431-435

Chapter 431: Letting Go of Longevity

The next day, O'Neal was invited to the estate as a guest.

"Richard, did you watch last night's game? How did I do?" O'Neal asked with a grin, winking as he sat in the living room.

"You did well. What do you think of the new Nets?" Richard replied with a smile.

O'Neal thought for a moment. "They’ve got the makings of a top-tier team—Howard, Kidd, and Vince Carter are all pretty good. The only thing missing is a true core player, like Kobe, Wade, Yao, Nash, Garnett, or of course, me—someone who can really drive the team forward.

"Kidd has the leadership skills but not quite the ability, while Vince Carter has the ability but not the leadership. Howard has potential, though. That trade you made with the Magic was a smart move."

Richard nodded. "Back then, I wanted you to come over and build a new team around you."

"Really?" O'Neal grinned wide.

"Of course. A blank canvas is better for creating something new. The plan was to break up the old squad and rebuild a strong team from scratch.

"The current lineup is still a bit chaotic. The relationships between the veterans and younger players are tense. Otherwise, with this roster, there's no reason to worry about making the playoffs."

O'Neal laughed, "Good thing you didn’t trade for me, and good thing I didn’t agree. Rebuilding a team is way too much work. Given my current state, I couldn’t be the face of the Nets."

"Are you still not fully recovered?" Richard asked, glancing at O'Neal's thick legs.

"I'm better, but not completely. My doctor said that back when I played, I didn’t know how to conserve energy, playing with reckless abandon. I have lots of hidden injuries, and now that I'm getting older, they’re all catching up to me."

O'Neal laughed again, "Richard, I’ve seen your training—it’s over the top. No normal person can handle that kind of intensity. You should be careful."

"Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind," Richard responded seriously.

Having seen Paul’s frustration after his stamina dropped, Tyson’s struggles to return to his peak, and Ali’s trembling hands, Richard was well aware of the physical toll. O'Neal’s current limp only added to his concerns.

These athletes were titans in the sports world, but once they hit 35, even they had to face the inevitable decline of their physical abilities.

Compared to ordinary people, athletes feel the sting of aging much more acutely.

Richard had often worried that his day would come too—probably more than anyone else. He feared the rapid loss of stamina, becoming a shadow of his former self, unable to care for himself. He also dreaded the idea of getting beaten and being forced to leave the ring in shame.

Even more frightening was the thought that the supernatural strength he once relied on might suddenly vanish, taking his health with it. What if all the old injuries exploded at once, or worsened with age?

Sometimes, the anxiety was so intense that he’d wake up drenched in sweat from nightmares.

Because of these fears, he had long since given up pursuing even greater physical strength, letting go of the desire for more power or a longer life.

Pushing the limits of strength and stamina required taking risks and testing the body's limits. Succeed, and you might grow stronger. Fail, and you’d return to dust.

He’d never been a particularly ambitious person. Especially after having children, he found more joy in peace than in chasing after challenges.

Besides, with the strength and stamina he had now, he could hold his own in the boxing world. Gaining more power wouldn’t necessarily be useful—at least, not right now.

After chatting for a while, O'Neal left the estate. With over half a month remaining in the regular season, he had to return to Miami to prepare for the next game.

After seeing O'Neal off, Richard returned to the villa.

The kids were building blocks in the playroom, with Helena watching over them. Gisele was at work, recording the final episode of a fashion show she had hosted for four years.

Richard returned to his study to get some work done.

——

That afternoon, another visitor arrived at the estate: Kevin Campbell, whom Richard hadn’t seen in a long time.

Back in 2002, when Richard earned his first billion dollars, Kevin had come to him for sponsorship, asking for $500,000. They made a deal: within five years, Kevin would create a band or find a singer with an album that sold over 100,000 copies. If he failed, he’d leave the industry, settle down, and start a family.

Kevin had happily accepted.

In 2002, he signed three bands and invested a lot of money. Two and a half bands didn’t make it.

In 2003, his luck turned when he signed Justin Guarini, the runner-up of the first season of American Idol. Justin’s debut album sold 118,000 copies in its first week.

Just as the company was about to make money, the singer had a car accident while under the influence of drugs. Though he survived, his face was injured, and for a pop idol, that was a near-death blow. He left the music industry disheartened.

To promote that album, Kevin’s company, Rail Music, had invested over a million dollars—most of it borrowed. They only recouped $500,000 to $600,000, nearly bankrupting the company. Richard had to step in with another $2 million to help Rail Music get back on track.

Kevin pulled himself together and signed a more reliable band, the Los Lonely Boys—a rock band blending blues, country, and Tejano music, comprised of three burly men with an average age of 28.

In 2004, they released their debut album Los Lonely Boys. The album, written and composed by the band members with Kevin’s team handling the arrangements, unexpectedly became a hit, even reaching the top ten on the Billboard album charts. Their single "Heaven" stayed in the top 20 for three weeks.

In February 2005, at the 47th Grammy Awards, the band won the Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals award for "Heaven."

The album continued to sell, moving over 3 million copies, with the single receiving over 178,000 radio plays and being downloaded over 200,000 times on iTunes.

In 2005, the band released a second album, which was also a hit. The company signed two more bands—one heavy metal, the other pop rock. Though they didn’t achieve the same level of success, their album sales were solid.

By 2006, Rail Music was a well-established third-tier music company, valued at over $5 million.

“What are you doing here instead of DJing at your company?” Richard asked, pouring Kevin a cup of tea.

"We made that deal exactly five years ago today. It’s a memorable date, so I thought I’d come by," Kevin replied with a grin.

Richard smiled. "You’ve done well over these five years. I didn’t think you’d succeed at first."

