The richest actor in Hollywood.

"All right!"

In the dark studio, the lights suddenly came on, and someone shouted loudly, "It's fixed!"

Matthew looked up at the lights that had come back on, took the towel handed to him by Bella Anderson to wipe the remaining sweat from his forehead, and shook his head slightly. "The equipment at Warner Bros. Studios is so outdated."

Helen Herman, who had specially come to the set today, chimed in, "Feels like it belongs in a museum."

But just as she finished speaking, the lights in the studio flickered a few times and went out again, plunging the set of "300 Spartans" back into darkness.

"Damn it!" Director Zack Snyder's voice echoed. "Can you guys fix it or not?"

Then, the emergency power came on, providing a bit of light in the large studio.

Zack Snyder, unusually angry, asked, "Besson, can it be fixed today?"

Besson, the head of the crew's logistics department, quickly ran over, wiping his sweat. "The entire line is outdated. From the current situation, it all needs to be replaced."

Hearing this, Matthew turned to Bella Anderson and said, "Pack up, we're leaving."

Having worked on construction sites before, he knew that replacing such lines was quite troublesome. It was already late afternoon, so there was no need to wait around.

Bella Anderson hurriedly started packing. Helen Herman stood up and said, "Just as well, I have something to discuss with you."

Matthew nodded and was about to respond when Zack Snyder's voice rang out again on the set. "How long will it take to fix?"

Besson quickly replied, "My people have already contacted the studio's management. I guarantee everything will be back to normal by tomorrow!"

Matthew also stood up from his chair. After a brief pause, Zack Snyder shouted, "That's it for today. We're wrapping up! Be ready to start shooting at 9 AM tomorrow!"

No one wants to encounter such unexpected situations. When they happen, adjustments to the shooting schedule are necessary. Fortunately, the shoot had been smooth so far, and they were ahead of schedule, so there was no need to worry about significant delays.

With the power out in the studio, Matthew decided to head to the temporary makeup room in the trailer outside to remove his makeup. At the studio gate, he got into the specially made Mercedes G-Wagon driven by Brown Williams and went directly to Angel Agency with Helen Herman.

Inside Helen Herman's office, Matthew got a glass of water, pulled out a chair, and sat down. "What do you need to discuss that couldn't be talked about on set or in the car?"

Helen Herman sat across from him and asked, "The check-up you mentioned last time, what exactly is it for?"

Matthew had called her previously. Initially, she thought it was just a routine check-up until she saw some gossip gaining traction in the tabloids, which made her suspicious.

So she asked, "Did something happen?"

Matthew didn't answer directly. Instead, he asked, "If something did happen, what would you suggest?"

From his tone, Helen Herman could tell he was fine. She joked, "Cut it off."

Matthew was speechless for a moment, scratching his head. After a while, he said, "Don't worry, I'm fine. Very healthy."

Helen Herman nodded and said straightforwardly, "I've never interfered with your relationships."

Matthew thought about it. Except for his first serious girlfriend, Helen Herman had indeed not meddled much in his private life.

"This is common in our industry. As your agent, I can't limit you too much in this area," Helen Herman continued. "Besides, you've always been someone who knows what he's doing."

She reminded him seriously, "Take precautions. If you catch AIDS, you're finished."

"Don't worry." Matthew was even more cautious in this regard and cared a lot. "I value my health very much."

If it weren't for these considerations and another looming threat, he would've already thrown wild parties with a dozen models from Lester.

Seeing Matthew's attitude, Helen Herman felt reassured and changed the topic. "Warner Bros. has been using your $20 million salary to promote '300 Spartans' and 'I Am Legend,' and it's working well."

Matthew nodded lightly, knowing about this.

Helen Herman continued, "Disney has contacted me about promoting 'Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest,' and they'll likely join the campaign soon."

"With Disney and Warner Bros. both involved," Matthew smiled, "my fame is about to rise even more?"

