Standing at the intersection of Everlasting Street, hidden in the shadows of a building, Hugo looked back at the chaotic swarm of bees and ants, unable to believe he had just been in the very center of it.In fact, there weren't as many people as he had imagined, only about a hundred or so. Beyond this cluster, there were nearly a hundred more onlookers scattered around, watching the commotion, which made the scene appear quite spectacular. Yet, this group of just over a hundred people had managed to completely surround Hugo and Joseph, leaving them in a sorry state.One against a hundred—Hugo now truly understood the terror of it. "A hundred people" might sound like a small number, but only after experiencing it firsthand did he realize that if a hundred people all went insane, the scene would be absolutely terrifying.Three weeks ago, during the opening weekend of "A Few Good Men," Hugo had been mobbed once, but that situation was still within a controllable range, allowing him to truly feel his rising popularity. Today, three weeks later, Hugo experienced another mobbing in a short period, and this time it made him truly understand what it meant to lose all reason. The handsome and charismatic Daniel Kaffee from "A Few Good Men" had become a new heartthrob almost overnight, and with the recent intensive publicity amplifying Hugo's image, fans had lost their minds, willing to go wild for him.Popularity seemed to come so easily, like a sudden summer downpour: one moment the sky was clear, the next, dense raindrops blocked out all light. Hugo's popularity also came so suddenly; he wasn't even prepared for such an explosive reaction, which was truly incredible.However, from this incredible frenzy, one could also see the first signs of "A Few Good Men" repeatedly breaking box office records. Its eight consecutive weeks at the top were certainly enough to make everyone take notice, and the madness at the intersection of Everlasting Street was merely an insignificant beginning."What's going on over there?" A sudden voice startled both the still-shaken Hugo and Joseph. They turned around to see a customer from a nearby shop who had come out, curiously inquiring about the chaos before them.Joseph glanced at Hugo, then subtly positioned himself between Hugo and the customer, blocking most of the view. He calmly said, "Oh, I heard a movie star came out. I think his name is Hugo or something.""Hugo Lancaster? You don't know? The lead actor from 'A Few Good Men'! Wow, he actually appeared! What's he doing here? No, I have to go see him. He's incredibly handsome on the big screen, I definitely have to see him in person!" The customer in front exclaimed excitedly, answering his own questions fluently. Without waiting for Joseph's reaction, he ran towards the crowd, followed by a group of other onlookers eager to join the fun.Watching the group run off, Joseph and Hugo exchanged glances, then burst out laughing. But realizing they couldn't expose their location, they quickly clapped their hands over their mouths and scurried away from Everlasting Street. They kept running until they were a street away, hailed a taxi, and only then did they release their hands and laugh heartily.Tonight's experience was truly surreal. Even after living through it, Hugo still found it unreal, like a scene from a TV show or movie. The distorted, screaming faces in Hugo's mind weren't real people's faces, but rather the abstract imagery of Edvard Munch's painting, which made it all the more comical."Sirs, where are you going?" After driving a block, the taxi driver had to interrupt their laughter and ask.Joseph then realized they hadn't given a destination. "Uh, Four Seasons Hotel on Michigan Avenue." Then he burst into laughter again. This was perhaps the most unrestrained he had laughed in the past year.Hugo finally managed to stop laughing, as his stomach had grown stiff from it. His brain began to function again, and Hugo suddenly thought, "Joe, they kept asking for my autograph, but I didn't sign for anyone. Will they be very unhappy?"Joseph seemed completely unaware that Hugo had called him "Joe" instead of "Joseph," because it all felt so natural. Unbeknownst to them, the two had indeed formed a friendship beyond their working relationship. For two people who were both cautious and wary, this was not an easy feat.Joseph looked at the innocent Hugo before him, and the seriousness in Hugo's brows was so earnest that Joseph was somewhat exasperated. "Hugo, you know that's a very foolish thought, right?" Hugo didn't answer, but his questioning gaze provided his response. Joseph then had no choice but to explain, "You know you can't fulfill everyone's wishes. If a thousand people want your autograph, you can't possibly sign for all of them. On the red carpet, with hundreds of people, due to time constraints, you can't interact with everyone, so you can only fulfill the wishes of a small portion of fans. That's a given. At the same time, it's also a rule for maintaining fans' desire to meet their idols."Hugo understood after the first half that he had once again been like "Grandma Liu" (a