered in fake blood made of tomato sauce. The camera merely swept over him, and he only earned $20 for three hours of work.

Luck like the one on the set of "Soulmate" wasn't something he encountered often as a small-time actor. Matthew could only wait patiently for opportunities.

Luckily, he still had a job as a driver to support himself.

Shortly after Red Penguin Company paid him his first month's salary, Matthew finally received a call from Vanessa, Angelina Jolie's assistant. As promised, Angelina Jolie arranged for him to contact an acting training school.

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