People in America: My Uncle Don Quixote

Chapter 372 Welcome to Hollywood (2 chapters combined into one, bonus chapter for when the Alliance Leader isn't enough)

"I'm doomed."

Alistair said dejectedly.

"How exactly will we be finished?" Li Wei raised an eyebrow.

However, Alistair seemed to have overreacted, continuing to talk to himself and ignoring Levi's thoughts.

"I want to find a new dad," he slumped down next to Li Wei like Ge You, turning to look at him, "Will you be my dad?"

Although Levi had some idea of ​​what Alistair would say, he was still shocked by what he said.

"You're over 40, aren't you?" Li Wei said. "Is that really true?"

"Not even a godfather? What about a sugar daddy?" Alistair said, quite disappointed.

"This isn't a matter of type, is it?" Li Wei said.

“I heard you’re worth $30 billion,” Alistair said. “You’re not even 21 yet, you could be my father.”

"And what about Alexander Mellon?" Levi asked. "What happened to him?"

"The chances of survival are slim," Alistair sighed, slapping his thigh. "The chances of survival are slim."

He propped himself up and poured himself a glass of wine.

"The New York Times will be publishing the story in June," he said after taking a sip of his drink.

Levi was quite surprised, as this was consistent with the information he had received from Hamilton, the editor-in-chief of The New York Times.

But Hamilton said that no more than five people in the entire New York Times knew about this. How did Alistair know?

"How did you know?" Li Wei asked.

"Because I told one of the editors at The New York Times." Alistair took another sip of his drink.

Li Wei said "Oh," and added, "I thought it was Timothy Mellon's."

The fact that Alistair was the informant was somewhat unexpected for Levi.

But upon closer reflection, the description of "arsonist" in the system task is plural, so it should be Timothy and Alistair.

It's quite interesting to talk about Alexander Mellon's three sons: one went abroad to live in seclusion, and two betrayed him.

“It wasn’t Timothy, it was me,” Alistair sobbed. “I… I thought I could control myself.”

"Think about it, I leaked the information to The New York Times from the sidelines," Alistair said, "and then I stepped in when a crisis occurred at home."

"You want to direct and star in your own show?" Levi found it amusing. "You want to be a great hero?"

“Exactly!” Alistair sniffed. “What will my family think of me if I keep quiet about this?”

“What Beatrice couldn’t handle, I’ve handled,” he said. “What will Dad think of me? What will Timothy think of me? Ha! Alistair Mellon isn’t some clubbing loser.”

"But, but..."

As he spoke, he unexpectedly burst into tears under the combined influence of alcohol and drugs.

"But that editor wouldn't listen to me; he cut off all contact with me," Alistair said. "When Beatrice's people came to put pressure on me, I was puzzled. She's usually so easy to talk to, so why was she being so tough?"

"So that's why you suggested Beatrice have someone get rid of him?" Levi understood now. "Were you a little panicked at that time?"

“Yes,” Alistair said dejectedly, “I found out a little bit of information later, saying that the New York Times’ attitude was too tough this time, and I couldn’t handle it. This news is about to be released.”

Alistair took another sip of his drink and slumped onto the sofa like a towel that had been wrung out.

"Have you ever thought about why you can't figure it out?" Li Wei asked.

Alistair shook his head. "Fuck, how would I know?" His eyes were unfocused, his whole demeanor vacant. "Someone's backing him up, someone promised him something, he's bursting with a sense of justice, he doesn't like me, someone set him up—there are so many variables in life, how am I supposed to know what other people are thinking?"

"I suspect someone's backing him up," Levi said. "Do you think Timothy, like you, is forcing this news out?"

Alistair stared at Levi for a few seconds, then sat up.

"You mean," he said, as if Li Wei were his savior, "that I didn't mess this up?"

"It has nothing to do with me?"

"I can't say it's completely unrelated to you, can I?" Li Wei said cautiously, "but if no one was pulling the strings behind the scenes, this information should have been suppressed."

Alistair thought about it carefully, then suddenly slapped his forehead. "That's right!" He looked at Levi. "How come your brain works so well?"

"Let's talk to Timothy first," Levi thought for a moment, "and you can do me a favor."

"What is it?" Alistair asked obediently, without any intention of objecting.

He agreed so quickly that Li Wei couldn't help but turn his head and glance at him.

"Let's meet Jotimothy," Levi said. "I want to talk to him."

"See him?" Alistair frowned. "You want to confront him?"

"We're just talking for now," Li Wei said, "and not now, but in three days."

"No problem, but why 3 days later?" Alistair asked.

