Reborn in Hollywood

Filming is still ongoing.

One day in late April, Li Rui had just finished a car chase scene and was resting in a corner of the set when his phone rang.

I picked it up and saw it was a call from Ali.

"Raphael, I have good news."

Li Rui wiped his sweat with a towel.

"Hurry up and tell me."

"Disney has sent me an audition invitation."

Ali's voice was filled with obvious excitement, "A pirate movie, the second male lead."

Li Rui was stunned for a moment.

Pirate movies?

The second male lead?

Several keywords flashed through his mind: Disney, pirates, 2002—

Pirates of the Caribbean!

Will Turner, the little blacksmith.

The role originally intended for Orlando Bloom.

"What kind of pirate movie?" Li Rui asked knowingly.

"I haven't received the full script yet, but I've made some inquiries—"

Ali lowered his voice slightly, "The production company is Jerry Bruckheimer, the director is Gore Verbinski, and I heard they cast Johnny Depp as the male lead. This is definitely an A-list production!"

Li Rui leaned against the gym wall, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Pirates of the Caribbean.

The curse of the Black Pearl.

Elizabeth Swann.

And then there's Captain Jack Sparrow, with his swaying gait.

When is the audition?

"Next Monday, Disney Studios."

Ali paused for a moment, then said, "You're still filming Fast & Furious, I wonder if that will delay the filming..."

"There's still time!"

Li Rui interrupted him, "You can go to the audition on a separate day. My progress is going well, so it won't delay the filming."

Arika paused for a moment, then continued, "Are you sure you can get this role? It's a Disney project, and the producer is Jerry Bruckheimer!"

Li Rui smiled.

How will you know if you don't try?

After hanging up the phone, Li Rui was filled with emotion.

Pirates of the Caribbean – this series later had five films made, grossing billions worldwide!

Although Will Turner is not the main protagonist, he appears throughout the entire series and is undoubtedly one of the key characters.

If he lands this role, he'll have another series that can run for ten years.

Fast & Furious, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Star Wars prequels.

Three series are enough for him to establish himself in Hollywood.

As for Orlando Bloom—Li Rui didn't have any ill feelings towards him; the Elf Prince was indeed suitable for that role.

But since the opportunity has been presented to us, there's no reason not to seize it.

He picked up his phone and sent a short message to Ali.

"Arriving on time Monday."

That evening, Li Rui returned to the hotel, took a shower, and lay in bed, his mind still preoccupied with the audition.

As he pondered, his eyelids grew heavier and heavier.

Then--

dark.

A pungent, damp smell.

The rattling sound of iron chains.

Li Rui suddenly opened his eyes.

It was dark all around, with only a faint light coming in through a small window overhead.

The ground was covered with moldy straw, and there were traces of rats crawling in the corner.

He looked down at himself—wearing a dirty linen shirt, with iron handcuffs on his wrists, the chains attached to the wall.

prison.

Li Rui paused for a second, then quickly scanned his surroundings.

This is not the hotel he is staying at.

This was not anywhere he was familiar with either.

A rustling sound came from the cell next door.

Li Rui turned his head and, in the dim light, saw a man squatting in a corner, picking his teeth with a bone.

Smoky makeup.

Dirty braid.

A worn-out tricorn hat.

And those eyes that are always half-drunk and half-awake.

Captain Jack Sparrow.

Li Rui's pupils contracted slightly.

Pirates of the Caribbean.

He actually came in!

And it happened at this particular time—in the original storyline, Jack had just been imprisoned in Port Royal and was waiting to be executed the next day.

Will, the blacksmith, will come to him a few hours later to save Elizabeth. The two make a deal to escape from prison together and chase after the Black Pearl.

But Li Rui didn't want to wait.

He knew what was going to happen next—Barbossa would attack with an army of the undead, Port Royal would descend into chaos, Elizabeth would be kidnapped, Will would go to find Jack, and then a series of adventures would begin.

But what if we act in advance?

What if we could leave Port Royal before Barbossa and go straight for the Black Pearl?

Li Rui flexed his wrists.

The handcuffs were nothing to him; he could easily open them with a gentle twist of the Force.

But the man next door—if I run now, he'll definitely catch up.

Li Rui glanced at Jack.

Jack was also looking at him, and paused for a second while picking his teeth.

"Yo."

Jack spoke, his voice languid, "New here? What did you do wrong?"

Li Rui ignored him.

He stood up and walked to the cell door. The gaps between the iron bars were wide enough for a person to squeeze through sideways, but not if he was in handcuffs.

He looked down at the iron handcuffs on his wrists.

The Force surged.

Click.

The handcuffs came off and fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

Jack next door stopped picking his teeth.

Li Rui kicked the handcuffs aside, squeezed past the railing, and landed in the corridor.

He looked up at the end of the corridor—the guard was still dozing off and hadn't noticed the commotion.

He had just taken a step when he heard a flurry of activity behind him.

"Wait, wait, wait—"

Jack leaned on the railing, his eyes wide open.

