Chương 39: City of Angels

The all-night revelry of St. Patrick's Day had left Renly's head throbbing slightly. The party had gone on until around four in the morning, with various types of alcohol blending into a chaotic concoction. Amidst the party's intoxicating ambiance, there was little awareness of the ordeal to come, but the morning brought forth the torment of a throbbing headache.

However, Renly didn't have the luxury of sleeping in. He was up at nine in the morning, headed for the airport to catch a noon flight to Los Angeles. In two days, on March 20th, the grand premiere of "The Pacific" would take place at the China Theater in Los Angeles, reuniting all the cast and crew members.

Once on the plane, Renly dozed off in a daze, only waking up when the flight attendants roused him. He collected his luggage and made his way out of the terminal, his headache slightly alleviated after the three-hour flight.

After retrieving his luggage, he quickly walked out of the terminal and stood by the street, looking left and right. His gaze seemed somewhat lost, unable to find a focus. The horizon stretched out flatly, bathed in golden sunlight, under a clear blue sky, wide streets, and deep blue waves. Every scene exuded a casual and spacious atmosphere, presenting a vastly different visage from New York. It felt as if even the oxygen carried a vibrant energy, and his headache seemed to ease a bit more.

At this moment, Renly was contemplating whether to take a taxi or rent a car.

As expected, despite his role in "The Pacific" and securing the highest salary for a newcomer, Renly was still a bona fide pauper. The upfront and second payment of his fee had been successfully deposited, totaling around fifty-five thousand dollars after taxes. This was indeed a substantial sum, arguably the highest income he'd personally earned in his two lifetimes. However, in the entertainment industry, it hardly counted as much.

After the official screening of "The Pacific", Renly's life under the spotlight would officially commence, signifying that he must begin dealing with the omnipresent cameras. Even if this was just a precaution, it was highly likely that he wouldn't garner any attention even after the TV series aired. Nevertheless, this investment was a long-term strategy, and any sense of luck had to be discarded.

Renly lacked an agent and professional stylist. He was handling everything himself. For the upcoming premiere and related publicity events, he purchased several sets of clothing – formal suits, casual wear, and accompanying shoes, ties, socks, and so on. This set him back almost twenty-five thousand dollars, and this was without considering jewelry, as men typically wouldn't have to worry about that.

Subsequently, he paid two months' rent, had his hair trimmed at a high-end salon, purchased round-trip tickets to Los Angeles, covered expenses related to holiday parties, and... not to mention the meticulous calculation of his income and expenditure during his time in Australia – a tedious task. In a blink of an eye, his income had dipped back below twenty thousand dollars.

Renly had initially planned to buy a new car, but considering that unforeseen costs might arise during the upcoming promotional tour, he had to put that on hold. Furthermore, post-"The Pacific", he had to brace himself for the possibility of an extended period without work. This reserve fund would provide him more confidence to persist in New York.

For A-list actors, HBO might have sent a dedicated car to pick them up, but for an unknown like Renly, every fifty dollars spent on a taxi had to be carefully weighed.

"Renly! Hey, Renly!"

Hesitating for a moment, a voice accompanied by the wind could be heard not far from the outer lane. Simultaneously, someone stood up through the sunroof of a car, vigorously waving both hands. It was none other than Rami Malek. Behind the wheel was none other than James Badge Dale, who excitedly swung his left hand through the driver's window.

"What are you standing there for? Come over here!" James shouted at the top of his lungs.

Renly picked up his suitcase from beside him to prevent wrinkles in his suit. He had to carry his luggage with him. He gestured to the vehicles in the inner lane to signal his intention to cross the zebra crossing. Then, he quickly crossed the road as Rami had already opened the rear door and tossed the suitcase inside. Following suit, Renly swiftly got into the car, closed the door, and they were off in one smooth motion.

"Hey guys, why are you here?" Renly's eyes lit up with surprise. It had already been two months since they last met, yet their familiarity with each other hadn't diminished in the slightest. Just like the "Band of Brothers", this camaraderie had accumulated through shared hardships and fighting side by side.

"Rami said it's your first time in Los Angeles, so this landlord decided to show you the charm of the City of Angels!" James skillfully maneuvered the steering wheel, leaving the bustling airport pickup area. "Honestly, New York, that cold, damp, distant, and off-the-path place, really isn't suitable for an actor's long-term development."

