Handle with Ease

The air was thick with an indescribable tension. Gavin had finally uncovered a major scoop, but instead of feeling elated, he became nervous, his palms beginning to sweat again.

Objectively speaking, Renly hadn't directly expressed any opinions about James, much less criticized him. He had merely mentioned Danny Boyle's contributions. Compared to James, Danny was an Oscar-winning director whose skills had been widely praised, and "127 Hours" was no exception. So, there was nothing wrong with what Renly said.

But the art of conversation is never that simple.

Renly seemed oblivious to the undercurrents between Gavin and Andy and continued, "Of course, a movie is a collective effort, from the director to the actors, to the script, lighting, music, and post-production. '127 Hours' is indeed a commendable work, thanks to the collaboration of James, Danny, and others. Overall, it is a superior film to 'Buried.'"

Gavin felt overwhelmed by the many potential headlines. In Renly's brief statement, both Rodrigo and James seemed to take hits, and even "Buried" got caught in the crossfire. With so much content, Gavin felt a bit overwhelmed. "So, you mean you prefer '127 Hours' to 'Buried'? Do you have any disagreements with the director?"

"Haha." Renly laughed at the question, "No, I still prefer 'Buried.' I just think that from an objective standpoint, '127 Hours' is a more complete and mature work. During the filming of 'Buried,' Rodrigo and I were constantly learning and exploring, and our script was narrower, with less room for flexibility, which gave me more room to perform. For me, that was a good thing, making the filming process of 'Buried' unforgettable; but for the work as a whole, it was a small regret."

"..." was Gavin's only response, while Andy standing beside them breathed a slight sigh of relief. As expected, Renly maintained his usual objectivity and seriousness on professional matters, neither excessively praising nor criticizing. Facts were facts. Fortunately, Andy hadn't interrupted; otherwise, Renly's statement might have seemed odd.

However, Renly's straightforward manner of speaking would likely offend many people in Hollywood. For example, James Franco—even though everyone knew Renly was speaking the truth, the person in question might still feel uncomfortable. More importantly, who wants to hear the unvarnished truth?

With so many potential headlines, Gavin didn't know where to start. Finally, he chose the most direct and effective question, "So, who do you think has a better chance of being nominated for an Oscar, you or James?"

Renly's eyes sparkled with amusement, and his lips curved into a smile, "If it were you, who would you vote for?" Renly countered, not waiting for Gavin's answer before continuing, "It's only September. I don't think the Oscars are something we need to discuss right now. The Toronto Film Festival committee wouldn't appreciate us talking about this now."

Gavin laughed heartily, "No, on the contrary, I think they would love to hear more about this." Glancing at his watch, he realized how quickly time had flown by. Because he had been slightly late and had disrupted the schedule, there were many hot topics he hadn't touched on yet, such as Renly's two singles or interesting stories from the filming of "The Pacific." But this was just the first exclusive interview, and he couldn't be too greedy.

"One last question," Gavin hurriedly said, "Do you have any plans for your next project? After 'The Pacific' and 'Buried,' your two works so far have been quite unique, making people more curious about your future plans. Rumor has it that some superhero movies have already approached you?"

Renly pursed his lips, his smile deepening as if Gavin had guessed correctly, but then he gave an unexpected answer, "Is this how news spreads nowadays? With third parties informing the person involved that something has happened?" Gavin was momentarily stunned, "If you get any concrete news, feel free to let me know immediately."

Gavin was amused by Renly's light-hearted teasing and hadn't had time to respond before there was another knock on the door. Andy went to open it, and Gavin quickly gathered his things, feeling like the open briefcase looked exactly the same as it had half an hour ago, making it seem like no time had passed.

As he stuffed his things into the briefcase, he looked up to see Renly standing and extending his right hand. Gavin quickly shook Renly's hand, "Today's interview was very enjoyable, thank you."

"The pleasure was mine." Renly had reverted to his gentlemanly demeanor, teasing lightly, "I hope we have another opportunity for an exclusive interview."

