CHAPTER 12 WAITING TO BE BURIED?

The crew of "Everybody Likes Raymond" was very calm today. It was no different from before. Actors, directors, assistants, and so on had their own roles. It was as if there was no hidden battle at this time. However, from how people went in and out of the studio, whether they were sneaking or openly looking there, and from how they looked at the person sitting there, it was clear they knew what had happened. Most of the extras were secretly gloating in their hearts, thinking. "Didn't you understand the Vertalian? Then just stand there and show it." These guys completely forgot how envious, jealous, and unwilling they were after Reese chose the young man a day ago. On the other hand, a small number of staff members were somewhat sympathetic. It was rare for extras to have a chance, but they were left hanging because of the discord between producers. Was there anything more awkwars than this? However, most of the people chose to ignore it because similar situations were really too common here. "Damn bastard, they have planned this for a long time! But don't think that you can make me yield just like that." When the shooting was about to end in the afternoon, Eric Reese finally appeared with rolling anger. It was obvious that it was not going well. "You can continue to wait here tomorrow!" He said to Sean, who had waited for almost a day like yesterday. "Alright, Mr. Reese." Sean nodded, neither humble nor overbearing, not saying anything extra. His honest attitude of taking him as the leader made Eric feel a little guilty and embarrassed, so he immediately slowed down and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, Sean. It will be fine tomorrow." "No matter what, I am very grateful to you, Mr. Reese." Sean bowed. For a moment, he really wanted to tell the other party that Stevenson was not just trying to bully him. Instead, he wanted to drive him out of the crew. However, as long as he thought of his agent, Sean would swallow all of this back into his stomach. He did not have enough evidence and could not predict how Reese would react. Frederick reminded him not to speak too much. After they parted last night, Sean never called his agent again, even though he really wanted to know his progress. Since he chose to believe in the other party, then there was no need to hesitate or worry. Sean did not dare to say how observant he was, but he could see that at that moment, Frederick really wanted to help him. "Don't disappoint me, Fred." When leaving the studio, Sean said this in his heart. "I will get my assistant to remember this. Don't worry, Miller. This won't be a problem for us." Phillip Rosenthal made a phone call as he walked out of the bar. His face was flushed, and he looked a little proud. When he reached the door, a man suddenly inserted in from the side, seemingly wanting to leave first. "Oh, sorry, I have something urgent... Phillip?" After touching him, the other party first apologized and then showed a surprised look. Rosenthal was stunned. The man in front of him looked a little familiar. He carefully recalled while putting away his phone and finally remembered who it was. "Fred?" "Of course it's me. Who else could it be?" The other party laughed and shook hands with him. "How rare. You also came here?" Rosenthal asked half-jokingly, "I remember you said that the brandy in the Mac's Bar is too bad. You will never come again." "Yes, that's right. But recently, I made a bet with someone. If I lose, I have to drink all the whiskey in the nearby bars." Frederick shrugged and put on a helpless look. Rosenthal laughed out loud. The two of them walked out of the bar and onto the street. Then, they talked about "Everybody Likes Raymond," which he wrote the script and produced. "To be frank, if I worked a little harder at the beginning and settled that production company, would I be able to get the agency right for this TV drama?" Frederick suddenly asked. "Ha, you still care about this?" Rosenthal did not answer directly, revealing a surprised expression. "Of course, this is one of the few works that can compete with MBC's signature TV series. Yesterday, I recommended a young man with great potential to the crew, and now I am waiting to sign the contract." Frederick pursed his lips. "To be honest, if I hadn't rushed around for the agency rights for 'Everybody Likes Raymond,' and it was that... Hmm... I would definitely have sent him to 'Pals' if Eric Reese did not take a fancy to him first." "Oh? You think so highly of him?" Rosenthal was really surprised this time. "Of course. Do you know how I met him?" Frederick explained the situation in the bank. "It's very exciting. Just wait and see. Phillip, he will definitely raise the viewership rating of this TV drama by a few percentage points." Without waiting for Rosenthal, he looked at the time and walked to the car on the street. "Alright, I still have something to deal with. Let's stop here for now. I'm pleased to see you." "Me too." Rosenthal waved his hand and walked to his car. When he reached the front, he stopped. "A young man?" He muttered to himself before getting into the car. After watching Rosenthal's car leave through the rearview mirror, Frederick let out a long breath. Then, he slowed down the car and rubbed his face with his hands. The creator, owner of the copyright, and the producer of this TV series, Phillip Rosenthal. Plus, the main acting and screenwriter of "Everybody Likes Raymond" at the wine party last night, the producer, Roman, as well as several people in charge of the SBS. That should be enough, right? "No, no, no, it's not enough." Frederick shook his head. He let them know that he recommended a young man to the crew. However, because he could not reveal the battle between the two producers, his words were a bit vague, making it difficult to judge the final