บท 141: Breaking the curve

The 62nd Emmy Awards had come to an end. For most viewers, the trajectory of the award ceremony hardly concerned them. At most, they would wake up the next day, glance over the list of winners, and that would suffice.

Andy Rogers was no different. He held little interest in television dramas, his focus primarily resting on films. However, last night's Renly had brought an immense surprise. Including himself, the entire cast of "The Pacific" had not anticipated that Renly would clutch the Outstanding Leading Actor award. Thus, Andy had to, as a matter of tradition, concern himself with the Emmy Awards.

The newspapers could wait. At the office, his assistant would have already gathered and arranged the daily papers, placing them on his desk. Still at home, he powered up his computer and started browsing the web.

Following his usual routine, Andy first opened the official websites of Variety and Hollywood Reporter. These two magazines were the industry's most authoritative media outlets. While the general public might find them too serious and specialized, for those within the industry, they were the best platforms to gauge the winds of change.

Soon, Andy noticed something amiss. The hottest news on the Hollywood Reporter's 24-hour feed wasn't the Emmy Awards, nor Jim Parsons—it was Renly?

Though this was a positive development, Andy was left puzzled. He disliked the sensation of losing control. As a talent agent, he needed to keep all situations within his grasp. Clicking on the news link, he quickly scanned through it. The article mostly discussed how Renly celebrated his first Emmy Award in an unconventional way. A street performance video had become the hottest item on YouTube.

Catching onto the keywords, Andy traced back to the source of this exclusive news, Us Weekly.

By now, Us Weekly's exclusive scoop had already surpassed a million views. In just seven hours since it was published, this surge in viewership astonished Andy, making his heart race.

Last night, after the two met, Renly had casually mentioned that he and his friends did a brief street performance. He hadn't given it much thought and had even joked, "Even my agent hasn't seen me perform live." But who could have anticipated that such an offhand remark would unleash such an astonishing energy?

If Andy were an observer, he would assume all of this had been prearranged. But he knew better. If he wanted to orchestrate such a thing, his subsequent moves would be far more elaborate. He would have to engage a public relations firm, subtly stoking the flames behind the scenes to escalate the event.

Now, Andy's heart bled. Such an extraordinary opportunity had slipped away, just like that! Andy felt utterly helpless. Why didn't that lad Renly mention the paparazzi? Why didn't he bring up the fans' videos? Andy was profoundly saddened, more so than if he had lost weight.

Swiftly shifting into battle mode, he left home in haste. Andy promptly arrived at Sunset Tower, where Renly had stayed the previous night. Bursting with fervor, he stood before Renly's room, pounding on the door, "Renly!" Andy still wore his customary smile, but his words were squeezed out through clenched teeth, the veneer of cheerfulness nearly cracking.

"Renly Hall!"

His knocking resounded through the corridor, yet there was no response. Only then did Andy recall:

Last night, Renly could be said to have been the central focus of the victory celebration. A trophy for his acting prowess; this was truly the highest commendation for the cast of "The Pacific". The cast, who had been holding their breath throughout the show's run, could finally exhale deeply. Though HBO hadn't said much, nor could they afford to clash with the two top-tier producers, their discontent was palpable, heavy as a mountain pressing against each person's chest.

Now, with the big boy of the Emmy Awards in their possession, all their efforts had paid off. The cast reveled without restraint. Even Steven Spielberg came over to raise three toasts to Renly. As a result, everyone seemed like a pack of wolves spotting their prey. Whiskey, brandy, wine, beer, vodka, tequila—the variety of alcohol kept changing, and Renly was forced to drink it all.

Renly lay drowsily on the living room couch, having fallen asleep directly, impervious to all shaking. Later, it was only with the help of Rami and James that Andy managed to carry Renly back to the hotel.

It was still just past nine, and Renly was undoubtedly still in a state of drunkenness. How could he be awakened?

Andy realized his brain was somewhat overheated. He adjusted his breathing to cool his thoughts slightly. He then presented his identification at the front desk and obtained another room key. Only then could he enter Renly's room.

Indeed, Renly still lay heavily on the bed, his Burberry suit still clinging to him. It was crumpled into a mess, a sorry sight. Despite the urgency, Andy couldn't help but find a trace of amusement. Since their acquaintance, Renly had consistently exhibited a maturity and steadiness beyond his years. To witness Renly lose his composure for once was indeed a rare sight.

