"That instructor looks really strict!"
Walking side-by-side down the corridor, Michael Cudlitz said to Matthew, "I guess we're in for a tough time during training."
Matthew shrugged. "They won't actually train us like soldiers."
Looking like a soldier and actually being a soldier are two completely different things.
The sound of an engine came from behind, and Matthew guessed a car was approaching. As he stepped aside, he looked back to see a black Land Rover speeding towards them, so close he could see mud splatters on the grille.
The car didn't honk, didn't slow down, and just charged forward, as if Matthew and Michael Cudlitz in the corridor didn't exist.
Matthew almost instinctively took a step to the side. The front of the Land Rover whizzed past him by less than twenty centimeters, but he didn't have time to react further. The rearview mirror on that side brushed against his arm, which was angled outwards, causing his body to sway. Michael Cudlitz, who was nearby, reached out and grabbed his inner arm, preventing Matthew from falling.
The Land Rover didn't slow down at all and in a flash, it had sped towards the exit of the corridor.
"You…" Matthew turned his head and yelled loudly in that direction, "Are you blind?!"
With such a high speed in the corridor, he barely managed to dodge it in time.
Just after that shout, the Land Rover screeched to a halt with a sharp braking sound. The driver's side door was pushed open from inside, and a woman jumped out, walking angrily towards Matthew, clearly having heard what he just said.
"It's that woman from yesterday!" Michael Cudlitz reminded him.
Matthew, of course, recognized her as the assistant producer with the British accent from yesterday.
"What are you yelling about?" The woman's sharp, high-pitched voice carried over. "I didn't even hit you!"
Although the woman was very unfriendly, Matthew remembered Helen Herman's words and didn't want to get into a conflict with the production team. Maintaining a calm tone, he said, "When you came over…"
He pulled up the sleeve of that arm, which still had dust from the rearview mirror. "The car's rearview mirror touched my arm."
"I touched you? Nonsense!" The woman's voice rose again. "When I came over, there was no one in front of the car."
Matthew felt like losing his temper but suppressed it. "I was on your side. So, the car's rearview mirror touched my arm."
This woman, for some unknown reason, grew angrier and angrier. "I touched you? How come I didn't see it? Fine! You say I touched you, let's go to the infirmary to get your injuries checked!"
"What kind of person are you?" Although his arm was a little sore, Matthew had only been brushed and was perfectly fine. He had originally just wanted the other party to apologize. "Your car's rearview mirror touched me, don't you have any sense of reason?"
"Touched you?" The woman took a step forward, practically a raging tigress. "It's a good thing I didn't run you over!"
Matthew's anger could no longer be contained. Regardless of whether the person opposite him was a woman, he clenched his fists and wanted to rush over. Michael Cudlitz quickly pulled him back, reminding him loudly, "Calm down! Calm down!"
Although this wasn't the main entrance of Hatfield Aerodrome, it was the closest temporary entrance and exit to the hotel area where the actors were staying. A large number of cast members quickly gathered on site.
Many of them had flown in with Matthew. A few senior actors glanced at the woman and quickly came over to help Michael Cudlitz restrain Matthew.
"Don't be impulsive, Matthew!" Iain Bailey reminded him in his ear. "If you hit her, you won't be able to stay in this crew."
These words instantly calmed Matthew down. He had put in so much effort to get this role. If he were removed from the crew for hitting someone, he wouldn't even get the penalty for breach of contract.
Seeing Matthew standing still, the woman's arrogance grew even more. "Go! Come with me to get your injuries checked! If there are no injuries, I'll sue you for defamation…"
Matthew's eyelids twitched.
The hand held by Michael Cudlitz was even trembling with anger.
"This woman is going too far."
Whispers spread around, "She hit someone and is still so arrogant."
"He can actually endure it. If it were me, I would have slapped her already…"
"We are just small actors; she is an assistant producer. It's easy for her to manipulate us."
Not only American actors who flew in together, but also a few British accents could be heard.
"Oh, crazy Kate is going crazy again."
"Who is that man? He's going to be unlucky."
"This woman, she has no idea how high the sky is and how deep the earth is. What if that man can't hold back?"
"Crazy Kate is too arrogant."
"Who told her she has a good dad."
The woman named Kate was still yelling. Many of the British actors present knew her, but not one dared to go over and say a few words to her.
"Kate Jeffrey!"
Finally, a man's voice, whose accent was not very discernible, came from the corridor entrance. "Say less."
