Chapter 117: Challenge the Weak Point

"Black Hole Frequency" is essentially a dual-male-protagonist film, featuring the son and the father. Tomorrow's first audition is for the son's role, a police officer who should have a certain hard-boiled quality.

The actor for the son's role must be between 25 and 35 years old—a range that includes major stars suited to the part, like Tom Cruise at 34, Nicolas Cage at 33, who just won the Oscar last year, and Brad Pitt at 33, famous for "Se7en" and "12 Monkeys." But none of them have responded to the invitations.

Wu Wu Yuchen and Jeff stared at the casting director's list.

Before Wu Wu Yuchen could speak, Jeff said directly:

"Charlie Sheen is out—cross him off!"

Charlie Sheen was one of the top names on the list; Wu Wu Yuchen knew him well—he rose to fame in the 1980s with "Platoon," and later earned widespread acclaim in "Wall Street" and "The Three Musketeers."

Jeff, fearing Wu Wu Yuchen didn't know, explained:

"Charlie Sheen's reputation is terrible now—sex scandals and drugs have become central to his life; it's public knowledge across America. We can't use him."

Wu Wu Yuchen nodded, understanding, then pointed to another familiar name himself:

"Then Luo Bote Downey Jr. is out too."

Last year, he was pulled over naked in a sports car, and illegal substances were found inside; a month later, he was rushed to the hospital by a neighbor after overdosing.

His father fixed it, so the scandal didn't blow up big in America—but Wu Wu Yuchen knew this guy would keep causing trouble over the next few years, landing in jail three times in a row, ruining his name nationwide. How could they possibly cast him?

Though he'd make a comeback a decade later thanks to Iron Man, right now Luo Bote Downey Jr. is toxic—associating with him now would destroy you without mercy.

Jeff hesitated, since Downey's scandal hadn't yet exploded and his father still had influence, but after thinking it over, he nodded: "Cross him off too."

Wu Wu Yuchen continued scanning the list and spotted a few familiar names.

For example, Edward Norton, 27, won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor and received an Oscar nomination for his debut film "Fear" last year; he's also appeared in several excellent films like "The People vs. Larry Flynt." His momentum is surging—he's set to star in "Fight Club" next year; his star path is smooth indeed!

Wu Wu Yuchen now understood Hollywood's audition process: tomorrow's second round mainly filters for image and aura; some big names don't even need to show up—they can skip straight to the third round.

As for minor actors with no credits or unsuitable appearances, the casting director filters them out immediately; only about one or two percent of the original applicants remain on the list.

…

That night, Wu Wu Yuchen arrived at a restaurant, invited by his agent Carl Murphy, who said he'd bring an actor to meet him. Wu Wu Yuchen wasn't surprised—it was normal in Hollywood.

But the actor hadn't approached him during the first open audition; instead, he came now, right before the second round. That meant the actor had already passed the casting director's screening—Wu Wu Yuchen thought Carl was surprisingly professional.

When Wu Wu Yuchen walked over, Carl immediately stood up with the male actor beside him:

"Good evening, Wu. Let me introduce you to one of my clients…"

Wu Wu Yuchen was genuinely surprised to see the man beside Carl—it was Wolverine!

Hugh Jackman!

Hugh Jackman bowed respectfully to Wu Wu Yuchen:

"Wu Dao, hello. I'm Hugh Jackman."

Wu Wu Yuchen had seen Hugh Jackman's name on the list today, but he hadn't expected him to be under the same agent.

Wu Wu Yuchen shook his hand, then sat down to chat casually, asking about Hugh Jackman's acting background.

Hugh Jackman is 28. He came to Hollywood from Australia years ago, primarily a stage actor, but couldn't support himself—he spent his first two years working as a clown at birthday parties, at gas stations, and in restaurants just to make ends meet.

He only began landing TV roles in 1995; over the past few years he's done bit parts and minor roles, but never anything significant—though his stage career has steadily improved.

Now, his agent had actually secured him a lead role—and brought him to meet the director—giving him real hope.

