Flagship on the horizone

Morgan Fisher didn't like Renly Hall. There wasn't any specific reason; their auras clashed, and they simply disliked each other naturally. One reason was enough.

However, Morgan was a rational person, astonishingly in control. As a top-tier agent, he accurately gauged the chips in his hand and sought to maximize his interests. When necessary, he lowered himself to apologize and made compromises. These were essential skills. He wouldn't let personal emotions disrupt his original plans.

Renly? In the bustling constellation of stars that was Hollywood, he was just a passing meteor, not worth mentioning. He would fade away after some time, just like the Chris Hemsworth standing in front of him.

But during the execution of the plan, why not throw in a little obstacle for his competitors, causing some trouble? After all, that idiot Andy Rogers had taken the initiative to hand over his weapons this time. A gentle breeze from him would leave them in disarray. Such a simple matter would naturally be accepted.

Moreover, "Fast 5" was about to be released, clashing with their schedule for "Thor". Released one after the other, they were bound to have a fierce battle. Each side had its own advantages—while "Fast 5" was a sequel, its predecessor's influence was limited. On the other hand, "Thor" was a superhero movie adapted from comics, but it was the beginning of the series. Who would emerge victorious was still unknown.

Morgan was currently thinking about pulling Universal Pictures, the company behind "Fast 5", into the water after dragging Renly down. After all, Focused Features, the distribution company for "Detachment", was a subsidiary of Universal Pictures. The connections were already murky. This matter was far from over, and he intended to stir up this pool of water, with the ultimate goal of benefiting "Thor."

Chris was a newcomer he had high hopes for. He possessed the looks, muscles, and the image of a good family man. What he needed was just the right opportunity. Pushing him a bit forward to become a shooting star crossing the sky wasn't difficult. At that time, as an agent, Morgan could sit back in his office and start counting money with his legs crossed.

Morgan didn't have too high expectations for Chris. He didn't hope for him to become a top-tier superstar; a brief shine for three or five years, much like Hayden Christensen, would be enough.

As for Chris's future? He didn't care. Talking about the future, dreams, and life in Hollywood was truly foolish. To be accurate, this was the case in the real world as well. This was Morgan's life motto.

Chris read the newspaper seriously, rereading it twice before finally putting it down, then sitting across from Morgan, relaxing and placing his hands behind his head. He had a contented expression, as if he was about to start whistling.

Morgan brought his thoughts back, speaking calmly, "I've told you before, he's not a character worth paying attention to. In Hollywood, even the slightest misstep can lead to a catastrophe. Now, you see, retribution has arrived."

Indeed, retribution had come. It was truly satisfying.

Now, Renly was like a man under siege, surrounded on all sides.

The news media were digging into Renly's self-promotion, trying to uncover his unsavory behavior on set, not just on the set of "50/50", even "Like Crazy" and "The Pacific" had become subjects of scrutiny. As for the "Detachment" set, only Rodrigo Cortés was being pursued and interviewed.

Social media was abuzz with discussions about Renly's background. Some believed there was something fishy about Renly replacing Dwayne Johnson in "Fast 5", while others focused on the story behind "Buried" triumphing over "127 Hours" for the Best Actor nomination. People were also discussing the praise "Like Crazy" received at Sundance. All of this would have been exceedingly difficult without some backing for Renly.

Even when Edward Norton emerged in his prime, it wasn't this spectacular.

The media guided the storm of public opinion, making online discussions even more fervent. The wave of online condemnation swept across the internet and fed back into major media outlets. This formed a cycle of mutual influence, causing the entire incident to continue fermenting. Now, Renly was at the center of the storm, enduring the hardships of a tempest.

Chris knew that Renly was nothing more than a penniless dreamer, impractically living in an ivory tower, treating real life as if it were a fairy tale. But ultimately, reality would shatter his illusion. Even if Renly had strength, so what? Hollywood was about tactics, marketing, and strategy, not absolute strength like in a sports competition.

From the very beginning, the two of them weren't on the same level. After "Thor" was released, he would usher in the spring of his career. As for Renly? He would likely disappear in an instant. "Fast 5" wasn't worth mentioning. In a direct confrontation, "Thor" would overwhelm its opponents with absolute box office dominance.

Chris believed this wholeheartedly, without wavering.

However, internal thoughts were one thing; on the surface, Chris pretended not to care. He shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "He's just a minor character, why bother paying too much attention? I've long forgotten about him. It's been a very long time since I heard anything about him."

