16. Deflated

That evening, Matthew received a call from Dennis Kurt. The next day, he was asked to come to Starlight Company for a meeting and to collect his payment from the "Soulmate" drama group. As soon as he finished work in the morning, he rushed to Starlight Company. After meeting Dennis Kurt, he first went to the finance department to collect his payment.

Because he was there in person, the cashier at Starlight Company paid him directly in cash, deducting a ten percent agent commission. Matthew received $180 in hand.

It wasn't much money, but it was hard-earned through brainstorming and hard work.

"Let's chat in my office," Dennis Kurt warmly invited.

Matthew thought for a moment and nodded, "Sure."

Since he had already received his compensation, it was time to draw a clear boundary with this unscrupulous agent. He knew he wasn't the most virtuous person, but he wasn't on Dennis Kurt's level either.

Following Dennis Kurt, Matthew entered an office. After taking a quick look around, he saw five or six agents working together. Fortunately, the office was relatively spacious, and it didn't seem too crowded.

Arriving at an empty desk, Dennis Kurt pulled out a chair for Matthew and invited him, "Please, have a seat."

Once Matthew sat down, Dennis Kurt asked, "Coffee? Or...?"

"Just water," Matthew casually replied.

Dennis Kurt went to the water dispenser to get water for Matthew. As Matthew contemplated how to politely terminate the cooperation, a young man sitting across from the desk suddenly leaned over and asked, "Are you Matthew Horner?"

Matthew was surprised. Did he have such a big name? He nodded, "Yes, I am."

The young man turned to look at Dennis Kurt, who was still getting water, and lowered his voice, "You should change your agent. Dennis Kurt has a bad reputation in the company. He's unscrupulous. Once you're no longer useful, he'll kick you out!"

"Is that so?" Matthew sighed inwardly, feeling that the agency world was not peaceful at all. He forced a smile, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." The young man quickly handed Matthew a business card. "If you can't find a suitable agent, you can call me. I know many producers and casting directors."

Matthew casually took the business card without saying anything. The young man turned his head back to his work as if nothing had happened.

Dennis Kurt returned with two cups of water, placing one in front of Matthew and sitting down.

"I have a question," Dennis Kurt curiously asked, "Matthew, how did you get this role?"

Matthew picked up the cup, saying before taking a sip, "Someone helped me convince Winona Ryder."

Listening to him, Dennis Kurt became even more convinced that his previous guess was correct. He smiled happily, "How about this, Matthew? Let's sign a long-term contract."

After getting to know Dennis Kurt, Matthew had specifically researched to avoid being taken advantage of by this fat guy. He also had a preliminary understanding of some contracts in Hollywood, such as actor-agent contracts. For cameo roles, you only needed to register with the intermediary company. Even if you had a job, it was only a temporary contract. Only when you were recognized by the agent or agency during this period would you sign a formal agent contract and become a member of the agency's extensive talent pool.

To protect the interests of actors, California had enacted very strict laws. The "California Talent Agency Act" stipulated that the maximum term of the first contract between actors and agents or agencies was one year, and the maximum term of each subsequent contract could not exceed three years.

In other words, it was not difficult for actors to change agencies if they were dissatisfied.

In some ways, this also limited the power of agencies, essentially making them exist only as service providers.

While Matthew was pondering these matters, he didn't immediately respond to Dennis Kurt's words.

"I'll inform the company to draft a professional contract next week." Dennis Kurt thought Matthew had agreed, so he grinned widely. "No rush on this matter..."

He laughed so much that his features almost disappeared. "Matthew, can we invite Mr. Georgia Kennedy to dinner?"

"Huh?" Matthew immediately understood. The so-called long-term contract was just bait.

"Or maybe you can give him a call." Dennis Kurt tentatively suggested, "Ask Mr. Kennedy when he's available?"

Matthew remembered that when he was on the set of "The Soulmate," Dennis Kurt had asked him if he had any connection with Georgia Kennedy. At that time, he neither admitted nor denied it.

This guy, who was solely focused on personal gain, obviously misunderstood.

"Let's talk about it later," Matthew decided to address the main issue of his visit today, "I can't afford to invite him."

He glanced at the young man across from him and noticed that he seemed to be eavesdropping.

Dennis Kurt was getting impatient, thinking Matthew was deliberately avoiding the topic. He asked, "Don't you know Mr. Georgia Kennedy?"

