First Job

As she carried her bag past the entrance of 20th Century Fox, a young man in a black suit with slightly disheveled hair and a cigarette in his hand stood by the roadside, spewing a constant stream of profanity that made her frown involuntarily.

Irene had intended to leave quickly to avoid further polluting her ears, but she caught the name Shelly Ovitz in the man's conversation.

She thought back to the phone call she couldn't get through the previous night and decided to wait for him to finish his call so she could ask about the situation.

Shelly Ovitz hadn't slept all night because one of his actors had gotten into trouble, and he had been severely reprimanded by 20th Century Fox executives that morning; he was currently in a state of extreme irritability.

Even with a striking beauty standing next to him, he had no heart to deal with her, his tone dismissive: "I don't accept resumes here. If you want to sign a contract, go directly to the company and find the front desk."

Irene wore a look of confusion, took a deep breath, and said with forced patience: "Hello, I am Irene Coppola. I just heard you mention the name Shelly Ovitz. I happen to have something to discuss with him, but I couldn't get through on the phone. May I ask if there is any other way to contact him?"

"Irene Coppola?" The name sounded familiar. Shelly tossed the cigarette he was holding, crushed it under his shoe, and scanned her from head to toe. A high brown ponytail, a bare face, wearing a white dress, and carrying the latest LV bag—from her appearance, her potential seemed decent. Could she be a young actress introduced by one of his clients?

"Sir?" Irene prompted him again when she saw he wasn't speaking.

The man grabbed his hair casually and nodded slightly, "I am Shelly Ovitz. I just finished a task, so I have some time now. Shall we go to the coffee shop next door to talk?" With that, he walked straight toward the side.

Irene hesitated for a moment, feeling that this man's behavior did not match the agent she had imagined, but since she had no better options for the moment, she decided to give him another chance and followed quickly.

The two entered the coffee shop. Because it was near the 20th Century Fox building, it was filled with many people from the entertainment industry. The seating was spaced appropriately with green plant partitions, making it difficult for conversations to be overheard, which was perfect for private discussions.

Shelly Ovitz chose a window seat at random. While waiting for the waiter, he had already decided that since he truly didn't have a top-tier female artist on his roster, if this young lady was obedient enough, it wouldn't be impossible to promote her.

When ordering, Irene asked for a cappuccino, while he ordered a double-shot iced Americano.

"I need a little stimulation to wake up my brain," Shelly Ovitz said.

"What happened? If you don't mind me asking." Irene shrugged, signaling for him to say something that would help her understand him better.

"Nothing that can't be said. One of my actors was reported by a competitor for doing drugs on set last night. I spent the whole night dealing with the aftermath, and I came to the Fox Building now to see if there was any room for maneuver." Shelly Ovitz's tone was full of sarcasm and indifference; it was clear he had already decided to abandon the person.

"You didn't sleep all night? What kind of set is so strict? I thought this was common in Hollywood?"

"It is common, provided it doesn't interfere with work. But he was stupid enough to think that because he had a part in Titanic, he could do whatever he wanted." The coffee arrived, and he drank more than half of it in one gulp. Irene could almost feel the bitterness rushing to his brain, making her scalp tingle.

"It seems that even a big ship can't cover everything. Is he out?"

"No, the big ship could, but only if he were Leonardo DiCaprio would someone cover for him.

He is just a minor supporting actor with a line or two who is completely dispensable. There are plenty of people like him in Hollywood. If you don't keep your tail tucked and get arrogant after a little success, a fool like that won't make it anywhere. I won't waste any more energy on him; it would only make me look stupider." He drank the rest of the iced Americano, which was as bitter as poison, without changing his expression, yet his words were more poisonous than the drink itself.

"Let's not discuss this poor kid who hit a dead end. Let's talk about you. Did you bring a resume? Do you have any acting experience? Although your appearance is okay, we at CAA don't just sign anyone, and you don't look like you fit the current mainstream aesthetic. You might need some work done."

Irene was once again rendered speechless by his words. Gritting her teeth, she endured it and said, "I am not an actress looking to sign with you. Let me introduce myself again: my name is Irene Coppola, and I will be a director in the future."

"A director? You?"

Irene even heard a mocking laugh from him.

"I thought that as a well-known agent at CAA, Mr. Ovitz would know how to spell the word 'respect,' but it seems I overestimated you. Since you are completely uninterested in our cooperation, I will tell my father the reason when I return and ask Mr. Michael Ovitz to introduce someone else."

She would not reject the entire CAA because of an individual like Shelly Ovitz. If this one didn't work, she would just change to someone else; perhaps next time she could choose a female agent.

