August in California was scorching, with the bright sun hanging in the sky, casting down countless rays, as if even the air was about to smoke. Matthew, drenched in sweat, seemed oblivious, striding his long legs, running around a flat piece of land.
Under the large sun umbrella in the center of the field, Hawk Brayton stood like a javelin, shouting loudly, "Straighten your back, Matthew Horner! You are a soldier now!"
Hearing this, Matthew, who was running, immediately straightened his spine, looking like a javelin even while running.
The ten-day training was in its final day, and Matthew had not only become more muscular but also gradually straighter and taller, looking somewhat like a soldier at first glance.
But it was just 'like,' after all, ten days couldn't bring about too drastic changes.
As usual, after running, Matthew, under Hawk Brayton's guidance, adjusted his posture and walking style. These habits were deeply ingrained and required him to practice more.
These were the general contents of the training. Time was very limited, and even an experienced retired officer like Hawk Brayton couldn't cram too much into Matthew.
Ultimately, this was for the audition. Everything was to make Matthew appear naturally suited to play a tough military role during the audition.
Matthew continued to practice in the field as Helen Herman gradually walked over from a distance.
She walked directly to where Hawk Brayton was standing, took off her sun hat, looked at Matthew practicing diligently, and asked, "is his training progressing well?"
Hawk Brayton turned to look at Helen Herman and said, "Much better than I expected."
"Hmm?" Helen Herman looked at him, puzzled.
"There's too little time, so I can't teach much," Hawk Brayton explained. "But he's very serious and very hardworking, much stronger than most of the recruits I've taught!"
Helen Herman had never doubted Matthew's attitude. "What about the results?"
Hawk Brayton pointed to Matthew and said, "Let's put it this way: if you put him among a group of ordinary people, someone like me, who has undergone professional training, would definitely notice him and consider him to have the most military bearing."
Helen Herman nodded. "That's enough."
The reason she agreed to Matthew's suggestion was because she learned from Eric Polk that Tom Hanks would personally participate in the audition for this role. Tom Hanks had undergone more than two months of military training two years prior due to filming "Saving Private Ryan," and in some respects, he was far more familiar with soldiers than ordinary people.
Actually, this was also a risk, but she and Matthew were already at a disadvantage. If they didn't take a risk, the final outcome could only be disappointment.
As for the backup plan, Helen Herman hoped it would always remain a backup.
"Alright, Matthew." Hawk Brayton checked his watch and shouted loudly, "Ten-minute break."
Matthew strode over, but his walking posture was noticeably different from before. His back was ramrod straight, and he carried himself like a leopard ready to pounce at any moment.
Helen Herman took a bottle of mineral water from a box on the ground and handed it to Matthew, only then noticing that Matthew's complexion had darkened significantly, now a light tan. Combined with his robust physique, it highlighted a strong, masculine aura.
She nodded in satisfaction; this would undoubtedly add some weight to the upcoming audition.
Matthew took the water, twisted open the cap, and took several large gulps, then poured the remaining water directly over his head, finally feeling a bit cooler.
The weather was hot, and the training was tiring, but it was all within his tolerance. After all, this was nothing compared to the strenuous labor he used to do on construction sites.
Moreover, if he became famous, that glamorous lifestyle... These vulgar thoughts, like a carrot, enticed Matthew to keep striving forward.
"Your phone is ringing," Helen Herman suddenly reminded him.
Matthew also heard the phone ring, bent down, and retrieved his phone from the box. It showed an unfamiliar number. He pressed the answer button, and as soon as he put it to his ear, he heard a formal voice.
"Hello, may I speak to Mr. Matthew Horner?"
After hearing just one sentence, Matthew was sure he hadn't heard this voice before. He replied, "I am Matthew Horner."
"I am a staff member from the Los Angeles Superior Court..." The person briefly introduced themselves and then said, "Mr. Matthew Horner, you are involved in a breach of contract lawsuit. My colleagues and I are preparing to serve you with a subpoena, which requires your personal signature."
Matthew immediately thought of the contract dispute with the "Forbidden Tarot" production crew.
The person's voice continued to come from the phone receiver, "Where can we find you?"
As time passed, and with no lawyer's letter for a long time, Matthew had optimistically believed the other party had given up, never expecting them to actually pursue legal action.
"Please wait a moment." Matthew covered the mouthpiece. Because Hawk Brayton was present, he vaguely told Helen Herman, "Regarding the liquidated damages, the court wants me to personally sign for the subpoena."
Helen Herman immediately understood what Matthew was referring to. She turned to Hawk Brayton and said, "Let's end the training here. Matthew and I have some urgent matters to attend to."
