Chapter 11 - 011 Returning with a Feather

Hugo wasn't sure if he was overthinking things, because he truly didn't know how the audition process for a lead role worked. Never mind Hollywood auditions, even the audition procedures back home were unclear to him.Therefore, Hugo couldn't determine if he was just letting his imagination run wild or if his sixth sense was kicking in.Just a moment ago, Hugo had been immersed in the excitement of being able to throw himself into the performance, so he hadn't paid much attention to it. But at this very moment, Elizabeth's abnormality made Hugo alert.Without much hesitation, he blurted out, "Elizabeth, why were my lines Newman's, not Paul's? Does this mean the role I'm auditioning for has changed?" Hugo expressed his inner thoughts directly.When Elizabeth heard Hugo's bluntness, she paused for a moment before offering a calm smile."No," she shook her head, emphasizing her denial. "No, I just wanted to see your control over the lines. The role isn't the most important thing; I just chose a passage of dialogue at random."However, this reason obviously didn't have much persuasive power. Elizabeth saw Hugo's subtle gaze rippling with light in his amber eyes and couldn't help but awkwardly look away. After waiting for a beat, she looked at Hugo again."You know, to play the role of Paul, the requirements for fishing skills are very high." Elizabeth brought the topic back to the role of Paul, which successfully attracted Hugo's attention. "So, do you have any knowledge of fishing, or are you hiding some excellent fishing skills?"Hugo didn't know what "he" was like before, but he himself was completely clueless about fishing. "No, I've never fished before, but I don't mind experiencing it and learning."If he were confirmed for the role, Hugo would certainly put in the effort for it.Robert De Niro, in order to play the "taxi driver" well, drove a taxi for twelve hours a day for a whole month, and even studied mental illness specifically, eventually contributing one of the most classic roles in film history."Hehe, that would be perfect." Elizabeth replied with a bright smile, but then her tone shifted. "If there are no problems, I think today's audition ends here. Please wait for our notification.""It's over already?" Hugo's question blurted out instantly, his inner "country bumpkin" vibe once again oozing out.Hugo was indeed inexperienced and had very limited knowledge of audition processes, especially Hollywood auditions, which were even more confusing to him.Even so, Hugo clearly felt the abnormality of today's audition; the premonition of failure was becoming clearer.Elizabeth was a bit stunned by Hugo's bluntness. Today, Hugo had given her too many surprises. He was quite different from the Hugo Lancaster rumored in the industry.Surprises came one after another, but she had seen big storms before, so she quickly reacted. "Yes, today's interview is over."This affirmative answer made Hugo realize quickly that his premonition of failure had come true.Originally, Hugo had wanted to give it his all and firmly grasp this opportunity after his transmigration. In the previous line performance, he had performed to the best of his current ability according to his expected route.However, the audition just now showed no hope at all: first, stripping off clothes to reveal skin, then the mismatched line performance, and finally the unfinished, hasty conversation—all of this was telling Hugo: you have no chance in today's interview.It must be said that Hugo was very disappointed. His bright eyes dimmed in an instant. He showed a faint smile to Elizabeth and Jon, said politely, "Goodbye," and then turned and left.Watching Hugo's disappointed back, Jon couldn't bear it and looked at Elizabeth. The two exchanged a glance. Elizabeth indifferently set Hugo's materials aside, preparing for the next interview.Jon could only sigh softly, letting his mixed emotions settle down.Hugo left the conference room dejectedly. The female Staff Member standing at the door politely opened the door for him again.Although his mood was low, Hugo still raised his head and gave the Staff Member a faint smile. "Thank you."This warm smile made the woman's heart skip a beat, her cheeks flushed with a faint pink, and she also politely gave Hugo a friendly smile.Hugo walked out on the carpet, his footsteps feeling particularly heavy, his brain a mess without a single coherent thought.Originally, he had grand ambitions to carve out a career. Isn't that how stories in web novels go? The male protagonist transmigrates, and relying on his own abilities and foresight, creates his own world in his second life.Whether it's a "golden finger" or the protagonist's halo, everything is so taken for granted. Hugo had thought that he was finally going to step from a supporting role to the protagonist; transmigration was