Michael Sheen circled the Red Penguin Services Company a few times, but didn't find any trace of Matthew Horner. He simply went to a nearby bar.
He had heard Matthew Horner mention that when the Red Penguin Company had no business at night, he would come here with a few other drivers from the company to drink. This bar was also a gathering place for aspiring Hollywood hopefuls.
Michael Sheen queued up to enter the bar and found a tall stool at the spacious bar counter. He ordered a large glass of beer, took a sip, and quickly scanned the bar.
There were many young men and women gathered there, but the familiar figure was nowhere to be found.
The air circulation in the bar was poor and it was a bit stuffy. Michael Sheen put down his glass and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, subtly revealing his muscular chest.
The fact that he made it to the second round of Britney's MV audition proved that he was indeed quite capable.
"Bill, please!"
The person on the stool next to him left a banknote and got up to leave. Michael Sheen turned his head to look and saw that the newspaper he had left on the bar counter hadn't been taken.
The person seemed to no longer want the newspaper and left the bar without looking back.
The light scattered on the bar counter illuminated the newspaper's layout. Michael Sheen was about to look away when he noticed that the person in the newspaper's picture looked familiar.
He quickly reached out and picked it up, and after just one glance, a burning pain seemed to return to his backside.
The person in the picture was Matthew Horner, holding a girl who was now very famous—Britney Spears!
"Pop Princess Britney Falls for Poor Boy from Texas..."
There was also a headline nearby. Michael Sheen felt a pang in his heart. Had Matthew Horner become famous just like that? And even hooked up with a big star like Britney Spears?
He suddenly felt a surge of anger, as if something that belonged to him had been forcibly snatched away!
Originally, this male lead role should have been his. He should have been on the front page of the newspaper, he should have been famous, and he should have been the one to get Britney! All of this should have been his!
"Matthew Horner..." Michael Sheen's hands, gripping the newspaper, gradually tightened. The newspaper quickly crumpled into a ball of waste paper. "You scumbag who framed me!"
He crumpled the newspaper into a ball and tossed it under the bar counter, then picked up his glass and took a big gulp of beer.
Michael Sheen put down his glass, his emotions surging, and the words he had suppressed in his heart spilled out, "I must become a big star!"
As soon as he said this, a bald white man sitting next to him at the bar turned to look, immediately drawn by Michael Sheen's good looks.
"Hey, handsome."
Suddenly, Michael Sheen heard a man's voice from behind him, "Can I buy you a drink?"
Michael Sheen turned to look. A long-haired man, even taller and more muscular than him, walked over. For some reason, he always felt there was something strange about this man.
The long-haired man pulled over a tall stool and sat next to Michael Sheen, specifically looking at his muscular chest, then said, "Are you interested in having some fun tonight?"
Hearing this, Michael Sheen immediately understood what was going on and rejected him with disgust, "You've got the wrong idea, I'm not gay."
"You're not?" The man clearly didn't believe him and suddenly reached out to touch Michael Sheen's backside. "I saw you when you came in. I can tell you've recently been 'taken from behind'!"
These words undoubtedly hit Michael Sheen where it hurt the most. He suddenly stood up, "Don't talk nonsense!"
Although his words were harsh, he was clearly a bit flustered. He threw a dollar bill at the bartender and turned to walk out of the bar.
Seeing Michael Sheen's anger, the burly man didn't press the issue further.
However, the bald white man followed him.
Outside the bar,
Michael Sheen felt an indescribable gloom. After taking two steps forward, he unconsciously looked back at his backside, as if something unsightly had grown there.
"Sir!" A voice came from behind, "Please wait!"
Michael Sheen turned again and saw a bald middle-aged man following him. Thinking he had encountered another gay man, anger and disgust flashed in his eyes.
The bald man apparently guessed what Michael Sheen was thinking and introduced himself as he caught up, "My name is Morris, an entertainment agent."
"An entertainment agent?"
Hearing this, Michael Sheen's attitude immediately did a 180-degree turn. After being released from his long-term contract by Angel Agency, he hadn't found a suitable agency yet.
"Hello." He extended his right hand proactively, "I'm Michael Sheen, an actor."
"I know." The bald white man was clearly not new to this kind of thing and was very experienced. He shook Michael Sheen's right hand and bluffed, "I once saw you on set. You're a very promising actor. It's a shame I missed you then, otherwise I would have signed you long ago. I never expected to meet you here tonight."