Because the [Opportunistic (Bronze)] skill has already been used on Hamilton today, and its cooldown time is 72 hours.

"Because I need to take care of other things first," he said. "Can you get an appointment with him?"

"It should be possible," Alistair thought for a moment.

"Okay," Li Wei stood up, patted his trouser leg, "then it's settled."

He glanced at the group of people watching them curiously from a distance, and said, "You can continue to enjoy yourself now."

Before returning to Los Angeles, Levi had one more thing to do.

The airplane he had been longing for, his "Knight's Collector" quest, was finally about to be completed.

"The plane issue is settled," Don Quixote said. "The handover documents have been signed in Dubai, and ownership has officially been transferred to Vision Holdings."

"So fast?" Li Wei was somewhat surprised.

"The Middle Eastern prince is busy making room for his new plane," Don Quixote said with a laugh. "After paying $4700 million, he went through the UAE's airline registration transfer process and has already re-registered with the FAA under number N."

"That's great!" Levi was also quite happy. "What about the paint job I requested? When can it be done?"

"Hmm... about 3 to 4 weeks," Don Quixote said. "The aircraft is currently at the Gulfstream service center in Savannah, undergoing painting and interior modifications."

"No rush," Li Wei said, "the charter contract hasn't expired yet anyway."

It seemed the mission might take another month. Just as this thought crossed my mind, the system panel popped up on my retina.

You have acquired a winged celestial horse, one in a million, which allows you to soar through the skies.

[Quest: The Knight's Collector's Obsession Completed]

You have gained 0.1 free attribute points.

You have acquired the riding skill: Wind Rider (Passive)

【Wind Rider (Passive): Your intuition allows you to master any vehicle, whether it's a chariot, a warhorse, or a warship. From dwarven airships to druid war pets, you can quickly learn how to operate them and demonstrate driving skills far exceeding those of ordinary people.】

Li Wei looked at the skill description and nodded in satisfaction.

Judging from the description, he can drive any vehicle, whether it's an airplane, yacht, motorcycle, or tank, and he drives it better than most professionals.

This is a skill that he can barely consider quite useful.

On the one hand, having more skills is never a bad thing.

On the other hand, there are some supercars, and because of their different design languages, many buttons and functions require some figuring out.

The Cadillac Escalade's Park (P) gear is at the top and Drive (D) gear is at the bottom, which is no different from other cars.

However, Koenigseggs don't have a gearbox; they start with an electric motor, and the engine only kicks in when the accelerator is floored.

He had driven Sebastian's Lamborghini Aventador a few times before, and the start button was hidden right below the steering wheel; you couldn't find it without looking carefully.

But now that he has the [Wind Rider (Passive)], these things are no longer a problem for him.

He now suspects that if he were to sit in an F1 car right now, he could just pick it up and drive it away.

Although we may not need it much right now.

Los Angeles, Warner Bros. Burbank Studios.

Levi arrived quite early today, even earlier than Jason Miller.

But someone was there even earlier than him; someone was already standing in his designated parking space.

Li Wei drove over. "Ryan Reed?" he asked, looking at Ryan Reed waiting beside the parking space. "You wanted to see me?"

Ryan nervously approached, his Adam's apple bobbing. "I...I'd like to ask you for some pointers on my acting."

His face flushed instantly, but he still gritted his teeth and said, "The audition for the mage role is in two days, and I want to give it my best."

"Guidance?" Li Wei glanced at him and said with a smile, "There's no such thing as a free lunch."

"I know," Ryan took a deep breath, pulled an envelope from his hoodie pocket, and handed it to the car through the window. "I can pay."

Li Wei took the envelope and saw that it was very thin. When he opened it, he found 22 $50 bills, 20 of which were brand new and 3 were crumpled.

Ryan Reed watched nervously as Levi took the envelope.

When he first handed over the money, his subconscious thought was that he was afraid Li Wei would just drive away.

However, he immediately put the idea out of his mind.

$1150 is nothing to Levi, but for Ryan Reed, it's everything.

No, it's not just his everything, it's Claire's everything too.

The $1000 was what Claire had saved up by working at a restaurant for two months after finishing her acting class. Claire's original plan was for Ryan to enroll in an intensive acting course.

"This is a rare opportunity, we must seize it."

Ryan remembered that this was what Claire had said to him that night.

He himself deeply agrees, as he is still playing minor roles at the age of 30, and there are very few opportunities left for him.

But he also knew in his heart what kind of teacher a $1000 acting class could get. It was very likely an old hustler who had been in Hollywood for 20 years and had played supporting roles in unknown movies.

