315 Stealing the show

"Ah!"

The screams swept in like a tsunami, causing the entire Hilton Hotel to tremble. The earth-shattering force was enough to make everyone in the venue turn their heads. The audience section next to them was like a suppressed volcano that had been brewing for thousands of years, finally erupting. The energy that had been hidden for so long burst forth all at once, shocking and astonishing.

Involuntarily, every person looked toward the audience section. Renly was naturally no exception. The transformation from zero to one hundred happened instantly, with no transitional phase. It was an immediate eruption of overwhelming force, enveloping the red carpet, making people acutely feel their insignificance.

The surging and roiling sea of people in the audience section came into view. The crowd supporting Renly seemed to merge into the vast ocean, disappearing in an instant. The roaring waves completely engulfed the small ripples, rushing and roaring, with about half of the audience standing up, their voices hoarse, screaming wildly, their presence intimidating.

Even though he had experienced the Toronto International Film Festival and attended the Emmy Awards, this was the first time Renly personally felt the frenzy of fans on-site. The twisted faces were so real yet so surreal. It was as though the entire space-time began to blur.

The attention of the entire audience instantly shifted toward the beginning of the red carpet.

Justin Bieber, with his slender and delicate figure, wore a neatly buttoned white shirt with a black suit. He sported a black silk bowtie, resembling a middle school student attending a graduation ceremony—naive, green, and bewildered. His iconic bangs had recently been cut, replaced by a neat short hairstyle. This change had caused countless young girls to shed tears on the internet and sparked a wave of reporting in major entertainment newspapers.

Suppressing an upturned smile, Justin waved at the audience section, his face radiating self-satisfaction. It was as if he stood atop the world. Since his debut with his first album in 2009 until now, in just two short years, he had achieved feats that many people couldn't dream of accomplishing in a lifetime.

This wave of his hand seemed to send the screams in the audience section into a frenzy. Many girls were so overjoyed that tears streamed down their faces. Their expressions were as if they had seen Jesus Christ, a kind of uncontrollable excitement hung in the air above the red carpet, rolling endlessly.

However, this kind of attention only paused momentarily. The actors swiftly retracted their gaze, not even sparing a bit of attention. Let alone the fact that this was Hollywood where singers had no place. Just the fact that he was a youthful and arrogant idol vase made people uninterested. More importantly, those rabid fans who acted like mad dogs, causing trouble everywhere, made it impossible to generate any positive sentiment.

Just like the three leads of "Twilight", they rose like comets, achieving unbelievable success. However, insiders knew that they were destined to be excluded from awards for the next decade, or even longer. Have you not seen how Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt have rolled around Hollywood for nearly thirty years, struggling to win an Oscar to no avail?

Even actors had to settle for this kind of treatment, not to mention someone like Justin Bieber, a teenage idol singer.

And so, the atmosphere on-site became somewhat eerie. The roaring cheers from the audience section contrasted sharply with the red carpet's cold indifference, creating an icy-hot duality that left a distinct air of awkwardness at the Golden Globe Awards.

Renly retracted his gaze. He had no interest in these idols. Looking at the reporters in front of him, he smiled and nodded as a gesture. "I think I should continue forward. There are hundreds of lovely fans waiting for me up ahead."

Renly's voice sounded somewhat feeble amid the piercing cries. It was like a lone sail struggling to make headway in a stormy sea. Only a few reporters, like Diana, Gavin, and Cornell, vaguely heard him. They recognized the sarcasm and self-deprecation in his words. Then they saw Renly take steady strides forward.

Now the reporters grew anxious. Those who hadn't caught Renly's words were even more panicked. They stopped pressing the camera shutters to photograph Justin. While this was work, it was just that—work. For them, Justin had no interview value. They only needed to capture the moment Justin appeared on the red carpet, and that would suffice.

But Renly was different. Their interviews had just begun. Even though Renly was a newcomer, the brilliantly executed verbal sparring just now was exceptionally captivating. No one wanted to miss out.

"Renly, Renly!" At least seven reporters shouted, their urgent calls overlapping. Some even reached out their hands, leaning over the railing, extending their upper bodies to block Renly's path.

It was Bradley who extended his hand. He was also an old acquaintance. Renly didn't leave coldly; he simply chuckled, "I think my interview for today has concluded, hasn't it?" Amid the jest, he resumed his steps.

