Restarting publicity

Objectively speaking, Charlize's black pepper roasted chicken tasted quite good. However, it was too spicy and overwhelming, resulting in poor "sales". It became the highlight of Thanksgiving in 1992, overshadowing Karl's amazingly cooked braised lamb chops. Even Karl's culinary skills couldn't steal Charlize's limelight.

The day after Thanksgiving, Alex returned home first. Hugo and Charlize ended their three nights of "two-person world" and returned to a balanced state as a group of three. Both of them secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Joseph returned on Saturday, his tiredness clearly evident on his face, with heavy dark circles that dulled his bright blue eyes.

Although Hugo was curious about what had happened at Joseph's home and what the one million dollars was for, he knew it was Joseph's family matter. If Joseph didn't want to talk about it, it was best not to inquire. It had nothing to do with the depth of their friendship. Even the best of friends should respect boundaries because family was a special entity for everyone. If someone wanted to tell you, they wouldn't hide it. On the contrary, if they didn't want to talk, even a close friend might remain silent. So Hugo didn't ask anything, he simply inquired about Joseph's journey and whether everything was okay, and that was all.

After Thanksgiving passed, December arrived. The release of "A Few Good Men" was approaching, and Hugo and Joseph became busy once again.

Unlike the limited release strategy of "Scent of a Woman", "A Few Good Men" was set to have a wide release in 1,900 theaters. It was clear that they aimed for significant box office success. This was also why they initially chose Tom Cruise, and now that the lead role had changed to Hugo, Columbia Pictures was naturally more nervous and cautious. Therefore, the film had a series of promotional activities before its release. Hugo took on the responsibility of promoting the premiere box office and appeared on various shows, hoping to have a strong opening.

On Monday, Joseph drove Hugo back to the Burbank studio to participate in the taping of The Tonight Show.

After Hugo's previous appearance on The Tonight Show, the ratings were impressive. The episode, which aired at 11:35 p.m., had an audience of 4.8 million viewers. It not only became the highest-rated episode of "The Tonight Show" in November but also topped the ratings for the same time slot. It was evident that people were highly interested in Hugo's roller-coaster career.

The car slowly entered the parking lot, and Hugo's designated parking space was already arranged according to the guest parking for the taping. Joseph effortlessly parked the car, and as Hugo unbuckled his seatbelt, Joseph spoke up, "Hugo, that time I didn't go back to Houston."

Joseph hesitated for a while, even after returning to Los Angeles, he was still unsure. He had hesitated before speaking up, unsure if he should tell Hugo the truth because it involved his family matters. Joseph kept convincing himself that he and Hugo were just work partners, and there was no need to share personal matters. Hugo had never mentioned anything about his own family either. But in the end, Joseph failed.

In the sudden moment of needing money, Hugo readily agreed without any hesitation. When Joseph abruptly left, Hugo didn't question him about the reasons or persistently pursue the matter. When Joseph delayed his return, Hugo didn't worry that he had taken the money and run or inquire about his family affairs. Instead, he trusted him enough... and it was one million dollars. Joseph knew that Hugo's trust was far more profound than the sum of money.

Therefore, Joseph spoke up. Even though he still didn't want to discuss it at length, he knew he had to give Hugo an answer. After finishing the first sentence, Joseph saw the surprised look in Hugo's eyes. "What about Thanksgiving?" That was Hugo's first reaction. He didn't ask why Joseph lied about going back to Houston or inquire about the situation. He simply cared about Thanksgiving.

Joseph gave a bitter smile. "I went to Las Vegas. It's a gambling city, and it seems the situation has become clear. Have I mentioned my brother Peter to you before?" Hugo nodded, perplexed, and remained silent. This made Joseph take a deep breath and continue, determined to finish his remaining words. "He lost a large sum of money in Las Vegas and got involved with some local forces. My father couldn't come up with a solution, so he called me."

Although Joseph only mentioned the beginning, the story behind it was already clear to Hugo. Gambling and drugs were similar. Once you got involved, it was difficult to quit. In severe cases, it could lead to the destruction of families and lives. Hugo didn't know the exact details of Joseph's family situation, but he occasionally heard Joseph mention his family with infinite nostalgia. So, it wasn't surprising that Joseph, for the sake of his brother, struggled to ask for help from Hugo.

