"Are you suggesting I should get on good terms with Jerry Bruckheimer?" Matthew asked.
"Jerry Bruckheimer is widely recognized as a gold-medal producer in the industry," Helen Herman reminded Matthew. "You're on a much lower level; it's not about getting on good terms, but it would be best if you could make an impression on him."
Matthew understood, "Yeah, I know."
Leaving an impression on Jerry Bruckheimer could provide an advantage should he ever audition for one of his projects in the future.
As for the new project Helen Herman mentioned, she didn't have more specific information.
Jerry Bruckheimer is a prolific producer, as Matthew heard from James McAvoy. He was involved in movies like "Breakdance," "Top Gun," "The Rock," and despite "Black Hawk Down" still being filmed, his last production, "Pearl Harbor," had just started post-production.
Josh Hartnett's role as the lead actor with the most screen time in this ensemble cast was not unrelated to his previous collaboration with Jerry Bruckheimer on "Pearl Harbor."
After calling over a waiter to pay the bill, Helen asked Matthew, "Do you have scenes this afternoon?"
"No," Matthew stood up. "Shall I show you around Hollywood?"
"It's all desert, what's there to see?" Helen clearly wasn't interested in the surrounding desert. "Take me to the set, I want to meet Uncle Scott."
Matthew checked the time on his phone and said, "The set should be working now; I'll find us a car."
He led the way out of the restaurant, down to the hotel lobby, and spoke with the lobby manager. The hotel had a special arrangement with a car rental service and soon arranged for an SUV, requiring a $1,000 deposit.
"I'll pay," Helen Herman offered, beating Matthew to it and paying the deposit.
Matthew didn't argue, waiting beside the hotel service desk while Helen completed the paperwork.
"Done," Helen put away the deposit slip and said to Matthew, "The car will be here soon; let's head out."
As they approached the hotel entrance, a person emerged from the revolving glass door and immediately shouted, "Matthew Horner!"
Matthew had been discussing with Helen the matters of tax filing for April next year, contemplating how to legally minimize taxes as much as possible. Having arrived in early 1999, it was now the end of 2000, and he had grown increasingly familiar with the local social conditions.
For instance, the dire tax situation, where high-income individuals in the US are constantly finding legal ways to minimize taxes, truly living up to the title of a nation of taxes.
Hearing his name, Matthew looked up to see Johnny Lee Miller standing opposite.
Johnny Lee Miller stared intently at the man and woman in front of him, especially the woman in a professional suit, her blonde hair tied back, tall and slender. Even with slightly old-fashioned black-rimmed glasses, her beauty was unmistakable.
He couldn't help but swallow hard, having been in Morocco for nearly two months, it had been too long since he had seen such a woman.
Helen Herman also heard someone calling Matthew and looked over to see Johnny Lee Miller swallowing, which made her frown in disgust.
She recognized him and had heard from Matthew about his messy affairs with Angelina Jolie.
"Could it be that Matthew..." A thought crossed Helen's mind, "Could be so sly and despicable as to befriend Johnny Lee Miller?"
It seemed likely. In her mind, Matthew Horner was capable of betraying someone and then asking for their help in counting the money.
Seeing Johnny Lee Miller staring at Helen, Matthew guessed he might have misunderstood and greeted him, "Hello, Miller."
Johnny Lee Miller stepped forward, lowered his voice, and directly said, "Since your friend is here, give me back the tape!"
This was said quietly but loud enough for Helen to hear.
She was slightly surprised and turned to Matthew, who, feeling somewhat helpless, explained to Johnny Lee Miller, "You misunderstood, she's my agent."
Johnny Lee Miller's expression darkened momentarily, reminding, "Don't forget your promise!"
"I always remember!" Matthew reassured with conviction. "I'm a person who values credibility."
The hotel lobby, bustling with people, was not the place for such discussions. Johnny Lee Miller glanced at Matthew and walked toward the elevator area.
Matthew exited through the revolving door, followed by Helen.
The car hadn't arrived yet, and Helen asked, "What tape? The ones you shot for Angelina Jolie back then?"
"No," Matthew thought it best to inform his agent about the situation and briefly explained what had happened that day, concluding, "I was desperate to protect myself, so I made up that lie."
Helen remarked, "You're somewhat clever."
"What should I do?" Matthew shrugged. "I've reported this to Jack, but he said to let it go; it wasn't handled."
"As long as it doesn't affect the set's normal operations," Helen advised again. "The set won't deal with these issues. Have you ever seen a set without conflicts? If they started handling these, they wouldn't have time for anything else."
Thinking of Jack's attitude, Matthew felt somewhat indignant, "What if I end up the victim?"
Helen calmly stated, "But you weren't, were you?" After a pause, she added, "You handled it well. Just keep dragging it out. There's no better solution. Try not to escalate your conflicts."
An SUV pulled up in front of the hotel, and Matthew, recognizing the license plate, said, "Here's our ride; let's go."
They headed to the set, which was busy with filming, the sounds of explosions echoing from afar.
With Matthew leading, they easily entered the set, resembling a war-torn area, with constant gunfire and chaos.
"Let's wait here," Matthew stopped at a street corner, "It's not safe to go further."
He was accustomed to the set's hazards, but Helen, with her delicate appearance, could easily get hurt.
Helen stayed back, watching the filming with other onlookers.
The scene being shot involved Somali militia, and it wasn't going smoothly. The professional actors playing militia leaders were manageable, but the local black actors hired were problematic. In one extreme case, an actor ran in front of the camera during a scene and fired an AK-47 loaded with blanks at the lens, startling the cameraman.
After over an hour, Matthew saw the crew take a break. "Let's go," he led the way to the director's area, warning Helen to watch her step.
Approaching the director's team, big-bearded Jack waved them over and informed Ridley Scott.
"Helen..." Ridley stood up from his director's chair. "You could have called before coming."
"It's more of a surprise this way," Helen embraced Ridley. "Right, Uncle Scott?"
Ridley smiled, "Seeing you makes me feel much better."
As Helen and Ridley caught up, Matthew kept his distance.
The conversation turned to Jerry Bruckheimer's new project with Disney, a subject of keen interest to Helen. Despite Ridley's lack of information due to his busy schedule, Helen's curiosity was evident.
Jack mentioned the project might be related to a pirate attraction at Disneyland, piquing Helen's interest further.
After two days in Morocco, Helen returned to North America, having spent much of her time inquiring about Jerry Bruckheimer's project.
Matthew knew his focus was on working hard on set, hoping to impress Jerry Bruckheimer.
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