"Why did you give the exclusive interview to the 'Los Angeles Times'?" Hugo asked Joseph as the two of them walked west along Sunset Boulevard, a faint look of confusion in Hugo's eyes. "Is it because Nicholas spoke up for our movie this time?"Recalling the past grievances between Nicholas McLaren and Hugo, there really weren't many pleasant memories besides this time with 'a few good men'. Even during the individual interview for the 'scent of a woman' crew, Nicholas's subsequent report still praised Hugo while subtly mocking him, not to mention that previous reports showed no positive influence whatsoever.So, when an exclusive interview was mentioned, Hugo's first reaction could have been any media outlet, but he absolutely never expected it to be the 'Los Angeles Times'. This was the first exclusive interview of Hugo's own life; he had originally fantasized about having a friendly communication with the reporter, but now those dreams were shattered because of Joseph's decision."Because they have enough influence, and because they have enough sincerity." Joseph gave a helpless smile. The influence of the 'Los Angeles Times' throughout the West Coast region was unquestionable. Even specialized film magazines like 'Variety' and 'The Hollywood Reporter' were slightly inferior because the 'Los Angeles Times' had a comprehensive influence that truly could not be ignored."Besides, this isn't the only exclusive interview; it's just that the 'Los Angeles Times' was scheduled first. Why do you mind so much? You'll have to talk to them sooner or later anyway." Joseph looked at Hugo with surprise. He naturally couldn't understand Hugo's sentiment about it being his "first time," thinking it was just a regular interview. Although Hugo hadn't had an interview request in the past year, in the three years prior, Hugo had experienced more interviews than he could count on his fingers and toes; it shouldn't be anything special.Hugo opened his mouth but couldn't directly argue back. Finally, he could only stammer, "Because I have to prepare for questions about the Golden Raspberry Awards again, and I don't want to ruin my good mood." Back then, the 'Los Angeles Times' had been the most fervent in following the Golden Raspberry Awards."I thought you didn't care about the Golden Raspberry Awards at all." Joseph was somewhat surprised. Whether it was on the night of the awards ceremony or his performance afterward, Hugo had been very calm and composed, seemingly not suffering at all from the blow of the Golden Raspberry Awards.Hugo spread his hands and shrugged without answering, but this direct action made Joseph feel relieved.No one would truly not care about the Golden Raspberry Awards; Hugo was just using self-deprecation and optimism to face the difficulty. It was like someone accidentally falling into a puddle but not crying or getting depressed, instead standing back up strongly—but that didn't mean the person would have a good impression of that puddle. Replacing the puddle with excrement would be even more vivid.It was three o'clock in the afternoon, the beginning of Sunset Boulevard's most beautiful moment. The orange winter sunlight cast a nostalgic hue over the vinyl record stores, used bookstores, and coffee shops on both sides of the street. The palm trees broke the sunlight into mottled and trivial pieces, like vast amounts of crystal scattered all over the ground, reflecting a delicate and tranquil beauty.Strolling leisurely on such a road, temporarily putting down the pressures of life, the frustrations of work, and the burdens of making a living by one's feet, relaxing the shoulders, and walking with a light step while chasing one's shadow under the sun provided a unique sense of leisure and happiness in the midst of a busy life.Hugo and Joseph's steps stopped in front of a gray concrete wall. On this gray concrete wall, two glass panels seven feet high and four feet wide were embedded six feet apart. The one on the left was a floor-to-ceiling window, while the one on the right was a sliding door. To the right of the sliding door, "1331" was neatly written in charcoal; this was the house number, their destination. Above the sliding door, "Intelligentsia Coffee" was written in white and red font.As they pulled open the sliding door, a rich coffee aroma immediately came rolling in, mixed with the sunlight, as if entering Willy Wonka's chocolate factory, stepping into a colorful and wonderful world."Hey, over here." As soon as Hugo walked in, a voice came from the left. Turning his head, he saw Nicholas McLaren wearing a black shirt. Nicholas was actually a vibrant young handsome guy with short blond hair, a sharp square face, and a pair of narrow eyes that were always half-squinted, as if he were calculating something at every moment. In fact, Nicholas was only one year older than Hugo.Nicholas greeted them warmly, proactively shaking hands with both Hugo and Joseph. "So, do you have any preferences for coffee?""Anything is fine for me, but Hugo is more picky." Joseph could feel Nicholas's obvious initiative. As an agent, he had to shoulder the responsibility of communication, so he took the lead in responding and then looked at Hugo with an inquiring gaze.Nicholas also looked at Hugo from the side, his tone rising slightly. "Hugo, do you have some knowledge