Helen Herman adjusted her glasses slightly and said, "The $20 million club represents immense fame and high status."

She was gradually convinced that Matthew had a good chance of crossing the threshold from a top-tier star to a supernova, provided that '300 Spartans' and 'I Am Legend' were box office hits and his next few films were also successful.

For some reason, she believed Matthew could achieve this, just as his previous five films had all been major box office hits.

Helen Herman couldn't pinpoint the source of this confidence, but Matthew gave her that assurance.

However, she excluded the two "Pirates of the Caribbean" sequels from this. Those films were primarily about Johnny Depp's Jack Sparrow. Matthew's character, Will Turner, was significant but not on par with the captain. This was Jack Sparrow's series, not Will Turner's.

Even if those sequels were hugely successful, the fame, fans, and paychecks would be more about the series. Once an actor leaves the series, it's hard to say how many producers and fans would still pay for the star.

True superstars are forged from multiple different movies, like the two Toms and Harrison Ford, who are bona fide superstars. A superstar who relies on a single series might only have the illusion of being one.

Helen Herman saw this clearly. Matthew was in a great position. If he seized the opportunities, he had a real shot at becoming a true superstar.

"Your fame and status are soaring." Helen Herman got a glass of water, took a sip, and said, "I've renegotiated the contracts with your two endorsement brands."

"Mercedes and Rolex?" Matthew asked immediately.

Helen Herman sat back in her chair and said unhurriedly, "I've been in contact with Mercedes-Benz. Due to the significant increase in G-Class sales over the past year, they're willing to extend your endorsement contract by five years and increase your annual fee to $7 million."

"Sounds good," Matthew was satisfied. "No special conditions?"

Helen Herman shook her head. "I've only had preliminary talks with them. Mercedes-Benz is very pleased with you. Aside from extending the contract and increasing the fee, all other terms remain the same."

She continued, "The negotiations with Rolex aren't going as smoothly. My goal is to elevate you from one of the many print ad faces to a primary spokesperson like Roger Federer. We'll see how the talks go."

Matthew nodded lightly, not saying much.

"Also," Helen Herman leaned back in her chair, "Rolex is sponsoring this year's US Open. They've informed me that they want you to attend and participate in several events hosted by Rolex."

"When is the US Open?" Matthew wasn't very familiar with tennis.

After landing the Rolex endorsement, he had learned about Roger Federer, Lleyton Hewitt, Martina Hingis, and Anna Kournikova. He also remembered the tennis star whose name he couldn't recall but looked like Elena Boyar. It turned out to be Maria Sharapova.

Maria Sharapova was even named the "most beautiful athlete" by Sports Illustrated this year.

However, he vaguely remembered that Maria Sharapova later turned into a typical Russian matron, which seemed to be a common trait among Russian women.

"Late August to early September," Helen Herman said. "You should have the time. It would be best if you attended."

Matthew understood the principle of doing the job he was paid for and said, "Coordinate with Rolex for the schedule."

Even though he wasn't a tennis fan, attending the US Open wasn't a bad idea. He remembered many celebrities enjoyed going to such events.

Helen Herman opened a notebook and made a note. Then she said, "There's also the charity gala. Amanda suggests holding it on June 25th, not at your home, but by renting a large private venue."

Seeing that Matthew had no objections, she continued, "Amanda and I have drafted a list and will send invitations to most of the well-known people in the industry."

Matthew, no longer a novice, knew that an invitation didn't guarantee attendance since showing up usually meant donating money.

"If a tenth of the invitees attend," Helen Herman said, "the event will make waves across the USA."

She handed over a list. Matthew flipped through it briefly, seeing hundreds of names, with top Hollywood stars, directors, and producers at the forefront.

Matthew didn't plan to get directly involved in these matters, leaving the specific tasks to Amanda and Helen Herman.

Reuniting with Bella Anderson, who was waiting downstairs, Matthew left Angel Agency and found Brown Williams standing by the car, curiously watching someone walk away.

_________________________

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