Reborn in Hollywood

"Raphael, this is your first time starring in a low-budget film. How is it different from a blockbuster?"

"Jessica, what's it like working with Raphael?"

"Are you two really dating?"

Problems came flooding in like a tide.

Li Rui and Jessica handled the situation with ease.

"It feels great. Mark is a great producer, Beeler is a great director, and the whole crew is very professional."

"The experience was fantastic. Raphael was very focused, and acting with him was easy."

"We have a very good relationship, but as for what kind of relationship—you guess?"

The answer was appropriate and flawless.

The reporters got nowhere and could only jot down a few polite words in their notebooks.

The premiere has officially begun.

The lights dimmed, and the screen lit up.

Li Rui and Jessica sat in the front row, holding hands.

Their fans are in the back row.

The young people started screaming from the very first minute of the film, and when they saw the two dancing in the rain, their screams almost lifted the roof off.

Producer Mark Pratt sat next to Li Rui, listening to the screams, his smile growing wider.

He leaned close to Li Rui's ear.

"Congratulations, Raphael."

Li Rui nodded and smiled.

"The same to you."

An hour and a half later, the film ended.

The lights came on, and thunderous applause erupted.

The fans stood up and applauded, some even wiping away tears of emotion.

This reveals the cunning of Global Times.

Most of those who were able to come to the premiere were teenagers, and girls made up the majority of them.

To stir the emotions of these young girls, all you need to do is watch the scene of Li Rui and Jessica dancing in the rainy night; it's like a hormone explosion.

Soon, the cast and crew went on stage to take their bows, which was met with another round of screams.

After the premiere, a questionnaire was set up at the entrance of the Chinese Grand Theatre.

Staff randomly stopped audience members leaving the venue and asked them to fill out a questionnaire.

Please rate this movie; A is the highest score.

The audience members quickly ticked the boxes.

The results came out that evening.

93% positive reviews (Grade A).

Mark Pratt's hands were trembling as he held the report.

"93%...93%..."

He looked at Li Rui.

"Raphael, do you know what this means?"

Li Rui leaned back on the sofa.

"That means we can just sit back and count our money."

Mark burst out laughing.

"That's right, we're going to get rich!"

Three days later, on Monday, September 23.

The box office figures for the opening weekend were released on time.

North America: $4000 million.

In terms of investment costs, it's an absolute box office bomb!

When Li Rui saw the numbers Alibaba sent him on his phone, he was having breakfast at home with Jessica.

Jessica dropped her fork on the table.

"How many?"

Li Rui turned his phone screen to show her.

"4000 million—more precisely, 4137 million US dollars."

Jessica stared at the string of numbers for three seconds.

Then she screamed.

"Aaaaaaaahhhhh!"

She pounced on him, hugged Li Rui's neck, and frantically planted hickeys on it.

"4000 million! 4000 million in the opening weekend! Are we the box office champions last week?"

Li Rui was choked so tightly he could hardly breathe.

"Yes, yes, let go... you're killing me!"

Jessica let go of him, but she couldn't stop smiling.

"Rafael, this is my first weekly crown!"

Li Rui nodded.

"I know, darling, you're going to be famous."

Jessica was just a relatively unknown newcomer in Hollywood before, but after the release of this movie, she will officially become a rising star in Hollywood!

Jessica pounced on him and kissed him hard again; she knew who was responsible for this.

What surprised them even more was the film critics' attitude.

Jessica took a large stack of newspapers and magazines from the mailbox outside the door and read them to Li Rui one by one.

The Los Angeles Times film review stated, "The chemistry between Rafael Lee and Jessica Alba is almost perfect; their love practically overflows the screen. Any normal person could see what was going on between them."

The Hollywood Reporter's assessment was even more direct: "This isn't acting; this is genuine emotion. They're not acting as lovers; they *are* lovers."

Variety magazine focused on the dance: "The two dancers' pas de deux were perfectly synchronized. Even the most discerning dancers could not find any fault with it. This is not something that can be achieved with just one or two months of training. It is the result of both talent and perfect understanding."

Jessica read the list to Li Rui one by one, laughing after each list.

"Rafi, did you see that? They say we were just being genuine!"

Li Rui lay on the sofa looking at Jessica, his smile never fading.

"I saw it."

"They say we're lovers!"

"Um."

Aren't you excited?

Li Rui smiled and asked in return.

"What's there to be excited about? What they're saying is true."

Jessica smiled knowingly, her charming, sweet face seemingly glistening with honey.

Good news followed one after another.

Major websites and Universal's internal sources have predicted that the film's global box office will not be less than $2 million.

Compared to the original film's global box office of just over 100 million, Li Rui and Jessica gave this movie a qualitative leap.

Mark Pratt called immediately.

"Rafael, Global has contacted us."

Li Rui leaned back on the sofa.

"What did Lang Meier say?"

"They want to buy out all the derivative rights: sequels, DVDs, videotapes, television, the internet, games—everything."

Li Rui raised an eyebrow.

"What's the price?"

"Fifty million."

