Hollywood: The Greatest Showman

Chapter 115: Humble Visit

"Jonas, thank you for your help."

Renly closed the passenger door, and the truck, loaded with a large amount of goods, swayed as it left the street. Nathan rubbed his hands together, looking somewhat awkward, standing a few steps away with a hesitant expression. Renly smiled, "The subway station is just across the street. Or do you need me to call a taxi for you?"

"No, it's fine." Nathan shook his head, but then felt it wasn't appropriate, "I mean, I can manage on my own. I don't want to trouble you." After hesitating for a moment, he added, "I... um, the subway is fine!"

In reality, Nathan didn't know where he could go. He had come to New York on a business trip with Fisher, and now that he had been fired, he felt lost. But he also knew he couldn't trouble Renly anymore. They had been stranded on the highway earlier, with no help in sight until Renly flagged down a truck. Otherwise, Nathan might still be on the road, unable to reach the city even after dark.

"Thank you. I haven't thanked you for your help earlier." Nathan realized this belatedly and quickly expressed his gratitude. But he then noticed Renly's gaze shift past him, and turned to see a middle-aged man in a suit and tie approaching.

Slightly overweight, with a friendly smile, the man exuded warmth. Despite the August heat, he wore a full suit, making Nathan sweat just looking at him. He wiped his forehead with a blue and white handkerchief, then caught Renly's eye and waved friendly.

"Your entrances are always surprising. This time it's a truck. I wonder what it'll be next time?" The chubby man said with a smile as he walked over.

Renly chuckled, "Maybe a white horse."

The reference to a white horse naturally alluded to a prince charming, and Nathan couldn't help but chuckle at the humor. But then he realized his lapse in manners—they weren't friends with Renly.

Indeed, the man's gaze shifted to Nathan, and he inquired, "And who might this be?"

"Nathan, Andy." Renly made the introductions. "Andy, Nathan."

Standing before him was Andy Rogers, just like last time, waiting outside Renly's apartment. However, today's circumstances seemed different. Nathan wondered how long Andy had been waiting here; clearly, he had checked Renly's flight information. This made Renly uneasy. He had thought his personal information was secure, but now, who else could access it?

"Are you waiting here specifically for me?" Renly took the initiative to address his concerns.

Seemingly sensing Renly's wariness, Andy explained with a smile, "I've been in New York for two weeks now. I saw your photo with the flight crew on Facebook earlier, so I knew you were back in New York. I thought I'd try my luck and catch you before you settled in to sleep off the jet lag, maybe have a chat."

Confident yet warm, all his sharpness hidden beneath the surface. Both top agents, Andy and Fisher, had entirely different styles. Perhaps it was Renly's preconception, but he hadn't yet uncovered Andy's other side.

"Renly, I'll take my leave now." Seizing a lull in the conversation, Nathan politely said, "Thanks again for today." Renly nodded with a smile, and Nathan turned to head slowly towards the subway, though his shoulders felt heavy.

After a few steps, Nathan looked around in bewilderment, sighing deeply. He had only been in this job for less than two weeks before Fisher fired him. Though he had heard before starting that Fisher was becoming increasingly picky, changing assistants faster than changing bedsheets, with his previous assistant lasting only two weeks, he hadn't expected his own tenure to be even shorter.

Renly noticed Nathan's confusion. Despite the unpleasant interaction with Fisher earlier, Nathan was the one who had been unfairly treated. Losing his job might not have been because of Renly, but he had certainly been involved. If Renly hadn't flagged down a truck earlier, they might still be stranded on the highway, nowhere near the city even after nightfall.

"If you're unsure, you could go back to your hotel, get your luggage, and find a motel to stay for the night, or just fly back to Los Angeles directly," Renly suggested from behind, noticing Nathan's uncertainty.

Hearing the voice behind him, Nathan turned around, realizing his misstep. He offered Renly a sheepish smile. "That's a good idea." Stepping out a few paces, he turned back to shout, "Thanks again. And Fisher is indeed a jerk."

Renly couldn't help but laugh, catching Andy's curious gaze. "Fisher Morgan just came to see me. That was his assistant."

A brief explanation sufficed for Andy to understand. However, he didn't inquire about Renly and Fisher's conversation; instead, he changed the subject. "I heard you just came back from Europe. How was it? Did you have a successful trip?"

