บท 576: Choosing a side
Paul was not someone skilled at hiding his feelings; his open face always carried sunshine and shyness, with all his emotions laid bare.
It was just a casual jest, but it easily exposed Paul's true thoughts.
Looking at the surprised expression on Renly's face, Paul raised his head and vigorously ran his fingers through his hair, as if trying to dispel all his frustration. He clenched his teeth and said, "I'm sorry. I couldn't stop it. I tried, I tried talking to Michael, I tried talking to Neal, but they just said I should focus on my own work and leave the rest to them. This isn't right, it's unfair, and it's foolish, but..."
As Paul wore an expression of deep disgust and righteous indignation, Renly found himself utterly puzzled. He thought that if he listened attentively, things would gradually become clear, but in reality, he became more and more confused as he listened, and more question marks formed in his mind. He had to interrupt Paul, saying, "What are you trying to stop? What are you trying to discuss? You know, before confessing to the priest, you need to give the background story."
Paul also hesitated for a moment, his eyes darting around, before he reluctantly said, "I... am trying to stop them from making a mistake. They don't see your importance and refuse to give you the recognition you deserve. This isn't just a short-sighted approach, it's a wrong one. Vin can't do this. They know Vin is targeting you, but they still endorse his absurd suggestions."
"Wait a minute," Renly raised his hand again, grasping some key points vaguely. However, he had overexerted his brain today while filming, and he now needed a break, too lazy to think too hard. So he stopped Paul once more, "Start from the very beginning. Are you talking about 'Speed and Passion 5'?"
"No, I'm talking about the sequel," Paul finally realized, widening his eyes in disbelief. "You didn't know? Your agent didn't mention the sequel to you?"
"During filming, I try to eliminate external distractions as much as possible," Renly maintained his calm and collected demeanor, sipping coffee and enjoying the coffee's fragrance. "I assume Andy might have mentioned it to Nathan, and Nathan mentioned it to me, but I didn't pay much attention at the time. What's the matter? Isn't the movie still in theaters? Why are they in such a hurry for the sequel?"
Paul paused for a moment, then had an epiphany, breaking into laughter. He realized he had made a mistake earlier. "Yes, they have already started discussing the sequel. They are impatiently planning their next money-making scheme."
"Now they're discussing the sequel's story, framework, characters, and so on. You know, building the entire blueprint for the sequel," Paul began from the beginning this time. "Vin is also one of the producers, and he told others that you're not that important for the sequel. They shouldn't give you special treatment, not just in terms of the role but also the compensation. Do you know how much they plan to pay you?"
This was originally a question, but before Renly could speak, Paul answered himself, his tone filled with anger. "$3.5M!" he said, bursting with fury.
"Don't they realize it's a mistake? Vin is obviously lying through his teeth, and it's common knowledge that he and you don't get along. It's clear that he's settling personal scores, distorting the truth, and talking nonsense, yet everyone else seems to be getting confused one by one."
Anyone could see that this time, the groundbreaking success of the work was mostly thanks to Renly's efforts, and yet they all had to listen to Vin's nonsensical talk! It was truly contemptible!
This was not the right way to treat colleagues on the set, let alone the right way to treat the heroes of the production. Paul felt they were all getting muddled, forgetting entirely how hard Renly had worked during their time on set, giving his all to make the production a success. Meanwhile, Vin acted like an emotional teenage girl, immersed in his own feelings. It was absurd!
"I can't believe Universal Pictures would be so foolish," Paul ranted. "Do they even know what they're doing?"
Paul's passionate outburst and splattering words were a side of him that Renly was completely unfamiliar with.
The Paul that Renly knew was a mild-mannered and good-natured person, always smiling. Even if someone offended him, he would just wave it off. When it came to surfing, his eyes would light up uncontrollably. Away from the spotlight, he quietly did charity work, never considering his profession as an actor to be anything special, always maintaining humility and a low-profile demeanor.
But today, Paul showed his temperamental side.
This genuine Paul touched a warm chord in Renly's heart.
