制霸好莱坞

The temporary family of Cesare and Lillian owned several cars. Although Jenny had received her salary and the check from CBS, she was too busy to buy her own car. As a result, Cesare temporarily let her drive his Audi A6, while he took his Bugatti Veyron to work. Lillian even told her directly that if finances were still tight, she had an extra car available that Jenny could borrow for as long as needed. Jenny politely declined. She still adhered to the Chinese principle of accepting help only in emergencies, but not in times of poverty. While Lillian was more than willing to help, Jenny felt it was important to make it clear to Cesare that she wasn't relying on others.

In both China and the United States, agents like Cesare rarely meet their artists in person. Of course, if Cesare wanted, Jenny could visit him at the company daily. However, in reality, contact was mostly by phone. When a job opportunity came up, Cesare would inform her, but he wouldn't involve himself in the day-to-day tasks. In China, artists often had assistants to help with auditions and daily life, but in Hollywood, it didn't work that way. You could hire housekeepers, friends, or companions, but the company wouldn't provide staff to handle everything. For major events, you might have someone accompany you, but for filming, you'd be on your own. If you wanted a driver, an assistant, or even a bodyguard, you had to pay for it yourself. A dedicated manager typically took 10% of your salary as payment for their services.

As a senior agent at CAA, Cesare managed many international superstars alongside his colleagues. His schedule was packed, and Jenny rarely heard from him. If Jim hadn't been in touch, telling her that Cesare was sorting through auditions due to the CSI role, she might have thought Cesare had forgotten about her. It had been over a week since Cesare returned, and despite her daily visits to walk his dog, she hadn't seen him. Cesare rarely came home before midnight.

According to Jim, though there were many audition invitations, most didn't meet Cesare's high standards. The only thing Jenny could rely on was the audition for Chicago, which had been postponed for over a month due to 9/11. Originally scheduled for early October, it had been moved to mid-October.

If Jenny passed the audition, she would join the cast and start singing and dancing training. However, her courses with the company had ended some time ago. She even considered taking on more dog-walking jobs. In the United States, labor was expensive, but for a large dog like Washington, a 30-minute walk cost $25, and an hour was $50. She could earn $100 a day by walking Washington twice, which added up to $3,000 a month. Since she wasn't affiliated with the company, she didn't have to pay taxes. Cesare had also given her a few hundred dollars extra, but once Jenny understood the market, she no longer felt guilty about this salary.

If she walked multiple dogs a day, she'd earn even more than as a waitress. It was a win-win, as she could exercise while working.

Jenny had a page on IMDb, though the information there was minimal. Hundreds of comments speculated about her, guessing she was a high-class European movie star due to her "classical temperament." Sometimes, Jenny would smile wryly when reading these comments. If only they knew that she was considering a career as a professional dog-walker!

Despite her confusion about her future, Jenny never thought to question Cesare. CSI was a good debut opportunity, but she knew it wouldn't necessarily lead to bigger roles. Public TV series like CSI had a fixed level of quality. While her presence could make the show more appealing, it wouldn't elevate it. Big directors and producers likely wouldn't take notice. Most of the roles offered to her now were small supporting parts or even B-list or adult films, where her beauty and seductive appeal might land her the lead role. Cesare had once told her, "If you only have this level of acting skill, you can only develop into a typecast actor."

For someone aiming to dominate Hollywood, such opportunities were just a waste of time. There were countless ways to make money by trading on her looks, and acting in low-budget films wasn't the best route. Jenny trusted that Cesare was holding back because the opportunities weren't good enough, rather than because he had forgotten about her.

Building trust took time, and she knew it was up to her to show sincerity first.

After the course ended and the Chicago audition still hadn't started, Jenny had some free time. She and Jim spent over $4,000 buying a 1998 Volkswagen Passat in excellent condition with low mileage. In the U.S., cars were affordable, and the auto industry was far more developed than in China. Used cars weren't difficult to buy, but you had to know what you were doing to avoid getting ripped off by dealers.

Fortunately, Jim was knowledgeable about cars. After visiting several dealerships, they found a good deal, completed the paperwork, and Jenny wanted to treat Jim to a meal as thanks. But Jim waved her off, saying, "Forget it. I'll treat you after you land your first lead role."

He added with a laugh, "I thought you'd ask Dave for help."

Jenny shook her head. "Wait a while. I hope you won't laugh at me for burning bridges after crossing the river."

"I'd only laugh at you if you were still in touch with him now," Jim responded. "It's actually better for him now. But Jenny, I have to say, I really admire you."

"What do you admire about me?" Jenny asked while signing the check.

"Generally, young beauties have a lot of trouble in their love lives," Jim said as they walked out. "Especially when they're in a dormant period. Although Cesare doesn't let you date, I thought you'd cling to Dave for security."

"Isn't that a bit cheap?" Jenny laughed.

"In this industry, Hollywood actresses are almost all like that," Jim replied. "It's just become a norm. Even if it gets out, people would just laugh at Dave for wanting to 'eat swan meat.' Beautiful, famous women have that privilege. And middle-aged, powerless men are the most vulnerable—they can be trampled on at will."

Jenny made a face but didn't comment. Changing the subject, she said, "What I'm focused on now is the next audition, not finding a security blanket."

"Don't you want to think about tomorrow's Chicago?" Jim asked, clearly intrigued.

"I don't have much hope for Chicago," Jenny frowned. "It's a Weinstein movie, and I'm just a nobody."

"Just perform well," Jim said with a meaningful tone. "As long as you're good enough, Cesare will handle the rest."

The level of the Chicago audition was much higher than CSI. As Jenny had expected, she ran into Lucy Liu at the audition. Along with several other familiar faces—second- and third-tier stars—this was a highly competitive environment. While many of them weren't well-known at the time, by 2014, they were all more famous than Jenny. Lucy Liu, in particular, had just starred in Charlie's Angels, a $100 million film with over $200 million in global box office revenue.

The audition room was a social space. Everyone greeted each other warmly, despite the competition. After all, it was just a small role, and most actors were there because of Weinstein's backing and the original musical's reputation. However, many people questioned the quality of the final product, given that Rob Marshall, the director, had never made a movie before.

Jenny felt somewhat at ease as she observed the interactions. She realized that she was the only one determined to land the role. As a newcomer, she was excluded from the more familiar circles, with Lucy Liu naturally becoming the center of attention. Liu was the most well-known face, having starred in Charlie's Angels and worked with renowned director Quentin Tarantino.

Most actors, despite being competitors, kept the atmosphere cordial. Jenny quietly observed from the sidelines, reviewing her lines for the audition.