Chapter 67: Turning Point: First Candidate for Male Lead

Three days later, the "New York Today" newspaper published a piece of news.

New-generation actor Ryan Phillippe caused a disturbance at Manhattan's Starlight Bar while drunk, injuring a guest and allegedly molesting a girl, leading to police summons.

The incident began when Ryan hit on a girl at the bar, only to be caught by her boyfriend. A fight ensued, with Ryan and his friends teaming up to injure the boyfriend. The boyfriend later called the police, claiming that Ryan and his friends attempted to rape his girlfriend. The girl also testified, claiming that Ryan and his friends had forced her to drink and then molested her.

The police investigation found high levels of alcohol and THC in the girl's blood. The individuals involved decided to press charges. Additionally, it was reported that the boyfriend was the son of a shareholder at New York's BH Real Estate Company, a wealthy second-generation heir.

The reporter, in a mocking tone, suggested that Ryan was in trouble and urged readers to stay tuned for more.

"Interesting," Richard said, rubbing his chin with a smile.

Previously, Richard and Anthony had discussed creating some news to discredit Ryan, but considering the short time frame, they didn't have high hopes. Unexpectedly, the opportunity arose on its own.

The coincidence made Richard curious if Anthony had any involvement. He took out his phone to call Anthony but received a call from an unknown number instead.

"Hello, this is Richard."

"This is Neal Moritz," said a familiar voice on the other end.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Moritz. What can I do for you?" Richard asked.

"Was this your doing?" Neal Moritz inquired.

"What are you referring to?"

"Ryan's incident. Don't tell me you don't know," Neal pressed.

"Mr. Moritz, are you accusing me?" Richard replied coldly.

"Richard, I know you want this role, but what you did is very disappointing," Neal said.

"Haha, Mr. Moritz, I can't accept your accusation. While I do want the role, I also know the industry's rules and understand what's appropriate. Do you think I'd risk my reputation for a small role? I read about Ryan's incident in the paper five minutes ago. Whether you believe it or not, that's the truth. When I opened the 'New York Today' newspaper and saw the news, I was initially pleased, thinking I had a chance. But then I worried that the production team might suspect me and develop a bad impression. I didn't expect the suspicion to come so quickly," Richard sighed helplessly.

". . . So it wasn't you?" Neal asked.

"Haha, Mr. Moritz, I have three questions for you. First, the newspaper says Ryan hit on someone else's girlfriend, leading to the conflict. Did I instruct Ryan to hit on her? You mentioned Ryan was in a loving relationship with his girlfriend. So why would he hit on another girl? Second, Ryan and his friends injured the girl's boyfriend. Was that my doing? Third, Ryan and his friends forced the girl to drink and molested her. Mr. Moritz, are you defending such a morally corrupt person?" Richard retorted confidently.

"Richard, don't get upset," Neal replied.

"Mr. Moritz, you have a reputation for being upright and respectable, but now... I'm a bit disappointed," Richard sighed before hanging up.

Ding ding ding~

Less than ten seconds later, the phone rang again. Richard shook his head and answered.

"Hey, Richard, I just asked a question, and you scolded me a hundred times without letting me explain. Isn't that rude?" Neal Moritz grumbled.

"Sorry, if someone slandered you, how would you react?"

"Okay, Richard, my mistake. I was too emotional."

"Mr. Moritz, I forgive you," Richard said.

'Fuck~'

A muffled groan came through the phone, followed by Neal Moritz's sigh, "Richard, you won."

"Won? What do you mean?" Richard was puzzled.

"Whether you had anything to do with it or not, you've won. You are now the first candidate for the male lead in 'Dangerous X Game,'" Neal said.

"Really?" Richard clenched his fist with a smile, then sighed, "Mr. Moritz, I'm afraid..."

"You can't do it? Fine, I can contact the next candidate."

"Wait!" Richard hurriedly exclaimed, "Mr. Moritz, I haven't finished. I wanted to apologize for being rude earlier and ask why I'm just the first candidate and not the final choice?"

