From Flower Vase to Film Emperor in Hollywood

Clearly, Anson was exhausted.

His physical energy had bottomed out. Despite his youth and vigor, last night's hangover combined with a lack of sleep, and today's continuous performance of physically and mentally draining scenes, had left him constantly breaking out in a cold sweat.

He simply couldn't persevere, and even his performance in front of the camera revealed a hint of fatigue—

Perfectly timed, a perfect fit.

This state was precisely the embodiment of Johnny's mood.

Angry, yet pathetic; irritable, yet stifled.

His frantic actions in the waiting room only exposed his cowardice and helplessness.

Exhausted, he hugged the sink, exerting every ounce of strength he had, but still couldn't tear it down.

His cheeks were flushed red like a monkey's backside, and he stood there clenching his teeth, wrestling with himself.

Even...appearing foolish.

"Cut!"

Mangold's voice rang out again, his entire being radiating energy and delight.

The filming was far exceeding expectations, satisfying Mangold's creative desires.

He was already impatient to move on to the next scene.

Work had become a pleasure.

"For the next scene, let's reset the stage.

The two actors can rest and adjust, then change costumes and makeup, and we'll continue."

Inspiration bursting forth, spirits soaring, Mangold's voice was light and cheerful.

One could sense the director's good mood without even asking.

It wasn't just Mangold.

The atmosphere on set was also subtly changing.

Gossip and rumors seemed to have vanished without a trace.

The crew members finally composed themselves and returned to their duties, wholeheartedly throwing themselves into the filming.

The glances they inadvertently cast at Anson also changed.

Although there were no conversations, everyone likely had their own thoughts.

The change wasn't instantaneous, but it was definitely happening.

Huff...

Anson exhaled a long breath; he really needed to rest.

His wildly beating heart continued to pound fiercely against his chest, the roaring in his ears was incessant, and the whole world was spinning.

Even breathing deeply, he still felt oxygen-deprived.

He felt as if he had just run a marathon, every cell in his body experiencing the fatigue of the moment.

It seemed as if a fire was flowing through his veins.

"Hey!"

In the theater's audience area, the extras and temporary actors also gained a precious moment of rest, relaxing and finally able to adjust.

But compared to the crew members, they seemed much more excited and elated, unable to suppress their emotions.

The surge of feelings was clearly visible between their brows.

They had initially thought that participating in a film shoot might demystify the magic, but they were now experiencing something different.

The atmosphere on set today could be clearly felt in the chattering and rustling sounds of their discussions.

He waved back at the figure, signaling them to come over.

Sure enough, that fellow, like a little deer, skipped and hopped merrily out of the crowd, rushing towards Anson sitting on the edge of the stage.

The stage wasn't high, but Anson, already tall and long-legged, had to tilt his head back and crane his neck to meet their eyes.

This allowed him to clearly see Anson's expression and the hot sweat slowly dripping from his soaked hair.

"Oh, God. You look terrible,"

the little fellow exclaimed with a chuckle.

"Ha!"

Anson laughed directly, seemingly not minding at all.

"I didn't expect acting to be such a grueling job."

"I thought it was just standing in front of the camera, striking a pose and flashing a smile, and the money would obediently flow into my pocket.

Working while vacationing, enjoying the gazes of adoration and admiration—everything seemed perfect.

But the reality is so wretched.

God, I don't even dare to look at myself in the mirror right now."

Self-deprecating, without mercy.

The little fellow's eyes curved into two crescent moons.

"There's no way around it.

Clearly, you could rely on your looks, but you insist on relying on your talent.

I guess that's the price you pay."

Anson spread his hands and shook his head lightly.

"People are always greedy."

The teasing remark made the little fellow burst into laughter.

But he immediately realized that his laughter was too boisterous, and he quickly covered his mouth, looking left and right, his face full of worry, fearing he might disturb others, like a thief.

The way he shrank back made Anson laugh outright.

"Don't worry, you can relax during breaks.

This isn't Carnegie Hall."

The little fellow lowered his hands.

"Hehe."

Anson sized up the little fellow.

"How did you end up here?

And how did you end up being an extra in the crew?

Did you skip school?"

Standing before him was none other than Jack Forrest, the New York teenager.

Seeing Jack on set, Anson couldn't hide his surprise.

It was clearly an unexpected encounter.

Jack, for once, appeared slightly shy.

"What if I told you that I'm going to become an actor too?"

Anson was stunned.

"Huh?"

Jack looked at Anson's expression and burst into laughter.

"Haha, you should see your face right now!"

Anson also realized that he was too tired, causing the reins of his reason to loosen and his self-control to be far less than usual.

He quickly offered an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, I didn't mean it that way..."

Jack waved his hand.

"I know, I know.

Anson, you don't need to worry about me."

Previously, during the filming of "Elephant," Jack had shown interest in acting.

If he had wanted to, he could have played a role in "Elephant" back then, all the conditions were a perfect match.

But Jack hesitated and chose to decline, mainly because he was worried about being discovered by his father.

So, what about now?

That was the reason for Anson's surprise; his first reaction was to worry about Jack's situation.

Clearly, Jack understood.

"It's just a joke.

I'm not planning to become an actor, but I'm interested in film, so I joined a film crew.

I'm now a small assistant under the production crew, starting to learn some of the work on set.

Next, I hope to do more research on photography.

I think photography is the soul of a film, and also the bridge that connects the director and the actors.

It should be very interesting."

Anson: Wow.

"So, you're on our crew now?"

Anson's eyes widened.

"Should I talk to the photography team?

Get them to let you observe the filming?"

Jack waved his hands repeatedly.

"No, no, no, I'm not on this crew.

I'm on another crew, but I heard you were filming here, so I sneaked out just to give you a surprise."

"And, I wanted you to be the first to know that I also have a dream now, and I've started chasing it."

After speaking, Jack looked at Anson with bright eyes, an expression of eager anticipation on his face, ready to give it a try.