### Chapter 198: Choosing a New Role

"How has Paul been training lately? Does he have a chance of beating Hashim?"

In a booth at Fist Bar, Norman asked as he swirled his drink.

"Not bad, he has a 30% chance of winning," Richard replied with a smile.

"Only 30%? That's too low. The bookmakers have already set the odds between them, with Paul at 1:4.8 and Hashim at 1:1.2. I was thinking of betting a million on Paul, but with only a 30% chance, I don't dare to bet that much," Norman said.

"1:4.8? Those are pretty high odds. I might place a bet," Richard laughed.

"Are you betting on Paul? How much are you thinking of betting?" Norman asked, blinking.

"How about a million?"

"That much? Are you confident that Paul will win?"

Richard shook his head. "Not really. Paul is still a bit behind Hashim, but the fun of gambling lies in its uncertainty. A million isn't much; losing it wouldn't be a big deal."

"A million isn't much? You must be rolling in cash now," Norman said with a wry smile. He used to be the wealthiest in their circle, but now he was starting to feel a bit shabby, which was depressing.

"Since you have faith in Paul, I'll follow suit. I'll bet 500,000 just for fun. Andy, are you betting?" Norman asked.

"Haha, how could I miss out on this? I'll bet 200,000 and join in the fun," Andy said with a cigar in his mouth, laughing.

"You guys are all big shots; I can't compare. I'll bet 100,000," Anthony said, adjusting his glasses.

"I'll bet 50,000!" Mike added.

"Sally, are you betting?" Richard asked with a smile.

"Alright, I'll bet 50,000 as well," Ms. Theron replied with a smile.

"Sounds good!"

"I'll bet 50,000 too!" said Venus Williams, who was sitting next to Paul.

"Hey, don't do this to me; it's putting a lot of pressure on me," Paul said, flashing a grin full of white teeth.

"Haha, Paul, don't worry about the pressure. Just focus on doing your best in the match; don't worry about anything else," Anthony laughed.

"Yeah, I have faith in Richard. With a super champion like him training with you every day, even a fool would become a pro," Mike joked.

Norman laughed heartily. "Indeed, Paul has been taking quite a beating from Richard lately. His face has been constantly swollen, so I think Paul has a good chance of winning."

"Sigh~ It's been tough these days, getting beaten by Richard like a punching bag every day. Thank goodness the match is about to start; if it were any longer, I might have broken down," Paul said, rubbing the weighted wristbands on his hands with a sigh.

"Paul, stop complaining. Someone offered Richard 200,000 a day to be their sparring partner, and he didn't even bother to reply. If you told people about this, you'd have a lot of people envying you," Andy said with a laugh.

"200,000 a day?" Paul said, curling his lips. "Andy, was the offer from a rich lady?"

"Never mind that. The match is coming up; just prepare well. How far you go in the future depends on this one match," Andy replied.

"Alright, I won't let everyone down," Paul said, raising his beer.

"Cheers!" The group clinked their glasses.

---

"Richard, over the past few days, we've been in contact with several film crews and selected three roles that we think are a good fit for you. They're all big productions; take a look," Anthony said as he placed three scripts and role descriptions on the table.

The first was the current hottest project, The Lord of the Rings. This movie, based on the globally bestselling classic novel The Lord of the Rings and directed by Peter Jackson, had garnered a lot of attention. Several major roles were highly sought after, and the role Anthony recommended was that of Aragorn, the Elven ranger.

The second script was Pearl Harbor, based on the famous World War II event and directed by Michael Bay. The recommended role was the male lead, Rafe.

The third was for director Ridley Scott's new movie Black Hawk Down, a war film, with the recommended role being the male lead, Matt.

All three roles looked promising. From an adult's perspective, it would make sense to take them all, but these three movies were all being filmed this year, and Richard already had a commitment to The Fast and the Furious in June or July, so there wasn't enough time to take on all of them.

"Choose the male lead in Pearl Harbor; the odds are better. I have a good relationship with Michael Bay; we worked together several times back when he was directing commercials for Knight's Helm," Norman suggested.

"I think Black Hawk Down suits you better," Ms. Theron said as she flipped through the script. "It's a military film, and Ridley Scott's movies are always high-quality and often win awards."

All three films are action-oriented, but Pearl Harbor leans more towards romance. Black Hawk Down features an ensemble cast, and the male lead doesn’t have much screen time. Additionally, Ridley Scott’s auditions are notoriously difficult, so our chances with that role are the slimmest.

In The Lord of the Rings, Aragorn is a major supporting character, though he doesn’t have a lot of screen time either. However, the movie itself is fantastic. You should take a look at the script and give it some thought,” Anthony suggested.

Richard nodded, then opened his laptop to search for more information on the three directors, combining it with what he already knew.

The Lord of the Rings is the most popular, with three films in the series. Peter Jackson became a top-tier director thanks to this series, even winning an Oscar for Best Director.

Pearl Harbor and Black Hawk Down are also good choices. Michael Bay directed Armageddon, which grossed $550 million, making him a successful commercial director.

Ridley Scott directed Alien and Thelma & Louise, both of which did well at the box office and with critics, earning him an Oscar nomination for Best Director.

Richard’s knowledge was limited, and he wasn’t sure which role would be the most beneficial.

"All three roles are good. Anthony, keep in contact with the studios and try to secure one of them. If we can get two, even better," Richard said.

"OK, we'll keep negotiating with the studios and let you know as soon as we have any updates."

"Good! Keep an eye on Weinstein. That guy won’t leave me alone," Richard reminded him.

Anthony nodded. "I'll be careful."

"Richard, how about giving him a good beating?" Norman suggested with a mischievous grin.

"You go ahead; I’ll cheer you on."

"Forget it; I don't think I could take him," Norman said, flexing his slender arms, admitting that he couldn’t take on the big guy.

---

In the evening, after the party ended, Richard and Ms. Theron left the bar together.

"Sally, have you found a new role yet?" Richard asked as they got into the car.

"No! After finishing Charlie's Angels, I’m feeling exhausted and plan to take a break for a while," Ms. Theron said, stretching. Her T-shirt lifted, revealing a slender waist above her high-waisted jeans.

"I agree!" Richard said as he started the car. "This film was a major transition for you. Now, you should wait and see how it performs at the box office. If it does well, you can continue in that direction. It’s better to develop your career with a clear goal rather than taking on roles randomly."

"I don’t take roles randomly. All my characters are both beautiful and talented, much better than your roles," Ms. Theron laughed lightly.

Richard shook his head. "We’re both the same type of actor, relying on our looks. Some say I’m the most handsome and capable actor in the business, while you’re the most beautiful and talented actress. If we ever work together, we’d definitely captivate the audience."

"Haha, great idea. If my transition is successful, we’ll do an action movie together," Ms. Theron said with a laugh.

"OK, we can start looking for scripts now, and if we find the right one, we’ll make it happen," Richard replied with a smile as he stepped on the gas, merging the car smoothly into the busy traffic.

---

(End of Chapter)