Reborn in Hollywood

"This is my favorite toy."

Beckett, being stubborn, suddenly rang the brass bell, the piercing sound instantly echoing throughout the entire ship.

Li Rui did not move.

He simply walked over step by step, stood in front of Beckett, and looked down at him.

Beckett's smile froze.

"Why...why aren't you running?"

Li Rui raised his hand, and the Force transformed into an invisible rope that wrapped around Beckett's neck.

"Because I don't need to run."

Beckett's face turned a deep purplish-red, his hands gripping his throat tightly, but he couldn't break free from that invisible force.

His legs kicked wildly, knocking over chairs, tables, and the cabinet behind him.

Li Rui tightened his fingers.

Just then, Beckett suddenly reached for his waist, pulled out a small musket, and aimed it at Li Rui.

Li Rui's eyes turned cold.

The steel longsword was drawn and pierced Beckett's chest.

Blood splattered out, staining the nautical chart on the wall red.

Beckett's eyes widened, he made a gurgling sound, and the musket in his hand fell to the ground.

Li Rui drew his sword and watched his body slide to the ground.

At the very moment Beckett died—

Boom!

A loud bang came from outside the window.

Li Rui turned his head and looked out. He saw lightning flashing and thunder roaring on the distant sea, and a strong wind suddenly rose.

The dark clouds surged like boiling water, instantly obscuring the moon and stars.

storm.

A massive storm is approaching the port.

Li Rui was stunned for a moment.

He wasn't sure if it was a coincidence or if Beckett's death had triggered something.

But in any case, this is a good opportunity.

He turned and rushed out of the cabin, darting quickly across the chaotic deck.

The sailors were terrified by the storm and ran around in all directions; no one noticed him.

Li Rui jumped off the ship, dived into the sea, and swam toward the flagship of the Dutch fleet.

The deputy governor of the Dutch East India Company—who was also a brigadier general—stood on the deck, staring blankly at the storm in the distance.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of wind behind him. Before he could react, a large hand grabbed his neck and dragged him into the cabin.

"Don't make a sound."

Li Rui's voice rang in his ear, "Or I'll kill you."

The brigadier nodded vigorously.

Li Rui, holding him hostage, jumped off the boat and swam towards the shore.

When we got ashore, the storm was getting closer and closer.

The wind howled, the waves surged, and the rain poured down.

Li Rui, escorting the brigadier general, chased after the Dutch-British allied forces.

The two thousand-plus soldiers were in complete disarray. Some wanted to find shelter from the rain, some wanted to return to their ships, and some simply knelt on the ground to pray.

"Stop right there!"

With a loud shout, enhanced by the Force, Li Rui's voice drowned out the storm's roar.

Everyone turned around and saw him holding the brigadier general hostage, standing on a large rock.

"Make your men surrender!" Li Rui said to the brigadier general.

The brigadier general's face was deathly pale, and his lips trembled.

"I...I surrender..."

The thousand Dutch musketeers hesitated for a moment, then slowly lowered their weapons.

Li Rui turned to the British soldiers.

He took a cloth bag from his waist and threw it on the ground.

The bag rolled around a few times, the opening came undone, and a human head rolled out.

Lord Beckett.

Under the moonlight, that pale face was facing them, its eyes still open.

The British soldiers gasped.

"Your commander is dead."

Li Rui's voice echoed through the storm: "Surrender, or die."

A young British soldier stared at the severed head, his face flushed, and suddenly raised his musket.

boom!

Gunshots rang out, and bullets flew towards Li Rui.

Li Rui raised his hand, and a Force Barrier unfolded in front of him, the bullet hovering in mid-air before falling to the ground.

The soldier was stunned.

Li Rui jumped off the rock and walked towards him step by step.

The soldier wanted to run, but his legs wouldn't obey him. Li Rui walked up to him and swung his sword down.

A head flew off, and blood gushed out.

The surrounding British soldiers were so frightened that they retreated backward.

Li Rui stood in the rain, soaked to the bone, blood still dripping from his sword.

"Who else?"

No one dared to move.

After a while, a middle-aged military officer stepped forward. His uniform was embroidered with the insignia of a colonel, and his face was pale, but he still managed to stand in front of Li Rui.

"I...I ordered a surrender."

Li Rui looked at him.

"What's your name?"

"William Grant, Colonel of the British East India Company Army."

Li Rui nodded.

"Have your soldiers lay down their weapons and retreat over there."

Grant turned around and gave the order loudly.

Two thousand British musketeers silently laid down their weapons, lined up in the wind and rain, and marched in the designated direction.

The storm was getting closer, and the waves were already crashing onto the beach.

Li Rui ordered all the prisoners to be escorted back to the stronghold, and also sent people to the seaside to check on the warships.

But the storm was so fierce that no one dared to approach.

"Never mind."

Li Rui said, "Let them handle it themselves."

Three days later, the storm stopped.

The sea was littered with wood chips, corpses, and tattered canvas. Of the sixty-two warships, fewer than ten remained afloat.

The others either sank or were torn to pieces by the storm.

Li Rui stood on the beach, looking at the mess.

Elizabeth walked up to him.

"What do we do now?"

Li Rui turned and walked back.

