Stepping out of the taxi, Matthew dragged his bags toward the house and glanced back—no one was there. As he left Los Angeles International Airport, he'd vaguely noticed so paparazzi tailing him. When the taxi rged onto the I-5, he'd also spotted two n on motorcycles following them, but they had vanished sowhere along the way.
They probably deed their target insignificant and gave up. After all, this was Los Angeles, a city teeming with stars. Any actor you could hit with a rock here might be more famous than him.
Opening the door and stepping inside, he saw that the house, uninhabited for over ten days, was strewn with leaves. The lawn was a bit overgrown, and a layer of dust coated everything indoors. Matthew pulled out his phone, intending to call a cleaning service, but then he rembered how little cash he had left in his account and resisted the urge.
The dia outlets and agencies Helen had contacted didn't offer their services for free. The results they achieved were partly because Matthew's role as the Scorpion King had beco one of the film's highlights, and partly because a significant amount of money had been invested in the campaign.
In just ten days, with the help of Ilana's press contacts, the total cost had co to nearly $200,000.
Not long ago, he'd felt he would no longer have to worry about basic living expenses, but now he was facing that problem all over again.
Matthew tidied up the room and unpacked his luggage. He checked the ti and dialed Britney's number. It rang for a long ti, and just as he was about to give up, she answered.
"Hello, Matthew," Britney's voice ca through the line. "Are you in Los Angeles?"
Leaning back on the sofa, Matthew replied, "Yeah, I just got ho."
Britney sounded cheerful. "Good news, I've finished recording my second album."
Matthew stood up, his own mood lifting. "Honey, are you coming back from Nashville?"
"Looks like it!" Britney's laugh tinkled through the phone. "But we haven't decided exactly when yet."
"That's okay," Matthew added. "I'll see you in Nashville. I'll drive out to get you myself."
They talked for a while longer before Matthew hung up, wondering if he should call Helen. She had flown back to Los Angeles with him and had probably just gotten ho herself.
After changing his clothes, he went into the bathroom and took a shower. Seeing that it was getting late, Matthew ordered takeout for dinner and prepared to rest afterward.
After getting into bed, he couldn't fall asleep for so ti.
Matthew couldn't help but replay the events of the past ten days in his mind, especially what had happened to Brendan Fraser, the Hollywood star who had undoubtedly been set up because of him.
During the press tour, Brendan had been a bit irritable but had mostly kept to himself, never trying to start a conflict. Yet he and Helen had provoked him, step by step, until his accumulated anger finally overwheld his reason.
In any case, Brendan and his agent were in his way. They wanted to fast-track a third installnt of The Mummy series, and a small faction at Universal Pictures supported them, creating an obstacle for The Scorpion King spin-off that Sean Daniels and Stephen Somrs were trying to push forward.
Helen had spoken with both n, and the lead role in The Scorpion King spin-off was definitely his.
To be precise, he had no personal grudge against Brendan. But in this competitive circle, especially when an opportunity to reach the top presented itself, you had to ruthlessly trample your rivals, regardless of any prior relationship. This was Hollywood, after all, and that was just how it worked.
Having been in the film business for over two years, Matthew had developed an intuitive understanding of Hollywood. Nearly every star who made it big had climbed the ladder by stepping on the heads of their competitors. So, what made him any different?
...
The next morning, Matthew woke up full of energy. He went for a run, then drove to North Hollywood to buy a bunch of necessities. Along the way, he found a place to have breakfast, then returned ho and started tidying up the yard. The lawn, which gave the property a grand look, was a real pain to maintain.
In the afternoon, Matthew called Helen. She had just t with Stephen Somrs and Sean Daniels, and their stance hadn't changed: they were still determined to move forward with The Scorpion King spin-off starring Matthew.
And within Universal Pictures, there was considerable dissatisfaction with Brendan. The consensus was that casting him as the lead in a major production so soon after his public conflict with fans would be exponentially riskier.
However, Universal Pictures had not yet made a final decision, so Matthew and his team would have to be patient.
He had that patience. Matthew headed to the gym in Westwood to continue his training.
"Oh, look who it is. The big star."
As soon as he entered the boxing gym, he heard Nibora's teasing voice. "Matthew, how does it feel to be famous?"
Matthew walked over to the warm-up area, getting ready to stretch. "Doesn't feel like anything," he said.
He spread his hands and joked, "I walked from the parking lot to the club, passed a lot of people, and not a single one asked for my autograph."
A guy who was helping Matthew with his boxing gloves joined in on the joke. "There are probably too many stars in Los Angeles. People are just used to it."
Everyone around them laughed. The Westwood neighborhood was close to Beverly Hills, so it was common to see Hollywood stars there.
Just then, another guy chid in, "Matthew, I saw The Mummy Returns. You were great in it."
"Thanks." After warming up, Matthew put on his gloves and followed Nibora, doing body coordination exercises. Unlike a professional fighter, he was still an actor, so Nibora focused on his coordination.
From the initial warm-ups to the more specialized training that followed, Matthew approached his preparation for the upcoming film with complete seriousness. Sean and Stephen had already told Helen that The Scorpion King spin-off would feature a completely new story set in Ancient Egypt—a fantasy action film with a heavy focus on action scenes, especially for the Scorpion King as the protagonist.
Now that the possibility of The Scorpion King spin-off had beco infinitely more likely, he was going to start preparing in earnest.
To film action scenes with great impact, you needed more than just special effects.
...
At Universal Pictures, in the executive offices, Philip Cranston, Universal's director of production, had just finished listening to a report from his assistant, Andy.
"Brendan was the one who threw the first punch," Andy concluded. "The fan, though he decided against pressing charges, gave an interview to the press about what happened."
Philip shook his head. "I understand. We won't be working with him for a while."
Andy said a few more words, and Philip nodded. "You can go."
Andy turned to leave, and as he was walking out of the office, he saw Jet Brighton, the assistant director of production, walking past.
"Is Philip in?" Jet asked, holding a file folder.
Andy smiled politely and replied, "Yes."
Jet nodded to Andy, entered the office, greeted Philip, and sat down in the chair opposite his desk, placing the folder down in front of him.
"This is a summary of the marketing departnt's ten-day research statistics," Jet said as concisely as he could. "Over 110,000 people were surveyed in North Arica. The most popular character was Evelyn, followed by Matthew Horner as the Scorpion King."
He also admitted, "I was wrong in my initial judgnt. Of those sa respondents, when asked if they would watch a standalone Scorpion King film, thirty percent expressed their intention to do so."
Those are pretty good numbers, especially for a film based on a supporting character.
He had once discussed the film at ho with his sixteen-year-old son, who, to his surprise, also loved the Scorpion King. When asked why, his son's answer was simple: the Scorpion King was handso, cool, and strong—manly enough to be the kind of man he'd always dread of becoming
As a professional, he knew well that Hollywood had no shortage of handso n, but not every handso man was accepted by audiences on cara. A good-looking man with the face, physique, and temperant to be embraced by a wide audience could often make a huge contribution to a comrcial film's value.
Jet added, "The Scorpion King also ca in second to Evelyn in the poll we conducted with dia outlets and internet portals."
Philip opened the folder and looked it over. This was about a brand-new film project, and he studied the data very carefully.
Jet wasn't finished. "Furthermore, the press reviews for the Scorpion King have been positive, which will also be beneficial for the film's future promotion."
Philip's eyes lifted from the folder. "Sean ca to see
this morning. Stephen has finished the script."
Jet said nothing; he had already made his position clear.
Philip stood up. "It's decided. Put the new project up for a formal review. Preferably before The Mummy Returns leaves theaters."
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