Hollywood: The Greatest Showman

Chapter 294: Thundering Rage

The entire crew's gaze followed Andy as he leisurely sauntered over. To those who didn't know better, it might have seemed like he was there for a friendly meeting. However, everyone on the set was aware of the awful relationship between Vin and Renly, and the changes in the props department were quite evident. Therefore, seeing Andy move like this was genuinely amusing.

As the perspective focused, Andy had reached his destination, stopped, and said with a beaming smile, "Vin, can we talk?"

Vin looked up, stunned, and anxiously searched for his manager, Christian Wagner.

Christian had given him a severe reprimanding over the phone the previous day—secretly creating trouble wasn't the issue; the problem was that it had been discovered, and not for the first time. It was incredibly foolish. To make matters worse, even when sabotaging, the outcome was a setback, making it utterly laughable.

After the thorough scolding, Christian said he would head to the airport immediately, catch the fastest flight, and come to Rio de Janeiro to handle the aftermath.

Yet, even though Andy had already arrived, Christian was still nowhere to be seen.

Vin forced himself to stay calm; after all, he was just a manager, why should he worry? But just as he was about to speak, he saw Andy shake his head slightly. The smile on Andy's face was unyielding, and it sent a chill down his spine. "I'm not asking for your opinion." With that, Andy turned around nonchalantly, completely ignoring Vin, and walked straight towards the set's exit.

Vin hesitated for a moment but then braced himself and followed.

Christian was a manager at United Elite Management, one of Hollywood's top five talent agencies. Although it was the second youngest in establishment, it had risen rapidly, now representing top figures like Johnny Depp, Christopher Nolan, and the Coen brothers, and even had Michael Jackson in its roster. Its power was not to be underestimated.

However, Christian had emphasized last night that Innovate Artists Management was not to be trifled with, especially this time. He assured Vin, "I know the seriousness of the situation, so don't worry. I'll get there as soon as I can."

Vin took a deep breath, but his mind was thinking: he's just a manager, what could he do to me? When he got outside, he saw Andy standing at the door.

Andy's plump pear-shaped body, slightly protruding belly, and pale double chin made him look rather endearing, almost like a little penguin. The smile that was constantly on his face conveyed friendliness, which reassured Vin a little.

"Do you believe I can ruin your reputation and end your acting career directly? And Christian Wagner won't dare to say a word?"

Andy maintained his warm smile and spoke slowly, but his words were without any buffer, directly carrying a resolute and menacing tone that was chilling.

Caught off guard, Vin couldn't help but swallow hard and defensively said, "That was just an accident..."

"Heh." Andy laughed lightly, even with a hint of cheerfulness. "Well, how about I create an accident myself? What do you think?"

The simple words made Vin shiver. He wanted to speak but found all his words stuck in his throat, realizing the hidden fury behind Andy's smile could easily crush him. The raw fear made him open his mouth but no sound came out.

"Let me tell you how things will unfold: you will obediently finish the remaining film shoots, stay far away from Renly, and during the promotional period, you will complete all the work as required by the crew. You will appear together with Renly for promotion, and Renly will be your best friend, just like Paul."

Andy even chuckled twice, cheerfully as if discussing a pleasant Disney trip.

"Also, you'd better pray Renly doesn't get injured again. Even if he only scratches a bit of skin, I'll have Christian Wagner extract a piece of flesh from you. Tom Hanks is more than willing to handle the incident through the actors' guild. You know, because they need to protect every actor's interests. Believe me, Christian will make the smart choice—whether to enter hell himself or send you there is not a difficult question."

Vin fidgeted with his lips, trying to argue.

He was a long-established action star, while Andy was just a manager from Innovate Artists Management, and Renly was only a newcomer. What could they possibly do to him?

Not to mention that Renly was fine now; even if Renly had been injured, such accidents were not unusual during filming. The props team had already undergone a major overhaul to show their sincerity, having lost their jobs due to this incident. Did they really want to be unreasonable?

