"The place you've got here is really nice. The scenery is beautiful, and the property's quite large."
After taking a stroll around, Bill Gates spoke with satisfaction to Gilbert.
"How does it compare to your estates?" Gilbert asked with a smile.
"It's still a bit behind," Bill Gates replied. "You should see my ranch in Canada, or my private ski resort."
He studied Gilbert's expression, then added, "If you'd like, I can transfer one to you."
Gilbert curled his lips. "Not necessary. I already have a courtyard house in Beijing."
"Speaking of China," Bill Gates revealed the purpose of his visit, "I heard you introduced a Chinese doctor to Steve?"
"More or less," Gilbert said, beginning to boast a little. "Traditional Chinese medicine has been passed down for five thousand years. It's broad and profound—capable of curing many difficult illnesses."
Bill Gates became intrigued. "Gilbert, I think this project has great potential. We could collaborate."
"How would we do that?"
"We can both invest and set up a Traditional Chinese Medicine center," Bill Gates said with growing excitement. "You find the Chinese doctors, and I'll handle the clients. You know how many wealthy people have terrible health issues—yet Western medicine can't effectively solve them.
"If we bring in Chinese medicine to tackle those problems, just imagine how massive that market would be."
"So you're planning to enter the healthcare industry?" Gilbert asked.
"No," Bill Gates replied matter-of-factly. "I'm contributing to society—preserving the lives of humanity's elite."
Elite, my foot, Gilbert thought. It was clearly about money and connections.
Still, he couldn't deny the idea was tempting. The problem was that masters like Monk Shikong were rare, and such people cared nothing for fame or fortune.
Most other so-called Chinese doctors were unqualified pretenders—some even worse than Western doctors.
But there was a solution: if Monk Shikong could train a few disciples and those willing to cooperate could come aboard, it wouldn't be too difficult to make it work.
Meanwhile, Drew Barrymore, who had once worked with Cameron Diaz, came by to visit her and see the baby.
"So this is the little one? So cute." Drew Barrymore held the child lovingly, her eyes full of affection.
She also noticed that Cameron Diaz's skin looked significantly better—at least twice as radiant as when they had last met.
Curious, Drew asked, "Michelle, how has your skin improved so much? Which skincare brand are you using? Estée Lauder? Dior?"
Cameron Diaz laughed. "Not at all. Gilbert invited a master from China who gave us several beauty-preserving prescriptions.
"We've been taking them consistently, and this is the result. Not just me—Sally, Jacqueline, and Ren are all using them too."
Drew Barrymore's interest was instantly piqued. What woman didn't wish to maintain her youth and beauty for as long as possible?
But time is a woman's greatest enemy. No matter how stunning she is in her youth, no matter how many expensive skincare products she uses, age inevitably takes its toll.
So Drew pleaded with Cameron, "Could you get me some too? I'd really like to try it."
Cameron hesitated. "That's a secret formula. I can't give it to you."
"I can pay for it—whatever the price. We're good friends. Please, do me this favor," Drew begged.
Cameron still refused. "The master said every person's body is different, so each formula must be customized. Mine might not suit you—it could even have side effects."
"In that case, introduce me to the master," Drew said eagerly. "I'll go to him myself."
"I'm afraid that's not possible. The master has already returned to China," Cameron replied.
Drew looked disappointed but still said, "Maybe we could invite him back. You know, the beauty industry has enormous potential.
"Michelle, we could start a beauty empire."
Cameron Diaz was indeed tempted. Drew's idea sounded promising. But that master was the type who disdained fame and wealth—he'd likely refuse to cooperate.
So, with some regret, Cameron Diaz could only decline her friend's proposal.
It must be said, Steve Jobs' recovery, coupled with the spread of those beauty formulas used by several women, began to cause ripples.
Some people started to notice that all of this somehow had intricate ties to Gilbert. They hadn't understood before, but now many began to see why Gilbert was so fascinated with Chinese culture.
At times, that Chinese culture truly worked.
This ancient and mysterious nation, now partly unveiled due to Gilbert's influence and shifting international policies, seemed a little less obscure—yet the more the world learned, the more mysterious it appeared.
This event triggered a wave of "China fever" among the Western upper class. Increasing numbers of wealthy entrepreneurs traveled to China for cooperation, opening factories and companies, and even searching for reclusive masters and miracle workers.
