Soft investment

If Ron Meyer knew that he had rejected Hugo, and immediately after that Hugo got help from Paul Junger Witt and was able to attend the film premiere and even compete against "Basic Instinct", Ron Meyer would probably be very unhappy.

Joseph had originally come down to look for his contact list and see if there were any other options he hadn't considered, but now he didn't need to anymore. Paul's invitation solved the problem, which was wonderful. Joseph took the invitation from Hugo's hand, opened the beautifully packaged envelope, and pulled out the black card inside with gold lettering that read, "Final Analysis"? Joseph didn't remember this movie for a moment and looked at Karl, who was standing opposite him.

"Kim Basinger." Karl immediately remembered and said the name of the lead actress, which also awakened Joseph's memory.

"Oh, the one she worked on with Richard Gere!" Joseph took the lead, and he finally remembered the movie, which was highly anticipated and no less impressive than "Basic Instinct". But then Joseph remembered something and looked worriedly at Hugo.

Hugo had never heard of "Final Analysis" and knew nothing about it, but he was familiar with the two actors, Kim Basinger and Richard Gere.

Kim Basinger was the first actress in history to appear on the cover of Playboy and win an Oscar at the same time. She quickly became known in the early 1980s for her sexy and mature temperament, becoming famous for taking off her clothes and then achieving success with her passionate performance in "9½ Weeks". She then starred in Tim Burton's version of "Batman" in 1989, which achieved impressive results. Of course, what really made Kim famous was her 1997 Oscar-winning performance in "L.A. Confidential". At the age of 39, Kim Basinger was already a goddess-level figure in Hollywood.

Richard Gere, the most explosive and influential sex idol of the 1980s, was obviously the top of the list. From "American Gigolo" to "An Officer and a Gentleman" to "Pretty Woman", he became the ladies' man who dominated Hollywood.

However, compared to Kim Basinger's global sexy bombshell image, Hugo's biggest recognition point of Richard Gere was that he was a loner. Richard had repeatedly made anti-Chinese remarks in public, making it difficult for Hugo to have a positive impression of him.

Hugo didn't know what will happen at the premiere, and if he inexplicably harbored hostility towards Richard, the scene would probably be very strange, especially since his appearance was that of a typical white person.

Hugo was thinking about the premiere, but Joseph saw a trace of worry in his eyes and asked, "Hugo, are you okay with attending this premiere?"

Hugo was surprised and wondered if Joseph had already noticed his rejection of Richard. It was impossible, he hadn't said anything. Hugo calmly asks, "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

Joseph thought about it and decided to tell the truth, "Uma also has a role in this movie."

"Um... Uma Thurman?" Hugo cautiously replied because Joseph's attitude seemed to suggest that something unpleasant may have happened between him and Uma. Did they work together in a movie before?

Uma Thurman had always been a Hollywood actress who hadn't quite made it big, but her representative works like "Pulp Fiction", "Kill Bill", "The Avengers", etc., had always been talked about. Her fatal charm, with its mysterious Eastern qualities, exuded a dazzling yet subtle attraction.

Of course, Uma was still a newcomer actress, and Hugo didn't remember ever working with her in his previous life. But Joseph's expression clearly indicated that there was something fishy going on. So Hugo had to carefully weigh his words and says, "I have no problem, I think it's all in the past."

Hugo thought carefully and added, "Besides, this is just work. We must have a sense of professionalism, right? Paul's invitation is not easy to come by, and we naturally can't miss it."

Joseph carefully looked at Hugo's calm face, confirmed that Hugo was not lying, and nodded. Hugo wiped off the sweat on his forehead, but so how would he handle it when he really met Uma? He really didn't know what had happened between them, whether it was good or bad, and could only deal with it when the time came.

"If you've decided to attend the premiere, you must buy two sets of clothes," said Joseph. Although he was nominally a manager, he now held multiple positions, including being Hugo's stylist and assistant, which he had to oversee. Fortunately, Joseph only had one artist to manage, Hugo, so the workload was not too heavy.

Hugo didn't react at first. "Don't you have a lot of new clothes in your closet?" He thought for a moment and said, "I only wore the outfit I wore to the Razzies once."

As soon as Hugo spoke, Joseph looked at him awkwardly, and Karl beside him stared at him as if he were an alien.

"Hugo, this is Hollywood," Joseph said simply. Hugo didn't answer, but he vaguely realized that he had just made a common-sense mistake. If he wore the same outfit to two different public events, or if he wore the same outfit as another artist, it would be a terrible thing, especially for female artists, who had very strict requirements. By comparison, male artists had more relaxed conditions, but this principle was essentially unchangeable. Not to mention at the Oscars or premiere events, where every pore of an artist's body would be scrutinized under a microscope.

It wasn't Hugo's fault that he didn't know this. In the past, when they were performing in small shows, they didn't have any stage costumes. They all wore their own clothes, just more grandly dressed up. Any outfit could be worn over and over again, and there was no concept of Hollywood's fashion standards.

In Hugo's current situation, still basking in the aftermath of the Razzies, "Scent of a Woman" had yet to be released, and he was temporarily idle... This was already countless opportunities for reporters to criticize him. If he were caught wearing the same outfit he wore to the Razzies to the premiere of "Last Analysis", he would surely become the target of ridicule.

Joseph looked at the clueless Hugo with a somewhat exasperated expression, greeted Karl, and then left the company with Hugo, ready to go shopping.

"But, aren't we tight on funds right now?" Hugo didn't have any manufacturers willing to sponsor him, so any investment had to come out of his own pocket. Not long ago, Hugo checked his bank account and found that there was less than $2,000 in it. While it may seem like a lot, he still had expenses for food, clothing, shelter, and transportation, and with no work in the near future, he would have to tighten his belt even more.

Joseph's financial concepts were obviously clearer than Hugo's. "Don't worry, the payment for "Scent of a Woman" will be deposited today."

"Really?" Hugo's eyes lit up immediately. This was his first income since he crossed over, and even if it sounded harsh, it was his first official income since he ran away from home at fifteen.

Hugo didn't have a detailed understanding of the personal income tax that needs to be paid in the United States, but according to his income level, he had to pay 36% of personal income tax. However, this also needed to go through tax-free amounts and standard deductions, plus progressive tax rates. In the end, Hugo needed to pay about 15% of his personal income tax. After paying taxes, he still needed to pay a 10% commission to Joseph and the brokerage company. The final payment to Hugo will be around $380,000, but the exact number still needed to be calculated by the accountant after Joseph handed over the details.

$380,000 was crucial for Hugo, who was in a difficult situation.

"We need to make some soft investments, buying clothes is just the first step." Joseph had known about the payment for a while now and had already started planning for Hugo's future. "Then you'll need to find a new place to live."

"Do we need to move?" Although Joseph's current living conditions were terrible, it was still the most familiar place for Hugo since he crossed over, so his initial reaction was that of slight hesitation.

Joseph chuckled, "Of course, you have to move, and I need to move too." Their current residence was only a temporary measure. Although they still didn't have enough capital to buy a house or live in a high-end residence, it was necessary to change to a safer and cleaner place.

Hugo soon realized this, too. Living in their current place was not a long-term plan, and moving was inevitable. He nodded his head and didn't continue to dwell on the matter. However, Hugo's cheerful mood quickly faded away. Clothes from the early 1990s? Especially men's clothing, seemed to be quite different from the aesthetics of 2014. This... buying clothes now felt more like torture than pleasure.