result. "Then, who else? Think about it carefully. Besides them, who else can be roped in and persuade?" Frederick, who was driving the car, kept stroking his chin and then slapped the steering wheel. Damn, there was too little time. If he could make preparations two days ahead of time, the situation would not be so passive. As a well-informed agent, Frederick knew very well that Stevenson had been planning for a period of time in order to get rid of Eric. He even heard that Stevenson initially wanted to slowly exclude Eric and let him resign after he couldn't stand it or be fired because of a serious conflict with others since Eric's bad temper was known by everyone. Originally, everything was going according to Stevenson's plan, and Eric was slowly being isolated. Many of his decisions were overturned. That day, he had already sent out the main supporting role, who had agreed to play the story Eric wrote. However, he did not expect that Eric would have chosen Sean at the last minute. He had no choice but to stand up and face Eric directly. "What a troublesome fellow." Frederick couldn't help but complain in his heart, but it wasn't completely impossible. When the two sides faced each other on the surface, if Reese went all out, he might not lose to Stevenson. However, it was still the same sentence. There was too little time. Frederick was thinking of ways to increase Sean's importance. Stevenson was also thinking of ways to attack him and Eric, not to mention... "Damn it! There must be a way!" Frederick clenched his teeth and gripped the steering wheel tightly. The next day, another half a day passed. There was still no news from the crew. Fortunately, Sean was able to keep his cool. If it were someone else, they would have already been restless. Even so, he was still somewhat anxious secretly. It had been almost two days. Even if he failed, there should be some news. As if his thoughts were heard, Sean, who had just lined up for lunch, was stopped as if his thoughts were heard. "Your name is Sean, right? Let's talk." It was a caucasian between 25 to 30 years old. After seeing him clearly, Sean could not help but frown slightly. He knew this guy called Rayman Versack, Stevenson's assistant, who had tried to ask him to leave early that day. He knew why this person was looking for him at this moment, even if he used his knees to think about it, not to mention that he was slightly raising his chin and looking down at him with a condescending attitude. Although he hated this person, Sean did not refuse him. Instead, he found a table and sat down. "Speak." Rayman Versack narrowed his eyes and seemed to be somewhat dissatisfied, but he still sat down. "I'll just say it directly. Sean, how much do you want to take the initiative to leave?" Sean raised his eyebrows but did not answer. "How about 6,000 dollars? The salary for your role is only 3,000 dollars. Double the price should be enough, right?" Versack knocked on the table. Even though he looked calm, his tone still carried a hint of charity. Sean still did not speak. "Well, I forgot, you are an actor," Versack said as he revealed an expression of realization. When he said the word "actor," he revealed a mocking smile. "Then how about 3,000 dollars and a recommendation? Although you can't stay in the film crew if 'Everybody Likes Raymond,' Mr. Stevenson has a lot of connections here. It won't be a problem for him to recommend you somewhere else." To be honest, this was a very generous condition, and Sean could not help but be tempted. But it was only for a moment, just as he had said to his agent before, that this kind of promise in this situation was untrustworthy. For a simple example, he withdrew from this crew as instructed and was recommended to another crew. The other party said that it was inappropriate during the audition, so what should he do? Alright, even if Stevenson was a good person and recommended another crew, the other party still said that it was inappropriate. What should he do? Moreover, you couldn't be sure if the other party did it on purpose. Besides, if he really did this, the label of being a fence-sitter would be known. This was not a good thing for a newcomer who had nothing. Therefore, Sean shrugged calmly. "You don't mind if I tell Mr. Reese about this and let him decide, right?" "Don't be too greedy, boy." The other party raised his eyebrows, and a trace of contempt flashed across his face. This condition was already sufficiently generous for a temporary actor who had entered this industry less than three months ago. "I know." Sean nodded, "This is indeed a very generous condition, but I still think it is better for Mr. Reese to make the decision on the grounds." Versack stopped talking and stared at him without blinking as if he was looking at a fool. A few minutes later, he burst out laughing, "What benefits did Reese give you to make you work so hard to support him? So you can get free lunch?" Sean gently pinched his hand under the table. For the past two days, he had been idle in the studio, but he always had lunch with the crew. Yesterday, there had already been people who privately said unpleasant words. "If the director needs it, I can resume the work as an extra at any time." He still maintained neither a humble nor overbearing attitude. The smile disappeared from Versack's face. He snorted, threw away those false manners, and did not hide the sharpness in his tone. "Not a big deal. Every once in a while, we will come across people like you. You think that just because you have some connections, you will step on the flat road and forget who you are. Do you really think that we can't handle it without you?" As he spoke, he stood up, looked down, and adjusted his collar. "Since you have made your choice, then you should be buried with Reese."

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.