The Greatest Showman - Chapter 1036: The Audience Is Boiling

Robin was deep in thought. He had to be crazy.

Even as he felt a wave of scorching heat radiating off the crowd, Robin still couldn't fully grasp the situation. He was standing in the midst of a throng of people, shoulder to shoulder, unable to move. His curiosity had indeed gotten the best of him.

Looking around, he noticed the once-empty pedestrian paths had become packed. The sea of people had grown exponentially, completely swallowing up Rockefeller Plaza. And it showed no signs of stopping.

He raised his head, gazing at the towering skyscrapers above. From the glass windows, people could be seen standing, looking down at the chaos with excitement and curiosity. To them, this was a spectacle in itself.

Robin stood at the edge of a railing on the ground floor, the expansive central square unfolding before him. At least from here, the view was spectacular. He could see everything, and it provided some comfort. His hope was that by 10:30 AM, the crowd might thin out enough to allow him to slip into the nearby office building and make it to his meeting.

Ten thousand people? No, this was more than that.

Robin doubted the reported number. Even if 15,000 people were here, the suffocating heat and intense crowd pressure would be enough to overwhelm the small square. He felt as though an active volcano might erupt beneath his feet, and he would have believed it.

A faint sound echoed above, drawing his attention. Looking up, Robin saw a helicopter hovering overhead, its presence almost surreal. His jaw dropped.

A helicopter broadcasting live?

"Good morning, everyone," the host's voice rang out. "This is the air crew of NBC, broadcasting live over Manhattan Island, New York. Below us is Rockefeller Plaza. Today, the cast of Edge of Tomorrow, led by Renly Hall, will be attending the Today Show to participate in an on-site interview. Although the details of today's surprise are being kept under wraps, excitement and speculation have been building."

The host continued with background details, noting that Edge of Tomorrow had become the third movie of the year to surpass $100 million in box office sales, adding to the summer's fervor.

As the camera panned, it showed the immense crowd below, with unofficial estimates putting the number at over 10,000. The plaza was now packed to capacity, and the audience kept pouring in. The streets surrounding Rockefeller Plaza were jammed, from 48th Street to 51st Street, and both Fifth and Sixth Avenues were completely filled with people.

More alarming, the crowd had spilled out, causing complete traffic paralysis on nearby streets. Forty-fifth Street to the south, Fifty-third Street to the north, and Third and Ninth Avenues to the east and west were all gridlocked. The police had been dispatched to clear the crowds, and subway stations in the area had been temporarily shut down.

The helicopter camera captured an aerial view of the chaos, with the plaza surrounded by three layers of people. The crowd had overwhelmed Manhattan Island, with cars backing up into other parts of the city. The intense midday heat and the throngs of people made the scene feel like a desert, a heatwave in the middle of winter.

As Robin surveyed the sea of people, he felt small, insignificant, and disconnected. But from above, in the helicopter's live broadcast, the sight was magnificent, pushing the Today Show ratings into overdrive.

The footage alone drew over three million viewers—an unprecedented number for a morning program. By the time the Today Show went live, viewership soared to 8 million, a new record for morning shows since the 1990s. The magnitude of the broadcast was mind-boggling.

As the helicopter prepared to leave, a sudden, intense sound reverberated from below. The host stopped speaking, momentarily silenced by the noise. She could hear it too—an odd rhythm, building and growing louder.

"Slap, slap, slap!"

The beat was simple, yet so powerful. The rhythm was clear: people were clapping, arms raised high in unison. The collective sound swelled, building in intensity until the whole crowd was a massive, synchronized force. The energy was contagious, as if the very air had come alive.

Even the host, overwhelmed by the spectacle, exclaimed, "God, what are we witnessing?"

Robin, still caught in the frenzy, looked around in confusion. He was 45 years old, and it had been years since he'd felt the wild energy of youth. The scene before him was strange, but exciting. He didn't fully understand what was happening, but the crowd's energy was magnetic.

Although unsure of what was going on, Robin hesitated, then reluctantly raised his hands. The suit he was wearing felt out of place, but no one seemed to care. He noticed a pair of friendly eyes on him, smiling in encouragement, and he joined in.

He clapped along with the crowd, unsure of the meaning behind it all, but slowly his body relaxed into the rhythm. The energy of the crowd felt like a wave washing over him, and soon a smile crept up on his face.

"What's going on?" Robin asked a stranger beside him.

"Ophelia," the stranger shouted back, the excitement clear in his voice. "Renly's song, from February's One Man's Concert. It's become the anthem of support, like a slogan for Don Quixote."

"What?" Robin didn't quite follow, but the stranger pointed to his T-shirt, emblazoned with the words "There's no courage without fear," along with a signature from Alexander Skarsgård.

Robin still didn't understand, but he smiled and nodded. With the rhythm pounding in his ears, he couldn't help but join in the chaos, clapping and jumping as the beat continued to build.

After what felt like hours, a figure finally appeared on stage.

There was no grand introduction. No buildup. The figure simply stepped into the spotlight, and for a moment, the crowd fell silent. The energy shifted from feverish excitement to a hushed anticipation. The crowd, still holding its breath, eagerly awaited the appearance.

"Hey, good morning, New York. I'm Renly Hall," the voice broke the silence.