326-330

*Chapter 326: Personal Clothing Brand*

In early September, “Shadow Spy 2” wrapped up filming, and Richard returned to New York.

Giselle was over eight months pregnant, with only six weeks left until her due date.

After getting home, he stayed in, spending every day walking with Giselle and relaxing. The last few months of traveling and fighting scenes had been tough, both physically and mentally, so he needed some rest.

“Is acting tiring? You look exhausted,” she asked.

It was a sunny morning at the Brad Manor. Giselle, with her big belly, supported her back as she strolled across the green lawn.

“Not tired, just still under the influence of the role. I haven’t adjusted my mood yet.”

Richard held her by the waist as they walked slowly.

“You’re not even a method actor, why so absorbed in the role?”

“Nonsense, my acting is top-notch in the industry. How am I not a method actor?” Richard laughed.

“You’re not. In your films, you either act cool, fight, or sell your looks to the camera. Is any of that hard? Anyone could do it.”

Richard burst into laughter, “If it weren’t for the baby, I’d definitely spank you.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” she gave him a glare and yelled toward the other side, “Susan, Caroline, Richard says he’s going to spank me!”

“Hahaha~” Susan and Caroline laughed out loud.

“Good for him! If Richard’s going to hit you, it must be your fault,” Caroline joked.

“Mom! You’re supposed to be on my side!” Giselle complained.

“I trust Richard. If he were violent, you would’ve been knocked out long ago,” Caroline chuckled.

“Hmph!” Giselle pinched Richard’s arm, “I don’t know what Caroline is thinking, believing you’re a good man.”

“I am a good man. How else could I have won you over?”

“Not true. Back then, I was scared you’d beat me, so I had no choice but to say yes.”

“Haha, okay, I’m going to die laughing,” Richard kissed her.

Since becoming pregnant, Giselle’s personality had changed. She used to be a strong, independent woman, but eight months into the pregnancy, she developed a bit of a temper—proud, vain, talkative, and much cuter than before.

“Hmph, don’t think you can bully me. Once our son is born, I’ll have him train in boxing and beat you in the ring,” she said with a teasing smile.

“Beat me? I hope so. But how do you know it’s a boy? Did you ask the doctor?”

“No, but the little one is so restless, always kicking me. Must be a little rascal just like you,” she smiled.

“No way, I bet it’s a little sweetheart,” Richard said as he gently stroked her belly.

“Why do you say that?”

“Think about it. Your mom gave birth to your older sisters, you, and Patrícia—all girls. You’ll probably give me lots of little sweethearts just as beautiful as you.”

“Nonsense. My mom having girls has nothing to do with me. I think it’s a little prince.”

“Alright, alright, whether it’s a princess or a prince, they’re our treasure,” Richard said with a smile.

Giselle stroked her belly, humming contentedly.

“Richard, Bündchen, the photographer’s here,” Susan called out.

“Got it, send them over.”

Richard and Giselle were planning to take a few casual photos for memories. They stood on the lawn, dressed in comfortable outfits, striking various poses.

“I’ve gained weight. Will I look bad?” Giselle asked as she touched her slightly fuller face.

“Of course not. Haven’t you heard? A woman is most beautiful when she’s a mother. You’ve got this special glow right now, and you look incredibly beautiful,” Richard said, hugging her.

“Really? Do you think I’m more beautiful now or before?”

“You’re beautiful in both ways, just different kinds of beauty.”

“Liar!” she slapped him playfully.

Click, click! The photographer’s camera captured a few shots of them.

In the photos, the sun was shining brightly. The two were dressed in matching casual outfits, laughing and teasing each other. The atmosphere was harmonious and full of love. Richard had his arm around Bündchen’s shoulder, with his right hand on her baby bump, while Bündchen smiled gently, her hand also resting on her belly.

Behind them, there was a lush green lawn, neatly trimmed bushes, and further in the distance, three elegant villa buildings with intricate and refined architecture. In this setting, the photos naturally turned out beautiful.

—

“Mr. Brad, about fifteen minutes ago, Johnny Depp and Mr. Reeves called. They said they had something to discuss with you.”

After finishing the photo shoot, Richard helped Giselle back to the villa, where his personal assistant came over to remind him.

“Got it.”

Richard helped her sit down and picked up the phone to return the calls.

“Richard, I heard your movie wrapped. Are you back in New York?” Depp asked over the phone.

“Yeah, I’m back. What’s up?”

“Haha, nothing really. Just wanted to chat.”

“Hey, Richard, we need you to settle something,” Reeves interjected. “Remember the bet we made? The summer box office is over. Have you seen the numbers?”

“I’m looking at them now.”

Richard grabbed a newspaper. The summer box office had seen the release of 102 films, with 18 crossing the $100 million mark in North America.

First place was still “Finding Nemo,” raking in $319 million. Second was Depp’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” at $301 million, and third was Reeves’ “The Matrix Reloaded” with $289 million.

Following them were Jim Carrey and Jennifer Aniston’s “Bruce Almighty” with $225 million, Richard’s “Fast & Furious 2” at $215 million, Hugh Jackman’s “X-Men 2” at $214 million, Arnold Schwarzenegger’s “Terminator 3” with $155 million, Will Smith’s “Bad Boys 2” with $128 million, “The Hulk” at $127 million, and Russell Crowe’s “Master and Commander” with $98.65 million.

Hacker 2 was narrowly defeated by Pirates of the Caribbean with a box office difference of $12 million.

This result was unexpected.

Depp is considered a top-tier actor in the industry, having been nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor three times and receiving several prestigious awards internationally.

However, in recent years, he hasn’t had any blockbuster hits, and his box office appeal has been relatively weak.

But this time, in the summer box office battle, Depp's new film achieved great success, winning both in box office revenue and public opinion.

Richard chuckled, “Keanu, you lost.”

“Hmph, it’s all your fault. If it weren’t for your messed-up promotion, Hacker 2 would’ve definitely broken $300 million at the box office,” Reeves said discontentedly.

