America: Child stars start with The Shining

Los Angeles, CAA brokerage office.

Charles took the stack of newspapers and magazines that Ovitz handed him, flipped through a couple of pages, and frowned.

The first wave of attacks from Sinclair Oil Company was finally launched against him.

Moreover, they went straight to the point of tearing each other apart, leaving no room for maneuver whatsoever.

One of the newspapers featured a photo of him at that New York club on its front page.

The timing of the photo was extremely precise.

In the scene, Ciel stands next to Jack, and Drew is also included in the shot.

This guy had a great angle; he managed to capture the moment in the photo as if he were completely absorbed in it.

In fact, he had wanted to leave early that night.

But that doesn't matter at all. Readers won't care what he was thinking at the time, nor will they care why he was there.

They only believe what they see.

As a result, the public opinion in the newspapers naturally turned out to be overwhelmingly unfavorable to Charles.

The Hollywood Reporter: "Hollywood child star and 'The Shining' actor was spotted late at night at a New York club, sharing the spotlight with several entertainment figures, reigniting controversy over his public image."

Los Angeles Entertainment Weekly: "Is it appropriate for a seven-year-old who became famous to frequent such entertainment venues? Is this his personal problem, or a problem of Hollywood as a whole? Reportedly, this young actor from 'The Shining' is also embroiled in a very serious debt dispute..."

The Los Angeles Times: "The guardianship issue surrounding the young actor who played 'The Shining' is escalating, and behind it all seems to lie some past secrets that he himself has always been unwilling to discuss..."

Charles put the newspaper back on the table and remained silent for a few seconds.

These reports not only publicized his club photo extensively, but also took the opportunity to bring up his debt problems and family background.

Of course, those reporters didn't care where the debt came from, nor did they care how much misrepresentation and deliberate manipulation were mixed into the so-called family issues.

Or rather, this is exactly the situation they want to see. As long as this gossip continues to spread, they can keep reaping readers' attention.

Ovitz sat opposite him, his expression relatively calm. For an agent like him, this kind of media offensive was nothing new.

He thought for a moment, then calmly began to speak:

"Charles, their tricks are always very effective. First, they use a large number of reports to wash away readers' impressions of you, and then they use that impression to explain all your actions and maliciously smear you."

He paused, then reached out and pointed to the newspapers on the table.

"WMA used to love playing this game. Whether it was dealing with artists from other agencies or suppressing those they wanted to sign at a low price, you know, as long as an artist has a bit of negative publicity, they can take the opportunity to lower their value."

"And now, they're using the same tactics against you again."

At this point, Ovitz suddenly stood up, walked to the side of the office, turned on the television, and skillfully switched to an entertainment news channel.

The next second, a face that Ciel knew all too well appeared on the screen.

Trevor was standing at his own doorstep, surrounded by a group of reporters.

He remained remarkably calm in the face of the microphones being handed to him. He addressed the camera with a somber tone, saying:

"As you know, my nephew is quite famous in Hollywood recently, so there are many things I can no longer control about him. In addition, he actually cut off all contact with me a long time ago."

"Sigh, I'm ashamed to admit it, but I feel this is ultimately my responsibility; I failed to fulfill my duties as a guardian..."

On screen, Trevor looks very sincere, even a little guilty, a far cry from his previous awful and vulgar self.

Charles found it increasingly ridiculous, and in a fit of anger, he reached out and turned off the TV, muttering under his breath:

"Fuck, this is definitely not a story he could have come up with on his own. Sinclair Oil Company must have contacted him, specifically to teach him how to frame me on camera!"

Regardless, Trevor is still Trevor's nominal guardian. If Trevor were to come forward to smear him, even without any substantial evidence, it would make things even more complicated.

Because those entertainment reports only created suspicion about him, while Trevor, as his guardian, provided testimony that was more easily accepted by the public.

Ovitz raised his hand, signaling him not to rush, and reassured him:

"Hey, Charles, calm down. Things aren't that bad yet, and we're not without options."

"Listen, Reagan's campaign team has contacted us."

Charles paused for a moment, then asked:

"Weren't they keeping quiet all this time? Why are they suddenly contacting us now?"

He remembered that after recording the program on CNN last time, he immediately asked Ovitz to contact Reagan's people, but their attitude remained ambiguous, and they didn't seem to want to pay much attention to them.

Originally, Charles had given up all hope, but unexpectedly, he came knocking on his door at this time.

Ovitz smiled and explained:

"Because Sinclair Oil Company is on the side of the Democratic Party and is one of their most important financial backers. This company has invested a lot of political funds in the Democratic Party and is an indispensable force for them."

"For Reagan, if he could use this incident to drag Sinclair Oil Company into the mess, his popularity within the Republican Party would greatly increase, and his chances of becoming the presidential nominee would also rise."

"If it's handled well enough, it could even change the outside world's perception of him as weak and politically inept."

Charles frowned:

"So, they just wanted to use me to attack Sinclair Oil Company?"

Ovitz continued:

"Of course they want to take advantage of you, but at least it shows they see room for maneuver, which is often a good thing."

Charles sighed. He was worried that if he used this incident as a pretext to get involved in the struggle, things might get even more chaotic.

But the problem is, for him, there doesn't seem to be a better way right now...

Ovitz undoubtedly pointed him in a clear direction.

"Charles, we may need to go there in person to clarify the specific details."

After thinking for a moment, Charles stopped hesitating and immediately sent Ovitz to reply to the other party.

He must act quickly, otherwise, Sinclair Oil Company will definitely launch further offensives.

Suddenly, the phone rang again.