The Best Movie Actor In Hollywood!

Chapter 709

After leaving the border between Kenya and Somalia, the delegation journeyed toward the frontier of Uganda. The country was even more chaotic, counted among the poorest and least developed nations on Earth.

The delegation ventured deep into the Ugandan interior.

Throughout the trip, Matthew and Emma maintained their public personas, but by night, Emma would slip into his room.

And since Hermione Granger herself was knocking at his door, Matthew certainly wasn't about to turn her away.

***

What they witnessed upon entering Uganda was shocking. While much of Kenya outside the capital of Nairobi was impoverished, compared to the poorest nations in Africa, it could almost be considered wealthy.

Matthew took it all in, making sure his team filmed everything. Once he returned, he would hand over the footage for Amanda and the studios to use in the promotion for 'Fast & Furious 4'.

The marketing and distribution budget for 'Fast & Furious 4' was a hefty $120 million. In addition to the $60 million from Disney, Matthew and David Ellison had personally raised another $60 million for the promotional campaign.

Matthew had promised to donate the profits to charity, but that still meant he had to recoup some of the revenue first.

Even if 'Fast & Furious 4' became a major success, the profit margins were expected to be slim.Matthew and David Ellison were well prepared for this reality; 'Fast & Furious 4' was an investment in the franchise's future.

The failure of 'Tokyo Drift' had nearly killed the series. This new film was about salvaging the franchise. After all, there was another trilogy planned, with the potential to go all the way to a tenth installment and beyond—if it proved profitable enough.

Right now, the most crucial goal was to pull the series into the mainstream of Hollywood blockbusters.

Even Matthew couldn't deny that the original 'The Fast and the Furious,' for all its success, was still considered a niche commercial film.

Of course, the size of the 'family' had to be managed. If it got too big, the drama would fall apart, and no amount of plot contrivances could save it.

For some reason, his thoughts drifted to Gal Gadot. The Israeli actress who had a role in 'Fast & Furious 4' had since returned to Israel and hadn't come back to Hollywood for any other films. Whatever ideas he once had about her had slowly faded with time.

It was a shame Warner Bros. would never give up the rights to Wonder Woman. With the rise of the feminist movement over the next couple of years, releasing a 'Wonder Woman' film would be a guaranteed goldmine.

Now, with his Hollywood experience, it wasn't hard for him to see that while casting Gal Gadot was certainly a factor in the film's success, the most critical element was the rise of the feminist movement.

Besides, while his involvement in the black civil rights movement wasn't as pronounced as his other social causes, he was still counted among Hollywood's many 'white liberals'.

***

After completing their work in Uganda, Matthew and the group returned to Nairobi to catch a direct flight to London.

"Did you see it all?"

In the car on the way to the airport, Emma was still processing what she had witnessed in Uganda. "I'm not wrong, am I?"

Matthew sighed, a hint of resignation in his voice. "There are probably internal factors we can't see."

Emma considered this for a moment, then said slowly, "Perhaps. But from what I saw, it seems like those people would rather sit and wait for a handout than rely on themselves."

The car came to a stop. "Come on," Matthew said to Emma. As they stepped out, he added, "Whatever you saw and heard... leave it in Africa."

He didn't let on, but he had already decided to scale back his aid efforts in Africa. His two charitable foundations would continue to allocate more resources to the burgeoning women's movement in North America. In Africa, the focus would be primarily on helping children.

Regardless, the vast majority of his charity funds were raised from others, and he was determined to maintain his philanthropic image.

Escorted by officials from the UN and the Kenyan government, Matthew and Emma breezed through check-in and security, making their way to the departure lounge.

While passing through the airport's retail section, Emma spotted a magazine with Matthew's face on the cover and hurried over to buy a copy.

"Matthew, you're on the cover of Time!"

Entering the VIP lounge, Emma found Matthew and sat down beside him, waving the magazine. "It looks like this one is about our trip to Africa," she said.

Matthew gave a slight nod. "It was arranged before I came."

He glanced at the magazine in her hands. The cover featured none other than himself, holding a gaunt black child, with a crowd of grateful-looking locals posing in the background.

The photo was expertly shot and composed; the gratitude on the faces of the people was almost palpable.

"Nice," Matthew said, nodding at the cover. "I'm still as handsome as ever."

Emma rolled her eyes, the corner of her mouth twitching into a smirk. "So conceited."

Emma's eyes returned to the magazine. "Hmm? The cover line reads, 'The Great Philanthropist, Matthew Horner.'"

Flipping it open, she quickly found the feature article. It detailed Matthew's trip to Africa and his philanthropic work, listing the good deeds he'd accomplished over the years through his charitable and social activism.

There was also a section dedicated to Matthew's pledge to donate the future profits from 'Fast & Furious 4'.

"So detailed," Emma murmured, glancing around the VIP lounge. Aside from them, only his bodyguard, Brown Williams, was present. "Did you write it yourself?"

Matthew shook his head. "I never even finished high school. You think I could write an article like this?"

"So you contacted them before you even came here?" Emma asked, closing the magazine.

"Yes," Matthew admitted freely. "My principle is to do good deeds and make sure people know about it. It sets an example for the public."

The cover subject of a magazine is its primary news source, a key element reflecting the publication's own value and status. Most of the figures chosen for the cover of Time were influential people driving their industries, or even shaping the course of history—central figures in the global spotlight, reflecting all aspects of contemporary public life.

And while Time's influence was waning with the rapid rise of the internet, its cover subjects were still renowned and wielded significant influence.

After a bit more conversation, the two of them boarded the plane. They slept for most of the flight, especially Emma, who seemed to be in a perpetual state of drowsiness.

This was mostly because, ever since that first night, her sleep schedule had been completely disrupted.

Upon arriving at London's Heathrow Airport, it was time for Matthew and Emma to part ways.

"Can't bear to see me go?" Emma teased.

Matthew gave a slight shrug. "You have no idea."

Emma stepped closer and whispered, "Don't worry, we can still be friends." She rolled her eyes playfully. "Don't get any ideas, though. You're my trophy."

With that, Emma got into her car and headed home, while Matthew sped off toward the set of 'Inception'.