Surprise

"Nick, aren't you off work yet?" Nicholas Allum turned around and saw his office colleague, Sophie Pierce, approaching him with a bunch of documents in her hands.

Nicholas stretched lazily and replied, "There's still one article left, and it needs to be sent to the printing house tonight."

Sophie exclaimed in surprise, "Are you crazy? It's already two hours before printing, and you haven't even written it yet!" She then remembered the initial draft that was sent for layout today and said, "The blank space at the top of the entertainment section was reserved for you!"

Nicholas wasn't as alarmed as Sophie and smiled confidently, saying, "Yes, that's the one."

Sophie sat down next to Nicholas's desk with the documents in her arms. She looked at the messy materials on his desk and the blank paper on the typewriter and said, "So, you've been working on Hugo's article! I thought you had already finished it. It's not a major news this time, why did you procrastinate for so long?" Sophie noticed other newspaper headlines on Nicholas's desk, such as "Hugo Lancaster, the Self-Exiled" from The New York Times.

"I should have finished it yesterday, but unfortunately, I missed today's issue," Nicholas replied with a wry smile.

"That's why you got scolded today?" Sophie suddenly realized. Nicholas had been summoned to the editor-in-chief's office in the morning and was fiercely reprimanded. The whole floor could hear the editor's roar.

Nicholas nodded in confirmation. Falling behind in direct competition with their rivals was unacceptable, especially when Nicholas didn't have any exclusive scoops. It would be difficult to make a comeback, so it was understandable that the editor was angry.

"But it's just Hugo accepting a new movie role. It's not a big scoop. Why did you spend so much time and still couldn't write it?" Sophie knew that Nicholas was working on a news piece about Hugo becoming the lead actor in "Sleepless in Seattle". The news was confirmed yesterday and officially announced today, causing quite a stir.

Nicholas replied, "Because I've been contemplating my stance on this matter, whether to support it or oppose it."

"You're truly crazy," Sophie said, holding the documents and leaving Nicholas's desk. As she walked towards the document room, she turned back and said, "You really are crazy. No one thinks Hugo's choice is a good one."

"Yeah, I'm crazy," Nicholas muttered to himself, stretching lazily once again. Then his gaze fell on the headline chosen by the competing newspaper, which was resting on his desk.

The New York Times titled their article "Hugo Lancaster, the Self-Exiled", while The San Francisco Chronicle wrote their report with the headline "Hugo's Desperate Situation". Premiere's title was "From Serious Actor to Idol", and not to mention the gloating coverage from the National Enquirer with the headline "The Beginning of Decadence". Even Entertainment Weekly had a mocking headline that read, "Hugo Finally Learns to Use His Advantages"...

Even the industry's most authoritative publications, Variety and the Hollywood Reporter, were no exception. Variety wrote solemnly, "Another wrong choice. How much talent does Hugo still have to waste?". The Hollywood Reporter expressed its frustration with the headline "Foolish Choice".

Yesterday at 5 p.m., TriStar Pictures, a subsidiary of Columbia Pictures, officially announced the casting for the romantic movie "Sleepless in Seattle," written and directed by Nora Ephron. Hugo Lancaster was confirmed as the male lead, and the female lead would be Meg Ryan. The film was scheduled to begin shooting next week.

After the news was released, the media and industry professionals were in an uproar.

The reason for the uproar was that no one had high hopes for a story like "Sleepless in Seattle". Major film companies had already held this belief during Nora's pre-production process. The idea of two strangers who had never met, falling in love through a radio connection, seemed incredulous. It was like the astonishment people felt when online relationships emerged in the 21st century, connecting two strangers through radio waves and generating chemistry. It was simply unrealistic. Moreover, shooting a movie with such a premise would be absurd, as no audience would be interested in watching two people shouting into a radio from a distance. The entire story would likely be dull and drive people away.

Clearly, the media and industry professionals shared this sentiment. Therefore, when people learned that Hugo had taken on "Sleepless in Seattle", the representative reactions from various major media outlets mentioned above emerged.

Currently, Hugo was caught in the whirlwind of a storm. Although the speculation about his A-list status had temporarily subsided, the negative impact still lingered. It was evident that Hugo's career was in a lull. In such a situation, Hugo chose a script like "Sleepless Nights in Seattle", and almost everyone believed he was burying the progress he had recently made in his acting career.

What's more, not long ago, Hugo had regained attention with his acting skills. Now, he had accepted a role in a chick flick. What did it mean to be a chick flick? It referred to romantic comedies that were specifically targeted at female viewers, satisfying their fantasies of love. Such films didn't require much acting prowess. Even classics like "Roman Holiday" had overshadowed Gregory Peck. Hugo couldn't compare to the situation when Gregory took on "Roman Holiday", and besides, "Sleepless in Seattle" couldn't possibly be "Roman Holiday".

