A young man wearing sunglasses was relentlessly pursuing a young girl. Even as the girl repeatedly rejected him with visible annoyance, the man clung to her like a fly that couldn't be swatted away, unbearably irritating. It was a scene that was hard to watch—especially in broad daylight, making it even more absurd and laughable.
Hugo was sitting by the street at that moment, so he stood up immediately and shouted, "Stop!" His sudden outburst was like a clap of thunder, drawing the attention of the few scattered passersby nearby, including the young man and the girl. But it was also this shout that made the girl pause for a moment, during which the young man caught up to her. His right hand directly grabbed her right wrist, startling her. She raised her hand to struggle free.
"What are you doing?" Seeing this, Hugo immediately took two large strides to the girl's side, and raised his hand as if to strike the young man's wrist. The man was startled and quickly let go. In fact, Hugo had only intended to yell and warn the young man, but he hadn't expected him to actually make physical contact—so Hugo stepped in.
Once the man let go of her hand, Hugo stepped in front of the girl, forming a wall between them. He stared intently at the young man, guarding against any aggressive move, and raised his voice to ask, "Are you okay?"
The question was naturally directed at the girl. She didn't answer immediately but hesitated, then said a bit uncertainly, "I'm fine. I… I'm okay."
Her hesitation made Hugo feel something was off. He frowned slightly and turned to glance at the girl behind him. "Are you sure?"
The girl had soft, golden long hair. A light breeze tousled it, covering most of her face, but even a quick glance was enough to be struck by her beauty—truly a fleeting moment of awe. That familiar face made Hugo pause briefly, and then he heard her firm reply, "I'm fine, really."
Hugo set aside the doubt in his mind for the moment and turned to face the young man. His probing gaze was a silent warning to the man not to keep pestering the girl.
However, the wry smile on the young man's face made Hugo pause, and then he saw the man raise both hands in surrender. "I didn't mean any harm, really. I'm a talent agent. I just thought she had potential and wanted to give her my business card. But she wouldn't take it, and I didn't want to miss the chance, so…" The man quickly explained, afraid Hugo wouldn't hear him out—or that the talented girl would walk away.
Hugo's face immediately stiffened: Had he jumped to the wrong conclusion? Actually, the young man didn't look like a bad person—he had a slightly chubby, honest-looking face despite being six-foot-three (1.9 meters) tall. Now, with both hands raised, he looked rather comical. But appearances can be deceiving. Hugo turned back to the girl, seeking confirmation with a questioning look. He couldn't just take the man at his word—what if he was lying? Or just pretending to be an agent to deceive her?
The girl gave an awkward smile and then nodded with difficulty, confirming the man's story. "I just didn't want to take his card, so he kept trying to persuade me."
Hugo felt like a flock of crows had flown over his head. He had thought he was heroically saving a damsel in distress, but it turned out he was being nosy and impulsive. Hugo scratched his head awkwardly and turned to the young man with a smile. "Sorry, I thought…"
He had forgotten this was Los Angeles—Los Angeles, where talent scouts roamed every street. In this city, overnight fame wasn't just a dream. Countless people came here chasing their dreams.
The young man quickly cut him off, "No, no, my behavior was definitely easy to misinterpret—my bad." He was very understanding, not dwelling on the issue, and even took the blame himself, easing Hugo's embarrassment.
Though the man was so accommodating, Hugo still earnestly apologized. "Sorry, truly sorry I overreacted." Hugo's sincerity made both the young man and the girl smile. "I thought I was being Clark Kent, but I turned out to be Lex Luthor." Hugo joked about himself with a Superman-villain comparison, pairing it with a self-mocking smile.
Having successfully smoothed over the awkwardness from his earlier outburst, Hugo stepped aside and made a gentlemanly gesture, inviting the two to return to their original interaction—as if time could rewind. The gesture made both the young man and the girl burst out laughing.
"Hugo, are you saying we should go back to me chasing her around again? Should I grab her hand again too?" the young man joked cheerfully. By now, he had recognized the man in front of him as Hugo Lancaster, who had recently become the media's favorite punchline. But after interacting with him, he found Hugo quite likable—someone who easily left a good impression. "Hi, I'm Kal El."
Seeing Karl extend his hand, Hugo didn't shake it right away. He paused and said, "Are you serious?" Kal El—that was Superman's real name. It was just too amusing.
