The Box Office King of Hollywood

"Hi, Amanda."

Upon entering the lobby of Angel Management Company, Matthew immediately recognized the receptionist. Amanda, clearly recognizing him as well, greeted him warmly, "Hello, Matthew. Helen is waiting for you upstairs."

Instead of heading straight upstairs, Matthew stopped to chat with her for a bit before passing through the lobby and climbing the stairs to the second floor, arriving at Helen Herman's office. He knocked politely and waited for the crisp "Come in" before entering.

"Have a seat, Matthew."

Helen Herman gestured towards a single-seater sofa in her office. Only then did Matthew notice that the office was not solely occupied by Helen; there were also two middle-aged men and six young people, one of whom was familiar—Michael Sheen.

"Is Angel Management planning to sign them to long-term contracts as well?"

Although Matthew was curious, he refrained from asking and sat down on the sofa indicated.

"Now that everyone is here, we can begin," Helen spoke up. "Angel Management is prepared to sign a one-year actor management contract with each of you, offering comprehensive services and promising job opportunities."

She picked up a stack of contracts, walked around from behind her desk, and distributed them to Matthew, Michael, and the five others before addressing the two middle-aged men, "This is Mr. Marshall Williams from the actors' union and Mr. Bertrice Clement, the union lawyer."

Matthew glanced at the others; like him, Michael wasn't a union member, suggesting that the five others were.

"Some of you are not union members," Helen continued. "However, Mr. Williams can notarize this contract, and Mr. Clement can guarantee its legal validity."

After returning to her desk, she added, "If you have any questions, you can consult with them."

The two displayed their entertainment lawyer and internal union credentials, confirming their legitimacy to Matthew and the others.

Matthew had already started reviewing his contract. His reading skills had notably improved over time, allowing him to understand the contract with little trouble.

He examined each clause carefully. Although people like them didn't have much to be deceived of, it was still crucial to understand what he was signing.

After thoroughly reading the contract and finding no issues, Matthew signed his name with ease. This contract made him an exclusive client of Angel Management for one year, and Helen Herman his personal agent.

This meant Matthew could no longer accept work from other agencies.

The others also signed their contracts in turn.

After the contracts were signed, Marshall Williams, the union representative, collected the contracts from the five union members and left with lawyer Bertrice Clement. Only then did Matthew realize that those individuals were indeed union members.

"There are a few things you all need to be aware of," Helen addressed the seven of them. "First, from today onward, you may not accept work offered by other companies; second, I will recommend specialized acting classes for you to improve your skills, the cost of which will be on you—if you find better options, you may ignore this; third, find a part-time job that suits the identity of an actor, as I might secure job opportunities for you at any time; fourth, Matthew and Michael, join the actors' union as soon as conditions allow."

Matthew nodded slightly. He wasn't sure how the others felt, but to him, Helen's advice seemed sensible and beneficial for an actor's long-term development.

Helen concluded, "Lastly, those without a cell phone should buy one and keep it turned on 24 hours a day."

"You may go now. Matthew and Michael, remember to collect your pay for the past few days from the finance department."

Payment so soon? Matthew was initially surprised, but considering Helen's relationship with Ridley Scott, it seemed reasonable.

Exiting Helen's office, the other five gradually left, leaving Matthew and Michael heading towards the finance department together.

Clearly, Angel Management, apart from Helen and Amanda, had grown in staff.

As with his time at Starlight Company, ten percent of Matthew's fee would be deducted as the agency's commission. Given the substantial amount, both he and Michael had left their bank account details, and the agency's financial staff assured them the payment would be processed that day.

"I got a call from Amanda last night,"

Walking out together, Michael shared with Matthew, "She informed me to come today to sign the contract. I was really surprised."

He seemed genuinely pleased, "Guess your method of getting familiar worked."

Matthew shrugged slightly, "Maybe."

As they left Angel Management, Michael added, "This is the most important contract of my life!"

Matthew nodded slightly. In some ways, he felt the same.

"Let's work hard together!"

Suddenly, Michael stopped, looked earnestly at Matthew, and declared, "Matthew, we're going to be big stars!"

"Yep!" Matthew nodded firmly.

Despite his reservations about Michael, their goals were aligned.

"Got time?" Michael invited, "Let's grab a drink to celebrate."

"Another time

," Matthew had other commitments, "I have to enroll in a language class at the Los Angeles School of Performing Arts."

It was nearly May, and with the second installment of his tuition due soon, Matthew had decided, upon signing the contract, to follow Helen's advice and enroll in a language class to correct his supposed Texas accent.

"The Los Angeles School of Performing Arts?" Michael asked in surprise, "Are you sure you can get into that?"

He knew that school had high entry barriers, challenging for actors not backed by major agencies.

"People like me don't even think about it."

Could Matthew really get into such a school?

While Michael was stunned, Matthew casually mentioned, "I called them yesterday, and anyone enrolled in their acting training can freely register for other courses."

Michael's surprise turned even more apparent, "You got into their acting training class?"

"Yeah," Matthew nodded.

"This…" Michael almost blurted out how that was possible.

Checking his phone for the time, Matthew said, "I've already paid the first installment."

Michael's surprise slowly turned into envy. Training classes at the Los Angeles School of Performing Arts were reputedly exclusive to clients of powerhouse agencies like Innovative Artists and William Morris Endeavor; entering there not only provided connections with potentially influential actors but might also attract the attention of agents from these top agencies.

How could Angel Management compare to Innovative Artists and William Morris Endeavor?

Matthew saw Michael's reaction and decided to leave, "Well, if there's nothing else, I'll head off."

"Ah..." Michael came back to his senses and mechanically nodded, "Okay."

Watching Matthew walk away, his envy morphed into jealousy. Why was Matthew always one step ahead? Why did such great opportunities always fall to this newcomer?

"Now is just the beginning..." Michael's jealousy faded slowly, "The road ahead is long, and I'll definitely secure the best resources from the company!"

In a small agency like Angel Management, the resources they could wrest from Hollywood were undoubtedly limited; what others took left nothing for him.

"When I make a name for myself at Angel Management..." Michael resolved his future path, "I can then move to a bigger company."

Leaving Burbank and taking a bus to North Hollywood, Matthew mulled over the day's events. Helen Herman clearly wouldn't put all her eggs in one basket with a novice actor, opting instead for a broad-casting strategy.

He shook his head, his initial fantasies, such as being the sole focus of Angel Management, were clearly naive; even in such a small agency, carving out a place required fierce competition.

"Competition," Matthew muttered to himself, "To climb higher, you have to compete, no industry is an exception."

Arriving in North Hollywood, he got off the bus and went straight to the Los Angeles School of Performing Arts, where he enrolled in a language class starting in May. With Hollywood increasingly trending towards internationalization, such language classes were becoming more common.

After registering, Matthew called his boss at Red Penguin Services to inform him of his return to work. With the stock market booming and ongoing driver shortages, he was requested to work that night, albeit no longer on the high-end tasks but rather transporting party equipment.

This job also took place at night, allowing him time to rest during the day, a rarity in itself.

For a long time thereafter, his life fell into a routine: working at night, exercising and studying by day, without receiving any new job offers.

As May arrived and the North American traditional summer movie season kicked off, Matthew's acting class also began.