Hollywood: The Greatest Showman - Chapter 260: Slap in the Face

Chapter 260: Slap in the Face

Vin was in a great mood today. The golden sunlight, the blue sky, the green palm trees, the fresh air, and even the sound of birds chirping in the garden made the whole world brighten up. More importantly, someone was bound to take a fall today, a hard one.

He knew today would be an incredibly wonderful day.

Vin Diesel didn’t like Renly. He never hid his dislike and rejection of him. He even complained about and opposed Renly’s joining the production to Neil directly. However, he later heard that Renly’s joining was a decision made directly from above, rendering his protests useless, which only disgusted him more.

A parachute suddenly dropping in, a clean, fair-faced scholar, a vase with no skills relying on his mouth and backside to climb up the ladder, was supposed to become a part of “Fast and Furious 5”? And to play a significant role opposing him? It was an insult, plain and simple.

When Renly joined the crew, he tried to present himself as poised and generous. After all, he was a real man, never petty, and being a producer of the crew, he valued the unity of the team and the success of the work far more than these trivial matters.

However, this was not an easy task.

During the shooting process, Renly constantly watched every move on set, like a country bumpkin who had never seen the world. It was easy to forget that Renly was indeed a kid from the countryside, having shot just one independent film so far, and that too in a single setting, low-budget production, so he hadn’t seen such grand scenes.

What was even more baffling was that during the shooting breaks, Renly sat by himself, engrossed in his script, not interacting with others, not joining them for a smoke or even lunch. His aloof and arrogant demeanor made people’s teeth itch with resentment. For goodness’ sake, this was just “Fast and Furious 5,” not “Death of a Salesman.” Such a serious study of the script was just a performance, wasn’t it?

Vin knew he had tried, he had made an effort, but it was clear that Renly was a thorough and revolting narcissist, someone who could never be self-reflective. So, he decided to teach Renly a lesson, to learn humility, cooperation, and compromise, and most importantly, respect.

In a film crew, making things difficult for another actor was just a matter of a few words, enough to make Renly suffer.

This time, it was just a small lesson. If Renly was smart, he would know that some things could be done, while others absolutely couldn’t. Likewise, some people should never be offended. But if Renly remained stubborn, he couldn’t blame Vin for using an iron fist to give him a proper lesson.

Deep down, Vin hoped Renly would explode, the bigger the scene, the better; that would make for good entertainment.

The crew members loved a juicy drama; a bit of excitement was enough to keep them talking for weeks. Of course, the staff also hated such divas. Arriving just a few hours early was enough to make him furious. One could imagine that for the rest of the shoot, no one would treat him kindly.

More importantly, once the rumors spread, this newcomer Renly, without any significant achievements yet, was already showing arrogance. For the seasoned crew members and top-tier producers, a poor first impression could likely end Renly’s career before it even began.

Of course, Vin could also give Renly a good lesson using more direct means, like his fists. Vin was itching to give it a go.

Vin decided to arrive at the set an hour early today. He wanted to see Renly’s embarrassing and indignant state firsthand, which would be the perfect way to top off such a beautiful day.

His agent drove to Universal Studios, slowly approaching the direction of the soundstage. Vin rolled down the car window, enjoying the cool breeze blowing against his face, light and refreshing, while imagining Renly’s sweaty, flushed appearance.

Even though it was already October, the sun in Los Angeles was still brutal. People on the streets were wearing short sleeves and shorts, walking around. It was already past eleven, and the sun was directly overhead with no shade, just imagining standing under it for hours, even without peeling a layer of skin, one would look like they just came out of a tanning salon, greasy and disheveled.

At that thought, Vin almost couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Realizing he could be happy all day today, he suppressed his smile, looking at the dull exterior walls of the soundstage outside the window, monotonous with little change, but his fingers on the car window couldn’t help but start tapping, as if playing the piano, softly humming a tune, anticipating the formal meeting later, thinking about how he should behave, how he should mock, and how he should teach a lesson…

They arrived.

