Chapter 206: The Current Situation in Los Angeles

At the dining table, a spread of big fish and meat, along with tofu and green vegetables, not only had Henry eating to his heart's content, but even old Gary enjoyed this meal after a long time.

Henry swept up most of the food. Who could blame him? While in Switzerland, considering that lady's light palate and physical condition, he had almost been eating grass every day; wasn't this a proper revenge?

Old Gary, who came in to eat together, brought a bottle of bourbon whiskey. After they finished eating, Henry first stacked the bowls and plates in the sink. He turned on the stereo system that hadn't been used in a long time, set the volume to the lowest, and used it as background music.

He took whiskey glasses and poured for both of them. With the alcohol down his throat, old Gary let out a long sigh, and his tone was comparatively normal. Instead of his usual coquettish manner, he no longer spoke in a lisping way.

Old Gary said, "Damn, it's been a long time since I had a proper meal like this."

"It can't be that bad. Even if your own cooking is poor, there are good things to eat outside, just a bit expensive. Although Los Angeles isn't considered a culinary capital, with a clientele possessing amazing spending power, there's no lack of excellent chefs opening shops."

Old Gary rolled his eyes and said, "Looks like you really haven't been back for too long. In the past, in Los Angeles at night, as long as you didn't go to those gang neighborhoods, you wouldn't run into any trouble. The situation now is completely different."

Hearing this, Henry frowned and asked, "Is the situation that bad?"

Old Gary said angrily, "Animals that have eaten people cannot live, but people cannot be handled that way. The government seemingly suppressed the riots with tough measures, but in the final disposition, it was weak, making many concessions to blacks.

"They even punished those police officers who were loyal to their duty. I can't help but wonder if, in the future, if a black person commits murder, as long as they insist their skin is black, they can use 'white discrimination against me' and 'forcing me to take the blame' as an excuse to be acquitted instead."

Henry shrugged and said, "Can't be helped. Biologically, introducing an alien species into a region inevitably causes a corresponding chain reaction. When whites brought blacks from Africa to the Americas as slaves, they were destined to bear the consequences of today."

"Those damn blacks." Old Gary cursed, then added, "Anyway, on the streets of Los Angeles now, except for the downtown area and the wealthy districts, everywhere else is about the same; it's best not to go out alone at night."

"Will you get robbed?" Henry asked curiously.

Old Gary replied, "Even if you aren't robbed, haven't you seen the arrogant manner of those blacks now? As long as you look like someone easy to bully, they will find fun on you. As for what happens in the end, one can only say that whatever happens won't be surprising."

Hearing this, Henry didn't even want to ask anymore why the police didn't do anything about it.

Although last year's Los Angeles riots were suppressed through the joint efforts of the military and law enforcement, the matter itself ended with damage to the police's credibility, not the kind of situation where, just after a severe crackdown, even petty thieves know to restrain themselves a bit.

So rather than blaming blacks for pushing their luck, it's better to say the Los Angeles government gave them this opportunity; if the black community didn't climb up the pole, it would be a sheer waste of their innate little cleverness.

Although he hadn't yet decided to go back and stir things up, Henry still asked, "What about Hollywood? Is it the same situation?"

"Ha, you're underestimating that group of Jews dominating the top of Hollywood. Those blacks, besides raising their own funds and creating their own little circle to play in, still want to stick their hands into this top-tier big cake? Dream on."

Thinking about it, from the accumulation starting with jazz and soul music up to contemporary rap, it is a circle established by blacks, with rules defined by them.

The eight major arts in Western culture have always been dominated by white values.

Especially Hollywood, this top-tier circle of fame and fortune; a group of blacks speaking with clicking sounds, holding guns, and dreaming of interfering in it—wouldn't they end up shattered to pieces? Competing in black-heartedness with those true big shots? Those blacks from Africa aren't up to the task yet.

Even in the politically correct era of Black Lives Matter, it was only that a few movies with relatively black bloodlines proved themselves with box office returns, so blind Hollywood followers believed the era of blacks had arrived.

But this didn't shake the colors of those high-ups; it only meant that in movies, the voice and proportion of blacks became more and more.

As long as blacks cannot continue to prove themselves with box office returns, they will be abandoned by Hollywood again, just like those generations of disposable superstars.

"So, are you going back to be an actor?" Henry muttered to himself.

"What? Do you have other plans?" Old Gary thought for a moment and said, "You followed Lady He Ben for over a year; didn't you get any connections from her? Or did she agree to pave the way for you, introducing you to which big directors? You didn't lick enough to satisfy her?"

"Fuck! Gary, that's going too far." Henry complained, slightly angry.

Old Gary raised his hands in a surrendering manner and said very directly, "My bad."

Henry then said seriously, "I did attend multiple fundraising banquets with Lady He Ben and met quite a few people. But that circle doesn't belong exclusively to Hollywood, and it's too high-end. I was just a transparent assistant; I couldn't get a word in with those people.

"Even if I used Lady Audrey He Ben's name to bluff today, given that the lady has passed away, it wouldn't be of much use anyway. Moreover, she has children in the film circle; there's no way I would be the one to step forward."

"That's true. Then you didn't go join her children?" Old Gary asked.

Henry replied, "Xiao En mainly mixes in the European film circle. European cinema itself is dying; what's good about going there? Besides, who would support their mother's former assistant? With those resources, wouldn't it be better to invest in someone with more promising prospects?"

"Indeed so." Old Gary sighed. Then he helped Henry count things out carefully, saying, "That is to say, besides being a background actor for over half a year, you worked as Lady Audrey He Ben's assistant for over a year.

"With such credentials, do you have any intention of going the route of agent, or from production assistant to producer? No, probably an agent would work; for a producer, without some background, people wouldn't even dare to use you."

Henry laughed, "And then, clients like superstars wouldn't fall to me. I could only hope for some insignificant person signed from who-knows-where to somehow climb all the way to the position of Best Actor or Best Actress? Buddy, that path isn't easy either."

Old Gary said disdainfully, "Wanting success, which path is easy? If there really was one, I would have taken it; would I still be telling you?"

"Oh, you're absolutely right there." Things a person can easily say out loud are either unimportant or they just don't care.

Truly, almost no one is unable to keep a secret because they are too stupid. The only reason is that they didn't take such a secret to heart.

(End of this chapter)