Naomi Watts, at 28 years old, was already a moderately well-known actress in the entertainment industry.
She was born in England but spent most of her life in Australia, where she entered the acting profession and began her journey to chase her dreams.
However, the fame she had in the Australian entertainment industry was simply not enough to stand out on the star-studded and fiercely competitive stage of Hollywood.
"I need an opportunity to become a huge hit," Naomi often muttered to herself.
Leveraging a slight acquaintance with Mrs. Cruise, Naomi used this connection to secure many audition opportunities.
In the early 90s, she came to Hollywood full of aspirations, but after so many years, she still hadn't managed to make it big. To put it plainly, she was single-mindedly determined to carve out her own path in this alluring and challenging world of fame and fortune.
In contrast, Nicole Kidman married Tom Cruise and easily became famous across half the world.
Naomi's career, however, was full of bumps and struggles, hardship and setbacks.
But the man before her now offered Naomi a glimmer of hope.
Kazier Gray's fame in Hollywood was growing rapidly, thanks to two films that grossed over a hundred million at the North America box office.
To be honest, his current status wasn't considered top-tier, but to achieve stardom, Naomi Watts felt she would do anything, even if the other party was just a newly emerging director.
If Kazir could turn the unknown Ed Helms into a star, Naomi thought, why couldn't she be the next Ed?
She knew very well that directors were the driving force behind creating stars, and in the entertainment industry, building a good relationship with a promising director could potentially change her destiny.
So, Naomi simply wanted to ride Kazir's momentum to climb higher, it was that simple and direct.
Noticing the gazes from other women, Naomi's lips curved slightly, revealing an almost imperceptible smile—she loved the feeling of being watched by everyone.
After all, she had taken the first step, and from the current situation, Kazir's attention had been successfully captured by her.
"Kazir, I'm quite interested in your new film. Shall we find a quiet place to chat?" Naomi leaned closer, her voice very low, and her eyes revealed an undeniable anticipation; her meaning couldn't have been clearer.
As for Kazir... "Naomi Watts is indeed a beauty. I think she only became famous after starring in Mulholland Drive, right? Later, she also played the gorilla's love interest in King Kong."
Kazir thought silently, his gaze involuntarily sweeping over her.
It had to be said, her figure was impeccable... especially now that she was leaning forward, her neckline was a bit low, revealing a patch of fair skin.
Kazir smiled, extended his hand, and politely said, "Shall we go sit in the garden?"
"Okay!" Naomi's lips moved, and years of acting experience allowed her to quickly stabilize her expression, though she felt a tiny bit of disappointment inside.
She had thought this man would invite her to leave the party for a more private place, like a hotel or his home, but she didn't expect it would just be the garden.
Actually, she was quite interested in this man—Kazir was handsome and strong, over six feet tall, looking like an action star, exuding a unique charm.
The reason Kazir didn't invite her to a more private place was actually very simple; he knew it clearly in his heart.
He did have a good impression of Naomi, and there was nothing to hide about that, but he didn't want to get entangled with too many women for now, or fall into complex emotional entanglements.
Moreover, he respected Reese Witherspoon a lot; even if they were just friends, he didn't want to play any tricks behind her back or do anything disloyal to a friend.
Thus, reason ultimately prevailed over impulse.
The garden lights were bright, and although there were a few people, it wasn't as crowded or noisy as the ballroom.
Kazir and Naomi found a spot to sit and chatted quite congenially.
Unexpectedly, Kazir was quite humorous and good at finding topics, always making Naomi laugh heartily.
"Whenever he talks about filmmaking, his excitement is like a child showing off his favorite toy." Naomi looked at Kazir, finding this side of him quite adorable, and couldn't help but feel even more favorably towards him.
"You're quite interesting, Kazir," Naomi said with a smile.
"Am I?" Kazir responded with a smile as well.
Naomi smiled, twirling her wine glass, then suddenly changed the subject: "Oh, by the way, I heard you're preparing a new project? Are there any roles suitable for me?" Her eyes were full of anticipation, as if waiting for fate's favor.
"I'm sorry, Naomi, most of the actresses have already been cast. And there aren't many female roles in this film of mine; it simply wouldn't be worthy of such a beautiful actress as yourself," Kazir said with a gentle smile and sincere tone.
"..."
Naomi was momentarily speechless, feeling somewhat conflicted.
Kazir's words contained both flattery and rejection, which was a peculiar feeling.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind: what expression would he have if she seduced him into bed? As she thought about it, she unconsciously licked her lips.
Unfortunately, just then, someone came over and interrupted them.
"Kazir, I finally found you!" A man with short brown hair walked over, smiling warmly, as if very familiar with Kazir. "Congratulations! Se7en and napoleon dynamite are truly massive hits, these two films are simply brilliant!"
"Karl..."
Kazir looked at the face before him, and a complex emotion immediately surged within him—wasn't this his former agent who had mercilessly kicked him out after his contract expired?
"Hehe, and this is...?" Karl asked, feigning curiosity.
"Naomi Watts. Naomi, this is Karl Morlin, an agent from WMA (William Morris Agency)," Kazir introduced simply.
"Then I won't disturb you for now, Kazir, talk to you later."
Naomi was a smart person; seeing the situation, she knew there must be something going on between the two of them.
Moreover, she herself was a client of WMA and wanted to renew her contract, so she dared not offend someone from such a big agency, and thus quickly and tactfully left.
"Nice to meet you," Kazir nodded, watching her leave.
"Kazir, I heard you signed with CAA (Creative Artists Agency)?" As soon as Naomi left, Karl Morlin went straight to the point, a hint of urgency in his eyes.
"Yes, Salvatore Barlo contacted me, and I've already signed," Kazir replied calmly.
"Is that so!" Karl's smile was quite fake, but in his heart, he cursed Salvatore a thousand times, muttering, "Where did this amateur agent come from? Probably a newbie, what can he even do?"
"Karl, just say what you mean," Kazir frowned, his tone quite firm.
"Haha, of course I want to chat with you. We're friends, aren't we!" Karl forced a smile and said.
"We're not friends."
Kazir said mercilessly.
Back then, because the original body accidentally spilled water on the vice president's suit, this agent kicked him out of WMA.
He had sincerely apologized at the time, but the outcome was still the same; he might even still be on WMA's blacklist now.
"..."
Seeing that he was serious, Karl's expression changed slightly. He cleared his throat and said, "Kazir, sign with me! I promise, WMA can give you much better than CAA. The company is willing to allocate more resources to you, ensuring that the production companies will offer you better terms."
No matter how sincere Karl sounded, no matter how many extravagant promises he made, Kazir was unmoved.
In his heart, when it came to sincerity, Salvatore was much better than him.
Moreover, what WMA could do, CAA could do just as well, and perhaps even better.
[PS: WMA: William Morris Agency, CAA: Creative Artists Agency]