The bright sunshine bathed the small plaza in front of Century City Mall, creating a warm and sleepy atmosphere. However, the crowd gathered there was abuzz with conversation, making it impossible to fall asleep.
It was an ordinary Sunday afternoon, but the presence of over a thousand people in the small plaza was unusual. Even the Beverly Hills Police Department had sent officers to maintain order.
All eyes were fixed on the center of the plaza, where a tall, muscular young man stood like a mountain.
"What time is it?" A young reporter with a TMZ badge asked an older reporter beside him, "Why isn't Vin Diesel here yet?"
The older reporter took a picture of the plaza's center and checked his watch. "It's ten past three. Vin Diesel is late."
As the young reporter was about to speak, a flurry of camera shutters went off. The photo had triggered a chain reaction, and hundreds of reporters in the plaza began taking pictures, all focused on the man at the center.
"It's just a duel, really," the young reporter said during a brief lull in the photo-taking. "But it has attracted hundreds of colleagues and thousands of onlookers. Isn't that a bit exaggerated?"
The older reporter shook his head. "Exaggerated? Who let him be Matthew Horner!"
Hearing this, the young reporter opened his mouth, then sighed. "Yeah, who let him be Matthew Horner!"
"F@#f! Is that arrogant Vin Diesel not coming?"
Nearby, other reporters began to complain, their voices growing louder.
"Isn't that guy supposed to be full of confidence? Is he scared?"
"Coward! Wimp! He's almost twenty minutes late!"
"If you have the skills, it's called confidence. If you don't, it's just arrogance!"
It was clear that Vin Diesel had a terrible reputation among the media, with arrogance being a widely recognized label.
The young reporter stood on tiptoe, looking around the plaza's perimeter. It was packed with people, but there was no sign of the bald-headed Vin Diesel. He quickly asked his colleague, "Do you think Vin Diesel will come?"
"If it were me, I definitely wouldn't come." The older reporter pointed towards Matthew. "Do you think he dares to fight Matthew Horner head-on?"
He continued analyzing, "Now, all sources confirm that Vin Diesel lost to Matthew and David Ellison in the competition for the 'Fast and Furious' series. Given their past grievances, do you remember Vin Diesel attacking Matthew?"
Seeing the young reporter nod, the older reporter continued, "Vin Diesel lost miserably and probably didn't want to leave empty-handed, so he stirred up trouble by attacking Matthew on social media to gain attention."
"That's right," the young reporter agreed. "I've talked to many colleagues, and they think the same."
"Leveraging controversy is common in Hollywood. It's not surprising Vin Diesel would use it." The older reporter suddenly sneered, "But Vin Diesel didn't anticipate one thing."
The young reporter was puzzled, "What thing?"
The older reporter replied seriously, "He didn't expect Matthew Horner to be so shameless, using such a low, dirty, yet simple and effective method to retaliate."
He didn't elaborate further. His boss had been grooming him and had analyzed this for him, but some things shouldn't be said openly.
As the time passed 3:30, Matthew remained standing in the plaza's center like a cowboy waiting for a duel.
David Ellison, growing impatient, came over and whispered, "It's been over half an hour. What if Vin Diesel doesn't come?"
"He has a plan if he comes," Matthew said calmly. "And a plan if he doesn't."
Since that day of discussing with Helen Herman, he had been actively contacting the media and relevant people, preparing for both scenarios.
"Wait a bit longer?" David Ellison asked.
Matthew nodded, "Wait another half hour. If Vin Diesel still doesn't show up, you can go talk to the reporters."
David Ellison walked away to find Bella Anderson. Miranda Kerr, who had been standing nearby, came over with a bottle of water.
"Thirsty?" She opened the bottle and handed it to Matthew. "Have some water."
Matthew took the bottle and drank a small sip. "Thanks."
"No need to thank me." Miranda Kerr smiled, showing two lovely dimples. "I should be the one thanking you."
She glanced at the nearby reporters, "You let me appear in front of so many media."
"You deserve it." Matthew had been busy during the day and enjoying Miranda Kerr's meticulous service at night. He smiled, "You're great, Kerr."