“My fault? Don’t forget I was in Hacker 2 too. I contributed to the box office!” Richard reminded him.

“That’s right, Keanu. A bet’s a bet. Hand over the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10,” Depp said.

“Wait a minute, I said the global box office champion, not the North American box office. So I haven’t lost yet, right, Richard?”

Richard laughed, “Keanu, Pirates of the Caribbean is on fire. Aren’t you worried the global box office will lose too? You’ll still have to hand over the bike, and losing twice will hurt even more.”

“Fine, I’ll accept my loss. Richard, I’m giving Johnny my beloved motorcycle. Could you give me your championship belt for some consolation?”

Reeves chuckled.

“I didn’t lose, so why would I give up my belt?”

The three had bet that if Hacker 2 took the summer’s top box office spot, Keanu would win. If not, Richard and Depp would win.

“Wait a second, Keanu. Didn’t I win too? Don’t you owe me a motorcycle as well?” Richard suddenly caught on.

“You didn’t win. We were betting on who had the highest box office. Yours came in fifth, so how did you win?”

Reeves' cheeky response left Richard helpless.

In the end, after some negotiation, Reeves handed over two bikes, Richard gave up his championship belt, and Depp contributed his finest bottle of wine.

Richard’s championship belt wasn’t the only one from the boxing organization; it was custom-made after his victory, with his name and the date of the win on it, serving more as a keepsake and medal.

Giving up the belt didn’t mean surrendering the title. A new champion could get a signed belt for $2,000.

Richard called Andy to order two more signed belts, one for Reeves and one for Depp.

“You three grown men are really ridiculous, spending so much time discussing a silly bet,” Giselle commented with a mocking smile while flipping through a magazine and eating fruit.

“Keanu’s just a sore loser. He can’t accept defeat and is trying to weasel out of it,” Richard laughed.

Ring, ring—the phone rang again.

“Andy, what’s up?” Richard asked.

“Nike and Adidas marketing teams reached out to me. They’re wondering if you have plans to start your own sportswear brand. I remember you mentioned it before, so I didn’t turn them down. Are you still interested?” Andy asked.

“Andy, hold on a second.”

Richard put down the phone. “Honey, how’s your personal brand doing?”

“It’s okay. This first quarter, we only made less than $20 million in profit, but it’s up 50% from last year,” Bündchen said casually.

“Uh, $20 million in a quarter isn’t much?” Richard laughed.

“Is it a lot? Compared to someone who makes $60 million in 10 minutes, $20 million in a quarter doesn’t seem like much, right?” Bündchen blinked, her smile wide with pride.

“Darling, you’re amazing,” Richard said with a smile. “Nike and Adidas want to collaborate with me to create a personal clothing brand. What do you think?”

“It’s not bad. The most important factors for a personal brand are sales channels and marketing. Nike and Adidas are global brands with distribution networks worldwide, stronger than even Louis Vuitton’s sales power.

Though your personal influence isn’t quite on par with Jordan’s yet, in a few years you’ll definitely catch up. Partnering with Nike would be a strong move.”

Giselle analyzed.

“You know this stuff well. How about you take charge of this? We can deal with the investment negotiations after you’ve had the baby, or you can ask Ellie and Michelle for help.”

Richard suggested.

“You think I can handle it?”

“Of course, honey. You’re excellent—better than me. This is a small matter for you.”

Richard kissed her.

Giselle smiled, “Alright, I’ll give it a try.”

“Great, it’s settled then.”

Richard called Andy and Ellie back to discuss launching the ‘Richard’ sports brand.

Ellie thought there was no rush since both companies had extended offers. They could wait and see which one proposed the best terms before committing. A negotiation team could be assembled to start talks with both companies.

In the following days, Ellie and Michelle selected a professional business negotiation team, which included Giselle’s business assistant, representatives from Starlight Sports, and Richard’s personal legal team—forming a 22-person negotiation team to begin talks with Adidas and Nike.

Adidas offered a $200 million investment to co-create the ‘Richard Personal Sports Series,’ with Richard receiving 20% of the brand’s profits—meaning for every product sold with his name on it, he would receive 20% of the earnings.

Nike, however, having worked with Richard before as an endorser, had a better grasp of his commercial value. Their plan was more ambitious, proposing a three-phase investment of $1 billion to launch the ‘Richard Sports Brand,’ modeled after the Jordan brand. The profit-sharing rate was also 20%, the highest the brand could offer.

After several rounds of negotiations, they decided to partner with Nike.

As for investment in the clothing line, the decision on how much to invest would be carefully considered.

Richard planned to wait until after Bündchen had given birth to finalize the details.

Giselle was nearly nine months pregnant, her belly growing larger, and her due date was approaching.

Richard postponed joining the production of National Treasure to stay home with Giselle, spending his days walking with her, chatting, doing pregnancy check-ups, and keeping fit.

In late September, when The Butterfly Effect premiered, Richard finally shifted his attention beyond the estate and began to focus on the film’s release.

(End of the chapter)

*Chapter 327: The Butterfly Effect*

In mid-August, during a popular quiz show, the host asked the contestants, "What is the Butterfly Effect? Please explain." None of the ten participants could give a correct answer.

The next day, a reward-based quiz appeared on the homepages of Amazon and Google, asking, "What is the Butterfly Effect?" with prizes for the most detailed responses. The deadline for submissions was set for September 6.

The event's details, including the organizer's email and prize descriptions, were published in newspapers. The first prize was $100,000, the second prize $50,000, and the third prize $10,000. The top 1,000 participants would receive a free movie ticket for The Butterfly Effect, while the top 5,000 would get a movie poster.

The competition quickly garnered significant attention, especially among students who were drawn in by the cash prizes and free tickets. Many rushed to search online for what the Butterfly Effect was.

The concept, first introduced by American meteorologist Edward Lorenz in 1963, describes how minor changes can lead to significant consequences. A common illustration is a butterfly flapping its wings in the Amazon rainforest, which might cause a tornado in Texas two weeks later.

Many people copied and pasted answers from the internet, hoping to secure a movie ticket or poster. Meanwhile, top students aiming for the cash prizes began writing detailed essays.

