Reborn in Hollywood

The next morning at six o'clock.

Li Rui was awakened by the incessant ringing of the telephone.

He closed his eyes, reached for the bedside table, and held the phone to his ear, his voice clearly still half asleep.

"Unless aliens invade Earth, you'd better have a reasonable explanation—"

"It's more serious than that."

Ali's voice sounded like he was on steroids.

"You need to be in the dressing room for 'Good Morning America' at 7:30 this morning, and enter the live broadcast room at 8:15. Your assistant will be downstairs in twenty minutes. You're not up yet, right?"

Li Rui opened his eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling.

"What time is it?"

"6:03. You have plenty of time to take a shower and get yourself ready. Oh, and the hairstylist will be waiting for you in the studio, so don't mess around with it yourself."

"...I just washed my hair yesterday."

"Raphael, that was yesterday. Today your hair belongs to ABC, a Disney-owned television network. Do as they say."

The phone hangs up.

Li Rui held the phone to his face and let out a sound that was somewhere between a sigh and a low growl.

Since taking on the role of Anakin, he has been practicing Force mind control almost every night, leaving him exhausted as if he had just finished a marathon.

But not today.

Today marks the true start of the Fast & Furious promotional campaign.

He threw back the covers and walked barefoot into the bathroom.

The person in the mirror looks older than their actual age—not because of wrinkles, but because of their eyes.

A nineteen-year-old's face, but the eyes of a twenty-nine-year-old.

Li Rui stared at that face for three seconds, then turned on the tap.

The hot water washed away the drowsiness, and also washed away those thoughts about Coruscant, the Force, and Anakin Skywalker.

Today he is Brian O'Connor.

He wanted all of America to remember this undercover cop who wore blue jeans, drove a modified car, and infiltrated a biker gang.

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

Three hours later, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills.

The Hollywood Reporter's interview was scheduled for 10:30 a.m.

It followed closely behind "Good Morning America".

Li Rui had changed into his second outfit—a dark gray shirt paired with a white T-shirt, which looked both formal and relaxed. The stylist called it "smart casual."

The reporter was a seasoned film critic in his fifties, with gray hair and gold-rimmed glasses.

She introduced herself as Elaine Dumont, and said she had been working on Hollywood films since the 1970s.

"Sit down, don't be nervous."

She gestured for Li Rui to sit down on the sofa opposite her.

Li Rui sat down, adjusted his posture, his legs slightly apart, his back straight but not stiff.

This is what the Jedi meditation course teaches—relaxed but not lax, focused but not tense.

"Let's start with something simple."

Elaine opened her notebook. "You were born in 1982, so you're nineteen this year. This is your first big-screen debut, right?"

"Strictly speaking, yes."

Li Rui looked relaxed. "I acted in a student short film before. The director was from the USC School of Cinematic Arts. The pay was one Chinese meal."

Elaine chuckled: "Is Chinese food worth it?"

"Absolutely worth it!"

Li Rui nodded seriously, "That restaurant's Kung Pao Chicken was the best I've ever had in Los Angeles, and I still go back to eat there occasionally."

"Do they know you're a celebrity?"

"I'm not a celebrity yet."

Li Rui forced a smile. "Just a lucky newcomer."

Elaine glanced up at him. His words were so appropriate, so impeccably chosen, that it seemed unlikely a nineteen-year-old boy would utter them so casually.

"You play Brian O'Connor in the movie, an undercover cop who infiltrates the Los Angeles street racing scene. What kind of connection do you have with this character?"

Li Rui did not answer immediately.

He recalled the first time he drove that modified Toyota into Dominic Toretto's world in his dream world.

That feeling of being in an unfamiliar environment, having to disguise yourself in every choice, and being afraid of truly getting lost.

"Brian is a complex person."

As Li Rui recounted the story, "He chose to become a policeman because he believed in order and law, but what he truly loved was racing—that was his talent, and the moment he came closest to 'freedom.' So when he entered Boss Tang's circle and discovered that he actually had a lot in common with these people, that kind of conflict arose."

He paused.

"I think nineteen is an age full of contradictions. You want to prove yourself, but you're not sure what kind of person you want to become. You want to fit into a group, but you're afraid of losing yourself. Brian's struggle is, in a way, my struggle too."

Elaine was writing something in her notebook.

"This understanding is very mature."

She said, "Universal Pictures' press release mentioned that you beat out several other candidates in the final round of auditions to get the role. Do you know why you were chosen?"

Li Rui certainly knew.

Half of it was the subtle influence of Golden Finger on the top management of Global, and the other half was his half-Jewish heritage.

But he couldn't say that.

I'm not sure.

Li Rui shook his head. "Director Rob Cohen later told me that he wanted a face that was 'street-smart but clean.' He said that many of the actors who auditioned were either too 'actors' or too 'amateurs,' and it was hard to find someone who was just right in the middle."

"So you just happened to be standing in the middle?"

"At the time, all I was thinking about was not messing it up."

Li Rui smiled and said, "Perhaps this mindset has actually helped me."