"Yes, I know him."

This fat guy was even more goal-oriented than Matthew. He didn't want to continue this meaningless conversation. "Mr. Georgia Kennedy is the producer of 'The Soulmate.'"

"You just need to introduce..."

Before Dennis Kurt could finish his sentence, Matthew interrupted, "The problem is, he doesn't know me!"

"What?" Dennis Kurt seemed to have misheard Matthew's words.

"I know Georgia Kennedy."

This so-called acquaintance was just knowing each other's identity. Matthew shrugged and said again, "Georgia Kennedy doesn't know me!"

Dennis Kurt stood up abruptly, pointing a finger at Matthew, "You! You... you dare deceive me!"

"Deceive you?" Matthew also stood up, "When did I say Georgia Kennedy knows me?"

"Uh..." Dennis Kurt recalled for a moment, stunned.

"Ha... Haha..."

Laughter came from the other side of the desk. The young man raised his head, looking at Dennis Kurt and laughed heartily, "So this is your bragging opportunity? Haha..."

Dennis Kurt's face turned pale, glaring at the young man, then turned back to Matthew, "Don't expect me to fight for any more job opportunities for you! Forget it!"

"I don't care." Matthew shrugged, "Actually, I came here to tell you that we won't cooperate anymore."

He sighed, turned around to leave, and said before leaving, "But I still want to thank you. You made me realize the difficulties of this profession and made me understand how treacherous people can be."

With that, Matthew left the office without looking back.

Dennis Kurt stood there blankly, as if he had been dumbfounded.

"This is the simple-minded fool you mentioned." The young man finally seized the opportunity to vent his anger, "Dennis, aren't you the fool?"

Others in the office looked over, with a hint of sympathy but more disdain in their eyes.

An agent being played around by a small-time actor was simply laughable among their peers.

With $180 in his pocket, Matthew walked out of the office building. For some reason, he suddenly felt much better. He had seen everything Dennis Kurt had done, and pretending not to dislike him would be a lie.

"Maybe from the moment I agreed to enter his office..." Matthew knew he wasn't a noble person, "subconsciously, I wanted to make him suffer."

Ending the cooperation with Dennis Kurt and Starlight Company was the most important thing. The next priority was to find another suitable agency. He had contacted three agencies before, and now that he had nothing to do, he might as well go and take a look.

After that, Matthew first went to North Hollywood. Two of the agencies were located near Laurel Canyon Boulevard. These two companies were similar to Starlight Company, with a small scale of fewer than ten agents, mainly handling business for extras and minor actors.

Although he was received by someone, everything went smoothly. Like at Starlight Company, Matthew left his personal information, photos, resume, and contact information. The only difference was that in the resume column, he specifically noted that he had played a role with lines in "The Soulmate" drama group.

When he handed in the completed form, Matthew saw the receptionist circle the line he had specially marked with a red pen.

He had registered with these two agencies and then took the bus to Burbank. The third agency he contacted was located in this media capital.

Just as he arrived in Burbank, Matthew's phone rang, showing an unfamiliar number.

"So, did I get a job so soon?"

The red circle on the form had given Matthew a few fantasies, so he immediately answered the call.

"Hello, Mr. Matthew Horner! I'm Chris Walker, the lawyer."

The voice on the other end of the phone sounded somewhat familiar. "I urge you to pay the liquidated damages for the 'Forbidden Tarot' as soon as possible, otherwise, we will take legal action!"

Hearing this, Matthew's fantasies immediately burst, and he muttered to himself, "These guys are persistent!"

But then again, he had indeed breached the contract first.

Matthew didn't have money now, so he could only drag it out. He clenched his throat, hoarsely saying, "Who are you? You've got the wrong person!"

Then, he hung up the phone and turned it off.

As for the legal means mentioned by the other party, he would deal with them when they came. Worst-case scenario, they could go to court. He remembered seeing in movies that American lawsuits were always messy and lengthy affairs.

Maybe by then, he'd have money.

With this thought in mind, Matthew hurriedly walked, finding the location of the Angel Agency, the company he had called earlier. It was a standalone three-story office building. There were two trucks parked in front of the building, and workers were unloading desks and chairs from the trucks and carrying them into the building.

Matthew followed the workers into the building. It seemed to be a new company.

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