The event ran for over two weeks, and by the September 6 deadline, the organizers had received 1,368,010 entries.

After a thorough evaluation by experts, three responses stood out. The first-place winner was a Harvard philosophy student who submitted a 50,000-word academic paper. He used the recent outbreak of "mad cow disease" in the southeastern U.S. to explain the Butterfly Effect scientifically and meticulously.

In April, a cow in Alabama was found to have mad cow disease, a fatal neurological disorder that can infect humans who consume contaminated beef. As a precaution, many American families stopped eating beef, leading to a downturn in the restaurant industry across several states. Furthermore, at least 11 countries banned U.S. beef imports.

The American beef industry suffered greatly, resulting in mass layoffs in related sectors. Corn and soybean prices, the primary feed for cattle, also plummeted due to decreased demand, affecting the commodities market.

This chain reaction dealt a severe blow to the U.S. economy, which had just begun to recover, much like a hurricane sweeping across the country and beyond. The root of this "hurricane" lay in that one infected cow.

In topology, such a small initial change leading to a significant, long-term chain reaction is known as the Butterfly Effect.

Seven esteemed professors evaluated the papers, awarding the Harvard student's essay first place with seven A+ grades. The second and third places also went to academic papers.

On September 15, an academic website published the top three submissions. The following day, at a pre-release event for The Butterfly Effect at the University of California, Berkeley, renowned meteorologist Edward Norton Lorenz, the father of chaos theory and discoverer of the Butterfly Effect, awarded certificates and prizes to the winners.

The competition attracted media attention, sparking widespread discussions about the Butterfly Effect in newspapers. Several TV networks invited meteorologists and university professors to explain the concept, and actors James Franco and Lisa Pera were invited to participate.

After a month of publicity, "Butterfly Effect" became a buzzword, familiar even to those who had never studied the topic.

On September 20, The Butterfly Effect, produced by New Century, was released widely across North America. It grossed $19.07 million in its first three days, ranking fourth for the weekend behind Kill Bill, Underworld, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico.

Although its box office performance wasn't as explosive as Crash, the film received positive reviews from critics, who praised its quality.

“This is an incredibly mind-bending film, worth watching at least twice,” wrote Los Angeles Times critic Rogers.

“Rather than just a sci-fi movie, it’s more of a philosophical film that delves into human nature, emotions, and life. Thought-provoking and highly recommended,” commented The New York Post.

“To save his lover, friends, neighbors, and mother, the protagonist travels back in time five times, only to face disastrous outcomes each time due to the Butterfly Effect. His final choice is both profound and astonishing, showcasing the film’s brilliant scriptwriting,” wrote an Entertainment Weekly reviewer.

On Rotten Tomatoes, user reviews ranged from praise for the film's originality and well-constructed plot to criticisms about the complicated scenes and perceived plot holes. Overall, positive reviews outweighed negative ones, and the movie earned a score of 8.9.

With growing word-of-mouth buzz, more people went to theaters, leading to a first-week gross of $23.38 million, surpassing Once Upon a Time in Mexico and securing the third spot.

The film's $13.5 million production budget, along with less than $20 million in marketing costs, made the $23 million first-week earnings a success. Richard was quite satisfied with the results.

“It’s a film that rewards those who understand its depth, but it might come off as pretentious to those who don’t connect with it,” he reflected.

“Richard, after all that effort in promoting the movie, why did it only make $20 million?” Gwyneth sighed over the phone. She was the film’s producer and was heavily involved in its production and marketing.

Richard chuckled, “$20 million is great! With a North American box office of around $60 million and a global box office approaching $100 million, plus excellent reviews, you should be proud, Gwyneth.”

“Em~ okay, I guess when you put it that way, it’s not bad at all. With a budget of over $10 million and global earnings nearing $100 million, it’s a small dark horse, right?” Gwyneth replied with a delighted laugh.

Richard smiled, “So, you called to brag and weren’t actually upset, were you?”

“Haha, you’re right, I was just showing off. Want to teach me a lesson? If so, come over soon, I haven’t been punished in a while.”

“Naughty! You’ll get it next time!” Richard laughed and hung up.

With the box office numbers out, he finally felt at ease.

The Butterfly Effect was New Century’s first film with a budget over $10 million. Because of his influence, the cast and even the producer had changed.

Before the release, he had been worried about the film flopping, which could have significantly impacted the young studio. Fortunately, the outcome was positive.

Back at the villa, Mrs. Bundchen, Susan, and Caroline were there.

“Richard, which of these brand logos do you think looks better?” Mrs. Bundchen called out.

Nike's designer had sent over several logo designs, and the group had narrowed it down to two.

“You’re all fashion experts, no need to ask me. I’ll respect your choice,” Richard said, sitting down and putting his arm around her waist.

“This is your brand’s logo; don’t you care? We narrowed it down to two options. Which do you prefer?” Mrs. Bundchen asked.

Richard looked them over. One was a simple, fun sketch of boxing gloves made from three curved lines, and the other was a sleek, stylized gold championship belt.

“They both look good,” he said.

“Forget it; asking you was pointless,” Mrs. Bundchen rolled her eyes, then studied the designs again.

“Let’s go with the second one. It’s more refined and classy.”

“Alright, the second it is!” Richard agreed with a smile.

—End of Chapter—

Chapter 328: Pre-Match Arrangements

After setting aside matters concerning the new movie, Richard was once again pulled into the boxing gym by Paul to serve as a sparring partner.

Paul had a match scheduled for Friday night against his old rival, Chris Byrd. This was their third bout; in 2001, Paul lost to Byrd, and in February of this year, their fight ended in a draw. Unwilling to accept the outcome, Paul arranged for a third match against Chris Byrd.

Initially, Byrd was hesitant to agree. Having already fought twice and recognizing that their skill levels were quite similar, he knew he could potentially lose this time. However, Paul persisted, even offering to forgo his share of the PPV revenue, just for the chance to fight again.

