Huge trap

The celebration banquet of the Golden Globe Awards was not greatly affected by this "incident". People seemed to be accustomed to various conflicts at parties as if it were a norm. Only the group of friends who were more familiar with Hugo came forward to inquire about the situation. The appearances of Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson, and others were expected, but Meryl Streep's appearance was somewhat surprising.

"Oh, my God, Hugo, are you okay?" Meryl looked at Hugo with a worried expression. She glanced at Anthony, who was groaning on a stretcher and being carried into the ambulance, and her eyebrows furrowed.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," Hugo said, feeling a sense of chaos in his mind. He knew something significant had happened, but due to his lack of experience in such situations, Hugo felt a bit panicked. Therefore, he couldn't think straight; all he could do was take deep breaths and try to calm himself down. Only when he was calm could his brain think. However, at this critical moment, staying calm was not an easy task.

Meryl gave Hugo a meaningful look, then patted his shoulder. "You know, provocations like this never disappear. If you don't handle it properly, more troubles will come." Meryl had just met Hugo today, but she had a good first impression of him.

In her impression, Hugo was friendly and kind, and his warm smile was impossible to disguise. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul, but Meryl preferred to believe that a smile could reflect the warmth in a person's heart. She could feel the warmth coming from Hugo's heart. So, even though she saw Anthony's miserable condition, she still knew something must have happened for Hugo to take action. Moreover, Anthony was a paparazzo, and she had heard that he was a journalist for National Enquirer. The situation became even more complicated, but she was willing to trust Hugo.

Feeling Meryl's trust, Hugo felt countless words he wanted to say, but he couldn't find a starting point. He could only grit his teeth in frustration and let out a low growl, not saying anything.

Jack Nicholson stood by the side, looking at the young Hugo and couldn't help but speak out impatiently, "Did that damn reporter do something to deserve a beating again? Serves him right! These reporters need to be taught a lesson. They should know we're not monkeys in a zoo!"

Jack's hot temper was well-known in the entertainment industry. He was a loyal fan of the Los Angeles Lakers NBA team and tried to attend every home game. When there were controversial referee decisions, he would even jump up and curse the referee, which once led to him receiving a fine. Jack also never held back his temper when it came to dealing with reporters, so journalists often felt apprehensive when facing him.

"Jack!" Although Meryl believed Hugo, she didn't approve of violence. She frowned and shouted at him.

Jack and Meryl were hailed as the greatest male and female actors in modern American film history, and their personal relationship was quite good. Being scolded by Meryl, Jack muttered discontentedly, "I'm stating the facts, facts!" But he didn't raise his voice any further.

Al Pacino, standing nearby, chimed in, "He deserved the beating. It was quite a hard hit just now, which is good." When it came to a tough attitude, Al was no less famous than the others. Meryl widened her eyes at his comment, but since she wasn't as familiar with Al as the others, she didn't say much. Al didn't mind and continued, "But you should carefully consider how to handle the situation that follows."

Al was never timid when facing reporters. Once, a renowned journalist tried to provoke Al by making disrespectful remarks. However, Al did nothing but stared at the journalist with wide eyes, unblinking, for a full three minutes. This frightened the journalist so much that he fled in a panic. This incident spread widely in the journalist circle, and since then, few reporters dared to confront Al directly.

In response to Al's statement, Meryl agreed, "Regardless of whether there was a reason for this incident, the fact remains that the journalist was assaulted, which puts you at a disadvantage. These reporters will definitely not let it go easily. Hugo, you must handle this well; otherwise, the situation will only get worse."

Hugo, who was initially feeling agitated, found his emotions settling down as these three respected elders spoke. He gradually regained his composure. While the moment of physically assaulting someone provided him with an emotional release, he understood that it was not a society where killing was legal but rather a civilized society where violence was against the law. Moreover, the person he had hit was a journalist, whose weapon was their pen. The disastrous consequences that would follow were imaginable.

"I know, I will find a way," Hugo tried to calm his voice, then took a deep breath. "Thank you, Meryl, thank you."

Meryl hugged Hugo, patted his back, and then left with Jack and Al. Hugo turned to Joseph, who was still breathing heavily, and Uma, who had an uncertain expression on her face, and beckoned them to go home together.