If Renly were to fade away like a shooting star, there would naturally be no opportunity for another exclusive interview. Renly's remark was clearly a small joke, and Gavin smiled broadly, "By the way, you have my vote." Referring to the Oscar Best Actor nomination, James or Renly, that was his answer. With that, Gavin started walking away, turning to see Bradley Adams from the New York Times.

Bradley gave Gavin a big smile, his eyes flashing with camaraderie. Gavin didn't quite understand but politely nodded and left the hotel room.

Bradley was surprised to find someone else who shared his optimistic view of Renly's future prospects—he had scheduled this interview before the premiere of "Buried" and was still a bit late. "US Weekly," with their backing, would soon make "Renly Hall" a name known throughout the United States. Regardless of whether people cared about him, his name recognition would significantly increase, making future competition fiercer.

Collecting his thoughts, Bradley stepped forward quickly, shook Renly's hand, and introduced himself. To his surprise, Renly smiled and said, "I know you. We met on the red carpet at the Emmys. That was our second meeting, right?"

Now it was Bradley's turn to be surprised. It was hard for actors to remember journalists' faces because there were so many in Hollywood. But Renly remembered all of them!

Renly, however, remained calm. If Bradley had ever visited the aristocratic circles of England, he would know this was nothing. A family name could have hundreds of members, and sometimes, even the family's hereditary butler, servants, and priests had to be remembered by name and face.

"I still don't know which media outlet you're from?" Renly's question brought Bradley back to reality, and he confidently replied, "The New York Times."

Gavin closed the hotel room door and found all eyes on him, almost as if they were ready to tear him apart.

Every journalist knew that at a film festival, whether for a general interview or an exclusive, it was always better to be first. The reason was simple: an actor and a crew might face dozens of media outlets in a single day, with most questions being similar and answers likely repetitive. Even a joke told thirty times in a day loses its humor.

Interviewing an actor when they are most energetic and positive often yields surprising results. However, by the latter half of the day, especially towards the end, actors might become unresponsive, and their answers increasingly brief and simple.

Now, the golden opportunity of the day had fallen into Gavin's hands. Who knew what juicy tidbits his recorder held?

Cornell McGregor ran up to Gavin, draping an arm around his shoulders, "Man, you pulled off this big interview behind everyone's back and didn't give any hints? Wow, you've really got it!"

Gavin initially wanted to refute that they both had noticed Renly at the same time, but Cornell had given up on that lead. Instead, an idea struck Gavin, and he decided not to resist Cornell's pull. Amidst the sharp and eager gazes, they left the corridor and headed to the fire escape.

"So, what's the scoop today? Share a bit with me. I don't need exclusives, just some tidbits." Cornell lowered his voice, negotiating, "The editor is pushing us hard, saying we've easily scheduled James Franco, but we're falling behind on Renly. We're already lagging." Considering many media outlets would finish their interviews today, exclusives seemed out of reach, but general news would suffice—especially since Gavin was the first to interview, he must have more good material.

Gavin didn't outright refuse. He and Cornell were college friends, having known each other for years. After graduation, one went to "US Weekly" and the other to "Entertainment Weekly." They had competed but also collaborated, sharing a unique bond. So, Gavin didn't beat around the bush, "Weren't you following Natalie? Tell me, what have you found out?"

Cornell was taken aback: Gavin was willing to exchange news about Natalie for news on Renly? That wasn't a fair trade! But Gavin wouldn't make a losing deal, so it meant there was something significant about Natalie's news that Cornell didn't know. Quickly assessing the situation, he responded, "Nothing major these past couple of days. Natalie has been with the crew, and their PR invited all the extras and stunt doubles to a party. Other than that, Natalie hasn't stepped out."

Gavin pondered, recalling Renly's words, and a bold idea struck him, "Was Benjamin present when Natalie was with the crew?"

"Of course, Benjamin is the dance supervisor," Cornell replied, puzzled, then noticed Gavin's meaningful expression and exclaimed, "No... really?"

"Why not?" Gavin's counter made Cornell pause, "The question now is, why would Natalie be willing to have rumors with Renly but not be willing to expose them?"

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