"Renly, "Fast 5"—I mean, how was the filming experience of this movie? Replacing Dwayne at the last moment to take on this role, you and Dwayne are two actors with completely different styles. Did you have any special thoughts after joining the cast? After delivering two top-notch performances in a row, your first attempt at a commercial movie, is there a difference? Paul Walker is absent from the ceremony tonight, but Vin Diesel is here. Does your cast have enough confidence in this work?"

Bradley's questions flowed seamlessly, almost shouted out. Even amid the sharp, piercing cries behind him, his voice remained steadfast and accurate, reaching Renly's ears clearly.

Renly's steps halted, but the other reporters didn't let up. Questions piled on one after another. "Emergency Dispatch, how does it feel to play Dwayne's role? Filling Dwayne's shoes, do you feel immense pressure? How do you feel about confronting Vin in the film?"

"You know, "Buried" seems to have overshadowed "127 Hours". Do you think there's a chance of winning tonight? First, "The Pacific", and then "Buried". Before that, do you not have any other works? Many believe you're the biggest discovery of 2010. What are your thoughts on that? Last year, everyone noticed your stunning performance along with Jennifer Lawrence. What do you think of her?"

"Tonight, you're appearing on the Golden Globe Awards' red carpet for the first time. How does it feel? Previously, during an interview in St. Louis, you expressed admiration for Meryl Streep. Besides that, what do you think of Johnny Depp? Some say you're the new generation Brad Pitt. Do you plan to have a face-to-face conversation with Brad? What does Tom Hanks think of your performance in "Buried"?"...

The questions poured in one after another, making one's head spin.

In the past six months, Renly's rise had been incredibly rapid and intense. Often, before people could recover their senses, the next wave of shock would hit. Curious eyes increasingly focused on Renly. Yet, there was a problem. Renly had only done a magazine interview in Toronto. Apart from that, he had no TV appearances, no radio shows, not even telephone interviews. He was enveloped in an air of mystery. Even though People magazine had thoroughly interviewed him in Toronto, in comparison to Renly's achievements, it was still just a drop in the ocean.

Initially, people had expected "Buried" to gain momentum during the awards season. People hoped that for the sake of promoting the film and academy relations, Renly would show up in Los Angeles. However, once again, they were disappointed. Now, Renly finally appeared. Compared to his appearance at the "The Pacific" premiere and the Emmy Awards, this was the first time reporters truly focused their attention on him.

Although Renly was still a dark horse newcomer at tonight's awards ceremony, his rising momentum was unstoppable! His brief exchange with Cornell just now had left many reporters impressed. Newcomers appeared every year, but this year seemed to have an unusually high number. Among them, Renly was the most extraordinary and interesting. This eloquence, this composure—these were qualities even veteran Hollywood insiders couldn't easily exhibit.

Reporters had a strange feeling that Renly seemed, appeared, resembled, might, possibly, probably... not afraid to interact with reporters. He even seemed to enjoy it. This...

Justin took a step forward, waving to the fans in the audience section, a radiant smile on his face. Brimming with energy, he displayed an air of youthful exuberance and joy. His self-assuredness and excitement were like a spirited gallop, shining brightly, as if he was basking in a honey jar, reveling freely. At just sixteen, he already owned the world.

Having walked a short distance on the red carpet, Justin began feeling something amiss. Where were the reporters? Why weren't they shouting? Why weren't they asking questions? Was it because of the Golden Globes? But he was a presenter, and a hot topic of the night at that. How could the reporters just let him go? They should at least ask for his thoughts, his experiences. Before attending the red carpet, his agent and public relations team had given him intensive training, fully preparing him.

But now...

Justin retracted his gaze and casually scanned the group of reporters. He had expected the barrage of questions to be directed at him like artillery fire. However, only a scattered few remained. In the center, there was an incredibly conspicuous hive of reporters, as if half of them were congregated there. Everyone held their recording pens and devices, pointed directly at an actor before them. The incessant chorus of questions filled the air.

Behind him was the boiling audience, crying their eyes out. Ahead were the engrossed reporters, single-minded.

This stark contrast, this immense gap, felt like a giant hand pushing forcefully against Justin's shoulders. The tug of gravity made him start to plummet.

A feeling of awkwardness and naivety surged in, reminding him cruelly: This is the realm of actors.