"Renly? Renly?" Andy shook Renly's arm, attempting to wake him. Unexpectedly, Renly turned over, pulled the blanket over his head, and muttered something softly before slipping back into a deep slumber. This left Andy somewhat amused and bemused. Still, he had to push Renly's body with some force and shout once again, "Fire, there's a fire!"

Renly remained unfazed. Andy was at a loss for words. He was pondering on the best way to wake Renly when he heard a muffled voice emanate from beneath the covers, "There's a fire, aren't you hurrying to save yourself?" However, the lazy voice remained calm, even somewhat languid, its husky tone tickling like a feather scratching an itch.

Surprisingly, Andy didn't know how to respond. Then he saw Renly uncover the blanket, sitting up straight. His curly hair was in utter disarray, void of any semblance of styling. His eyes remained tightly shut, as if reluctant to relinquish even a fraction of a second of sleep. "What's up?"

Now it was Andy who momentarily faltered, but having weathered many storms, he had regained his composure. He sat down on the chair beside the bedroom, "Your performance last night was recorded by someone and uploaded to YouTube." Renly remained unmoving. "The view count has already surpassed 800,000, and it's only been seven hours." Still, Renly showed no reaction.

"Renly?" Andy raised his voice.

"And then?" Renly replied.

The smile at the corner of Andy's mouth froze for a moment. "Do you understand what this means?" He knew Renly wouldn't answer, so he continued, "After the Emmy Awards ended last night, you've become the hottest topic on the trending list, even surpassing "Glee" and Jim Parsons. You've stolen the limelight from everyone."

After the Emmy Awards winners were announced, during the process of reviewing, major media outlets inevitably mentioned Renly's unexpected win. The exposure had been on a steep rise. Both The New York Times and Vanity Fair featured extensive coverage with Renly at the center. All of this played a supporting role for the exclusive news of Us Weekly. The YouTube video of "Ophelia" had also sprung up unexpectedly, making a grand entrance.

Without exaggeration, Renly was the greatest beneficiary of this year's Emmy Awards.

Did Renly just nod? Or was it merely his imagination? Andy continued, "After the Emmy Awards last night, "Cleopatra" climbed to the top five on iTunes' instant download chart." A bombshell.

Renly raised his chin slightly, seeming somewhat restrained, but his eyes remained shut. "Wasn't it the Emmy Awards last night?"

Finally, a response. Andy wiped a metaphorical bead of sweat. "Yes, so that's why it's so incredible!" Following the Emmy Awards' closure, Renly, in the capacity of a singer, had caused another commotion. The way the plot had twisted and turned was truly unexpected, the development curve taking an astonishing turn. Even the seasoned Andy was left flabbergasted. "Now, "Cleopatra" is ranked fourth in downloads. If this momentum continues, perhaps in next week's Billboard Hot 100, this single has a chance of entering the top fifty."

Since the first week of July, after "Cleopatra" had unexpectedly made it onto the Billboard Hot 100, it had taken everyone by surprise. Considering all the unfavorable conditions, this single's sudden appearance on the charts for one week, followed by its disappearance, was quite normal. After all, there had been no radio airplay or promotion for the single, not even a streaming burst to boost the download numbers. Relying solely on a momentary surge of popularity was insufficient to sustain further progress.

However, to everyone's surprise, both the iTunes download data and the streaming data on YouTube and Spotify showed that "Cleopatra" displayed remarkable resilience. In these past eight weeks, the single's performance remained stable. Though it had never surged, with its highest rank being eighty-third in the third week of July, it had never dropped off the charts, persistently lingering towards the lower end.

Just this, in itself, could be deemed a miracle.

Now, "Cleopatra" had unexpectedly attracted attention once again. Its performance on iTunes' instant download chart was extremely vigorous, with its fourth-place ranking being the same as what Andy had seen before leaving home. If this momentum continued, reaching the top spot was not impossible. However, whether it would stay at the top for a few hours, twenty-four hours, or even longer, made a significant difference. That depended on the subsequent developments.

This was why Andy was so impatient. He had missed the prime opportunity for initial promotion. He didn't want to keep missing opportunities.

"Renly, I need you to head to the recording studio right now, finish recording "Ophelia", and preferably, re-record "Cleopatra". It could be a remix version or an orchestral version, or even a cover version. In short, it would be best if you could complete the recording immediately." Andy was getting a little restless. He had only just taken over Renly's work and hadn't expected things to come one after another. But it was a good thing.

Renly paused for a moment, keeping his eyes tightly shut. "Aren't you an actor's agent? Why are you involved in the singer's domain?"

Andy responded, "... " That's not the point, okay?