Chapter 259: Righteous indignation
Alfred's tone relaxed, as if in casual conversation between friends. Gone were the previous flattery and eagerness, allowing Renly's words to become more casual too. "Yes, he always carries candy with him, even at movie premieres."
As they spoke, smiles graced their lips. Renly reminisced about the Toronto premiere of "Buried". Ryan Gosling was in a suit, yet his pockets still held a few candies. Typically, when wearing a suit, to avoid disrupting its lines, they would empty all the pockets, not even placing paper inside. Ryan, however, took an unconventional route that was quite amusing.
Alfred could easily picture the scene and burst into laughter. "If there's a chance, I should meet him." Alfred turned to glance at the still-closed studio doors and the deserted street. Speaking as if in a casual chat, "You came so early today, not worried about the upcoming shoot, are you?"
Renly shrugged, refraining from answering directly and counter-asked, "And you? You're here so early preparing, do you have other tasks?" It was just a little past nine, and Alfred's arrival was indeed quite exaggerated.
"No, no, I just came early to have some fun." Alfred waved his hands, seeing Renly's puzzled look, he explained, "Even though we're extras, or temporary actors, we have passes to get in for free. I usually come early, stroll around the nearby studios, and see how other productions are going. Sometimes, if unexpected things happen, I can find some job opportunities."
Renly suddenly understood, "So, am I disturbing your work now?" He looked around, found the direction they came from, and pointed, "When we came here earlier, we saw the 'Sensational Detective' crew preparing for filming."
"No, don't worry. I've already checked it out. They have plenty of actors." Alfred was straightforward, making Renly chuckle. He paused slightly and continued, "Yesterday afternoon, when they were just starting, I saw Vin Diesel and the production team members chatting by the side. The atmosphere was quite lively. I wonder if they were discussing going on vacation together."
Seemingly a random statement, it sounded without any extra implication. Yet, Renly immediately caught onto the message behind it. The meaning behind this sentence was intriguing.
On the surface, Renly remained composed, smiling as he said, "I guess they might be discussing where to go for a drink after work." Alfred also smiled, nodding repeatedly, "That's a plausible guess."
The two exchanged smiles.
A faint hum of an engine reached their ears, accompanied by the sound of tires skidding on the road. All three looked up simultaneously. Renly playfully quipped, "Someone who has nothing better to do than take a stroll so early in the morning." The same sentence carried entirely different meanings to Alfred and Nathan. Alfred couldn't help but smile at Renly's remark, while Nathan wore a somewhat bemused expression.
The car abruptly braked in the middle of the road. Before the engine even shut off, the driver's side door swung open, and a figure swiftly emerged. Striding forward, he called out, "Renly! You're really here! That damned guy!"
The approaching figure was none other than Paul Walker, wearing a simple white t-shirt with jeans, not even carrying a jacket. He strode towards Renly with visible anger. Alfred and Nathan were both taken aback, unable to fathom what was going on. Had Renly offended Paul?
Renly, however, had already guessed the general situation and stood his ground without a trace of panic. Paul reached him and gave Renly a big hug, constantly apologizing, "I'm sorry, really sorry. I should have checked the information and let you know beforehand. I never expected him to be this childish. Isn't this kind of cheap trick outdated?"
Renly could genuinely sense Paul's concern and remorse, making him feel slightly embarrassed and awkward.
Although they had crossed paths while rock climbing and Paul had significantly contributed during Renly's involvement in "Fast 5", they had never truly conversed. They couldn't be called friends. For Renly, they were only slightly more acquainted than strangers.
However, Paul's sincerity and warmth were unquestionable. His genuine and unselfish approach to making friends contrasted sharply with the cutthroat nature of Hollywood's pursuit of fame and fortune. This was particularly evident today.
Renly patted Paul on the back, not giving a direct response, and gestured to him, "This is Alfred, and this is Paul. Today, Alfred will join us in our shooting as a bystander actor." Renly introduced them solemnly, not hiding Alfred's true identity, adding a touch of the peculiar dark humor characteristic of British people.
Alfred took a small step forward and extended his right hand, "Hello, I'm Bystander Number Fourteen."