Then, a middle-aged man in his thirties walked over and went directly to Kate Jeffrey, persuading her, "Stop making a scene. This crew is not a place where you can just cause trouble. Do you want the three main producers of the crew to see this?"
The man's words had an effect. Kate Jeffrey glanced at Matthew, turned, and went back to the Land Rover. She got in and started the car. Just as everyone thought the matter was over, she suddenly rolled down the window, stuck out her arm from inside, and gave a middle finger to the back!
The middle finger!
This finger was clearly for Matthew, but there were too many people behind, and everyone who saw the middle finger from behind the car felt a bit awkward.
The middle-aged man in his thirties couldn't help but shake his head, then turned to look at Matthew and asked, "Are you alright?"
Matthew had already calmed down. "I'm fine."
His eyes remained fixed on the rear of the Land Rover.
"Don't take it to heart," Michael Cudlitz whispered comfortingly. "Just pretend you met a lunatic."
Iain Bailey also chimed in, "That woman is just a psycho."
Matthew took a deep breath, withdrew his gaze, and looked at the middle-aged man in his thirties, nodding slightly. In some ways, this man had saved his career in the crew.
If that woman had continued, he would definitely have lashed out, even if she was a woman.
He was a person with a very deep understanding of the concept of gender equality.
The middle-aged man smiled slightly at him, also nodded, and then walked into the airport.
"This is the male lead, Damian Lewis."
Doug Allen, who had chatted happily with him on the way, came over at this moment. "He's not very famous, but he's a good old man."
Matthew smiled at him and greeted Michael Cudlitz and Iain Bailey, "Let's go."
The group entered the airport and walked towards the training ground. Actors from North America gradually came over to greet Matthew and ask about the situation. They had all flown in on the same plane, and being in England, they were considered compatriots.
Even here, this kind of regional division still existed.
However, Matthew saw very clearly that compared to these people, including Doug Allen, Michael Cudlitz and Iain Bailey were more suitable to get along with.
Passing through the training ground, the group arrived at the dormitory building where the changing rooms were located. When Matthew walked into the changing room, many people looked over, clearly, the news of his conflict had already spread within a small circle.
The changing room contained many lockers, each with the owner's name on it. These had been put up by the crew beforehand, which Matthew guessed was intentional to prevent actors from fighting over lockers. His locker was far from Michael Cudlitz's and Iain Bailey's, located in the furthest corner on the left side upon entering.
Matthew walked past, and the owner of the adjacent locker was already there, changing clothes.
This was someone who looked relatively unfamiliar. He knew all the actors from North America, so he immediately judged that this person might be a British actor.
Walking past that person, Matthew pulled open his locker, took out the clothes and military boots he had put in there yesterday, and just as he was about to take off his jacket, he noticed a wallet lying on the ground.
"Hello," he reminded the person next to him, "Did you drop your wallet?"
The British actor looked down, picked up the wallet, and smiled at Matthew. "Thanks! I was wondering where it went."
"You're welcome."
Matthew thought his smile was very unique, a bit like a shark from an animated movie he once watched, but he couldn't remember the name of the movie because too much time had passed, which made him a little frustrated.
"Still mad about what happened at the entrance?" The British actor had clearly seen it too. "No need, really! That Kate Jeffrey has a very bad reputation in the British acting circle; not many people like her."
Matthew asked, puzzled, "She has a bad reputation but can still join this crew?"
The British actor shrugged. "It's all because she has a good dad." He explained, "Kate Jeffrey's dad is a BBC executive, and she often works on films or TV series invested in by the BBC. She has strong backing, and no one wants to provoke her, so…"
Matthew understood. Helen Herman had told him that the BBC was one of the producers of "Band of Brothers."
"She won't be arrogant for many more years." The British actor also seemed very annoyed by Kate Jeffrey. "I heard my agent mention that old Jeffrey retired from the BBC at the beginning of this year. In a few years, his influence will be gone, and no one will hire someone like Kate Jeffrey anymore."
"Thank you!" Matthew felt that what he said was very useful to him. "Hearing this, I feel much better."
The so-called feeling better was just talk; the anger simmering inside him had not diminished in the slightest.
Matthew extended his hand to the British actor, introducing himself, "Matthew Horner, from Texas."
The British actor shook his hand, then showed his shark-like smile again. "Michael Fassbender, German."
Hearing him say that, Matthew said apologetically, "I thought you were British."
The two chatted for a few minutes. Training time was approaching, so they left the changing room one after another, just in time to see Tom West, the instructor, emerge from the changing room next door.
All the actors, including Matthew, politely greeted him, and then together they went to the training ground.