Not interested in money?
How thick-skinned do you have to be to pull that off?
Vin Diesel was screaming inside, though he had no idea Luke was just being cheeky for fun.
The real person who said that line wouldn't say it until 2015—on CCTV's talk show Open Mic.
Luke, on the other hand, was saying it years ahead of time as a joke. But since he wasn't rich yet, it didn't come off as classy or humble—just awkward.
He made a silent vow: One day, I'm gonna say that line again when it actually fits.
"What are you talking about? You've almost spent all your money, haven't you?" Vin Diesel said, half worried.
"No, actually, I'm getting richer. Director Ang Lee just gave me a huge red envelope."
After the Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon promo blew up and screenings surged, Ang Lee had promised him a red envelope—and true to his word, he followed through.
A whopping $1.5 million.
To be honest, Luke was stunned when he received it—not because it was too little, but because it was so much.
Even though Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon made $240 million at the box office with Luke's help, the production company would only see about $100 million of that after theaters and distributors took their cut.
Ang Lee himself only earned around $1 million as his base pay, and maybe $9 million total after bonuses.
For him to hand over such a big chunk of that was incredibly generous.
With that $1.5 million, plus the $2 million Jackie—uh, Brother Chen Long—had given him during their Hong Kong shoot, even after splurging on gifts, Luke's balance had topped $2 million.
Hollywood really was a money machine—being a star paid.
He wasn't quite at "making $2 million a day" status yet, but he was starting to feel halfway there.
So yeah—his money wasn't running out; it was growing fast.
"All right," Vin Diesel teased, raising an eyebrow, "I'm not tagging along for the last gift delivery. You're on your own for that one."
Of course—this final gift was for Yuffie.
Grand Central Terminal, Manhattan, New York.
Built in 1903 and opened in 1913, the iconic station had already stood for nearly 90 years.
Even by 2024—after Wutai's infrastructure boom—Grand Central still held the title of largest train station in the world.
Luke strolled through the main concourse, gazing up at the arched celestial ceiling, marveling that people had managed to build something so magnificent more than a century ago.
What a miracle of its time.
It was a little sad, though—America no longer built like this. Finance was just too addictive, apparently.
The station bustled with life, people rushing everywhere, but Luke spotted her instantly among the crowd.
Yuffie stood there in a white puffer jacket, tall and radiant. She'd arrived first.
Luke smiled and walked up to her. "Yuffie, long time no see."
"You always say that. Good thing you didn't follow it with, 'I missed you so much,'" she said, wrinkling her nose playfully.
"That's Teacher Feng's line. Shame I didn't go into comedy—it's a waste of talent, really."
"Talent?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Haven't you noticed? A lot of comedy stars are actually really good-looking."
He wasn't wrong—Stephen Chow from Hong Kong, and even the two "pretty boys" from Wutai's drama schools later on, were great at comedy.
Funny-looking actors had an advantage in comedy, sure.
But when a handsome guy was also funny? That was unbeatable.
They made you laugh and look good doing it.
"You're really something—you managed to compliment yourself while pretending not to," she said, grinning as she reached up to tug his cheek lightly.
He didn't dodge.
That's how it is between two people who like each other—flirting disguised as teasing, touching disguised as jokes.
"Yep, your skin's definitely thick," she added with a laugh.
"Am I really not handsome?" he asked with mock seriousness.
"You were, but saying it out loud makes you sound greasy. Don't you know? The most handsome guys are the ones who don't realize it."
"But if someone's really that good-looking, how could they not know it? Pretending not to notice—doesn't that make them fake?"
She blinked at him. "You're getting way too good at this."
"Still doesn't mean lots of women like me," he said, smiling.
They both laughed at the same time.
That shared sense of humor—that was their thing.
It had been over twenty days since they last saw each other. Luke studied her for a moment, then asked, "Wait—did you get taller?"
"Yeah, two centimeters. I'm 170 now."
He nodded approvingly. She was still growing—he remembered that in his past life, Yuffie eventually reached 172 cm. Tall, fair, and beautiful.
"What about you? Did you grow too?" she asked, comparing their heights. The difference was still the same.
"Yeah, two centimeters for me too. I'm 185 now."
In two more months, he'd turn nineteen—and he was still growing. Last time around, he'd reached 188.
Perfect height difference. A match made in heaven, he thought. And he was sure she was thinking the same.
When I see the mountain, it's lovely; surely, it sees me the same way.
"Come on," Yuffie said. "The train's about to leave. We'll be in trouble if we miss it."
"If we miss it, we'll just catch the next one."
"Then I won't be able to dodge my mom's check-ins," she said with a sigh.
Her mom had gone back to Wutai again, traveling frequently lately to prepare for Yuffie's return next year—she was planning to apply to the Beijing Film Academy.
The next year would be packed for her—finishing school, prepping for the entrance exams, and taking acting fundamentals.
This little trip was their stolen moment of freedom.
They were taking a train from New York to Nashville, Tennessee—about 2,200 kilometers across the country.
"Hurry up," Yuffie said excitedly. "The Nashville Country Music Festival is waiting for me—I can't wait!"
If you're that excited, why not fly? Luke thought but didn't say. He knew what this was about—the romance of a train ride across America, watching the scenery change together.
Some things were better when you slowed down.
And besides… they'd be spending the night together on the train.
[System prompt: "You've scheduled another date with a female target. Skill rewards will be issued based on your performance."]