"Really? Are you sure? Are you ready to attend the awards ceremony?" It was rare to see, but this time it was Edgar who hesitated about Oscar.
Anson was surprised, raising an eyebrow slightly as a chuckle escaped from the corner of his mouth. "Captain, what's wrong? Did the tone of the academy's invitation offend you?"
Edgar picked up on Anson's teasing and couldn't help but laugh as well.
"Typically, the academy sends invitations to guests in four batches for the awards ceremony, one after another after the Golden Globes, announcing them in stages to build hype and get the audience excited."
"Obviously, the nominees are the exception."
"The academy always assumes that the nominees are 100% willing to attend the ceremony, so they're in no rush. They wait until the nominations are announced before politely confirming the details and guest lists to avoid unnecessary repetition."
"But now, the nomination list hasn't been released yet, and the academy has already invited you—"
The implication was clear.
Anson suddenly understood. "So, what you're saying is, the subtext of this invitation is that I didn't get nominated."
Otherwise, the academy could have easily waited until after the nominations were out to send the invitation. Even though he'd still be attending as a guest, his status would be different.
Edgar responded, "No, it's more than that."
"The subtext is, 'Even though you, Anson Wood, weren't nominated, our academy can't miss out on your popularity, yet we refuse to admit it, so we'll pretend we're being generous by inviting you. You should be so grateful that you'll drop to your knees in thanks, even though we didn't bother to hide our intentions. We won't even wait until the nominations are announced to extend the invite. We're outright mocking you, and you'll just have to swallow your pride and smile through it.'"
Blunt and unapologetic.
"Anson, this is a slap in the face, an arrogant gesture that couldn't be clearer."
Edgar was extremely dissatisfied—very, very dissatisfied.
More than the issue of whether Anson got nominated, what truly angered Edgar was the academy's office not even bothering with the pretense of politeness, their arrogance and disdain slipping through without even trying to hide it.
Honestly, if the academy disapproved of a 'pretty boy idol' like Anson, they could have simply not invited him. After all, stars like Matthew McConaughey, Adam Sandler, and Hugh Grant didn't get invited every year either. The academy wasn't singling anyone out; they treated everyone the same.
But clearly, they couldn't pass up Anson's current buzz and popularity. Just look at the reaction following the Golden Globes.
So instead, they put on this half-hearted act.
It was hypocritical and downright ugly.
Edgar couldn't stomach it.
On the other end of the line, however, came Anson's bright, carefree laughter.
"Ha, so what?"
"They want to use me, and don't I want to leverage their attention too? We're playing the same game. Who's using who, really?"
"Leonardo went through the same thing, didn't he?"
"Captain, tell me, if I attend the Oscars without a nomination, who benefits more?"
The answer, of course, was Anson.
Undeniably, Anson's foundation was still weak. Even just walking the red carpet at the Oscars would elevate his standing in the public eye.
Edgar understood the logic too—
The key was, the academy understood as well. They knew exactly where Anson stood, and that's why they had the audacity to be so arrogant and dismissive.
But Edgar still couldn't swallow this insult.
When Anson didn't hear Edgar respond, he knew exactly what was going through his mind.
Anson chuckled softly, "Captain, aren't our roles reversed here?"
"If I remember correctly, it's the agent who usually sees through Hollywood's ugly games, while the actor is the naive, self-centered fool. The agent is supposed to convince the actor to swallow their pride, because who knows who'll have the last laugh, right?"
"But now, you need me to talk you down?"
"Wait a minute, didn't I just hear someone say they wanted to take on their responsibilities as an agent and apologize for making the actor handle everything himself?"
"Did you hear it too?"
With his natural sarcasm, Anson's playful tone had Edgar bursting out in laughter.
Taking a deep breath, Edgar said, "I get it. I'll handle it. I'll make them regret it."
Anson laughed aloud. "Then I'll sit at home and wait for the show."
Edgar chuckled again, rubbing his face as he finally calmed down. "Anson, I just... I'm just upset with their attitude. It's supposed to be mutually beneficial, but they're acting all high and mighty, like they're too good for us. That attitude is infuriating."
Anson replied, "I know. But that's the nature of this game. Everyone wears a mask to hide their greed and ugliness. Isn't that right?"
Edgar understood. He fully understood, but understanding from the outside and experiencing it firsthand felt entirely different.
"Anson, are you really only twenty?" Edgar couldn't help but sigh.
Anson, unfazed by it all, responded smoothly, "Captain, that's why you thought I was worth the investment, remember?"
In his previous life, Anson had survived real hardship—complete ruin, knife-edge insults, and vicious attacks. The wounds were visible, and he had gotten through it all. Compared to that, these Hollywood games were child's play, barely even scratching the surface.
To the point where Anson felt a bit awkward—
Look, even Edgar had lost his cool. Shouldn't Anson at least pretend to be hurt?
But this childish drama didn't faze him in the slightest. Maybe when he could act like it did, that Oscar statuette would be within reach.
Edgar regained his composure and smiled. "So, you think we should accept the invitation?"
Anson didn't hesitate. "Of course, why not?"
"Hey, Captain, if we refuse, show a little backbone, then what? They won't feel a thing, and might even scoff, 'It's not like we needed you.'"
"But if we attend, steal the spotlight at the ceremony, and turn it into our stage, we'll come out on top. Sure, they'll use us to create buzz, but at the same time, they'll become our stepping stone."
"Do you think they'll be able to swallow that?"
Edgar imagined the scene, and a smile crept onto his face.
Then.
Anson added another point.
"Besides, I promised Eddie we'd attend the Oscars. We can't skip either the Golden Globes or the Oscars."
"If the academy didn't invite us, I'd have had to think of something else—like walking a pig down the red carpet just to make an entrance. But now, it's all sorted."
Edgar froze: ???
Wait, what did he just hear? A pig? Did Anson say he planned to walk a pig down the red carpet?