"Haha, thanks! It’s all thanks to your support. Without your help, I would’ve quit music long ago. So, thank you." Kevin said earnestly.

"You’re welcome. It’s all because of your hard work."

"Of course, but I still have to thank you. Here’s your dividend. You refused it before, but this time, you’ve got to take it," Kevin said, handing Richard a check with a big smile.

Richard looked at the check—$1 million. "Rail Music made this much?"

"Of course! Last year, we sold over 2 million albums across three releases. Concerts, music licensing—it’s actually more profitable than making movies. As long as you find the right artist with the right songs, the money just keeps rolling in."

Kevin laughed.

Richard nodded, then handed the check back to him. "Use this to buy more equipment and expand your business. No need to give me a dividend this early."

"No, take it! We’ve got enough funds to expand already. We don’t need this extra cash," Kevin insisted, waving him off.

Richard set the check down and asked, "You must have another reason for coming?"

"Haha, are you psychic? How’d you guess? Yeah, there’s something else," Kevin said, pulling out a music player.

"Listen to this song."

The music began with a pleasant guitar melody, followed by a female voice singing quickly through lengthy lyrics. Richard didn’t catch all the words, but he did notice that "Richard Brad" was mentioned several times.

"What’s this song?"

"It’s called ‘Richard Brad.’ A young female artist wrote it for you. What do you think?" Kevin smiled.

Richard shook his head. "The music’s nice, but there are too many metaphors in the lyrics. I didn’t quite get it."

"Here’s the lyrics. Take a look," Kevin said, handing him a sheet of paper.

As Richard read, he grew more and more embarrassed. The songwriter clearly idolized him, treating him as an idealized figure and even a romantic fantasy. It was a bit over the top.

"Last month, two singers mentioned your name in their songs, and the sales were great. So, we decided to make this one all about you. What do you think?" Kevin grinned.

"It’s okay, but I feel awkward about having a song named after me. I think it’ll bring me more haters than fans."

"Haters aren’t a big deal. Could you share this song on your social media? With your influence, one post could make it blow up," Kevin said with a smile.

"No way. I’m not that bored. If you don’t have money for promotion, just take this million dollars back," Richard said as he picked up the check.

"Haha, alright. I just thought I’d throw it out there. If you’re not into it, no big deal. This is the debut album from a new artist our company just signed. Give it a listen," Kevin said as he put down a CD case.

"Sure!"

Kevin stayed at the estate for a day, then returned to Los Angeles the next day to keep working on music.

Richard listened to the CD and thought it was okay, but not really his style.

Mrs. Bündchen listened to the album and liked the lead track, "You’re So Happy," so she gave it a shout-out on Twitter.

At that time, Twitter had fewer than a million registered users. Mrs. Bündchen had 560,000 followers, while Richard had 890,000, which was about the maximum number of Twitter users.

After Mrs. Bündchen recommended the song, Richard also shared it on Twitter, partly to help Kevin out and partly to give Twitter some extra traffic.

The results were amazing.

—

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 432: I Really Didn't Plan to Get Into Music*

After promoting the song, the response was quite good.

Initially, users who were following him and Mrs. Bündchen on Twitter left comments. Some liked the post, some shared their thoughts on the song, while others teased them.

Some joked that if he quit acting to enter the music industry, the singers there would tremble.

Others teased his taste, wondering if it was normal for a multi-billionaire and a super boxing champion to listen to songs by young female artists.

Some even joked that he had been "kidnapped" by Mrs. Bündchen, forced to promote the song for family harmony.

Some gave more polite praise, saying that if the couple was promoting the song, it must be good and worth supporting.

A large number of people were curious about the female singer named Katy Perry, wondering how she could get both of them to promote her—something very rare.

The discussions on Twitter became lively, and the media didn’t miss out on the news, making plenty of speculations based on his tweets.

"Is Richard's Next Target the Music Industry?"

The New York Daily News wrote that Richard had won nearly every possible title in the boxing world, claimed almost every championship belt, and became one of the most highly decorated champions.

In the film industry, he had won both the Golden Globe and the Oscar, and became the first actor to reach a 10-billion-dollar box office milestone. In terms of investments, he had become the 8th wealthiest person in the world.

So, what would be his next goal?

The Los Angeles Times speculated that the music industry was very likely, citing his longtime connections to music figures like members of the Black Eyed Peas and Jay-Z.

According to some insiders, the newly emerging "Rail Music" label was also developed with Richard's investment, and Katy Perry had recently signed with the label.

"What Is Richard's Goal: Investing in Musicians or Becoming One?"

The Boston Sun mentioned a past event when Richard collaborated with a band before a Las Vegas fight, performing a rap song. Although it only had two lines, it showed his love for music. Perhaps his next goal was to become a singer.

Considering his previous accomplishments, if he pursued singing, what heights could he reach? The next Michael Jackson?

Some musicians publicly expressed interest in collaborating with him, eagerly anticipating his performance in the music world.

However, some professional music magazines and critics weren’t so optimistic about Richard transitioning into music.

The well-known music producer Clive Davis wrote in Rolling Stone:

"Compared to acting, making music requires more talent. A singer can become a good actor, but a good actor cannot necessarily become a good singer."

He cited examples such as Johnny Depp, Will Smith, Madonna, and Whitney Houston—who all achieved success in acting but not the reverse.

After this article was published, many filmmakers were unhappy, asking, "What do you mean by 'a good actor cannot become a good singer'? It's an obvious case of elevating one form of art over another, saying acting is inferior to singing."

The filmmakers fought back through magazines like Variety, Total Film, and The Hollywood Reporter, word for word criticizing Clive Davis's argument, claiming that art has no hierarchy, and talent alone doesn’t define one's artistic achievements. They called his remarks shallow and rude, stating that he had hurt the feelings of many actors and demanded an apology.

