Down-hearted

Frank had always been polite, and his words were not too harsh. He just stated the facts. But such words were hard to make people happy. This was the current situation in Hollywood, where popularity was the only standard for measuring everything. There are many ways to win popularity, perhaps through acting skills, box office performance, or controversial topics. However, gaining attention and gathering a following is the most important. With popularity, everything is possible.

In fact, with Hugo's current situation, if he went to some sports brands, he might've received a warm welcome. After all, the topic of the Golden Raspberry Award was still hot. But top brands like Armani needed male charm and a positive image. Compared to Hugo, their choice of Richard was unquestionable.

Although Frank had always been humble and polite, one could still sense his strong confidence in the brand and his disdain for Hugo that he hid deep down. Just imagine, if it was Richard who visited Armani, Frank would definitely do more than just be polite.

However, this reality was too cruel and too cold, leaving people helpless.

Hugo and Joseph originally came to shop in high spirits, but now their mood had immediately plummeted. Even if they attended the premiere of "Final Analysis", it was not their own work after all.

Nevertheless, Frank continues to do his duty and says, "We have many outstanding new designs for the spring season. If you need, I can personally introduce them to you." However, at this point, no matter how gentlemanly his smile on his face looked, it felt a bit cheap, like that of a beggar whom Hugo could easily dismiss.

Hugo showed a warm smile to Frank and said calmly, "No need, I can't afford this price. I think I'll go to another store."

Hugo's words were actually admitting his own poverty. It should be a gesture of acting weak, but after saying this, the atmosphere on the scene felt a bit strange. Hugo seemed to be saying, "Your Armani is too high-end, I'm not worthy." This sarcastic remark directly nailed Frank in place. His smile froze on his face and he looked quite spectacular.

Joseph stood by the side and saw Frank's almost convulsive facial expression. A hint of amusement flashes in his eyes. He watched as Hugo walked straight into the fitting room to change his clothes. Joseph suddenly felt a sense of relief.

Soon, Hugo changed into his clothes and hung the suit in the fitting room. He showed a polite smile to Frank standing at the door and said, "Thank you for your hospitality. I hope I can find a job soon. When I have enough capital, I hope to buy a suitable suit at Armani."

Hugo's words may seem humble, but each one carried a sting, subtly mocking Armani's self-proclaimed superiority and leaving Frank at a loss for how to respond. In the end, Frank could only pretend not to have understood and smiled, saying, "Armani is always ready for your visit." Hugo then walked out of Armani's shop side by side with Joseph, leaving Frank inside the store looking helpless.

Although there were no scenes of sarcasm and ridicule at Armani today, and the overall etiquette was appropriate, the discrimination that emanated from deep within and the self-righteousness of looking down on others still could make anyone very uncomfortable.

"Someday, Armani will come knocking on your door begging you to wear their clothes. When that day comes, you must firmly reject them." Joseph said in a flat tone, and although his words had no ups and downs, one could clearly hear his discontent.

Hugo chuckled lightly, "Don't worry, I'll give you that opportunity when it comes."

"Do you still want to continue shopping now?" Joseph was amused by Hugo's teasing, but he didn't feel much like shopping anymore. Men don't usually enjoy shopping, and the experience they just had at Armani made it even more difficult to feel at ease.

Hugo widened his eyes and said in surprise, "Do you want me to wear the suit that won the Golden Raspberry Award to the premiere and be compared to Richard? Or do you just want me to wear a t-shirt and jeans?"

Joseph shook his head helplessly at Hugo's slightly exaggerated expression. He knew it was impossible, and even if they were feeling discouraged now, work was still work and they couldn't give up just because of a small setback. Besides, "Scent of a Woman" had already finished filming and was waiting for post-production to be completed. Things were on track, and they didn't need to feel defeated by today's experience.

"Well then, let's continue. What are you standing there for?" Joseph shrugged and gave a positive reply.

Hugo walked forward with a smile, "Of course, there are at least a few hundred brand-name stores here. The problem isn't finding the right clothes, but how much time we'll have to spend looking for them." After walking a little further, Hugo saw a beautifully decorated store and went straight to it. "Let's go in and take a look."

