Neither Overbearing nor Humble

Rodrigo was indeed very excited.

Without a doubt, Ryan Reynolds was his top choice to portray Paul Conroy in his heart. In fact, ever since he watched "The Nines," he had been eager to collaborate with Ryan. He always believed that Ryan's performance had a special quality, not the explosive type, but with his own understanding and traits. After taking over the script for "Buried," his first thought was: Ryan.

This desire was so strong that even though he knew Ryan's career was rapidly ascending and the chance of him taking over "Buried" was very low, he still extended the invitation.

Unexpectedly, Ryan not only responded to his invitation but also personally appeared before him, catching him off guard with such a pleasant surprise. "Mr. Reynolds, how... how did you... appear here?"

"Collaboration!" Ryan dropped yet another surprising bomb, leaving Rodrigo dizzy. "Ryan, please call me Ryan. Mr. Reynolds is my father." Ryan showcased his wit and humor, wearing his iconic smile.

"Sorry to interrupt your conversation," Renly's voice timely intervened, interrupting Ryan and Rodrigo's conversation before it could progress further. "I just feel that to avoid disturbing your work afterward, it's better for me to leave now."

Reasonable words, faultless. But Renly successfully shifted the attention to himself, not only from Rodrigo but also from Ryan and Scarlett, who both turned their gaze towards him.

Rodrigo's brain cleared slightly. Ryan's sudden appearance was indeed unexpected, thoroughly disrupting his thoughts. However, seeing Renly again brought him back to reality. He hesitated, "Are you leaving now?"

Rodrigo was momentarily confused.

On one hand, Ryan was his dream collaboration partner, and undoubtedly his first choice. Now that Ryan had appeared, it couldn't be more perfect. Moreover, with Ryan already on the rise in the industry, his involvement would simplify the future distribution rights and promotion of "Buried."

But on the other hand, Renly's performance just now had shaken his world. Whether it was the nuanced yet powerful acting, maximizing the power of dramatic conflicts, or the immersive effect displayed at the tender age of twenty without makeup, elevating the story—undoubtedly, this was the actor every director dreamed of.

Initially, Rodrigo had lost hope for Ryan's appearance, and Renly's stunning performance became his best choice. But now, Ryan's appearance fulfilled the initial plan. From having no choice to having too many choices, this happy dilemma left Rodrigo momentarily at a loss.

"My audition seems to have reached a pause for now, hasn't it?" Renly's gentlemanly and tactful smile.

He knew that Ryan's appearance would be a decisive turning point. If he stubbornly stayed behind, trying to change the situation, it would be useless. So, instead of resisting, he chose to give Ryan a chance to perform, to converse, and meanwhile, he would wait for his opportunity.

He also knew that compared to Ryan, his only advantage lay in his skill. He had absolute confidence in his performance. But in other aspects, he fell behind. Fortunately, "Buried" was an independent project, and Rodrigo preferred to consider it from the perspective of the work rather than corporate interests. This was his only chance.

"I hope my performance just now was outstanding enough, or else I have no more capital to boast about." Renly handed over the script, half-jokingly implying: his only chance to compete with Ryan lay in his acting prowess.

Sure enough, Rodrigo gave a wry smile, taking the script. "Flawless," Rodrigo sighed, shaking his head lightly in admiration. "Honestly, I don't know how it could be any better."

"This should be the part the actors worry about, isn't it?" Renly's confidence and humor successfully brought out a big smile from Rodrigo.

Although Renly's performance just now was stunning, inexplicably, Rodrigo was willing to believe in Renly, believing that Renly could still deliver even more brilliant performances, believing that Renly could still unearth more, believing that Renly had not yet reached his limit.

"Who are you?" Ryan could feel the harmonious atmosphere. His gaze shifted between Rodrigo and Renly, unable to resist, he bluntly asked, his slightly furrowed brows revealing his true feelings at the moment.

"Sorry." Renly turned to him, starting with an apology, which caught Ryan off guard. "I forgot to introduce myself." Renly politely extended his right hand. "Renly Hall, an actor. I'm here today for the audition as well."

"Who?" Ryan's brows furrowed even more, filled with question marks. He searched his mind but couldn't recall any relevant actor. Obviously, the other party was just an unknown actor. His hands remained in his pockets.

Renly gently raised his right hand in the air, not minding Ryan's disregard. He gave a self-deprecating smile. "Mr. Reynolds, there are definitely more than just one or two actors you haven't seen or heard of, right?" The jest, sharp yet not offensive, pricked Ryan, his expression not looking too pleasant.

Scarlett couldn't help but chuckle. Renly's words were clearly a mockery of Ryan's attempt to win him over: even if he came all the way from Los Angeles to New York, so what? What determines an actor's ability is not sweet talk, but absolute skill. It's better to get to the point rather than linger in small talk.

This punch hit Ryan hard, even Scarlett could hear Ryan's inward groan, especially at the "Mr. Reynolds" part, courteous yet mocking.

Seeing her husband's fiery gaze, Scarlett whispered, "Sorry," then lifted her hand to cover her mouth, suppressing her laughter, returning to normalcy—although she was just here as a bystander today, it didn't seem right to join others in mocking her husband.

"About the audition, we haven't finished, I'll wait outside, and we can continue later." Renly's wording was quite clever. Technically, their audition hadn't ended; they hadn't discussed the performance further or talked about collaboration, so Renly gave Rodrigo an out while leaving himself a backdoor. "So..."

Renly nodded towards Rodrigo, Ryan, and Scarlett respectively, then without any pause, decisively stepped forward to leave.

However, the path out was blocked by Ryan and Scarlett. Renly halted, turning to Scarlett with a smile. Initially, Scarlett thought the man would take this opportunity to say a few more words, but unexpectedly, he simply turned aside, indicating he would continue forward. Scarlett instinctively made way, and the man briskly left.

This made Scarlett lift her head, giving the man a glance, but surprisingly, the man met her gaze calmly, his eyes flowing with a hint of a smile. Then, there was only his back.

Scarlett raised her eyebrows lightly, withdrawing her gaze. However, the atmosphere became somewhat heavy. Both Ryan and Rodrigo remained silent. "Ahem," Scarlett cleared her throat, tugging at Ryan's arm. "Darling, you were talking so enthusiastically about this script at home, couldn't stop praising it. Why are you suddenly quiet now? Is it because the director seemed too excited?"

With a simple sentence, Scarlett successfully drew Ryan's attention back. "Yes... yes!" Ryan used trivial words to cover his panic. "I can't wait!"

Rodrigo's surprise slowly settled into his heart. The Renly just now was completely different from the one who portrayed Paul!

This was Rodrigo and Renly's first meeting. He hadn't seen "The Pacific," had no concept of Renly's acting style, nor any understanding of Renly's personality. Throughout the audition process, Renly's style remained consistent, with a rough and assertive demeanor, strongly reminiscent of Paul Conroy. Rodrigo almost thought Renly was acting naturally—however, the subtle control and deep excavation during the performance proved this idea wrong.

But the short conversation just now presented a completely different Renly, with all edges softened, yet still firmly in control of the rhythm. Behind the seemingly non-offensive demeanor lay unwavering determination. This was a stark contrast to Paul, almost like two completely different people.

In other words, was everything in the audition just acting?

Realizing this, Rodrigo was shocked, as if caught in a storm between reality and illusion. If possible, Rodrigo wanted to continue conversing with Renly, even if it was just simple small talk; his inner curiosity was overwhelming.

But the remaining sanity made Rodrigo retract his attention, looking at Ryan before him. "Is that so?" This was his first choice. Remember, this was his original first choice!