A single decision made in a moment can often determine the course of one's entire life.
In his past life, Gilbert had naively believed that Hollywood was just about making movies, nothing more. At most, it was highly commercialized.
However, reality proved otherwise. Hollywood wasn't just about films—it was intertwined with drugs, crime, indulgence, extravagance, and debauchery.
Although Gilbert lived a life of luxury and excess, he never crossed certain lines that should never be crossed. However, there was one thing he could never fully avoid, no matter how much he tried—politics.
Yes, Hollywood was indeed about filmmaking, but politics had never been absent from it.
Whether Gilbert liked it or not, his immense influence made him a prime target for political figures to use as a pawn. This wasn't his intention, but it was unavoidable.
Gilbert wasn't just a director; he was a super director, adored by millions of movie fans worldwide. He was also a billionaire, ranking twelfth on the Forbes list.
By conventional understanding, a billionaire in the Western world should be virtually untouchable, possessing overwhelming wealth.
But the truth was far from that. Take Elon Musk, for example—the first person in history to surpass $300 billion in wealth. Yet, he was constantly embroiled in controversies. One of the most famous incidents was when he was accused of manipulating stock prices.
The accumulation of controversies eventually pushed Musk to a breaking point, where he publicly insulted Bob Iger in an interview and declared that he would never take his own life.
That's right—because of his stance on free speech on Twitter (now called X), Musk openly defied Iger and refused to bow to external pressure.
Even if X failed to generate a single cent in ad revenue, he was determined to uphold free speech on the platform.
If someone could force a billionaire like Musk to make such a statement, it wasn't just due to his own outspokenness—it also reflected the external pressures surrounding him.
Of course, Musk thrived on controversy, as it kept him in the public eye.
Gilbert didn't want to follow Musk's path, but if he wanted to protect himself, he needed power and influence.
He needed to form a stronger alliance of interests, at the very least to send a clear message: I don't want trouble, so don't bring trouble to me.
Power was the key to maintaining independence and security.
It was the same principle as nuclear deterrence—if you only had a small knife, not only would people not fear you, but they would also covet your wealth.
But if you held a gun, and were surrounded by others also holding guns, those eyeing your fortune would have to think twice before making a move.
On September 10, Gilbert had another "pleasant" meeting with Nate and Marvell. This time, it was genuinely pleasant.
Faced with people whose days were numbered, Gilbert displayed remarkable patience, avoiding past confrontations.
Naturally, after the discussion ended, they celebrated with a party.
Gilbert wasn't a pervert, so he didn't bring in underage girls. Instead, he borrowed over forty Victoria's Secret Angels. When those long-legged beauties paraded in front of Nate and Marvel, even the overly indulgent Nate couldn't take his eyes off them.
It was at that moment that Nate finally understood why Gilbert wasn't into younger girls. Sure, innocence had its charm, but a real woman was always more attractive.
However, neither Nate nor Marvell managed to enjoy themselves too much, as the Angels simply drank with them. Since Gilbert was present, Nate had no reason to suspect anything.
Drinking, chatting, and enjoying the company of the Angels, Nate, Marvell, and their entourage of over ten people soon passed out.
There was something in the drinks.
Normally, they should have been wary—after all, they had been at odds with Gilbert just recently.
But fate played its hand. Nate assumed Gilbert was too timid to resort to underhanded tactics like he would.
Once they were all unconscious, Gilbert clapped his hands, signaling for the models to leave.
The Angels had received a generous paycheck, and as they departed, some even gave Gilbert a peck on the cheek. A few particularly stunning models slipped him notes with their contact details.
After they were gone, Gilbert stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the New York skyline. He checked the angle carefully, then looked back at the unconscious men on the couch—perfect, not a single living soul would be left.
With everything set, Gilbert turned off the water and lights, took one last look at the private club, then walked out the door. He locked it behind him, making sure the key vanished without a trace.
But there was no need to worry too much.
By the morning of September 11, before Nate and the others could wake up, a massive object would come crashing down, sending them straight to meet their fate—not God, but the Devil himself.
Gilbert was merciful, in a way. At least Nate and his group wouldn't be awake to witness their own deaths.
Compared to the innocent victims on the island, dying in their sleep was almost a kindness.
The events of September 11 shocked not just America but the entire world.
At that moment, Gilbert was on the beach near his Long Island villa, fishing with a rather content expression.
Knowing that he was in New York, countless friends and relatives immediately called to check on his safety.
Bob Iger, Doug Walter, and other business partners did the same. Only after confirming that Gilbert was on Long Island, far from the city center, did they breathe a sigh of relief.
But things weren't over yet. Gilbert promptly instructed his Fruit Charity Foundation to organize disaster relief efforts.
Nate and his associates deserved their fate, but many others were innocent victims. Unfortunately, Gilbert couldn't save them.
The least he could do was provide post-disaster aid to ease his guilt.
Gilbert still remembered how, in his past life, many rescue workers suffered severe health issues after the disaster. Yet, the government failed to properly compensate them.
For Gilbert, the necessary funds were just pocket change. Since the federal government refused to step up, he would take on the responsibility himself.
And in doing so, he would win public favor as well.
Gilbert remained in New York for a full week, personally overseeing relief efforts while secretly ensuring that no traces of Nate and his group remained.
Although they had no chance of escaping, one could never be too careful. If they somehow returned from the dead, it would be a terrifying scenario for Gilbert.
Fortunately, he had nothing to worry about. Though the bodies were burned beyond recognition, later forensic identification confirmed the identities of Nate and his associates.
Gilbert couldn't help but feel nauseous at the charred smell of the corpses. It was the first time he had ever seen dead bodies up close in a literal sense.
But once their deaths were confirmed, Gilbert could finally relax—the problem was resolved.
