Hollywood: The Greatest Showman

Chapter 265: Overwhelming

Vin Diesel was furious, utterly furious. He could see the contempt, disdain, and scorn in those eyes—a gaze that seemed to peer down on him from above, sizing him up with an air of superiority, as if mocking his wretchedness and insignificance without restraint. The shame coursed through him from head to toe, and he was on the verge of losing control.

His eyes were fixed on the man before him, the flames of anger burning intensely, his hands clenched into fists, his muscles brimming with explosive power, causing his body to tremble slightly, as if he might lunge at any moment and beat the other to a bloody pulp, leaving him gasping for breath, barely alive. That would be true torture!

The smile on Hobbs' face slowly faded away, his expression becoming stern and authoritative, his gaze turning sharp, like a sword piercing straight at Dominic. The sudden change in demeanor shifted the atmosphere, making the onlookers around them hold their breath, even stop breathing altogether.

"Now turn around and put your hands behind your back," Hobbs said in a steady voice, his words carrying an undeniable tone of command, like a wave crashing down with overwhelming force.

Dominic slowly turned around, one step at a time, each step as heavy as a thousand pounds, as if he was building up his momentum to deliver a powerful blow. His words squeezed out from between his teeth, "I don't think so!"

Unexpectedly, Hobbs took a big step forward, closing the distance between them instantly. His imposing stance caused Dominic to pause momentarily, clearly not expecting such a turn of events. The flicker of panic in his eyes betrayed his true emotions. He had to tense his muscles, exerting all his strength to maintain his balance, narrowly avoiding a stumble. But then the overwhelming fury erupted within him.

However, before Dominic could utter a word, Hobbs' reproach rained down on him, "Your mistake is thinking you still have a choice, kid."

Hobbs didn't move his feet, but his upper body straightened, his imposing presence bearing down on Dominic like a club. His piercing gaze bore down, examining him like a fish on a chopping board, his dominant aura locking the air around them, fixing Dominic in place. Even the slightest movement could be crushed by Hobbs' might.

The entire place fell silent.

Vin's mind went blank for a moment, the line between reality and illusion blurred. He could even smell the metallic tang of blood in the air, the ruthless and dominant aura pressing down on him like a storm, leaving him unable to breathe, frozen in place like a puppet with its strings cut.

Justin stood nearby, looking anxious.

Vin seemed normal, at least to the eye. His muscles were tense, his fists clenched, his gaze locked on Renly, poised and ready to strike. But Justin could feel the tension in the air, the tautness that made his heart race. He could sense that Renly was gaining the upper hand, his escalating momentum intimidating, making it hard to breathe.

This was good, very good.

Hobbs was aggressive in the first part, and Dominic was supposed to retaliate, the chemistry of the clash was the perfect scene in Justin's mind. Such a Hobbs was simply perfect!

But the atmosphere had stalled, as if it had suddenly jammed.

According to the script, Dominic was supposed to powerfully remind Hobbs that this was Brazil, not the USA, and that he had the home advantage here. Then the extras were supposed to raise their guns—prop guns—and surround Hobbs' small group, shifting the momentum. Hobbs, though unwilling, would have to retreat.

But now, Vin seemed to have lost consciousness, standing there completely stunned, unable to even utter a line, as if... as if Renly's overwhelming aura had completely paralyzed him.

Justin had a bad feeling: "Could it be that Vin lost this battle of wills?"

Impossible! Justin immediately dismissed the thought. Vin was not only the producer but also the undisputed lead, and his confidence was unwavering—even against Dwayne. There was no way he would back down against Renly. Physically, Vin was confident in his superiority.

So, did Vin lose the battle of wills? Impossible!

Then what on earth was happening?

Hobbs looked down at Dominic, his eyes flashing with amusement and scorn, as if he was looking at a fallen clown. His mouth didn't move, but there seemed to be a hint of a smile, a sneer and disdain unintentionally showing. His dominant aura firmly held the entire scene in his grasp, Dominic like an ant in the palm of a giant, all efforts and struggles futile.

Justin thought it was his imagination, but reason told him it was real. Everything was happening, his gaze on Vin. One second, two seconds, three... Vin remained silent, motionless, as if he couldn't muster any struggle, completely frozen.

Yes, frozen.

In this battle of wills, Vin not only lost but lost without any room for argument, utterly crushed.

"Cut!" Realizing this, Justin had to stop filming, the crisp call breaking the spellbinding chemistry, letting a crack form in the suffocating atmosphere, cool oxygen flowing back in.

Anger, fury, rage!

Vin felt his blood boiling with humiliation, utter humiliation! He had just... just stood there, completely overpowered, unable to move a muscle. In his acting career, he had never suffered such humiliation! Especially in a physical confrontation!

Vin clenched his fists, realizing they had been clenched all along, his muscles so tense that lactic acid was flooding in, leaving him feeling drained and sore. He gritted his teeth, ready to swing a punch at Renly! He didn't care about on-set harmony or diplomacy, he just wanted to vent, to teach Renly a lesson!

But as he swung, his muscles protested, their prolonged tension collapsing, leaving him shaky. He stumbled back a step.

He stumbled backward, not forward.

If he had moved forward, he would have crashed into Renly... Luckily, he stumbled back. But he had moved back! He wanted to teach Renly a lesson, yet he stumbled backward. God, he could just slit his throat now, exit Hollywood completely. This humiliation would follow him forever!

He heard the call to cut, but Renly wasn't done, his gaze still locked on Vin, as alert as a panther, ready to counterattack. But then Vin raised his hand, and stumbled back a step, surprising Renly, who hadn't expected such a twist. It was... comical.

Renly wondered if Vin was doing this deliberately to lighten the mood on set. But he thought it unlikely, smirking slightly as he turned to leave.

"Renly!" Paul's urgent call rang out.

Renly's mind raced, and he turned, stepping forward instead of back. Sure enough, he saw Vin charging at him. But Vin misjudged Renly's reaction, and had to brake abruptly, ruining his momentum.

Seizing the moment, Renly stepped forward like a tiger, and coldly said, "Next scene." Implying: "Your performance just now was terrible, do better next time."

The sharp sarcasm mixed with Renly's powerful aura pressed down on Vin, who had barely regained his balance. Renly's towering figure loomed, his presence suppressing Vin. Just standing firm, avoiding a fall, was all Vin could manage.

Seeing the icy disdain in Renly's eyes, Vin's fury froze in an instant, his body rigid with fear, like a cub cowering in a cave, helplessly watching Renly leave, his straight back cutting through the air like a blade.

Vin's knees buckled, and he stumbled back, avoiding an embarrassing fall. How pitiful.