"We filmed an independent low-budget movie, took eight days, with a crew from Spain," Renly replied after giving it some thought. "The experience was far better than I imagined."

Andy smiled, his small eyes narrowing into slits. "It seems like this acting challenge satisfied you. It must have been a demanding role. I'm curious about it."

"The director submitted it to the Toronto Film Festival. It's still in the review stage, waiting for confirmation if it'll be selected," Renly shared enthusiastically about "Buried." It wasn't just his first project on the big screen; it was also his first time stepping out of his comfort zone, embracing new challenges.

"Toronto? You should hear back by this weekend then. The nomination list will be announced next week." Award season was approaching, and Andy was well-informed. "Venice just announced its list last weekend. Looks like you missed the deadline for Venice."

Participation in film festivals required early registration and submission of the film. Unless one was a well-established director like Martin Scorsese, festivals wouldn't make exceptions. Missing the deadline meant missing out.

Renly nodded, regretting it. "If it were Venice, I wouldn't have come back. I'd have stayed in Italy. Tuscany is beautiful this time of year."

"You missed Venice, but there's still the Emmys. Trust me, you wouldn't want to miss the Emmys," Andy said with a smile. Although he had long believed in Renly's potential, his nomination for the Emmys came as a pleasant surprise.

This year, the competition in the miniseries and TV movie category of the Emmy Awards was particularly fierce. "The Pacific" continued the success of "Band of Brothers," dominating in technical aspects but lacking in acting. Now, with Renly's nomination representing the cast, it was a surprise for everyone in the industry, including HBO.

Renly smiled, "Of course, I wouldn't want to miss it. Who knows? If I miss it this time, when will the next opportunity come?"

"In my opinion, the next one might take a while." Andy's answer was unexpected, but he quickly changed the subject. "Because I'm planning to invite you to act in a TV series next. That might be a bit challenging. The big screen is your domain."

Such an interpretation was clever yet wise, and Renly couldn't help but smile.

"How about we find a place to sit down?" Andy looked around and glanced at Renly's suitcase. "I know you need to adjust to the jet lag after the long flight, and I'm sweating like a pig. Let's find a place with air conditioning to sit and chat, shall we?"

Andy's suggestion had an underlying meaning, and Renly couldn't miss it. "I thought you were in a hurry today. Ten minutes of conversation should've been enough."

"Haha, no, today's different." Andy wiped his forehead again with his handkerchief. "For the potential superstar of the next twenty years, I can't afford to be careless." Unexpected but logical, Andy laughed cheerfully, looking at Renly seriously. "I hope to secure your talent management contract, become your agent in Hollywood, and plan your acting career. Are you interested?"

This was Andy's third visit, gradually building up, not rushed but confident and sincere.

"A superstar? That's a height not everyone can reach." Renly chuckled, as if hearing a joke.

Andy remained composed, nodding affirmatively. "Indeed. In Hollywood, becoming a superstar is incredibly difficult. It might take one in ten thousand people. Outstanding talent, suitable projects, appropriate roles, perfect timing, and a bit of luck—all are essential." Andy admitted frankly, "But in my view, you have everything it takes to achieve greatness, and I have everything it takes to help you. After we cooperate, let's see how lucky we'll be."

Such an explanation was unconventional yet convincing.

Renly laughed heartily, looking at Andy's sly smile, realizing Andy had shown all his requirements for an agent. Moreover, standing behind Andy was the prestigious Creative Artists Agency.

"Well then, why not? Let's see how things unfold," Renly decided. Andy Rogers had finally convinced him, securing Renly's talent management contract. Andy had successfully stood out and secured Renly's representation, showing genuine intention, engaging in meaningful conversation, and discussing deep matters. Renly's decision was also influenced by the presence of the prominent Creative Artists Agency behind Andy.

Andy nodded lightly, as if not surprised by the outcome at all. He didn't show much emotion, just calmly gestured towards the apartment building behind him. "After we sign the cooperation agreement, the first thing we'll do is get you out of this building. It's a hazard." This made Renly burst into laughter.

"At that moment, my first thought was to strangle him. That damn kid finally agreed. But at the same time, I knew I had made an important decision to change the trajectory of my career. My heart was pounding with excitement." Many years later, in an interview with "Hollywood Reporter," Andy said so.