Clutching his phone in hand, his gaze swept along the side of the street until it landed on Paul, trembling on the street corner.
In the frigid February of New York, a bitter wind howled, piercing through bones with its icy chill. Despite the biting cold that froze both land and sky, Paul merely wore a thin t-shirt beneath a deep brown workman's jacket. It was far from sufficient for warmth; he couldn't even manage to shield himself from the cold. Standing still, he repeatedly stamped his feet, his neck tucked into his collar, seeking a trace of warmth.
"Paul, four o'clock direction, yellow taxi. I've rolled down the window, can you see it?" Renly spoke into the phone.
Paul glanced left and right, spotting the parked taxi by the curb. With excited fervor, he waved his hand and dashed across the zebra crossing, running towards it. His laughter, filled with joy, reached Renly's ears, slightly trembling. "Jesus Christ, New York truly is a whole other world! I can hardly believe it! Can't believe it!"
Though his words seemed like complaints, Paul's tone remained cheerful, carrying a hint of sunshine. Amidst the icy atmosphere, this cheerfulness stood out, especially when contrasted with his disheveled appearance. It was a striking contradiction, almost too incongruent not to elicit a suppressed chuckle.
"Madison Avenue, East Ninety-Seventh Street," Renly instructed the taxi driver, then turned to Paul. "What exactly happened? How did you end up in such a state?"
Paul vigorously rubbed his hands together, and Renly promptly handed him two cups of hot coffee from the side. Without even waiting for thanks, Paul picked up one of the cups. The scalding heat elicited a contented sigh from him.
Although he had mentioned over the phone a while ago that he could barely feel his toes, it was beyond Renly's expectations to witness Paul in person. He was utterly bedraggled, to a degree that not even the homeless in subway stations could match.
"New York has truly given me a lesson," Paul laughed heartily, finding the situation so amusing that he himself couldn't help but chuckle. "The Gotham Awards are next week. I thought of coming to New York to surprise you. Seemed like a good idea. Everything was going according to plan. I had intended to head straight to Village Vanguard... that's the name, right?"
Paul sought confirmation from Renly, who affirmed it before he continued, "To Village Vanguard, have a meal, chat with the bartender there, then call you. But unexpectedly, on the subway, my entire backpack was stolen. My wallet, my bank cards, my clothes, everything, all gone."
"The whole backpack?" While it was true that theft on New York's subway was a perennial problem, losing belongings was nothing uncommon. But a case like Paul's, losing an entire backpack, was indeed unusual. "Are you sure it wasn't a mugging?"
Paul couldn't help but chuckle again. "I left the backpack beside me and started chatting with a middle-aged lady..." His words hadn't fully left his mouth when he noticed the speechless gleam in Renly's eyes. He hurriedly defended himself, "I must emphasize, she was a very lovely lady, just like my mother, and she was quite talkative! It's just that, when I turned back, the backpack was gone."
Renly couldn't help but facepalm.
Ultimately, it was the difference between New York and Los Angeles.
In Los Angeles, public transportation was scarcely used—not out of disdain, but due to its underdevelopment. Waiting an hour for a bus, which might not even take you directly to your destination, made private cars a necessity in daily life.
However, in New York, public transportation was an indispensable part of life, especially the subway. In its diverse and bustling environment, one couldn't afford to be careless.
"Luckily, at that moment, I had taken out my phone and was showing the lady photos from our previous surfing adventure. So, I still had my phone. That's the only thing I have left," Paul beamed, revealing a set of neat, white teeth. His mood remained completely unaffected, and his optimistic and positive demeanor made Renly involuntarily smile as well.
Had Paul never considered the possibility that the woman and the thief might have been working together?
However, Renly didn't voice this conjecture. At this point, there was no need to dwell on it. "Did you report it to the police?"
"No need. There wasn't much in my backpack, just a few dollars in cash and a couple of changes of clothes. I've already called to freeze my credit cards, so there won't be any further losses," Paul waved his hand nonchalantly. "When I go back to Los Angeles, I'll just apply for a new driver's license."
Renly nodded in agreement.
Although Paul didn't go into detail, Renly could tell that Paul had come all the way to New York to support him.
The Gotham Awards, formally known as the Gotham Independent Film Awards, were one of the most important awards in the American independent film industry, second only to Sundance. From a certain perspective, they were even more noteworthy and professional than Sundance.
Sundance was a film festival, showcasing various works with a focus on the mainstream. On the other hand, the Gotham Independent Film Awards were a ceremony with strict criteria for selection. The films had to be truly independent, with production costs not exceeding $6M. Most of these movies were shown only in art-house theaters, and some had never been screened before.
