Failed Audition

The underwater server was eventually built before the short-term lease for the warehouse expired. It was then launched into the sea, connected to the submarine communication cable, and began operation.

This was done while Charlize was at her job, during the time Henry had left after running around to the Actors Guild and various film crews, and after finishing his agent's work, as well as secretly working overtime late at night. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the construction process was full of twists and turns.

The final size was roughly that of a 20-seat mid-sized bus. Henry carried it into the sea in the middle of the night, delivered it to its designated underwater location, and connected it to an underwater communication cable.

The server's purpose hasn't been decided yet; for now, it's just running a self-monitoring program that sends log files back to Henry's rented computer at any time.

Because it's installed on the seabed, we need to observe whether it can operate normally and whether any unexpected problems will occur. Only if it can operate stably can we consider other uses.

Otherwise, if you send all your important data over, only to have it get soaked and ruined the next day, wouldn't you be heartbroken?

In short, the construction plan for the underwater server, which was under pressure due to the lease term, has come to a temporary halt, and Henry can finally focus all his energy on that future Best Actress.

The underhanded tactics I'm going to use are certainly not things like eavesdropping to obtain information, or going to a powerful person's house to beat them up and force them to submit.

Crime is unacceptable!

Henry took advantage of a break during Charlize's interview to make a phone call he hadn't actually made before, just to test how much influence he had. Fortunately, he received a positive response, which meant he passed the first hurdle.

When the disappointed girl returned to the car, Henry knew the outcome without even asking. Just as he was thinking about how to comfort her, Charlize struck first!

As if venting her emotions, she slapped her cheeks hard with both hands, the sound of the slaps being incredibly crisp.

This made Henry feel a stinging pain in his face.

Henry gently released the girl's hand and lightly massaged Charlize's flushed cheeks. "Look, they're all red. What if they were swollen? Luckily, there weren't any other auditions this afternoon, otherwise your face would have needed a cement trowel to cover it up."

"Ah, you need a cement trowel to touch up your makeup." Charlize bared her teeth and grabbed Henry's cheeks, trying to pull them apart. Unfortunately, she couldn't budge that stubborn old man's face, so she had to give up in frustration.

"Ha, don't come to me if you need to vent your anger. I'll buy you a punching bag later, you can hit it every now and then, it'll make you feel much better."

Charlize grinned and punched Henry's arm twice. "I love punching these kinds of guys, it doesn't cost any money, and they even yell."

"Ouch, ouch," Henry wailed, seemingly in agreement, but his cries were extremely perfunctory. Charlize couldn't help but punch him again. Then she crossed her arms, turned her head away, and ignored him.

Henry could only say, "Don't worry, it's not strictly your fault that today's audition wasn't successful."

Meanwhile, Henry started the car, preparing to return to his apartment building. It was almost dinnertime, and he needed to go home to prepare dinner for Kitty. While he cooked, Charlize could watch the movie that had been used as her learning material that day, watching it for the first time. Evening would still be practice time.

The slight vibration from the car engine seemed to shatter Charlize's composure. She turned to look at her and asked, "How can you say it wasn't my fault?"

"While you were waiting and auditioning, I walked around the crowd and overheard some rumors."

"What kind of rumor is this? The female lead has already been cast?"

"Yes, that's it."

"So what?" Charlize pouted, looking unhappy.

"I saw the female lead; her appearance is different from yours. But most importantly, I didn't see that star quality in her demeanor. You know what I mean, darling?"

Are you trying to say she's not as good as me, or that she has her own strengths?

"Ha, I knew you'd think that. I imagine you gave it your all during the audition, and really impressed everyone. But you were still politely rejected in the end."

"That's right! That's exactly it! I just can't understand what I'm doing wrong." Charlize shouted angrily.

"Still don't understand, darling? Maybe it's because you did too well."

Henry spoke in a relatively calm voice. This did indeed calm the girl who was caught up in her emotions.

Charlize Theron isn't stupid. Now, looking back on the situation, she realized something. She asked, "Even if I didn't get the lead role, I was originally auditioning for a supporting role, right? They still don't want me?"

"Although we don't know the female lead's background, you can come up with a hundred reasons why the production team can't touch her. What If...?, at this point, the production team chose an actress with better qualifications in every way to play the supporting role, what do you think would happen?"

"Isn't it better to prioritize the better person?" Charlize said angrily, her cheeks puffed out.

Henry laughed and said, "You yourself think this is impossible, that's why you're using this tone, isn't it? When making movies and casting actors, it's never about choosing the best, but the most suitable."

"Suitability can refer to the actor's appearance and qualities, or it can be the level of remuneration and the overall preferences of the production team. Personal relationships are also a very important consideration here."

"To be honest, it's my fault. I didn't understand the situation of this production team beforehand. This is the only opportunity I could find. To be honest, it's not exactly a project that will make us famous."

"However..." Charlize began the transition, glancing at Henry with slight displeasure, awaiting his next words.

Noticing the death stare from the passenger seat, Henry chuckled and said, "No, but..."

There were no strange twists or turns, which at least made her feel a little better. Charlize turned her head sullenly and looked out the car window at the street scene of pedestrians wearing coats.

It rarely snows in Los Angeles, and it never snows in her hometown either. For some reason, she wanted to go somewhere with snow, to roll around in the snow and stuff like that.

"By the way, darling."

Henry's voice made Charlize prick up her ears, but she didn't turn her head and kept looking out the window.

"--Don't schedule work during the Christmas and New Year holidays. I'll take you to meet someone."

This vague request made Charlize Theron freeze. Could it be that this man was also going down that path, bringing her before others as a tribute in exchange for opportunities?

"We're going to Connecticut to see Ms. Catherine Hepburn. I heard it's already snowing there. Do you have enough warm clothes? If not, we'll have to buy some first."

Charlize Theron jerked her head around, nearly twisting her neck. She looked at the driver in surprise. "You mean, that ' Catherine Hepburn ' lady?"

"It should be the ' Catherine Hepburn ' you mentioned. I'll be Audrey Hepburn's assistant; it was this Hepburn who introduced me. Are you going?"

Charlize, like a hamster, stared wide-eyed and nodded frantically.

The first female star to be called the "Queen of Hollywood" was practically the person she dreamed of becoming. How could Charlize Theron possibly pass up the opportunity to meet her in person?