"Hugo, you don't need to buy bricks for all of us. We won't even use them," Joseph said anxiously, holding four large boxes in his hands, watching Hugo fiddle with his own mobile phone.
Joseph hadn't forgotten that he was still carrying a debt of one million dollars on his shoulders, and now Hugo was buying gifts for him. This made Joseph feel uneasy. Five bricks would cost seventeen thousand four hundred and seventy-five dollars—a sum impossible to feel comfortable about. Moreover, Joseph wasn't even sure that the mobile phones would actually be useful.
Hugo lifted his gaze from the phone. The current phones didn't have many functions; they were only for making calls and could store a limited number of numbers—just one hundred. So Hugo barely exerted any effort to understand them. "Joseph, you know, this is just a small gift. The momentum of the movies has been great recently, right? There's no need to bear too much burden."
"But…" Joseph tried to say something, but Hugo stopped him. "Besides, this phone is actually useful. In case of emergencies, you can reach someone anytime. That's much more convenient, isn't it? It's also helpful for our work. You wouldn't want work to come knocking and be unable to contact anyone immediately, right?"
Seeing the prideful smile on Hugo's face, Joseph knew he had been convinced. He could only remember this kindness in his heart. He shook his head helplessly. "All right, I understand. But you can't spend money recklessly anymore."
"Hehe." Hugo revealed a mischievous grin. "Today's schedule isn't over yet." Joseph stopped in his tracks. He immediately guessed that Hugo was going shopping again. Hugo chuckled and continued walking toward their old Volkswagen Golf without slowing down. "Don't worry, I definitely won't spend recklessly. What we're about to buy is something we must have, absolutely necessary!"
Joseph watched Hugo's back. That radiant smile was so dazzling under the sunlight that it was almost blinding. He could only helplessly quicken his pace to follow. "What, what are you planning to buy?"
"A car!" Hugo's voice carried on the wind, making Joseph pause briefly before increasing his pace to catch up. The worry between his brows quietly dissipated, replaced by a light joy.
Cars— for most men, they hold an irresistible attraction. Yet many people are limited by the thickness of their wallets, unable to turn dreams of racing and speed into reality. However, seeing the global fanbase for Formula One racing, and looking at brands like Ferrari, Lamborghini, Cadillac, Aston Martin, and the millions of fans worldwide, alongside the ever-vibrant automobile industry, one understands men's obsession with cars.
Joseph was no exception. Hearing Hugo talk about buying a car, a smile already crept into his eyes. "But we don't have enough capital to buy a car yet." Joseph still voiced his concern. Though he tried to maintain a serious expression, the slight curve of his lips betrayed his inner delight.
Hugo looked at Joseph's overly tense facial lines and understood that Joseph was also holding back. He took the large bricks from Joseph's hands, placed them on the back seat, and then got into the passenger seat, calling out, "If we were to buy a sports car, of course, we wouldn't have enough funds. Moreover, we don't have anywhere to park it. You can't put a sports car next to that little dirt mound in front of the house, right?"
Joseph, sitting in the driver's seat, couldn't help but let a smile form on his lips. In truth, Hugo had enough funds to buy a sports car right now. But when purchasing luxury items like sports cars, villas, or yachts, the price was never the most difficult part—maintenance costs were. At Hugo's current stage, he simply wasn't ready to buy a sports car yet.
"I just mean buying a van. You know, it's really necessary for work," Hugo explained further. He turned and picked up another brick, planning to save each of their phone numbers for easier contact.
"You mean a Multi-Utility Vehicle (MUV)?" Joseph quickly understood. Essentially, a multi-utility vehicle combined elements of a van, SUV, and crossover. Such vehicles typically seat seven or more passengers. In the U.S., these cars were mostly used as family or travel vehicles, offering enough space for strollers or accommodating an entire family.
With the rapid development of MUVs in the mid-1980s, the Hollywood star system gradually matured. Many A-list celebrities used these vans during promotional periods. A top star's production team was enormous, including agents, managers, PR staff, assistants, bodyguards, and for crossover film-music artists, potentially twice that number. Some actors even brought their own makeup artists or hairstylists. In such situations, a multi-utility vehicle seating more than seven was indispensable.