Instead of spending money on that kind of thing, why not take a gamble?

Failure is nothing more than losing face, something Ryan Reed is used to.

In Hollywood, shamelessness won't get you a decent meal.

"$1150," Levi said. "How long did you save up for it?"

"As for myself, I saved it up for two weeks," Ryan Reed said honestly. "The $1000 was given to me by my girlfriend."

Li Wei nodded and remained silent for a few seconds.

Yes, Li Wei is worth billions. Trying to get involved with him for $1150 is simply a pipe dream.

Ryan Reed's heart sank to the bottom, and his voice grew softer and softer: "Sorry to bother you."

Li Wei said, "Never mind, you do it."

Ryan Reed suddenly looked up.

"Come find me after you finish work tonight," Li Wei said. "I may not be able to give you any theoretical guidance, but I can teach you how to feel and how to understand the characters' inner thoughts."

"That's enough!" Ryan Reed exclaimed joyfully, thanking him repeatedly. "Thank you! Thank you!"

"Oh, right," Li Wei paused, "there's one more thing."

"You said it!" Ryan Reed blurted out.

"Move aside," Li Wei honked the horn, "Don't block the parking space."

"Oh, oh." Ryan Reed moved two steps to the side, embarrassed.

Two days later.

Studio 9.

The auditions for the mage roles were held in a small cubicle inside the studio.

Del Toro sat behind the monitor, next to the casting director and two producers.

There were five candidates who auditioned, and Ryan Reed was the last one.

After everyone had finished trying, Del Toro and the others came out of the cubicle and ran into Levi.

"How is he?" Li Wei asked. "Is he alright?"

After all, he had personally trained Ryan Reed for two days, and he also had 0.4 free attribute points tied up with him, so Levi was quite concerned about the audition results for Ryan Reed.

Del Toro glanced at Levi and sighed.

"You think highly of him?" He flipped through the form in his hand. "What's your connection to him?"

"He's a tough guy," Li Wei said. "I spent two days revising the script for him."

Del Toro snorted.

"He really is the best," he said. "He's the one."

The casting director standing to the side nodded in agreement.

"What about the previous captain of the guard?" the casting director asked. "The captain of the guard only had one shot."

"Then let's find an extra to replace him," Del Toro thought for a moment. "Let the assistant director film this scene and let him get some practice."

"Thank you," Li Wei said. "Would you like to have dinner together later?"

"I didn't let him pass because of you," Del Toro muttered. "Let's invite Depp over tonight, we'll go out to dinner together."

After saying that, he waved and left.

During lunch, Jason Miller told Levi what he had heard from the casting director.

"The auditions for Ryan Reed and another candidate were both quite good," Jason said, "but Del Toro ultimately considered your feelings, boss, and decided to take Ryan Reed, even if it meant going through a bit more trouble."

"Director Del Toro is indeed a good person." Levi nodded.

"It's not entirely because of that," Jason said with a smile. "It's because you, as the lead actor and the largest investor, didn't deliberately cause trouble for director Del Toro or interfere with his creative ideas, which made him feel a little uneasy."

He paused for a second, then said, "That's what the casting director told me."

"Looks like you've gotten along well with the team," Li Wei chuckled. "But why is it that if I don't cause him trouble, he'll feel guilty?"

"Boss, you have no idea how much trouble these Hollywood stars can cause," Jason Miller said with lingering fear. "I once hosted a big-name reality TV actress who demanded that all the white items in the hotel room be replaced with champagne-colored ones, including the sheets, towels, bathrobes, and even the toilet seat, because she thought white would make her look haggard."

"There's also a Golden Globe-winning actor," he continued, "who was making a $2 million blockbuster, but the contract explicitly stated that no one was allowed to make eye contact with him."

"And what about me?" Li Wei asked curiously, "Have I been a little too casual these days?"

"Your reputation on set is like that of Jesus sent to save them," Jason said. "Director Del Toro reportedly had two sleepless nights just because you didn't cause any trouble."

"Looks like I'll have to deliberately mess with him a few times," Li Wei said, taking a sip of water. "Otherwise, he won't feel comfortable."

Jason smiled but didn't say anything.

Around 7 p.m. that evening, the executive director called Li Wei.

He formally informed Levi that director Del Toro had officially signed the role confirmation letter and that Ryan Reed would be notified later that he had officially been cast as the wizard in the main cast.

"Okay," Li Wei said, "thank you for your hard work."

"So... regarding the salary," the casting director paused, "we've set a salary of $40 for this role. Do you think that's acceptable? Should we adjust it?"