Mark's voice was filled with barely suppressed excitement, "It's the price you initially offered, you get 60%, so you'll get 30 million."

Li Rui nodded.

"That's settled then, as long as you agree."

Mark paused for a moment.

"Aren't you going to talk to them yourself?"

"I'm too lazy to talk."

Li Rui yawned. "You and Ali can discuss it. I trust you."

Mark chuckled dryly twice.

Mark felt a bit choked up, probably because he had never seen a Hollywood star with such a "money-is-dirt" attitude before.

But if he really knew Li Rui's actual total assets at this time, he probably wouldn't be able to sleep at night.

"Okay, I'll go talk to them then."

After hanging up the phone, Jessica leaned closer.

"Thirty million?"

"uh-huh!"

"Are you just going to let them talk like that?"

Li Rui looked at her.

"What's the problem?"

Jessica frowned, looking puzzled.

"It just seems... you're becoming less and less interested in money?"

Li Rui burst into laughter.

"Leave the professional matters to the professionals. I just need to make sure that no one runs away with the money."

Li Rui didn't tell Jessica about how he ruthlessly ripped off the British online gambling company, let alone about the acquisition of Marvel.

He had a big plan: to stop Fox from making the Fantastic Four.

From the very beginning, Li Rui incorporated the Fantastic Four project into Marvel's overall strategy.

However, it did not appear in the first stage, but rather served as the opening piece of the second stage.

There are still nearly two years before Fox invests in filming Fantastic Four, so there is plenty of time.

In Li Rui's opinion, only Jessica Chastain can play the role of Invisible Woman Susan; others such as Kate Mara or Vanessa Kirby are merely mediocre.

The former, in particular, has the figure of an elementary school student. She is arguably the worst female superhero in Marvel movies.

Vanessa Kirby isn't much better off. She was already a mature woman of 36 when she played the Invisible Woman, and her looks and figure were both lacking.

Li Rui couldn't control what Marvel was like in its past life, but now he, Li Rui, had the final say in Marvel!

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

Three days later, Li Rui's phone rang.

It was Mark Pratt calling.

"Rafi, it's done."

Li Rui leaned back on the sofa, while Jessica lay on his lap, browsing magazines.

"How so?"

"Universal has accepted the entire offer: 50 million, including all derivative rights. The contract has already been drafted."

Mark's voice trembled with barely suppressed smugness. "When are you free to come over and sign this?"

Li Rui thought about it.

"I'll have Philip come with me in the next couple of days."

"Okay, call me when you arrive."

A few minutes after I hung up, Ali called again.

"Rafael, Universal has contacted me. You know about the signing, right?"

"I just found out."

"That's fine then."

Ali lowered his voice, "There's something else I need to tell you—we've received news from the Pirates of the Caribbean."

Li Rui sat up a little straighter.

"When will you turn it on?"

June 9th.

Ali said, "You have to join the group early to get used to it and also receive sword training."

Li Rui was stunned for a moment.

Does he still need swordsmanship training?

Okay, I may not need it, but I can't say that outright.

"Okay, I understand."

Ali gave a few more instructions and then hung up the phone.

Jessica peeked out from behind the magazine.

"Are you leaving?"

"Not yet. Filming won't start until October."

Li Rui looked down at her. "Reluctant to part with her?"

Jessica pouted.

"nonsense."

Li Rui smiled, then bent down and kissed her.

"There's still time, no rush."

Two days later, Li Rui drove to Philip's studio.

It's called a studio, but it can't really be called a studio anymore—since Raphael Lee Productions officially opened, Philippe has rented an entire floor of office space.

A gleaming bronze plaque hung at the entrance, and a blonde girl sat at the front desk. Her eyes lit up when she saw Li Rui enter.

"Mr. Li!"

Li Rui nodded.

"Is Philip there?"

"Yes, he's interviewing new employees."

The receptionist pointed to the end of the corridor, "The last office."

Li Rui walked down the corridor.

The office door was ajar, and Philip's voice could be heard from inside.

"I've reviewed your resume. You graduated from UCLA with a relevant degree and previously worked at Warner for two years..."

Philip suddenly countered, "But I'd like to know, why do you want to join our company?"

A young man's voice rang out.

"Because I think this company has potential. Raphael Lee is the fastest rising star in Hollywood. Working for him won't be a mistake."

Philip smiled.

"What's on your mind?"

"I guarantee it's all the truth!"

Okay, I like the truth.

Philip closed the folder. "Go back and wait for our notification. I'll get back to you within a week."

The young man stood up and walked out.

He passed by the door and saw Li Rui, paused for a moment, and then quickly nodded.

Li Rui smiled.

"come on."

The young man left, flattered and surprised.

Li Rui pushed open the door and sat down opposite Philip.

"What about the interview?"

Philip leaned back in his chair.

"Yes. The company is growing, so we need to hire more people."

He looked Li Rui up and down. "What brings you here?"

Li Rui didn't say anything.

He looked around the office—floor-to-ceiling windows, solid wood desks, various certificates and licenses hanging on the walls, and a coffee machine in the corner.