As he spoke, the bald white man pulled out his agent's license and handed it to Michael Sheen. Michael Sheen took it and looked it over; it was indeed a formal entertainment agent's certificate issued by a relevant industry association.
"Do you... need something?" Michael Sheen returned the certificate.
"Your image..." The bald white man circled Michael Sheen, "Your appearance is excellent, very suitable for a certain role."
Michael Sheen was at his lowest point emotionally and in his career, the darkest time. Hearing the bald white man's words, he couldn't help but ask, "What... what role?"
"It's like this," the bald white man began to explain in detail, "The agency I work for has signed a package production agreement with a production company, where the agency is responsible for recruiting everyone from directors to actors."
"What production company? What project?" Michael Sheen asked.
The bald white man didn't answer but gave a convincing reply to Michael Sheen, "This involves a confidentiality clause. I can't say anything before you're involved."
Michael Sheen nodded and didn't ask further, as this was a common situation in Hollywood.
The bald white man, Morris, was skilled in his trade. "I can reveal a little to you within appropriate limits: the crew currently needs a very sunny and handsome supporting actor."
He specifically circled Michael Sheen again. Michael Sheen quickly puffed out his chest and lifted his head, but his backside unnaturally stuck out, making him look a bit odd.
Morris continued, "Your physical condition is excellent!"
Michael Sheen then remembered something Matthew often said and confidently stated, "I think so too."
"You're very suitable for the supporting role I mentioned." The bald white man smiled and asked, "Do you have an agent now? Do you have a long-term contract with an agency?"
Michael Sheen quickly shook his head, "No."
The bald white man clapped his hands hard, "That's great!" He looked at Michael Sheen and said, "This role doesn't have a very heavy part."
Hearing him say that, Michael Sheen believed him a bit more. An important role couldn't just fall into his lap for no reason.
But if the part wasn't heavy... he then felt a little dissatisfied, as a minor role meant it was insignificant.
The complexity of human psychology was fully revealed in Michael Sheen at this moment.
The bald white man, Morris, seemed to have guessed Michael Sheen's thoughts and added, "This supporting role mainly has one scene, a very intense action scene with the female lead!"
"Female lead?" Hearing this, Michael Sheen's interest greatly increased, "Are you filming an action scene?"
"Hmm..." Morris thought for a moment and said, "That's not wrong. We are filming a movie that blends elements of love, romance, and action."
"Sounds pretty good." Michael Sheen felt this was an opportunity.
"It's getting late, I should go back and rest. I have work tomorrow." Morris saw that his target was interested and knew it was time to string him along a bit. He pulled out a business card and handed it to Michael Sheen, "This is my business card. If you're interested, you can call this number and come to my agency tomorrow to discuss it in detail."
Michael Sheen took the business card, carefully put it away, and said, "See you tomorrow, Mr. Morris."
"See you tomorrow." Morris waved and left.
Only Michael Sheen remained. He had suffered repeated setbacks recently, and his entire being, from body to mind to confidence, had encountered some problems. Now, seeing an opportunity appear again, he couldn't help but feel a sense of vindication, and a bright future seemed to appear before him once more.
And this time, there wouldn't be a despicable person like Matthew Horner messing things up behind his back!
Since the MV's costume audition was completed, Matthew had not paid any attention to Michael Sheen. During this time, Michael Sheen had called him several times, but he hadn't answered.
It wasn't that he was afraid or felt guilty towards Michael Sheen, but rather that Michael Sheen was already in the past. His gaze needed to look forward, and there were still a bunch of people he needed to surpass.
The scandal between him and Britney fermented in the newspapers for three whole days. Matthew was not only chased and blocked by paparazzi but also successfully made the front page of many tabloids, and his name was even mentioned in a few major newspapers.
Compared to being unknown before, he could be said to have instantly become famous.
Three days later, Helen Herman returned to Los Angeles and immediately contacted Britney's agent and record company. The three parties sat down and talked for less than half an hour, quickly reaching a consensus.
On the day the MV filming restarted, they jointly accepted media interviews to clarify the non-existent scandal.
For Matthew, this was already a very good outcome. He basically didn't give up anything and gained a certain amount of fame.
According to Helen Herman, fame would be very helpful for securing future roles.
Because fame often means attention, and attention can, to some extent, be converted into profit for investors.
During these three days, Matthew had visited Britney at the hospital again. Britney recovered quite quickly, and on the fourth day, the MV filming resumed as normal.