In late March, New York was still gripped by the chill of spring, with scattered ice chunks dotting the Hudson River. The frigid waters emitted a biting coldness, weaving through the endless concrete and steel forest. As a light breeze swept by, pedestrians instinctively raised their collars, unable to escape the shivers.
Nathan, navigating through the bustling crowd, was no exception. He tugged at the collar of his overcoat, pushed open the door before him, and briskly entered the warmth of the indoors. There, the atmosphere was alive with the clinking of glasses, cheerful laughter, and a bustling crowd. In an instant, his stiff muscles relaxed as if he had entered an isolated paradise, unaffected by the changing seasons and the relentless march of time. It felt eternal, frozen in a moment of joy, music, and laughter.
He hung his overcoat on the coat rack near the entrance, and his gaze wandered toward the bar. He quickly spotted Neil, nodded to acknowledge him, but was surprised when Neil began making faces, contorting his expression in a comical manner. Nathan was momentarily bewildered, and by the time he realized what was happening, a familiar figure approached.
He considered turning and escaping, but it was already too late. The room was crowded, and all escape routes were blocked.
"Nathan! Where's your boss?" Even before the person reached him, their voice reached Nathan's ears. Within a split second, the voice was followed by hurried footsteps. The person's eyebrows were furrowed with frustration, and Nathan instinctively avoided eye contact, not daring to meet their gaze. "Don't tell me you don't know! You're his assistant, so you must know his whereabouts! It's been three weeks! He can't have completely vanished off the face of the earth! Even if he's dead, he should at least send an obituary!"
The words were certainly spirited.
But Nathan understood there was no malice behind them; it was simply an emotional outburst. So, he mustered a bright smile and politely greeted, "Good afternoon, George," while trying to prove his innocence with his smile.
However, George remained unfazed. He waved his hand dismissively as if swatting away a fly and continued his relentless tirade. "Whether it's a vacation, a trip, or further education, he should have some kind of plan, right? Three weeks is too long to disappear completely from the face of the Earth! Ridiculous!"
With his hands outstretched, George wore a "I'm just trying to reason with you" expression, but his words remained uncompromising and determined. "I can understand him not using Facebook or Twitter, but even his assistant doesn't know his whereabouts? I'm not a journalist; I'm his album producer! I just want to know when the album can finally go into production. I'm not even thinking of rushing him!"
Beyond George's shoulder, Nathan saw Neil behind the bar, his expression a mix of amusement and schadenfreude. Nathan was left with no choice but to endure the situation.
At this moment, Nathan found himself in Village Vanguard, facing none other than George Strand.
"50/50" had officially wrapped up production three weeks ago. After the shoot, Renly had given Nathan a break while he himself packed his bags. Renly hadn't taken a flight or driven a car; instead, he had hitchhiked along the highway, heading out of Seattle without any specific destination in mind.
Before leaving, Renly had told Nathan that his final destination was the Grand Canyon National Park, a haven for rock climbing enthusiasts. He wanted to personally experience the essence of extreme sports and continue challenging himself. However, after that, Nathan hadn't received any messages from Renly.
Nathan had tried calling Renly multiple times, but his phone was always switched off, and he never received a response.
This situation was genuinely worrisome. Eventually, it was Andy Rogers who took the initiative. It seemed like he had anticipated this possibility and calmly activated the global positioning system on Renly's phone to determine his location. During this time, Renly had been at the Grand Canyon National Park, seemingly engaged in a hiking adventure, and he had been on the move every day.
But that was all they knew. Nathan and Andy were still in the dark about Renly's specific circumstances.
Meanwhile, Nathan had returned to New York on his own. Although it was his vacation, he couldn't completely relax. On one hand, he started learning about the responsibilities of a manager, which would help him in his role as an assistant. He knew he had many areas to improve on and needed to constantly progress. On the other hand, he tried to gain a deeper understanding of Renly's habits, preferences, and daily life, aiming to better assist him, and Village Vanguard was the perfect place for that.
As an assistant, Nathan was slowly growing.
Every once in a while, he would come to Village Vanguard, and over time, he grew fond of the place. Even during his leisure time, he would come here, have a beer, and become good friends with Neil Tuson. However, another unexpected visitor showed up during Nathan's vacation, George.
After accidentally finding out that Nathan was Renly's assistant, George began hounding Nathan, asking about Renly's schedule and whereabouts.
