Universal Studios is located in the northwestern suburbs of downtown Los Angeles. This place initially attracted film producers because of its natural environment, which was perfect for shooting movies. Over time, filmmakers gathered here, forming the world-famous Hollywood film city. Today, Hollywood is a fully developed industry, and Universal Studios has become a movie-themed amusement park known worldwide, attracting countless tourists every year to participate in the "Universal Studios Tour." However, many soundstages have been preserved here, and film companies such as Columbia Pictures and Paramount still continue to shoot movies here.
It was only six miles from Joseph's house to Universal Studios. Even in bad traffic, it would take at most half an hour to get there. But Joseph and Hugo still set off at 8:30 in the morning, simply because they didn't want to miss the 9:30 audition. Although today's audition for "Scent of a Woman" was an open call, meaning they could still line up even if they arrived late, they still left an hour early.
Along the way, Joseph and Hugo barely spoke. The car was filled with silence, and the tension between the two could clearly be felt. In fact, Hugo wasn't nervous at first, but Joseph's expressionless face all morning made him nervous too. Hugo still didn't know Joseph very well, and he didn't know what this kind of expression from Joseph meant, so he could only fall into passive silence.
"Why do you think today's audition is being held at Universal Studios? There should be many other suitable venues." Hugo tried to break the awkward atmosphere. Looking out the window at the nearing Universal Studios, the world-famous "HOLLYWOOD" sign on the hill had already come into view. Although Hugo had already seen this sign several times over the past few days and it had lost some of its novelty, the sense of impact from approaching it head-on was still powerful.
Joseph didn't respond immediately, which added a layer of awkwardness to the already tense atmosphere in the car. After about ten seconds, Joseph finally opened his mouth, "Because it's suitable, I guess." Hugo felt like he could literally see the three black lines sliding down his forehead—Joseph's answer was as good as saying nothing.
The car moved further along and soon the main entrance of Universal Studios came into view, along with the famous globe logo. Countless tourists crowded around, everyone stopping to take photos with the iconic sign. As a result, people were packed together so tightly that it was impossible to tell who was actually the focus of the pictures.
Seeing the spectacular crowd, Hugo couldn't help but be astonished. He hadn't yet visited other tourist spots like the Walk of Fame, Disneyland, or Chinatown in the past few days, but judging by this scene, the popularity of those places was probably no less than Universal Studios. And this was during the off-season in January if it were peak summer in July, the scene would be even more overwhelming.
"Because today is an open audition." Joseph suddenly blurted out this sentence out of nowhere, shifting Hugo's attention from the window back to him. Then he saw Joseph's face—still expressionless—with a slight frown, "I bet a lot of people will show up."
Only then did Hugo realize that Joseph was answering the earlier question, and also indirectly revealing the source of his anxiety today.
When the two arrived at the audition venue, they were completely stunned by the massive crowd—this was a real "sea of people." In front of them was a spacious soundstage. Around the set, scaffoldings, camera cranes, and dolly tracks were still in working condition, but all had been pushed to the sides to clear space in the center. Now, all the participants for the open audition were standing in the middle of the studio.
Looking around, there were at least three hundred actors. The entire studio was bustling, shoulder to shoulder, incredibly lively. Hugo had seen larger crowds before when auditioning for extras—those could be up to a thousand people rushing the set—but today's audition was for the lead role, and for just the one role of Charlie, such a large group had gathered. This was the biggest audition Hugo had ever seen.
He had read news reports before about roles being chosen from hundreds or even thousands of candidates. Back then, he didn't feel anything—it was just a number. But now, standing in this crowd of over three hundred people, he could feel it firsthand: to land the role of Charlie, he would have to beat everyone here!
Among these three hundred-plus competitors, there were good-looking ones, talented ones, hardworking ones—every kind of actor you could imagine. Standing out in such fierce competition was far from easy. Moreover, it wasn't even 9 o'clock yet—over thirty minutes remained before the audition officially began. Who knew how many more candidates would show up?
This suffocating pressure left Hugo speechless. He finally understood why Joseph had been expressionless all morning. Apparently, Joseph had long known that the scale of today's open audition would be far beyond imagination. Joseph was not only worried about Hugo's chances but was also frustrated with himself for not preparing well enough in advance.