In an interview, Clive Davis admitted to the reporter that his previous comment was indeed a bit biased, and he was willing to apologize.

However, the next day in an interview with ABC, he denied ever apologizing and stood by his remarks in Rolling Stone. He claimed there were very few successful actors-turned-singers, and if anyone thought he was wrong, they should name an example.

The filmmakers thought for a moment and realized there weren’t many good examples. Although some actors transitioned into opera with some success, opera singers were still actors, not pop singers.

But backing down wasn’t in the filmmakers' nature. When it came to debating, they outclassed musicians.

They argued from an artistic perspective that music originated from theatrical performance, so singers were also performance artists, meaning that actors and singers belonged to the same broader category of performers.

This explained why many singers pursued acting careers after achieving success in music.

As for actors, after making significant achievements in performance, they no longer needed to prove themselves in the music field, which explained why few actors transitioned into singing.

Seeing the filmmakers’ response, many musicians couldn’t sit still and joined the debate.

The back-and-forth between both sides turned into a heated battle, with verbal sparring that was highly entertaining for onlookers.

Meanwhile, fans were left confused. Richard had only promoted a song on Twitter; he hadn’t said he was going to become a singer. What were they even arguing about?

Richard himself didn’t understand what all the fuss was about, nor did he care.

His focus was on his movie. After six months of filming, There Will Be Blood had wrapped and entered post-production.

Richard took a look at the rough cut, which ran for three hours. The filming was exceptional, with director Anderson’s mastery of the camera giving the characters tremendous depth.

The lead actor, Lewis, gave a breathtaking performance. It was as if the role had been tailor-made for him, both in character design and dialogue. Lewis fully embodied the character, delivering a slightly manic yet brilliant performance.

Lewis and director Anderson seemed to have found the perfect match in each other.

Post-production on the movie would take another two to three months, and it was expected to release later in the year.

This summer, New Century Pictures had four films lined up for release: Juno, Atonement, Never Back Down, and The Nanny Diaries, all of which had production budgets under $30 million.

As for major projects, Iron Man, which began filming last year, was still in post-production due to the heavy use of special effects. It wouldn’t be finished until late this year.

Twilight had completed pre-production and was set to start filming in March, but the finished product wouldn’t be ready for a few more months.

Fast & Furious 6 had been officially greenlit as a collaboration between New Century Pictures and Neal Moritz’s production studio, with a budget of $80 million.

Richard had read the script and found it promising, though casting was tricky. Hiring big stars would increase costs, but using lesser-known actors risked weak performances.

After discussions, Paul Walker was tentatively cast as the lead. Although Walker hadn’t had any major box office hits outside of the Fast & Furious franchise, his popularity and box office draw were solid.

Richard also recommended Vin Diesel, who was slightly below A-list status. Diesel had starred in films like The Chronicles of Riddick and XXX: State of the Union and was well-known among action stars, though he still lacked a defining breakout role.

After negotiations, Neal Moritz expressed satisfaction with Diesel as well.

As for the director, options included Rob Cohen from the first Fast & Furious film, John Singleton from the second, and Justin Lin from the third and fourth films.

Neal Moritz, as the film’s lead producer, had more experience in selecting directors, so Richard didn’t interfere too much. He merely assigned a few producers and assistants from the production department to assist Moritz’s team.

---

Ring ring

In his office, Richard picked up the phone.

"Kevin, what’s up?"

"Haha, Richard, thank you! And thank Gisele! Your tweet did more for us than spending $10 million on promotion. It’s incredible!"

Kevin’s excited laughter echoed through the phone.

Richard raised an eyebrow and leaned back in his chair. "How’s the album doing?"

"It’s fantastic! Get this—it’s going to blow your mind. Before the album went up in March, it only sold 3,000 copies in the first week, with less than 1,000 downloads on Apple iTunes. The numbers were horrible.

"Then, after you and Gisele tweeted, in just 24 hours, that song You’re So Happy broke 100,000 downloads on iTunes—a hundred times the original number!

"In the past week, the song’s total downloads reached 650,000, skyrocketing to number one on the Billboard Hot 200 pop songs chart. It’s ten times more than the second-place song.

"The album itself sold more than 300,000 copies in one week, taking the top spot on the Billboard 200 album chart, with 125,000 more copies sold than Back to Black. It’s an absolute hit!"

Kevin spoke excitedly.

"Sounds good, though I feel a bit awkward—like a grown man promoting a teenage girl’s song. Feels a bit hasty."

Recalling the fan comments he had read, Richard felt particularly embarrassed, almost wanting to turn off the comments section.

"Haha, my bad for not considering that. Your influence is too great. Anything you say causes a media storm. Asking you to promote a song is like using a missile to swat a fly.

"Oh, by the way, Katy Perry wanted to thank both you and Gisele. Just a week ago, she was an unknown singer, but overnight she’s become a superstar. I never realized becoming famous could be so simple."

Kevin laughed heartily.

Richard chuckled. "Simple? Not at all. If it wasn’t for Kevin’s connection, I wouldn’t have promoted even a song by Madonna or Britney Spears, no matter how much money they offered."

---

After hanging up the phone, Richard opened the folder on his desk that Anna had just submitted, containing the latest report on Twitter's data.

The song promotion had brought a massive influx of traffic and attention to Twitter.

The platform's popularity and activity increased 6000-fold. Previously, the daily tweets amounted to less than 200,000 bytes of content, but after the two of them voiced their opinions on Twitter, user-generated content skyrocketed to over 1.2 billion bytes, peaking at nearly 1.5 billion bytes.

Twitter's user base grew from less than 1 million to 5.61 million, and it continues to rise.

Daily active users jumped from around 10,000 to over 1.2 million.

