In a corner of the restaurant, there was a four-person table with a man and a woman sitting face to face.Facing the restaurant's main entrance was an elegant woman with chestnut-colored, ear-length short hair, wearing a black turtleneck sweater.Her slender face lacked the softness typically associated with women, instead bearing a sharp, almost masculine smile.Only her wrinkled eyes sparkled with wisdom, and her long, delicate fingers held a stemmed glass, through the red wine of which one could discern a subtle elegance at her fingertips.At this moment, the woman was conversing in a low voice with the man opposite her.This elderly man, wearing a blue-black shirt, had a large physique, easily blocking the gazes from around them and concealing the woman opposite him from the view of the entrance.As the old man had his back to the entrance, his face was unclear, but one could see his head, two-thirds bald, and a neatly trimmed salt-and-pepper goatee on his chin.The woman held her wine glass in her right hand, whispering something, and then both she and the old man chuckled softly.Their elegant smiles, in the dimly lit restaurant, were enveloped in a hazy glow, as pleasant as a spring breeze.This was the scene Hugo and Joseph encountered as they entered the restaurant.Although Joseph had clearly stated that the woman was Nora Ephron, Hugo still found it somewhat unreal.Nora was already fifty-one years old this year, yet the elegance in every movement of the woman before Hugo made one overlook her age, only to involuntarily marvel at a capable yet unostentatious powerhouse.This kind of temperament was indeed not something ordinary people could possess.While Nora did not achieve the same brilliant success as Kathryn Bigelow, who became the first woman in history to win an Oscar for Best Director with "The Hurt Locker"—an achievement worthy of being remembered forever—Nora never even received a Best Director nomination throughout her life, only being nominated as a screenwriter; she never won an Oscar statuette.However, Nora, along with another female screenwriter and director, Nancy Meyers, became a leading figure among Hollywood female directors, using their delicate and romantic perspectives to elevate the 'chick flick' genre to new heights.Nora's works included "When Harry Met Sally," "Sleepless in Seattle," "You've Got Mail," and "Julie & Julia."Although her body of work wasn't extensive, the years of her films spanned from 1983 to 2009, a full twenty-six years.She imbued the chick flick with a meaning far beyond "romantic comedy," making this genre an irreplaceable type in film history.The Nora before him was the best embodiment of this; she possessed such ability!Joseph gently patted Hugo's arm, bringing Hugo back to his senses, and then the two walked over together.Nora was the first to see Hugo, then gave the old man opposite her—Rob Reiner—a meaningful look, and both stood up, expressing their welcome to Hugo with this gesture."Hugo, thank you for coming to meet me today." Nora had a gentle smile on her face.After introductions and ordering, she slowly began to get to the point."I don't know what Rob told you, but in my opinion, you are not my first choice."Clean and straightforward, without any prevarication, Nora immediately expressed her stance to Hugo, which was truly unexpected.Rob couldn't help but smile helplessly; he clearly understood his friend's personality.But Joseph was stunned, and his first reaction was to blurt out, "But you didn't give Hugo a chance to speak, did you?"After Joseph finished speaking, he realized that he still needed more practice and was a bit too eager, so he adjusted his breathing and continued, "I think you should at least talk to Hugo and draw conclusions after dinner."Hugo knew Joseph was performing his duties as an agent, so he didn't rush to speak.If he hadn't met Nora before, Hugo's reaction would have been similar to Joseph's, either impatient or surprised.But after meeting Nora just now, Hugo knew that this powerhouse woman, who would stand firm in Hollywood's "male-dominated" circle for over fifteen years, couldn't do it without some serious skills.In Hugo's opinion, since Nora agreed to dinner today, she was actually giving Hugo a chance.Regardless of whether her reason for agreeing to dinner was Rob's friendship or other reasons, and regardless of her direct rejection of Hugo just now, the dinner process itself was Nora's time to assess Hugo."That's natural, let's have dinner first." Nora still smiled as she politely said to Joseph, then she looked at Hugo with some curiosity, "What do you think?""Of course, my stomach is already rumbling, praying it doesn't disturb the people at the next table," Hugo replied with a smile, speaking with gentlemanly humor, which made Nora and Rob chuckle.However, Joseph still looked at Hugo with some concern, but at