Chapter 006: Competitors

"What are you looking at over there?" Joseph walked over to Hugo, as the car had already been driven to the parking lot by the valet.

Joseph watched Hugo's departing figure and couldn't help but shake his head in confusion. The difference in Hugo's demeanor after fainting last night compared to before was indeed striking. Of course, he preferred the current version of Hugo; at least today, Hugo's entire spirit was bright and uplifting, which was undoubtedly a positive sign. As for the reason behind the difference in behavior, Joseph could only attribute it to the profound enlightenment that comes after struggling on the brink of life and death.

At that moment, a sound of a door opening came from the end of the corridor on the right side behind him. Hugo instinctively turned to look, and then he saw the figures of a man and a woman appearing in his line of sight. The man was tall and handsome, with a head of smooth golden hair that stood out prominently under the corridor's warm yellow light; the woman was dressed in a white-collar sheath dress that perfectly outlined her curvaceous figure, exuding an intelligent and neat demeanor while not losing her allure. The two of them gazed deeply into each other's eyes; although there was no physical contact, the tacit understanding between their glances was particularly evident amidst the ambiguous laughter.

From the current perspective, Brad has regarded himself as a competitor, which is also due to Hugo's sufficient strength, after all, Hugo has been the leading actor in several films. Before the audition for "The River Love" concludes, anything is possible! Hugo took a long breath to calm his tense emotions

"Please go in. The interview room is in the conference room on the third floor. You can wait in the reception area outside for now. I will handle a few matters and come over shortly." Joseph did not follow Hugo to the elevator but instead stopped in the hotel lobby, gesturing for Hugo to proceed.

This damned time travel

The elevator quickly arrived at its destination, and with a "ding," the doors opened. Hugo bit his lower lip and stepped out of the elevator. As the doors closed, the bright light was locked behind him. Hugo raised his head and looked around, only to find the entire empty corridor quietly laid out before him, leaving him standing there in a daze.

The woman and Brad arrived at the elevator. When the elevator doors opened, neither of them hurried to step inside. The woman stood still and glanced at Hugo once more, her expression peculiar: it seemed as if she was anticipating something yet also rejecting something. This mixed expression left Hugo utterly perplexed.

Hugo had no understanding of the situation in Hollywood at all, and could only clumsily take a step forward, following his intuition as he walked to the left. However, all he found were hotel rooms, with no signs indicating the presence of meeting rooms, let alone any signs for auditions, interviews, or reception rooms. This left Hugo utterly confused

Is that ... ... Brad Pitt

Soon, Joseph gathered his thoughts, and the impending meeting with Tracy Jacobs gave him a headache. He had to focus on dealing with this woman; otherwise, his audition for "The River Love" today might be in vain

Hugo glanced at Joseph, then lifted his chin, indicating the direction of the hall, "Brad Pitt"

In the script "The River Love," Brad's temperament is a perfect natural fit with Paul, and given his current rising popularity, the likelihood of the production team choosing him for the role is indeed the highest. The historical facts known to Hugo also confirm this, as Brad secured the role of Paul in "The River Love" and further advanced his career through this character.

After surveying the surroundings, Joseph pointed to the three individuals standing at the elevator door and said, "Do you see those people? They are all actors auditioning for roles on the third floor. Today, only those auditioning for the main roles are present, so there won't be many actors. You can just follow them upstairs. I have already submitted your resume, so just wait for your name to be called. I will come over as soon as I can."

Hugo also realized that his hesitation was quite inappropriate; this was not the emotion one should have as an actor who had played the leading role in multiple films. He couldn't help but encourage himself inwardly, "I understand, you don't need to worry about me, I can handle it myself." After saying this, he took the lead and turned to walk towards the elevator.

Joseph had never seen such an expression on Hugo's face before, and he couldn't help but widen his eyes, "You have participated in auditions before, do you really need me to take you there?" Hugo was thinking to himself: I really have never auditioned, yet he looked at Joseph innocently, unsure of what response to give.

After waiting for a while, the woman did not receive a response from Hugo, and then she followed Brad into the elevator. The two of them took the elevator down. It was only then that Hugo, a beat behind, realized: wasn't the audition supposed to be here? Why were they still taking the elevator?

Walking in the lobby of the Four Seasons Hotel, which is styled in the Italian Renaissance, Hugo felt as if his footsteps were tapping on the shoulders of history. As he made his way to the elevator, he found it truly refreshing. However, due to Hugo's leisurely pace, reminiscent of Liu Laolao entering the Grand View Garden, the three individuals ahead of him had already taken the elevator upstairs. Hugo could only press the elevator button again and, after waiting for it to arrive, entered alone. He casually pressed the floor button and then lowered his gaze to the script in his hands, uncertain whether today's audition would involve a specified play, free improvisation, or perhaps a conversational format. Moreover, what differences could there be in Hollywood auditions?