Initially, Nathan remained patient and shared whatever limited information he had. But gradually, the situation became more complicated.
Over the past three weeks, George had come to Village Vanguard every day, and at first, Nathan didn't want to jump to conclusions, thinking that George was here to confront him. However, he soon realized that the situation was more complicated. To be precise, George wasn't here for Nathan; he was here for Renly.
Every time he saw George, he would aggressively approach, leaving no breathing room. He employed various tactics—coaxing, threats, bribes, manipulation, and even pleading—all in the hope of extracting information about Renly's whereabouts.
Nathan felt utterly powerless. He had already shared everything he knew, but George remained unconvinced and insisted that he was hiding something. Nathan was at a loss, feeling physically drained.
So, no urging at all? Nathan thought, tears welling up in his eyes.
"George, what if I told you that Renly is in New York right now? What would you do?" Nathan's unexpected response left George stunned for a moment. He didn't know how to respond and hesitated for a moment before asking, "Are you serious? Renly is in New York?"
Nathan's expression didn't reveal anything as he continued, "I mean, if he were here, what would you do?"
George was at a loss for words. Renly was the type of person who was difficult to control. Even if he knew Renly was in New York, even if he managed to contact him via phone, even if he cornered Renly in Village Vanguard, he still couldn't force Renly to work on the album. Renly had initially agreed to do it according to his own schedule, so George's impatience was of no use.
This was a frustrating yet irrefutable fact.
Although he was inwardly frustrated, George didn't show it on the surface. He continued to assert firmly, "I plan to ask him if he's been working on new material lately. Have the previous songs been organized? Is there a compilation I can listen to, like a master tape? You see, making an album isn't a simple task. Just the song selection and conceptualization alone require a lot of time."
Nathan didn't argue further. He simply nodded with a polite smile, as if he were genuinely appreciating George's insights.
George found himself momentarily speechless.
Nathan, the guy he had just met, had seemed plain and honest at first, like someone who would accept whatever came his way. But now, he had become surprisingly cunning, effortlessly shifting from defense to offense. He had almost led George down the wrong path. Indeed, everyone around Renly seemed to be a sly fox, and Nathan had learned from them.
Seeing Nathan's smile, George furrowed his brow, and he said sternly, "Renly is a guy who doesn't take his work seriously. Instead of doing his job, he wanders around. Look at those other celebrities; when they go on vacation, they peacefully relax on a tropical island, sunbathe, swim, and stir up some gossip. But Renly insists on wandering around and engaging in risky activities. What if he gets injured? What if it affects the recording work in the studio? I'm telling you, today's young people are so unreliable! All this "YOLO" whatnot, seeking excitement, enjoying life nonsense, they have no sense of responsibility!"
Nathan mumbled, "But isn't Renly primarily an actor?" After all, they had just completed the grueling filming of "50/50". How could anyone say he wasn't taking his work seriously?
"What did you say?" George's eyebrows shot up, and he was practically bristling with anger.
Nathan waved his hand repeatedly, still smiling as he said, "I mean, isn't a vacation meant to make you work even more diligently afterward?"
Though George knew Nathan's words just now weren't exactly that, he didn't press further. Instead, he nodded in agreement and then put his arm around Nathan's shoulder, wearing a friendly smile as he gently asked, "During the filming of this movie, did Renly create any new music? Are you sure? He's in New York right now, isn't he?"
Faced with George's intimate and enthusiastic demeanor, Nathan felt like crying inside. He knew that George wouldn't just let it end that easily. It seemed like this vacation's trials were far from over.
While Nathan was undergoing his own challenges in Village Vanguard, Renly was facing his own trials in the Grand Canyon National Park.
Under the scorching sun, the landscape stretched out endlessly. There were no trees for shelter, no mountains to block the way. The blazing sunlight was relentless, and the air seemed to emanate waves of heat, capable of evaporating every drop of moisture. Fierce winds blew across the vast plain, where tall grass grew. The accumulated airflow became increasingly intense, like the roar of thunder, sharp enough to cut through every inch of the land.
It was hard to imagine that such a place could simultaneously subject someone to extreme heat and extreme cold, leaving them utterly bewildered.
Renly felt as if his throat was smoking, yet his body was starting to feel feverish. The piercing cold seeped through his pores, ubiquitous and relentless. The contradiction between external heat and internal cold continuously drained his energy and vitality. He felt as though he were walking on a knife's edge.