9. Angry Roar

Anyone who saw such a beautiful woman would stop and look for a while, and Matthew was no exception. With a bookshelf in between as a cover, his gaze followed the movement of the woman with short hair. She was beautiful herself, and coming to browse in a bookstore could be considered an intellectual beauty in the eyes of many.

Just as this thought arose, Matthew suddenly widened his eyes. The woman seemed to have found some books she liked, stopping in front of a bookshelf. Swiftly, she pulled out two brightly colored books and stuffed them into her handbag.

Matthew rubbed his eyes forcefully, as if he couldn't believe everything he was seeing. Could such a slender, delicate, and pure-looking woman be a thief?

The woman tucked the books into her bag and continued to browse the bookstore as if nothing had happened. Matthew thought she might just be temporarily stowing the books in her bag and would take them out when she went to the cashier. Especially since she was quickly selecting several books about acting, he followed her to the section and found that she had already headed to the checkout counter.

"If she's a thief and gets caught, that would be exciting!" 

Curiosity got the better of him, so Matthew followed. As he passed by the bookshelf where the woman had taken the books, he deliberately glanced and indeed saw two empty spots.

Just as he was leaving the aisle, the woman with short hair, carrying her handbag carelessly, walked past the checkout counter. The two female store clerks behind the counter warmly greeted her, seeming to know her. The woman nodded and left directly.

Matthew couldn't help but shake his head. He walked over, put the book he had chosen on the checkout counter, but didn't say anything, paid, and left. Although the incident surprised him, he didn't see the need to get involved.

To save money, he didn't call a cab but took the bus back home. The rented apartment, though old, meant he had a fixed place to stay in Los Angeles.

Back home, sitting on the worn-out sofa, Matthew casually picked up one of the books he had bought and started reading. It was "Film Acting: Techniques and History for Performing in Front of the Camera" by O'Brien. As he read, just like when he read the contract earlier, he found it difficult to comprehend...

Bang!

Matthew closed the book. Improving his reading ability was urgent. After a moment of thought, he went downstairs to the newsstand and bought two newspapers. Compared to the heavy textbooks full of professional jargon, newspapers were easier to understand.

After reading one of the newspapers, he set himself a task: from now on, he must allocate time every day to read and improve this fundamental skill. Once his reading improved to a certain level, he also needed to work on his writing skills.

Even if he couldn't become a Hollywood star, he couldn't remain semi-literate.

Then there was the acting school, which was also important. But he couldn't rush into it. Over the past few days, Matthew had learned that in Los Angeles, there were countless acting training institutions, including professional acting schools, short-term training courses, temporary acting courses at various universities, Broadway acting seminars, and more. For example, the Hollywood Film and Drama Academy offered a six-month program with classes five times a week.

The problem was that these programs were quite expensive, and considering the possibility of facing breach of contract compensation at any time, he couldn't afford such a large expense for now.

Just as he was thinking about the breach of contract incident earlier, his phone rang.

Putting the phone to his ear, he heard a professional voice. "Hello, is this Mr. Matthew Horner?"

"Yes, it's me." He had a somewhat bad feeling.

"Mr. Horner, I'm Chris Walker, the lawyer for 'Forbidden Tarot' production. I am representing the production team and the company it belongs to. I am formally notifying you that you have violated the contract signed by both parties..."

He then went on to explain a bunch of professional terms and contract clauses, ending with, "You need to pay a $50,000 breach of contract fine! Please provide your address, and I will send you a formal legal letter this afternoon..."

"Hello? Hello?" But Matthew suddenly shouted loudly, "What did you say? I can't hear you clearly? Damn phone, acting up again!"

After saying that, he directly opened the back cover of the phone and removed the battery.

This was an unavoidable method. Only by acting in the moment could he avoid the situation. When that guy signed with the 'Forbidden Tarot' production team, he left all his real information. It was already the 21st century. In this highly information-oriented society in the United States, if the other party relentlessly pursued the breach of contract, he wouldn't be able to run back to his rural Texas hometown.

"Fifty thousand dollars is not a small amount." Matthew furrowed his brow. "Should I also find a lawyer?"

Hiring a lawyer could easily reach an out-of-court settlement and might not require as much as $50,000, but legal fees were also not a small expense.

Matthew was well aware that it ultimately boiled down to money. If he had money, none of these issues would be a problem.

When would he be as carefree as Johnny Lee Miller?

With that thought, Matthew put down his phone, picked up the newspaper and book again, and began reading attentively. If he didn't even have the ability, even if opportunities appeared before his eyes, he wouldn't be able to seize them.

After spending a few hours reading in the apartment, he went out again in the afternoon, bought some dinner casually, and then went out once more. Currently, acting was just a part-time job for him. His main profession was being a driver for Red Penguin Company.

