The Greatest Showman

“Mr. Hall, your trophy.”

In the backstage area of the Nokia Theatre, Renly received the trophy from the craftsman’s hands. After the awards ceremony, craftsmen engraved the winner’s name onto the standardized trophy base, emphasizing its uniqueness.

Looking at the engraved golden base, each stroke seemed to defy the passage of time, leaving an eternal mark on the trophy. The feeling was truly extraordinary. “Renly Hall,” the words felt both unfamiliar and familiar, like an imprint of his existence.

At that moment, Renly began to understand why great figures often sought to have monuments and statues made or their achievements recorded in black and white in history books. This evoked mixed emotions: excitement, awkwardness, guilt, exhilaration, and a hint of pride.

“Thank you.” Renly gripped the trophy, its weight settling deep in his heart. “Have a pleasant evening.”

“Thank you, and congratulations again on your award,” the craftsman replied with a smile.

At that moment, the backstage area bustled with people, filled with noise and activity. The awards ceremony had ended, but it was still not yet 10 p.m. in Los Angeles, meaning the celebration parties were just beginning. This night—brimming with joy and sorrow, excitement and melancholy—had only reached its prologue. The main event was yet to unfold.

“Hey, there you are.” Hugh Laurie approached warmly, patting Renly on the arm. “Congratulations. Looks like I’ll have to dig out ‘The Pacific’ and watch it now.” His teasing smile was devoid of pretension, carrying a natural friendliness.

That’s how it was with those from Britain’s academic circles, such as Eton College and Cambridge University—they easily became bridges connecting individuals, naturally grouping them as allies of the same faction.

“I’ve watched every season of ‘House’ so far,” Renly admitted openly, prompting a chuckle from Hugh. “It seems tonight you were just a bit unlucky.” Renly didn’t shy away from mentioning Hugh’s sensitivity around being nominated for the fifth consecutive year without winning the award, bringing up the topic himself.

“At least this way, they won’t complain about why Brits keep winning the awards,” Hugh quipped with his signature wit, earning a light round of applause from Renly in admiration. “Any plans for tonight? Is the celebration party already waiting for you?”

“Isn’t the party happening right here?” Renly countered, gesturing to the lively commotion behind him. Everything was self-explanatory—

All the noise, excitement, and fervour seemed to have little to do with Renly. In comparison, the mini-series and movie categories were already less prominent, and Renly, having only appeared in one project, was an outsider in the bustling Hollywood fame game. For a newcomer like him, blending into established circles wasn’t easy.

With a knowing glance, the subtext was enough to provoke laughter. Hugh chuckled, “This is just the beginning. There’s a long road ahead. But tonight, you should celebrate properly. After all, this award didn’t come easily, did it?”

As he spoke, Hugh deliberately cast a greedy glance at Renly’s trophy, causing Renly to burst out laughing.

As Hugh said, the future could wait until tomorrow. Renly would continue exploring his path, but tonight was for celebration—not just for ‘The Pacific’’s success, or a victory in his acting journey, but for triumphing over familial expectations, pursuing his dreams, and carving out his own path. This victory had been a long time coming.

After briefly greeting Rami and others, Renly left the Nokia Theatre on his own. ‘The Pacific’ crew’s celebration party wasn’t set to begin until 11 p.m., and the food at such events was often sparse. So Renly decided to first satisfy his protesting stomach.

Exiting through the theatre’s side door, the bustling night of Los Angeles greeted him with its vibrant energy. The lingering heat of late summer was palpable, and fans still lined the streets, cheering and screaming for their idols. Among them were gossip journalists, their massive camera lenses scanning the streets for post-awards ceremony behind-the-scenes glimpses.

“Renly, over here!”

Before he could react, Renly instinctively turned toward the voice, and a camera flash went off. Renly couldn’t help but laugh lightly. He still wasn’t accustomed to being in the spotlight; hearing someone call his name, he naturally responded, forgetting that reporters were experts at this game.

The reporter—or was it a paparazzi? Renly still couldn’t tell the difference just by their appearance—jogged across the street and stuck close to Renly like a shadow. “How do you feel about winning the award? Did you expect this result? How does it feel to beat Al Pacino to get the award? During your acceptance speech, you specifically mentioned Al Pacino—was that meant as a provocation?”

Renly almost instinctively answered, but luckily, this time, he held back. These reporters were just looking to dig up sensational news, and there was no need for him to respond.

