America: Child stars start with The Shining

Leonardo DiCaprio was surrounded by several Black children, looking somewhat helpless and apprehensive. It was the first time he had ever encountered such a situation.

"Hey Leonard, your old man still owes us money. What are we going to do about it?"

"I'm warning you, if you don't pay this money, our boss won't let you off easily!"

One of the boys, who was in charge, stood in front of Little Li, squinting at him as he spoke, his tone full of threat.

Little Li lowered his head, unsure of what to say. He was only six years old and couldn't handle this at all.

Ultimately, this is nobody's fault but his unreliable father.

His family lived near the famous "Hollywood Boulevard," and his father was a complete hippie.

To put it nicely, this guy is pursuing freedom; to put it bluntly, he's a homeless person who wanders around and never takes responsibility.

His father divorced his mother before he was born and now refuses to pay even the $20 a week in child support.

Furthermore, this guy spends all his time hanging out with those booster dealers, creating a murky atmosphere, and now even he's been dragged into it.

"Fuck, can you stop acting like a girl? Why aren't you saying a word? Are you mute?"

The black kid cursed and then shoved Leonardo DiCaprio hard.

Leonardo DiCaprio stumbled, but was caught from behind just as he was about to fall.

He turned his head, paused for a moment, and blurted out:

"Ciel, what are you doing here?"

Charles remained silent, while Tupac stepped forward and began negotiating with the group.

A moment later, his expression turned somewhat grim. He walked back and whispered to Charles:

"These people aren't from this street, they're not familiar with this area, they've come specifically to collect a debt from you, their friend."

"However, they don't really have any background. At most, they run errands for others, but it's not appropriate for them to take direct action here. The cops have been keeping a close eye on them lately."

Charles raised an eyebrow.

The meaning behind Tupac's words is quite clear: they need to find a way to get rid of these people first.

He glanced at Leonardo, who was surrounded in the middle, then looked at the group of black children and asked calmly:

"How much money does he owe you?"

[Set effect triggered: West Coast Rap (Passive)]

The group of men were about to hurl insults at a white child who dared to approach them and teach him a lesson.

But the next second, they exchanged a glance with Charles, and their hearts inexplicably tightened.

The guy in front of me wasn't very old, but the aura he exuded made people hesitant to make any rash moves.

They opened their mouths, looked at each other, and none of them dared to utter a curse first.

Finally, the leader swallowed hard, his tone unconsciously softening, and answered honestly:

"Well... it's not much, maybe a hundred US dollars."

Charles nodded and was about to hand over the money when a piercing police siren suddenly came from outside the alley.

The black children's faces changed instantly. They didn't even bother with the money anymore; they turned and ran, cursing as they went.

"Fuck you guys, are you sore losers that you actually dared to call the cops?!"

"Fuck, don't slander us!"

Tupac also got anxious and immediately retorted with a curse, but he knew that now was not the time to argue, as the sirens were getting closer and closer.

"Run!"

Without a second thought, he grabbed Charles's arm and pulled him off to the other side, with Little Li quickly following behind.

Before Charles could even react, he was dragged more than ten meters away by Tupaik.

This kid is the most quick-witted when something like this happens.

Tupac clearly knew this area intimately, leading them through a maze of twists and turns until they entered an extremely secluded alley.

Several overturned garbage cans were piled up haphazardly in the alley, and the air was filled with a foul, sour, fermenting smell. Even the ground was wet, as if it had been stagnant for countless days.

"Don't stop! We'll definitely be spotted by those cops if we hide here. Let's get out of here first!"

Tupac said something in a low voice, but his pace didn't slow down at all.

He skillfully navigated around them, then led them into an even narrower side alley. They emerged from the other end and returned to the main street, where there were noticeably more pedestrians.

The distant sirens gradually faded away, as if they had turned into another neighborhood.

Little Li was still leaning against the wall, panting, his face pale. He spoke:

"Fuck, those cops must have been called by my old man. He loves doing this kind of thing."

"Shit, you've really fucking got us into serious trouble!"

Tupaik was so angry that he raised his hand to punch him, but when he saw Ciel standing to the side, he held back and just cursed a few times, not daring to actually lay a hand on him.

Charles looked at Leonardo DiCaprio's expression and sighed softly.

He had heard a lot about Leonardo DiCaprio's hippie father. That guy was really badly harmed by America's free culture. He lived a dissolute life and was completely unlike a father.

I heard he tricked Leonardo DiCaprio into trying the booster a long time ago. Fuck, is that something a normal father would do?

The more Charles thought about it, the more outrageous it seemed.

He felt it necessary to help Leonardo DiCaprio escape his misery ahead of time; this future Oscar-winning actor shouldn't be buried in such a dreadful place.

Thinking of this, Charles was silent for a few seconds, then reached into his pocket, pulled out a business card, handed it to Leonardo DiCaprio, and said:

"Here, this is a CAA agent's business card. I think you might need his help."

He handed Ovitz's business card to the other party.

Leonardo paused for a moment, then subconsciously took it, glanced at the information on it, and was completely bewildered.

He had just suffered the blow of failing his audition for "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," and during this time he went to auditions for other movies, but without success. Even his original agent chose to give up on him and terminate his contract.

He was going through the lowest point in his life.

Little Li thanked Charles sincerely, and Charles waved his hand before leaving with Tupac.

He was just doing the other person a favor; it's nothing special.

Moreover, this is actually beneficial for Charles. When he eventually makes it in Hollywood, he will need some people of his own to look after him, and Leonardo DiCaprio is one of his targets.

This guy just needs a guide. Investing in him in advance will only bring benefits and no harm.

......

After some time, Charles's videotape project was fully on track.

With the help of Dogman and others, the penetration of several major drive-in theaters in Los Angeles has been basically completed, gradually stabilizing and revenue has begun to grow steadily.

No one would care about a few Black kids; it would be very convenient for them to do business.

However, to avoid unnecessary trouble later, Xia Er specifically set aside some funds for Tupaike to bribe the gang leaders in charge of this area.

Only after receiving their clear stance did he finally feel relieved and turn his energy to something more important.

The preview screening of The Shining.

The venue is New York.