Irene stood up to leave after saying this.

Only when Shelly Ovitz heard his uncle's name did he realize that the person in front of him was not just another "newcomer" seen on the streets wanting to break into Hollywood.

"Wait, Miss Coppola, right? I remember now. I made a mistake. My uncle did mention your business to me. My apologies; forgive my brain for stalling after not sleeping all night. Miss, may I ask what exactly you need from me?"

Shelly shook his head vigorously, and only after retrieving the information related to the Coppola name from his memory did he truly realize who was standing before him.

"Has Mr. Ovitz finally remembered who I am?" Irene stopped her turn to leave.

"Oh, yes, yes, the youngest daughter of Director Coppola. So, what is it you need from me?"

"I want to shoot a music video for Jive, but I don't know anyone at the music company. I wanted to ask if you could help me bridge the gap so I can meet them."

No matter how she looked at him, this person was not someone she would normally choose to associate with, but if he could solve the problem, it was something she could tolerate.

"Oh? If I may be blunt, besides the 'Coppola' surname, do you have any other works to your name?" Shelly Ovitz didn't understand where her confidence came from.

Irene wasn't angry; he was telling the truth. She had no works to date, not even a test reel.

"If I did, I think I would have sought them out myself, and there would be no need for your existence, right? Isn't an agent's job to help clients solve problems and create something out of nothing?"

"Haha, well said. Then what is the reason? I do have acquaintances at Jive, but I can't just bring someone there and say I want to shoot a music video for them."

"I have a friend named Britney who is about to debut, and I want to shoot her debut music video."

Shelly Ovitz quickly searched his exhausted brain. "Britney, is it? There is such a person. I heard Jive thinks quite highly of her. But what does that have to do with you? You aren't trying to use the music video as an excuse to sabotage her debut, are you?"

There were far more fake friends than real ones in Hollywood, especially for girls of that age who were more easily swayed by impulse. Rather than believing this was for the sake of friendship, he felt more like she was trying to ruin Britney's debut project.

Irene shook her head. "Mr. Ovitz, I am not someone who would harm others without benefiting myself. The prerequisite for ruining someone else's career is that I could replace them, and I know nothing about music. Besides, Brit is my best friend."

"Tell me your reason and your true goal. Don't fob me off with 'best friend' talk."

"The reason is simple: I know Britney will definitely explode in popularity. The market is currently lacking a young, confident, recognizable, and talented female teen idol—and she is the best candidate. I am certain that her appearance will cause a sensation."

Shelly raised an eyebrow. Her excitement made it seem as if she were the one debuting. They didn't have any special relationship, did they?

"And then?"

"And I can take this opportunity to shoot a high-quality music video for her and use that momentum to make a name for myself."

"You are so sure she will be a hit? And that she can bring your music video to success along with her?" Shelly really didn't understand where she got such strong confidence.

Irene didn't explain too much—she couldn't exactly say that she knew the development of Hollywood for the next twenty or thirty years.

"This is just the beginning, and my real 'ace in the hole' is right here." After saying this, she took a notebook out of her bag, which contained a simple script she had organized after watching Legally Blonde repeatedly last night.

This was her true objective.

Shelly Ovitz took it, flipped to the first page, and read it carefully. Irene stirred her coffee unhurriedly, waiting patiently.

Her gaze drifted out the window. The massive success of Titanic had allowed the once-bankrupt 20th Century Fox to get back on its feet.

The streets were bustling with people, among them several actors Irene recognized; those who left an impression on her were generally ones who had starred in hit blockbusters.

As an agent at CAA, analyzing scripts was one of Shelly's fundamental skills. It took him less than ten minutes to finish reading the script outline titled Legally Blonde.

"A quite decent script. Although the content isn't complete yet, the characters are vivid, and the plot is lighthearted yet unconventional. If you're telling me you crafted this single-handedly, then I truly underestimated you."

"No need to doubt it, this is indeed my own work." Irene's tone was firm.

"I understand your plan now: use the music video as a springboard to build fame, leverage the fervor of teenage fans to gain attention within that demographic, and then use this script to officially enter Hollywood. To be honest, at your age, I didn't have such a clear plan."

"Thank you for the compliment. I assume Mr. Ovitz will help me solve this trivial little problem?" Irene had confidence in Legally Blonde; there weren't many teen campus films that could break a hundred million at the North American box office.

"I will do my best." Shelly flashed his standard fake smile to brush Irene off.

Irene downed the rest of the coffee in her cup. "I won't disturb your work any longer, Mr. Ovitz. I hope to hear your good news soon." With that, she turned and left decisively.