Chapter 57: First Invitation
Facing Renly's gratitude, Stanley revealed a big smile. "So, what's next, the album?"
Renly tilted his head, wearing a helpless expression. Stanley realized he had pushed too hard, so he raised his hands in surrender, grumbling incessantly, "Young people these days don't know gratitude at all. Someone wants to help you release an album for free, start a career, and you still complain about others meddling too much."
Watching Renly's mild and humble smile, but still unyielding, Stanley shook his head, chuckled speechlessly. He wanted to give up, but still couldn't help asking, "What if 'Cleopatra' enters the Billboard Top Ten?"
Renly couldn't help but laugh, "Then I should be able to get a better house." Making it to the Billboard Top Ten would likely earn a decent amount of royalties, even if it's just a single track.
Stanley's response left him both amused and exasperated.
"Oh, by the way, today is Wednesday..." Renly was about to continue, but Neil's voice came from behind, "Renly, your phone!" Ignoring Neil, Renly opened his mouth, but Neil wasn't willing to give up. He grabbed Renly's phone from the counter, "It's been ringing non-stop."
Renly took the phone but didn't immediately answer. He looked back at Stanley. Stanley nodded in understanding, "I know, you can go ahead. Neil and the others will rearrange the schedule for tonight."
Renly gestured "OK" and glanced at the clock on the wall, noticing it was already two-thirty. He then patted Neil's arm, quickly walked towards the door, grabbed his coat, picked up his skateboard, greeted Janice, and then briskly left the pioneer village.
Once on his skateboard, he remembered the missed call from earlier. He picked up the phone and found that the caller had already hung up. He didn't pay much attention to it and just stuffed the phone into his pocket. Unexpectedly, the phone rang again. This time, he answered directly with his earphones in, his eyes darting around as he smoothly glided past the pedestrian crossing under the streetlights, heading quickly towards the nearby subway station.
"Hello, this is Renly," he said simply after answering the call.
"This is Roy Lockley," the voice on the other end was decisive, but Renly hesitated for a moment. The name didn't quite match the image in his mind. The caller seemed to realize this and quickly added, "Official agent from the Screen Actors Guild."
Renly suddenly realized it was the same agent who helped him sign the contract for "The Pacific." "Hey, Roy, good afternoon." The subway just stopped within his view. Renly accelerated and sprinted onto the subway, "Was the missed call earlier from you?"
"Yes," Roy confirmed. Typically, when a new actor receives a call from an agent or the Screen Actors Guild, it's quite thrilling because it often means work is coming. But Renly remained calm and composed, as if it were just an ordinary call. Roy found it a bit unusual but continued, "Your performance in 'The Pacific' was good. Congratulations."
Roy's tone was a little stiff, and he said a few polite words, and Renly's low laughter was heard on the other end of the phone, "Thank you." Down and out, concise and clear, "So, you have something to do with me?" Crisp and straight to the point.
Any newcomer who has just experienced the attention of "The Pacific" will inevitably have subtle changes in his mentality, but Renly's calm posture shows an experienced atmosphere and composure. Roy felt like he swung his fist on the cotton, and couldn't help but lose his temper, which made Roy pull the corners of his mouth and smile self-deprecatingly - after years of experience, he was actually more breathless than a twenty-year-old child.
"I got an audition offer about you here, and they couldn't find your agent's contact information, so they contacted me." Roy didn't continue to talk nonsense, and resumed his usual vigorous demeanor, "You tell me your agent's phone number, and I'll contact him." He grabbed his notebook and ballpoint pen and prepared to take notes.
"I don't have an agent." Renly's voice loomed in the roar of the subway.
"What?" Roy felt like he hadn't heard clearly.
"I don't have an agent." Renly repeated again, without any hesitation and loss.
Roy heard clearly this time, and the movement in his hand stopped. "The Pacific" is now so heated, it is estimated that many people are asking about Renly's situation. Although Hollywood will never lack newcomers, but those who can show such potential are absolutely sought-after, those agents who are like jackals and tigers. How could it be easily missed—they are not naive fools, but opportunists who would rather kill by mistake rather let go.
