Laughing and chatting, learning a bit of knowledge, and half an hour passed by quickly. Henry Clark wiped the sweat from his forehead, turned around and asked Julia Howard, “Sister Julia, what would you like to drink? I’ll go buy it.”

“Ah, I don’t need anything. You just got here, don’t waste your money.”

“It’s fine, it’s just a bottle of water. You’ve been helping me look for a place for half the day.”

“All right then, get me a bottle of Nongfu Spring.”

Henry Clark ran downstairs to the bar and grabbed two bottles of Nongfu Spring mineral water. When he came back, Julia Howard said to him, “Little Harry, I asked around for you. Now I know there are two places with good locations and decent prices. I’ll send you the info, check your QQ, and go take a look at the places yourself tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

“Also, here’s a QQ number. I know this person, he’s transferring his place because he doesn’t plan to stay in Hengdian anymore. His place is in Yatang Village, very close to the old union, talk to him and see if you can rent it.”

“Okay, thank you, Sister Julia.”

“It’s nothing, I just asked around for you.” Julia Howard said with a smile. Suddenly, her phone rang with a text message. After reading it, Julia Howard stood up, “That’s it for now, Little Harry, you keep surfing the net, I have to go for an audition. I’ll give you my alternate number, if you have any questions you can call me.”

After exchanging short numbers, Julia Howard hurriedly left the internet café.

Watching others go act, Henry Clark felt quite envious. He touched the little treasure on his wrist, wishing he could go act right away and complete his first mission [Get the First Kill], to receive the newbie gift pack provided by high-tech products from the year 3296.

What could it be?

Henry Clark was full of anticipation.

Chapter 003: Please Forget Me

The QQ contact Julia Howard asked Henry Clark to add was a person named James Mason. He was also an old Hengpiao, living in a house behind the Jiajiale Supermarket in Yatang Village. It was very close to the old union at Dazhi Zen Temple, and not far from the town center either—a really good location.

The two quickly started chatting.

“My place is 350 a month, with a private bathroom, a water heater, a bed, and a big wardrobe, plus a square table. I even bought two stools myself. The lighting is decent, there’s a balcony outside, so it’s convenient for drying clothes. I’ll take some photos for you to see first.”

The room was very tidy, and Henry Clark was quite satisfied.

“Looks pretty good, Brother Mason, but 350 is a bit expensive, right? I just got here, I haven’t even gotten my actor’s permit yet.”

“It’s not impossible to go cheaper. How about this, which internet café are you at now? Why don’t you come over, it’s in Yatang Village, not far, we can talk face to face. I won’t lie to you, I’m in a hurry to leave, the landlord is out of town and hasn’t come back, so I can’t get my deposit or rent back. If you want to rent, I’ll transfer it to you for a bit less.”

“Okay, I’ll head over now. Which direction should I go from Baxian Internet Café?”

“When you leave Baxian Internet Café, head south. After a few steps, you’ll hit a fork, then go east. After about twenty meters, head south onto Wansheng Street, walk about a mile, and when you reach the intersection, I’ll meet you there. If you’re worried about getting lost, we can keep in touch by phone, or you can check the route on Gaode Map or Baidu Map, it’s very simple.”

Henry Clark really did check the route on Gaode Map, got a sense of it, logged off, and quickly made his way to the intersection to meet James Mason.

James Mason greeted him, “You’re Henry Clark, right? Come on, I’ll take you to where I live.”

James Mason was a nice guy and talkative, and Henry Clark wasn’t shy either, so they hit it off quickly.

“I’ve been hustling in Hengdian for over two years, but haven’t achieved anything. I really don’t want to keep drifting here… Let me tell you, the place I’m living in is definitely one of the best around here, the rent isn’t high, and the location is great. Right in front is Jiajiale Supermarket and Dazhong Stir-fry, so it’s convenient for food and daily needs.

Since you just got here, it’s best to rent a place like this, because you’ll need to go to the old union often to wait for roles. If you don’t live close, it’s inconvenient. Once you get to know more people, have more group leader contacts, and start earning more, you can live wherever you want. You’re pretty tall and have decent features, so it shouldn’t be hard for you to make it.

My problem is that I’m too short. After two years, I’ve barely gotten any featured extra roles, it’s just not worth it. Honestly, coming here as a Hengpiao, being an extra or a featured extra is really pointless. You don’t make much money, expenses are high, and it doesn’t improve your acting skills. No one pays attention to you. If you get more featured extra roles, you earn a bit more, and you get lines—maybe a director will notice you.

But it’s really hard. Out of ten people who come to Hengdian, nine can’t last half a year, and the last one can only stick it out for a year at most. Without connections, it’s hard to get by here. Too many wolves, too little meat, and too many people above trying to keep you down. I regret wasting my time here. I should have left after half a year, just treated it as a fun experience. Now I’ve wasted too much time.

Little Henry, listen to me, if you feel like you can’t make it, just quit early. Three to five months is enough to get your fill of being an actor. There’s really no future here!”

James Mason rambled on with his complaints, and Henry Clark just agreed with a few words. But right now, he was completely focused on becoming famous and didn’t care at all about what James Mason was saying.