Vin's mind was now filled with question marks. So, had Renly fallen for the trick, or had he not?
If he fell for it, why did Renly now look so leisurely, as if the two-and-a-half-hour wait earlier had no effect whatsoever? But if he hadn't fallen for it, why did Renly show up at eleven o'clock here? What nonsense was he discussing with Paul?
"So, what were you guys discussing just now?" Vin attempted to bring up the topic in a lighthearted manner, as if blending into a conversation at a social event. However, his tone involuntarily came out somewhat stiff. His forced words were like fish bones stuck in his throat, uncomfortable to bear.
Paul didn't lift his head, seeming unwilling to acknowledge Vin, lost in thought perhaps. The lowered head made it hard to discern his emotions.
"Script," Renly's answer came through. Vin reflexively glanced over, "We were discussing the script just now."
Rage began to burn fiercely in Vin's chest. Wasn't this blatant lying? They were clearly talking about surfing just now, not the script! What was even more shameful was that Vin detested Renly's constant script-reading pretentious pose, it was utterly repulsive.
"Is there anything novel about today's script?" Vin tried to maintain a smile, but his words were taking on a sarcastic edge. "How come I wasn't aware that the script needed careful consideration? I thought today was all about shooting action scenes."
"Haha, of course that's the case for you," Renly replied, grinning.
Such straightforward words felt like a knife thrust into Vin's chest. He was, after all, a stunt actor, a pure stunt actor with no acting skills. Even if he delved into the script, he couldn't see beyond the surface.
Vin's fists clenched, but Renly continued, "I was asking Paul about shot scheduling. These valuable performance experiences can't be found in the script."
Mocking words were at the tip of Vin's tongue, but they were swallowed down due to Renly's statement. This was stifling to an extreme degree. But Vin still had to nod and affirm with a skin-deep smile, "Yeah, in this aspect, Paul is an expert. You can learn from him, and that's right."
Vin's peripheral vision caught Paul still standing to the side with his hands on his hips, saying nothing.
Vin had known Paul for many years. He knew Paul was a simple person, disliking scheming and with no grand ambitions, always kind and warm-hearted to others. Paul had the chance to become a producer for "Fast 5", but he felt it carried too much responsibility. He'd rather wholeheartedly focus on his acting, so he turned down the offer.
He refused.
For others, it would have been an extraordinary opportunity, but Paul refused. In the set of "Fast 5", Paul had not only better popularity but also stronger influence. Even Vin didn't want to antagonize Paul head-on. Yet, who would antagonize Paul? He was a bona fide good person, wasn't he?
At this moment, Vin knew that Paul was expressing his displeasure.
However, why? Vin couldn't come up with any reasons. If it was because of Renly, but wasn't Renly perfectly fine now? He didn't seem distressed at all. The person involved didn't even complain. So, why was Paul doing this? Apart from that, Vin was even more clueless.
"Vin?" Renly's voice interrupted Vin's thoughts. He quickly turned his head, and Renly had to repeat his question, "Why did you come to the set early today?"
This question almost choked Vin. He couldn't believe it... Renly actually brought up this question voluntarily!
Vin was momentarily speechless, frozen in place. His only response was a counter-question: "Why did you come to the set so early?" But then he realized he shouldn't ask, wouldn't that be like stepping on a landmine? So, his words got stuck in his throat. Vin felt his cheeks alternating between red and white. "Preparation."
With great difficulty, Vin managed to utter a sentence, "Preparing for today's shoot." He smiled awkwardly, "No one wants to go on set and find out they forgot their prop gun, right?" After saying that, he chuckled twice, attempting to lighten the atmosphere.
However, Renly didn't continue the conversation. He simply nodded earnestly in agreement. And then... that was it.
The atmosphere suddenly cooled down. The conversation was cut off abruptly. The awkwardness and stiffness in the air made Vin feel as if he'd fallen into an ice cellar. At this moment, he had no desire to enjoy the spectacle. He just wanted to leave as quickly as possible. He didn't want to see Renly's radiant smile or his leisurely demeanor.
So, Vin pointed towards the direction of the studio, "I'll go take a look first. We're starting work soon, so I hope everyone is getting ready." He lied, it was only eleven o'clock now, and there was still time before filming started. But nobody saw through his pretense.
