This guy's acting skills and image are definitely not an issue, and his pay is not much higher than the original minor actor—just $100,000. To Wayne, this deal was too good to pass up.
For the third male lead, the mercenary "Nikolai" who tries to act tough but gets killed by a dog, he chose Chris Evans, who debuted just this year and is even less famous and cheaper than Jason Guo Da.
Additionally, Hugo Weaving was cast as the villain boss "Cain," Elizabeth Olsen as the little girl "Angela," young Kristen as the "Red Queen," and Willem Dafoe as the final character, "Dr. Isaac."
This cast might not seem impressive now, but ten or twenty years later, looking back, it would definitely be considered a stellar lineup.
By then, they could follow in the footsteps of *Titanic* and *Avatar* with a re-release or remake, easily raking in more cash.
"Ah—!"
"Yes! I passed the audition!"
In another bright and spacious bedroom, even more girlish than Annie's, Olsen excitedly screamed after receiving her audition results. She jumped around on the bed like a little rabbit, holding her phone, which quickly attracted her two sisters.
"What are you screaming about?"
"Nothing, I just passed the audition!" Olsen stopped, and despite her sisters' frowning questions, she suppressed her excitement and pride, pretending to be calm.
Unfortunately, her minor acting skills couldn't fool her sisters. After all, they both entered the entertainment industry before they were even a year old.
But after hearing she passed the audition, while happy for her, they also felt a bit jealous.
Hollywood chases success.
And Hemera Productions, with three consecutive box office hits, undeniably represented success at this time.
So, it's not an exaggeration to say that even they would be excited if they had landed the role of "Angela."
Unfortunately, their age didn't fit Angela's character, and their acting had long lost its youthful charm. Even if they had the chance to audition, they wouldn't have passed.
"Looks like Wayne has an eye for you."
"Could it be he has some special...preferences?"
The two sisters teased, their tone a bit sour.
This instantly displeased Olsen.
"Mr. Wayne is nothing like that!" Olsen puffed out her cheeks and defended Wayne angrily.
"Besides, I'm already eleven! Even if Mr. Wayne liked me, so what? By your age, you'd already lost your first kiss, right?"
The Olsen sisters were left speechless.
In America, they say you should wait until you're sixteen for that kind of thing, but that's really just a guideline.
Even though they were only fifteen, they had already given their first time away last year. Their first kisses were long gone, back when they were eight or nine years old.
So, they had no way to argue back against Olsen.
But if words didn't work, they could always resort to physical means!
The sisters exchanged glances and then pounced on Olsen, giving her a good-natured beating.
Finally, Olsen escaped their clutches by promising to text Wayne to thank him.
"Remember to sound sweet and cute when you do~"
"If you can hold onto Wayne's coattails, you'll never have to worry about getting roles again~"
Before they could finish, Olsen pushed them out of the room and slammed the door shut.
After calming her racing heart, Olsen blushed, nervously picked up her phone again, and dialed eagerly.
Unfortunately, Wayne was busy at the moment and didn't have time to answer. After two failed calls, she huffed and sent him a text instead.
It wasn't until the next day that Wayne saw the message, but he just briefly replied, "Keep up the good work," and then got up to have breakfast.
Two hours later, Wayne personally drove Hannah and Martina to the airport.
"I've arranged your accommodation, and don't worry about a manager—mine will sign with you."
"Okay, dear, I know. I'll wait for you in L.A."
Martina, full of reluctance, hugged Wayne and kissed him.
Wayne then turned to Hannah.
"I know~ I'll make sure she gets there safely~" Hannah said before Wayne could open his mouth.
This made Wayne smile wryly.
"Travel safely."
With that, Wayne kissed Hannah in front of many astonished onlookers and sent them off on their flight.
"Did I just see that right?"
"Did both those women kiss him?"
"F***! What's going on?!"
Even after Wayne left the airport, people were still buzzing about it.
If this were twenty years later, when phones could easily take photos and upload them online, many would have captured that moment, sparking jealousy and envy across the internet.
Twelve hours later, Hannah and Martina's flight landed safely at LAX, where Mike picked them up.
Martina's contract was similar to other newcomers, with a one-year term. Thanks to Wayne, her commission was only 7%, three points lower than the average newbie.
As for her accommodation, Wayne had purposely arranged for her to live next door to Annie.
Annie, still bitter over her failed audition, had just finished breakfast and was heading out for some retail therapy when she saw Mike's car drive past and stop at the house next door.
"Hannah?"
Annie was surprised to see Hannah get out of the car.
As Wayne's assistant, Annie knew her well.
"Wasn't she in Europe with Wayne? Why is she here now? Did she...get kicked out of Wayne Manor for angering him?"
Annie immediately thought of a reasonable explanation and felt a rush of excitement.
But the next moment, another door opened, and Martina, in a bohemian dress, stepped out of the car.
"Is that girl Wayne's woman too?"
"Did Wayne rent that house for her?"
Seeing the girl pull her suitcase and walk into the house with Hannah under Mike's eager assistance, Annie quickly pieced it together, her face turning dark.
(End of chapter)