Provocation

Hugo, Joseph, and Uma were all startled by the sudden appearance of this dark figure.

Although the corner where Joseph was located was not particularly gloomy or dark, it was close to the back door and the lighting was not strong. Moreover, the attention of the three individuals was focused on each other, so they never expected someone to suddenly jump out like a hungry leopard. Therefore, all three of them were taken aback, and Uma couldn't help but scream.

Hugo instinctively pulled Uma behind him and saw the dark figure rushing towards his cheek. However, his hands were busy protecting Uma, and he didn't have time to react. He only felt a black square seemingly coming towards his cheek, and Hugo's pupils dilated unconsciously. He saw a large object getting closer and closer until it stopped right in front of his nose. This made Hugo break out in a cold sweat.

"Hugo, there are rumors that..." a barrage of words burst out like laser beams, bombarding Hugo's mind and throwing him into chaos. Hugo could hear every word the person in front of him was saying, although the person's speech was so fast that it was somewhat indistinct. But his brain couldn't make sense of it.

"What?" Hugo furrowed his brow, panting slightly as he interrupted the person in front of him. He had no idea what was happening and just shouted in an attempt to regain control.

With Hugo's interruption, the dark figure in front of him finally stopped the frantic speech, allowing Hugo and the other two some time to figure out what was going on.

The dark figure standing in front of Hugo turned out to be a journalist. The black box in his hand was a camera. He was the same obnoxious and irritating journalist who had interviewed them half an hour ago. He appeared to be in his mid-thirties, with a receding hairline that was not yet severe, and the wind and sun on his forehead, eye corners, and cheeks indicated that he had experienced a lot. His dark eyes couldn't be clearly seen in the dim light, but one could sense a glimmer of shrewdness and calculation. He was not tall, barely reaching Hugo's chest, but he looked sturdy, with a solid lower body. He blended into the crowd with a simple white shirt and black trousers, and the camera around his neck was probably more expensive than all his belongings combined.

In fact, he was just an ordinary person. The so-called face of the masses was like this. When passing by, people wouldn't pay much attention. However, the gaze from his eyes, resembling that of a cobra, was enough to make people wary.

Hugo scrutinized the person in front of him in the blink of an eye. After giving Hugo some time to react, the journalist immediately began questioning, "Hugo, there are rumors that you believed you would definitely win the Best Supporting Actor award this time, but in the end, you didn't. What are your thoughts on this?"

This explained why the journalist had been so aggressive, relentlessly focusing on this point. The problem was, Hugo had never said anything like that, not even as a joke. After New Year's, Hugo went on vacation with Uma in Malibu, completely isolated. He never had a chance to express his views on whether he would win the Golden Globe Award.

Uma stood behind Hugo, pushed back by the force of his retreat. She even stumbled twice, feeling only a sense of panic. However, after hearing the journalist's words, she couldn't help but show a surprised expression, clearly not anticipating the journalist's persistent pursuit. This made Uma instinctively grab onto Hugo's back, whether to prevent herself from falling or to stabilize the turmoil in her heart.

Joseph, standing beside them, didn't hesitate either. He took a big step and came to Hugo's side, trying to intervene between the journalist and Hugo. However, the journalist clearly had no intention of allowing that. Hugo felt Uma's hands resting on his shoulder, causing him to take half a step back and get even closer to Uma. He could even feel Uma's body warmth, which brought a little calmness to both of them. But the journalist immediately came closer, leaving no room for Joseph and hardly giving Hugo any breathing space.

"Who are you? Which newspaper are you from?" Joseph didn't let Hugo answer the questions but tried to take control of the situation.

The journalist in front paused, his eyes deeply scrutinizing Hugo's face as if considering whether to tell the truth. Then he strolled around Joseph's face, revealing a strange and inappropriate smile. "Anthony Stewart, from National Enquirer. You can call me "Bond"."

National Enquirer, the largest supermarket gossip tabloid in the United States. So Anthony's behavior wasn't surprising because National Enquirer was known for fabricating stories, creating narratives from images, and distorting facts. Uncovering insider information was also one of their specialties.

Joseph was about to speak, but Anthony continued to challenge, "Hugo, what do you think about the rumors? Do you have any special thoughts about Gene's win? Are you feeling disappointed?"

"Sorry, Hugo doesn't give interviews," Joseph finally found an opening and extended his arm to create a barrier between Hugo and Anthony.