Hawk Brayton wasn't foolish; he understood the implication of her words. He said, "Alright then, call me if you need anything."
Matthew waved to him, "Goodbye, Hawk. I'll transfer the remaining payment to your account tomorrow."
Hawk Brayton smiled and nodded, then turned and strode away.
In that short time, Helen Herman had already thought of a solution. She said, "Have them send it to the company."
"Hello, are you still there?" Matthew heard the response from the other end, reported an address, and said, "I'll be waiting for you at Angel Agency in an hour."
After speaking, he hung up the phone and cursed, "These bastards!"
Helen Herman beckoned to him. "Let's go, we're heading back."
Matthew followed her to the farm's parking lot. Helen Herman tossed him the car keys. "You drive, I'll contact people to handle this."
Getting into the driver's seat, Matthew started the car and drove out of the estate. Helen Herman, in the passenger seat, was already making a call.
"is that Lawyer Wilson?" She spoke a name Matthew found somewhat familiar. "I have a breach of contract lawsuit here. Yes, it's the client I referred to you a few months ago. The other party has now initiated legal proceedings and is about to issue a subpoena. Can you come over? Okay, I'll wait for you at the company."
After hanging up that call, she immediately dialed another number. "Mr. Clint? This is Helen. I'd like to consult about something. One of my clients is involved in a breach of an acting contract. Yes, he's a union member. Can the union provide assistance? Do you need relevant materials? No problem, I'll send them to you tomorrow."
On the way back to Burbank, Helen Herman made several calls, contacting many people.
Arriving at the Angel Agency building, Matthew parked the car and followed Helen Herman, who had gotten out first, into the building.
"is it very troublesome?" Matthew asked.
To be honest, with an agent helping him, he wasn't as worried as before.
"It's not that troublesome," Helen Herman maintained her usual style. "If it were very troublesome, I'd rather give up on you."
Matthew understood what she meant, shrugged, and said nothing.
In his understanding, this was a very normal thing. After all, he wasn't a star. If the investment cost was high and completely disproportionate to the returns, why would Helen Herman help him?
Just because she was his agent?
Matthew remembered that she also served as an agent for dozens of other actors!
Entering Helen Herman's office, Matthew didn't wait long before Lawyer Wilson arrived first. Not long after, two staff members from the Los Angeles Superior Court also arrived. Accompanied by Lawyer Wilson, Matthew personally signed for the lawsuit subpoena.
After seeing off the court staff, Matthew carefully recounted the entire sequence of events to Lawyer Wilson.
"It's still what I told you last time," Lawyer Wilson said directly. "You breached the contract first, and the other party has sufficient evidence. The best way to handle this is to reach an out-of-court settlement with them."
He returned the subpoena, which he had carefully read, to Matthew. "I'm confident I can cut the amount of liquidated damages by one-third to one-half."
The liquidated damages were fifty thousand dollars, and even if it was one-half, it would still be twenty-five thousand dollars... Matthew finally had a headache. The money he had earned recently had not been saved at all.
He had always held the Luck mentality (lucky mentality) that a nobody like him would be ignored. Now it seemed, this mentality was truly not to be had.
"Okay," Matthew said seriously. "Lawyer Wilson, I'm entrusting this matter to you."
"Let's talk about my fees first," Lawyer Wilson said frankly. "One-fifth of the amount I help you cut will be my remuneration."
Matthew didn't answer immediately. He knew very little about American law, especially entertainment law. He turned to Helen Herman, and seeing her nod to him, he said, "That's fine."
Lawyer Wilson stood up. "I will temporarily stall the other party and then apply for an out-of-court settlement. Mr. Horner, you need to be mentally prepared; this could last several months."
He bid farewell to Helen Herman, then said to Matthew, "Take some time in the next few days to come to my office, and we'll sign a formal Agency Agreement (representation agreement)."
Watching Lawyer Wilson leave, Matthew leaned back in the single sofa, his face clouded with worry. Several tens of thousands of dollars... he couldn't even produce a tenth of that now.
Matthew sat for a while, then, thinking of the job he was about to contend for, asked Helen Herman, "How much will I get paid if I land the role of Ronald Speirs?"
Helen Herman thought for a moment and said, "I estimate it could be between five thousand and six thousand dollars per episode. If the other party has ample budget and I have more favorable factors during negotiations, I might be able to secure eight thousand dollars or more."
Hearing her say that, Matthew instantly perked up. Even if Ronald Speirs only had five episodes of screen time, the character's pay would be almost enough to cover the liquidated damages.
Matthew now had another reason to secure this role!