about coffee?"In the past, Hugo's knowledge of coffee was mostly theoretical; he couldn't even eat his fill, so how could he have spare money for coffee? It was just a hobby. However, in the year since he crossed over, while other circumstances were hard to discern, Hugo's coffee habit had thoroughly taken root. His home was fully equipped with professional tools like a coffee machine, coffee beans, and coffee cups."No, it's just a hobby, I wouldn't call it research." As Hugo spoke, he turned his head to look around the coffee shop. Actually, Hugo could only be considered a beginner coffee enthusiast now; he had just moved beyond the low-level tastes of Starbucks and started brewing coffee at home, still far from being truly professional. However, the coffee shop before him piqued Hugo's intense interest.This Intelligentsia Coffee shop didn't have much complex decoration; it looked like a simple warehouse conversion. Slate-gray concrete walls filled the view, and the interior decoration style was like a laboratory—a post-modern artistic laboratory. In the center was the area for brewing coffee and the cash register, filled with a dazzling array of professional equipment. The surrounding counters were designed in a bar style, with many customers sitting there. Simple booths were placed randomly along the four walls of the space. In the west corner, there was a shelf with various jars and bottles, some shaped like flower pots and others like test tubes, making it look entirely like a chemistry lab—or a medical lab."Are you sure this is a coffee shop?" This was Hugo's first thought, although the rich coffee aroma and the black liquid in the customers' hands were telling him: this is a coffee shop.Nicholas chuckled. "I thought this should be your territory." The sarcasm in this sentence was all too obvious. On one hand, this was Sunset Boulevard, less than a ten-minute walk from Hugo's home; on the other hand, if Hugo really knew about coffee, he should be better at discovering good coffee.This sentence immediately reminded Hugo that the reporter in front of him could never really be considered a friend. So Hugo shrugged and replied coolly, "If I owned this place, I think my bank account would tell me." Hugo deliberately twisted the deep meaning in Nicholas's words, narrowing the definition of "territory" to Intelligentsia Coffee rather than Sunset Boulevard. This rebuttal actually made Nicholas's smile more relaxed."The coffee here is famous for its innovation and professionalism." Nicholas seemed not to notice Hugo's counterattack and brought the topic back to the coffee shop. "Although the time it takes to prepare a cup of coffee can be long enough to make people want to turn and leave, if you allow it, these professional baristas have their own curated coffee menus. They will blend new styles of coffee based on their own whims and will also listen to customer feedback for improvements."This did give Hugo a bit more interest. He raised his eyebrows and looked up at the menu hanging above. Sure enough, he saw a small blackboard for the "Today's Barista Menu." It was clearly updated daily, but it didn't have specific coffee names written on it, just a person's name: Nathan Skyer.Clearly, this was the specialty of Intelligentsia Coffee—the barista brings a surprise to the customer. One only knows what coffee they've ordered when it's in hand. This was a very bold experiment, suitable for those who like innovation.Hugo immediately said to the clerk taking orders, "Give me a Nathan Skyer." The clerk nodded with a smile. Hugo turned to look at Joseph, who didn't have many requirements for coffee. He thought for a moment, "A cappuccino."Nicholas looked at Joseph with some surprise; there truly weren't many men who liked cappuccinos. Hugo wasn't surprised at all. Joseph had always had a special hobby for sweets. Recalling the scene last time Joseph ordered a caramel macchiato, the sound of Joseph asking for "extra caramel" kept echoing in Hugo's mind, and he couldn't help but chuckle.Joseph was long used to such situations and didn't care at all. He turned to look at Nicholas. "So, I think our work can begin."Nicholas quickly snapped back to attention and said with a smile, "My work has already begun." Then he looked at Hugo. "Do you like drinking coffee very much? What do you usually like to drink?" A so-called exclusive interview was actually an in-depth understanding of the subject; as for the direction of that understanding, it was controlled by the reporter. Hobbies were one of them.Hugo followed behind Nicholas toward the seat he had previously claimed. On the raw wood coffee table lay a notebook, a pen, a voice recorder, and a cup of coffee that was one-third finished. This coffee had no foam or milk. Although the specific type of coffee was unknown, one could roughly guess that Nicholas was not a fan of sweets—at least not when it came to coffee."It's just an interest. Lately, I've been trying Supremo." Hugo sat down in the window seat and watched as Nicholas across from him picked up the voice recorder and toyed with it in his palm."Supremo? Bitter with a hint of sweetness and a unique aroma; it is indeed a very good choice." It seemed Nicholas was also someone who knew about coffee, using this method to relax the atmosphere between both parties.