"Did the mayor of Los Angeles invite you to be the city's spokesperson?" Renly's response made Rami burst into laughter. The relationship between Los Angeles and New York was one of mutual teasing and banter. "Why didn't you guys go inside the airport to pick me up? Just like this, outside? What if I had taken a taxi and left directly?"

"Rami was about to call you," James gestured with his chin. "Parking here is a hassle, and the parking lot is a bottleneck. It's better to go around the airport road. That way, we can move faster." James looked back at the vehicles behind them. "You must thank my wisdom; otherwise, we'd still be stuck in traffic right now."

"It seems Los Angeles isn't any different from New York in that aspect," Renly's words left James momentarily speechless. Renly smiled at James, ignoring his words, and turned to Rami beside him. "When did you arrive in Los Angeles?"

"About two weeks ago." Rami took the conversation. "It's awards season recently, and there are always more opportunities in Los Angeles. What about you? How was Australia? It seems like the Gold Coast has become your second home?"

Renly began sharing the interesting things that had happened during the past few months with his friends. They chatted about their recent situations, and the common denominator among the three was: no change. After the completion of "The Pacific", none of them had received many opportunities. Now, they were waiting to see what opportunities the TV series' premiere would bring.

"Having the names Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg certainly makes a difference." Rami said hopefully.

Unexpectedly, HBO had organized a grand premiere for "The Pacific", similar to the treatment given to movies. This alone was enough to excite anyone, even Renly. He didn't expect the opportunity to attend the premiere to come so quickly.

"Where are you staying?" James glanced at the nearby road sign. "The magazine interview this afternoon is scheduled at the Sunset Tower Hotel. If you're heading in the same direction, we can drop off your luggage at the hotel. Otherwise, we can just go straight there. We need to assemble at three o'clock."

"Isn't the interview at six o'clock?" Renly was taken aback. It was only a quarter past two now. He thought he had left enough time to rest and avoid any unforeseen circumstances, so why did they need to assemble at three o'clock? Now, time was incredibly tight.

Rami and James both looked at Renly in surprise. A hint of a smile appeared at the corner of James' mouth, and Rami met Renly's puzzled gaze. He explained, "Renly, you should know that we need to get ready before interviews, right?" Seeing Renly's dumbfounded expression, Rami knew the answer. "Moreover, the main cast will all take photos and give interviews. We need to take turns, starting at six o'clock. This is just an estimated time. I reckon the magazine staff will be on-site preparing by around five."

Renly had to admit that he hadn't anticipated the real situation, no matter how many similar scenes he had seen in movies.

"This proves once again that Renly is indeed a newcomer, a complete newcomer without any experience." James gloated, making Rami burst into laughter as well.

After the laughter subsided, Renly took out an address and scanned it. "I'm staying in... um, the Mid-City area?"

"Ah, near Koreatown?" James immediately caught on. "Rami also lives in that area. The security isn't great at night, so you'd better be careful." As a landlord, James was truly familiar. "Let's head straight to the Sunset Tower Hotel then, as our directions don't align. It's better to arrive a bit early. The production team should already be there. We can prepare in advance, giving us time to get ready for the interview."

For Renly, everything was fresh. Different from shooting a film, premieres and magazine interviews were part of the film industry but weren't directly related to acting. Although Renly wasn't very interested, the experience of his first time, and inevitably, he was curious. It was as if he had been standing outside a walled city for a long time, and now he finally got a glimpse of what was inside. Even if he wasn't interested, he still felt compelled to take a good look.

Upon arriving at the Sunset Tower Hotel, Renly was somewhat surprised. The entrance, which seemed to only accommodate two cars, appeared a bit modest. It was hidden behind a simple flowerbed, not grand or luxurious at all. In fact, compared to many four-star hotels, it fell slightly short. So, why did the Oscar party, hosted by Vanity Fair, choose to hold their night of glory here every year?

James parked the car at the entrance. A waiter in a black suit came forward, opened the car door, and upon seeing the luggage in the back, he turned and signaled to a luggage porter who followed. Renly, used to it, walked straight ahead. After taking a few steps, he finally realized, paused, and reflected on his life of the past twenty years. He had become so accustomed to entrusting all trivial matters to the bellmen in such situations that he forgot—first, he was now poor, and second, he wasn't here to stay.

Turning around, Renly saw the porter carrying his luggage, smiling, following behind. Since they were providing the service, he might as well go along with it. Thus, Renly picked up his pace once again, stepping into the seemingly unassuming Sunset Tower Hotel. He was walking into the heart of Hollywood for the first time.