Thunder and fire

Joseph was really angry now. These small actions within the crew are actually common in Hollywood and are a kind of unspoken rule. Second- and third-line actors do not want to offend the staff, because the staff can make the actors suffer just with a small mistake. To avoid this situation, either you have to become a first-line actor, find a powerful supporter, or rely on your own ability to win recognition.

Hugo did just that. He worked diligently and conscientiously on the set, but now he was getting treated like this by Al! This was unforgivable. Today Al only changed the shower water, but tomorrow would he push the collapsing scaffolding onto Hugo? Hugo was in a difficult position now, but it didn't mean that anyone could bully him!

Facing Joseph's thunderous anger, Al trembled all over and after reaching the extreme pressure, he could only swing his own fist, trying to use direct combat to ease the oppression created by Joseph. But Joseph had already anticipated this, and he grabbed Al's wrist with his right hand and then squeezed it fiercely, gritting his teeth and saying, "Apart from these dirty tricks, do you have any other means?"

The word "dirty" in Joseph's words was so harsh. Just now, Al was calling Hugo "dirty", but now it seemed that he was the one who was truly disgraceful.

Al wanted to say something, but Joseph fiercely threw Al's hand down, and then took a step forward, pressing Al, who couldn't help but take a step back, and then another step. Al's center of gravity was unstable and he staggered back several steps, barely avoiding a falling nightmare.

Joseph, however, stared at Al with his eyes fixed on him, and then shouted, "Rob, I need a result." This was the first time since Joseph took over Hugo that he had stood in the agent's position to fight for Hugo's interests so seriously and earnestly.

Recalling the changes Hugo had undergone in the past three months, the cold eyes of the media and the industry on Hugo, and the experiences Hugo had gone through during the filming of "A Few Good Men", Joseph sincerely felt for Hugo so he had to give him an account.

Rob was startled by Joseph's cold voice. Actually, Joseph and Hugo had always maintained a humble, and polite attitude. Rob thought it was because Hugo had straightened himself out after the Razzies, but now Rob knew that it was not that Hugo was unwilling to be assertive, but that he believed that actions were far more effective than bluffing. Looking at Hugo's performance on the set, Rob knew that he did owe Hugo an explanation.

The crew members' rejection and indifference towards Hugo may have objective reasons, as well as instigation from Al, but Rob listened and allowed it to happen despite knowing the situation. He used Hugo to replace Tom and endured tremendous pressure, from both Columbia Pictures and the film's release. However, Rob's negligence now led to the situation spiraling out of control.

Perhaps Al's actions could be considered a small mistake now, as Hugo only had a smal fever due to water temperature issues, so the former did not really deserve to "die". But Rob must make up for his past mistakes, and Al's mentality had already become unstable, making it likely that he would cause trouble again in the future. Therefore, since Joseph demanded an explanation, Rob made the decision to sacrifice Al to ensure the harmony of the crew. At this point, it might as well be considered a win-win for everyone except Al.

Al never thought it would end like this. Joseph's words earlier had seemed like they wouldn't come true, and he thought he could get away with it because it wasn't a big deal. It was just some suffering for Hugo's body. But now he had lost his job, and even more terrifying was the fact that Rob was an experienced director in the industry, which meant that it would be twice as difficult for Al to find work in the future.

"No, this is not what that person said. He said it would be okay..." Al looked at Rob in disbelief, "Rob, you can't fire me. I didn't do anything wrong. I just wanted to teach Hugo a lesson."

Joseph was in extreme anger before, and even after hearing Rob's decision, his mood didn't calm down. However, since Rob had already fired Al, there was no need for him to continue to be entangled. So he prepared to go back and take care of Hugo. But he heard Al's nonsense just now, "That person? Who is he?" Could it be that someone was behind Al?

Joseph's eyes quickly looked at Rob, but he soon denied this idea. Hugo could enter the crew, thanks to Rob's efforts. If he didn't like Hugo, he wouldn't have hired him. Then who would it be? Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Martin Baum, or Tracey Jacobs?

"You didn't do your job well, and you are an incompetent production assistant. Of course, I have the right to fire you!" Rob interrupted Al's defense. Everything he said was true, and even if Al went to the union to complain, Rob would still have the upper hand. So he didn't need to worry at all. "You have stated your thoughts thoroughly, so I think you don't need to stay here anymore. You can leave our set!"

Rob always had a smiling face and was a kind and amiable old man, but he showed necessary absolute control as a producer and director when it came to important matters.

Under Rob's command, two men walked up and prepared to take Al directly off the set, but Joseph took a step forward and approached Al again, "Who instructed you to do this?"

At this point, Al was completely mentally broken, he laughed softly and then his voice grew louder, like a madman, "Why should I tell you?" This seemed to confirm Joseph's earlier suspicions that someone had instructed Al, but then Al raised his voice again and said, "No one, no one, it was all me. I just can't stand Hugo, a talentless and lazy pretty boy. I want to see what kind of situation this movie will be in after it's released, and then I'll laugh at your failure!"

The two men didn't give Al any more chances to continue his derangement, they just dragged him away from the set.

Joseph stood in place, his brow furrowed. Were there people behind Al or not? Joseph realized that Hugo seemed to have a lot of enemies in the circle now, and he felt that the situation was not very good, but they didn't have enough power to fight back, so he was helpless.

With Rob's company, Joseph went to visit Hugo again. Hugo just had a slight fever and wasn't in any big trouble. After apologizing again to Joseph, Rob temporarily interrupted today's filming.

Hugo slept for over an hour and woke up sweating, feeling much better. Joseph explained the whole situation to him briefly, including how Al was handled and Joseph's suspicions about someone behind Al.

Hugo listened carefully, but instead of being emotionally stirred, he laughed. When he was an extra, he had seen some unwritten rules in the circle and thought it was interesting to watch from afar, but he didn't expect these things to happen to him now. This made Hugo realize that he was now a part of this circle and that the so-called unwritten rules would not only not die down in the future but also continue to frequent his career path. This was just the tip of the iceberg.

"So, do you have any ideas?" Joseph thought Hugo had gleaned something from the clues.

But Hugo shook his head. "I don't know that much," he said. If even Joseph couldn't figure it out, how could he? "But don't worry, I won't let something like this shake my confidence. After all, it's just a minor 'accident', isn't it?" Hugo spoke with a mischievous twinkle in his eye, making Joseph both laugh and cry.

"Next up is the scene with Jack, and that's the real challenge." Hugo knew that this was not only his best opportunity to prove himself, but also the perfect chance to fully integrate his latest understanding of acting. He had been looking forward to this scene, and just the thought of acting in front of Jack made his blood boil.

Joseph was a bit worried though. "But your condition isn't exactly great right now. Shouldn't we postpone the scene for a few days until you've fully recovered?" The scene partner was none other than Jack Nicholson, and even a tiny mistake could ruin the entire scene.

This scene with Jack was much more difficult than the one in "Scent of a Woman", because in that movie, Al's character already had the upper hand over Hugo's, so the scene was about Hugo's character rebelling against oppression. Any shortcomings in his acting ability could easily be covered up by the script. But this time, Hugo's character was head-to-head against Jack's, and it would expose all of Hugo's weaknesses, making it the ultimate test.

Hugo shook his head, his face still a bit sickly, but his smile was filled with determination and confidence. "Jack wouldn't agree to that, he's in a rush," Hugo looked at Joseph with his amber-colored eyes, which were sparkling with brilliance. "Don't worry, this is my moment!"

It was also the moment that made the entire crew sit up and take notice as they were all amazed by Hugo's performance.