Therefore, both Variety and the Hollywood Reporter believed that Hugo was squandering his acting talent, making another mistake after "Dead Poets Society" by choosing "Desperate Hours", and this time, it was even more foolish. At least "Desperate Hours" had been considered a promising big-budget production during its pre-production phase, but "Sleepless in Seattle" had no redeeming qualities from any perspective that warranted Hugo's involvement.

Therefore, almost all media outlets believed that Hugo was cornered with no way out, pushed to a dead end by the so-called cloud of suspicion from big names. In a desperate and panic-stricken state, he chose the film "Sleepless in Seattle". Even industry insiders couldn't help but sigh, realizing how crucial a talented agent is for an actor's early career planning. The gap between Joseph and Hugo's respective talents was particularly evident.

It wasn't just the media and professional film critics; even industry insiders had a similar attitude.

When Brad Pitt found out that Hugo had managed to snatch a new project ahead of him, his initial reaction was to question his own agent, Martin Baum. "Why?!" he demanded.

Martin was also troubled by the situation. He had thought "The Firm" was a sure thing. After planning for so long, it was a disappointment to see it all fall apart. But Martin, having weathered many storms, quickly regained his composure and replied, "Because I disdain taking on such a romantic film with no artistic value. Do you understand?"

Brad looked at Martin with a serious expression. Though he continued to pace around the office restlessly, he didn't erupt in anger again. Instead, he started to listen to Martin's explanation. "Listen to me, this film is bound to fail, absolutely! Just look at the media's reaction; no one wants to take on a project like this. Hugo was desperate, and that's why he hastily chose a film. Let's just wait and see him make a fool of himself."

Brad scratched his head vigorously, gradually seeing things from a different perspective. Upon careful consideration, he realized that a script like "Sleepless in Seattle" indeed had no value to be taken on. But he still felt a bit dissatisfied. "But at least he got a new script. What about me? I still have no work!"

Martin calmly took out a script from the drawer. "I'm not just any agent like Joseph's. What I've prepared for you is the best."

Brad approached with a skeptical attitude and looked at the script on the desk. The cover read "Kalifornia""A Few Good Men"

Compared to Brad and Martin's conversation, Tracey and Ron remained much calmer. Ron looked at Tracey, who wore a serious expression, and comforted her, "Don't worry, this project is simply garbage, not worth mentioning. You don't have to worry. I think Hugo had no choice and made this decision out of desperation."

Tracey shook her head and gazed at the gradually dimming night outside the window. "You wouldn't want him to have another chance, like what happened in "Scent of a Woman" and "A Few Good Men". Tracey inexplicably felt a sense of unease. She always felt that Hugo had a reason for making this decision, but she couldn't put her finger on it, which made her very unsettled.

Ron chuckled and shook his head. "Tracey, think about those classic chick flicks like "When Harry Met Sally", "Pretty Woman", and "Roman Holiday". Which film brought success to the male lead?" Ron's words made Tracey ponder. "Besides, "Sleepless in Seattle" is bound to fail. It's probably just another lousy romance film churned out by the industry."

Observing Tracey, who still seemed worried, Ron silently complained to himself, "Women are trouble. It's probably her time of the month, and she's talking about women's intuition." But Ron didn't show it on the surface. He continued to reassure her, "Tracey, Hugo is only twenty-five, and Joseph has been in the business for just over a year. They don't have the wisdom to choose such an excellent script. Otherwise, so many actors wouldn't have turned down the invitation for this script."

"What about Meg?" Tracey felt that Ron made a valid point. "At least four male actors were considered for the lead role in "Sleepless in Seattle", and there were even more female actors. Many agents and actors had seen the script, but they all declined. That's enough to show how terrible this script is."

Ron pointed to the Hollywood Reporter on the desk. "Haven't you read the reports? Meg hasn't had a decent work in three years. That's why she's returning to the "When Harry Met Sally" type of role. What does that mean? You should understand better than me."

"Backed into a corner," Tracey whispered softly.

"And besides, the Los Angeles Times didn't even report on this matter. Can't you sense the message behind it?" Ron added the final piece of the puzzle. Tracey didn't say anything, but her emotions visibly calmed down.

"Hugo, it won't be easy for you to turn things around this time," Tracey silently declared in her mind. She had dug such a deep pit to push Hugo into it; she hadn't seen enough of his misery yet. How could she let go? "Well, enjoy the taste of the abyss."