character from a classic Chinese novel, implying naivety). Back when he was with the band Glory to Death, they also had fans, but not many. In fact, Hugo basically remembered every face—though he had trouble remembering names, he certainly recognized people he'd seen. It was always the same twenty or thirty people, so Hugo really enjoyed interacting with his fans; it was a great experience.But now, Hugo was clearly facing a situation on a different level. If he still thought about fulfilling every fan's wish, he might as well stop eating and sleeping. Moreover, if all went well, his fan base would gradually grow in the future, making it even harder to cater to everyone. So, after Joseph's reminder, Hugo realized he was being naive."Besides, in that situation just now, if you had stayed to sign autographs, I suspect your clothes would have been torn off in no time," Joseph said, pointing to Hugo's already stretched-out T-shirt as a reminder.Hugo looked down and saw that his T-shirt seemed to be beyond repair. He said glumly, "Oh, I really liked this T-shirt." Suddenly, Hugo remembered something and looked towards the back of the taxi, but behind them was clearly no longer the Everlasting Street area. "What about dinner? What about dinner?!""Pizza?" Joseph could only recommend helplessly.Hugo annoyedly slapped his forehead. He knew going back to Everlasting Street was definitely not practical. "I was looking forward to Chinese food.""You can order takeout," Joseph raised an eyebrow."Eating in the restaurant feels different," Hugo waved his hand gloomily. "Forget it, let's have pizza." He had originally been looking forward to a big meal of his hometown cuisine, but now it was ruined. Hugo was no longer in the mood for any takeout Chinese food; it was truly a letdown. "So, this is what those celebrities mean when they say going out is a hassle!"It was at this moment that Hugo truly experienced what it felt like to be a celebrity for the first time. Many big-name stars found it very difficult to go out, because once they stepped onto the street, they would become the center of attention, even attracting crowds, which could be incredibly annoying. This was also a manifestation of the invasion of a celebrity's private life—their personal time becoming an object of scrutiny. Hugo was gradually embarking on the path of stardom, experiencing all aspects of celebrity life, both good and bad."Does that mean I can't go out on the street anymore?" Hugo asked worriedly.Joseph unceremoniously scoffed, an expression of disdain on his face. "Even Tom Cruise goes out without any problems. You? There's absolutely no problem with you going out. Everlasting Street today was just an accident."Although Joseph's bluntness left no room for sentiment, making Hugo chuckle, Hugo realized that he was in America. In terms of the intensity of celebrity worship, there was a world of difference between Asian and Western countries. What was considered "crazy" in Western countries would be a mere trifle, nowhere near as intense, when compared to Asian countries.In Asia, a top artist going out on the street could very likely be mobbed to the point of being completely stuck, unable to even do simple shopping. It was even commonplace for fans to wait outside an artist's home day and night, affecting their private lives.However, in Western countries, artists usually had no problem going out on the street; at most, they might attract a few more stares. Especially in Los Angeles or New York, where actors are abundant, people are even calmer when they encounter artists. The true adoration in Western countries is mostly expressed at premieres, red carpets, TV show tapings, concerts, and other events—that is, when artists are working.Of course, Western countries also have crazy fans like Asian countries, and their extreme levels are absolutely no less, even making the frenzy of Asian fans seem like child's play. However, in terms of sheer numbers, they simply cannot compare.After being enlightened by Joseph, Hugo also realized that today's incident could indeed be called an accident. He guessed that on one hand, "A Few Good Men" had been dominating December with strong momentum; on the other hand, perhaps the environment of Everlasting Street, which was part of Chinatown, also had some influence, even though many white people were among the crowd that had mobbed them.Back at the intersection of Everlasting Street, after about fifteen minutes of bustling, people finally realized that the main character had disappeared. They wanted to mob Hugo, but the problem was Hugo was long gone, and they were just spinning around in circles like clowns. Once they realized this, reason returned to their minds, and many people were amused by themselves, chuckling as they dispersed.However, a small number of people complained about Hugo's unkindness. Not only did he not sign autographs, give hugs, or say hello, he didn't even wave, fleeing as if under duress, which was truly unpleasant."He's not even fully famous yet, and he's already acting like a big shot. Tsk tsk..." Such remarks quietly began to spread like wildfire.