Twitter has transformed from a little-known app into a popular one, becoming a rising star in Silicon Valley.

This transformation has its pros and cons.

The benefits are obvious: it has accelerated Twitter's expansion. Wall Street’s valuation of Twitter jumped from $5 million to $150 million, and this change happened almost overnight.

However, rapid growth, while exciting, can also cause problems and hinder future development.

Richard glanced at the reports and called Ellie to discuss Twitter. They agreed to keep an eye on things over there and step in if any issues arose. Since their company had partnerships with internet giants like Google and Amazon, they had no shortage of talent in this area.

Ellie mentioned that she had spoken with Twitter's team, and both CEO Jack Dorsey and CTO Evan Williams seemed capable and reliable.

Richard remembered that Evan Williams was the founder of Blogger and had worked at Google for two years before starting Twitter. His credentials were impressive.

Feeling reassured, Richard checked the time and called Mrs. Bündchen to discuss the ongoing impact of her song promotion on Twitter.

On one hand, he wanted to update her on the situation, and on the other, he advised her about Twitter’s influence. It’s best not to casually post tweets, as they can be a double-edged sword. The bigger the fame, the greater the impact. For celebrities like them, a single tweet could have the power of a public relations "nuclear bomb."

Richard chuckled at a tweet he was reading. Alan Greenspan, the former head of the Federal Reserve, stepped down in August last year.

Greenspan had been the head of the Fed since 1987, implementing many effective policies that helped the U.S. through four financial crises and contributed greatly to economic growth. During his tenure, he was often called a "master of the economy."

However, this year’s subprime mortgage crisis was also largely tied to his policies.

Back in 2001, the Federal Reserve continuously lowered interest rates, encouraging early consumer spending, particularly in real estate.

With more money in hand, people bought homes as investments, hoping to grow their assets.

Mortgage companies were happy to issue subprime loans to earn high returns, even lowering standards to offer "zero down payment," "zero paperwork," and even "your pet should have property" loans to entice people to buy homes.

This directly fueled the U.S. housing market boom from 2002 to 2005, with the real estate bubble rapidly expanding.

Then from 2003 to 2006, to curb inflation, the Federal Reserve raised interest rates 17 times in a row, increasing the base rate from 1% to 5.25%.

As interest rates soared, many homebuyers couldn't keep up with their mortgage payments, leading to a wave of defaults. When bad loans in the subprime mortgage sector reached 10%, the real estate bubble inevitably burst.

The Federal Reserve’s actions were like setting a trap, letting people fall in and then quickly tightening the net, leaving many investors in the lurch.

Old Tom's rant wasn't wrong, but calling people out by name was a bit too fiery.

Richard stroked his chin. He thought about giving the tweet a like, but then withdrew his hand. Better not—if Old Tom posted another tweet saying, “Richard agrees with me,” that would be too awkward.

Putting his phone away, Richard couldn’t help but chuckle at himself. Even at 29, he found that in some ways, he was still not as carefree as 60-year-old Old Tom. Clearly, he hadn’t yet reached true freedom.

After handling a few more documents in his office, Richard worked until 4:30 p.m., then drove away from the company building.

(End of chapter)

*Chapter 433: Brainstorming*

In mid-March, New Century Financial Corporation, the second-largest subprime mortgage lender in the U.S., declared bankruptcy. The company's assets shrank rapidly from $1.7 billion at the beginning of the year to less than $50 million, and they continued to decrease, resembling the bursting of a bubble.

In the following five days, another 26 subprime lenders declared bankruptcy as they suffered huge losses and sought refuge with large investment banks.

According to CNN, in 2006, subprime loans reached a staggering $640 billion, more than double the amount from three years earlier, accounting for 20% of the total U.S. mortgage market. Additionally, the total value of subprime mortgage-backed securities held by financial companies and hedge funds was $1 trillion.

This massive bubble made it easy to imagine how many companies would go bankrupt next.

This situation had nothing to do with Richard initially, but somehow rumors started circulating, claiming that the recently bankrupt "New Century Financial" was his company.

The reason was simple: New Century Films and New Century Financial had the same name and were both founded in 2001.

Conspiracy theorists believed there must be some connection and speculated that New Century Financial was likely a front for Sun Island.

Several Wall Street financial newspapers published these rumors, claiming that Richard would not allow the company to go bankrupt and would definitely find a way to save it.

Some tabloids even suggested that he had teamed up with several large investment banks to invest $100 billion to bail out the market.

In response to these rumors, a spokesperson for Sun Island, in an interview with The Wall Street Journal, stated:

"None of Richard Brad's companies are involved in subprime mortgage finance. Sun Island Investment is a tech investment firm and has not ventured into real estate. The rumors circulating in the financial market about Sun Island are unfounded and unreliable."

After this explanation, the rumors gradually subsided.

Subprime lenders and financial institutions involved in subprime businesses continued to face bankruptcies or acquisitions as needed.

These subprime companies made fortunes by betting on the booming real estate market, but now, even though they're bankrupt, their losses are minimal. The biggest losers, however, are the lower-tier workers who have no safety net.

While the storm raged on Wall Street in New York, Los Angeles seemed largely unaffected.

Film production crews were still hard at work, and new movie promotions and releases were proceeding as planned. Box office earnings during the second week of March were 12% higher than the same period last year.

It was a stark contrast, like the somber atmosphere of 2001's tragic events, with tension in one part of the country and calm in another.

That afternoon, Richard left work early and headed to Neal Moritz's film studio.

Inside the studio, about 30-40 people were busy sketching and designing, while Neal Moritz was leaning over a table, discussing work with a group of assistants.

"Richard, you're here," Neal greeted.

"Are we ready to begin? Have you chosen a director?" Richard asked.