Elaine closed her notebook and changed her posture.

"One last question—not from the interview, but just my personal curiosity. Are you friends with Paul Walker? I know he was also vying for this role."

This question came as a surprise.

Li Rui remained composed: "We met once, at the Universal Studios coffee shop. He was a very nice person and wished me good luck. I hope we'll have the opportunity to work together in the future."

"He's a very talented young man," Elaine said. "So are you."

"Thanks."

The interview concluded. Li Rui stood up, shook hands with the reporter, and watched her leave the suite.

His expression relaxed the moment the door closed.

Ali stood up from the sofa in the corner: "'Hope to have the opportunity to cooperate in the future'—you talk like you've already made it to the front line."

"It's better than saying 'I don't know him at all'."

"Alright."

Ali handed over the schedule, saying, "The Variety interview has been rescheduled to 3 PM tomorrow. This afternoon is the Empire magazine cover shoot, and tonight there's a podcast interview, which will be streamed live online. Be careful what you say."

Li Rui took the schedule and glanced at it.

What kind of content is a podcast?

"Quick Q&A"

Ali said, "The questions submitted by fans will be screened by the host, who will then ask questions on the spot. It's a relaxed 20-minute session."

"A relaxed situation," Li Rui repeated, "Are you sure?"

Ali thought for a moment: "I'm not entirely sure. But you'll have to get used to it."

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

Empire magazine photo studio, 2 p.m.

When Li Rui was wheeled into the dressing room, the lights were being adjusted inside the studio.

The photographer was a bald Englishman who spoke with a Yorkshire accent and spoke at a machine-gun speed.

He circled Li Rui three times, scrutinizing him while pinching his chin.

"Change your clothes!"

He told the stylist, "Suits are too formal and don't suit this kid. Find him an old leather jacket with a white tank top underneath, and distressed jeans."

The stylist looked troubled: "He has a podcast this afternoon—"

"Podcasts are just audio," the photographer interrupted, "and you can't see what he's wearing."

Fifteen minutes later, Li Rui stood in front of a gray-blue background cloth, wearing a faded leather jacket that he had somehow found, with a worn-out collar and several oil stains on the cuffs.

That was a "Bryan O'Connor style" specially prepared by the props team for the promotion of "Fast & Furious".

The photographer raised his camera: "Think about your car. Not that Mustang—it's the orange Toyota you drove in the movie. You just finished modifying it, spent three months saving up, and tightened every single screw yourself. Now you're going to drive it down the street, the sky is blue, and the wind is nice."

Li Rui lowered his eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips.

He did remember a car.

It's not the Toyota from the movie.

It's the Dodge Warrior being repaired deep inside Dom's garage in the dream world.

The silver body, with the supercharger peeking out from under the hood, resembles a sleeping beast.

He gently stroked the cuffs of his leather jacket.

The sound of camera shutters clicking was as dense as a torrential downpour.

"YES!"

The photographer yelled, "That's the expression! It's not a smile, it's like you can't wait to go! Hold it!"

Li Rui held on.

He thought about the warhorse, about Dominic's focused profile as he taught him how to adjust the carburetor, and about the racers in his dream world who weren't exactly friends, but were more real than many friends.

Brian O'Connor wanted to be one of those people.

At that moment, Li Rui was the same.

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

NBC Burbank Studios, Jay Reynolds' "The Tonight Show"—twelve years before the famous Jimmy Kimmel Live! premiered.

The recording is scheduled for prime time in the evening.

When Li Rui took the stage in a dark blue single-breasted suit, the applause from the audience was polite but sparse—not many people recognized him.

Jay Reynolds stood behind the iconic wooden podium. After he walked to the sofa area and sat down, he first cracked a few warm-up political jokes with the audience before turning around.

"Raphael Lee".

Reno read from the name card, "It's a name that's a little unfamiliar to our team—but Universal Pictures says that starting this week, you'll soon remember it."

"I hope so," Li Rui said. "My mother has remembered, and that's the most important thing."

A soft laugh came from the audience.

Renault raised an eyebrow: "Your mother saw the movie?"

"She didn't see the premiere and was very upset about it."

Li Rui gave a polite smile. "I only finished watching it this morning. When it was over, she called me and said, 'Lafayette, your speeding scenes were terrifying. You're not allowed to drive that fast again.' I said, 'Mom, those were stunt performers.' She said, 'Oh, then next time you'll have the stunt performers be careful too.'"

The laughter was noticeably louder.

Renault laughed too. "Typical motherly reaction. Are you an only child?"

"I have an older brother."

Li Rui said, "He's a lawyer, the most educated person in the family. My mother always hoped I would become a lawyer, until I told her that lawyers have to memorize far more books than I have to memorize scripts."

"So you became an actor to avoid endorsing roles?"

"Absolutely correct."

Li Rui said with a serious expression, "I'd rather crash ten cars than memorize the entire Constitution."

Some audience members began to applaud.

Renault turned to the side, giving him that "this kid's interesting" look.