Both Paul and Chris Byrd were second-tier boxing stars, with each match generating millions in PPV revenue. Tempted by the money, Byrd eventually agreed.

With the fight set, Paul entered a rigorous training mode, and Richard joined him whenever he had the time to help out.

In the ring, Paul attacked with relentless force, his punches like iron hammers, constantly pounding away. Richard focused on defense, using his agile footwork and quick dodges to effortlessly neutralize the heavy blows.

“Faster! You need to be quicker!” Richard said, bouncing on his feet. “Chris Byrd's nickname is ‘Quickfire.’ His speed isn't far behind mine, so your movements have to be agile, or you'll just be a sitting target.”

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Paul, holding his breath, threw several more punches with force.

“This won’t work,” Richard commented. “Your attacks lack sustainability. Once you stop, you’ll expose openings that can be exploited.”

Richard demonstrated his point by landing a hook to Paul's cheek, causing him to stumble.

“Your attack pattern is too predictable,” Richard continued. “You start strong, but the longer you go, the weaker you get. Chris Byrd has figured this out, which is why he agreed to a third fight. If you don't change, it’ll be hard to win this time.”

“So, what should I do? Change my attack strategy?” Paul asked, breathing heavily.

“You can’t change your approach now,” Richard replied after some thought. “It’s too late for that, and it’ll affect your performance in the ring. Your punches are powerful, and your stamina is decent, but you don’t know how to conserve energy. When facing tougher opponents, you often can’t last till the end.”

Richard continued, “Try reducing the number of punches you throw. Set up an attacking stance without immediately committing, intimidating your opponent with your presence, and wait for the right moment to strike.”

“Hold back on attacking?” Paul frowned.

“Think of it like this,” Richard explained, “it’s as if you’re carrying a gun, with your hand on the holster. You don’t need to fire to make your opponent hesitate.”

“A gun? Where would I get a gun?” Paul looked even more confused.

Richard took a breath, twisting his neck to loosen up. “Watch closely. I’ll show you what it means to feint without following through.”

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Richard suddenly erupted, delivering a flurry of quick and heavy punches, striking Paul’s body and head, before finishing with a jab to the chin.

Paul was caught off guard, taking five solid hits before collapsing to the ground, his head buzzing.

“Get up!” Richard shouted sternly.

Paul shook his head and rubbed his face. “Was that what you meant by feinting?”

“No, that was just the setup,” Richard answered. He then adopted a threatening stance, fists out, as if ready to attack at any moment.

Paul kept his eyes on Richard, dodging and retreating, bracing himself each time it seemed Richard was about to strike. Richard moved effortlessly around the ring, occasionally launching a sudden attack, keeping Paul on the defensive.

“Now do you understand what I mean by feinting?” Richard asked, pausing.

Paul thought for a moment and shook his head. “Not really, just tell me plainly.”

“When I lowered my attack frequency, why didn’t you counter?” Richard questioned.

“I was worried you’d suddenly throw a heavy punch,” Paul replied.

“You’ve fought Chris Byrd twice already. After your initial heavy attacks, he never countered right away. Wasn’t he worried about your powerful punches too?”

“So what if he was?” Paul asked.

“If he’s worried about your attacks, he’ll stay on the defensive,” Richard explained. “In that state, his body and muscles are tense, like a drawn bowstring. This posture drains energy quickly while maximizing his defense.”

“If it were me,” Richard continued, “I wouldn’t keep attacking in that situation. I’d watch him carefully, move around the ring, and make it look like I was ready to strike at any moment, waiting for a better opportunity to launch an efficient attack rather than just throwing punches wildly.”

“Oh, I get it now,” Paul said, a look of realization dawning on his face. “You’re trying to wear him out.”

“Exactly,” Richard nodded. “You’re draining your opponent’s energy while conserving your own. You have great stamina, but you don’t pace yourself or control the rhythm. Sometimes you get caught up in the moment and start swinging wildly, especially when you hear the crowd cheering.”

“You should watch fights like Lennox Lewis versus John Ruiz,” Richard suggested. “Notice how they remain expressionless and keep their emotions in check. That’s the ideal state for a fight.”

“Alright, I get it,” Paul grinned. “Let’s practice that.”

“You want to spar with me?” Richard chuckled and shook his head. “I’m not afraid of your heavy punches, so this tactic won’t work on me. But I can still give you a taste of what it feels like to be intimidated. Let’s continue.”

The training resumed, with Richard launching aggressive attacks, driving Paul back repeatedly. Then, he slowed the pace, moving around the ring and striking whenever Paul tried to relax, keeping him constantly on the defensive.

After half an hour, Richard had thrown over 80 punches and had barely broken a sweat, while Paul lay exhausted on the floor, drenched in sweat and gasping for breath.

“Conserving energy means using it wisely, not being stingy with it,” Richard said, taking off his gloves and heading toward the gym’s office.

Inside, the old man Alvin was dozing on the sofa, while a Levi’s jeans commercial featuring Britney Spears played on TV.

Richard turned down the volume and made some tea.

“Done with training?” Alvin asked, waking up.

“Yeah, why didn’t you go play cards?” Richard handed him a cup of tea.

“Not worth it,” Alvin replied, sipping his tea. “Everyone knows I have money, and when they see me, they surround me trying to win it. Sometimes they even cheat—it’s just not fun.”

Richard chuckled. Alvin used to coach both of them, earning a share of the prize money and saving up over a million dollars. Later, he opened a gym, teaching students and earning tens of thousands of dollars annually. Life was good, with plenty of fine dining and occasional outings to strip clubs with Dr. Tom Earl.

“How’s Paul doing? Does he have a shot at the title?” Alvin asked.

“He has a chance,” Richard said, “but his skills are inconsistent. Whether he can win depends on his performance on the night.”

Alvin chuckled. “It’s a good thing you’re around. Without you helping him train, Paul’s talent and temperament would make him a second-rate fighter at best.”

“Paul has good physical conditioning,” Richard remarked.

