The Narrow Road to Success

Charlize was puzzled and somewhat disgruntled that a book she also liked wasn't selling well. She asked, "Your book has Audrey Hepburn's endorsement, so why are the results so poor?"

"Actually, you can think of it this way: What If...? it weren't for Ms. Hepburn's recommendation, this book might have fared even worse," Henry said, speaking the truth.

Despite the disappointing sales figures, Henry, the translator, wasn't too bothered. He said, "Actually, according to the publishing editor's suggestion, this book would be perfect for book signings to promote it."

"I wanted to travel all over America, using Audrey Hepburn's fame to gather fans, and then figure out how to the Legion. But from the beginning, this book was not in my plans."

"So I don't really care about sales figures. As long as the publisher doesn't lose money on printing and there are no complaints, that's enough for me. I don't expect any sales success."

"Not in the plan? What do you mean?" Charlize asked.

"Actually, it was just a few afternoons of reading time, an elderly woman under An Ning's care, pestering me to tell her stories she had never heard before."

Henry briefly described what happened during that time, and then said, "The manuscripts left behind at that time..."

It was taken by Ms. Hepburn to the publisher's editor that led to the book's publication.

"But—you clearly had a great chance." Charlize Theron, teetering on the brink of despair, felt a pang of frustration at Henry's lack of ambition. Yet, she didn't know where to begin her discussion.

Seeing this, Henry laughed and said, "You think I should work hard to promote this book, build up my reputation, and then I can do this and that, right?"

Charlize nodded.

Henry could only explain, "But this book is just a translation, not my original work. If I treated it as my own work, promoted it aggressively, and pocketed all the profits, don't you think that would be strange?"

"Although the true creators are people from hundreds or even thousands of years ago, and their works are now literary works without copyright restrictions, I can only be considered a cultural transporter, not a creator."

"Hmm, that seems to be right." Charlize looked slightly embarrassed.

"Right?" Henry shrugged and said, "Anyway, I never intended to make a lot of money from these books, so I simply didn't bother with any book signings."

"The promotion is all handled by the publisher. That's why you have the opportunity to doubt whether I'm the translator, because really very few people have seen me."

"Yes," Charlize Theron said. Seeing a talented person also struggling in Los Angeles, she couldn't help but say dejectedly, "What If...? Hollywood is this hard to make it in, should I go back to South Africa?"

This is truly discouraging for a future Best Actress.

Henry laughed heartlessly, "What If...? you're feeling tired, going home early is an option. Is anyone else at home?"

What If...? the world hadn't changed, Henry would know the answer. But he still asked the question knowing the answer already.

Charlize Theron said, "And my mother."

"What If...? you feel you can't keep going, it's better to go home early; that way, your family will worry less. If you want to keep striving, then let go of those negative thoughts. People who worry too much might not even dare to reach out and seize opportunities when they're right in front of them."

"You're so good at talking. And what about you? You've ended up like this, so why are you staying in Los Angeles instead of going home?" Charlize said angrily.

"I have nowhere to go back to," Henry said with a bitter smile.

Charlize paused, then stammered, "Oh, sorry, I didn't know."

"There's nothing to apologize for. Because there's no way out, I'm more accepting of reality. That's a good thing."

As he spoke, Henry copied down a phone number and handed it out, saying, "There's a saying in my hometown: 'At home, rely on your parents; away from home, rely on your friends.' What If...? you need any help, just call this number."

"I have an answering machine. If you miss it, just leave a message, and I'll listen. I may not be able to help you become a superstar, but I've been in Hollywood for a few more years than you, so I can offer some advice."

Charlize stared intently at the note on the table, not taking it immediately, but instead asking, "I know everything comes at a price. What do you hope to gain by doing this?"

"Ha, a smart girl, certainly vigilant." Henry praised her, then said, "Let me put it this way, since I came here alone, I've received a lot of help from people."

"And they don't need anything in return from me, so just consider it as me wanting to spread this kindness. Of course, whether you accept it or not is up to you."

"By resisting all contact, you might be pushing away a helping hand. That's not a smart move if you want to make it in Hollywood."

Charlize asked a very direct question, "Then how do I tell good people from bad people?"

"Pfft, pfft, pfft." Henry shook his head and said, "While it seems like a good question, it's actually asking the wrong thing."

"Why?"

"Because here, there are no strictly good people, nor strictly bad people. Of course, you can distinguish whether someone has broken the law, or whether they have been sentenced or punished for their crimes. But I don't think that's the answer you're looking for."

What does it mean to have no strict definition of a good person or a bad person?

Henry said, "When you expose your weaknesses and vulnerabilities, those people you thought were good might actually do bad things to you."

"And those people others call bad, What If...? you're willing to share the benefits and have excellent negotiation skills,

Perhaps they can also become your helpers.

"Your actions determine whether someone can help you or harm you. As for those obviously high-dose lunatics with guns, stay as far away as possible. Those kinds of people are unreasonable and not within the scope of our discussion."

Clearly in disarray, a bewildered Charlize Theron said, "So, I have to be both generous in accepting help from others and smart enough to protect myself. Is that even possible?"

Henry chuckled and said, "You really have to do that. If you want to completely cut off contact with others to protect yourself from harm, you might as well go back to your hometown and give up Hollywood. That's the safest way."

"But if you accept help and requests from everyone without hesitation, casually climb into the bed of producers and directors, and open your legs to anyone, then the most successful actresses in Hollywood would be those from the San Fernando Valley."

"While they may be considered successful in some ways, the real world isn't simply black and white. None of the actresses who reach the top in Hollywood are fools or naive."