Upon clearly seeing the man's face, Hugo's first reaction was one of surprise; he initially thought this was the reception room where actors rested before auditions. However, his smile quickly froze. The two of them noticed that there were others in the corridor, and when they looked up, they saw Hugo standing on the other side of the corridor. The distance between the two was still less than a hand's breadth, yet the tacit understanding and smiles that had existed between them quietly vanished in the dim light. This scene unmistakably illustrated what is meant by subtlety.

Brad and the woman did not pause much in their steps, walking straight towards the elevator in the center. The woman's face became increasingly clear, and as Hugo looked at her features, an inexplicable sense of familiarity surged in his mind. Could it be that they had collaborated before? This inability to recall was truly distressing; Hugo even doubted whether he would recognize the parents of this body if he were to meet them, or whether he would treat an ex-girlfriend as a stranger. That would be truly awkward. This inability to recall was indeed very troubling; Hugo even questioned whether he would recognize the parents of this body if he encountered them, or whether he would regard an ex-girlfriend merely as a stranger. That would be the real embarrassment.

Brad Pitt is no longer the heartthrob who captivated countless young girls after the 21st century. After experiencing a period of obscurity on television throughout the 1980s, he made a remarkable appearance last year in the film "Thelma and Louise," directed by the renowned Ridley Scott, where he was on screen for only fifteen minutes yet shone brightly, quickly transforming from an unknown background actor into a hot new star in Hollywood. Notably, in the recently announced nominations for the 49th Golden Globe Awards, "Thelma and Louise" received multiple nominations including Best Director, Best Picture, Best Actress, and Best Original Screenplay, rapidly becoming a frontrunner for the 64th Academy Awards, which garnered even more attention for Brad Pitt.

Hugo also paused, looking somewhat anxiously at Joseph. Having been in Los Angeles for less than twelve hours, Joseph was now the only person he knew in this unfamiliar world. Moreover, he had never participated in a film audition before—the procedures for supporting roles and extras were entirely different from those for leading roles. Furthermore, Hugo was uncertain whether his English would falter when he became nervous, leaving him to rely solely on Chinese for communication, which would be problematic. Thus, Hugo instinctively felt a sense of dependence.

It seems that Brad truly regards Hugo as his strongest competitor, but why is that? Hugo's situation in Hollywood cannot be described as favorable; he has been nominated for the Golden Raspberries three times in two years, which has placed his acting career in a significant predicament. In contrast, Brad is a rising star, making any comparison between them unfounded. Or is it possible that there are other entanglements between the two that Hugo has not considered?

Joseph followed Hugo's gaze and let out a soft sigh, "He is your biggest competitor." This statement left Hugo momentarily stunned, as if he understood the earlier greeting from Brad, which was likely something akin to "Hey, competitor, I know you." Joseph opened his mouth, hesitated, and ultimately refrained from speaking further. After a brief pause, he continued, "He is currently on the rise."

However, the trajectory of history has now undergone subtle changes. Hugo has traveled from 2014 to this place. Can he change history and create his own miracle? Hugo knows that in 2014, there was no top star named Hugo Lancaster. If he wants to carve out a space of his own, he must rely on his own efforts, step by step, to alter the course of history. Therefore, today may very well be a beginning, and he must resolutely take the first step.

Brad's gaze did not shy away from Hugo; instead, it revealed his signature radiant smile. At this moment, Brad was merely twenty-nine years old, right in the prime of his youth. His rebellious and charismatic image had undoubtedly captivated the hearts of countless young girls. Hugo could easily perceive boundless confidence and a vigorous fighting spirit in Brad's smile.

At this moment, Hugo finally understood the meaning of Brad's earlier words at the door, "Dreams come true." This phrase was a reference to Hugo's acceptance speech at the Golden Raspberries, but it was neither a provocation nor a mockery; rather, it was a declaration of war. It seemed that Brad intended to compete with Hugo in the audition for "The River Love"!

Could this be the unspoken rules of Hollywood

This instantly ignited a strong fighting spirit in Hugo. Regardless of what had happened in the past or the reasons for their rivalry, Hugo knew that in order to secure the role of Paul in "The River Love," he must defeat Brad. Thus, it was inevitable that the two would become competitors.

Joseph hesitated for a moment; the reason he had Hugo go up alone was that he had matters to attend to that he needed to avoid Hugo. Remembering the situation with that woman, Joseph felt a wave of weakness. Hugo's current predicament was not unrelated to that woman.

Wasn't it said that today is the audition for "The River of Love"? Why is the corridor completely empty? Just a moment ago, Brad and those three actors came up, it shouldn't be such a desolate scene. Hugo furrowed his brow and thought for a moment; Joseph mentioned that there was a reception room outside. Could it be that a separate reception room has been set up today, and all the actors participating in the audition have entered the room to wait?