Mainly, Carl was saying to Wu Wu Yuchen: "Wu, I guarantee Hugh Jackman's acting is flawless. His age and appearance perfectly match the role…"

Wu Wu Yuchen looked at the ruggedly handsome man before him, whose smile occasionally radiated the charm that could melt teenage girls—his image was indeed ideal.

As for acting? Hmm, Wolverine!

Actually, Wolverine's acting is quite good—he's done indie films and even been nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor.

Wu Wu Yuchen smiled: "Hugh, your appearance and aura are very satisfying. You should have no problem passing tomorrow's second round."

Hugh Jackman's face lit up—but Wu Wu Yuchen immediately added:

"But your resume is too thin, and some other candidates have far greater fame. I can't guarantee you'll get the lead."

Carl immediately said:

"Wu, with your support, Hugh's chances have already increased dramatically—thank you so much! If Hugh joins the crew, he'll stand firmly by your side!"

Wu Wu Yuchen's mind stirred—he realized Carl was right. If the main cast aligned with him, his influence would grow. In Hollywood, every step had to be calculated.

Wu Wu Yuchen chuckled and said to Hugh Jackman: "Prepare well for the audition—make a good impression on the other casting judges too!"

"Thank you, Wu Dao!"

Afterward, Wu Wu Yuchen briefly explained the character and the audition scenes to Hugh Jackman—doing Carl a favor.

…

"Gretchen, good news—you've passed the second round!"

"Really? That's amazing!"

Hearing her agent's voice on the phone, Gretchen Moore was overjoyed.

Gretchen was also a theater actress; after realizing stage acting had no future, she briefly modeled in 1995 before fully committing to acting. Over the past two years, she's played countless trashy bit parts and minor roles—until Spike Lee's "6th Street" gave her a small supporting role that drew some attention.

Now she'd made it to the final audition for the female lead in a $20–30 million major production—how could she not be thrilled?

But her agent's next words doused her in cold water:

"Gretchen, don't get too excited. From what I've heard, Diane Lane is the strongest contender for the lead. You're considered too young, too beautiful—you barely scraped into the next round."

"Too beautiful?! What the hell kind of reason is that?!"

Gretchen cursed. Wasn't the point of Hollywood female leads to be pretty enough to be a pretty face?

"Sweetheart, you'll have to ask the director that. But Gretchen, if you don't do something, there's a 99% chance you'll just be a runner-up. Understand?"

Gretchen took a deep breath, calming herself. She understood her agent's meaning—once in Hollywood, she'd long accepted the unwritten rules: trading favors for roles.

Like Julia Roberts, the biggest star in America—sure, rumors she slept with half the crew to rise are false, but she definitely secured one or two key people.

The trashy sets she'd worked on over the past two years weren't worth sacrificing for—but this was different. This was a Columbia Pictures mainstream $20–30 million film—and the female lead!

It was the best opportunity she'd ever had since debuting. She realized sharply: this could be her chance to enter the mainstream spotlight, to change her fate!

"George, who's the key person?" Gretchen asked calmly.

Her agent George smiled and explained:

"Two: one is the producer Jeff, the other is the director and screenwriter Wu Wu Yuchen. You met both during your second-round audition."

Gretchen instantly recalled them: one was a white man in his forties or fifties, the other a very young Asian guy—but he was quite good-looking.

Gretchen asked: "Wu Wu Yuchen… oh, his name is so hard to pronounce! I mean, he looks so young—can he really make decisions?"

"Of course! Gretchen, maybe you don't pay attention to things outside America—he won Best Director at the Berlin Film Festival, and his film 'Run Lola Run' earned fifty million in European box office.

That's why Sony brought him to Hollywood as both director and screenwriter—he's the soul of this film. Your role, though the female lead, is mostly just a weighty prop. If he wants to help you, he can make it happen!"

Gretchen's mind settled—why choose an old man when a young, handsome one was available?

