For agents, their true ability is reflected in their clients—the artist's success is their medal of honor, the very thing that attracts new talent to join them.
Ron Meyer was a highly capable agent. Leaving everything else aside, the ten-year career plan he once crafted for Hugo alone was proof of that. In recent years, many of Ron's artists had done quite well, yet he had one fatal weakness: none of his clients had reached the very top tier.
The so-called "top tier" referred to stars like Arnold Schwarzenegger or Julia Roberts—actors who dominated Hollywood. Ron's most successful client at the moment was Michael Douglas, who had won the Oscar for Best Actor four years ago and, just this year, had reached new heights again with Basic Instinct. But despite his achievements, Ron still fell one step short of the most elite agents—he lacked that one truly top-tier client.
For producers, their value lies in their films—whether it's critical acclaim, box-office performance, or ideally, both. Those are the achievements that give producers leverage and power when dealing with major studios.
Tracy Jacobs was undeniably an outstanding producer. She had worked with Hollywood giants like Universal Pictures, Columbia Pictures, Warner Bros., and 20th Century Fox, and had earned a strong reputation both critically and commercially.
However, over the past three years, Tracy's career had hit a bottleneck. The three films Hugo starred in—all produced by her—had failed commercially, meaning that Hugo's setbacks were also her own. Fortunately, producers were granted more leniency in the industry. Tracy wasn't known for reckless spending, and that frugality preserved her good standing with the studios. Still, making a comeback was no easy task.
Both Ron and Tracy were facing crises in their careers. They needed to find a way to break through the stagnation and reach new heights. The project they were currently developing—its details unknown to Hugo—was clearly an ambitious one. It was certain, however, that they were trying to persuade Universal Pictures to invest.
As for Hugo, he was merely collateral damage. If Ron and Tracy managed to secure that project, he would surely be excluded from it—assuming he was even interested. In Hollywood, it wasn't impossible for an agent and a producer to blacklist an actor. Though not as powerful as a studio, they could still use their influence and connections to quietly shut doors. Once that happened, an actor's career could become extremely difficult.
From the looks of it, that was exactly what Ron and Tracy had done. Starting with A River Runs Through It, continuing with the Basic Instinct premiere, and now their new collaboration—plus The Firm—Hugo strongly suspected that the reason Sydney Pollack hadn't contacted him yet might have something to do with Tracy's interference. Otherwise, it would be far too strange.
After a year of veiled maneuvering, the hidden conspiracy was finally starting to reveal one corner of its blueprint. And this was only the beginning. The greater Ron and Tracy's success, the stronger their influence in Hollywood and the harder it would be for Hugo to rise. Though they didn't directly cross paths, they were now on opposing sides, destined to clash sooner or later—unless one of them completely fell from grace.
Although Hugo had broken through Ron and Tracy's blockade with Scent of a Woman and A Few Good Men, the future was still uncertain. For instance, Sleepless in Seattle was being financed by TriStar Pictures, a subsidiary of Columbia. Could Tracy's influence reach far enough to affect TriStar's decision? After all, Sleepless in Seattle wasn't a major production—smaller films were where personal connections could make the biggest difference.
Still, it was clear that Ron had been shaken by Hugo's resurgence. If Hugo were willing to return to him, he could potentially exploit the cracks in Ron and Tracy's alliance—perhaps even rise like a rocket. But would Hugo ever do that? Absolutely not. There was no room for discussion.
Victor Hugo once said, "I would rather rely on my own strength to open my path than beg for the favor of the powerful." That perfectly captured Hugo's philosophy.
More importantly, although he and Joseph had only been working together for a year—and though Joseph was still young and inexperienced—their friendship was priceless. In a cold, money-driven industry, Hugo was determined to protect that bond.
Just then, Joseph returned, carrying a plate of fruit. Earlier, he had been introduced to several company partners through Rick Rosen, which had delayed him.
In an agency, becoming a partner meant ascending to the top—it was equivalent to becoming part-owner of the company. Every agent had the chance to achieve that. Ron Meyer and Rick Rosen had both risen from ordinary agents to partners.
Thanks to Hugo's stellar performance this year, Joseph had finally drawn the partners' attention for the first time. Though still just a "potential candidate," that alone was a tremendous encouragement.