"I spoke to three of them. Cohen recently took on a big project—the third installment of Universal's The Mummy series—so he’s unavailable," Neal replied, sitting down.

"Good for him," Richard said.

Rob Cohen, the director of the first Fast & Furious movie, had also worked with Richard on xXx, which grossed $310 million globally. However, Cohen's 2005 film Stealth was a flop, and he took a break for a year. His new role as the director of The Mummy 3 was a sign he was making a comeback.

"Singleton wanted to change the script, and I didn’t agree, so we couldn’t come to terms. I’ve been talking to Justin Lin," Neal said, sipping his coffee.

"How’s it going?" Richard asked.

"Pretty well. Lin's directing skills are solid, and his vision for racing films is fresh. We had a good conversation, and his ideas align with what we're looking for in a director," Neal said.

"Then he’s our guy. The sooner we settle on this, the sooner we can prepare," Richard replied.

Neal gave Richard a surprised look. "But Lin directed Fast & Furious 5, which had the lowest box office in the series. Aren’t you worried he might mess it up?"

Richard smiled. "I don’t care who the director is. I care about you being the producer, and I trust you."

"Haha, thanks. That’s really touching," Neal laughed.

"It’s the truth," Richard said, smiling. "Considering the future of the franchise, shouldn’t we lock in more contracts with the actors for multiple films? The biggest mistake with Fast & Furious 4 and 5 wasn’t the director or the script, but replacing the main cast to cut costs, which alienated the long-time fans. We should learn from that."

Neal frowned thoughtfully. "You're already thinking about sequels before the movie is even filmed. Are you that confident about the franchise?"

"Don’t you think we can pull it off? We have you, me, and Paul Walker back on board, with a solid script. I don’t see how we can mess this up. So let’s plan ahead and avoid unnecessary problems later."

Neal nodded slightly. "You make a good point." He sighed and looked at Richard with a complicated expression. "If you were the lead, I’d have confidence in making this franchise run to Fast & Furious 15."

Richard laughed heartily. "That would be a great dream. I also hoped to get the Fast & Furious series to 10 films and the Mission Impossible series to 10 films. But my stock portfolio grew too fast, and I had to retire early. Sigh... I really regret that sometimes."

Neal burst out laughing. "I remember you once said in an interview that you became an action star because there were no other roles available."

"Exactly. Making commercial films brings in money, while independent films win awards and gain prestige. Many actors make that choice.

I had the same plan—ride the success of Fast & Furious and Mission Impossible to the top, become a superstar, and earn top-tier paychecks. Then, take on indie projects to compete for an Oscar."

"You really are greedy," Neal shook his head. "What's worse is that you actually succeeded. You’re a legend in the film industry. No matter how long the history of cinema is, you'll always be one of its brightest stars."

"Thank you," Richard said with a smile.

After chatting for a while, Richard joined the production team's discussion, focusing on the car chase scenes in the script.

Having already made five movies in the franchise, along with many other racing films, most of the creative ideas had been used up.

The challenge was how to make Fast & Furious 6 cooler, more thrilling, and more exciting to reignite the series. That was Neal's goal.

Richard contributed a few ideas, like racing cars on his Boeing 757, racing on the deck of the Louis Anne yacht, or lining up a dozen luxury yachts side by side for races on their decks.

The most exciting part of these scenes wouldn’t be the racing itself, but the destruction of the luxury yachts. Plus, the grandeur of the yachts themselves would shock the audience.

"That’s too expensive. Our budget for this movie is only $80 million. How much would it cost to rent over a dozen luxury yachts? Oh, wait, don’t you have two yachts? Can we borrow them for the movie?" Neal asked, laughing.

"No problem. There’s a luxury yacht club in New York, and of the 50 most luxurious yachts in the world, 30 belong to that club. If we need more yachts, I can arrange it," Richard said.

Before joining the world yacht club, Richard thought his Louis and Anne yachts were luxurious enough.

But after joining, he was blown away by what he saw. Some people had turned their yachts into floating palaces, fortresses, or paradises of unimaginable luxury.

The world’s most expensive yacht belonged to a Malaysian businessman. The hull was made from precious metals, and it was adorned with gems, diamonds, meteorites, and even dinosaur bones. Its estimated value was $3.2 billion.

Richard’s Louis was worth $120 million and ranked 25th on the world luxury yacht list, while the Anne was 32nd.

After hearing this, Neal knocked on the table.

"Guys, we were trapped in poor thinking just now. We’ve been trying to save money instead of aiming to impress and shock the audience. Playing it safe won't help us break out of the mold.

Let’s think big. Let’s brainstorm with racing as the core, and don’t be afraid to exaggerate. With Richard here, a lot of things that seem hard will become easy."

Everyone nodded. That made sense.

When discussing ideas earlier, whenever a big scene came up, they unconsciously started thinking about budget limitations and feasibility.

But with a bigger budget and less concern about feasibility, they could aim higher instead of lowering their standards.

This way of thinking saved money and made things easier to execute, but it also greatly reduced the impact and thrill of the final result.

Breaking out of that mindset was necessary.

Once they understood this, the team let their imaginations run wild, coming up with bold, shocking, and sometimes strange ideas.

Neal had everything written down. Even if some ideas couldn’t be used now, they might come in handy in the future.

Movie creators are a bunch of imaginative folks, and once their chains were unlocked, their ideas became more and more outrageous. The brainstorming session just kept going.

When it was time to eat, no one showed any signs of stopping. Moritz, the producer, had his assistant order takeout—pizza, fried chicken, and drinks. Everyone continued brainstorming while eating.

Richard enjoyed it too and joined everyone in coming up with several ideas.