Seeing Chris act so composed, Morgan didn't expose his façade. Instead, he burst into hearty laughter. "Of course, that's for sure. We don't have the time or energy to pay attention to minor characters like him now. The promotion for "Thor" is about to begin. Are you ready? You're unquestionably the male lead, the absolute center of attention, the new generation's Thor. It's time to step into the spotlight, standing under the spotlight's glow."

Chris lowered his hands and looked at Morgan with eager anticipation. "What's the first promotional event? I can't wait!"

Renly Hall? He was already a has-been, wasn't he?

Meanwhile, Andy looked at the smile on Renly's lips. That faint smile still carried a gentlemanly demeanor, yet the playful and teasing glint in his eyes shone brightly, making Andy feel somewhat awkward. He had imagined Renly's possible reactions—anger, disdain, composure, nonchalance, speechlessness, and so on. But when faced with Renly's reality, he found his imagination somewhat lacking.

Andy rolled his eyes, spread his hands open, and struck a pose as if to say, "I'm ready," awaiting Renly's full-fledged mockery.

However, unexpectedly, Renly's smile faded away. He earnestly inquired, "So what? What do you want me to do now? Should I personally go out for interviews? Or should I do a magazine feature? You're not going to tell me you want to hold a press conference, are you? I don't like press conferences. My interview state isn't great at the moment, and I'm not prepared to sit there and face a barrage of questions. Who knows, I might suddenly lose control and blow up?"

"...," Andy, who had always been composed, looked at Renly, who was so serious and solemn, and found himself speechless. He had originally thought he could smoothly brush past this issue with a single stroke, but Renly's half-smile, half-sarcastic expression was truly unbearable. He finally realized just how tricky those reporters could be.

Twice in a row, Andy had thought about pretending as if nothing had happened and continuing along with Renly's train of thought. Yet, he couldn't hold back any longer. "Don't you plan to say something about this unexpected situation? Originally, a couple of official statements could have resolved the matter, but now it's blown up so much that you might even need to face the reporters yourself, disrupting your acting rhythm. Don't you have anything to say?"

In fact, stepping back, Andy thought that if he hadn't been so greedy and had just removed the media element, he could have announced directly that Renly had health issues due to filming and had to miss the Oscars. Then, privately contact the Academy, explain the situation in detail, and discreetly resolve the issue. It would have made things much simpler.

Of course, this approach had its risks. The costs of networking were too high, and the gossip among industry insiders was truly annoying. However, at least there wouldn't have been so many unexpected events.

Greed, in the end, was still too much greed!

Although Andy's face didn't show any particular expression, Renly could sense a special flavor of guilt. Renly's lips curved into a faint arc. "Are you saying you dug a hole for yourself and buried yourself in it, and now you need me to dig you out? Why would I condemn you for such an entertaining show? I think by not saying anything, you've already been shamed to death."

Andy opened his mouth, staring in a daze, and gritted his teeth fiercely. However, due to his excessive excitement, he bit his tongue, and it really hurt!

Holding his breath in his chest, the corner of his eye noticed Nathan standing beside him. He glared at Nathan fiercely.

Nathan looked completely innocent.

Only then did Andy slightly release a breath. "Hire a professional public relations expert immediately, as soon as possible. I'll recommend one to you when I get back. Leave all media matters to the PR expert." Andy almost squeezed the words out one by one, his clenched-teeth appearance revealing an unexpectedly wide range of expressions for Maitreya Buddha.

"Alright," Renly didn't argue, simply nodded decisively. "After all, everyone has their own expertise."

Andy couldn't quite catch his breath for a moment. He almost fainted on the spot, looking at Renly's composed expression. That damned guy! But this time, he let it go. After all, who was to blame but himself for making the mistake!

"What's next?" Renly, worried that Andy might faint right here, kindly changed the subject.

"If possible, it would be best for you to make an appearance, let the media see your current condition, and then you can handle interviews directly, answering all the questions head-on," Andy said, and then felt a bit uncomfortable. This pit was truly deep; it probably couldn't be filled unless he, the person responsible, spoke.

He cleared his throat a couple of times, disguising his disarray. "Is your body alright? What's your condition like? If you're really not well, then we can do phone interviews." Andy still expressed his concern. Dealing with the media was important, but Renly's situation was the most important.

Renly waved his hand and smiled, "Don't worry, I won't push myself too hard. Besides, they're just reporters."

Just reporters... that's all?