"The reason is simple. The female lead is Sarah Michelle Gellar, and the second lead is Reese Witherspoon. Sarah is friends with Ryan, and Reese is his girlfriend. After Ryan's incident, we asked for their opinions. Sarah wants to give Ryan another chance, and Reese is adamant about not working with you. If we insist on casting you, she'll quit. Moreover, our production team is divided. Some believe you had nothing to do with it and deserve a chance, while most think you're involved and suggest finding someone else. So, if you want the role, you must win their approval. If they don't want to work with you, we'll have to recast," Neal explained.

"I have to convince them? Can't you replace them?" Richard frowned.

"No, they're the main characters, and that won't change. Also, you'll have many emotional scenes with them. If you don't get along, it'll be impossible to work together. So not only do you have to convince them, but you also have to build a good relationship. Can you do it?" Neal asked.

Richard's mouth twitched. This felt harder than a pilgrimage.

"How much time do I have?"

"A week at most."

"I need their contact information."

"Okay, I'll send it to you. Good luck!"

Just as Richard thought the call ended, Neal added, "Richard, does your gym accept teenage apprentices?"

". . . Yes, but the tuition is quite high."

"How much per year?"

"Twenty thousand dollars a year," Richard gritted his teeth.

"Twenty thousand?"

"Yes, Mr. Moritz. Don't think it's too expensive. Our gym has high standards. My coach, Alvin Tavell, once held the WBA heavyweight title but lost it to Ali and then retired."

"Your coach fought Muhammad Ali?"

"Yes, my coach, Alvin Tavell. You can verify this with the Boxing Association."

"Is twenty thousand enough? I can pay more if needed."

". . ."

Richard felt he was too kind-hearted after all.

---

After the call, he sat quietly in his study, a smile slowly forming and growing wider and wider.

"Striving does pay off. How else could I become the male lead? Hehehehe~ Hahahaha~ Gagagaga~~"

Bang!

"Oh, fuck, Richard! Laughing like a maniac in broad daylight! You scared the hell out of me," Anthony complained, rubbing his knees.

"Haha, Anthony, you came at the right time. I have good news for you," Richard laughed.

"What good news?" Anthony's eyes lit up. "Did you get the lead role?"

"Haha, not yet, but almost. First, tell me how this news came about," Richard pointed at the newspaper.

"It was a coincidence," Anthony said, sipping tea before explaining.

After Richard gave Anthony the task, Anthony didn't have any good ideas. He consulted Mike and Robert, who suggested various schemes, but none seemed viable.

Eventually, Mike proposed observing Ryan first. They took turns following him and discovered Ryan wasn't exactly a saint. Despite having a girlfriend, he still flirted around.

Two days ago, they followed Ryan to a bar and saw him hitting on a girl. Mike knew the girl had recently started dating a rich second-generation heir. They took photos and sent them to her boyfriend, and chaos ensued when the boyfriend confronted Ryan.

". . . That simple?"

"What else? We didn't expect it to escalate this much. But the rich boyfriend has a fiery temper. He started a fight immediately, and things spiraled out of control," Anthony explained.

Richard nodded, "You all worked hard. I'll increase the activity funds."

"Don't worry, I've already paid each of them two thousand. Now tell me about the lead role."

"Alright!" Richard recounted Moritz's notification. While talking, his phone received a message from Director Moritz, containing Reese and Sarah's contact information and addresses.

"Fuck!" Richard cursed. "One's relaxing in Tennessee, the other's filming in California. Are they trying to kill me?"

"You're meeting them in person?"

"Yes, my voice isn't magnetic enough. To win them over, I need to rely on my looks and presence. I have a better chance face-to-face," Richard said.

Anthony chuckled, "Alright, who will you convince first?"

"Reese. She's adamant about not working with me. I must convince her first."

"Haha, I believe in you. Good luck!"

The next day, Richard embarked on his westward journey.

(The end of this chapter)