This was a warning he had sent. If the people on the island were smart, they had two choices: either escalate their aggression and try to eliminate him completely or leave him alone so that both sides could exist without interfering with each other.
One message was clear—Gilbert would never set foot on the island, nor would he compromise.
In response, the powerful figures on the island remained silent, making no further attempts to contact Gilbert.
And sometimes, silence was an answer in itself.
It meant that both sides had accepted this outcome.
Afterward, Gilbert attended a public gathering of the Squid Freedom faction in New York, where he delivered a speech and donated one million dollars, officially declaring his affiliation with the Freedom faction.
The Freedom faction was overjoyed. For years, they had been suppressed by the forces from the island, struggling to gain any leverage. Now, finally, a highly influential and powerful figure had joined their ranks.
Gilbert wasn't just an ordinary member—his arrival immediately placed him in a leadership position within the Freedom faction.
Subsequently, several internal meetings were held, where Gilbert delivered important speeches outlining the future direction of the organization.
Their slogan was "Love, Peace, and Freedom," a deliberate attempt to distinguish themselves from the island faction.
With this move, Gilbert had not only financial power and media influence but also political strength.
It was like a wealthy person who previously only had money and a voice but no weapon. Now, Gilbert had money, people, and weapons, significantly improving his security.
After wrapping up matters in New York, Gilbert returned to Los Angeles—just in time for the old man to return from China.
"I never expected…"
"Expected what?"
"I never expected you to be so popular in China. The Two Towers has already grossed over 280 million RMB at the box office there.
Although it can't compare to the North American market, or even Mexico, it's still the highest-grossing film of the year in China."
The old man sighed. "I stayed there for a while, and I have to say, you were right—their development is incredibly fast.
Your early investment in the Chinese market was truly a visionary move."
Gilbert remained humble. "I was just lucky and kept an open mind without any bias."
"Luck is enough," the old man mused. "A person may work hard countless times in life, but real opportunities only come once or twice.
If you're unlucky, you miss those opportunities.
You've been favored by fate—blessed with extraordinary luck. You should be grateful."
"Is that so? Maybe." Gilbert wasn't particularly religious—he didn't believe in God or any deity.
Many members of the Freedom faction were devout believers, but they never pressured Gilbert into following any particular faith.
The old man continued, "Joining the Freedom faction was a wise choice. At least compared to those people on the island, the Freedom faction is still relatively decent.
I wanted to remind you before—if you want to protect yourself, the best way is to align with a group. You can't remain uninvolved, so unity is crucial."
Gilbert didn't want to dwell on the topic. Changing the subject, he asked, "Now that the people from the island shouldn't be coming after us anymore, have you thought about making a comeback?"
"A comeback? As a producer?" The old man shook his head. "I haven't seriously worked in the film industry for nearly twenty years.
To put it in your words, I belong to a different era.
In the future, I'll just make cameos in your movies for fun. No need for a full comeback."
Since the old man wasn't interested, Gilbert didn't push the matter.
The old man then added, "But there's one thing you really need to work on."
"What is it?"
"Having kids," the old man said with a completely serious expression. "If necessary, find multiple women—one of them will surely conceive."
Gilbert rolled his eyes. "I'm not a breeding stallion who can't walk past a woman without stopping."
The old man remained skeptical. "You seem like one to me. Stop pretending—who doesn't like beautiful women? Even I like them.
Only abnormal people wouldn't."
"Alright," Gilbert interrupted. "No need to worry. I won't let the Landrini family lineage end.
Besides, someone has to inherit my billions, right?"
The old man thought for a moment and agreed, dropping the subject.
Sometimes, Gilbert couldn't help but imagine—if this were a cultivation world where one could attain immortality, how great would that be?
But clearly, despite the existence of supernatural events, this was not a world of cultivation.
Which meant that even though he had experienced reincarnation, Gilbert would still eventually meet his end.
But that was a concern for the distant future—there was no need to dwell on it now.
After taking care of these miscellaneous matters, Gilbert returned to work.
His first priority was tracking the box office performance of The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.
In North America, the film was still playing in over 500 theaters, with a domestic total of $543 million so far.
For comparison, The Fellowship of the Ring had ended its North American run at $517 million.
Given that The Two Towers was still making $200,000 to $300,000 daily, it would likely remain in theaters until the Oscars next year.
That meant it was almost certain to surpass $570 million, securing the title of the highest-grossing film of the year.
However, it was unlikely to break the $600 million mark—that milestone would have to be left to The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.
So far, the only film in North America to have crossed the $600 million threshold was Titanic.
James Cameron might have remained silent after Titanic, but his legend still echoed throughout Hollywood.
The global box office performance was also impressive. The overseas earnings had already surpassed the North American total—and by a significant margin.
That weekend, after Gilbert had finished dealing with the mess involving Nate's group, the film's worldwide box office officially broke the $1.4 billion mark, reaching $1.403 billion.
Without a doubt, Gilbert had once again claimed the title of the highest-grossing film of the year.
However, the media wasn't as excited about this achievement as they had been when The Fellowship of the Ring became the first film to break the $1 billion barrier.
The reason was simple—it had been expected. As long as the quality was maintained, anyone could see that the film was destined to be a massive box office success.
After the events of September 11, the global film market had suffered a significant impact, especially in North America.
As a result, the The Two Towers's momentum had faded more quickly on a global scale. While there were still smaller markets where it had yet to be released, the final total was unlikely to exceed $1.5 billion.
Even so, with $1.403 billion, The Two Towers was now the second-highest-grossing film in history, trailing only Titanic.
Coincidentally, the third-place spot was held by The Fellowship of the Ring.
At this point, nearly everyone was speculating—would The Return of the King surpass Titanic next year?
....
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