Hollywood: Lights, Ink, Entertainment!

….

[Two Day Later]

[August 10th, 2010]

….

"Where are you?" Regal asked, his voice calm as he sat in his office chair, phone pressed to his ear.

["Just parked in the cellar. I will be up in a minute."] - came the reply from the other end.

"Alright." Regal said before ending the call.

He turned to Samantha, who was standing nearby, arms loosely crossed. Giving her a brief nod, he said. "You heard him."

Rising from his chair, Regal stepped out of the cabin, with Samantha following closely behind, her clipboard tucked under her arm.

A moment later, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the hallway, and Stephen Jr. appeared.

He was a wiry man with an air of nervous energy, dressed in a blazer that seemed slightly too big for his frame.

His eyes darted around the room before landing on Regal.

"Mr. Regal." He greeted.

Regal waved a hand dismissively, gesturing toward the table in the center of the room. "Just Regal is fine."

Stephen chuckled nervously as he moved to the seat. "If you don't mind, then... Regal."

As Stephen took his seat, Samantha remained standing by his side. Regal leaned against the edge of the table, arms crossed, sizing up the man in front of him.

"So, Stephen." He began, his tone direct but approachable. "We haven't really had the chance to sit down and talk, have we?"

Stephen nodded, a small smile appearing on his face. "Yeah. I really wanted to congratulate you on your success, but it seemed like you were already too busy."

Regal leaned back slightly, his expression softening. "Well, if you ask me, it felt like the opposite. I have been meaning to thank you for the help you gave during the release of my movie."

?!Stephen blinked, caught off guard by the sincerity in Regal's words.

"So, let me properly say it - thank you. I won't forget what you did."

Stephen's face flushed as he fumbled for a response, clearly unprepared for the heartfelt gratitude. "Ah, no, it was nothing… really… just doing my part… the movie deserved it."

He paused before adding, his voice picking up a spark of enthusiasm. "In fact, I loved the movie… brilliant work."

"Oh?" Regal leaned back, intrigued. "What did you like about it so much?"

Stephen's face lit up, the earlier nervousness giving way to genuine excitement. "The detailing! Every time I watch it, I find something new, little things that connect to the bigger picture. It's like peeling back layers and discovering more each time."

Regal chuckled, a faint but genuine smile crossing his face. "The details, huh? That was deliberate. I wanted to create something you could keep coming back to."

From there, the conversation snowballed.

For the next half hour, the two of them went back and forth - Stephen eagerly sharing his favorite moments and insights, while Regal peeled back the curtain, explaining the thought process and behind-the-scenes details.

It felt like a genuine fanboy moment for Stephen, and Regal found himself unexpectedly enjoying it.

There was something refreshing about seeing someone so invested in the work, someone who saw and appreciated the effort that went into it.

Samantha, standing quietly nearby, allowed herself a small, approving nod.

Regal smiled faintly, watching the man's flustered reaction.

At that moment, he finally understood what Keanu had meant when he said, That kid's stupid - just like you, or maybe a bit less stupid than you, but stupid for sure.

Regal sighed inwardly. Keanu, in his roundabout way, had basically called him an idiot, too.

Sure, it should have been an insult.

But coming from Keanu, it didn't quite sting the same way.

Because he hadn't meant it in the usual sense. It wasn't about intelligence or competence - it was about character.

That unpolished, almost naive earnestness that didn't quite fit into Hollywood's carefully manufactured cynicism.

Everyone in the industry knew how things worked. It was cutthroat, manipulative, and unapologetically opportunistic.

And those who didn't?

They were either chewed up and spat out - or, more commonly, labeled naive idiots for not understanding what they were stepping into before diving in headfirst.

But according to Keanu, there was another category entirely.

The ones who did know. Who understood exactly how the game was played, every dirty trick, every unwritten rule, and still, still chose to believe in the ideals they knew would betray them in the end.

Keanu called those people - stupid.

And honestly? It was kind of hilarious.

If a random person overheard him talking, they would assume Keanu was some Hollywood veteran, a man who had seen it all, someone deeply embedded in the industry's tangled web of secrets.

The irony?

Keanu was still relatively new to all of this himself.

Still, there was something about his perspective that stuck.

Maybe because he said it with such casual confidence. Maybe because once you heard him out, it was hard to argue with his logic.

