"Step aside, please make way." Joseph's voice came through, interrupting the reporters' aggressive questioning of Hugo.
Hugo only felt Joseph take one big stride and plant himself right in front of him. That burly figure immediately blocked out all the flashing lights ahead. In truth, Hugo's six-foot (1.83 meters) frame combined with 160 pounds (73 kilograms) wasn't exactly frail, but Joseph's massive presence effortlessly cast all the lights and shadows away. Only then did Hugo manage to open his eyes and see the situation outside through Joseph's shoulder.
Around ten reporters were blocking the elevator door. Though the number wasn't large, given the narrowness of the elevator entrance, it felt like an army had barricaded the way. Hugo had been struggling in the underground rock music scene for ten years and had never encountered such a scene before. He was always a bystander, but this time he had become the center of attention—and not in a good way. It made Hugo extremely uncomfortable. He didn't know whether to be happy that he was finally getting attention or to complain that he had to face this terrible mess right after transmigration.
Joseph didn't leave Hugo much time to think. He started clearing a path ahead, pushing the reporters aside. Hugo hurried to follow. He didn't even know what to say to Joseph, let alone the reporters. As for that blunder earlier, there was no way to explain it reasonably—he couldn't exactly tell the reporters, "Hey, I'm just an unlucky guy who transmigrated here."
Surprisingly, the reporters didn't make things too difficult for them. Though questions and flashes continued raining down, no one stopped their pace. Soon, Hugo had followed Joseph into the car smoothly. Hugo guessed the reason the reporters let them go so easily might be that the Golden Raspberry Awards didn't have the same level of attention as in the twenty-first century, and the reporters had already gotten plenty of material at the ceremony. There was no need to keep pestering them. So, did that mean the front-page headlines tomorrow might not have as big of an impact as he imagined? Thinking of this, Hugo's scrambled thoughts from time travel finally calmed a bit.
Watching Joseph start the engine, Hugo finally felt the strong wave of the 90s hit him. Joseph was driving none other than the first-generation Volkswagen Golf—a classic economy car from the 1970s. You'd rarely see this model in the twenty-first century. The chipped paint, muddy tires, and rusted hood not only gave a strong sense of the era but also brought Hugo a harsh taste of the tough life his current body had been living.
An actor's life didn't seem so glamorous after all or maybe this body had been wasting money on other things? This definitely wasn't a good start.
Outside the car window, the scenery of Los Angeles no longer attracted Hugo's attention. Staring at the star-filled sky, his mind was blank. The shock of transmigration still echoed through his brain, making it hard for him to think straight.
By the time Hugo arrived home, his consciousness finally returned vaguely to the Los Angeles of 1992. He found the car still somewhat intact, but the path to his residence made it painfully clear how bad his situation was. Feces, urine, used syringes, and garbage on the streets weren't even the worst. The homeless scattered everywhere and the filthy tents gave the dark night an overwhelming "Sin City" vibe. The place he was now living in was less than 400 square feet (38 square meters). Besides two mattresses, a desk, and a wardrobe, there wasn't any other furniture. Hugo almost wanted to cheer just because there was a private bathroom atleast he didn't have to use a public shower. Dirty clothes were scattered all over, and the ashtray on the nightstand was nearly overflowing. A spider leaped nimbly from the ceiling lamp and landed on the mattress before darting toward the nightstand, just as agile as Tom Cruise in Mission: Impossible.
This kind of environment didn't mean much to Hugo. For the sake of his musical dreams, he had left home and wandered for ten years, even sleeping in the wild with homeless people. So having a roof over his head wasn't something to complain about. Still, this body he'd taken over one that had managed to land a lead role in a movie—had fallen to such a state and even had to live with his agent. That alone spoke volumes about how miserable his former life had been.
Thinking back to tonight's big blunder, Hugo's not-yet-fully-recovered brain began to spin again. God knows how much dope this body had taken before dying, allowing Hugo's soul to transmigrate into it.
"Get some rest early. Tomorrow..." Joseph turned and looked at the stunned Hugo standing at the door, then shook his head. Hugo had been acting way too strange tonight. But thinking it over, Joseph suspected Hugo might have overdosed due to the pressure of the Golden Raspberry Awards and passed out in the bathroom.
With that thought, Joseph didn't know what else to say. Even if he wanted to comfort Hugo, he couldn't find the right words. In the end, he could only try to soften his tense tone. "There's a film audition tomorrow. Robert Redford is a tough nut, and the casting director, Elisabeth Leustig, is even pickier."
Hugo shifted his gaze from the mess of the room to Joseph and subconsciously asked, "What audition?"
