Reborn in Hollywood

Philip paused for a moment.

"This is……"

"Buy stocks."

Li Rui explained, "Take advantage of the fact that they are still at low prices and buy now."

Philip stared at the paper for three seconds, then looked up.

"Raphael, are you serious?"

"Seriously."

Philip put the paper down and rubbed his temples.

"I can understand buying an Apple product. Although it has plummeted in the past two years, it is still an established company with a solid foundation. With a market value of over seven billion, throwing in 1500 million won't even make a ripple."

He paused, then continued, "But Nvidia..."

Li Rui raised an eyebrow.

What happened to Nvidia?

Philip typed a few words on the computer and turned the screen around.

"See for yourself."

Li Rui leaned over and took a look.

Nvidia (NVDA) current stock price: approximately $15

Total market capitalization: Approximately US$22 billion

Average daily trading volume: approximately 200 shares, approximately US$3000

Philip pointed to the screen.

"1000 million is equivalent to one-third of the daily trading volume. If you buy it all at once, the stock price can rise by several points! If the market finds out that someone is buying up shares, and people follow suit, it might even hit the daily limit."

Li Rui nodded.

"so what?"

"So we have to buy them slowly."

Philip explained, "By splitting it into batches over days or even weeks, we can minimize the market impact as much as possible."

Li Rui nodded and pointed to the third name.

"What about this one?"

Philip glanced at it, and his expression became subtle.

He tapped a few keys on the keyboard and brought up the new data.

Monster Beverages (MNST) current stock price: approximately $0.5

Total market capitalization: approximately US$4500 million

Average daily trading volume: approximately 20 shares, approximately US$10

Li Rui was stunned for a moment.

"So little?"

"That's all there is."

Philip leaned back in his chair. "You've thrown in 5 million in one go, which is equivalent to a month's worth of trading volume. This stock could shoot straight out of the atmosphere and rise from 0.5 to 500 dollars."

He paused.

"And then what? The Securities and Exchange Commission will notice that someone is manipulating stock prices. They will investigate the source of funds, the trading records, and you as a person."

Li Rui scratched his head in frustration.

Philip continued.

"Rafi, I know you want to make money, and I know you must have another 'inspiration,' but this way of doing things is too wild."

Li Rui shook his head helplessly.

"You're right, playing like this really won't work."

Philip breathed a sigh of relief.

"So you're giving up?"

Li Rui continued to shake his head.

"Don't give up, we can try a different approach."

Philip was taken aback.

"What kind of gameplay?"

Li Rui looked at him.

Goldman Sachs.

Goldman Sachs?

"right."

Li Rui stood up and walked to the window. "Let professionals handle professional matters. If we buy Nvidia and Monster Energy ourselves, we'll definitely be watched. But if Goldman Sachs handles it, it'll be a different story."

Philip frowned.

"You mean...we'll have Paulson buy it for us?"

"right."

Li Rui turned around and said, "He has the best trading team, the most secretive channels, and the most compliant operating methods. 500 million is a huge sum for Monster Beverage, but it's just pocket change for Goldman Sachs."

Philip thought for a moment.

"That's one way, but then Goldman Sachs would know your entire investment plan."

Li Rui laughed heartily.

"If you know, you know."

Philip frowned.

Aren't you worried?

"What are you worried about?"

Li Rui walked back and sat down in a chair. "I bought these stocks as a long-term investment. I don't plan to sell them in five, ten, or twenty years. So what can Goldman Sachs do even if they find out?"

He paused.

"Even if they intend to buy in, it will only make these stocks rise faster, which I would be happy to do."

Philip thought for a moment, then shrugged.

"You're quite optimistic."

"Then it's settled."

Li Rui picked up his phone and found Paulson's number.

The phone rang twice, and a steady voice came from the other end.

"Mr. Li."

Li Rui smiled.

"Mr. Paulson, excuse me."

"No need to bother you. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Li Rui briefly explained his investment ideas.

Paulson responded immediately after hearing this.

"It's a small matter. I'll have someone from the trading team contact your brother. Don't worry, these stocks will be bought up cleanly, leaving no trace."

Li Rui thanked him and hung up the phone.

"Done!"

Philip nodded, then suddenly asked another question.

"Raphael, how do you know these stocks will go up? Apple is one thing, but Nvidia and Monster Energy—one makes graphics cards, the other sells drinks—what makes you so bullish on them?"

Li Rui looked at him, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Would you believe me if I said it was intuition?"

Philip rolled his eyes.

"The usual, right? Okay, I won't ask anymore."

He stood up and walked to the window, muttering something under his breath.

"Anyway, you never make a mistake..."

Li Rui smiled and looked out the window as well.

The weather in Los Angeles is perfect today, with the Hollywood Hills shimmering in the sunlight in the distance.