"How did you do that? How did the handcuffs come off? Who are you?"

Li Rui turned to look at him.

"You wanted to come out?"

Jack nodded vigorously.

"I want to, I really want to."

Li Rui thought about it.

In the original storyline, Jack is a troublemaker, but also an indispensable guide.

Without him, even if you know the plot, you can't find the Black Pearl's course.

He went back and gripped the chains on the cell door.

With a jolt of force, the iron chains snapped.

Jack paused for a second, then quickly crawled out, patted the straw off his body, and grinned broadly.

"Thank you, thank you so much."

He leaned closer to Li Rui and lowered his voice, "Now, which way do we go?"

Li Rui didn't say anything and walked directly to the end of the corridor.

The guard was still dozing off, his head nodding off.

Li Rui walked behind him and gently pressed his hand on the back of his neck.

The guard collapsed limply, without uttering a sound.

Jack caught up, glanced at the fallen guard, and then at Li Rui.

"Dude, your technique—" he lowered his voice, "which ship are you from?"

Li Rui ignored him.

The two walked through the corridor, pushed open a side door, and found themselves in a narrow alley. The cobblestones of Port Royal gleamed damply in the moonlight.

The sound of waves could be heard in the distance, along with faint music—some kind of celebration was taking place in town.

Jack took a deep breath and opened his arms.

"Freedom, what a wonderful taste—"

"Shut up."

Li Rui interrupted him and listened intently.

He heard other sounds.

Footsteps. Light and hurried, coming this way.

A slender figure rushed out from the other end of the alley and almost bumped into Li Rui.

girl.

She was seventeen or eighteen years old, with golden curly hair and bright blue eyes, wearing casual clothes that she had clearly sneaked out of her bedroom.

She was carrying a bundle and was panting as she ran. When she looked up and saw Li Rui and Jack, she froze.

"Elizabeth Swann?"

Li Rui's lips curled up slightly.

This was an unexpected delight.

Elizabeth's expression changed from shock to horror.

She turned to run, but Li Rui was faster.

He stepped forward and pressed his hand on her shoulder, the pressure light but enough to immobilize her.

"Don't shout." Li Rui's voice was soft, but it carried an undeniable force.

Elizabeth's mouth opened and closed again.

She stared at Li Rui, her eyes filled with fear and anger, but she didn't actually scream.

Jack came closer and circled around Elizabeth, his smile growing even brighter.

"Miss Swann? The Governor's daughter?"

He clicked his tongue twice. "This is truly an unexpected bonus."

Elizabeth's face flushed red.

"What do you want? My father will—"

"Your father can't take care of you right now."

Li Rui interrupted her and glanced back at the end of the alley.

The noise from the town seemed closer; it was unclear whether it was the discovery of a prison break or something else.

He made a decision.

"Take her with you."

Jack raised an eyebrow.

"Bring it? Dude, this isn't as simple as bringing a bottle of rum—"

Li Rui ignored him.

He released Elizabeth's shoulders and instead gripped her wrist, not with much force, but enough to prevent her from breaking free.

"Come with us."

Elizabeth struggled for a moment, but it was no use.

She looked up at Li Rui. The moonlight shone on his face, highlighting his sharp features and the unsettling calm in his eyes.

"Are you crazy? My father is the governor—"

"I know."

He will send people to arrest you—

"I know."

"Then why—"

Li Rui didn't answer, but simply pulled her forward. Elizabeth stumbled a couple of steps and was forced to follow.

Jack followed behind, muttering things like "kidnapping," "trouble," and "I've never met a normal person in my life," but he didn't slow down at all.

The three of them made their way through the alley and headed towards the port.

There were more than a dozen ships of various sizes docked in Port Royal's harbor.

The most eye-catching was the three-deck warship—HMS Dreadnought, one of the Royal Navy's most powerful warships.

Jack glanced at it, and his expression changed.

"Dude, you're not thinking of taking over that ship, are you?"

Li Rui did not answer.

He walked straight toward the Intrepid, still holding Elizabeth in his hand.

The girl had struggled all the way, and now she had no strength left. She just looked at him with a complicated expression.

Three guards patrolled the deck, their torches flickering in the night wind. Li Rui released Elizabeth's hand and whispered, "Don't move."

Then he moved.

Elizabeth only saw a dark shadow flash by, and the three guards slumped limply against the ship's side as if their bones had been removed.

There was no sound, no resistance, and not even a chance to sound an alarm.

Her eyes widened in disbelief at what she was seeing.

Jack patted her on the shoulder.

"You'll get used to it, honey. This guy isn't normal."

Elizabeth ignored him and just stared at Li Rui's back.

Li Rui walked up the gangway and glanced back at them.

"Keep up."

Inside the cabin, more than twenty sailors were fast asleep.

The sounds of snoring rose and fell, mingling with the stuffy air in the cabin.

Li Rui stood at the cabin door, and the Force spread out like invisible waves, sweeping over every bed.

He needs to wake everyone up.