Joseph frowned, looking Hugo up and down with a puzzled expression full of doubt. That look made Hugo's heart skip had Joseph discovered the soul inside the body had been swapped? But soon enough, Joseph looked away, once again attributing Hugo's weird behavior to the aftereffects of drug use.
"A River Runs Through It, based on Norman Maclean's autobiographical novel, directed by Robert Redford?" Joseph raised his voice at the end, trying to jog Hugo's memory. Standing still, Hugo arched a brow and put on a look of realization, prompting Joseph to sneer slightly.
Joseph's words gradually awakened the original memories of the body in Hugo's mind. It seemed that after transmigration, Hugo hadn't fully integrated with the body yet. Real-life situations were still needed to complete the fusion and allow him to fully adapt to life in 1992.
Hugo stopped Joseph, who was about to enter the bathroom. "Can I use the bathroom first?" Hugo finally used the first person. Although it still felt quite strange, at least it was a step forward.
Joseph turned to look at Hugo. His complexion was extremely pale, and even the makeup carefully applied for the award ceremony couldn't conceal the blood draining from his cheeks. His amber eyes flickered with unease, and the melancholy between his brows slowly spread out like Romeo in Shakespeare's pen.
Joseph sighed and nodded. A tired smile appeared on Hugo's face as he walked unsteadily toward the bathroom door. But Joseph blocked his way at the entrance, causing Hugo to look up at his agent in confusion. "Hugo, I'm warning you. This is also the last time I'll warn you. Don't touch dr*gs again."
Hearing these words, Hugo wanted to argue: he would never touch dr*gs. But Joseph didn't wait for his response, turning straight around and sitting down beside the mattress. He picked up a thick booklet from the floor it looked very much like a script—and began flipping through it.
Hugo hesitated for a moment but said nothing more. He entered the bathroom and closed the door. The small space could barely be called a bathroom—it had only a showerhead and a washbasin. If three people squeezed in at once, there would be no room to turn around. Hugo turned on the tap and waited for the basin to fill. Then, holding his breath, he submerged his entire face underwater.
The world beneath the water was so quiet. It was the first moment of peace Hugo had experienced since transmigrating. Just now, he had finally remembered part of the body's memory. The original owner of this body was no unknown in the entertainment industry. Born in 1967 and not yet twenty-five years old, Hugo had landed the lead role in Hudson Hawk and won the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor for it.
Hudson Hawk had a budget of sixty-five million dollars, which was a top-tier super production in the early '90s. Hugo Lancaster had wrested the lead role from Bruce Willis and co-starred with Andie MacDowell—known for Sex, Lies, and Videotape and later famed for Four Weddings and a Funeral. Unfortunately, this film, a mix of action, comedy, and good-looking stars, flopped at the box office, earning only seventeen million dollars. Critically, it fared no better. At the 12th Golden Raspberry Awards, it was nominated for Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Actor, Worst Actress, and more. In the end, Hugo successfully claimed the prize.
Hugo recalled how the reporters had said at the elevator that this wasn't the first time Hugo Lancaster had been nominated for Worst Actor. It seemed this actor had been given quite a few performance opportunities in the past, including tomorrow's audition for A River Runs Through It.
But it was easy to imagine: after winning the Golden Raspberry for Worst Actor, Hugo Lancaster's future in the entertainment industry would be full of obstacles. Hollywood had never lacked handsome men and beautiful women. The fact that he had never heard of this actor's name in 2014 made it cleah he was a complete pretty face with no substance. So tomorrow's audition for A River Runs Through It didn't seem promising either.
But…
Hugo suddenly raised his head from the water in the basin. He realized that this might just be his opportunity!
Before the transmigration,He was born in 1989 and was about to turn twenty-five in 2014. He had spent ten years in the underground rock music scene and five years working as an extra and minor supporting actor. He had run away from home at fifteen and never looked back. The only thing that kept him going was his obsession with his dream. He wanted to stand under the spotlight and work in showbiz. He wanted to become an outstanding singer and an excellent actor.
Now, the 25-year-old Chen Hugo from 2014 had transmigrated into the body of the 25-year-old Hugo Lancaster in 1992. The previous Hugo hadn't gotten many chances to showcase his talent—so could this transmigration be the best chance he'd ever get?
Hugo looked at the unfamiliar face in the mirror—light brown eyes, dark golden hair, slightly curled and hanging down damply. He pulled the corners of his lips, and the man in the mirror revealed a spirited smile. Then he let out a long breath. "Hugo, this is your chance. Grab it." He said in perfect Mandarin. The unease and anxiety in his heart were temporarily suppressed. Thinking this way, perhaps transmigration wasn't such a bad thing after all.