231 Behind-the-scenes intrigue

Dwayne Johnson felt as though a volcano raged within his chest. An incessant stream of restive emotion surged forth, akin to a caged beast thrashing about, rebounding from all sides. This pent-up rage, nearly on the brink of explosion, seemed inescapable.

And so, he paced the office with agitated sentiments. The room, expansive enough to accommodate thirty individuals in a meeting, was dwarfed by his towering, robust figure. His aura exuded an intimidating force, ready to shatter the surroundings with a casual sway, as if the very space could crumble into fragments with the slightest movement. No words were necessary to command attention; his presence alone silenced others, leaving them trembling, awaiting his directives.

Much like the Hulk.

At that moment, a singular thought occupied everyone's minds: Would his fury dismantle the office?

"Dwayne!" Jack Wallace managed only a swift call before Dwayne's laser-like gaze fixed upon him. "What? What? What do you want to say?" Dwayne strode purposefully toward the desk, slamming his hands onto it with unrelenting force. Jack flinched, even hearing the desk's solid wood emit a pained groan. He involuntarily leaned back, to no avail—Dwayne's fervor had spattered his face with droplets of saliva.

"Calm down? You want me to calm down? By goddamn God, is that all you have to say?" Dwayne's anger found its outlet at last. "Aren't you supposed to be the top-tier agent in this industry? Aren't you the one who dismisses even CAA? Aren't you the strategist, the mastermind? Well, now's your moment to shine! Tell Universal Pictures I damn well demand $3.5M for my fee! No, make it $4M—$4M, damn it! You go negotiate for me right now! Let them know I'm ready to shoot anytime; I'm prepared! Hurry, go!"

Dwayne's thunderous wrath reduced the office to an eerie silence. Except for Jack, everyone—the assistants, Dwayne's own assistant, Dwayne's manager—all fell silent, mouths sealed shut, their breath seemingly vanished.

"Calm down? To hell with your calm down! If I were to f*ck your mother right now, would you be calm? Huh? Would you?" Dwayne's anger remained unquenched. "First, it was The New York Times. Those damn reporters swore that greenhorn would surely star! The New York Times! Goddamn The New York f*cking Times! Then it was Vanity Fair! And now, even Hollywood Reporter confirms it!"

Dwayne's bloodshot eyes swooped downward, locking onto Jack's gaze. "Tell me, if we can't trust even the Hollywood Reporter, what the hell are we supposed to trust? Huh? Should we believe Jack "Shit" Wallace? Are you making me wait still? Wait until when? Until the opportunity's snatched away? Did you see Paul Walker's interview? Did you? Did he sell his ass to some nobody punk? Vin Diesel, and Vin Diesel, he's definitely that bastard's b*tch! He's that bastard's b*tch I tell you!"

Inhaling deeply, Dwayne forced himself to calm down. After the rage had reached its zenith, a semblance of reason returned, and he managed to suppress his voice slightly. "I heard Steven Spielberg personally approached Ron Meyer. Is that true?"

Ron Meyer was the Executive CEO of Universal Pictures, and he and Steven had a close personal relationship. When DreamWorks was divided, Universal Pictures had been the initial buyer. If Steven endorsed Renly, the game would be over without even being played—declaring an early checkmate.

"Dwayne," Jack suppressed the urge to wipe the saliva off his face, speaking calmly. He had to exert significant effort to hold back the word "idiot" from escaping his lips. He continued to explain calmly.

"Consider what Steven's identity and position are, and then look at Renly's role. Have you noticed in the past few months whether Steven publicly mentioned Renly in any capacity? Their connection was merely for the television show's promotion, and once the show ended, they ceased to have any relationship. Among the thousands of actors, Renly is just an ordinary member. Furthermore, even if Steven and Renly had a good relationship, why would Steven proactively reach out to Ron for a third supporting role? Isn't that favor too lightly given?"

Anyone willing to calmly contemplate would soon see the absurdity of these rumors. But Dwayne's impatience, earnestness, and impulsiveness were overpowering. Luckily, Dwayne's manager was a sufficiently rational fellow, continuously advising Dwayne. Otherwise, the situation could have become even more complex.

"But what if Steven does do that?" Dwayne persisted, his words noticeably softer. "Otherwise, why would both The New York Times and the Hollywood Reporter say that, as if that young guy has already been confirmed for the cast?"