this point, Joseph had also calmed down.Just like with "A Few Good Men" last time, the dining process was essentially an audition.Joseph tried his best to speak well for Hugo, but as an agent, that was all he could do.Winning the role truly depended on Hugo himself, after all, it was Hugo, not Joseph, who would be on the big screen.Nora apparently hadn't anticipated Hugo's composure, as Hugo was only twenty-five, while Joseph was twenty-eight.Comparatively, Joseph was more impatient, while Hugo possessed a maturity beyond his youth.If Nora had known that despite his youth, Hugo had already been knocking about in society for ten years, and from the bottom rung at that, she might not have been so surprised.Unfortunately, Nora didn't know."You don't have any thoughts on my previous point?" Nora raised an eyebrow slightly.Rob, sitting opposite, couldn't help but shake his head, "Nora!"Rob felt that they had agreed to eat first, but Nora was bringing up the same topic again, which was unnecessary.Hugo, however, acted as if he hadn't heard Rob, smiling as he met Nora's slightly sharp gaze, "Yes, of course, I do.I came to this dinner to fight for this role, not for a free meal..." At this point, Hugo paused, looking at Rob, "Rob, you're paying for this dinner, right? Or am I being impolite?"This made Rob burst out laughing.He also caught a glimpse of a mischievous glint in Hugo's eyes.Recalling the situation during the filming of "A Few Good Men," Rob felt much more at ease.And Joseph, sitting opposite, seeing Hugo's composed expression, finally felt a little more settled, but still kept half an eye on Nora's expression.Nora's smile widened slightly."I should pay for this meal; this is my project." On the surface, Nora was responding to Hugo's teasing, but at the same time, she was also indicating: she was the one with the final say here.Hugo took a slight deep breath internally, telling himself that this audition was different from "A Few Good Men"; it required composure and subtlety, not aggression.He absolutely couldn't lose his composure, or all his efforts would be in vain.Then, Hugo showed no outward change, turning to Nora, "That's a relief; the dish I just ordered seemed quite expensive."His words, neither soft nor hard, yet with a touch of childishness, made one unable to help but laugh.But Joseph and Rob secretly broke into a cold sweat.Hugo continued, "I'm more curious, Nora, what is it about me that you're not satisfied with?I think I should know so I can improve." This made the four-person table suddenly fall silent.Hugo was turning the tables, as an actor auditioning, he was actually initiating an attack on the director.Such an unconventional approach truly made one's heart race.However, fortunately, Hugo's words were not sharp, nor was his tone accusatory; it was more of a friendly, gentlemanly, and polite inquiry, which prevented the atmosphere from becoming worse."I heard Rob mention it before, and I briefly understood the role this time.I'm guessing, on one hand, it's because I'm too young, and on the other hand... *sigh*, although it's a bit embarrassing to say, it seems to be because I'm too handsome?"Hugo's question, tinged with a smile, spilled from the corners of his smiling lips, making Nora unable to help but laugh aloud."I'll take that expression as a definite yes," Hugo said, looking at Nora."Then I suppose I should be happy, right? Getting compliments is always a good thing, isn't it?"After Hugo finished, he looked at Joseph.Joseph didn't react at first, but after a brief pause, he quickly spoke, "But if that becomes the reason you're rejected, it's not so great."After Joseph finished speaking, he glanced at Hugo and saw the smile in Hugo's eyes.Joseph knew that he had said the right thing.Thankfully, there was finally some rapport between the two of them, no longer like the "A Few Good Men" audition where there was no communication at all.Nora didn't speak immediately but looked at Hugo playfully.Hugo's few words just now, seemingly just polite remarks, had revealed different qualities to her.Maturity, steadiness, humor, intelligence, gentleness... these were qualities Nora hadn't expected, and also what she hoped to see in the character of Sam.In other words, Hugo was using this method to demonstrate his abilities, hoping to leave Nora with a reliable and accurate impression.Suddenly, Nora became interested in this twenty-five-year-old young man before her.She remembered what Rob had said when recommending Hugo to her: "He'll surprise you."So, Nora slightly adjusted her sitting posture, scrutinizing Hugo's attire with an inquiring gaze."Then let's discuss this script.I think... let's start with your outfit today." At this moment, Nora's gaze was no longer gentle but held a hint of pickiness and scrutiny, immediately making Hugo feel pressure."This... what exactly is it? A tramp?"