Around seven o'clock, the assistant came to remind him that Ms. Theron had called, and it was time to head home. Only then did Richard reluctantly leave the studio.

He wiped his forehead, finding it covered in sweat.

He couldn’t help but smile as he got into the car.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 434: Why Are You Back So Late?

"Why are you back so late?"

In the living room, Ms. Theron stood up from the couch, stretching her slender arms lazily.

Richard hung up his coat. "I was at Moritz Productions discussing the plot for Fast & Furious. Dozens of us were brainstorming how to do the car chases. Someone suggested ramming sports cars into alien spaceships; another said racing on Mars. Haha, the movie’s turning into sci-fi now."

"You should’ve brought me along to design the racing scenes. I know more about racing than any of you," Ms. Theron said with a confident smile.

Richard chuckled softly. Ms. Theron was indeed a racing expert.

Once, Paul Walker invited him to race. Richard drove a brand-new Bentley with great performance, but his driving skills weren’t up to par. He lost to Paul Walker by ten seconds.

Ms. Theron was there too. She raced against Paul and, on a one-kilometer track, beat him by two car lengths.

Later, she said she hadn’t even gone all out. Paul Walker was quite embarrassed and never bragged about his racing skills again.

"Sally, are you interested in a racing movie? How about I give you a role as a badass woman who races cars and gets to show off your acting chops?"

"No, I said I’m cutting back on work, and I mean it. After I finish this movie, I’m taking six months off." Ms. Theron paused and asked, "How about I bring Louis and Annie over?"

"Sure. Gisele’s been busy with work and doesn’t have much time to stay home with the kids. Most of the time, they’re with Helena."

"Great! I’ll call Gisele now and fly to New York to pick them up tomorrow," Ms. Theron said happily.

Richard smiled and shook his head.

Theron loved kids but wasn’t great at caring for them. It was just her carefree personality—very laid-back. Compared to Bündchen, she wasn’t as attentive or patient, and tasks like making formula, feeding, or changing diapers weren’t things she was practiced in.

That was one of the differences between Theron and Bündchen. Both women were strong and outgoing, but Bündchen was more delicate and gentle, while Theron was livelier.

"Haha, Gisele agreed! She said I can pick the little ones up this weekend."

Ms. Theron was overjoyed, twirling on her toes gracefully like a swan.

"Don’t get too excited. Taking care of them isn’t all fun and games—it’s a huge task. You better be prepared," Richard said, taking a bite of an apple.

"Don’t worry. It’s not like I haven’t taken care of Annie before. Tomorrow, I’ll start preparing all sorts of treats and fun stuff to make sure they love it here."

"Alright, let’s see how you do."

With Helena and three full-time nannies around, it didn’t really matter where the kids were. They’d still have their food, play, and fun. The main concern was safety and privacy, which needed to be well-prepared in advance. That’s why Bündchen was delaying for a few days.

"Sally, how about taking them to Johannesburg? I took them there once, and Louis and Annie loved the weather and the animals on the estate."

"We’re on the same page! I was thinking of taking them to South Africa when we get some time. There are fewer paparazzi there, and tons of fun places to go."

"Exactly. You could even take them to the vineyards, let them help pick grapes and make wine—build their strength and willpower," Richard joked.

"Nonsense, they’re only three years old!" Ms. Theron rolled her eyes. "Are you coming with us?"

"When are you planning to go?"

"Not sure yet. Whenever we feel like it."

"Then let me know when you’re ready."

---

The next day, Richard went to work as usual. Around noon, Leonardo DiCaprio dropped by, reminding him of their plan to visit Tesla.

Tesla’s office was in Palo Alto, San Francisco. After a three-hour drive, they arrived.

Elon Musk, aware of their visit, was waiting for them and gave them a tour around the company.

Richard had been there three times before and wasn’t that curious about the research. He just chatted casually with Musk.

It was Leonardo’s first time, and he listened intently as researchers explained how they designed battery packs, rapid charging systems, and safety features. But Leo didn’t seem convinced electric cars could outperform gas-powered ones in speed.

Vrrr~

That was until they reached a track, where a sleek Tesla Roadster raced down the lane. It looked like a typical sports car on the outside.

"This is our Tesla Roadster. It has 5,862 battery cells, similar to what’s in a phone. It can travel 393 kilometers on a single charge, accelerate from 0 to 90 km/h in just 3.7 seconds, and its efficiency is 92%," the researcher explained.

Leo’s eyes lit up. "Can I give it a try?"

"Sure!"

A researcher helped him get in the car for a test drive.

"Richard, have you joined an environmental group?" Musk asked.

Richard chuckled. "I have a private jet and yacht, and I do plenty of things that aren’t exactly eco-friendly. I’m not cut out for an environmental group."

"Haha! Still, what we’re doing here contributes more to the environment than any activist group," Musk said.

Richard smiled as he watched Leonardo get into the car.

"Is the Roadster ready for the road?"

"You can test it, but it’s not road-legal yet. We’re still in the trial-and-error phase, and that will take a while. We’ve produced 10 vehicles so far—one of them is yours."

Musk led Richard to a garage, where nine new cars in red, white, and black lined up.

"Looks cool!"

Richard and Musk hopped into one and took it for a spin. The car was fast, accelerating in 3.7 seconds, with a powerful push-back sensation that surpassed the Aston Martins and Porsche 911CS Richard had driven before.

The ride was smooth, with minimal noise—just the tires skimming the road.

Plus, there was no gasoline smell.

Without that odor, it almost felt like driving a “fake” car.

One downside, though, was that the power seemed to wane at speeds over 140 km/h.

Overall, it was impressive and high-tech.

"What do you think?" Musk asked with a grin.

"Pretty amazing. You guys are doing great work," Richard praised.

