Chapter 46: Screen Actors Guild

On a spring morning, the sunlight in Los Angeles was warm, dispelling the chill of early spring.

Henry drove with the window down, one arm half-draped over the sill, leisurely enjoying the invigorating spring sun.

Although Los Angeles is a bustling metropolis, traffic flows quite smoothly as long as it is not yet rush hour. This allowed Henry to drive leisurely toward the Screen Actors Guild.

Coffee shops and fast-food restaurants selling breakfast do not open that early; to eat breakfast at this time, one can only find some street vendors.

Although Henry had been in Los Angeles for only a little over three months, relying on a krypton-dog nose more sensitive than an animal's, combined with his own initiative, he had managed to memorize most of the delicious and fun places in Los Angeles.

Do not underestimate street vendors; just like the night market snacks back home, occasionally quite outstanding food is hidden in these humble stalls.

These illegal immigrant old men, who may not even have US citizenship or green cards, might possess some unique skills from their homeland that make people want to eat again after tasting them.

Henry did not mind doing business with such people; as long as it tasted good, that was all that mattered.

As for hygiene issues... regarding this point, one can only say that a Kryptonian's stomach is metaphysical.

As long as Henry does not see anything disgusting, he could even drink Ganges water.

But if he sees anything inhumane, even if the E. coli levels are not exceeded, Henry could still vomit and have diarrhea for several days.

This is purely psychological affecting the physical.

Of course, any shop listed by Henry as one to frequent regularly would definitely not have such nauseating scenes, and the taste was guaranteed.

When conditions allow, there can be no compromise whatsoever regarding food; this is the last shred of stubbornness carved into his bones.

Take, for instance, the spicy Mexican burrito in his hand. For a country that does not love spice, it could be considered a single red dot amidst a sea of green.

Henry had thought about recreating the miracle of Sichuan flavors on this land, but even a skilled housewife cannot cook without rice. Without suitable ingredients, even if he possessed the ability to stir-fry Mapo Tofu until a golden dragon appeared, he would be helpless.

Breakfast consisted of three Mexican burritos. For the drink, he found a café run by an old Frenchman, where he could drink estate-grade coffee that had not yet become popular. At least it was much better than Starbucks or some watered-down chain coffee shops.

Paul's café opened very early and naturally had breakfast items. However, for a classic French breakfast, there were only croissants and other types of bread to choose from, so Henry decisively chose food with meat.

Of course, Henry would not eat the burrito inside Paul's café, even though he was drinking their coffee. Such hateful behavior was best avoided.

So he kept these items in the car, driving while basking in the sun, and eating breakfast comfortably.

Arriving at the Screen Actors Guild, there was still a short while before opening time, so Henry sat in his car, finished his breakfast, and picked up a copy of Shakespeare to read.

His super brain and various senses ensured his reading speed was incredibly fast, with no possibility of incomprehension, unless he encountered a fallacy that was inherently flawed.

But literary works sometimes require settling down to chew on the words within, experiencing the emotions of the characters. This kind of thing that must be done slowly did not bother Henry.

When speed has become an instinct, things that allow one to slow down are precious. This is also one of the reasons Henry is enthusiastic about studying cooking, because the process of waiting for food to cook is something none of his various superpowers can help with.

Just as a little Shakespearean theater was playing out in his mind, a series of urgent knocks on the glass interrupted Henry's thoughts.

Since the window was open, the person knocking was actually tapping on the front windshield. Henry saw the newcomer effortlessly and said with a smile, "Ah, Marianne, it's you. Good morning. Your makeup and styling are beautiful today; is that Chanel shade NM?"

"Haha, you guessed wrong. This is shade N12; I searched for a long time to find one that suits me." The speaker was a middle-aged beauty whose crow's feet were visible, yet she maintained herself quite well in every other aspect.

Henry picked up an unopened cup of coffee from the passenger seat and handed it over, saying, "Black coffee from old Paul. Sweetheart, guaranteed to keep you energetic all day."

"Oh, that's wonderful. Without a cup of black coffee in the morning, I really feel listless all day." Taking the coffee cup, the beauty beamed with joy and said, "Come on. You came early to see if there are any new casting calls, right?"

Henry, who had opened the door and gotten out of the car, followed Marianne's steps and said, "Yeah. Were there any new film projects launched yesterday, or any actor recruitment materials released?"

"What a pity, there were no new recruitment messages yesterday. However, I heard that the Big Eight Studios have some major productions in the works; you could find an exclusive agent to help you inquire."

Marianne was a clerk at the Screen Actors Guild, helping to process registration materials and actor recruitment materials sent by production companies.

For Henry, who had no exclusive agent, this counted as cultivating an insider within the Guild. All it took was sending a cup of coffee each time as a reward.

Henry asked again, "Did no production team contact me regarding the audition materials I submitted earlier?"

"What a pity, Henry dear. If a production team wanted to contact you for an audition, I would notify you immediately. If you haven't received one, then there isn't one."

Marianne, who had opened the Guild's main door, put on an exaggerated, annoying expression while speaking.

Henry, following her inside, glanced at the bulletin board in the lobby; it was indeed no different from what had been posted yesterday.

Actually, it wasn't that Henry didn't believe Marianne's words; he simply became familiar with this sister because he checked the bulletin board day after day, and on several occasions, this idle sister initiated conversation, leading to their current familiarity.

Marianne habitually tidied up the Guild's counter while checking her memo pad to see what appointments were scheduled for today.

One glance caused her to discover something unexpectedly, and she said, "Eh, little Henry, don't you have acting today? Is it okay for you to be loitering here at the Guild?"

Looking up at the clock, Henry said leisurely, "Today is a street scene shoot, just a few blocks away from here. No rush."

The major production Henry joined this time was his first experience with one. But actually, it was just a B-movie with a budget of less than ten million, the kind that goes straight to the video market.

Even so, the various systems were relatively more formal. Even background actors like Henry would join the crew.

Since the location for today's shoot was close, he happened to park the car at the Screen Actors Guild; otherwise, he would have to worry about parking problems.

Although he walked, Henry didn't even use his super speed; he simply strolled toward the street-closed location at a normal walking pace.

The new book has been signed; please follow, bookmark, and recommend. Thank you~~

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(End of this chapter)