At this moment, turmoil began to surge in Joseph's heart. He could hardly believe Anthony's relentless pursuit over a mere rumor. It was absurd because it was a baseless accusation, and Hugo would never say such things. Joseph wanted to shut the journalist up and make him go away, but he couldn't act impulsively. As Hugo's manager, he had a responsibility to protect Hugo and maintain control of the situation. So Joseph suppressed his inner anger, gritting his teeth as he addressed Anthony.

As the person involved, Hugo felt an unidentifiable anger rising upon hearing Anthony's ridiculously absurd question. Or perhaps it wasn't unidentifiable anger—anyone who had dirty water poured on them by a stranger would struggle to remain calm. Hugo had spent the past three weeks in Malibu without discussing anything about the Golden Globe Awards with any of his friends. His own attitude was nowhere near what Anthony claimed. It was truly ludicrous!

Originally standing behind Hugo, Uma's view was blocked by Hugo, shielding her from Anthony's gaze. However, at this moment, she could still sense Anthony's venomous eyes following her. The hands she placed on Hugo's shoulders felt as if they had been contaminated with venom, searingly hot and frightening, as if they could dissolve at any moment. This startled Uma, and she leaned over Hugo's shoulder to look at Anthony, but it seemed as though Anthony had anticipated her move, and his terrifying gaze entwined with Uma's heart, leaving her unsettled.

Hugo seemed to sense Uma's trembling hands, but his mind was consumed by anger. Besides protecting Uma with his body, he found it difficult to make any other response. He had just explained the baselessness of all this, but clearly, Anthony didn't believe his explanation. So he closed his mouth, fixing his clear gaze on Anthony, using that as a means to express his protest and defiance.

However, obviously, Anthony had no intention of giving up. He bravely met Hugo's gaze, and the camera in his hand continued to press closer to Hugo's face, almost obstructing two-thirds of Hugo's vision. The calculating gleam in his eyes disappeared, replaced by a daunting pressure. "Indeed, I heard not long ago that you were acting like a big shot. I questioned the authenticity of the news and intended to verify it before publishing. But now it seems like you really are acting like a big shot!"

Although Joseph tried to separate Anthony from Hugo, the effect was not satisfactory. The main reason was that Hugo had Uma behind him, making it inconvenient for him to turn around or step back, allowing Anthony to stay close to him and continue the pressure. Regardless of what actions Joseph took, Anthony's snake-like eyes remained fixed on Hugo, creating pressure not only through words but also through his gaze.

"What did you say? When did I act like a big shot!" Hugo couldn't hold back this time and directly retorted. First, it was about the award, and now it was about acting like a big shot. Hugo found all of this truly absurd. His hands clenched into fists unconsciously, and the exposed veins on his arms revealed the rising anger within him.

Joseph had intended to stop them, but now he also couldn't settle his emotions. Ignoring some dirty water was fine, such as the first question earlier—nobody would believe Anthony's nonsense. But some accusations couldn't be ignored, like acting like a big shot. Hugo had worked hard for a year to climb back to a peak, and now, before achieving further success, rumors of him acting like a big shot emerged. It would only make people think that Hugo was arrogant and ignorant, which was absolutely unacceptable.

Therefore, Joseph wanted to play the role of a manager, but anger was clouding his judgment. Instead of stopping Hugo, he, just like Hugo, glared fiercely at Anthony and shouted with a suppressed voice, "Anthony, you should know the consequences of defamation! You never speak with evidence. It's best to shut your damn mouth!"

"Chicago, Evergreen Street, does that ring a bell?" Anthony clearly came prepared and faced the joint pressure from Hugo and Joseph without any pause. He continued to press on, saying, "Facing the enthusiasm of your fans, you didn't sign autographs, take photos, give hugs, or even stay for a moment. You simply turned around and left, leaving the passion of a group of fans to be met with Siberian coldness. You've only achieved a little success, yet you dare to treat your fans like this. Isn't that acting like a big shot? Do we have to wait until you directly start physically assaulting your fans for it to count?"

Anthony's unreasonable accusations caused both Hugo and Joseph to lose control of their rationality. Both of them clenched their fists, and the atmosphere on the scene became tense, as if it could explode at any moment.

Uma, standing behind Hugo, still had a trace of reason left. She quickly patted Hugo and said, "Calm down, Hugo, calm down." Besides these words, Uma didn't know what else to say because her mind was also in chaos. She couldn't organize coherent words, but her reason told her that they needed to stay calm at this moment.

However, how could it be simple to stay calm in the face of Anthony's continuous accusations?