“Being in shape isn’t enough to become a top-tier boxer,” Alvin said. “A fighter’s instincts and skills determine their career potential. You’re outstanding in every aspect, even better than professional coaches at teaching boxing. Any boxer with a sparring partner like you could win a championship within three years. Paul still has some catching up to do.”

“Hmph!”

Paul walked in with a grim expression, gulped down a drink, and said, "This time, I'll show you by becoming the champion." With that, he walked out again.

Richard and Alvin burst into laughter.

---

After a few days of training, the match day arrived. It took place at Madison Square Garden in New York, thanks to Star Sports' coordination, as Paul would have a stronger home-court advantage there.

When the match started, Paul came out aggressively, knocking down Chris Byrd once in the first round. The crowd cheered loudly. After that, Paul used his control skills, adopting an imposing stance and keeping a close eye on Chris Byrd. Whenever Byrd was about to counterattack, Paul would preemptively strike with powerful punches, leaving his opponent no room to relax.

By the end of the first round, both fighters had thrown fewer than fifty punches, but the results were evident—Byrd's energy was more depleted than Paul's.

"Why did Paul change his style?" Mayweather asked in surprise.

"Heh, don’t you see who the strategist is?" Norman pointed to Richard.

Richard shrugged. "I just made a small suggestion."

"Your suggestion was good. Paul tends to be too reckless. Against a power-based boxer, being a bit aggressive works, but with a slippery opponent like Byrd, a more conservative approach is better. This match is going to be interesting," Mayweather said with a smile.

"Can Paul win? I bet half a million on him. If he wins, I can make some pocket money," Norman joked.

"It's too early to call. Chris Byrd is fast, strong, and versatile. He could come up with a counter-strategy in the next round," Richard said, glancing at the ring, where Byrd and his coach were whispering to each other.

Ding, ding, ding—the second round began, with Byrd taking the initiative to attack and lure Paul in. Sure enough, Paul took the bait, unleashing a flurry of punches that forced Byrd to retreat.

"Come on, Paul!!" the crowd shouted.

Thud, thud, thud—Paul got carried away, yelling as he attacked relentlessly, but Byrd's agile footwork allowed him to neutralize several of Paul's powerful moves.

"Steady!" Richard shouted.

"Paul, steady!!" Norman stood up and yelled.

It seemed like Paul heard them and stopped his assault.

Bang—Byrd reacted swiftly, landing a hook that caused Paul to stumble, barely regaining his balance after a few steps to the right.

Byrd pressed his advantage, continuing his attack and forcing Paul to retreat.

"Did we mess him up?" Norman scratched his head.

"It’s fine. The match just started, and Paul’s stamina is still strong. His resilience will let him take a few hits without much trouble," Richard said, clenching his fist.

Thud, thud, thud—on the ring, Paul shielded his head with his arms as Byrd launched a rapid-fire assault, landing more than thirty punches and scoring some points, but at the cost of significant energy.

As Byrd paused his attack, Paul immediately resumed his offensive, delivering heavy blows that put Byrd on the defensive.

Paul grinned and switched to a war of attrition, staying close to Byrd and attacking whenever he saw the slightest movement.

"Ha, Paul’s got it figured out," Mayweather chuckled.

"Paul’s punches, stamina, and resilience are on par with his opponent’s. If he can hold steady for the first few rounds, his chances of winning will increase," Richard remarked.

"Let’s hope Paul can keep up the pressure."

The match continued. For the first five rounds, Paul stuck to Richard’s strategy, maintaining control with minimal energy loss, while Byrd was struggling.

With each passing round, Paul fought with increasing ease.

The match smoothly entered the sixth round, where Paul launched a fierce counterattack, driving Byrd back repeatedly.

"He started the offense a bit early," Mayweather commented.

"Let’s see how much stamina Paul has left."

Paul dominated the next three rounds, knocking Byrd down once.

By the tenth round, both fighters were exhausted and drenched in sweat.

Bang—just as Paul relaxed his defense, Byrd suddenly delivered a powerful blow, knocking Paul to the ground.

"Damn!" Norman and many fans cried out in alarm.

Paul quickly got back on his feet, and the match resumed.

"Come on, Paul!" the fans shouted, especially the loud voices of his neighbors from the Bronx.

"Attack!"

In the eleventh round, Paul surged again, knocking Byrd down. But after that offensive burst, he was spent, staggering around the ring as Byrd, bleeding from his face, struggled to stay standing.

In the twelfth round, both fighters were too exhausted to continue, clinging to each other whenever they exchanged punches.

Ding, ding, ding—the match ended.

All eyes turned to the judges.

"It’s not going to be another draw, is it?" Paul stood in the ring, his head bowed in frustration, feeling he was so close, yet so far from victory.

Then the judges revealed their scores:

First judge: 116–111

Second judge: 113–114

Third judge: 116–111

Two out of three judges ruled in favor of Paul.

"Paul won!!!" The arena erupted in celebration.

Paul, standing on the ring, was momentarily stunned, but as he saw the scoreboard, a mischievous grin spread across his face.

"Ha ha, my pocket money just went up," Norman laughed.

"Now, we truly are the Three Musketeers of the Bronx," Mayweather said with a smile.

"Awooo~~" Paul howled toward the sky in his signature victory pose.

"That guy has finally become the Wolf King," Richard said, smiling.

---

(End of the chapter)

*Chapter 329: The Professional Dad is Here*

“Haha, Richard, check out my championship belt! Doesn’t it look shiny?”

The match was over, and Paul swaggered over with a crab-like stride, proudly carrying the IBF championship belt on his shoulder. His mouth was wide open in a grin that he couldn’t contain.

“Congratulations, Paul.”

Richard smiled.

“Thanks, it wasn’t easy. I’ve been boxing for over 20 years, taken countless hits, and finally won the championship belt. Boohoo~”

Paul wiped his eyes as he spoke.

Richard smirked slightly, “There are reporters taking photos.”

Paul immediately stopped, lowered his hands, and burst out laughing.

“Richard, thank you. If it wasn’t for you, I definitely wouldn’t have won the belt. Alvin was right about that.”