"Have someone take inventory to see how much usable stuff is left. At least we've gotten ten warships for free this time."

Back at the base, Li Rui went into his room and collapsed onto the bed.

He hadn't been this tired in a long time.

The months-long military preparations were physically manageable, but mentally exhausting.

The main problem is that there are no truly trustworthy confidants. Including Elizabeth, these people only chose to follow Li Rui because of his amazing abilities, but what if the situation escalates further...

Li Rui really didn't know if these people would betray him.

After all, the Force isn't omnipotent.

Ultimately, the main reason is that he doesn't dare to buy Sith Force skills. Although they offer more assurance in controlling people's hearts, they could also lead him to darkness.

Li Rui didn't want to one day become an anti-human madman filled with demise-inducing ideas.

Sleepiness crept in, and everything became blurry.

-----------------

After an unknown amount of time, Li Rui suddenly opened his eyes.

Sunlight streamed in through the gaps in the curtains and fell onto the bed.

White walls.

The humming sound of the air conditioner.

The faint sound of car horns could be heard in the distance.

Li Rui stared blankly at the ceiling.

He slowly sat up and looked down at his hands.

Clean and tidy, without calluses or wounds, and with a still light white complexion, completely free of the tan and roughness caused by the sea breeze.

He is back!

Li Rui threw off the covers and walked barefoot into the bathroom.

The person in the mirror looked a little pale, but their eyes were still clear.

He turned on the tap, scooped up cold water, and splashed it on his face—once, twice, three times.

Then I dried my face and picked up my phone.

The screen displayed the date and time—April 17, 2002, 7:23 AM.

Less than ten hours had passed since he fell asleep.

But he has been in that dream world for nearly two years.

Li Rui took a shower, changed into clean clothes, and went downstairs for breakfast.

The restaurant wasn't crowded. Paul Walker was already sitting in a corner with a cup of coffee in his hand. When he saw Li Rui come in, he waved.

Li Rui carried the tray over and sat down opposite him.

"Up so early?" Paul asked.

"I can't sleep."

Paul glanced at him.

"You don't look well. Didn't you sleep well last night?"

Li Rui nodded.

"I had dreams all night long."

Paul smiled.

"What dream did you have? Tell me about it."

Li Rui thought for a moment, unsure of what to say.

I can't exactly tell him that I dreamt I traveled to another world, established a base in Singapore, killed Lord Beckett, and stole dozens of Dutch warships.

"It's a mess."

He said, "I forgot about it as soon as I woke up."

Paul didn't ask any further questions, he just nodded.

After finishing breakfast, the two went to the film set together.

Today's scene is a chase scene in the streets of Miami, which will take all day to film.

Director Rob Cohen directed from behind the monitor, the stunt team adjusted the positioning again and again, and Li Rui and Paul sat in the car more than a dozen times until it got dark before they finished work.

Back at the hotel, Li Rui took a shower, lay on the bed, and glanced at his phone.

There was a text message from Alibaba.

[Just a reminder, the audition is in Los Angeles next Monday. The flight is booked; I'll fly back Saturday night, rest Sunday, and have the audition Monday morning. I've already spoken to Neil, and he's approved your leave.]

Li Rui replied with "OK" and put his phone aside.

Next Monday.

Three more days.

He lay down and closed his eyes, but couldn't fall asleep for a long time.

I'm having trouble sleeping.

Li Rui simply sat up, summoned the control panel, and wanted to see how many of those ridiculously expensive "goodies" he had accumulated.

[Raphael Li (Li Rui): Constitution 1.9, Spirit 2.5]

Skills: ... (No new skills added)

Current debt: US$12,000,000

[Next starring role: Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Aclones (Filming completed, released August 16, 2002)]

[Debt Term: $1,000,000 to be repaid before the release of Star Wars Episode II: The Phantom Menace, and $11,000,000 to be repaid before the release of the third film]

Li Rui glanced at it, then his gaze continued downwards.

[Host has been detected to have entered a new movie world: The Matrix series]

[Updating available purchasable items...]

[The Matrix World - Purchasable Items]

I. Matrix System (Virtual Reality Technology)

【Matrix System】

Price: US$1,000,000,000

Description: A complete framework for building a matrix-based virtual world, capable of creating a fully immersive virtual world indistinguishable from reality. Supports an unlimited number of users online simultaneously, each receiving a complete sensory experience. Requires an energy system to operate.

Limitations: Requires powerful computing hardware support; initial build requires a large amount of energy.

II. Brain-Computer Interface and Consciousness Technology

Brain-computer interface

Price: US$1,000,000,000

Description: A neural interface that can be implanted in the back of the brain, enabling direct connection between the human brain and a computer system. Supports consciousness uploading, downloading, and storage. Required equipment for connection to the matrix.

Limitations: Requires surgical implantation, and carries a risk of rejection.

[Consciousness Upload and Download Technology]

Price: US$1,000,000,000

Description: A complete solution for the digitization of consciousness. It can fully upload human consciousness to the matrix system or download digital consciousness to a new biological carrier. Theoretically, it can achieve "immortality."

Warning: The original physical body will still die after consciousness is uploaded. Downloading to a new medium may lead to personality deviation.

[Memory Editing and Implantation Module]

……