Start Fighting Back

The atmosphere on the set of "Fast & Furious 5" was so tense it felt suffocating, with everyone returning to their workstations, focusing on their tasks—at least pretending to, all the while sensing the undercurrents in the air. It seemed everyone was being forced to pick a side: Vin Diesel or Paul Walker.

The two pillars of the set had suddenly turned against each other, leaving everyone uncertain about what would come next. The "Fast & Furious 5" crew seemed to be jinxed from the beginning. After dealing with Dwayne Johnson's antics and the myriad challenges of shooting in Rio de Janeiro, they finally started filming. But now, the two main leads were at each other's throats, raising concerns about how the next few months of shooting would proceed. Would the movie even wrap up as scheduled?

The higher-ups in charge of the production arrived on set just in time, managing to calm everyone down before the conflict could escalate. While the work resumed its normal pace, the earlier palpable tension remained in the air.

Jordana Brewster, Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, and the others stayed in the lounge, seemingly unbothered by the unfolding drama. But they were actually aligning themselves with Paul. Meanwhile, Vin stormed back to the makeup area. Ludacris hesitated for a moment, then followed Vin, trying to soothe him with continuous chatter, but it was clear Vin wasn't having any of it.

"Word is Renly offended Vin back in Telluride."

"I heard it was because Renly and Paul were old friends. Paul wanted to give Renly more screen time, and Vin opposed it. Things fell apart from there."

"Nonsense. Renly was directly appointed by the higher-ups. He has strong connections; you might not know, but even Spielberg respects him."

"That's not what I heard. In Telluride, Vin fancied a woman at a bar, but Renly swooped in. They got into a brawl and have been at odds ever since."

"Really? I heard Vin was planning to teach Renly a lesson today, but Paul found out and thwarted his plan, embarrassing Vin and sparking the fight."

"That can't be true. It's just a prank, nothing more. Let me tell you, Renly is set to be the third main character. The studio intends to create a trio dynamic to reduce Vin and Paul's screen time. Paul agreed, but Vin refused, leading to the fight."

"What's Renly's background, anyway? Why does he sound so influential? I don't recall any big Hollywood names with the last name Hall."

"Why couldn't he have changed his name? Only those who know the inside story understand his pedigree. I bet he's someone important, maybe another Kennedy."

"That's just speculation. But seriously, what will Renly do now?"

This last question abruptly ended the gossip.

Though Paul and Vin's earlier argument didn't mention Renly explicitly, it was clear to everyone that it was about him. The entire set buzzed with whispers and speculation about Renly's fate.

But all this gossip didn't matter. What mattered was Renly's next move. Vin was fuming, with no outlet for his anger. This afternoon was Renly's first scene, a confrontation with both Dominic and Brian. If Vin lashed out, Renly would be in real trouble.

Renly had a height advantage, standing half a head taller than Vin, but he was physically slender compared to Vin's rock-solid, muscular build. It was like pitting a lightweight against a heavyweight, with a significant gap even within the middleweight divisions.

Worse, Hobbs, Renly's character, was an adversary to Dominic, even featuring in a fight scene. In the script, to emphasize the protagonist's strength, Dominic would ultimately triumph—standard fare in commercial cinema.

But just imagine: Hobbs was originally portrayed by Dwayne, who was a head taller, twice as large, and thrice as imposing as Vin. Even Dwayne's character was outmatched, and now with Renly in the role...

The thought was too gruesome to fathom.

This afternoon, facing an enraged Vin, how would Renly respond? Could he make it to tomorrow unscathed?

Director Justin Lin was also concerned, not so much for Renly's well-being but for the movie's production schedule. If Renly got hurt, filming would be delayed, jeopardizing the already tight timeline to meet the next summer's release.

Justin had never spoken to Renly one-on-one. He had no say in casting decisions, and in the "Fast & Furious" series, only Vin and Paul's characters were irreplaceable. Justin didn't have strong feelings about Renly; he just wanted to complete the movie without any hitches.

Looking at Renly, Justin felt a slight headache, "…Are you ready for this?"

Renly looked at Justin and felt a sense of familiarity.

Asians in North America often faced immense challenges, even behind the scenes. Asians were the most underrepresented, lagging behind Latinos and African Americans. Among Asians, Chinese Americans had it tougher than Indian, Korean, or Japanese Americans. Renly deeply admired people like Ang Lee, Justin Lin, and James Wan, who carved out their space through sheer talent and determination.

Beneath his exterior, Renly was still a Chinese man at heart.

"Yes, I'm ready," Renly replied with a polite smile.

Justin was taken aback, not expecting such a friendly response. Being Asian himself, he was acutely aware of the discrimination in the industry. His only notable directorial credit was "Fast & Furious 4"—his third film had flopped. To earn the respect of white actors, he had to work even harder and produce more outstanding films.

Vin never showed Justin much respect, always bossing him around. But as Vin was also a producer, Justin couldn't assert his authority as a director. That's why Justin had approached Renly.

Justin paused before saying anything more, then simply nodded. "The upcoming scenes… they might be a bit intense. Just be prepared, and… yes, just be ready." He wasn't sure what else to say, so he reiterated his caution.

As he walked away, Justin glanced back at Renly, hesitating before leaving. What could he do? This was Hollywood, where the marginalized had no voice. Even Ang Lee, the top Asian director in Hollywood, had limited influence. What chance did Justin have?

In his heart, Justin silently wished Renly good luck.

This afternoon's shoot was a major scene, broken into several parts.

Dominic and Brian planned to rob the local gang boss's vault but discovered they were being hunted by FBI agent Hobbs. To avoid their plan being leaked, they decided to confront Hobbs directly, luring him into a trap. Using their local knowledge of Rio de Janeiro, they aimed to temporarily outsmart Hobbs, buying themselves time to complete the heist.

The scene to be shot this afternoon involved Dominic and Brian facing off against Hobbs. They chose to reveal themselves at an underground racetrack, and Hobbs tracked them down. Just as the FBI agent was about to take action, he found himself surrounded. Ultimately, Hobbs had to make a temporary retreat.

In the "Fast & Furious" series, Dominic and Brian were undoubtedly the main characters. Whether as criminals or heroes, they always came out on top. Even the FBI agent had to play second fiddle.

In other words, in today's scene, Hobbs was at a disadvantage, yet he couldn't be completely overshadowed by Dominic. Otherwise, the introduction of this new character in the fifth installment would be pointless.

Although the story was set in Rio de Janeiro, the crew had built the set at Universal Studios to complete the shoot. It was more convenient than dealing with the local gangs that surrounded the crew during filming in Rio.

With the set fully prepared, the crew in position, and the extras ready, the main actors took the stage.

Vin methodically cracked his shoulders and fingers, the sharp sound of his joints adding a dangerous edge to his calm, confident smile. He was completely unburdened, openly displaying his intentions, his gaze locked onto Renly twenty yards away, like a hunter sizing up his prey, ready to unleash his fury.

He was a natural predator and wouldn't miss his target. Even if Dwayne were here, he wouldn't be intimidated, let alone Renly. He intended to show this young upstart what it meant to be an action star, what absolute strength looked like, and what respect and humility were all about. And, of course, the harsh realities of life.