He went to pick up his work tasks and car keys from Lester, endured the teasing from the African American and the chubby guy, and waited for a while in the driver's lounge. Then, Matthew drove the Ford van and headed to Westwood to pick someone up, and then to Orange County nearby.

After picking up Rachel, a blonde girl, from Westwood, Matthew drove onto the highway toward Orange County. Just like last time, this girl was cheerful and talkative, chatting incessantly in the passenger seat.

"Hey handsome, have you considered it?" She said nonchalantly, "There's a company urgently hiring male models. You have great qualifications."

Without even thinking, Matthew shook his head, "Not interested."

"Your income from this job is very low," Rachel took out a mirror to touch up her makeup, "Can it support you?"

"I found another part-time job." Matthew replied.

Rachel looked at him curiously, "Isn't it the acting job you mentioned last time?"

"Yeah!" Matthew nodded, "I already got a job in a production."

"Tsk!" Rachel waved her hand dismissively, "Just a background actor without any lines?"

"Yeah!" Matthew responded.

Rachel snorted and said, "I've had several of those roles when I first arrived in Los Angeles over a year ago. They were useless, no opportunities at all."

She shrugged, speaking casually, "For a long time, I was so desperate that I wanted to commit suicide."

"Really?" Matthew quickly turned his head to look at her.

It was hard to imagine such a cheerful girl wanting to commit suicide.

"You don't know what it's like to be so poor you can't even pay rent, can't even eat..." Rachel's smile faded, "Despair that sees no way out."

"I understand." Matthew smiled, "I've thought about suicide too."

"Huh?" Rachel burst into laughter again, "Then why didn't you do it?"

"I didn't find a suitable method." Matthew said half-jokingly, "Using a knife hurts, jumping into a river is too damp, sulfuric acid stains clothes, taking pills causes spasms, guns are illegal, hanging isn't reliable, and gas stinks. So, I might as well just tough it out."

"You... hahaha..." Rachel pointed at Matthew and laughed.

The two of them chatted just like last time, passing the time. After getting off the highway, Matthew picked up three more girls in Orange County and delivered them to their destination before dark.

Similarly, it was a luxurious mansion, but this time it seemed to be a formal party.

However, none of this concerned him. As usual, he parked the car in a place outside the mansion where it wouldn't cause trouble, reclined the seat, and took a nap. When dawn broke the next day, he would drive the tired girls back to their homes one by one.

After finishing his work and before returning home, Matthew received a call from his agent, Dennis Kurt, informing him to report to the set in the afternoon.

Matthew hurried back home, took a short nap, tidied himself up a bit, and looked quite refreshed. After eating a little early, he rushed to Universal Studios. By the time he arrived, it was not even noon yet.

At the entrance of the studio, Matthew saw the familiar chubby figure. Unlike their last meeting, Dennis Kurt seemed to be in high spirits, as if something good was about to happen.

"Let's go..." He beckoned to Matthew, "We're going in."

The two spoke to the staff guarding the entrance of the studio for a few moments before entering the office area where they had been before. Since it was lunchtime, most people had gone to eat, leaving the office area deserted. Matthew and Dennis Kurt sat on the bench outside the casting director's office, patiently waiting.

"Remember!" Dennis Kurt seemed genuinely pleased, reminding Matthew, "When you're filming, just do as you're told, don't take matters into your own hands."

He waved his hand, "You're just a background actor. Usually, just standing still is enough, it's not difficult."

Matthew nodded, "I remember!"

This was the first step to gaining experience and qualifications. When Matthew first arrived in Los Angeles, he was basically clueless. With experience and qualifications, the chances of getting roles in the future would be higher.

"I'm going to the restroom, you wait here and don't wander off."

If it weren't for this stepping stone playing its role and establishing a relationship with the casting director Rubin, Dennis Kurt wouldn't bother saying these things. "There might be extras coming later, don't get into conflicts with them."

Matthew nodded, and Dennis Kurt turned and walked away.

Sitting here was extremely boring. Matthew couldn't help but imagine what the first shoot in the afternoon would be like. After thinking for a while, the sound of high heels tapping on the floor suddenly came from the other end of the corridor, followed by the appearance of a tall and slender girl.

Matthew glanced in that direction and saw Angelina Jolie, who had dyed her hair blonde. He thought she was coming to find him and waved his hand eagerly.

Unexpectedly, Angelina Jolie didn't even look at him. She simply pushed open a door and barged in.

"Why? Why did you cancel yesterday's scene?" Angelina Jolie's angry shout immediately rang out, "Do you want to cut my scenes?"

A cold, ethereal female voice replied, "I'm the producer, and this is normal adjustment during shooting!"

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