In the morning, in the Brooklyn district, sunlight shines down on Daimler Street.
A few young Black men lean against a graffiti-covered wall, aimlessly gazing at the street, the blue sky, and the white clouds, lazily soaking in the sun.
**Honk, honk~**
A black Ford drives up from a distance and slowly parks at the curb.
A good-looking white guy in an Adidas hoodie steps out of the car.
He looks like he's in his early twenties, with pale skin, a tall, solid build, and brown hair that sits lazily but neatly on his head. His strikingly handsome features are sharply defined in the sunlight, and his bright black eyes scan his surroundings with a mischievous curiosity.
Overall, he has the kind of face that makes you want to punch him.
**Whistle~**
Suddenly, a whistle comes from the wall, and a group of seven, eight, or nine-year-old Black kids dash out from the street, swarming toward the handsome white guy.
"Hey~, get out of here!"
Just as the kids are about to surround him, a middle-aged Black man in a hoodie and jeans steps out of the car, shouting at them.
The kids freeze in their tracks, startled.
"Whoa, whoa~! Look who it is! Isn't this Big Agent Ed?"
A Black youth from the corner waves, and the kids scatter in an instant.
"Hey~ Daniel, long time no see!"
Ed steps forward, fist-bumping the young Black man.
"Yeah, Ed, it's been a while. What brings you here?"
"Filming. You know the crew that was recruiting extras around here a few days ago."
"Yeah, I heard about that."
The young Black man glances at the white guy. "Is he one of your actors?"
"Yep, used to be a model, now an actor. His name's Luca. You heard of him?"
Ed points to Luca.
The Black youth sizes him up. "Is he famous?"
"Haha, do you know Mr. Big?"
Ed grins, flashing his white teeth.
"Mr. Big?"
The Black youth thinks for a second, then his eyes light up. "Whoa~! You mean the guy who hooked up with that hot chick Britney? Big Luca?"
"Yep, that's him, Big Luca!"
Ed laughs.
"Wow, cool, man, really cool~"
The Black youth marvels, fist-bumping Luca.
Luca smirks and returns the gesture.
"Man~! They say you're packing half a meter. That true?"
The Black youth stares at his pants, intrigued.
Half a meter?
Luca's face twitches. Since when do we use meters for that? Why not kilometers?
"No, no, not quite!"
Luca humbly replies.
"Wooo~! So cool!"
The Black youth seems awestruck.
Ed chuckles, pulling out five green bills from his pocket. "Daniel, Luca's gonna be filming in Daimler for a while. Do me a favor and tell the street bosses not to mess with him."
"Whoa~ Ed, you're living large now."
The Black youth's eyes widen, taking the money and kissing it. "Don't worry, Ed. I promise Mr. Big won't have any trouble in Daimler."
"Good!"
Ed smiles and fist-bumps him.
Luca nods and follows Ed off the street.
As they walk, more Black people greet Ed with smiles and respect.
"Ed, did you used to live here?"
Luca asks curiously.
Ed smiles faintly. "Yeah, before I was thirteen, I lived here. When I was thirteen, I cracked a guy's head open, and my dad moved us away. I've rarely been back since."
"But they all seem to respect you?"
Luca gestures toward a couple of Black men they pass, speaking softly.
"That's because my father was a defense attorney for many of them. Plus, I went to college, got a prestigious-sounding job, and married a white woman. I'm living the life they dream of. Their looks aren't respect; they're envy, jealousy, and resentment."
"Resentment?"
"Yeah."
Ed says quietly, "After I married Nina, I completely embraced the white lifestyle. I don't hang out with anyone from here, don't go to Black community events. I distanced myself, so they see me as a traitor. Naturally, they hate me."
Luca glances back. The Black people who had just greeted Ed were now huddled together, pointing at him, their eyes full of contempt. Spit hit the ground as they talked.
Ed sighs, nodding toward the street kids. "Even though I just had a word, there are too many small gangs on the street. Daniel can't control them all.
If you're walking around alone, be careful. Don't let those kids get close to you.
In recent years, I don't know where they learned it, but they often carry razor blades between their fingers. When they see a well-dressed white guy, they strike."
Luca winced. That technique sounded strangely familiar.
"If you're lucky, they'll just cut your clothes. But if you're unlucky, they might slice your thigh."