But when Hugo was about to push the glass door of the store to promote it, he saw Joseph's footsteps stopped in place. Hugo thought something had happened and greeted Joseph enthusiastically, "Don't worry, we neglected the Armani matter. There are only two movies premiering this week. How could every store have this situation?"

Joseph still stood still, and his expression was somewhat strange as if his mouth was twitching, but it seemed like he was forcing a smile. This puzzled Hugo.

At this moment, the glass door of the store opened from the inside, presumably because the staff saw a customer coming and took the initiative to greet them. Sure enough, as soon as Hugo turned around, he saw a woman wearing a white shirt and black suit pants, with neat ponytails, smiling and saying, "Good afternoon, welcome to Chanel women's clothing store."

"Uh..." Hugo's smile suddenly stiffened on his face. He had just been talking to Joseph and hadn't noticed that this store was actually a women's clothing store. No wonder Joseph's behavior just now was so strange. Hugo paused for a moment, then pushed his stiff smile away and said, "Good afternoon, my female companion seems to have gone to the next-door store. I will come back later." After speaking, Hugo nodded gracefully and then walked back to the road.

Joseph suddenly quickened his pace as if he didn't know Hugo, and walked straight ahead. It seems that he felt embarrassed.

Hugo hurriedly caught up and complained in a low voice, "Hey, Joseph! You should have reminded me. You just watched me make a fool of myself." Suddenly, he saw Joseph raise his right hand and point to the sign of the store next to him. Although Hugo was still talking, his head turned to the side. "If it wasn't for my quick thinking, that scene would have been embarrassing. Do you want me to walk in and take a stroll..."

Hugo's words abruptly stopped because he saw the sign of the store, which read "Gucci", with a small logo in the lower right corner indicating that it was a men's clothing store.

"...damn." This was the only thing Hugo could say now.

But Joseph couldn't help laughing, and his footsteps became lighter. Hugo patted his head in regret, but he didn't dare to look back at the Chanel staff to see if they had come out. He could only keep up with Joseph's pace until they were 100 yards away from the area. Only then did Joseph truly laugh out loud, which was also the first time Hugo heard Joseph laugh so heartily.

Seeing Joseph's gloating expression, Hugo couldn't help but laugh too. Even if he thought about it later, he felt that the scene just now was really interesting.

Although Hugo made a big mistake, it allowed two people to successfully put aside the matter of Armani and focus on shopping again.

There were countless top brands on Rodillo Avenue, and giving up Armani meant there were still plenty of dazzling choices. This premiere was very important, not only because it was Hugo's first public appearance after winning the Golden Raspberry Award, but also because he had the responsibility to put up something against Richard's mature charm. Therefore, the choice of clothing couldn't be taken lightly. Even though both men were truly tired, they didn't settle for anything less and spent most of the afternoon finally buying a suitable suit from Givenchy for $4,500. This was a significant investment for the upcoming premiere and finally ended the tormenting process.

Holding the suit in his hand, Hugo couldn't help but exclaim, "Our rent is only three hundred dollars, and this suit is about five months of our living expenses. It's really extravagant." Looking at the stars under the spotlight, he couldn't help but feel envious, but after experiencing it firsthand, it didn't seem as glamorous.

Joseph chuckled lightly, "Wasn't the suit you wore to "Hudson Hawk" even more expensive? Don't you remember? In Hollywood, there's never a limit to the price of these things."

Hugo didn't dare to ask how much his predecessor spent on the suit for "Hudson Hawk", but he muttered to himself, realizing he couldn't even remember if he had any clothes in his closet that looked particularly valuable.

"But you wore that suit to the bar and got drunk, then threw it away the next day. It was really a pity. If you had dry-cleaned it and pawned it, it would've been worth a lot of money," Joseph continued to drop bombs, leaving Hugo speechless.

Seeing Hugo's shocked expression, Joseph asked in confusion, "What's wrong?"

Hugo hesitated for a moment, then replied, "Are we so poor that we have to pawn things?"

"Come on, that's not the point I was making," Joseph thought to himself.