"Paul," Vin nodded towards Paul, giving a greeting. Paul shrugged his shoulders, then raised his right hand and waved in acknowledgment—a simple and casual gesture. Vin felt a surge of discomfort in his chest, but he didn't have time to dwell on it. So, he briskly left, heading towards the direction of the studio.
Even after he left the spot, Vin still hadn't figured out what was going on. Was the prank successful, or did it fail?
Watching Vin's departing figure, Paul gave a humph. Of course, he knew why Vin had come to the set early. Purely to enjoy the show or perhaps to test the success of his own victory. Such a petty attitude truly made Paul see Vin in a new light.
Paul and Vin had known each other for many years. From the filming of the first "Fast 5" to now, they'd known each other for a decade, and their relationship had always been good.
In fact, Vin didn't have a good reputation among the crew. On one hand, he had a rather impulsive temper and spoke very straightforwardly. His interpersonal skills weren't that smooth, and in the process of working, there were inevitably some bumps. Moreover, action films mainly involved physical confrontations, and scenes tended to be explosive. When conflicts arose, there were numerous instances of rolling up sleeves and getting into fights.
On the other hand, Vin had some diva-like habits. Although Paul didn't like it, he understood. After all, he had crawled through the nameless ranks for a long time. In the world of fame and fortune, everyone climbed high by stepping on others below. During the period when he was a nobody, he had received his share of disdainful looks. Now that he had finally achieved recognition, it was hard to avoid wanting to flaunt a little. This led to Vin often acting high and mighty, and his sense of superiority in his words did manage to offend quite a few people.
However, Paul had always been the one speaking up for Vin, mediating, and smoothing things over. Despite Vin's many flaws, his emphasis on brotherly loyalty was truly commendable. Paul had always believed that Vin was a good friend.
But today was different. Having conflicts during work was one thing, but deliberately pranking a newcomer actor was another.
They both had gone through their rookie actor phase, and they were aware that the old practices of Hollywood still persisted to this day. In fact, cases of rookie actors facing passive aggression were still rampant. Similar to the fraternity culture in the US, joining a fraternity meant finding an organization, receiving protection, and gaining networking resources. However, before joining, rookies had to endure rigorous torment and tests, which could even endanger their safety. This culture persisted despite attempts to ban it.
Paul had experienced it himself, and so had Vin. That was why Paul had always detested this culture. When Sung Kang joined the cast of the fourth installment of the series, Vin had wanted to teach him a harsh lesson, but Paul stopped him. That time, the two of them had a proper conversation, and Vin had stated that he strongly disliked such hazing rituals and wouldn't participate in the future. However, it was unexpected that things seemed to be in a cycle, and Vin ultimately did it again, even going so far as to come to the scene specifically to evaluate the outcome.
This really made Paul uncomfortable.
Renly could pick up on the repulsion in Paul's gaze. He couldn't help but chuckle, but he had no intention of defending Vin. "Paul, I was serious earlier."
Paul looked up, puzzled, and Renly picked up the script and gestured, "I need to understand some issues with camera scheduling. When we're shooting, the trajectory of movement, the direction of gaze, the style of performance—do these have any special techniques?"
Paul looked at Renly earnestly, making sure he wasn't joking, then couldn't help but laugh lightly. He couldn't quite tell if Renly was sincerely seeking advice or trying to avoid getting on Vin's bad side. "I haven't filmed art films before, so I'm not familiar with the techniques you're talking about."
"Is that so? Then what about "The Skulls"? And if I remember correctly, you were also involved in "Flags Of Our Fathers", right?" Renly's words left Paul speechless. He could only spread his hands out and threatened, "So, do you or do you not want to understand camera scheduling?"
In the studio, an imminent storm hung in the air. Vin exuded an aura of fury that made people reluctant to approach him. It seemed as though anyone who stepped into his range would be torn apart like a tornado had struck. He paced back and forth like a trapped animal, restless and agitated. He then dialed James Currier's number:
"No excuses, don't you dare make excuses! He looks like he's perfectly fine now! Shut up! If things hadn't gone to hell, how could he have no reaction at all! Get lost! You goddamn bastard! I want an explanation, I f*cking want an explanation!"