In brief, the awards aimed to honor standout works in the independent film industry.
Even the award categories themselves carried an air of independence: Best Film, Best Documentary, Best Ensemble Performance, Breakthrough Director, Breakthrough Actor, and Best Unreleased Film.
This year, "Buried" had successfully been nominated for Best Film and Breakthrough Actor.
Although the Gotham Independent Film Awards had a ceremony, it wasn't broadcasted and wasn't open to the media. Only nominees and active figures in the independent film industry received invitations. The attendance usually didn't exceed 150 people, and in the end, they only announced the list of winners to the media. However, its professionalism and authority were no less than that of Sundance.
Because the ceremony was taking place in New York, Renly would find the time to attend and get to know seasoned individuals from the independent film industry.
In the category of Breakthrough Actor, Renly was undoubtedly the prime contender, sparking quite a lot of discussion among the younger generation, especially in comparison with Jennifer Lawrence. Paul had come all the way from Los Angeles precisely to give his support and cheer on Renly.
Looking at the disheveled Paul before him, the smile on his lips inadvertently reached Renly's eyes. "Should we head to a store first and get you some warm clothes? With your current appearance, you can't go anywhere outside like this."
Los Angeles winters were as warm as spring. Paul, who had grown up in California, had never truly experienced the severity of winter.
Paul, however, was in no hurry, looking out the window. "Things will get better indoors. Where are we headed now?"
"Mount Sinai Hospital." Renly didn't turn back. After receiving the call earlier, he had stopped his skateboard and flagged down a taxi. He couldn't have Paul skate alongside him, after all. "You can take a taxi to my place first and rest. After I finish my volunteer work today, we can head to Village Vanguard in the evening."
"Volunteer work, as in helping patients?" Paul's eyes lit up. "I have certification as an emergency medical technician. I should be able to help. Do you mind if I come along?"
Renly was slightly taken aback, then broke into a hearty laugh. "Of course not. To be more precise, I'm very welcoming of the idea. You should know we're always short-handed." Paul nodded in agreement, and Renly inquired further, "You have certification as an emergency medical technician?"
"When the earthquake hit Haiti last year, a group of friends and I organized a professional rescue team and went there to help. Later, we went to Chile, Indonesia, and other places. After returning, I got certified." Paul casually mentioned, then broke into a wide grin. "When help is genuinely needed, nobody wants to stand by and not be able to contribute, right?"
Renly earnestly nodded, answering in a playful tone, "I can't argue with that."
As they spoke, the taxi had already reached their destination. Renly and Paul got out of the car, heading straight towards the hospital.
Upon entering the hospital's entrance, before Renly even had a chance to greet anyone, the chaotic scene by the elevator on the ground floor caught his eye. A woman had collapsed straight down, and a nurse standing beside her was frantically reaching out to catch her. However, gravity was too strong, and the woman seemed to have lost consciousness. Her weight crashed down, overwhelming the nurse, who couldn't support her.
A wheelchair was coming out of the elevator, carrying an elderly man with snow-white hair. He saw the woman collapse and attempted to reach out to help her, but he couldn't even get up.
Behind the elderly man was a young woman pushing the wheelchair. She tried to maneuver around but accidentally bumped into the IV stand hanging at the back of the wheelchair, causing the whole setup to crash. She wore a terrified expression, scrambling to stabilize the IV stand.
Simultaneously, the wheelchair was pushed forward and collided with the collapsed woman at the door, getting stuck. The inertia caused the elderly man to start toppling forward, in a precarious position.
The scene was one of chaos.
Renly and Paul had no time for greetings and immediately ran over. Exchanging a glance, Renly dashed toward the elderly man, while Paul took care of the woman.
Renly knelt on the ground, using his embrace to support the elderly man. But with the weight of the man's entire body pressing down, Renly's posture was awkward, making it difficult for him to exert force. Moreover, he didn't know the elderly man's condition, so he couldn't exert force recklessly. He could only barely support him, preventing the situation from worsening.
Paul, standing nearby, wasn't in a much better situation. The woman's downward momentum was inevitable, and Paul had no way to stop it. He could only hug her and gently lower her to the ground to prevent her from getting hurt.
Although it was highly inappropriate, the scene was slightly comical. Friends had come to visit, and instead of exchanging pleasantries or catching up on recent happenings, they had gone straight to the hospital and started bustling around without any formalities.