Seeing some reporters taking photos, Miranda Kerr leaned closer to Matthew and whispered in his ear, "I have something even better for tonight. Want to try?"
She lowered her voice and mentioned something starting with an "A."
Matthew lightly patted her shoulder, "Go get ready for the interview."
"Sure!" Miranda Kerr had been waiting for this moment. "I've been ready for a while."
Half an hour passed quickly, and Vin Diesel still hadn't shown up. The journalists, initially kept at bay by security, moved into the small circle in the plaza. Matthew, however, didn't give interviews and left in a car surrounded by bodyguards.
As Matthew's latest rumored girlfriend, Miranda Kerr was immediately surrounded.
"No one knows better than me if Matthew is a man." Facing the reporters, Miranda Kerr said confidently, "He's as strong as a lion!"
Then she turned to Vin Diesel, "Didn't Vin Diesel say he'd settle this like a man? Matthew waited so long, and he didn't show up? Clearly, Vin Diesel chickened out. He's the coward, a weakling, a man without balls!"
David Ellison, displeased with Vin Diesel since the Victoria's Secret show and earlier sabotage, was happy to say a few words to the reporters.
"Everyone knows Matthew is a tough guy, both on-screen and off." He implied, "Vin Diesel plays a tough guy on-screen and claims to be one in real life. But a tough guy would face the challenge, wouldn't he? What a man he is! Can you still call Vin Diesel a tough guy? He's a wimp!"
Sitting in the car, Matthew watched David Ellison and Miranda Kerr give interviews. Not far away, Paul Walker and Jordana Brewster, who seemed to have hurriedly arrived, were also surrounded by reporters. Everything was going according to plan B.
Paul Walker and Jordana Brewster were, of course, invited by him. They had been furious at Vin Diesel's bullying on the 'Fast and Furious' set years ago.
In essence, Matthew aimed to destroy Vin Diesel's tough-guy persona.
Vin Diesel's career was much narrower than his own, primarily in action roles. Compared to Stallone and Schwarzenegger, Vin Diesel's range was limited, with far fewer expressions.
Exaggeratingly, outside of action roles, Vin Diesel's chances of success in other genres were negligible.
Like Stallone and Schwarzenegger, Vin Diesel's tough-guy image was crucial, both in movies and real life.
Matthew had investigated, finding Vin Diesel arrogant in real life, priding himself as a super tough guy. His supporters loved this image.
When another famous Hollywood tough guy accepted Vin Diesel's challenge for a "manly" resolution, yet Vin Diesel didn't dare to show up, the potential narratives were endless.
If Vin Diesel were on the level of Stallone or Schwarzenegger, a top-tier star, this wouldn't harm him much.
But he was a mediocre B-list actor, arguably barely that given recent film performances.
Matthew found the right opportunity, aimed a big cannon at the mosquito that was Vin Diesel, and Vin Diesel's tough-guy persona was destined to collapse.
Afterwards, no mid-sized or larger action film would risk hiring such an actor. If he appeared as a tough guy on-screen, the audience would think, "Why is this wimp here?" The negative impact on the film would be significant.
That night, as Matthew enjoyed Miranda Kerr's new trick in a Hilton suite, the internet was flooded with criticism of Vin Diesel as a wimp. From major websites to social media and forums, the sentiment was pervasive.
With David Ellison's financial backing, Helen Herman hired numerous trolls, and gossip media eagerly reported these stories.
Vin Diesel's camp tried to fight back, but his voice was too small, and CAA could mobilize too few resources for him.
In the face of overwhelming gossip and troll attacks, Vin Diesel's tough-guy image inevitably crumbled.
"Sorry…"
At CAA's newly moved-in Death Star building, Brock Lesnar told the expressionless Vin Diesel, "Things have reached this point, and CAA can't do anything."
He clearly understood the situation; Vin Diesel had little chance of bouncing back. "The 'Wheelman' crew has rejected your audition. I suggest trying the independent film circle."
Vin Diesel said nothing.
Brock Lesnar earnestly continued, "I've sent your profile to multiple action film crews, and all have rejected it. No mid-sized or larger commercial film will dare to use you…"
"Damn Matthew Horner!" Vin Diesel spat, leaving immediately.
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