Chapter 97: A Promise

Yang Rui spent five days in Canada, focusing on visiting the University of Toronto.

He wanted to see if he could "run into" Lin Chi-ling at the University of Toronto. After two days without any luck, he asked some Chinese students and found out that someone knew her and told him that Lin had graduated and returned to Taiwan last year.

Yang Rui was not someone who valued beauty over friendship, so he immediately called Thibodeau to fly back to New York together.

He didn't plan to report to Toronto in advance; he wanted to find some inspiration in New York and see if there were any investment opportunities. The stock market was continuously rising, and he and Thomas Bentley's assets had already exceeded $500,000, with more than $300,000 being his.

At the end of the month, he would go to Canada again, as he had agreed to join Glen Grunwald on-site for the NBA draft. This year's draft was in Vancouver.

He wanted to greet Vince Carter, the new high-flyer who was sure to be the future cornerstone of the Raptors.

McGrady was equally strong but had a congenital spinal condition that couldn't withstand intense physical confrontations, leading to an early decline due to injuries.

Carter was different. Even after being injured by Bowen, he was still a strong player with the Nets and was playing well with the Grizzlies at 40, even after Kobe had retired.

Whether the Raptors could become one of the most popular teams in the NBA next season depended on Carter. His playing style would surely make him the heir to Jordan as soon as he debuted.

On June 19, Scarlett Johansson, along with her brother Hunter, invited Yang Rui and Thomas to watch the movie "The Horse Whisperer."

To avoid disappointing Scarlett, Yang Rui drank three cans of Red Bull before leaving.

Without it, he really didn't have the confidence to sit through this 170-minute drama. Even "Independence Day," with aliens attacking Earth, only lasted 145 minutes.

This 170-minute film told the story of a married woman, Annie, who took her daughter and injured horse to a single man, Tom, for treatment, and they fell in love during this period. Yang Rui read the synopsis and had no expectations.

They went to the theater on a Friday afternoon, and there weren't many viewers. The four of them sat in the empty theater, feeling like they had booked the whole place.

Fifty minutes into the movie, Thomas was slumped in his chair. He slept like a baby, smiling like a salesman, dreaming of who knows what.

Seventy minutes in, Hunter, yawning incessantly, finally couldn't hold on and leaned against Thomas, closing his eyes.

Scarlett was so angry she was breathing heavily. Yang Rui whispered, "Should we wake them up?"

"No need, I shouldn't have brought them. I knew not everyone likes this kind of drama."

"I like it," Yang Rui smiled.

"I know, you didn't even yawn once," Scarlett said with a sweet smile.

It wasn't just the Red Bull; Yang Rui had never seen this movie in his previous life, so he found it fascinating. He had no interest in those classic blockbusters he had seen countless times; he already knew the plots by heart.

Scarlett was very different from the future version he remembered. Although her features were similar, she was delicate, with incredibly clear eyes.

Scarlett watched her own movie to enjoy a sense of accomplishment and to find areas where her acting could improve.

Yang Rui watched with a sense of nostalgia, seeing the innocence of the present and thinking about Scarlett's future rebellion, her unbreakable smoking habit, the elevator incident, the divorce, and so on, which made him sigh.

Yang Rui knew that people change. Would his unexpected appearance in her life change her future?

If she didn't rebel or smoke, what would she be like? Would she still become the goddess adored by countless fans?

They didn't chat much and watched the movie seriously until the end.

Yang Rui had thought he wouldn't like this kind of drama. In his previous life, he mostly watched popcorn movies, but he was deeply moved after watching this one.

One of the highlights of the film was its exploration of self-confrontation and mutual confrontation, gradually revealing and resolving sensitive conflicts through the healing of a highly intelligent animal.

People find their way out of darkness and regain their sense of direction and confidence through honest and courageous self-reflection.

This movie was a classic, presenting love in many forms: the friendship between animals and humans, familial love, and the friendship, familial love, and romantic love between people.

Scarlett acted very well; at 14, her acting skills were extraordinary. In Yang Rui's previous life, some top Chinese actresses could still turn a movie into a series of static JPG images even after turning 30, with emotional outbursts being mere GIF animations.

After waking up the two who had slept well, they went to a Western restaurant for dinner. As they entered, someone asked Yang Rui for an autograph.

Scarlett said enviously, "It seems you're much more famous than I am. Hardly anyone recognizes me."

"When you become famous, you'll find that being a star isn't all that great. If you can't walk down the street without people chasing you for photos and autographs, and paparazzi following you, it can be very troublesome," Yang Rui smiled.

Scarlett blinked. "Are you saying that being a star isn't actually a good thing?"

"No, I think it's best to become famous as early as possible. No matter how troublesome it is, it's still being a star," Yang Rui laughed. "You did a great job in this movie; you're not far from becoming a big star."

"There haven't been any movies I can act in recently. I really want to grow up quickly," Scarlett sighed.

Hollywood movies rarely had roles suitable for child stars. Even if she matured quickly, her face was still too childlike.

"In the future, if there's an acting opportunity, I'll let you know... When you grow up a bit, if you find a script you like but don't have the money to invest in it, I can invest," Yang Rui promised.

"Really? It's a deal."

"Of course, I'm destined to be on the Forbes rich list in the future. Don't be polite with me," Yang Rui laughed. He had a plan for the future and was ready to start implementing it this year.

Hunter chimed in, "How are you going to get on the list as a basketball coach? Coaches don't make as much as players."

"You'll see, kid. Better start buttering me up now."

On the way home, Thomas asked, "Are you really planning to invest in movies in the future? You know a lot about it; have you done your homework?"

"Yes, mainly because I like it. Think about it, investing in scripts we like and having our favorite actors perform in them."

"Do you mean... we could make stars? If beautiful actresses become famous, they'll definitely thank us and throw themselves at us. We could have romantic affairs with Hollywood stars," Thomas said, his eyes gleaming.

"Are you interested?"

"Of course, as long as we can make our money back, let's do it," Thomas licked his lips, almost drooling, thinking of someone.

Yang Rui rolled his eyes. This guy didn't care about money when it came to women; dating stars was indeed more tempting than dating college students.

"We don't have connections or enough money. We might get screwed over by the big six movie studios. Our primary goal during the break is still to make money. Right now, we can't even invest in B-movies. My plan is for five years from now."

"I get it. By then, Scarlett will be grown up, right?" Thomas exhaled.

"You're definitely thinking the wrong thing."

On June 23, Yang Rui flew to Vancouver alone for the draft.