"Haha, thanks to your support. Without enough funding, this car would still be just a sketch."

Musk’s words made Richard smile. Research on electric cars wasn’t new; it had been happening since the last century. Wall Street had poured millions into high-tech projects, only to produce a pile of failures.

Tesla had trouble getting investors at first, but once they survived the early phase and built a real electric car, Wall Street’s money would flood in.

Richard had gotten in early, providing Tesla with the funds needed for smooth development. He also brought in Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who were both keen on high-tech clean energy. Musk’s persuasive skills helped them invest in both Tesla and SpaceX.

With the three of them onboard, both companies were well-funded.

"Wow! This car is so cool!" Leo shouted excitedly from the track.

Richard laughed and joked, "Leo, with this electric car, you won’t need to ride your bike everywhere anymore."

"Haha, true! This car is awesome—no annoying noise or stinky gasoline. It’s super eco-friendly. I love it! Elon, when will the Roadster be available for purchase? I can’t wait to get one."

"The Roadster is still in testing. It should hit the roads by November."

"Can I pre-order one?"

"Yes, we offer that service," Musk smiled. Having Leo’s endorsement as a celebrity and environmentalist would definitely help promote the car.

Leo also mentioned he was working on an environmental documentary and wanted to do an interview at Tesla.

Musk agreed.

Leo’s documentary reminded Richard of the Fast & Furious franchise. Adding a sleek, futuristic car like the Roadster to the movie could be a great fit.

After returning to Los Angeles, Richard brought up the idea with producer Neal Moritz, who was very interested and eager to see the new car.

Richard promised to let him try it once the car arrived, but only for fun, as the Roadster hadn’t passed all the safety tests yet.

But as a toy for practicing at home, it was good enough.

---

(End of the chapter)

*Chapter 435: Richard Bullying the Innocent*

It was the weekend, and Mrs. Theron had gone to New York, bringing back two little kids, Louis and Annie.

Louis was three and a half, and Annie wasn't even three yet. With their tiny backpacks on, they jumped out of the car, wide-eyed, looking curiously at their new surroundings around the villa.

Mrs. Theron held their hands as they walked, happily introducing them to the house. She told them there were many fun things to do, promising to take them to many exciting places. The kids were thrilled, chattering away, asking when they'd go and hoping it would be soon. Despite their young age, they had big dreams of exploring the world.

Mrs. Theron reassured them that there was no rush, promising she would take them. She held them tightly, showering them with affection until the kids, slightly annoyed, wriggled free.

"Haha, these little ones are so fun!" Mrs. Theron laughed, watching Louis and Annie run around the house.

Richard stayed quiet, smiling.

"What are you thinking about? Why are you smiling like that?" Mrs. Theron asked, a bit annoyed.

"The kids are getting more mischievous as they grow older. I’m just worried that after a while, you might find them too much to handle," Richard said with a smile.

"You underestimate me! I’m great with kids and have plenty of patience," she said confidently, clenching her fist.

"I believe you," Richard replied, knowing that being overwhelmed by kids is part of being a great mom.

He hoped she would become a wonderful mother.

---

After spending some time in Los Angeles and finishing his work, Richard flew back to New York. Partly to keep Mrs. Bundchen company, so she wouldn't get bored at home.

"I'm never bored! You have no idea how much I enjoy being home alone," Mrs. Bundchen teased, scrunching her nose.

Richard chuckled and let it slide.

Another reason for his return was to prepare for his next fight, which was against Samuel Peter, known as the 'Nigerian Nightmare,' a boxer originally from Nigeria.

Standing 6’2” with a 77-inch reach and weighing 252 pounds, Peter, now 27, started his career in 2001. He had a record of 29 wins and 1 loss, having lost to Wladimir Klitschko in a WBO title match in 2005.

Peter’s style was similar to boxers like Paul and Hasim Rahman—strong punches but lacking in combination speed and fluidity.

Last year, Peter gained fame by beating James Toney twice, earning the right to challenge for the WBA title.

"I’m talking to you," Mrs. Bundchen said, giving Richard a playful shove.

Richard smiled. "Don’t worry. Louis and Annie are doing great. Sally plays with them every day when she’s not working, treating them like little treasures."

"Sally doesn't even know how to change a diaper," Mrs. Bundchen pointed out.

"Well, Louis and Annie are old enough that they don't need diapers anymore. And besides, Helena is there too. What are you so worried about?" Richard reassured her with a kiss.

Bundchen rolled her eyes at him. "You should stay over there. I'd feel better if you were there with them. Why don’t you go back?"

"No way! I need to stay here with my number one treasure," Richard teased.

"Ugh, you’re so cheesy!" Bundchen playfully pushed him away. "Louis and Annie left in such a hurry last time, they didn’t take everything. I was thinking of mailing the rest, but it’s too slow. How about you go tomorrow?"

"It’s not necessary. You already sent a plane full of stuff last time. If we keep sending things, the house will be empty! Trust me, they don’t need anything more. If you’re really worried, why don’t you give them a call?"

Bundchen thought for a moment. "No, if Louis and Annie hear my voice and start missing me, Sally will have a hard time comforting them."

Richard nodded and smiled. "Good thinking. How about we have a few more kids? Then you won’t be missing them all the time."

"Stop it! Every extra kid just adds more for me to worry about. You think I’m as heartless as you?" she huffed, giving him a couple of playful punches before heading back to the balcony to do some yoga in the sun.

Richard smiled, then changed into his workout clothes and began training.

On Saturday night, the fight was on at the Bradley Center Arena.

The venue, with 28,000 seats, was packed, and the crowd was buzzing with excitement thanks to the energy from the event host.