Of course, most of the people they found were frauds and charlatans, but occasionally, some really did encounter extraordinary individuals—who were then treated as honored guests by these tycoons.
Among them, David Ellison was probably the happiest of all, as he was now being called a "China expert."
These days, David Ellison would often flaunt the Tao Te Ching that Gilbert had gifted him, quoting half-understood bits of philosophy.
It made him incredibly popular among the upper class—he became a frequent guest at parties and banquets, gaining the acquaintance of many major Hollywood figures.
Because of this, Larry Ellison even called Gilbert to express his gratitude, leaving Gilbert completely baffled—he had no idea what was going on.
No one knew how long this wave of "China fever" among the wealthy would last, but it was a sign of change nonetheless.
Time moved forward to May 28. The disaster film The Day After Tomorrow, produced and distributed by 20th Century Fox, directed by Roland Emmerich, and starring Dennis Quaid, Jake Gyllenhaal, Emmy Rossum, and Sela Ward, hit theaters.
Roland Emmerich had always been skilled at directing large-scale disaster movies. Though his film Independence Day had been criticized, that didn't stop it from becoming a global box office hit.
The Day After Tomorrow followed the same path—earning $68.33 million in its opening weekend, successfully defeating Shrek 2 in its second weekend and claiming the top spot at the North American box office.
That same week, The False earned $8.522 million, ranking fourth on the box office chart. Its North American gross had reached $233 million, and its global total had hit $605 million.
For the moment, it ranked second both in North America and worldwide—right behind The Passion of the Christ.
However, given the strong performance of Shrek 2 and the upcoming release of several major blockbusters, it would be an achievement if The False could hold a top-five spot by year's end. Winning the box office crown this year was unrealistic.
But for Gilbert, that hardly mattered. He had already won enough box office championships to last a lifetime—he truly didn't care anymore.
The media, however, didn't share his nonchalance. That same week, film critic Kenneth Turan released a new book recounting his career in Hollywood.
In it, he described in detail his long-standing feud with Gilbert and boldly predicted that within the next four or five years, Gilbert's career would rapidly decline—starting with the Batman reboot.
Ever since Warner Bros. announced the reboot of Batman, to be personally directed by Gilbert, the media and critics had erupted in debate.
Some supported the decision, believing that Gilbert, who had turned the seemingly impossible The Lord of the Rings into a worldwide success, was capable of reviving Batman as well.
Others disagreed, arguing that while superhero films had indeed thrived in recent years, there had also been plenty of failures—mostly from Marvel. DC, on the other hand, hadn't released a movie in seven years.
Even with Gilbert at the helm, how could he possibly save a superhero franchise whose reputation was already in ruins?
In an interview with the Los Angeles Business Daily, Doug Walter, CEO of Warner Bros. Pictures, was asked this exact question.
Doug Walter replied that he had full confidence in the project—not blind faith in Gilbert, but confidence born after reading the trilogy's scripts.
"The script is fantastic," he said. "All I can say is that this story is unlike any previous Batman film. It's a realistic superhero movie—serious, grand, and truly epic in scale."
The term "epic" had been somewhat overused in recent years. Even a mediocre film like Troy had been labeled an "epic historical movie," though aside from its attractive cast, there wasn't much to praise.
Still, considering Gilbert's history of turning the impossible into reality, Doug Walter's words might well hold truth—after all, Gilbert was known as a man who created miracles.
Even during his vacation, Gilbert closely followed public reactions to his upcoming takeover of the Batman series.
As he expected, the controversy was immense.
And that was perfect. If everyone had only expectations and no doubts, that would have been worrying.
Gilbert's agent also entered negotiations with Warner Bros. over his compensation. Since this was a Warner project, Disney couldn't be involved.
Gilbert made no attempt to be modest—he asked for $20 million upfront, plus 20% of the total profits.
Naturally, Warner Bros. couldn't accept that immediately. After rounds of negotiation—and considering Gilbert was already a Warner shareholder—the parties reached a compromise.
The salary remained $20 million, while the profit share was changed to 20% of total box office revenue and 5% of merchandise sales.
That was an excellent deal—on par with what Spielberg or James Cameron could get. But unlike them, they couldn't save Batman. Gilbert could.
After finalizing the contract, Warner Bros. eagerly held a project launch press conference. Gilbert returned to Los Angeles specifically to attend.
.....
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