He knew, and he knew it very clearly, that Universal Pictures wasn't acting foolishly. They didn't have any personal grudges against Renly or Vin. At most, it was just driven by their interests. As long as there was enough profit, Universal Pictures would change their stance. The ones who had personal stakes were Vin and Paul. Vin was Renly's enemy, so he did everything to make him uncomfortable, while Paul was Renly's friend, constantly speaking up for him. They were both unreasonable because they were guarding their own positions.
Watching Paul rant and complain endlessly, Renly's smile couldn't help but curl up at the corners of his mouth.
He was lucky in this lifetime to have missed out on family bonds but had made real friends. Especially in the dazzling world of Hollywood, being able to befriend someone as sincere as Paul was truly rare.
Paul's gaze fell on Renly's face, and then he saw that smile. He couldn't help but pause, furrowing his brows. Anxious and agitated, he interrupted, "Aren't you worried at all right now? This is becoming urgent! I've talked to Neal, I've talked to Michael, and I've even talked to two other producers, but it seems like it's not having much effect! If things continue like this, they might just kick you out!"
In his haste, Paul inadvertently tapped Renly's arm. Renly quickly extended his coffee cup, preventing the scalding hot coffee from spilling onto his clothes. This action prompted Paul to extend his hands, protecting Renly's coffee carefully, ensuring that none of it spilled. As a result, his impatient temper calmed down once again.
Paul let out a heavy sigh, slumping back in his chair in frustration. He mumbled, "I'm sorry, it's all my fault. If I had noticed earlier, if I had become a producer back then... things would be different now."
"Heh," Renly chuckled lightly, which only seemed to irritate Paul more. He shot a helpless glance at Renly, then found Renly's relaxed demeanor both absurd and amusing. He bit his lip, trying to suppress the urge to smile, but eventually couldn't hold it in and burst into laughter, shaking his head in amusement, baffled by Renly's composure.
"This isn't your responsibility," Renly reassured Paul with a gentle pat on his shoulder. "Believe me, it's definitely not your responsibility. If Universal Pictures chooses not to use me in the sequel, that's their decision. If I choose to protest and don't get the desired result, that's my agent's responsibility. Paul, you're my friend, but you don't need to be accountable for my work."
"But..." Paul tilted his head, looking at Renly with a puzzled expression. He wasn't particularly eloquent, and he had countless thoughts in his mind that he couldn't express. He ended up saying, in frustration, "But isn't Vin clearly targeting you?"
"So you think I'd be afraid of him?" Renly's nonchalant words carried a strong sense of confidence. Not to mention that the current situation was far from settled; it was just preliminary discussions. Even if they signed a sequel agreement, Renly wouldn't be intimidated by Vin during the sequel's filming.
Paul blinked, looking at Renly, who was leisurely sipping his coffee. He realized he couldn't argue with him. "But he's one of the producers. If he doesn't budge, there may be no room for negotiation." After saying this, Paul realized that Vin Diesel was an insurmountable obstacle, and he couldn't help but feel discouraged.
Universal Pictures was one of the six major film companies, and they always held the upper hand in their dealings with artists. Even top figures like James Cameron and Steven Spielberg had to strategize to gain an advantage. Carelessly tearing up their contracts could lead to a loss for the artist.
Renly understood what Paul was getting at. After entering Hollywood and seeing things from the inside, Renly had gradually glimpsed some truths about this fame and fortune game. Especially after signing with Andy as his agent, Renly understood that in the real world, talent wasn't everything, dreams weren't everything; it was the exchange of interests that required sacrifices in order to gain.
"Paul, why did you become an actor?" Despite Paul's concerns, Renly started a casual conversation.
Paul thought about it seriously, "In the beginning, I didn't have any special aspirations. It's just that my mother was a model, and I started modeling when I was two years old. Later, when I was still a child, I went to audition for a few projects and ended up becoming an actor."
Paul began his career as a child star, but child stars in Hollywood rarely had an easy time. Just look at the unwritten rule in Hollywood: never shoot projects with children and animals. There were many famous child stars in history, but not many, and Paul wasn't one of them.
"But as I grew up, I had other choices," Paul confided, speaking from the heart. "In the end, I chose to be an actor because I could travel everywhere, experience different lives, and because it made me happy."
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