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

The night before he was to officially join the Pirates of the Caribbean crew, Li Rui lay in bed, thinking about how he would be flying to St. Vincent Island the next day to join the crew, and he didn't feel nervous at all.

Pirates of the Caribbean, Captain Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann...

He knew these roles by heart.

As for swordsmanship training?

In reality, no one can rival him!

Jessica was lying next to him, already asleep.

Her breathing was even, and there was a slight smile on her lips; she was probably having a sweet dream.

Li Rui glanced at her and gently smoothed the stray hairs on her forehead.

Then close your eyes.

Sleepiness crept in.

When I opened my eyes again, the scenery around me had completely changed.

It was no longer the bedroom of the Malibu villa, but a small, metallic room.

The walls were gray-white alloy, and a lamp emitting a cold white light was overhead. A faint smell of machine oil filled the air.

Li Rui sat up and looked down at himself.

She was still wearing the same T-shirt and sweatpants she wore before bed, but now she had a pair of gray ankle boots that she didn't know where they came from.

He stood up, walked to the wall, and touched the cold metal surface.

It feels so real!

The touch, the temperature, even the slight vibration—it felt like some huge machine was running in the distance.

Li Rui took a deep breath.

It's a dream world again.

The question is, where is this time?

He walked to the door, which was made of transparent glass, and outside was a corridor.

The corridor was lined with identical metal doors on both sides, and at the end, several people in gray uniforms walked by, carrying guns.

Li Rui's gaze fell on the uniforms of those people.

He wore a gray jumpsuit with a logo on the chest—a circular badge engraved with symbols he couldn't understand.

His pupils contracted slightly.

He had seen this sign before.

In The Matrix 4.

Io City.

Before Li Rui could think about it further, a series of hurried footsteps came from the end of the corridor.

Several fully armed soldiers rushed over, pointing their guns at him.

"Don't move! Hands up!"

Li Rui did not resist.

He raised his hands and let those people drag him out of the room.

He walked through a long corridor, took an elevator, and was finally led to a larger space.

This place is like a command center, with screens and consoles everywhere, and dozens of people working busily.

A woman was sitting in the chair in the center.

He was old and frail, with a full head of white hair, but his eyes were still sharp.

Naobi.

A former human resistance fighter, Morpheus's second-in-command, Trinity's friend, and now the leader of Io City.

Li Rui looked at her and silently calculated the timeline in his mind.

The story of The Matrix 4 takes place sixty years after Neo and Trinity's deaths.

The fact that Naobi has aged so much shows that the world has gone through a long period of time.

Naobi was also sizing him up.

"Where are you from?"

Her voice was hoarse, but it still carried an undeniable air of authority.

After thinking about it, Li Rui decided to tell the truth.

"I can't say."

Naobi stared at him.

The surrounding soldiers gripped their guns tightly.

Li Rui did not react.

He just stood there, letting those people point guns at him, his face expressionless.

Naobi stared at him for a long time.

Then she waved.

"Lock him up first, then you'll have plenty of time to talk later."

The soldiers escorted Li Rui away.

The new cell was similar to the previous one, only smaller and more stuffy.

A metal bed, a toilet, and a vent in the wall that hums.

Li Rui sat on the bed and closed his eyes.

He did not resist.

It's not that I can't, it's that I don't want to.

Humans and machines in this world have been fighting for over a century, and are wary of outsiders.

Any aggression he displays will only complicate matters further.

Perhaps we should observe first.

After an unknown amount of time, the cell door opened.

A young woman walked in.

She was wearing a gray jacket, had short hair, and her features had an Asian-mixed appearance.

She wasn't particularly beautiful, but she had bright eyes and a defiant spirit.

Bagos.

The first female supporting character in The Matrix 4, and also the most memorable character in the entire movie besides Neo and Trinity.

She acted in "The Iron Fist" and "Luke Cage," her action scenes were clean and crisp, and her personality was straightforward.

Li Rui didn't have any special feelings for her—she wasn't his type—but he admitted that her performance in the movie was commendable.

Baggs sat down opposite him and stared at him for a few seconds.

"You are not one of Io's people."

Li Rui raised an eyebrow.

How did you know?

Baggs pointed to his eyes.

"The eyes of the people of Io are born and raised here. They have never seen the outside world in their lives. Their eyes are very... innocent."

She paused, then added, "But you're different."

"What's different?"

Li Rui countered with a question.

Bagos frowned slightly, his words filled with hesitation.

"You give me a very special feeling, like... you know us very well?"

Li Rui smiled.

"You're very observant; in a sense... that's true!"

Bagos shrugged.

"This is my job."

Li Rui suddenly spoke up.

"Can you take me to the Machine City?"

Bagos paused for a moment.

"Mechanical City? What are you going there for?"

Li Rui did not answer.

Bagos stared at him for a few seconds, seemingly trying to glean an answer from Li Rui's expression, but clearly couldn't discern anything.

So Bagos shook his head.

"Impossible."