When Hugo returned to his apartment in Beverly Hills, it was past four o'clock in the morning. Recently, because he was filming in the city, Hugo lived in an apartment and did not go back to Malibu.

Pushing open the apartment door, Hugo saw the creamy yellow light in the room, and Rick Rosen, who was sitting in the living room flipping through the Los Angeles Times, looked up, "It ended earlier than I expected." What time does work start this morning? ”

Hugo looked back at Joseph, who was following closely behind, and cast a puzzled look - on the way back just now, Joseph didn't tell him that Rick would come, "My scene with Charlize started this afternoon, and the Russell part will be filmed in the morning." Hugo still explained.

Rick saw Hugo's gaze and put the newspaper on the coffee table, "Joe hasn't had a chance to talk to you about what happened today, has he?" Hugo's face was full of doubts with a question mark written "What happened today", apparently not knowing what Rick was talking about. Rick was not in a hurry, "Today's matter is a little more complicated, you go to the shower and relax first, and we'll talk about it in detail after you come out." ”

Hugo's eyes went back and forth between Joseph and Rick, and finally he shrugged his shoulders helplessly, turned around and walked in the direction of the bathroom, and from behind him came the voice of Samora, "I make supper, who wants to eat?" ”

Standing in the bathroom, the warm water slapped Hugo's head, which gradually calmed down the excitement of tonight. Rarely, Hugo took a long time to bathe this time, and when he came out, Rick and Joseph sat quietly in the hall without speaking, and Samora was standing behind the sofa with a piece of pizza and nibbling on it, and the atmosphere seemed a little weird.

"So, what the hell happened today?" Hugo wiped his hair as he walked over to the sofa and sat down. Samora compared the pizza in his hand and asked Hugo if he wanted to eat it, Hugo shook his head, "Please give me a cup of coffee, thank you, I'm a little tired now." ”

Rick and Joseph looked at each other for a moment, and finally Rick spoke, "Today - it's actually yesterday, Steven invited you to star in 'Saving Private Ryan', right?" What do you think? ”

"yes, I wonder too, what the hell is going on, isn't the James Ryan character company looking for the right actor?" Hugo didn't think much about it, and directly raised his questions. Yesterday's filming was a little too full, so Hugo kept his doubts in his heart and didn't raise them, and only then did he get some space to think, "Steven also told me that the cast is not complete now, so is there something wrong with this project?" ”

Hugo really didn't know much about the company's business, but that didn't mean he didn't know anything, and after receiving Steven's call, Hugo was also sensitive to the changes behind it.

Rick didn't answer Hugo's question directly, but asked, "So, what do you think of yourself?" Do you want to star in this script? Anyway, it's Steven's project, and you've mentioned before that it would be nice to have the opportunity to work with him again; This script also got your affirmation, didn't it? ”

Rick and Hugo have been working together for three years, they renewed their contract last year, and Rick has a good grasp of Hugo's personality and preferences, and the cooperation between the two has always been very easy and pleasant.

At this time, Samora came over with coffee, Hugo took the piping hot coffee, the familiar aroma of coffee relieved his tired brain a little, "Rick, objectively speaking, 'Saving Private Ryan' is indeed a very good script, I think this script is completely comparable to 'Schindler's List', and I would even prefer Ryan more, besides, Steven is my friend, Tom, if there is a chance to work together, I will not refuse." ”

No matter what angle you stand, "Saving Private Ryan" is a very worthwhile script, even the role of James Ryan itself is challenging, and it is very interesting to play out the parts that Matt Damon has not been able to interpret, and to dig further into the movie.

"However, from a personal point of view, I would actually prefer not to act." Although Hugo has not yet made a final decision, in fact, after answering Steven's phone call today, he has a preliminary idea, "As you know, I have been busy writing a script recently, and if I can, I want to focus on this script next." If I play 'Saving Private Ryan,' my script will have to be shelved for at least half a year. After speaking, Hugo paused, carefully looked at the expressions of Rick and Joseph, he could clearly feel that the two of them were full of thoughts, "But...... I haven't made a final decision yet. ”

Just in terms of Steven Spielberg's friendship, Hugo will not easily refuse, not to mention that "Saving Private Ryan" is still such an excellent project, from the script to the characters to the cast, it is a rare project.