When Joseph secured Hugo a chance to audition for "Scent of a Woman," both of them were thrilled. At that moment, Joseph truly became Hugo's dependable agent. At the same time, Joseph needed Hugo to find work—Hugo was his only client. They could only rely on each other now. But it turned out this was an open call with over three hundred people, meaning any young actor in Hollywood between the ages of 20 and 25 who had even a little bit of industry connection was here. In other words, Joseph's work as an agent didn't carry much weight.
Just imagine: one year ago, Hugo was the lead in "Hudson Hawk"; one year later, he was lining up for an open audition for "Scent of a Woman." Such a massive drop was hard to swallow. Although Joseph didn't see any complaints on Hugo's face, he was still deeply dissatisfied with his own performance as an agent.
It was truly too frustrating for Joseph!
"Joseph." Hugo's voice drew Joseph's attention. Though Joseph had worn the same expressionless face all morning, Hugo had already gotten used to this version of Joseph. He knew Joseph must be worried about the upcoming audition, which explained his demeanor. So Hugo flashed a big smile. "Looks like today's audition is going to be a long wait. Do you have any connections that could help us shorten the line? If I wait too long, my performance might suffer."
Joseph naturally understood Hugo was joking. Hugo had been putting all his energy into preparing for today's audition. Even if he wasn't perfectly ready, he definitely wouldn't let a long wait throw off his performance. What Hugo really meant was to comfort Joseph: since they were already here, they should make the most of it. Instead of being paralyzed by fear of the competition, they should face the challenge head-on.
Seeing that familiar yet unfamiliar smile on Hugo's face, the tight knot in Joseph's heart loosened slightly. "Wait here," he said, then turned and began weaving his way through the crowd. Right now, Joseph was fulfilling his duties as a agent.
In truth, Joseph's worries didn't exist at all for Hugo. Though he was now known as Hugo Lancaster in name, the soul inside this body belonged to Chen Hugo. First was the audition for A River Runs Through It, and now this—an interview for Scent of a Woman. Before his transmigration, these were once-in-a-lifetime golden opportunities. Even though it was just an open audition, it was still incredibly rare. The opportunity was already in front of him. What Hugo needed to do now was go all out and seize it.
So, Hugo had a great mindset. Whether he was competing against thirty or three hundred others, if he wanted to impress the director, he needed to bring real skills. Without enough talent, even if there were only three candidates, he still wouldn't be chosen. It was that simple.
That said, while the logic was clear, the sea of people stretching out before him, the densely packed heads swarming into view, and the buzz of voices surrounding him from all directions made the tension feel real. Hugo couldn't help but feel a touch of anxiety—breaking out of such intense competition was never going to be easy.
He took a deep breath, but the stifling heat inside the studio made him feel even more uncomfortable. Not only did his nerves fail to ease, but they actually started to intensify. Since he was only a few steps away from the studio entrance and Joseph would easily spot him upon return, Hugo decided to step outside for some fresh air.
Just as Hugo turned and took two steps, he came face-to-face with two familiar faces: the blonde-haired man and the black curly-haired man. The two men's expressions had been nearly distorted from nervousness, but the moment they saw Hugo, the blonde man's demeanor shifted. He raised his chin arrogantly and looked at Hugo down his nose. "Isn't this Hugo Lancaster, the guy who just got eliminated from A River Runs Through It?"
Hugo's previously irritable mood immediately eased thanks to that look and remark. A faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "If I remember correctly, you're the lead in A River Runs Through It, right? Or wait—was it you?" As he spoke, Hugo looked toward the curly-haired man. The man reacted half a beat too slow, and before he could respond, Hugo's words had already struck right to the heart. His face flushed red on the spot.
Everyone knew that the lead role in A River Runs Through It had already gone to Brad Pitt. Hugo was clearly rubbing salt in their wounds. Yet he acted as if he had no idea, putting on an apologetic expression. That look made the two men feel a bit better, thinking that Hugo was going to back down—but Hugo's next words nearly made them explode.
"Sorry, your names are…"
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