Talent Scout

Henry and Charlize Theron arrived first at the agreed-upon coffee shop. Not long after, John Thaddeus Ross entered. Charlize immediately stood up to greet him, "Mr. Thaddeus Ross, over here."

John Thaddeus Ross, who had just entered, immediately spotted the man standing next to Charlize. After greeting him, he asked, "Is this your boyfriend?"

Henry extended his hand first and introduced himself, "Hello, I'm Henry Brown, a friend of Ms. Theron's. I've spent some time in Hollywood, and I'm here today to give you some encouragement."

"Hello, Mr. Brown. I'm John Thaddeus Ross, head of Crosby Talent Agency. Which brokerage are you currently signed with?"

After shaking hands, John immediately offered his business card. However, his expression was somewhat unnatural, as if he had seen someone who was in his way. This was evident in his micro-expressions, not outwardly revealed, making it difficult to determine if the other party had any ill intentions.

Henry, with his remarkable self-control, calmly accepted the business card, saying, "Please have a seat. I'm only registered with the Screen Actors Guild; I'm not affiliated with any agency."

"Oh, would you be interested in signing with our company along with Ms. Theron?" John extended an invitation.

Henry smiled and said, "I only played some background roles as an extra a little over two years ago. At that time, some veteran actors said that my appearance was not good enough to land a leading role."

"I can only get supporting roles; I can't make a fortune, but I won't starve either. So now I have other jobs and I'm not that enthusiastic about acting. It's just that Charlize Theron is even less familiar with this career path, so I'm here to help review the contract."

Henry didn't want to present himself as a seasoned Hollywood veteran. He couldn't compare to the middle-aged talent scout in front of him; it would be easy for the scout to spot his lies. So, he decided to just tell the truth.

It's not like we're forcing the other party to use all their resources to promote a Hollywood newbie. We just need to let them know that we're not clueless newcomers, and they'll probably tone down some inappropriate behavior.

It's unclear how much of the unspoken message John understood, but at least his expression softened considerably. He first ordered a coffee from the cafe waiter before taking a document from his briefcase and placing it on the table.

John said, "I spoke with Charlize on the phone yesterday, and she could sign with my agency. The agency has a wide range of services, from movies and TV series to music videos and print models."

"Given Charlize's qualities, I believe she can stand out in a very short time. Perhaps at the beginning, we won't be able to immediately get movie roles."

"But you could first hone your acting skills at a performing arts school while also working as a model to earn a living. We talked about how you used to model in Europe. That should be a piece of cake for you."

It sounds like a smooth road ahead. But talent scouts are all talk and no action. Henry, still somewhat skeptical, looked at the documents on the table and asked, "Is this the contract? Can I take a look?"

"Please go ahead."

After gesturing to Charlize and receiving her consent, Henry picked up the brokerage contract and looked at it.

In fact, everything from the scope of brokerage to the profit-sharing agreement was completely standard and in accordance with the law. But the key point was the initial investment projects.

The agency will cover Charlize Theron's tuition and fees at acting school. Given these upfront costs, the contract length and termination terms are not so simple.

The law stipulates that the initial contract is for one year, and the maximum renewal period is three years. However, this contract includes a priority renewal right.

If Charlize's profits within the year do not exceed a certain threshold—that is, enough to cover the cost of performing arts school— Crosby Talent Agency can request an extension of the contract.

The termination conditions are the same. If you want to leave, you have to return the company's investment in order to leave cleanly.

Furthermore, the exact amount isn't specified here; it depends on the performing arts school's fees. This is only slightly better than a blank contract requiring a signature.

To be fair, for a complete newcomer with no family resources, such a contract may have its risks; however, if the agency is serious about nurturing new talent, the terms of the contract are still reasonable.

But the other documents Henry's X-Ray Vision saw in John's briefcase were not so benign.

One of the clauses states that after signing the contract, the agency will not only cover the cost of acting school, but also provide clothing expenses, living expenses, and high-end apartments for women, taking care of everything in every aspect.

However, the profit target for the company within that year is so high that even the average white-collar worker would be astonished. What If...? this target isn't met, starting from the second year, one will practically become a slave to the company, tightly controlled by its massive debt.

At this point, the girl had only two choices: either take on a huge debt and work multiple jobs to pay it off, or continue enjoying the lifestyle she had enjoyed in the first year, but be controlled by the company.

Although some conditions were set very strictly, which girl who was new to Hollywood didn't think she could become Pretty Woman like Julia Roberts?

So as long as the contract is fulfilled, what does it matter how strict the conditions for termination or breach of contract are? It's just that by the time they realize reality, it's already too late.

Perhaps many girls who fall into depravity in Hollywood are manufactured in this way. How many of them actually aim to make money in the dark industry from the very beginning?

Judging from the contents of the contract that wasn't produced, it's clear that Crosby Talent Agency is no saint either. It's just that Henry's presence prevented John from producing the most stringent slave contract.

Even knowing that Crosby Talent Agency had a dark side, it was just Henry's speculation. He couldn't directly tell Charlize Theron that this guy was dangerous and it was best to stay away. Nor could he provide any evidence to prove it.

The contract wasn't taken out of the other party's bag, was it? You can't assume all men are rapists just because a man has a gun in his crotch. Maybe the other party genuinely intends to groom an actor.

So Henry simply explained the terms of the contract to Charlize one by one, without embellishing or adding his own emotional words.

Finally, Henry said, "There's nothing to discuss in the contract. It's pretty much the same as the Actors Guild's temporary agent contract template, with a few additional clauses."

"The compensation for contract termination is actually the subsidy the company provided to the acting school in the early stages. What If...? you are willing to pay the full tuition, perhaps the compensation clause for contract termination can be cancelled."

John, who was adding to the content from time to time, then spoke up, "Charlize, if you're willing to pay your own tuition, canceling the compensation clause is fine too. This is because I see you're having some financial difficulties, so I'm giving you this special help."

"Whether you accept it or not is your right to choose. But if you want to become a movie actor, don't say you don't need to go to acting school."

"The person I chose to work with is a renowned teacher whom many big stars would seek advice from. He has a real knack for acting, and what's even more valuable is that he knows how to teach others."

"Many famous celebrities can act it themselves, but they might not be able to teach it. And more importantly, being able to take a class with them is like a business card."

"What If...? there's a director who places great importance on acting skills, your acting teacher will be your advocate until you have a representative work that can convince others."

"Hmm, let me think." The actress, who hasn't even debuted yet, is standing at a crossroads in her life.