After Thanksgiving ended, Joseph delayed his return by two days. It seemed that Peter's situation was too troublesome, causing Joseph to take more time to deal with it. Hugo's mind was filled with various thoughts, and he sighed lightly. Family bonds could bring happiness, but they could also bring helplessness. "Is the situation resolved now?" he asked.

Joseph rubbed his temples and nodded. "Yes, it's resolved."

"That's good," Hugo patted Joseph's shoulder and fell silent. He didn't know what to say because this was the first time they talked about each other's private matters. Although Joseph suggested that Hugo call his family, Joseph never asked about the outcome of the call. So today's conversation felt unfamiliar to Hugo. He didn't know whether he should express his concern like a good friend or let Joseph handle it on his own.

Hugo took a deep breath. "So, let's start preparing for today's work." He guessed that Joseph wanted to thank him, but for Hugo, it didn't feel like much. It was just a string of numbers in his bank account, and not even a significant amount. So, helping out was a small favor.

As expected, Joseph stopped Hugo with his words. "Hugo, thank you." Joseph expressed his true feelings once again, thanking Hugo for lending him the money and for trusting him. "I will find a way to repay you as soon as possible."

"Hey, buddy, don't deceive me," Hugo said with a smile, making Joseph pause. "You know you can't repay me "as soon as possible". Considering your agent's commission, it will be quite difficult to gather one million in a short time." Hugo's candidness made Joseph burst into laughter. "So, you have to work harder, let's pray that I can find more and better jobs. Maybe that will speed up the process."

Joseph knew Hugo was speaking the truth while comforting himself. Joseph let out a long breath and nodded. "Then why are you still sitting in the car? We can't be late for today's work! Work diligently for me!" Joseph rarely played along with Hugo's joke. He said it while squeezing his own fist as if he were an evil capitalist exploiting the laborers' hard-earned money.

Hugo restrained his smile and made a trembling expression. He hurriedly opened the car door. "Yes, sir, I'll go to work immediately." As he got out of the car, he stumbled his way towards the direction of the elevator, with Joseph quickly following behind him. They attracted the attention of onlookers in the parking lot.

Entering the dressing room, many staff members approached Hugo and greeted him proactively. This was a treatment he didn't receive on his previous visit. It was evident that the excellent ratings of the show made the staff excited about Hugo's arrival. Even the host, Jay Leno, personally rushed over and gave Hugo a big hug. "I didn't expect to see you again so soon. So, how are you feeling today?"

Jay was still in a casual shirt and holding a bag of potato chips. He looked like the friendly neighbor next door, except that his chin was quite prominent. Hugo smiled and said, "I'm doing well, everything is good. Seeing that familiar chin makes me feel at home..."

Jay's prominent chin was called prognathism, which became one of his trademarks. "This is a powerful weapon that must be treated with caution." As a comedian, Jay's self-deprecating humor was admirable, and it instantly elicited laughter in the dressing room. "So, any taboo topics for today's promotion?"

Jay's question surprised Hugo, who looked at Joseph with confusion. He didn't understand why Jay would bring up such a topic at this moment because, as far as Hugo knew, there were indeed some A-list celebrities in the entertainment industry who had restrictions on certain topics during interviews, such as scandals or rumors. However, this situation was more common in Asia and not as prevalent in the more open discourse environment of Europe and America. Moreover, Hugo hadn't received any indication from Joseph.

After confirming that Joseph was equally perplexed, Hugo smiled and looked at Jay. "I hope you won't mention the embarrassing incident of me going in the wrong direction in the bathroom today. It would be a huge blow to my popularity among the female audience."

Hugo's solemn request caused the nearby makeup artist to burst out laughing uncontrollably, spraying saliva all over Jay's right arm. The situation quickly spiraled out of control. Jay squinted at the makeup artist and said, "I think you need to bring some hot water here and wash my shirt on the spot, or else I won't have anything to wear on the show." This jest diffused the awkwardness, and then Jay looked at Hugo again and said, "That's good. It's more difficult when certain people clearly prefer men but insist on claiming to be in a heterosexual marriage, forbidding us from discussing it on the show. Especially when I see his hand gestures, it's hard for me to control my urge to ask questions. It's truly torturous."

Jay subtly mocked someone, and Hugo wondered, who could that person be? Was it Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt? With a farewell glance at Jay's departing figure, Hugo and Joseph exchanged puzzled looks.