Li Weigang was wondering why he was being asked about the pay, but then he realized that the casting director probably thought Ryan was one of Li Weigang's underlings.

"Just follow the normal procedures," Li Wei said, half-laughing and half-crying. "Don't give him any extra treatment just because I'm here."

"Oh, I understand, I understand," the casting director immediately replied.

After hanging up the phone, the task progress was updated on Li Wei's panel:

[Mission: Lifeline Update]

With your help, a farmer from the countryside joined the Knights and became a squire, his destiny rewritten because of you.

You have gained: 0.1 free attribute points.

At this time, at the same time.

Outside Studio 9, Ryan Reed was squatting on the ground eating a cold burrito.

He had finished his work for the day and should have gone home.

He remained squatting outside the photography studio.

Ryan Reed felt a pang of pain at the thought of Claire asking him, "How did the audition go?" when he got home.

He dared not go back; he kept waiting.

He wasn't sure if there would be a result today, and he didn't know where to go. He had done everything he could, and the rest was up to God.

Suddenly, his phone rang.

That's the casting director's number!!

Ryan nearly choked on the burrito in his mouth. He hurriedly picked up the coffee on the ground, wiped himself clean, and swallowed the burrito.

He wiped his mouth with his forearm and hurriedly answered the phone.

"Ryan Reed?" The casting director called.

"Yes, yes, that's right, it's me." Ryan's heart was in his throat.

"Director Del Toro has confirmed it," the voice on the other end of the phone said. "The role of the wizard is yours."

It was like a hammer hitting his head, making his whole brain buzz.

"Your contract is $40, with a 15% signing bonus, and 30% each for the start of filming and mid-production—" The casting director interrupted midway through his sentence, then suddenly said, "Never mind, I'll talk to your agent about this. Send me his contact information."

"Director, I..." Ryan Reed said cautiously, "I don't have an agent."

66

"..." The casting director didn't know what to say, hesitated for a few seconds, and then asked, "Do you have a lawyer?"

"No, there isn't one..." Ryan immediately said, "I'll go find one right now."

"Yes, be careful, don't get scammed," the casting director reassured him. "Lawyer fees in the industry are generally around 5%, so don't get cheated."

"clear."

"Also," the casting director said with a smile, "once you get this offer, you should be able to sign with an agency, and then things will be on the right track."

"Congratulations, welcome to Hollywood."

9pm.

Ryan Reed drove his car back downstairs to his apartment building.

He rushed up the stairs, taking three steps at a time. His hands were shaking as he pulled out his keys to open the door, and he had to use his other hand to hold down the hand holding the keys in order to insert them.

When he returned to his room, Claire was lying cross-legged on the bed with a script practice book spread out on her knees.

She was wearing an old Ryan T-shirt today, and her hair was casually tied back.

"Why are you so late today—" She looked up and saw Ryan's face, the words lingering on her lips.

"What's wrong?" She stood up. "What happened?"

Ryan stood at the door, his lips trembling several times.

"Oh, it's okay," Claire suddenly smiled, pulling Ryan back to sit on the sofa. "It's just a role, if you can't get it, you can't get it, why are you crying?"

"You didn't get it this time," she comforted Ryan, pulling him into her arms. "There will always be another chance next time."

"I got it," Ryan said. "Claire, I got it."

Claire paused for a moment. "Is it the role of the magician?" she asked cautiously.

Ryan let out a strong "Mmm" in her arms.

Claire covered her mouth, but her own tears fell as if they were free.

"I knew you could do it," she choked out. "I always knew."

"We'll move out tomorrow after I sign the contract," Ryan said. "I'll give you the best of everything."

Noon the next day.

"Cut!" director Guillermo del Toro shouted. "That's a wrap!"

He looked in Ryan Reed's direction with satisfaction.

After signing the contract in the morning, at Levi's request, Ryan Reed quickly joined the crew and began filming the scenes of the wizard joining the team. Levi's "Heart of Dragons (3)", which had been stuck for more than a week, was finally updated.

【Dragon's Heart (3) Quest Completed】

You have collected (3/3) companions; the Dragon Slayer Team is now assembled.

【Dragon's Heart (4) Quest Unlocked】

[The dragon's lair has been found]

[Task Reward: 0.1 Free Attribute Points]

The mission has finally been updated!

Li Wei breathed a sigh of relief, feeling much better.

Just then, Robert Flynn sent another message.

"Robert Flynn wants to meet me alone at the police station?" Levi muttered to himself, closing his phone. "What is it this time?"