And it was Keanu who had arranged this meeting in the first place.

Regal wouldn't have been able to just call Stephen up and ask him to come over.

They weren't that close yet.

Sure, maybe Stephen would have shown up anyway, he seemed eager enough. But Regal preferred to let Keanu handle the setup. It just made things simpler.

"Anyway, aside from thanking you, I had something else in mind when I called you here." Regal began, leaning slightly forward.

"Ah, go on." Stephen's demeanor shifted instantly, his posture straightened, and his eyes sharpened with focus.

Regal raised an eyebrow at the change but decided not to comment on it.

"This might take a while." Regal said, tilting his head slightly in thought. "Coffee or tea?"

"Tea." Stephen answered without hesitation, his shoulders relaxing just a little.

Samantha, observing the interaction, took the cue and excused herself gracefully.

"I will get it sorted." She said, leaving the room with a quiet efficiency that spoke volumes about her knack for reading the moment.

Regal watched her go, then turned his attention back to Stephen, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

"Let's get started." He said.

Stephen gave a smile and a nod.

After that, Regal began to ask a few random questions about him.

Like, how many friends does he have? What type of food does he like?

His hobbies?

Regal made sure that his questions were mostly in the not-too-personal zone.

Stephen answered them all easily, without overthinking.

In this process.

Regal asked. "So you are currently doing an acting course?"

"Yep, and I am doing great."

"Good. When does the course wrap up?"

"In a month." Stephen replied. "It's a nine-month program."

"And after that?" Regal probed lightly. "Straight into movies?"

"Yeah." Stephen said, his tone matter-of-fact. "First, I will need to sign with an agency. Not really worried about that, once they know who I am, there will be plenty willing to take me in."

He wasn't boasting. Just stating a fact.

"…and getting my first opportunity should also be easy." He added, his voice carrying an unshaken confidence.

It was obvious - Stephen knew exactly how this worked. He understood the privilege of his position and had already made peace with it.

There was no false modesty, no attempt to spin it into some underdog narrative. Just a quiet acceptance of reality.

And Regal liked that.

He didn't have an issue with nepotism itself.

What irritated him was when people tried to justify it, tried to pretend they had struggled the same way as everyone else, when they clearly hadn't.

Talent? That was another conversation.

But for now, before he got to the real reason for this meeting, Regal gave Stephen one last assessing look.

Regal gave Stephen one last 'assessing' look before finally getting to the real reason for this meeting.

===

[Name:] Stephen Hawking. Junior

[Traits:] Aspiring, Dramatic

[Acting Grade:] B +

[Unique Skill:] Locked(ꗃ)

===

Light Tuner.

The version Regal had written was, without a doubt, an exact mirror of Light Yagami from [Death Note].

A role that demanded not just good acting, but a presence, a layered, psychological depth that could command the screen.

Could Stephen Jr., with his [Acting Grade: B+], actually pull it off?

Regal had done his research before calling him here. Nothing too invasive, just an overview of his professional choices and some background work.

He had watched a few of Stephen's performances, some publicly available on MeTube, others sourced through Christopher.

His conclusion?

Under my direction, he can do it.

But not without extensive pre-shoot workshops.

Still, that wasn't what made Regal consider him.

If anyone asked why him specifically? - why take a risk on an unknown actor, despite the weight of his lineage?

Regal's answer would be simple.

Stephen Jr. wanted to step out of the shadows.

There was something intriguing about watching a man attempt to carve his own path under the colossal weight of his grandfather's legacy. That was what made Regal curious.

…Especially that locked feature.

Regal exhaled lightly and leaned forward. "Anyway, I called you here because I have a role for yo–"

"I am in!"

Regal blinked. "…Eh?"

"I am in." Stephen repeated, unwavering. "You are offering me a role in your next project, right? I will do it. No matter how small."

Regal raised an eyebrow, momentarily caught off guard. "You don't even know what the script is about."

Not to mention - wasn't this supposed to be his debut?

He was just going to throw himself into a project without even knowing what he was signing up for?

"It doesn't matter." Stephen said, as if the answer was obvious. "I like your work, and I believe you are going to make great films. I just want to be part of it."

At that moment, Stephen Jr. had no idea just how much he would regret not listening to the script when he had the chance.

.

….

[To be continued…]

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