Hollywood: The Greatest Showman

Chapter 189: A Gentleman's Promise

Autumn in New York has a grand and magnificent beauty. Renly always believed that as the world's foremost capital, New York should be a city that doesn't discriminate by season—bustling and noisy all year round, with its scenery seemingly frozen in a forest of steel.

But after actually living here, he realized that autumn truly belongs to New York. Missing the vigor of spring, the blossoming flowers of summer, and the quiet tranquility of winter, the autumn here is characterized by dry air that spreads a sense of vast openness. The lazy sunlight wanders between concrete buildings, bringing a touch of green from Central Park and bestowing a unique charm upon the wide streets and winding alleys.

Afternoons like this are too beautiful, making one linger and forget to leave.

Renly spent the entire day at Mount Sinai Hospital, forgetting the noise of Toronto, the heat of the spotlight, and the clamor of the crowds, fully engrossed in his volunteer work. It wasn't until nightfall that Renly hugged Nurse Anita Tunisha goodbye, put his baseball cap back on, and disappeared into the colorful night of New York.

Returning to Pioneer Village, the entrance seemed unchanged—not more crowded and noisy, nor quieter and duller. It felt like just another typical Monday. Renly then realized that during the interview, no one mentioned the filming location of the "Cleopatra" YouTube video, so Pioneer Village remained undiscovered. He had been overthinking it.

Pushing open the dark red wooden door, a familiar medium-low voice of Janice Black rang out, "Welcome." She immediately saw Renly, and her face lit up with joy, "Kid, you're back from Toronto? We were just reading the Times yesterday; you were the star this time! Everyone is eager to get into the cinema now!"

For Americans, there's only one paper that can be so familiarly referred to as "the Times"—The New York Times. Even in Los Angeles, this is the case. This shows the immense influence of the "New York Times" in mainstream American culture.

"Including Stanley?" Renly's question made Janice laugh heartily.

Stanley Charlson was a stubborn old man, a staunch supporter of jazz bars, and a resolute opponent of cinemas. He didn't reject movies but protested the commercialization of cinemas, which he felt was making people forget the essence of art. He was willing to go to Broadway to watch plays and occasionally glimpsed movies in the bar with everyone, but he hadn't been to a cinema in years.

Janice spread her hands with a helpless expression, "We all know how stubborn Stanley is." Clearly, Renly couldn't get Stanley into a cinema either.

Renly spread his hands, showing a helpless expression, "Looks like I need to keep trying." This made Janice chuckle.

Walking into the bar, it was still early, far from peak hours. Being Monday, there were even fewer guests. People were scattered around the bar, chatting in whispers. Upon hearing the door open, everyone looked over, ready to greet the newcomer, only to see Renly's face and immediately broke into delighted expressions.

"Quick, Renly, take a picture with me." Neil, holding a phone, ran over excitedly, "I was chatting with a friend the other day, bragging that I know Renly Hall—the guy who went on a date with Natalie Portman at the Toronto Film Festival—but they didn't believe me. Now I need proof!"

Renly rolled his eyes, dodging Neil's pounce, then walked towards the bar, laughing and chatting with the other waitstaff. Behind him, Neil's voice sounded, "Hey, one picture, Renly, just one!" Neil then sprinted over, throwing his arm around Renly's shoulder, pulling everyone into a group hug, but they all pushed him away with faces of disdain.

Someone quipped, "Renly is valuable now. A picture costs ten dollars!"

Renly gave a disdainful look, "Am I that cheap? Measuring our friendship with ten dollars? At least a hundred!"

Everyone paused, then burst into collective laughter.

Stanley emerged from the back, immediately spotting Renly in the crowd and breaking into a bright smile, "With such a ruckus, I knew it had to be you." The gentle smile was like a father seeing his child return, not overly emotional but filled with warmth.

Stanley stepped forward, gave Renly a hug, welcoming him back, "You've had a tough time." Renly's smile widened as he patted Stanley's back, words of gratitude unspoken yet understood. As they released the hug, Stanley waved at the group behind, "Go, get to work. I'll handle Renly."

Neil wailed, "Stanley!"

But Stanley and Renly ignored him, heading towards a booth, making Neil the target of everyone's teasing again.

After some small talk, Stanley asked, "Last week, a young man named Ed Sheeran came to the bar, saying you recommended him?"

Renly slapped his forehead, annoyed at his forgetfulness—he had forgotten to call Stanley about this. After Sound City, then Toronto, too much had happened in these short two weeks, "Yes, I recommended him. Sorry, I forgot to call you."

Stanley chuckled, "I knew he wasn't lying. After all, not many people know your name now. If he could name you and find Pioneer Village, it had to be true."

Renly relaxed, smiling, "Seems I was quite irresponsible with my first recommendation."

"Glad you realize," Stanley pretended to be stern, then broke into a smile, "I gave him a chance—Monday to Wednesday, three consecutive nights, thirty minutes each. Let's see how it goes. I trust your judgment."

"So, he's coming tonight?" Renly was pleasantly surprised, not expecting Ed to keep the casual promise, "Let's look forward to it. Who else is performing tonight?"

"Another amateur college band," Stanley's brows furrowed slightly with a touch of melancholy, "The recent economy hasn't been great, and the bar's business is hit or miss. A record company approached me, suggesting small concerts here, maybe one a month. I'm considering it."

Renly knew these concerts were essentially commercial performances. Record companies used Pioneer Village's reputation to gild their indie bands, attracting seasoned fans, while Pioneer Village could earn from ticket sales and promote its name. It seemed like a win-win situation.

But Stanley had always refused this approach to avoid commercializing Pioneer Village, which would undermine its authority among hardcore music fans. The idea of hordes of Jonas Brothers fans swarming Pioneer Village was terrifying, potentially marking the beginning of its decline.

Now, with Stanley seriously considering it, Renly realized how dire things were.

Staying true to dreams is never easy. Stanley had persevered for years, which Renly deeply admired. But now, Renly had no right to ask Stanley to keep fighting. Running Pioneer Village wasn't easy, and though Stanley never revealed it, Renly knew it was always a struggle.

Stanley sighed, trying to dispel his worries, "How about performing tonight?"

Renly's expression froze for a moment before he replied playfully, "Was that the whole setup for this question?"

Stanley laughed heartily at Renly's candid response, "Don't think too highly of yourself. I'm just looking at free labor." His sharp retort made Renly laugh too, "Actually, there are only two acts tonight. The schedule was already light. I thought you might want to play, recreating your street performance days with Ed."

Monday business was usually slow, but there used to be at least three acts.

Renly couldn't help but recall Heather's earnest singing today. What would Heather look like on Pioneer Village's stage? Or on "American Idol"?

"I see no reason to refuse." Renly spread his hands, "Besides, I didn't bring my wallet, and I haven't had dinner."

Stanley laughed heartily, "Seems like I've got a good deal."

The bar's door creaked open again, the sound particularly noticeable with so few customers—only two tables occupied. Renly instinctively turned to look, and heard Janice's loud voice, "Stanley, tonight's performer is here."

"He's early," Stanley glanced at his watch, chuckling, "Wonder if he's preparing for the show or, like someone, here for dinner?"

Renly smiled at the teasing, stood up, "Leave it to me." He walked towards the door, spotting Ed Sheeran with his guitar, looking lost like a lamb.

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