The journey from the Hilton hotel to home was not long, but the atmosphere inside the car reached its lowest point, almost freezing. Uma and Hugo sat separately by the windows, each lost in their own thoughts, while Joseph drove with a gloomy expression.

Upon opening the front door, Alex, Karl, and Charlize were sitting in the living room. When they saw Hugo return, all three of them came forward to greet him. Energetic Alex was the first to speak, "Hugo, you did great tonight! Don't worry about not winning the award; there will be many more opportunities in the future." However, as he spoke, his voice gradually faded, and he stared dumbfoundedly at the disheveled Joseph.

"Joe, what happened?" Karl furrowed his brow and asked. Joseph looked dirty all over, with even bloodstains on his chest, which made Karl instinctively search for any visible injuries but found none. This alarmed Karl greatly.

Charlize stood by silently. Although she usually acted like a boy, it couldn't change the fact that she was a woman, and her attentiveness was evident at this moment. Charlize noticed that although the expressions of the three people were not pleasant, they weren't overly concerned, which meant that Joseph wasn't the one who got hurt.

Uma, on the other hand, was completely absent-minded, her gaze wandering aimlessly. She didn't even have time to be wary of Charlize, who could clearly sense that something was off with Uma today. It was too abnormal. Joseph's face froze into an expression resembling an icy mountain, indicating wariness toward strangers, which meant the situation was extremely dire. As for Hugo, his brows were tightly knitted together, his clear eyes hidden behind his eyelashes, leaving only a sense of complicated concern.

"Did you guys get into a fight?" Charlize looked at the silent trio as they walked over and sat on the couch, stating her speculation. Alex and Karl both turned to her, and she hesitated before continuing, "Or did you guys fight someone?"

Hugo took a deep breath, knowing that the matter needed to be resolved eventually. "Joseph and I fought a journalist."

"What happened?" The excitement on Alex's face had vanished, and he asked with great concern. Karl couldn't hold back and sat on the couch, looking at Joseph. "Joe, what's going on? Did something happen at the celebration banquet?" Charlize and Alex found seats as well.

Joseph remained silent, but his fists clenched once again. The tension in his face showed his anger and frustration. Even the three individuals who didn't understand the situation could sense that something was wrong.

Hugo glanced at Joseph, then closed his eyes, allowing his turbulent thoughts to settle once again. Whenever he thought of Anthony's ruthlessness, Hugo felt as if he were being burned. However, he had to remain calm at this moment. It was a tormenting and challenging task. "After the ceremony, I went to the celebration banquet..."

Hugo briefly described the incident, omitting many details. However, the overall picture was gradually depicted. This caused impulsive Alex to jump up immediately. "I'm going to kill that damn bastard!" As Hugo's friend, it was difficult for him to remain calm when his friend was insulted by someone so despicable.

"He's already in the hospital!" Karl blurted out, leaving Alex stunned in his tracks.

Charlize looked deeply at Uma, but Uma was completely absorbed in her own world. To be precise, after everyone had surrounded Joseph and separated him from Anthony, Uma seemed to have disappeared. She remained immersed in her own world, and she didn't respond to Charlize's gaze. Her lowered gaze wandered restlessly in the shadows.

Charlize shifted her gaze to Hugo, took a deep breath, and said, "Alex, you are not helping." Charlize's anger at this moment was no less than anyone present. She knew more than Joseph, Alex, and the others about Hugo's dedication to music. She had witnessed Hugo's passion for music and had personally experienced his devotion to it. She knew that it was unbearable for someone to insult Hugo's creative talent. But she also knew that anger wouldn't help at this moment. "Hugo, you mentioned that Anthony did it on purpose?"

Hugo nodded. "After everything was over, Anthony looked at me and smiled." Hugo closed his eyes, trying hard to recall Anthony's eerie smile. "He smiled with a ferocious expression as if he had no bruises. Then he smirked with satisfaction. In the end, he said to me, "You lost"."

Hugo's words sent chills down everyone's spines, including Uma, who had been lost in her thoughts. Joseph, in disbelief, stared at Hugo. It was as if a bucket of ice-cold water had been poured over him. He murmured, "It's a trap."