"So what you're saying is that today's news media interprets news through their own lens, abandoning the truth for economic gain?" Brad was unwilling to admit defeat. He was still trying to counter Hugo. Although he wasn't being aggressive, a righteous aura flared in his eyes, making his usually rakish appearance look somewhat like a champion of justice.Hugo felt the aura of Brad's direct confrontation. He couldn't help but pull back his smile, staring at Brad without blinking or backing down. "Yes!" Hugo didn't deliberately raise his voice, but his words were decisive and resonant. Although Hugo's expression didn't scream'self-righteousness,' the confidence and determination radiating from his very bones were clearly conveyed through his voice."I think you and I both know very well that news reports cannot actually include every detail of the truth. They can only approach the truth, or be a selective version of it. In the process of reporting, every media outlet has its own standards for selecting facts, which is what makes the major outlets different from one another." Although Hugo wasn't a professional, in the highly developed internet age of the twenty-first century, even an ordinary person had their own understanding of these things, and Hugo was no exception."From the perspective of journalism theory, yes, objectivity and truthfulness are the cores that any media outlet should adhere to. But you've overlooked that in a highly commercialized society, even the media must consider market trends, which inevitably influences their standards for selecting facts." Hugo's words echoed in Brad's ears like a distant bell. "To increase ratings and beat rivals in fierce competition, the media has to prioritize the sensationalism and drama of news. For news with so-called 'market value,' they provide detailed reports and hype it up excessively."Brad wanted to interject with a rebuttal, but Hugo didn't give him the chance. Those piercing eyes suppressed Brad, leaving his words stuck in his throat, unable to come out. His brain was forced to follow Hugo's train of thought, and he couldn't find a single gap to process his own ideas. Even though Hugo hadn't raised his voice or slammed the table, that intimidating presence made it impossible for Brad to mount an effective counterattack. This feeling was truly terrible!"Many times, the content of the news isn't important, and the consequences of the news aren't important either. Winning over readers and viewers with sensationalist 'exclusive' news is what matters most. Isn't that how headlines are made?" At this moment, no other voices could be heard at the table. Even Martin, who usually had a powerful presence, had fallen silent. Only Hugo's warm yet firm voice remained, articulating his points and impacting everyone's thoughts. "Take the Rodney King incident as an example. The police beating a parolee who resisted arrest isn't a major news story. But white police officers brutally beating an innocent black man for no reason—that becomes a headline.""Actually, from the perspective of the KTLA television station, they simply selected the facts according to their own situation. They didn't anticipate that the consequences would be so severe. Or rather, compared to the fate of those four white officers versus the station's prospects, they chose the station. A choice of interests—it's that simple." Hugo's words made everyone feel a chill. Even these people living in the cesspool of the entertainment industry felt the precariousness of their own lives. They were like grasshoppers being toyed with by the media, completely powerless to resist."But..." Brad finally found his voice, squeezing a word out of his dry throat, but it lacked his previous righteousness. It sounded more like a death rattle. "But what about the truth of the news? What about media ethics?""Truth? Did KTLA not report the truth? No, they did report the facts, because what was in the video was the truth. They just chose to report that specific part of the truth while ignoring the cause behind it. That's all." Often, the media doesn't necessarily twist the facts; they simply make choices based on their own interests, choosing a specific angle to report the facts.And in the Rodney King incident, the media chose their own interests, sacrificed four white police officers, incited racial conflict, and essentially covered for a criminal like Rodney King. This made the station's actions even more unforgiven. But that is social reality—a reality so cruel and cold.This time, Brad was truly speechless. He sat in his chair looking dejected. Although his back was still ramrod straight, the sense of justice between his brows had dissipated.Rob watched Brad and Hugo go head-to-head. Brad had appeared more aggressive, occupying the moral high ground to pressure Hugo, while Hugo remained calm and composed, unhurriedly using the facts at hand to counterattack. Even under Brad's relentless pressure, Hugo hadn't lost his footing.This debate had