Hugo paused with his coffee, his gaze swept back between Rick and Joseph, "So, I can clearly sense that something is wrong, what else do you guys not tell me?" Could it be that something is wrong with the company's cooperation with Steven? Is there anything I can do to help? ”

Although Hugo and Steven have a good personal relationship, and the cooperation between Endeavour Elite Agency and DreamWorks is also on the right track, business is business, and no matter what decision Steven makes, he is based on "saving Private Ryan". Therefore, Hugo is not sure if he can help.

Rick showed a wry smile, adjusted his sitting posture, leaned forward slightly, looked at Hugo and said seriously, "Actually, things are more complicated, and things should start ...... Uh, last year's summer file started to talk? Rick didn't say too many details, just said the main thread, but even then, it was nearly a quarter of an hour, "So, Steven didn't do anything wrong, even if he picked the other actors, we have nothing to say." ”

"You mean, Steven has already met Matt Damon?" Hugo glanced at Joseph, who reluctantly raised his hands in surrender, indicating that he didn't care - after all, it had been a few years since those things happened, and there was no need for him to dwell on them.

"Yes, twice." Rick nodded.

Hugo took a sip of his coffee and tried to clear his mind, "So, you mean, whether I take on the role of James Ryan or not, there will be things waiting for us in the future?" ”

"In the big picture, that's true." Rick nodded, he also had a seven-hour meeting in the company last night, and his brain was a little slow now, "But we can't mess up because of the opponent's footsteps, we can only make adjustments according to our own situation." So, if you nod and agree to take on the role, we will naturally go all out to promote the 'Save Private Ryan' project, and we can't presuppose the future things that haven't happened yet, and if you refuse, then our plan will need to be adjusted somewhat, for example, the script you're working on now, or, if you're taking another script, we don't know how the situation will be ......for the time being."

When playing chess, it is not easy to grasp the overall situation, because there are too many possibilities on a chessboard. Hugo had no way of knowing what was behind the scenes of the International Innovation Management Company, nor could he know what role William Morris Agency, Innovative Artists Agency, and United Elite Agency played in this chess game. What Hugo can do now is focus on the present moment and sort out the question raised by Rick.

"Wait, if I'm not mistaken, the question is not whether I'm willing to play the role of James Ryan, but whether the actors provided by our company can meet Steven's requirements, right?" Hugo's brain suddenly lit up and he came up with his own idea.

Rick was stunned, thought about it carefully, and then shrugged his shoulders, "Of course, from the very beginning, Steven didn't want you to join the crew, but in the absence of a choice, he could only consider you." The perfect situation for the company is that Steven finds an actor he is happy with, and you can free up time to start another project...... That's what we had in mind. ”

To put it simply, Hugo's commercial value is immeasurable, and it would be a waste to let him play a "James Ryan" and also get together with Tom Hanks. If it weren't for the lack of a choice, Steven wouldn't have called Hugo. From this point of view, the reason why Steven called Hugo shows that he still hopes to cooperate with Endeavor Elite Agency, and Matt Damon is still not the best choice.

Hugo pursed his lips slightly, and the bitter aroma of coffee lingered between his lips and teeth, "You just said that this is a difficult and an opportunity for the company." If we can handle it, then maybe we will have a whole new situation? ”

After "Independence Day" and "L.A. Confidential", and then create a successful "Saving Private Ryan" - and under the premise of making the most efficient use of the company's resources, if Hugo stars in another successful work, then ...... "Indeed, if we can handle it well, the company will usher in a qualitative leap." Rick nodded.

This is true for any challenge, after going all out, it will either be a failure, a broken bone, or a breakthrough and a leap into the dragon gate, the more difficult the challenge means the greater the opportunity. This is the biggest crisis since the establishment of Endeavour Elite Brokerage, but it is also the biggest opportunity.

Hugo gently swept the tip of his tongue across the upper part of his teeth, savoring the sweetness after the bitterness, then raised his eyes and looked at Rick and Joseph in front of him with a smile, "Perhaps, I have a solution." ”