"Dwayne, these reports are mere speculation. They haven't provided concrete information; they merely suggest that Renly's situation seems favorable, and the crew is satisfied with him." Seeing Dwayne about to speak again, Jack quickly gestured to hold back, soothing Dwayne's emotions. "I know that Paul and Vin expressed positive opinions. But, that's what Neal wants you to see, what Universal Pictures wants you to see."

Dwayne finally settled down, but Jack didn't have time to relax. Seizing the moment, he continued, "Now is the most critical moment. Do you know why The New York Times and the Hollywood Reporter are both focusing on this matter? And why they're emphasizing Renly? And Vanity Fair? Like you said, he's a nobody. If it weren't for these reports, we wouldn't even know his name. So why have all the media suddenly taken notice?"

As a seasoned agent from WMA, Jack certainly had his ways. In the blink of an eye, he had Dwayne, who had been raging, deep in thought. "All of this indicates that Universal Pictures is deliberately fueling these rumors from behind the scenes. They want you to panic, they want you to fear, and then they expect you to back down. Think carefully, if Neal does decide to use this young guy to replace you, how would he go about it? He'd silently finalize the contract and then drop a bombshell on you, not giving you time to react before the production resumes."

Dwayne contemplated earnestly, "Five days ago, you said the same thing, and I agreed with you. But now, you're saying the same thing again, and the situation has changed! Five days ago, the Hollywood Reporter wasn't even involved!"

If Dwayne was foolish, he wasn't completely so. In fact, he was simply impulsive but not foolish. However, if Dwayne was smart, he embodied the typical athlete's thought process—straightforward and direct, not prone to beating around the bush, which was truly exasperating.

"Dwayne..." Jack barely had time to open his mouth before Dwayne interrupted him again, roughly. "Why are you so assured? Why are you so certain that all of this is a conspiracy and not reality? For the past five days, there hasn't been any word from Neal. Are you sure you still have control over the situation?"

Jack took a deep breath. "Because I know, Renly won't be cast."

This was the true heavyweight news. Originally, Jack had intended to bring it up at the start of their meeting today, but Dwayne had been like a bull, unreasonable and unwilling to give him a chance. Sure enough, upon hearing it now, Dwayne stood frozen in place, unable to respond immediately.

"I just received the news this morning. Renly has joined another production," Jack continued. "It's a very small production, with an investment definitely less than a million. It involves a bunch of newbie directors and actors coming together for the sake of it. So, the entire industry hasn't caught wind of it. I've told you before, he's an artistic persona who relies on his acting skills, not an action star. He simply can't compete with you."

Having said this, Jack finally let out a long breath, looking at Dwayne with frustration. "But, but that's not important, and this project isn't important either. What matters is that this project only started filming three days ago. Do you know what that means? It means Renly doesn't have any availability in the short term, so he can't join the cast of "Fast 5"!"

The conclusion was out, yet Dwayne still wasn't content. "But..."

"No "buts"." This time, Jack seized the opportunity precisely, taking control of the conversation. "Dwayne, do you have any idea how precious you are right now? Hollywood can't find another actor like you. Your range might be narrower, but in the realm of action films, there's simply no one who can compete with you. Vin Diesel? He's a mere doll before you! Why does he always seem to oppose you? Because he can't possibly surpass you! What do I hope to see? In the future, any action film, any major studio, your name should be the top choice. All scripts must wait until you've made your selection before they move on to others!"

The grand vision that Jack painted brought a yearning expression to Dwayne's face.

"Now, this is our chance! $3.5M! Trust me, you're worth that price! Universal Pictures knows it deep down; they're not short by that extra one and a half million! It's purely an attempt to suppress your dominance! But we can't miss this opportunity because they're even more anxious than we are."

Jack emphatically declared, "If we persist a little while longer, just a bit longer, at most half a month, believe me, you can secure the "Fast 5" cast. By then, if other action films approach you for lead roles, we'll ask for $10M straight away! Solidify your footing among the A-list actors!"

In Hollywood, aside from the benchmark of the $20M club, a new threshold was set at $10M after deducting bonuses. This figure might not seem excessively high, considering there were also $12M and $15M above it. But once within the range of $10M, the status would undergo a transformative shift, truly stepping into the realm of the A-list.

Dwayne stared intently at Jack, remaining silent for a long while before nodding at last. "I'll trust you one more time!"