“You’re welcome. The championship belt is something you earned on your own; it doesn’t have much to do with me.”

Richard chuckled.

“Paul, congrats on finally getting the belt.”

Norman walked over, laughing. He was delighted after winning his bet.

“Hehe, it’s just a championship belt, nothing special.”

Paul rubbed the gold leaf on the belt, grinning even wider.

“Paul, the usual routine—you won, so you treat. Where are we celebrating tonight?”

Mayweather joked.

“Anywhere, I’m covering all the expenses tonight!”

Paul shouted excitedly.

“Wait a second!”

Andy walked over with a few photographers, “Richard, Paul, Mayweather, how about taking a few group photos?”

“No problem!”

Richard pulled Norman over, placing the grinning Paul in the middle, and the four of them took a few group photos.

Click-click

Over the next few days, newspapers like The New York Times, New York Post, and The Washington Post featured these photos on the front page of various sections, under the headline “The Three Kings of the Bronx.”

The articles first reported on Paul Philbert’s victory over Chris Byrd to win the IBF championship belt. Paul was a well-known boxer, a sparring partner for a super champion, and also the husband of tennis star Venus, making him famous in both sports and entertainment circles.

They then mentioned Richard Brad and Floyd Mayweather. Richard was the undisputed number one in the boxing world, both in skill and influence. Mayweather, also a top boxer, had debuted in October 1996 and had a perfect 31-win record with 13 successful defenses of the WBC lightweight belt. He ranked sixth in the boxer influence rankings, and his earnings per fight exceeded ten million, making him one of the highest-paid boxers in the sport.

Richard had a 35-0 record as the WBA heavyweight champion and super champion, while Mayweather had a 31-0 record as the WBC lightweight champion. Paul had 33 wins, 5 losses, and 1 draw with the IBF heavyweight belt. All three came from the Bronx, shared a good relationship, and quickly became a hot topic.

“Ugh, if only I had a 33-0 record, it would look so much better.”

Paul sighed while holding the newspaper.

“Don’t worry about that. You should be thinking about how to keep that belt. The longer you hold on to it, the more famous you’ll become, and the higher your earnings will be. Win three or four more fights, and breaking ten million won’t be a problem.”

“Ten million?”

Paul grinned, “You’re saying I could earn ten million for a single fight?”

“Of course, it just depends on whether you can hold on.”

Richard laughed.

“Haha, I’ll definitely hold on for ten million.”

Paul laughed heartily.

“Tough!”

Norman pointed at Richard, “Don’t forget, Richard’s goal is the Grand Slam. If he challenges you, do you think you can keep the belt?”

Paul’s face darkened, and just as he was about to speak, Richard interrupted, “I’ve said before that as long as the belt is in your hands, I won’t fight you. I keep my word.”

“Really? Richard, you won’t fight me?”

Paul grabbed his arm excitedly.

“Really, now let go.”

Richard pushed his hand away with a look of disdain.

“Paul, from a financial perspective, you should consider fighting Richard.”

Norman chuckled, “Think about it carefully. You’re Richard’s sparring partner and also a champion. This fight would attract a lot of attention. Conservatively, the prize money would exceed 80 million, and your earnings would not be less than 10 million.”

“Ten million?”

Paul rubbed his chin.

“Yes, ten million or more. How many fights would you need to earn that much? So why not take advantage of having the belt and make some quick cash?”

“Hmm, that does make a lot of sense.”

Paul’s eyes glinted.

Richard chuckled softly, sipping his tea.

“There’s also a prophecy in boxing that top fighters often lose to their former sparring partners. Think about it, Ali was incredible, yet his last professional fight saw him lose badly to his former sparring partner, Larry Holmes. Last year, Tyson was beaten badly by his old sparring partner, Lewis.”

“Ali and Tyson were the strongest of their eras, and they eventually lost to their sparring partners. Richard is the strongest of this era, so why wouldn’t you be able to defeat him?”

Norman patted him on the shoulder with a grin.

Paul blinked and grinned at Richard before quickly restraining himself. “Hehe, don’t worry, Richard. I won’t fight you.”

Richard smiled, “Why not give Andy a call and arrange a match for us next year?”

“No way, no way, absolutely not. Ali and Tyson were in decline when they lost to their sparring partners. You’re still in top form. If I fight you, I’d be asking for trouble.”

Paul shook his head.

Richard chuckled, “Norman has a point, though. Our fight would definitely draw high ratings. We could always have a match in the future.”

“When you guys fight, I’ll definitely bet on Paul to win.”

Norman laughed.

“Hehe, don’t say that. I can’t beat Richard.”

Paul waved it off with a laugh.

Richard smiled and noticed Giselle walking over from the lawn with a few others.

“How’s it going?” Richard asked, walking over.

Giselle was 39 weeks pregnant, and the baby was full-term, ready to be born at any moment. He had brought her to the maternity center to wait for the birth. To help ease her fears, he’d also invited Michelle and Venus to share some of their experiences.

“Pretty good. Venus said when she had her little one, it took less than half an hour. It went really smoothly. I’m sure mine will be the same.”

Giselle smiled, rubbing her belly.

“Yes, it will definitely be smooth.”

Richard smiled as he supported her.

After staying at the maternity center for two weeks, Giselle finally went into labor. Thanks to all the preparations and her regular exercise, the delivery went smoothly. She was in the delivery room for less than two hours before giving birth to a healthy baby boy, weighing 8.8 pounds.

Giselle named the little one Luiz Bündchen Brad. Luiz is a Brazilian Portuguese name, and in French, it is known as Louis.

“You knew it was a boy, didn’t you?” Richard asked while holding the little one.

“What’s wrong with having a boy?” Giselle replied with a gentle smile as she rested on the bed.

“It’s fine. The next one has to be a girl.”

Richard said as he rocked the sleeping baby.

Giselle rolled her eyes, “All you think about is having babies. Do you know how exhausting it is?”

“I know, darling, you’ve worked hard.”

Richard kissed her gently.

“Be careful not to wake the baby.”

Giselle playfully pushed him away.

