NOVEL WEB Chapter 6: Unequal Agreement
The music gradually died down, and the villa was shrouded in darkness. Matthew emerged from a side door, quickly turned off his DV camera, and under the light of a street lamp, he saw someone approaching. He immediately ducked behind a bush to avoid the security patrol and then tucked the DV into his tote bag, covering it with his jacket. He looked around cautiously; all was quiet. He hurried toward the manor's entrance.
He still had images in his head from what he had sneakily witnessed in the villa's banquet hall, and he couldn't help but feel envious. "This is the life!"
Johnny Lee Miller was taking on six sexy women alone—a scene that was quite thrilling!
"These guys really know how to have fun!" As he passed a fountain, Matthew stopped hiding and walked out along the driveway. "One against six is just wasteful!"
He shook his head. These rich and famous Hollywood stars really knew how to live the good life!
Soon, Matthew reached the entrance of the manor and waved at the guard, "Thanks, man!"
The guard didn't suspect anything; it had only been about fifteen minutes. He nodded and said, "If you need to pick someone up, I'll let you know in advance."
"Sure! Sure!" Matthew quickly replied, "No problem."
He exited through a small gate next to the guard and walked towards his Ford minivan. The job had gone smoothly and without incident.
Reaching the vehicle, Matthew opened the door and climbed into the driver's seat. Angelina Jolie immediately looked at the tote bag in his hands. "Did you get it?"
Matthew didn't reply but instead pulled out the DV camera, turned on the small screen, and faced it towards Angelina Jolie, pressing the play button. The screen displayed indecent images, and the loud, chaotic noises were relentless.
"Good!" Angelina Jolie's expression darkened. "I'll have someone bring the money."
As she took out her phone to make a call, Matthew interrupted her, "Wait a moment, Miss Jolie!"
Angelina Jolie looked over, her eyebrows furrowing deeply.
Matthew turned off the DV camera and said weakly, "Besides the five thousand dollars, I have a very small request."
He looked at Jolie, trying to speak as softly as possible, "It's really small."
Angelina Jolie looked at the DV camera in his hand and said coldly, "Speak!"
"Miss Jolie," Matthew carefully chose his words to avoid ruining everything. "I'm also an actor, an unknown minor actor, nothing compared to a big star like you. I haven't had any work for a long time."
Angelina Jolie's expression became even more stern, seeming ready to interrupt, but Matthew quickly continued, "Please let me finish, I beg you!"
Regardless of whether Angelina Jolie was listening or not, he hurriedly spoke, "I just want to ask you to help me get a job when it's appropriate."
"Impossible!" Angelina Jolie flatly refused. "I'll have the money brought to you. You're too greedy!"
Matthew knew she had misunderstood and quickly clarified, "I'm not asking for a named role or one with lines, just to appear in the background!"
He was very careful with his words, speaking in a genuinely pleading tone, careful not to sound like he was making a threat.
Angelina Jolie sat there for a moment in silence, assessing Matthew, and realized he was smarter than she thought.
"He's greedy," she thought, "but he knows when to stop."
A minor background role was indeed no trouble for her, especially since she was the second female lead in the film she was currently shooting—a word to the casting director through her assistant would suffice.
What mattered more to her? Ensuring her cheating husband was ruined in the upcoming divorce, or a trivial favor like this?
"Hmm…" Angelina Jolie suddenly smiled.
Years ago, she would not only have refused but would have had her bodyguards handle him, even if it meant losing the footage. But people grow up. She couldn't always be that crazy, confused young girl. As she aged, her mind had sharpened.
Would her career have improved over the years otherwise?
"Do you have a business card?" Angelina Jolie finally spoke.
Hearing this, Matthew quickly wrote down his number and handed it to her. She stuffed it into her pocket and dialed a number, "Bring the money."
Matthew sighed in relief, sensing that he might have seized the opportunity.
But he immediately became alert again as a burly Caucasian man approached. Luckily, the man just handed a paper bag to Angelina Jolie and quickly left.
Angelina Jolie opened the paper bag, revealing a stack of fresh bills clearly prepared in advance. Without another word, she tossed the bills at Matthew, who caught them and returned the DV camera to her.
After securing the camera
, Angelina Jolie prepared to leave the car and then turned back, curious, "Aren't you worried I won't keep my word?"
"Worried," Matthew honestly replied. "But there's nothing I can do about it. I have to take a chance on your integrity."
Their status and power were too mismatched. Jolie had her bodyguards there, probably armed. What could he do? This had been an unequal verbal agreement from the start, and if Jolie chose not to honor it, he would have to accept his loss.
Matthew was betting that this small favor wouldn't be too much trouble for Angelina Jolie and that, having secured the $5,000, even if she lied, he still came out ahead.
Probably because she got what she wanted, Angelina Jolie's mood visibly improved. "Just keep quiet."
Without the video, talking would be pointless, especially in Hollywood, where every star had rumors—true or false—floating around them. Without evidence, it would always remain just a rumor.
Matthew zipped his lips, "I promise!"
He certainly wouldn't talk now. Maybe without Angelina Jolie's help, he would have had other opportunities in the future. After all, the barrier to becoming an extra wasn't high, but today's experience made him unwilling to wait. He was eager to live a better life, like Johnny Lee Miller at the manor.
As long as Angelina Jolie kept her promise, it would greatly accelerate the process.
Although he was in a new country, Matthew believed that having connections made things easier.
Angelina Jolie left the car, disappearing into the night. Matthew guessed it wouldn't be long before she divorced Johnny Lee Miller, who would likely face a significant financial loss.
"Is this too unscrupulous?" Matthew thought of professional ethics, then shook his head. "For a small-timer like me wanting to make it big, I can't afford to be rigid!"
As for ethics? Talking about them could wait until he had money.
He flicked the $5,000 in his hand, savoring the crisp sound. "The feeling of having money…" he murmured as he caressed the bills, "is really damn good!"
After securing the money, he sat back and read a magazine for a while. Checking the time, Matthew locked the car and went to sleep in the backseat. When he woke, dawn had broken. After grabbing a bottle of water from the car, he quickly rinsed his mouth and washed his face, and soon the guard at the manor gate came to tell him to pick someone up.
Matthew drove to the villa's main entrance, where six disheveled girls got into the car one after another. They reeked of alcohol and smoke, among other indescribable scents, and their faces were filled with exhaustion, seemingly worn out from a sleepless night.
The models sat silently in their seats, including Rachel, who had chatted with him the previous day but now collapsed from fatigue.
Matthew started the car, shaking his head slightly at the sight. These girls might seem glamorous, but...
He stopped himself from thinking further and drove the models back to their homes, then returned the car keys to the company as required, his day's work completed.
After finishing work, he immediately visited a nearby real estate agency. Now that he had some money, he was ready to rent a suitable living space.
Resting reasonably well the previous night, Matthew was energetic enough to visit three real estate agencies and view seven ordinary studio apartments. Finally, he rented a small, move-in-ready room in an old apartment building on the outskirts of Westwood. The room was tiny, less than 200 square feet with a tiny bathroom, and due to the peeling wall paint, the rent was only $400 a month. Matthew paid for six months upfront, securing his foothold in Los Angeles.
That evening, he continued driving for Red Penguin Company. The job was routine and did not interfere much with his rest, allowing him to stay energetic for other activities.
The next morning, just after leaving Red Penguin Company, Matthew's phone rang.
He pressed the answer button, and a professional female voice came through, "Hello, this is Vanessa, Miss Jolie's assistant…"