Peering out the car window, he could clearly see the empty road, with only about three or four cars parked on either side. With an hour left until the official start, the crew members arriving early for preparations were slowly showing up, but the numbers were still sparse.

And Renly?

Vin craned his neck, searching his line of sight carefully, but he didn’t see Renly. Instead, he unexpectedly saw Paul, which was not what he anticipated, causing his brows to furrow. Why was Paul here?

About thirty yards away, Paul was gesturing wildly, and the faint sound of laughter echoed under the sun. Vin patted the leather seat of the passenger side, signaling his agent to park the car. He then got out, stood on tiptoe, and looked around Paul’s surroundings but saw no one, just Paul alone.

Wait, why was Paul here an hour early? And where was that guy Renly? Why couldn’t he be seen? Did he really go back to rest, or did he sneak into Universal Studios’ rides to avoid the heat? That damned guy!

Vin quickly walked forward, gradually seeing Paul’s actions. He was mimicking surfing moves on the ground, saying,

“… I thought I had mastered the balance, I could ride the wave till the end. So I started to enjoy this thrill, but who knew, a wave suddenly hit me from behind. I’m not sure how big that wave was, but I believe it was huge because I lost my balance and started to fall forward…”

Paul’s vivid narration was accompanied by a broad smile, stopping midway to explain repeatedly, “I’m serious, really, I’m serious! You’ve never surfed, you haven’t been in my position, you can’t understand my feelings. I tell you, that wave was definitely heavy.”

Vin noticed Paul’s gaze directed toward a black SUV on the left, an ordinary van without any distinct features or marks. Vin turned his head, looking over the car roof, and saw a figure sitting on the car’s hood with a faint smile, nodding seriously, his mouth slightly pursed, “I believe you.” Then he nodded again, repeating, “I’m serious, I believe you.”

However, the teasing and playful tone in his words was full of “falsehood,” clearly saying, “I don’t believe you,” which made Paul grin broadly, hands on his hips, looking helpless, “Let’s bet, my surfing skills are definitely better than yours! After the shoot, let’s go to the east coast of Oahu together, how about that? We’ll see for real then!”

The figure sitting on the hood raised his right hand, making a courteous gesture of invitation, showing agreement.

Why? Why did Renly look so at ease sitting there?

He wasn’t furious, fuming, or drenched in sweat with a flushed face. He looked as if he was on a vacation to the Caribbean, basking in the sunlight, enjoying the rare summer leisure, with two cups of coffee by his side, an open script, and even a half-eaten pizza not far away. What was with this leisurely outing mood?

Why? Why was Paul here? Why was Paul and Renly getting along so well, laughing and chatting?

Why wasn’t the scene Vin had expected unfolding? Why did their relaxed and playful vibe seem as if he was the one who was late? Why didn’t his meticulously laid trap achieve the desired effect? Why, just why?

Vin felt his cheeks burning as if an invisible hand was choking him, blocking all his words in his chest, tumbling around. More than anger, he felt confusion, bewilderment, shame, and embarrassment, with countless questions that he couldn’t ask, with a chest full of frustration he couldn’t vent, and a posture that was frozen in place…

Stifled, truly stifled, stifled to the point of explosion!

“Good afternoon, it seems you arrived quite early today.”

The greeting came from Renly, not Paul. That polite greeting had no flaws, as if arriving at eleven was the most normal thing in the world, which made Vin immediately feel embarrassed.

Vin noticed that Paul lowered his gaze, ignoring him, that distant and awkward stance silently protesting. So, what should he do now? How should he respond? Should he pretend nothing happened? Should he pretend arriving at eleven was normal? Should he pretend the prank never existed?

Slap, this slap made Vin dizzy, his blood surging, yet he had to grit his teeth and endure, forcing a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, speaking calmly, “Good afternoon.”