制霸好莱坞

During this meal, Jenny had no hesitation in letting Cesare pick up the tab. After the bill was settled, Cesare drove her home. Jenny was still not used to this. In her previous circle, the principle was well established: never drink and drive, and never drive if you've been drinking. But in the U.S., alcohol is so common in social settings. It seems that white people have a much higher tolerance for alcohol; Cesare had several drinks, red and white wines, but he acted as if nothing happened. His face didn't even flush. When it came to drinking and driving, he didn't seem to have any qualms either. He just got on the road, and no one stopped him or questioned him along the way.

"So, this is the neighborhood you live in?" After they arrived at her building, Cesare didn't leave right away. He got out of the car and looked around. "It's fine. For now, you don't need to move. Tomorrow, go see a lawyer. Here's Jim's number. Once you confirm that the contract is fine, contact him. He'll take care of everything else for you."

"Got it," Jenny said, only able to follow his instructions.

"You worked in a restaurant before?" Cesare asked. "Quit it. Now is not the time for you to be in the public eye."

"But I need living expenses," Jenny protested. "It could be months before the next opportunity. I can't just sit idle for months. Even eating costs money."

"Jim will hook you up with a new job," Cesare replied. He turned to get back in the car but stopped halfway. "By the way, you don't have a boyfriend, right? A lover? An ambiguous relationship?"

Jenny hesitated, but before she could answer, Cesare continued, "Cut ties with them. The more thorough, the better. If you have any sex tapes, destroy them immediately. I remember Jim saying you had a good friend before entering the industry, an assistant director—he's the only one who can remain in your social circle. You don't need to be in touch with anyone else. It's not good for either of you."

He stared at Jenny until she nodded in agreement, then he gave a slight nod and left, driving off.

Was it a bit too soon to start organizing her life like this? Jenny stood still, watching the car fade into the distance, then shook her head and smiled bitterly. In fact, both of them knew that their professional relationship had officially started. The contract was just a legal formality. Since dinner, Cesare Vieri had already become her manager.

How impressive was he really, and how did he break up with Jennifer Bell? She still didn't understand these things clearly, and yet she had blindly signed the contract. Was it too hasty? Everything had to be done in one day. It was a bit rushed. Maybe she should have waited until he returned to the U.S.?

Jenny shook off those intrusive thoughts. Cesare Vieri was the best choice she could have made. Taking this opportunity was certainly the right decision. Otherwise, she would have to wait another two months to see which agent would be interested in her after the airing of CSI. Without Cesare, even if CAA reached out to her two months later (which was unlikely), their attitude wouldn't be as open, and they certainly wouldn't offer the same resources.

Though Cesare was domineering, cold, and controlling, he was a senior agent at CAA. He had taken Jennifer Bell from an unknown to a powerful new face in the industry. More importantly, he, like her, was striving for excellence. They shared the same goal, and he recognized her potential.

For now, what she needed to do was trust Cesare as much as possible and focus on honing her acting skills. Cesare's evaluation of her was quite accurate. She wasn't anywhere near a great actress yet. At best, she was "exceptionally talented." To succeed in this path she had chosen, both her acting and appearance were equally important and indispensable.

That night, Jenny didn't sleep well. She had many chaotic dreams. The next morning, she woke up early and called Dave.

"Lawyer? Sure, no problem," Dave said. "I can ask Lynch or Sarah. Oh, Sarah's the best. Her lawyer is the most experienced in this field. Hang on, I'll call you back."

Not long after, she received a call from the lawyer's office. The rate was $300 an hour, and for contract review, the format was fairly simple. It would cost $1,500, and the result would be ready in three working days.

Okay, so she had just signed the contract, and now she was going broke? Jenny smiled bitterly and hung up the phone. Rent was due soon, and with filming, her salary for the month would probably be halved. After paying the rent and the $1,500, eating would become an issue. If the CBS check came late, she might even have to borrow money to get by.

Dave quickly called her back. "So, did you work it out?"

"Got it," Jenny answered, trying to sound upbeat. "Are you free for lunch? I'm on the evening shift today."

Turns out, Dave had a work lunch, and when she asked him about dinner, he was still unavailable, so she stopped asking.

She had switched to evening shifts for a week. The shooting took five days, and on the remaining two days, she stayed home during the day and worked in the restaurant at night, doing a full eight-hour shift. Johnny and Jessica didn't notice anything unusual.

The lawyer's review was completed right on schedule, and on the third working day, just before the end of the day, they called Jenny to inform her that the contract had no hidden clauses and she could submit it with confidence. Jenny then waited for two more days for the contract to be delivered by federal mail. After receiving it, she called Jim, who immediately arranged for someone to pick it up.

"Cesare has already gone through the internal processes with the company," Jim told her over the phone, his tone slightly pompous. "You can go to the restaurant today and quit. Once the contract is signed, we'll arrange some courses for you. You can't work full-time anymore."

"But I need money," Jenny pointed out. "Mr. Vieri said he'd arrange a new job for me. Is that true? Without that promise, I won't quit the restaurant."

"Hmm, Cesare told me about it," Jim's voice sounded a little muffled. "Go ahead and quit. If you're willing, you can start the new job immediately after quitting. Call me after everything's done, and I'll pick you up."