“Don’t worry, I’m a professional dad.”

Richard cradled the little one, walking around as the chubby baby slept soundly in his arms, looking adorable.

Seeing how smitten he was, Giselle chuckled softly. The guy says he doesn’t like boys, but his actions say otherwise.

After staying in the maternity center for two more days, Richard took Giselle back to the estate, where they had household staff and a professional nanny, making things much more convenient.

---

(End of this chapter)

*Chapter 330: Another Dark Horse*

Half a month after the baby was born, Richard held a family gathering at home, inviting some close friends and relatives to meet little Louis.

"Richard, little Louis looks just like you. When I first saw you, you were just like this—crawling around everywhere. Once, you crawled onto your dad's back and fell asleep, and then peed all over him," Uncle Frank said, looking at the baby.

Richard chuckled as he picked up the baby from the cradle. "You should’ve warned me earlier. Yesterday, the little guy peed on me while I was holding him."

Frank laughed heartily. "You should have more kids. Just one is too lonely."

"Yeah, my goal is ten."

"Haha, that’s great!" Frank said, laughing.

Richard carried little Louis out of the nursery. Everyone had arrived—Uncle Frank's family, Gisele's father, Susan and their neighbors from the Bronx, and a few of Richard and Gisele's close friends.

"Richard, you look like a total dad," Levi teased.

"Yeah, it's my new job," Richard smiled gently. He noticed little Ava beside Jennifer and squatted down. "Ava, this is Louis."

"Louis~" Little Ava blinked her big blue eyes, gently poking the baby's chubby cheeks. She smiled and said, "Daddy, Louis is so tiny~"

"Haha, you were even smaller when you were born," Richard laughed.

"Daddy, when can Louis play with me?"

"Soon. In a couple of years, you’ll be able to play together," Richard replied.

"Brother-in-law, Gisele wants me to bring the baby over," Patria called out, running over. She had rushed over from school after hearing about the baby’s birth.

"Be careful. Handle him gently."

"I know, I know," Patria said as she carefully took the baby.

"Waah~ Waah~" The baby woke up, crying loudly.

"Don’t cry, don’t cry. I'll take you to Mommy," Patria said as she gently rocked him, but the baby kept crying.

"Brother-in-law, help me out!" Patria called out.

"Give him to me," Richard said, taking the baby. After a bit of comforting, the baby quieted down, his big dark eyes blinking as he looked around the room, looking particularly adorable.

"See? So well-behaved," Richard said, kissing the baby and smiling.

"Looks like our champ here is turning soft," Norman joked.

"Why do you say that?" Paul asked, curious.

"Look at how he’s holding the baby. Does that still look like the fierce champion who dominated the ring? Once you’ve been a dad long enough, your heart softens, and so will your fists," Norman said, shaking his fists playfully.

"Really?" Paul blinked in surprise.

Richard chuckled softly, handing the baby back to Patria, who took him over to Gisele, where a crowd was waiting to meet the little one.

"Keanu, how’s The Matrix 3 doing at the box office?"

"Not great," Reeves said with a gloomy expression.

The Matrix 3 had been released in early October, and in three weeks, it had only grossed $110 million—less than The Matrix 2 had made in its opening weekend. It was performing quite poorly.

"Don’t worry. It’s the slow season right now. Earning that much is still pretty good," Richard said.

By November, Richard had a few movies set to release as well. Saw was coming out on Halloween, followed by Collateral, and then in December, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King. Right before Christmas, there was also a big boxing match scheduled. After the fight, Richard would have to start shooting National Treasure.

So much work—it made his head spin just thinking about it.

"Richard, I’ve been looking for you everywhere!" Anthony squeezed through the crowd.

"What's up?" Richard asked.

"Mr. and Mrs. Smith casting is done. The overall budget is $110 million. Summit Entertainment is investing $60 million, and New Century is putting in $30 million. You've waived your upfront fee, so you’ll get 20% of the North American box office and 10% of the global box office. What do you think?" Anthony asked.

"Sounds good. Who did we cast as the female lead?" Richard asked.

"Angelina Jolie. Wasn't she your choice?" Anthony replied.

"Me? Oh, right. I remember now," Richard said. Last time, Gwyneth had mentioned that after Mr. and Mrs. Smith announced open casting, a lot of A-list actresses wanted to work with him—Nicole Kidman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Halle Berry, Penélope Cruz, and Angelina Jolie.

Gwyneth had asked Richard who he favored and had especially recommended Jolie, saying she was familiar and could be given extra consideration.

Since Jolie was the original female lead, Richard had said she could try out, but the final decision was up to the casting director.

Since the studio thought Jolie was a good fit, there was no problem.

---

After the family gathering, Richard got back to work. On Halloween, Saw premiered, and Richard attended the event. After watching the film, he was left sweating—it was unexpectedly terrifying.

The film grossed $11.27 million in its first three days, becoming the highest-grossing horror film of the Halloween season. This result was extraordinary.

With a total budget of $1.5 million and shot in just 22 days, Saw didn’t seem like a "dark horse" by any means, yet it turned out to be one—a massive one at that.

In its opening week, the movie grossed $18.29 million, and if it kept performing like this, its North American box office was expected to exceed $50 million. If you factored in global box office sales and home video revenue (which is often a bigger moneymaker for horror films than ticket sales), the film was likely to generate close to $100 million in revenue.

A $1.5 million investment turning into $100 million in profit—now that was impressive.

New Century Studios immediately decided to reward the Saw production team with a $5 million bonus.

Just like with previous films such as Velvet Goldmine, Crash, Lost in Translation, and The Butterfly Effect, New Century awarded substantial bonuses based on a film’s profits, distributing the money among producers, directors, screenwriters, and other key contributors based on their roles.

This profit-sharing model was one of the reasons so many filmmakers wanted to work with New Century.

With Saw turning into a blockbuster, New Century Studios had yet again produced a dark horse hit. Last year’s Crash, made for $7 million, had grossed over $160 million worldwide.