Therefore, the only explanation is that Renly was not carried away and was still calmly weighing.
Roy couldn't help but feel that this young guy was really an interesting character, and his mind circled in his mind, "So let's do it..." Roy looked at his schedule, "When are you free tonight?"
"I'm in the Pioneer Village after six o'clock, and I'll be there until the early hours of the morning," Renly replied dryly.
"Okay, I'll go to the Pioneer Village to see you in the evening, and we'll have a meeting." Roy recorded it on his itinerary, and the two of them didn't say hello again, they hung up the phone directly, and the whole process took less than a minute, without any delay.
Roy's tone was a bit stiff, exchanging pleasantries briefly, and then the call ended. The whole process took less than a minute, swift and efficient. Although this was Roy's style, Renly's cooperation was exceptionally smooth. It made Roy somewhat uncomfortable—this newcomer was indeed quite different.
Looking at his packed schedule, Roy scratched his head. Being a public agent for the Screen Actors Guild was tough and busy but financially unrewarding compared to top-tier agents. Usually, Roy wouldn't meet actors privately because he wasn't a dedicated agent for any specific actor. Renly's case was just a chance encounter; next time, another agent would handle it. Therefore, their relationship was purely transactional, without the need for personal connection.
But this time was particularly special. The caller mistook Roy for Renly's agent and called him.
Thinking about it, Roy decided not to dwell on it. It could be considered as another job. After all, he needed to eat dinner. It could be seen as a business meeting over dinner.
Audition invitation? Renly couldn't help but feel excited. He wondered what kind of project this audition would be for. Considering they watched "The Pacific" before extending the invitation, it's likely to be similar in temperament and style to Eugene's. Could it be another emotionally rich character?
If it's a similar character, would it be repetitive? If possible, he would prefer to challenge himself with roles of entirely different acting styles. He knew that the choice of early roles was crucial for most new actors. If they take on too many similar roles initially, it's easy for people to fixate on their image, making it difficult to break free later on. The most typical example is the three lead actors from "Harry Potter" who, after finishing the series, struggled to shake off their characters' images.
However, Renly also knew he might be overthinking. For most new actors, they don't have the luxury of choice. Once they establish themselves with a certain role, similar roles naturally follow. If they refuse, it's hard to find work later on. It's a dilemma.
He wondered what role this invitation would be for.
Lost in thought, the subway reached his stop again. He looked up instinctively, noticing it was his stop. He quickly grabbed his skateboard, briskly rushed out of the subway doors, leaving all thoughts behind for now. After all, the mystery would be revealed tonight.
Exiting the subway station, he could see the distinctively styled spire of the church and the colorful graffiti. Latin boys with wild hair and black guys with dreadlocks loitered in front of the convenience store across the street, eyeing the subway exit as if constantly plotting. The underlying restlessness under the busy traffic made it feel like an eruption was imminent, even the air felt drier.
Ironically, looking southwest, just three blocks away, lay the prestigious Upper East Side of New York.
Manhattan is a tiny place, stretching from north to south, divided into Upper, Midtown, and Downtown. Though Downtown boasts the famous Wall Street, generally, the further south you go, the poorer and messier it gets, while the north is wealthier and safer. Near Central Park in the Upper East Side lies the most influential section, where the characters of the TV show "Gossip Girl" reside.
But as Upper East extends further north and crosses a certain area, you reach the infamous Bronx. In between lies the buffer zone, where Renly currently resides: Harlem.
Different from the predominantly African American Bronx, Harlem is a melting pot of cultures. Italian mafia, Chinese Triads, Latin American drug dealers all converge here. It used to be the center of crime and poverty but also nurtured rich cultures like street hip-hop, swing dance, and jazz fusion.
The theater and dance hall culture here rivals that of Greenwich Village in Downtown. However, due to safety concerns, tourists tend to flock to Greenwich Village rather than the tense streets of Harlem.
Seeing the restless African Americans across the street, Renly remained unfazed. He casually threw his skateboard onto the ground, hopped on, and smoothly glided away, heading towards his destination with ease. His relaxed and familiar demeanor caught the attention of the gangsters, exchanging a glance before settling back, refocusing their gaze on the subway exit.
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