There was no other choice, so Jenny shouted into the phone, "Don't forget to bring my underwear back!"

Jim choked a little and hung up the phone.

The process of quitting went smoothly. Johnny had clearly anticipated it. Other than sighing repeatedly, he didn't say much. He just made Jenny promise that if she ever needed a job again, she'd come back to Hollywood. "Nothing to be embarrassed about. Many actors face temporary setbacks in their careers. Being a server is a lucrative job and a good supplement."

Jenny was impressed by him and politely thanked him. As for Jessica, she didn't even face Jenny. The moment she realized Jenny was there to quit, she disappeared through the back door, probably to smoke.

As for Kevin and the others, they naturally joked around, asking Jenny to remember them when she became famous. Johnny even took out a camera and joked, "Let's take a commemorative photo now. Once Jenny becomes famous, this photo will be our treasure."

Amid everyone's good-natured teasing, Jenny was pushed beside Johnny, smiling for a few photos, marking the end of her brief stint as a restaurant server.

After receiving her last paycheck, she had over a thousand dollars, which covered the lawyer's fee. Jenny's total assets now were just a little over two thousand dollars in the bank, plus the expected five thousand dollar check that should be coming soon. For most Americans, this would be enough, but unfortunately for Jenny, as a "white-skinned, yellow-hearted egg," the hardworking and frugal traits of the Chinese people had deeply influenced her mindset. With no income, she suddenly felt insecure. She immediately called Jim while walking home. "I quit. Where's the new job you promised me?"

Jim quickly drove to her building. After Jenny got into the car, he handed her a brown paper bag. "Your clothes and pants are in here."

Jenny opened it and was surprised to see that the underwear and pants had been washed and neatly folded. The bag had a faint scent of car perfume, suggesting the clothes had been in there for a while. It didn't look like they had been hurriedly washed and dried just a few hours ago. This meant Jim hadn't done anything inappropriate with her clothes.

She gave Jim a puzzled look. Jim rolled his eyes. "Come on, I do have boundaries. If I wanted sex, I'd go to a bar and use my job as an excuse to hit on people, not hide in a dark, cramped apartment with someone's underwear."

Jenny burst out laughing. "Wow, your honesty makes you more charming."

"Would that make you want to date me?" Jim teased, acting eager. "Because I would. All you have to do is ask, babe."

Jenny replied, "But Mr. Vieri told me not to date anyone for now."

"Ah, yes," Jim stopped joking and returned to his normal tone. "Cesare definitely has his way of handling things. For now, you don't need a romantic relationship to distract you. Even if you do fall in love, it wouldn't be with someone like me—a middle-aged man. Cesare would never allow it. Besides, you're way out of my league."

"I?" Jenny didn't like Jim's last comment. "I only have a little over two thousand dollars in my bank account. I'm barely scraping by. Jim, where do you think my league is?"

"You might be struggling now," Jim said seriously, "but what you're lacking is just an opportunity. Cesare is your opportunity. Girl, the moment you signed that contract with him, it was just a matter of time before you became someone big. The moment I took you to meet Cesare, I knew I would never be able to catch up with you. You'll never date someone like me. Hollywood is a place of strict hierarchy. You're one level, Cesare is another level, and me—Dave and I—we're in a completely different league. We understand that. So does Dave."

Jenny immediately thought about the conversation between Jim and Dave on her last day of shooting. She suddenly felt a bit angry. "So, after Cesare decided to sign me, you immediately warned Dave not to stay friends with me? Before I even agreed, he started interfering with my social circle?"

"What? How did you get to that conclusion?" Jim, slow to react, was stunned for a moment before he understood. He shook his head. "No, no. Cesare didn't say that, and he wouldn't. Dave's an assistant director, and of course, he's friendly with agents. I just went over to chat with him. We both want to pursue you, that's obvious, but we'll never be able to keep up with you, and we both know it. I just went over to lick my wounds with him."

Jenny was still a bit upset, but Jim spoke before her. "Isn't that the truth? Cesare canceled his trip to New York and came to see you on set. You don't know how many people at Universal that afternoon hated you for it. Cesare is like a superstar on the free agent market. Everyone wants him as their manager, but he came to see you! Everyone knew once he made up his mind, boom, you'd soar, and we'd all be left chasing your shadow."

Jim thought for a moment, then tilted his head. "He must really have a thing for you. Wow, now that I think about it, this guy really loves you."

Jenny rolled her eyes dramatically and gestured in exasperation. "I get it, can you stop with the rambling? Thanks for making my mood even worse."

"Not even a star yet, but already a diva," Jim laughed as he pulled into the driveway. "I like it."

Jenny got out of the car and looked at the house in front of her. It wasn't very big—two stories, about a hundred square meters per floor, with a small backyard. Compared to the luxurious mansions in Beverly Hills, it wasn't particularly eye-catching, but it was definitely worth millions, a far cry from the house she could afford now. And this neighborhood was full of influential people.

"I'll stay here for now?" Jenny asked.

Jim nodded. "I'll take you to meet your new job now. And this is just your temporary residence. Once you've settled in, Cesare will arrange your next steps. This house won't be enough for you for long."

"Understood." Jenny took a deep breath, looking ahead. "Let's get to work."