the second chance given to him by heaven.But who knew it would be so fast? Not even twelve hours after his transmigration, the confidence he had just built was destroyed, which left Hugo feeling lost.Why did he transmigrate? What was the meaning of this? How were his partners in the Glory to Death Band? What would his parents feel?And then there was this huge mess—drugs, the Golden Raspberry Awards—which seemed to make the life of this current Hugo Lancaster full of uncertainty.And what would the Lancasters think if they knew their son's soul had been replaced? And would Joseph, who still held hope for Hugo's acting career, be completely disappointed and give up?Hugo's mind was filled with all kinds of thoughts; he had no way to sort out a train of thought.To be precise, since he transmigrated last night, Hugo hadn't been completely clear-headed. Everything happened too fast and too complicatedly.Hugo felt that he couldn't keep up with the pace of life at all. He had finally mustered the courage to face the fate of transmigration, only to be slapped hard by reality.Perhaps he wasn't the protagonist, just a supporting character. All of this was just an accident, or a joke."Hugo Lancaster." A call interrupted Hugo's thoughts. In fact, Hugo didn't realize it was calling him; he didn't have a conditioned reflex to this name yet.But in the hallway filled with low, noisy sounds, a sudden thunderclap still brought Hugo back from his deep thoughts. As soon as he looked up, he saw others in the hallway whispering, with obscure gazes pouring onto him. Hugo finally realized: this call was for him.The one who spoke was George Wood, the man with straight blonde hair. "The audition ended so quickly, and coming out with that expression like your girlfriend ran away with someone else—looks like someone failed the interview."The gloating expression on his face was obvious. These people who often attended auditions had their own standards for judging audition results, and from Hugo's situation, it was clear the result wasn't good."Sure enough, a loser." William Stone, standing next to him, joined in the mockery, laughing and chanting slogans, "Loser! Loser!" Just like a cheerleader on the sidelines of a basketball game who didn't know when to cheer.Even though it was a tense moment on the verge of eruption, they were stupidly shouting there.Unfortunately, George and William had no idea how stupid their behavior was. Although the people nearby were watching Hugo's joke, in their eyes, the two, "Wood" and "Stone," were at most street clowns.After George and William finished shouting, they laughed heartily, very satisfied with successfully mocking Hugo.Hugo temporarily suppressed the chaotic thoughts in his mind, used a smile as a counterattack, and then said with a laugh, "I remember this is the audition site for 'a river runs through it'. Since when did it become the audition venue for 'beverly hills, 90210'?""beverly hills, 90210" was a trashy soap opera that started airing in 1990. This was saying that the two's behavior was too childish.The smiles on George and William's faces instantly froze, and someone among the onlookers couldn't help but laugh out loud.Although the laughter didn't spread, George and William's faces turned black immediately. George jumped up instantly, "A sissy who only knows how to cry—besides having a mouth, what else can you do? Oh, right, you also know how to use that to get through."George put his hands on the sides of his hips, then moved his waist back and forth in a vulgar way, saying in this way that Hugo relied on selling his body to succeed.Once these words were out, the scene immediately quieted down. It was one thing to talk about such things in private, but it was awkward to bring it out into the open.Hugo had just transmigrated, and his understanding of this body's past was very limited, and his memories hadn't fully merged, so he was held back everywhere. But this didn't mean Hugo would surrender.His smile became even brighter. "Are you envious?" This retort made George's face instantly turn into the color of a monkey's butt."Or are you saying you offered such services but failed?" Hugo's implication made George almost lose control and rush towards Hugo, but Hugo's next sentence nailed George to the spot."Don't always do that action." Hugo raised his right hand and spread his ten fingers to comb through his hair—this was George's habitual action, and his straight, shoulder-length blonde hair would always flick out wave after wave of... it was really "full of style.""You are not Freddie Mercury."Freddie Mercury, the soul of Queen, died of AIDS on November 24th last year.After Hugo finished speaking, he strode towards the elevator. When passing by George and William, he stopped again, slapped his own butt hard at the two, and then walked away, leaving behind a scene of astonishment.