"Couldn't be more serious." Kal took his business card from his pocket and formally handed it to Hugo, then pulled out another and extended it to the young woman standing nearby. Clearly, he still wasn't willing to miss any opportunity.
Kal's gesture made Hugo turn to look at the young woman, curious to see what kind of talent was worth such persistence. The brief glimpse from earlier had left a strong impression on him, but now, taking a better look, Hugo found himself once again stunned.
With deep-set features, delicate facial structure, and striking curves, her palm-sized oval face was adorned with perfectly proportioned features. Her emerald green eyes shimmered faintly with a soft glow that tugged at the soul. Tracing down from her straight nose led to her rosy lips. Without any makeup, her bright smile lit up her naturally beautiful face, making it impossible to look away. Standing around five feet ten inches (about 177 cm) tall and weighing under 120 pounds (about 53 kg), her figure was perfectly balanced—not an ounce too much or too little. Even in a simple T-shirt and jeans, her graceful silhouette drew attention. Her smooth blonde hair framed her shapely figure, a breathtaking beauty that, even among the many stars of Hollywood, would never be outshone.
The girl before him clearly wasn't yet twenty, and her clear gaze gave away that she was an unpolished gem. A natural-born beauty like this, with just a bit of refinement, could effortlessly captivate an audience. No wonder Kal was so unwilling to give up. Even after being rejected, he continued to pursue without hesitation.
Hugo hadn't recognized the girl earlier, but upon closer inspection, a memory stirred in his mind. This was none other than Charlize Theron. The very actress who would later win the Oscar for Monster, and shine in films like Hancock, Prometheus, and The Italian Job, was now just a seventeen-year-old girl in her youth.
Even at just seventeen, Charlize already showed limitless potential. It was no surprise that when she first appeared on screen, neither directors, producers, nor audiences could shake the "pretty face" label from her. Even after proving her acting chops with Monster, people still often found themselves lost in admiration of her eyebrows.
That kind of beauty couldn't be fully captured in photos or posters. Only by standing in front of Charlize could one feel the soul-stirring impact of her presence. Hugo had already been stunned once earlier, and now he found himself dazzled again. Like a starstruck fanboy, he stared at Charlize in a daze.
Fortunately, Charlize was busy talking to Karl and didn't notice Hugo's embarrassment. She hesitated for a moment, but eventually took Kal's business card. "I'm currently doing modeling work…"
Kal quickly cut in, speaking with earnest urgency, "That's okay, there's no conflict. If you're thinking about moving into acting, call me. I'll make a detailed career plan for you." Feeling that still wasn't enough to show his sincerity, Kal added, "Please call me anytime. Anytime!"
Finding promising talents like Charlize or Hugo was a once-in-a-lifetime chance for agents or talent scouts. In the entertainment industry, opportunity was everything, but it was undeniable that outstanding looks greatly increased the odds of seizing those chances. That kind of natural advantage was an unchangeable asset—appearance, too, was a form of talent. That's one reason why the plastic surgery industry thrived in Los Angeles.
Hugo quickly snapped back to his senses under Charlize's bright smile. He realized that he had first made a blunder, and then foolishly stared at Charlize, which was not only embarrassing but also impolite. His cheeks flushed slightly, and he awkwardly averted his gaze. So much so, that when Kal took his leave, Hugo was barely paying attention.
Once Kal had left, Hugo hurriedly said to Charlize, "I'm guessing you're busy, so I won't keep you. Hope you have a great day!" As he spoke, Hugo politely shook Charlize's hand, avoiding eye contact, then turned and walked back to his seat.
But Charlize had noticed Hugo's awkwardness. A big smile curved at the corners of her lips. She glanced down at the card in her hand, then strode right over and sat across from Hugo at his café table. Her sudden move gave Hugo quite a scare—he had just been having all sorts of impure thoughts, and now the person herself had shown up in front of him.
"Wh-what are you doing?" Hugo stammered out the question, just short of crossing his arms over his chest in defense. Charlize burst out laughing when she heard that, even chuckling aloud, and in that moment, the sunlight around them seemed to lose its color.
...
Hi For access to additional chapters of
Director in Hollywood (20 chpaters)
MV Director (30 chapters)....
Douluo Dalu:Breaking Clan(30 chapters)
Made In Hollywood (50 Chapters)
Pokemon:Bounty Hunter(30 Chapters)
Douluo Dalu: Reincarnated as Yan(30 Chapters)
Hollywood:From Razzie to Legend(30 Chapters)
Join pateron.com/Translaterappu