The light-hearted banter effectively diffused Paul's anger. A smile emerged on his face as he shook Alfred's hand in a friendly greeting. Then, he suddenly remembered, "Sorry, I really was too impolite just now. It's just that... I... Renly..." Amid his flustered state, Paul didn't know how to explain, and it ended up as a helpless smile.
"I understand, completely," Alfred said knowingly. "I actually have some matters to attend to. If I'm not mistaken, Studio Fourteen should start filming at 9:30. I'll go take care of things first." He turned to Renly and winked, as if saying, "I'll leave the two of you to your own devices." He made it sound as though he were busier than Renly and Paul, prompting laughter all around. "Let's collaborate again for the afternoon shoot."
With that, Alfred didn't linger, turning around and departing with an unhurried gait that had a touch of the demeanor of an "old master".
Watching Alfred walk away, Paul inquired with confusion, "Are you sure he's just an extra?"
Renly couldn't help but chuckle, gesturing to the car parked in the middle of the road, "Are you sure you shouldn't park in a proper parking space? It's quite improper."
Paul suddenly realized, nodding repeatedly as he turned towards his car. However, after just two steps, he realized something was amiss. He turned back, stood still, and looked at Renly, crossing his arms as if expressing his... anger? helplessness? or bemusement? In the end, he couldn't hold it in and burst into laughter, exclaiming, "Renly!"
The moment Paul appeared, Renly knew that he must have understood the situation, seething with righteous anger. He charged over to Universal Studios without even bringing his manager along, and there was no permit displayed on the car's dashboard. He had rushed over just to support him as soon as possible.
Renly admitted that he was somewhat moved deep inside. On one hand, he was relieved that Paul hadn't been involved in this prank; on the other hand, he was glad to have made another friend.
However, in Renly's perspective, this wasn't a big deal at all. Even without assistance from his manager, he had countless ways to rectify the situation and leave the pranksters dumbfounded. Similar pranks were commonplace in the acting industry, far worse in severity. The West End and Broadway were no exceptions. Renly had long become accustomed to such antics.
Renly didn't want Paul to have an unpleasant experience with the crew just because of this trivial matter.
"Tell me, how did you find out?" Renly finally broached the topic.
The impulsive interruption from earlier had gradually subsided Paul's agitation. Even most of his anger had dissipated. He looked at the calm Renly before him and remembered the scene from earlier. If he wasn't mistaken, Renly and Alfred had been chatting amicably, seemingly unaffected.
Paul shook his head gently, laughing once again. "You're really..." The more he thought about it, the funnier it seemed. His smile bloomed brightly, and after taking a deep breath, he explained simply, "I found it strange when I received your call earlier. Although you didn't say it, things were just odd."
It was the first time Renly had initiated a call to him, and the conversation's content was quite unique. Paul couldn't help but ponder it further. He made a few calls to his manager, the crew, and the producers to verify the details.
"Then I made a few calls and found out that the normal start time for the shoot is twelve noon, but they informed you it was eight-thirty," Paul explained. He still couldn't help grinding his teeth a little, "It was a prank..." After taking a deep breath, he continued, "Vin's prank. They said it's a tradition in the crew, a sort of lesson for the new actors, like a fraternity. But this kind of joke is really juvenile. It's not only meaningless but also pointless. It's just a dull and vile prank."
"Yes, I agree," Renly nodded, confirming. Vin Diesel, as expected, was Vin Diesel.
From the first time they met in Trafalgar Square, Renly could sense that they would never become close friends. Now, as Renly joined the crew, Vin had directly asserted his dominance, using Renly to demonstrate clearly: he was the undeniable leader of the entire production. Even Paul couldn't surpass Vin's absolute authority. Vin was the producer of "Fast 5", while Paul was not.
Paul looked at Renly's composed expression. "So, you don't care at all, do you?"
"Give me a reason why I should care," Renly counter-questioned, causing Paul to choke momentarily. Several reasons flashed through his mind, but he ultimately discarded them all, finding them unconvincing even to himself.
"Heh." Paul chuckled, glancing at Renly, shaking his head, and then laughing again. "Heh." He couldn't help but shake his head repeatedly.
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