Harry was trying to get his brain to work, but it was clear that with his pounding headache, it wasn't going to be easy.
Eve, Anson?
Sony Columbia?
What kind of game was being played here?
Colin realized that Harry wasn't in the best condition right now. After tossing out a hint, he continued to speak.
"Their reactions were quite interesting. Some hung up immediately, others stammered nervously, and a few remained calm, as if nothing had happened."
This time, Harry picked up on it. If these people weren't hiding something, their reactions wouldn't have been so strange. His journalist instincts told him something was off. "Wait, who told them to keep quiet? And why? What do they have to do with all this?"
Colin nodded, "Exactly. What's their connection to this whole situation?"
"Right, these actors," Colin continued, "I looked into them carefully. Look at this one, Robert Pattinson. He's a very young British actor, only 17 years old. Right now, his main job is modeling, and he's trying to break into acting, but he doesn't have any work out yet."
"From any angle, an actor like that should have nothing to do with the whole incident. But Eve Wilson handed this list over at this very peculiar moment. Eve, Anson's publicist."
Harry's mind began to clear up. "You're saying this was after Sony Columbia made their official statement?"
Colin nodded, "Half and half. Part of it was because of the official stance from Sony Columbia, but part was due to the public backlash reaching a new high. The anger and frustration about Anson's injury were peaking."
Harry's voice trembled slightly, "You mean this list is connected to Anson?"
Colin smirked, "I had a theory. So, I had my assistant call these people back, pretending to be from Sony Columbia, and arranged new meeting times."
And suddenly, it clicked for Harry.
Auditions!
Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. His knees buckled, and he fell into a chair but quickly shot back up. "You're saying Sony Columbia is planning to replace Anson? Oh my God, they're devils!"
Colin tapped the list in Harry's hand lightly, "That's the devil's contract."
Imagine it: any actor who steps in to replace Anson as Spider-Man would be a target of public scorn. No matter who it was, they'd be crucified.
In other words, if they wanted fame and success, they would have to sell their soul. If this wasn't a deal with the devil, then what was?
Harry exclaimed, "Hell!"
He couldn't help but start pacing the room, his mind racing.
"If this news breaks, Sony Columbia's ugly, sinister side will be out in the open. All the attention will shift to them, and I'll be saved!"
"And not just saved—I'll be a hero for defending Anson. No, this would be my redemption, my salvation!"
"Sony Columbia should rot in hell. Let them cool off down there, ha!"
As Harry got more excited, he almost jumped for joy. But then a thought struck him.
"Why, though?"
Harry looked at Colin, who had a similarly thoughtful expression. "Yes, why? Why did Eve give us this list?"
Eve had this list. She could have released it herself and condemned Sony from Anson's side, rallying the public to her cause.
But she didn't.
Harry thought it through carefully, then blurted out, "She's using us."
As soon as he said it, he froze. The answer was simple: if Anson made the revelation himself, it would mean a direct confrontation between him and Sony Columbia. No matter who won, it wouldn't look good, and what about the future of Spider-Man 2? Or Spider-Man 3?
But if the tabloid exposed the story, Anson could keep his hands clean and continue playing the victim. Whether he stayed for Spider-Man 2 or left heartbroken, Anson would still have the upper hand.
Colin nodded, "It's a devil's contract for those actors, and for us too."
"If we release this, it means we're going to war with Sony Columbia. The fallout will be brutal. All the heat will come down on us."
"The situation might not get any better than it is now."
Journalists vs. Sony Columbia?
The public would love the show, but they wouldn't take sides. All the attacks would land on them.
Harry saw it clearly now. "What if we don't release it?"
Colin shrugged, "Do you think Eve doesn't have a backup plan? I'm sure US Weekly would kill for this list."
"Of course, we could always go in another direction. We could align ourselves with Sony Columbia, help them kick Anson out of Spider-Man 2, and find shelter under a big tree."
Harry knew Colin was joking. The public was overwhelmingly on Anson's side right now, and Sony Columbia was too afraid to act, even though they knew Anson was fighting back. They couldn't risk the backlash of replacing him.
After thinking it over, Harry realized, "We have no choice, right?"
Colin let out a long sigh.
Harry smiled bitterly, "I'm starting to believe this was all orchestrated by Anson."
Colin, who had never faced Anson directly, looked skeptical. "Are you out of your mind? Eve gave this to me. Eve Wilson."
Harry shook his head slowly. "Trust me, this is Anson's move. It's his warning. Next time, I shouldn't try anything stupid. He can send me to hell or heaven, just like that."
Colin wasn't convinced. "Are you sure?"
Harry held up the list. "This is the answer. I can easily escape this mess, but the cost would be becoming Sony Columbia's enemy. But what can they do? Because this war already has a winner, and it won't be Sony Columbia."
Colin looked at the disheveled Harry. "Are you sure? Have you thought this through?"
Harry nodded, "If Eve is using us as the weapon, then so be it. Like you said, US Weekly would pay anything for this list, but Anson gave it to us—to TMZ, to be exact. Not just anyone can be that blade."
Colin sighed dramatically, "You're proud to be a tool now?"
Harry laughed, "Entertainment is a dead end. No one can escape, Colin. No one."
Even if this was a deal with the devil, it didn't matter. The moment they became paparazzi, their souls were already sold to the devil.
By evening, TMZ, which had been at the center of the storm, quietly updated their homepage with a new report. In no time, it went viral:
"Sony Columbia's Strategy: Who Could Replace Anson Wood as Spider-Man?"