Scott Speedman, born in 1975, was once a competitive swimmer who even competed in the Canadian Olympic qualifying trials. Unfortunately, due to injuries, he couldn't continue his athletic career and transitioned to acting.
Tall, handsome, and sunny, Scott quickly made a name for himself. Just three years after entering the industry, he landed the lead role in the TV series "Felicity." Although the show wasn't a massive hit, it performed well enough to secure four seasons. The series' producer was none other than the now-famous J.J. Abrams.
Undoubtedly, Scott was also seeking opportunities to break into the film industry.
Anson recognized him because Scott later starred as the male lead in the "Underworld" series, alongside Kate Beckinsale, making him the envy of many male viewers.
However, Scott's acting career never really took off.
Anson was somewhat surprised to find that Scott was also a candidate for "Spider-Man."
But perhaps this was a positive sign. From Scott to James Franco, they all had different styles of good looks compared to Tobey Maguire. This could mean that the door of opportunity might be more open for Anson than he had initially thought.
It was unclear what stage Scott had reached in the casting process with Sony and Columbia—whether he was still in the open call phase or had progressed to later rounds.
Clearly, Scott was aware that "Spider-Man" was a rare opportunity for him, and he was determined to seize it. His eagerness was evident.
—He smiled broadly, his body language slightly exaggerated and stiff. His proactive approach betrayed the complex mix of nerves and excitement he was feeling.
Then.
Anson saw Sam lift his head, his eyelids still drooping as if he hadn't fully woken up. He looked at Scott through slitted eyes, his expression calm and unbothered, as if he had seen through everything.
No response.
Scott suddenly found himself in an awkward position, but there was no turning back. He had to press on, biting his lip and refusing to acknowledge defeat:
It was a chance encounter, just a chance encounter!
Scott pulled out a chair and sat across from Sam, gesturing animatedly as he spoke with enthusiasm. But Sam remained expressionless, his face a perfect match for the sloth "Flash" from "Zootopia."
No words, no expressions, no actions—nothing at all. The atmosphere gradually became more and more awkward, reaching its peak.
Sam's nonchalant attitude left Scott in a one-man-show dilemma. Although the surrounding area remained noisy, the air in that corner seemed to freeze.
You could cut the tension with a knife.
Now Anson understood—
The "chance encounter" tactic likely wouldn't work; it might even backfire.
Anson didn't panic. In moments like this, staying calm and rational was crucial.
He pulled his gaze back, keeping only his peripheral vision on the corner while trying to relax. If the morning encounter didn't go well, the upcoming audition was still another opportunity to make an impression, and that was what really mattered.
He needed to act naturally and think about what coffee to order, just like any other customer.
"Double espresso."
"Latte, extra maple syrup."
One after another, the orders were placed quickly, but the pace at which orders were being picked up was slightly slower. Anson's turn was coming up.
Then, at that moment.
A woman in a black suit had just picked up her coffee and was about to take a step when she accidentally bumped into a man who had just finished ordering.
The woman felt like she had run into a wall, her forward motion abruptly halted. She leaned back, and just as she was about to take a sip of her coffee, the sudden interruption caused her to drop it.
"Ah!"
She exclaimed in surprise.
The next second, the man also took a small step back, his balance shifting wildly. As his foot moved backward, he stepped on the foot of another person in line, causing the two of them to stumble into each other, on the verge of falling.
Gasp!
"Ah!"
Cries of surprise, confusion, and panic filled the air, turning the scene into complete chaos.
But in the next second—
Wow!
Admiring and astonished gazes suddenly converged from all directions, focusing on one spot where Anson had just performed an incredible save.
In the midst of the chaos, Anson had instinctively reacted. He knew that the line of people behind him could topple like dominoes, potentially causing injuries. He needed to protect himself.
At the same time, he caught a glimpse of the coffee cup plummeting like a heavy iron ball, realizing the danger. Even if no one fell, spilled coffee could scald someone with its hot liquid.
What to do?
In that split second, Anson remained calm, clever, and lightning-fast in his response.
His left hand acted as a pillar, bracing the backs of the two people in front of him, giving them a slight push forward, creating a buffer to absorb the impact.
Instinctively, his right leg extended, intercepting the falling coffee cup just before it hit the ground, catching it on the top of his shoe in a manner reminiscent of a soccer juggling move.
Simultaneously, his right hand extended outward like a dancer in a tango, opening up his body to maintain balance. Amidst the chaos, he had miraculously hit the pause button just in time.
And so.
A delicate balance was achieved.
The coffee didn't spill, no one fell, and the impending disaster was averted with effortless ease. Only the woman in the black suit stumbled backward into the crowd, looking a bit disheveled. Luckily, her weight was manageable, and the crowd quickly stabilized her.
The chaos had barely begun, but within a single breath, it was brought under control.
The coffee shop fell into a stunned silence, with all the blood in everyone's veins rushing to their hearts, only to be left suspended in a breathless pause.
It took a moment for people to fully grasp what had just happened. As realization dawned, they began to cheer, celebrating the near-miss and the skillful rescue.
"Whoa!"
"Yeah! Woohoo!"
Cheers, applause, and whistles erupted, merging into a vibrant, jubilant atmosphere.
In an instant, all eyes in the coffee shop turned to Anson. As the crowd understood the sequence of events, the applause and cheers grew even more intense. The burning gaze of the crowd could almost be felt on Anson's skin, like a roaring fire igniting around him.
Even customers who had been about to leave stopped in their tracks, pausing their busy lives to witness the scene. Faces of astonishment and disbelief filled the room as they exchanged incredulous looks.
Anson himself felt his heart skip a beat.
It had been an instinctive, self-protective reaction, a split-second decision that minimized potential harm. His mind and body had acted in perfect harmony.
Phew.
He had to thank his recent skateboarding sessions for helping him regain control over his body. The balance and explosiveness of his eighteen-year-old self had come into play at a critical moment.
But even so, Anson couldn't have predicted that such an outlandish, miraculous response would actually work!
Executed to perfection.
Only now could he finally allow himself to relax a little.
"Yeah!"
"Ahhh!"
The entire coffee shop erupted in cheers.
(Third update.)