In March of this year, Lost in Translation, with a budget of under $5 million, had earned over $51 million domestically and $65 million internationally, crossing the $100 million mark in total box office sales.

In September, The Butterfly Effect had grossed over $62 million in North America, with a strong critical reception, and its overseas box office numbers were also expected to push it past $100 million in total.

Now, in November, Saw was on track to do the same.

Filmmakers in Hollywood were stunned. "Is it really that easy to break $100 million?" they wondered.

The truth, of course, wasn’t that simple.

Hollywood produces hundreds of films every year, but fewer than 60 of them gross over $100 million worldwide. In 2001, only 42 films hit that milestone, and in 2002, it was 51.

So why did it seem like every film from New Century turned into a dark horse? Were low-budget films really this profitable? What was New Century’s secret to success?

Soon, many in the industry started reaching out to New Century employees to learn from them.

The response from New Century was simple: "Find a good script, hire a good director, cast the right actors, and trust them. That’s how films succeed."

Those who heard this explanation rolled their eyes—it was the kind of useless advice that didn’t help at all. So they kept digging for more information.

The answers they got were similar: the production department selected scripts and directors, the resources department handled the budget, and the distribution department took care of marketing. When these departments worked together, the film succeeded.

Since no one could get a more concrete explanation, many filmmakers gave up. But some smart ones noticed that New Century was expanding and hiring staff, with generous salaries and bonuses, so they immediately sent in their résumés. What better way to learn why a company was successful than by experiencing it firsthand?

As filmmakers marveled at New Century’s success, the mainstream media began paying attention to this small production company that had only been around for four years.

In its first year, New Century had produced Velvet Goldmine, which barely broke even at the box office, but earned positive reviews and won awards at Sundance and the Berlin Film Festival, along with Golden Globe and Oscar nominations.

In its second year, New Century produced Crash, which grossed $168 million and sold over 1.8 million DVDs, winning the 2003 Academy Award for Best Picture.

This year, New Century Pictures made a profit of over 70 million dollars.

In the third year, which is this year, the momentum is even stronger. Lost in Translation, The Butterfly Effect, and Saw—three movies with a total investment of less than 20 million—are expected to gross over 300 million globally. If you include DVD sales, the numbers are even higher.

Conservatively speaking, New Century Pictures' revenue is expected to exceed 150 million dollars this year, more than double last year's figures.

The Wall Street Journal reported that compared to the hundreds of millions made annually by the owner of New Century, 150 million doesn't seem like much, but compared to other Hollywood studios, this new film company's revenue is impressive.

In 2002, the two most profitable Hollywood studios were Columbia Pictures and Warner Bros., with profits of 1.1 billion and 980 million, respectively, thanks to Spider-Man and Harry Potter.

This year, both companies' profits have increased slightly but are still around the billion-dollar mark.

Among independent studios, New Line Cinema and DreamWorks topped the list, earning 800 million and 560 million, respectively, with their big hits being The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers and Catch Me If You Can.

These companies have been around for a long time, are large, and well-funded, producing dozens of movies every year, yet their pure profits aren't that much higher than New Century’s.

With 150 million dollars in revenue, New Century is now on par with top indie studios like Miramax, Touchstone, Focus Features, and Lionsgate.

And New Century has only been around for three years.

"Mr. Brad, New Century is a company you founded yourself. Since its inception, it has produced multiple hit films, achieving both box office success and critical acclaim. Could you share with us the secret behind New Century’s success?"

During the promotion for Collateral, the host asked an unrelated question.

Richard shrugged. "Since New Century's founding, we’ve followed one principle: focus on quality. We aim to produce top-notch films. I must thank my partners at the company—I'm usually busy acting and training, so I rarely participate in management. Throughout the filmmaking process, it's my partners who ensure everything runs smoothly, so when these films perform so well, I’m just as surprised as everyone else."

"Hmph, all fluff!"

In the Miramax office, Weinstein angrily switched off the TV. Earlier this year, his company had earned over 200 million, which made him happy, but after hearing about New Century's success, his excitement vanished, leaving him frustrated.

"How’s the investigation into New Century going?"

Weinstein called in his assistant.

"President Richard rarely visits the company. New Century relies primarily on Arnold Kopelson, Frank Marshall, Jane Wilson, and Gwyneth. Kopelson handles production, Frank is in charge of administration, and Ms. Wilson manages marketing and distribution. Each has a specific role, similar to our setup."

"Keep digging. Secretly approach the three key executives and try to poach them. Also, find out what new projects they have and see if we can steal them before they’re finalized."

"Understood!"

The assistant left.

"Boss, aren’t you putting too much emphasis on New Century? They’ve only had a few box office hits. That doesn’t mean they’ll always succeed. Maybe this year they’ll win, but next year they could flop," Bob Weinstein said, chuckling.

"And if they don’t? What if we just sit back and watch as New Century competes with us, eating into our share of the pie?" Weinstein replied, clearly annoyed.

Bob shrugged. "No need to rush. Once New Century becomes a fat sheep, the big studios will swoop in and tear it apart. We won't even need to lift a finger."

"We can’t wait any longer. Don’t forget our plan."

Weinstein clenched his fists as he spoke.

Before 1993, he had been just a film distributor, essentially a middleman in the industry, but he wasn’t content with that. He approached the president of Disney and convinced him to buy Miramax.

Disney gave him an annual production budget of 700 million dollars to make independent films, and both companies reaped the rewards.

With Disney's backing and distribution channels, Miramax quickly became a dominant player in the independent film industry in less than ten years.

Miramax initially focused on low-budget films, but in recent years, they began investing in big projects like Cold Mountain, Gangs of New York, and Chicago.

The scale of the investments grew larger, the company more successful, and Weinstein’s ambitions grew. He planned to break away from Disney and start his own company—Weinstein Pictures.

But New Century's rise had put him on guard.

Weinstein Pictures also planned to focus on low-budget independent films.

The two companies would inevitably become competitors, and if the opportunity arose, it would be best to eliminate New Century before it could fully grow.

With this in mind, Weinstein clenched his fists.

(End of Chapter)