Ed shakes his head. "Recently, an Asian guy got his pants cut, but the blade hit his groin. Sadly, he didn't get medical help in time. He died shortly after arriving at the hospital, and the killer was never caught. Guys like you need to be extra cautious."
"I'll be careful."
Luca had been on alert since entering the Black community. This place was filled with thieves, drug dealers, and robbers, with a high crime rate.
Last month, a 58-year-old Chinese restaurant owner had his ear cut off, sparking a conflict between the Black and Chinese communities. It made the newspapers.
Luca had to be extra cautious—he didn't want to lose half a meter.
"Luca, the film crew is just up ahead!"
Ed pointed to a crowd gathered around a filming location.
About seventy or eighty people were gathered, mostly Black, chattering loudly as energetic music blared through the air.
*They said you wouldn't make it so far uh uh
And ever since they said it, it's been hard
But never mind the nights you had to cry*
The song playing was "I Believe," one of the movie's featured tracks.
In the middle of the set, a hot girl in a midriff-baring top was leading a group of Black dancers in some street dancing, her moves fiery and seductive.
The dance focused on 'sexy' movements, emphasizing the hips, waist, and legs, often featuring simple handstands with tempting leg shakes. This type of feminine street dance was called reggae dancehall, or *ragga*.
Jessica Alba had trained for three months before filming, and she was doing pretty well.
Many of the men in the crowd were fixated on her tiny waist and perky hips, shamelessly swallowing their saliva.
"Luca, stop staring. Let's go say hi to the director."
"Fine!"
Luca wiped his mouth and pushed through the crowd to the monitor area.
In the director's zone, seven or eight crew members were gathered: a script supervisor, director's assistants, editors, and choreographers.
At the center was the director, Billy Woodruff, a middle-aged white man in his forties. Though new to the film world, he was already a legend in the music industry.
He'd directed music videos for Britney Spears, Toni Braxton, and the Backstreet Boys, and had won multiple awards for his work.
"CUT! Take ten!"
Director Billy shouted for a break, pointing at the monitor as he gave some notes.
Choreographer Laurianne Gibson nodded and headed back to the set for more rehearsals.
"Hey~ Billy!"
Luca approached, trying to make his presence known.
He'd met Billy during his audition. Billy had directed Britney's music video, and Luca had been her rumored boyfriend at the time, so they hit it off quickly.
"Luca, you ready?"
Billy Woodruff asked, looking up.
"Yeah,"
Luca nodded, "But there's something that's been bugging me for a few days. Can I ask you?"
"Go ahead."
Billy sipped his coffee casually.
Luca pointed to his face and described his earlier dilemma: why does the female lead choose a Black barber over a rich, good-looking, and promising guy like himself?
"So, Billy, do you think I should tone down my looks a bit?"
Billy burst out laughing and beckoned him over. "Come here, let's talk quietly."
"Okay!"
Luca took a couple of steps closer, and the people around them gave them space.
"Luca, what do you think the selling point of this movie is?"
Billy leaned back in his chair with a sly smile.
Luca glanced at the hot girl on the set. "Is it her?"
"Haha, that's just part of it."
Billy raised three fingers and said, "There are three big selling points: street dance music, the hot girl, and most importantly, the Black community.
This is a film about life in the Black community, and the main audience is Black people. Your character is the only major white supporting role. Do you understand the significance of your presence?"
Billy stroked his beard, smiling as he asked.
Luca thought for a moment. "I'm not just here to get beat up, am I?"
"Haha, pretty close. Your character is basically the villain. The female lead chooses the Black male lead over you—the handsome, rich guy. That kind of choice is way more appealing. So, the more good-looking you are, the cooler the audience's experience will be."
"I got it!"
This is all about ignoring realism and just going for pure enjoyment—commonly known as 'mindless fun.'
"Great, then go get ready. We're about to shoot your scene."
"Okay, Billy, but I still have one more question."
"Another question?"
Billy was starting to get annoyed. If it weren't for the fact that they were both white, he wouldn't even bother with him.
"Go on, ask."
"Billy, we're both white. Aren't you worried about shooting a movie like this that panders to Black people? Aren't you afraid you'll get in trouble?"
"..."
Billy clenched his fist and replied coldly, "Luca, I hope your next performance pleases me. Otherwise, you'll see..."
Luca smirked slightly, "Fuck, said the wrong thing again."