Additionally, the spacious MUV provided artists with a relatively private and convenient space during breaks, creating multiple conveniences for them.
Generally, celebrities had their personal cars for private use, usually sports cars or sedans. But during promotion periods, MUVs proved very useful. This was the early prototype of the "limo van," and by the twenty-first century, such vehicles became common, also serving as a measure of an artist's status: being able to use a limo van indicated the artist had a sufficiently large team following them.
"Do we really need to use a van?" Joseph asked, puzzled after receiving Hugo's affirmative answer. Currently, Hugo's team consisted of only Joseph; there wasn't even an assistant, so buying a van seemed a bit over the top.
Although Joseph asked this, his tone and expression still showed excitement. Compared to mobile phones, Joseph was clearly more enthusiastic about buying a car. Hugo glanced at Joseph, who had been suppressing his anticipation, and a smile curved his lips. "Now we all use the car together. Especially when everyone goes out, it can get crowded."
The main consideration was for Kal, Charlize, and Alex. After Kal's old car was scrapped, Hugo and the others basically shared one car. While five people could fit in the current car, the space was still tight. If they switched to a van, there would be plenty of room.
Of course, the friends' situation was only one factor; Hugo himself would use the van most of the time. "Even if we don't need it now, there will definitely be a need later. You've had so many trips recently, and didn't you say before that we should consider getting an assistant?" This was the direct reason that prompted Hugo to buy the van.
Joseph started the car, temporarily focusing on the road as he merged back into the moderately busy traffic. "That's true. Sooner or later, it will be necessary." Joseph had initially thought Hugo wanted a sports car or sedan. Excited as he was, that idea was somewhat unrealistic. But buying a van made perfect sense.
"Finding a good assistant isn't easy, so don't rush," Joseph mentioned. For artists, they usually interact most with managers and assistants, not agents. "Or maybe you should find a manager first?"
Hollywood agents were powerful professionals, like Ron Meyer or Rick Rosen. They each managed a dozen or even dozens of artists, working mostly from offices to plan and coordinate projects. They didn't accompany artists closely and mostly served as intermediaries.
Managers and agents were defined quite differently. Almost every artist had an agent, regardless of their level. Agents planned careers, arranged work, and so on. Only top-tier artists had managers. Managers were exclusive to the artist, handling various personal matters, essentially combining the roles of an agent and assistant. By industry practice, agents only earned commission, like the ten percent Hugo paid to International Innovation Management. Managers, however, could earn both commission and project shares, so most managers were the artist's closest and most trusted people—Tom Cruise's manager, for example, was his sister.
In short, agents served as intermediaries for many people, negotiating projects with large companies for the artist—even screenwriters had agents. Managers, on the other hand, were the artist's personal and dedicated staff, bridging the gap between agents and the artist, while supervising assistants, PR staff, makeup artists, stylists, bodyguards, and other miscellaneous tasks.
At present, given Hugo's situation, Joseph, due to his unique position, acted more like Hugo's manager than an agent. In reality, once Joseph succeeded and other artists were willing to sign with him—or like Kal, sign promising newcomers to Joseph's satisfaction—Joseph would revert to an agent role, and Hugo would have to operate solo again.
Therefore, Joseph began preparing to find an assistant for Hugo. Until Hugo reached the level requiring a manager, or found a suitable manager, the assistant would share the miscellaneous tasks around Hugo—like driving him to shows or waking him up in the morning.
Although assistants were easier to find than managers—managers required long-term cooperation based on trust, while assistants changed more frequently—finding a suitable assistant was still not easy, as this assistant would become the artist's most familiar companion.
"I'm not in a hurry. I'm not at all in a hurry, whether it's an assistant or a manager." Hugo truly wasn't anxious; he was used to handling things personally. "As long as you're not in a rush, I won't be either."
Hearing Hugo's words, Joseph couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth. "Don't worry. Until the Oscars are over, I'm not in a hurry." At least in the short term, Joseph didn't have the energy to sign other actors. He needed to ensure Hugo's career advanced smoothly. As the saying goes, sharpening the axe won't delay the work of chopping wood. The better Hugo's results, the higher Joseph's reputation as an agent—a simple arithmetic.
.....
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