They could only use public opinion to suppress him, and he would then come forward with a sincere apology, and it would all be over. They could not cause him any substantial harm, let alone blacklist him.

Andy's threat was merely a joke.

His mind raced with countless rebuttals; he even considered raising his fist and punching that smiling face. But he remained frozen, unable to make a sound or organize his thoughts.

"It wasn't me." This was Vin's only defense now; the props team had replaced the iron crate with real materials, and this wasn't his doing.

Andy's smile widened, and his throat let out a low chuckle. His eyes revealed a trace of pity, as if sympathizing with Vin's naivety. "Do you think anyone cares about evidence?"

This wasn't a courtroom or a police station. They didn't need evidence to convict; they could naturally find the real culprit from the props team staff. No evidence, no confession—so what?

Vin's blood turned ice-cold, as if all life had vanished. He caught a flash of ruthless and furious fire in Andy's eyes, the cold-blooded decisiveness and cruelty gripping his heart, making his breath stop. The fear made all the hairs on his body stand up.

But it was only a fleeting moment.

Then, Andy returned to normal, smiling again, his eyes narrowing into crescent-shaped slits, radiating a strong sense of satisfaction. "Alright, I won't disturb your preparations. The upcoming shoot is still very... long, isn't it? Work is the most important thing; that's what I admire about actors—their dedication."

With that, Andy nodded at Vin, took a small detour, and returned to the set.

Vin stood alone in the sunlight, which, despite being golden, felt icy cold, seeping into his blood and making him shiver, one after another. It was November, the start of summer in the Southern Hemisphere, but he felt as though he were in the midst of a bitter winter.

Andy went back to Renly's side and sat down across from him.

Ideally, he should have reminded Renly about safety and explained his handling of the situation to reassure him. But seeing Renly's calm and serene brown eyes, Andy couldn't help but chuckle.

Calming his turbulent emotions, Andy said, "Everything is fine with the crew, nothing happened; the filming is going smoothly, and you and Paul and Vin are getting along very well. They even offered you a lot of help."

Nathan, standing nearby, was dumbfounded, completely puzzled by what had happened.

But Renly understood, glancing at Vin's rigid back, and paused for a moment, "Just like the 'Buried' screening, right?"

Andy's smile broadened, confirming that Renly had understood his meaning. "Yes, just like the 'Buried' screening." After a moment's thought, Andy realized he had nothing else to explain. "So, focus on your work, and leave the rest to me."

After fifty hours of continuous work, the situation was still not over. He needed to maximize the benefits and, if possible, even increase Renly's role in "Fast & Furious 5" without changing the script's framework, to make sure Renly's sacrifices and efforts were not wasted.

"I'm flying back to Los Angeles this afternoon," Andy briefly informed.

Renly raised an eyebrow, clearly realizing that Andy had come specifically to handle his matters. Otherwise, with the awards season beginning, Innovate Artists Management must have had corresponding promotional plans, making it impossible for Andy to leave. So, Andy had to fly back to Los Angeles within just a few hours after landing.

"That's good. You can enjoy your dinner as usual." The underlying message was that Andy didn't have to adjust his food intake for dieting, as long-distance travel was beneficial for weight loss.

Andy smiled and nodded, "I think so too." With that, he didn't linger, exchanged pleasantries with the main leaders of the crew, and then left gracefully.

From his arrival to departure, it had been less than two hours.

By the way, Christian didn't show up; he only called Vin, and they talked for a long time on the phone. That was all. It was said that Christian had some urgent business in Los Angeles, which kept him from coming in person.

The content of their phone conversation was unknown. However, after hanging up, Vin immersed himself in the crew's filming, behaving like a dedicated and conscientious actor.

[A/N: This was so anticlimatic... Also only one Chapter cause chatgpt is having network issues and isn't able to complete the translation]