So, Renly flashed a brilliant smile, gentlemanly and polite, and said, “What I need most right now is a hamburger or maybe two chicken wings. Even a bag of fries would do. Not an interview.”

Elliot Cort froze for a moment, his steps coming to an abrupt halt. He then watched as Renly headed toward a nearby food truck. Realizing what had just happened, Elliot couldn’t help but laugh out loud. This young guy was quite amusing. Just as he was about to follow, a loud scream erupted from nearby.

“Penny! Penny! When are you and Leonard getting married?”

Apparently, the two stars of ‘The Big Bang Theory’ had just made an appearance.

This should have been an easy choice: a newcomer with no foundation versus a celebrity couple currently in the limelight. For paparazzi, the latter option required no deliberation. Yet, Elliot hesitated, lifting his gaze to glance at Renly.

By now, Renly had reached the food truck, where four or five people were already in line. He obediently joined the end of the queue, waiting his turn like everyone else. The scene was unexpectedly comical, and Elliot was genuinely tempted to continue following him. But…

A second glance at the celebrity couple now within his view made him grit his teeth and chase after them instead. Raising his camera high, he pressed the shutter.

Renly looked up at the simple menu posted on the food truck, pondering what to order. He really wanted fried chicken wings—really wanted them—but the truck specialized in pan-seared steak burgers. So…

“One medium-rare steak burger,” Renly said when his turn came. “Black pepper seasoning, all the veggies.”

“No problem!” the cashier, a cheerful young woman, replied briskly. “That’ll be $3.99, please.”

Renly silently thanked his luck. He hadn’t brought any cash with him, but thanks to Rami’s earlier reminder, he’d borrowed ten dollars. Otherwise, this would have been awkward.

As the cashier took the cash, her eyes fell on the trophy in Renly’s hands. “Hey, I know you! You’re the guy from ‘The Pacific’, the rich kid, right? Did you win tonight? Congratulations!”

“Even award winners need to fill their stomachs, don’t they?” Renly’s response made her laugh out loud. Turning back, she swiftly wrapped up a burger for the customer ahead of him. “You’re an interesting guy. Big stars wouldn’t come near a food truck like ours.”

“That’s the thing—I’m not a big star. Otherwise…” Renly raised an eyebrow, his playful sarcasm making everyone around him burst into laughter.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

The young woman chuckled as well. “I’ll make that into a slogan and stick it on the side of the truck. I’m Ophelia. And you are…?”

“Renly.” He said it with complete nonchalance. “If it’s for marketing purposes, you might want to be precise: Renly Hall. It’s better for the publicity. Need me to autograph something?”

Ophelia laughed brightly. “Maybe after you become a big star.” She turned back to apologize to the next customer for the delay, finished wrapping Renly’s burger, and handed it to him. “Enjoy your meal!”

Realizing that his conversation had held up the queue, Renly turned to apologize to the next customer before accepting his burger. “Hope you have great business tonight.” With a polite nod, he stepped aside.

According to the aristocratic upbringing of this life, eating on the street was absolutely forbidden—it was better to starve. In his past life, all his time had been spent at a desk, with no chance to eat outdoors. But tonight, Renly decided to break all of these rules.

Placing the trophy on the curb, he sat cross-legged on the steps, unwrapped the burger, and took a big bite. The juicy steak patty exploded with flavour in his mouth, the savoury taste so satisfying he wanted to shout. It wasn’t Michelin three-star cuisine or a steak from a five-star hotel, but at this moment, it was perfect.

Before Renly could savour the moment, a car roared past, kicking up clouds of dust. Then another car zoomed by, flinging sand directly into his eyes.

Renly froze, and he stood rigid in place. So, perhaps there was a reason for such rules. But… who cares? He resumed chewing, taking another big bite and sighing contentedly as the warmth spread through his stomach. Honestly, a burger was far more reliable than a trophy.

“Mate, that’s the best burger truck in the entire downtown!” a group of young people staggered by, each holding a burger in hand. One of the guys shouted at Renly, clearly unaware of who he was.

Renly raised the burger in his right hand high and shouted loudly, “I completely agree!” The gesture instantly drew cheers and whistles from those around him, with voices echoing in agreement. The atmosphere became lively and spirited.

---

T/N – Notice, Notice, if you don’t know already your favourite translator (just kidding, kidding…or am I?) picked out a new novel, so I present to you a web novel called Match Point, it is a sports novel and I hope you will check it out, you can find more about it on Novel Updates.

T/N – If you like this novel, please give a review or rating on Novel Updates