…

In the elevator, Wu Wu Yuchen rubbed his temples, closed his eyes, and mentally reviewed every aspect of the crew's preparations. In Hollywood, everything followed strict rules, so the prep pace was painfully slow. Back home, he'd have finished in half a month; here, a month was fast—some things took two or three months just to get ready for shooting.

But he had to adapt to the local rhythm. In two days, the third round of auditions for key roles would begin. Hugh Jackman had advanced under his support, but whether he'd ultimately be chosen still depended on how things played out.

He now understood: every major role was a power struggle. Jeff surely had his own preferred candidate—he just didn't know who yet.

Thinking of this, he felt slightly irritated. Filming here was too constrained—he missed the absolute authority he had when directing in China.

"Ding."

The elevator's chime interrupted Wu Wu Yuchen's thoughts. As the doors opened and he stepped out, something bumped into him—light, not forceful. He swayed slightly, then steadied himself.

Wu Wu Yuchen looked closely—it was a blonde, blue-eyed beauty in a tight black pencil skirt that accentuated her S-curve figure. She was covering her mouth, looking deeply apologetic:

"Oh! I'm so, so sorry!"

Then she saw his face and looked utterly astonished:

"Wu Dao? It's you! I'm so sorry—I was so careless!"

Wu Wu Yuchen recognized her immediately—Gretchen Moore, one of the female lead candidates.

This girl would soon work with Matt Damon and Leonardo DiCaprio in the next two years, even become DiCaprio's rumored girlfriend—a classic American blonde bombshell with a touch of wholesome wife-and-mother charm—that's why she'd made it to the third round. But she had no fame yet.

Whether this was accidental or intentional, Wu Wu Yuchen knew perfectly well—she'd come to the elevator outside his hotel floor!

Still, Wu Wu Yuchen smiled politely: "It's fine."

Seeing her bag drop to the floor, he bent down to pick it up. As he did, he noticed lingerie spilling out—sensual, intimate pieces. Inside the bag, he spotted a white nurse outfit.

The female lead was the mother's role—specifically, the mother in her youth, around 30, a nurse by profession.

Just then, a sultry voice whispered beside him: "Wu Dao, you're such a gentleman~"

Wu Wu Yuchen turned to see Gretchen bending over toward him, her skirt falling open, exposing everything beneath.

"Damn, this fox!" Wu Wu Yuchen cursed inwardly, forced to admit she'd stirred a dangerous fire in him.

Other agents had approached him before with similar offers—he'd turned them all down, pouring all his energy into crew prep. He hadn't expected to be cornered like this.

Wu Wu Yuchen said nothing. He took a deep breath, stood up, and handed her the bag.

Gretchen smiled at him with smoldering eyes, reached out, and lightly brushed her fingers across his hand before lifting the bag, saying:

"Wu Dao, these are all for my audition. Don't you think I'd look good in them~?"

Wu Wu Yuchen replied coolly: "There's no nurse scene in the audition."

Then he turned and walked toward his room.

Gretchen's expression darkened—she took it as a polite refusal. But watching his retreating back, she couldn't bear to give up. She bit her lip and followed—he hadn't outright rejected her. There was still hope.

Wu Wu Yuchen had just swiped his keycard to open his door when he felt his arm gently tugged. He turned to see Gretchen watching him with a probing gaze. He said:

"This role requires a virtuous mother. Do you understand?"

Gretchen instantly shed her flirtatious demeanor, presenting a harmless, innocent face, her big watery eyes fixed on Wu Wu Yuchen:

"Wu Dao, if you'll just give me a chance… I'll even play the daughter."

Looking at Gretchen's pure-yet-seductive, teasing expression, Wu Wu Yuchen's temper flared.

Wu Wu Yuchen, who still wasn't fully accustomed to being in America these past few days, was already feeling irritable, and now someone kept provoking him here too.

Fuck it, if he's in America, why hold back? He decided to challenge his own weak spot!

Gretchen watched as the other person stepped into the room first, but the door remained open; instantly her face lit up. Once inside, she lightly hooked her high heel against it, and with a sharp snap, the door shut.

Even sending a picture gets reviewed. Ugh.