negligible impact on the actual Rodney King incident because none of them were at the top of the Hollywood pyramid; they couldn't be called opinion leaders. Their words carried little weight. However, it made Rob think of the courtroom debates in 'a few good men.' The film's protagonist, Daniel, also has to face various difficulties, peeling back the layers to uncover the truth and bravely fighting against established facts to finally achieve true justice.Strictly speaking, both Brad and Hugo were good choices to play Daniel; otherwise, Rob wouldn't have arranged the audition. Although Brad had lost the debate just now, it didn't diminish his dogged attitude during the process. Hugo's performance, however, was eye-opening. His thoughts were clear, his logic was sound, he was full of confidence, and his aura was powerful, nearly overwhelming the other industry veterans present. The two had different temperaments, but if either were to replace Tom Cruise as Daniel, there would be no problem.Rob had originally brought up the Rodney King incident just to see how Brad and Hugo felt when expressing their personal opinions, but he hadn't expected it to spark a debate and yield such unexpected results. However, seeing Brad's dejected look, Rob knew things shouldn't go too far. After all, they weren't lawyers or a jury; they didn't need to get too hung up on this matter.Seeing Martin looking like he wanted to say something, Rob knew that Martin, who was used to taking the initiative, intended to break the tension. However, Rob stopped Martin with a look. He didn't want the agent to interfere too much in today's audition, as it would affect his judgment of the Actors. "Brad, why do you want to be in this production?"This was a standard audition question that almost every Actor prepared for. Hugo was already formulating an answer in his mind, but he immediately gave up. Who knew if Rob would ask him the same question? It was better not to have a canned response and just play it by ear."As Martin said just now, I've always loved your work. When I learned you were directing this film, I was very eager. Winning an audition opportunity made me feel even more flattered." Brad was indeed a strong individual; he quickly recovered from the blow, temporarily pushing aside his thoughts on the Rodney King incident and bracing himself to return to the audition. "I believe that working with you on a project would be a very rare and valuable experience."Brad's answer was conventional, offering some flattery to Rob. One could tell this likely had Martin's influence behind it. After all, as a veteran agent, Martin's grasp of the industry's pulse was not to be underestimated. In contrast, Joseph hadn't told Hugo anything, completely letting Hugo handle things himself.Hearing Brad's words, Rob couldn't help but smile. "I'm actually under a lot of pressure. I've been worried since before I started filming this movie."Rob and Brad went back and forth, chatting quite happily, and Hugo was naturally left out. However, Hugo wasn't anxious. He had just had a long period of screen time; there was no need to be overbearing now. Rob surely had his own calculations.Sure enough, after about three minutes, Rob asked seemingly casually, "Hugo, what about you? Do you have any expectations for this film?" The question was slightly modified.Hugo was in the middle of finishing his last chicken wing. He hesitated whether to put the wing down or keep eating, causing him to daze for a moment. This action made Rob laugh. Hugo somewhat sheepishly put down the fork with the chicken wing. "I think I don't have any expectations. I just needed a job, so I came to the audition."Hugo's honest answer was unexpected. Not only Rob, but even Joseph looked over in surprise, let alone Brad and Martin. Hugo knew that his competition today wasn't just Brad, but also the absent Tom. In terms of experience, popularity, box office, body of work, and reputation, Hugo currently had no chance of winning. Therefore, instead of playing mind games and calculating, it was better to be frank. That might actually win him a slim chance of survival."To be honest, I only received the audition call this afternoon. I have no concept of the script or the movie. Aside from the title, I don't know anything about the film's content." This was the truth, though Hugo inwardly mocked himself: 'You clearly know the movie inside and out.' On the surface, Hugo continued calmly."Of course, in my current situation, it's not easy for job opportunities to come knocking," Hugo said self-deprecatingly, which immediately made Rob and Martin smile. Brad glared at Martin, displeased that Martin was actually willing to play along with Hugo. Hugo was unaffected and continued, "Besides, to be able to work with Jack and Rob... I don't think I have anything to be picky about, right? So, I showed up, waiting for you to be picky with me, Rob."This last honest remark made Rob unable to hold back, and he finally let out a hearty chuckle.