This match’s broadcast rights sold for $320 million, with over thirty countries’ TV stations bidding and $60 million in sponsorship, even more than the last fight. The main reason was that Richard’s fame had skyrocketed, and his global influence had reached new heights. Fans from around the world even flew in just to see him fight in person. He always saw a large group of them after every match.

"Richard!!" The crowd erupted in cheers when he entered the arena.

The atmosphere was electric—much better than last year’s fight in Berlin, where the vibe was too serious and needed effort to energize the audience.

Here, just a wave from Richard sent the crowd into a frenzy.

Richard stepped into the ring, facing his opponent Samuel Peter, who looked both awed and wary.

Richard couldn't help but reflect on how, after reaching a certain level of strength, sometimes you don’t even need to fight—just a glance or an expression can intimidate your opponent. That’s the power of a true champion.

Maybe fighting at the Bradley Center wasn’t the best idea. In the U.S., Richard already had a home-field advantage, and this venue amplified that advantage even more—it almost felt like bullying.

Richard smiled wryly and greeted Peter, who awkwardly smiled back.

The referee announced the rules, and the bell rang—ding, ding, ding.

The two touched gloves, and the match began.

Samuel Peter went on the offensive while Richard took a defensive approach.

Peter's punches were solid, on par with Paul’s from previous fights. But today, Peter was holding back, not fighting with the wild aggression Richard had studied beforehand. Normally, Peter's style was fierce and unrestrained, which helped him stand out on the global stage. But today, he wasn’t living up to that reputation.

If the fight continued like this, it would become a boring match.

Richard stopped in his tracks, pausing his movements.

Boom!

Peter seized the moment, landing a punch that broke through Richard's defense and struck him in the chest.

Richard stumbled back a few steps, hitting the ropes.

The crowd gasped in surprise.

Richard... knocked back?

Samuel Peter, initially stunned by his success, quickly grew excited. Maybe Richard wasn’t as scary as everyone said. Could all the stories be exaggerated?

Thinking it over, it seemed possible. Richard was a billionaire, after all. Maybe people had been paid to lose to him, explaining his 40-plus consecutive wins.

Otherwise, how could someone juggle boxing, acting, and business investments while still being a world champion?

Yeah, that had to be it.

Samuel was getting excited. He saw Richard preparing to counterattack and immediately roared, swinging a heavy punch. Today, he had only one goal: to defeat this "pay-to-win" player and take all his championship belts.

Bam! Bam! Bam!  

Samuel’s punches grew stronger, his black muscles moving like a giant black bear.

Richard didn’t back down either, using his arms and fists to block while counterattacking with jabs and hooks.

Bam! Bam! Bam!  

The two were locked in a heated battle from the start, trading blows fiercely. The audience gasped in excitement.

"Richard is bullying the honest guy again," said Mayweather.

"Samuel’s punches are heavy; he looks pretty strong. I want to fight him," Paul said, watching the ring.

"You’ve got it wrong. Samuel’s punches are about the same as yours. Can you make Richard back off with your skills?" Mayweather asked, rubbing his chin.

"No way. Richard is too fast. When I go on the offensive, I can't even touch his face, let alone push him back," Paul admitted after thinking it over.

"Exactly. Richard is playing with him. Every time Samuel throws a heavy punch, Richard steps back slightly, making it look like Samuel’s punch forced him to retreat. In reality, Richard is subtly dissipating Samuel’s strength while baiting him to attack. Just watch, by the end of the fight, Samuel will be exhausted on the canvas," Mayweather laughed.

"Richard is so sneaky," Paul said, slapping his knee.

"Can we learn to fight like Richard?" Jim Moritz asked.

"No," Mayweather shook his head with a smile. "Richard’s an Oscar-winning actor, his performance skills are maxed out. In the ring, he uses acting to confuse his opponents and stir up the crowd’s energy. You can’t learn that."

"That’s true. Richard used to call himself a ‘boxing performance artist.’ His fighting style mixes all kinds of martial arts with theatrics. It’s not something just anyone can learn," Paul added.

Jim frowned, "So, Richard became an actor just to improve his boxing?"

"I don’t know. But he sure can act. If you have time, check out the old newspapers. When Richard first started, he was so good at acting that people said his matches were like plays, with a beginning, buildup, climax, and conclusion. Sometimes, it felt like one climax after another—it was thrilling to watch. Even now, he’s still performing, but his skills are so refined that no one even notices."

Wow!  

In the ring, Samuel Pitt swung and missed, stumbled forward, and nearly fell onto Richard. He was drenched in sweat, looking like he had just been pulled out of the water.

"Tsk, Richard is really over the top," Paul grinned.

"Is this all an act? Richard’s sweating too," Jim Moritz stared at the two fighters. Samuel Pitt was slumped on the canvas, too exhausted to get up, while Richard stood there, muscles glistening like steel covered in droplets.

"It’s nothing. Sweating a bit doesn’t mean anything. Think back to the 1998 fight between Richard and Vasily—now that was a full-on performance. He fooled the entire crowd. Compared to that, this match is nothing," Paul laughed.

"Yeah, in ‘98, Richard became famous in one fight. That’s when people started calling him a ring artist, a ring strategist, and even a master of strategic deception," Mayweather chimed in.

"Sounds tough. Can’t he just fight normally? Why do all that?" Jim complained.

"Richard makes over a hundred million dollars per match. Do you think you can make that much just by fighting normally? Learn from him," Mayweather said, patting Jim on the shoulder.

Ding ding ding!  

The match was over. Samuel had launched a wild attack for four rounds, was knocked down by Richard once, tripped twice, and finally collapsed on the canvas, unable to get up for the ten-count. Richard easily won the fight.

His current record: 44 wins, 44 victories, 39 by knockout. He successfully defended his WBA championship belt and title for the 12th time.

—

(End of chapter)