Walking lightly, Joseph scanned the area—but Hugo wasn't where he had been standing earlier. That wasn't surprising; Hugo had been the center of attention at the luncheon. Joseph looked around and quickly spotted him talking with Gary. He started toward them but paused when he overheard two nearby agents gossiping.
"Did you see Ron talking to Hugo just now?"
"Of course. He's obviously trying to lure Hugo back. Typical Ron—always trying to take shortcuts, even poaching his own company's clients."
"Well, you never know. Maybe Hugo's already thinking about going back. I mean, compare Ron and Joseph—anyone can see the difference. Hugo used to chase after Ron all the time."
"True. Honestly, all of Hugo's success this year came from himself. Joseph didn't really contribute much. Scent of a Woman was an open audition—no real strategy involved. A Few Good Men came from Goodman's referral, and even landing the role had nothing to do with Joseph. Hugo got it on his own and for peanuts, too."
"Ha! You're just jealous. Joseph got lucky—deal with it."
Their voices faded into playful banter, but Joseph froze in place, emotions churning.
Ron talked to Hugo again!
He shouldn't have been surprised. Ron had always been opportunistic. When Hugo's career faltered, he'd dumped him without hesitation, transferring his contract to Joseph. Now that Hugo was back on top, of course Ron wanted to reel him in again.
But… would Hugo say yes?
A year ago, Joseph wouldn't even have needed to ask—Hugo would have jumped at the chance. But now… he wasn't so sure. Joseph wanted to trust him. After everything they had been through this past year, he'd seen Hugo's transformation firsthand. The man had changed—he'd grown. Together, they had fought through countless setbacks and obstacles to get here.
Joseph wanted to believe in Hugo. He truly did.
But still…
Now that Hugo had achieved such remarkable success, the logical side of Joseph couldn't ignore the facts. From an objective standpoint, Ron had far more resources, connections, and experience than he did. If Hugo truly wanted to climb higher, joining forces with Ron would undoubtedly be the smarter move.
And Joseph? He hadn't even managed to finalize the audition for The Firm yet. Every time he called Sydney, he was greeted by the assistant instead; in all this time, he'd only managed to speak to Sydney once—and there had been zero progress since then. Any rational person would know what the right choice was.
That was the simple truth and that truth left Joseph feeling quietly dejected.
He stood there, watching Hugo and Gary chatting and laughing together, their conversation easy and natural. The excitement that had been on Joseph's face slowly froze, giving way to stiffness.
He didn't even notice when Hugo turned and walked over, greeting him cheerfully, "Hey, there you are! Where've you been? You took forever just to grab some fruit."
Joseph looked at Hugo's smiling face, words caught in his throat. He wanted to ask directly—had Hugo really spoken with Ron? What had they talked about? But he didn't know how to bring it up. In the end, he could only probe cautiously.
"Ran into some of the partners," he said softly. "Chatted for a bit. What about you? I bet you've been keeping busy—you definitely haven't had a dull moment today."
Hugo had actually intended to tell Joseph about his encounter with Ron. But after thinking it over, he realized this wasn't the right place for that conversation. The entertainment industry thrived on gossip, and even walls had ears—here, they didn't even have walls. So Hugo decided to wait until later to talk. With that thought, the words on his tongue shifted into something casual.
"Oh, just some polite small talk," Hugo said lightly. "Nothing interesting."
Joseph's expression dimmed instantly. Hugo hadn't told the truth. He hadn't even mentioned Ron.
Joseph wanted to believe in him but at this moment, it was getting harder to do so.
Still, Joseph wasn't angry. He understood the reality of things. People naturally sought higher ground—water flowed to lower places, and people to better ones. Signing with a seasoned agent like Ron was absolutely the smart move; that was just the logical truth. In this industry, such things happened all the time—just like Kal, who had never managed to keep a single artist by his side.
For new agents, emotion and loyalty could only go so far. Without ability, no bond could last. And Joseph knew all too well—he still had much to learn.
So more than anger, what he felt was disappointment—a kind of hollow discouragement that drained all the energy from him. Hugo was still talking cheerfully beside him, his voice bright and animated, but Joseph barely heard a word. Everything went in one ear and out the other.
It wasn't until Rick's thin figure appeared in his line of sight that Joseph snapped out of his daze, realizing he'd been completely lost in thought and had no idea what had just happened.
Then he heard Rick's cheerful voice say, "Come by my office for a bit—I've got a New Year's gift for you."
...
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