"Scarlett, what are you thinking about?" A red-haired classmate patted Scarlett Johansson on the shoulder, pulling her out of her thoughts.
Scarlett turned around and saw a red-haired girl, a classmate she usually got along well with.
"Nothing, nothing at all," Scarlett said, sighing as she gazed out the classroom window with a troubled expression.
"You don't look like it's nothing. Is it the school's basketball team star pursuing you that's bothering you?" The red-haired girl seemed to know Scarlett well.
Maybe Scarlett and the red-haired girl were close enough that she had shared even her romantic troubles with her.
"It's not that," Scarlett denied, changing the subject. "After school, let's walk home together."
"Sure," the red-haired girl was easily distracted, and the two agreed to leave together after school.
Scarlett once again looked out the window, feeling troubled deep inside: When will my school days end? When will that bastard finally understand how I feel? Am I supposed to make the first move?
Scarlett going to school was the result of Gilbert's insistence.
For child stars like Scarlett, many didn't even finish high school, let alone go to college.
In fact, many Hollywood stars, despite appearing well-spoken and cultured, only came across that way because of their PR teams' training. Behind the scenes, some of them were completely uneducated, creating a stark contrast with their public image.
Scarlett had also reached the age where she started hating school.
When Gilbert heard about it, he had a talk with Scarlett's mother, Ms. Sloan, and they ultimately decided that Scarlett should at least finish college.
"You have to finish college, Scarlett," Gilbert had said firmly.
Scarlett pouted in dissatisfaction. "Why? I don't need a college degree to be a Hollywood star, even a superstar."
"People won't respect a superstar who didn't even go to college—a complete illiterate," Gilbert said mercilessly. "If you want to stand out among your generation of actresses, you need to go through the college experience."
Scarlett was reluctant, but in the end, she obediently returned to school to complete her studies and prepare for college.
Gilbert had already promised that as long as Scarlett's SAT scores were good enough, he would write her a recommendation letter for his alma mater, USC.
In the U.S., using recommendation letters to get a student into a prestigious school was a common practice.
Gilbert had personally donated ten million dollars to USC to build a library named after his mother. Getting someone into the school was a trivial matter—one that the board of trustees certainly wouldn't refuse.
However, Gilbert made it clear to Scarlett that this wasn't just a formality—he genuinely wanted her to take her studies seriously.
Even if she couldn't be a genius like Natalie Portman, at the very least, she could cultivate the image of an intellectual actress, leaving a good impression on the public.
Scarlett had always listened to Gilbert, so aside from acting, she focused on her schoolwork.
After school, Scarlett and the red-haired girl walked out of the school gate. Just as Scarlett was about to get on her bike, a tall and muscular boy blocked her path.
"Scarlett, let's hang out this weekend. I know a great place," the muscular boy said with a fawning smile, his small eyes filled with greed as he stared at Scarlett.
"Sorry," Scarlett refused outright. "I have plans this weekend. I can't go out with you."
She then tried to walk around the boy, but being a member of the basketball team, he was quick on his feet and blocked her again.
"Move," Scarlett frowned.
"I won't, unless you agree," the muscular boy said stubbornly.
"Hey, Albert! Scarlett already said no. Can't you show some gentlemanly manners?" The red-haired girl immediately stepped in to protect Scarlett.
"Hey! Moira, mind your own business. Scarlett has no choice today—she's coming with me whether she likes it or not!"
As he spoke, Albert waved his hand, and a few more basketball team members gathered around, forming a circle and trapping Scarlett and Moira.
There were plenty of students coming and going at the school gate, but none dared to intervene.
The only people in school who could stand up to the basketball team were the football players.
Seeing that Scarlett was finally surrounded, Albert could no longer hold back his excitement and reached out to grab Scarlett's hand.
But just at that moment, something unexpected happened—a strong, firm hand grabbed Albert's wrist, stopping him in his tracks.
Albert struggled to free himself but couldn't. Furious, he turned around and shouted, "Who the hell is grabbing me?"
When he saw who it was, his face instantly turned pale.
A bald, muscular man was gripping his wrist, staring at him with a cold, intimidating gaze.
The bald man didn't say a word. He simply flung Albert aside and turned to Scarlett. "Miss, the boss's car is waiting for you at the corner."
Scarlett, who had been worried a moment ago, suddenly felt relieved. Her expression brightened. "That bastard finally came to pick me up."
With that, she grabbed Moira's hand and walked out of the encirclement.
Before leaving, she didn't forget to give Albert a sharp kick with her small leather shoe.
Albert let out a scream but didn't dare move again.
That was because, standing beside the bald strongman, there were several other muscular men who chased away the basketball team members as if they were little chicks.
Scarlett held onto Moira's hand and walked to the street corner. Sure enough, a custom Rolls-Royce was parked there. The car door opened, and Gilbert was sitting inside.
"Wow, our little princess Scarlett is quite popular at school!" Gilbert teased.
"Hmph, of course! I'm at the top of the school's dream girl rankings," Scarlett said smugly, completely forgetting her earlier panic.
"Alright, and this is...?" Gilbert glanced curiously at Moira.
Moira excitedly pulled out a notebook and pen, holding them out to Gilbert. "Director Gilbert, I'm a huge fan of yours! Could you sign this for me?"
Scarlett rolled her eyes dramatically. "Hey, Moira, have some dignity, will you?"
Moira shrank back a little but still looked at Gilbert with hopeful eyes.
Gilbert laughed heartily, casually signing his name in her notebook and even taking a few pictures with her.
Overjoyed with the autograph, Moira declined Gilbert's offer to drive her home and rode off on her bicycle instead.
Scarlett pouted and climbed into the car. Then, she clung tightly to Gilbert's arm and asked, "How come you had time to pick me up today?"
"It's the premiere, of course! I'm here to take you dress shopping," Gilbert said with a smile.
Scarlett immediately brightened. "Great! Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!"
The Rolls-Royce sped away, leaving Albert staring dumbfounded at its exhaust fumes. Is Scarlett some rich heiress? I've never heard of that before!
As the car cruised smoothly down the road, Gilbert asked Scarlett, "Who were those guys back there?"
"The basketball team. One of them has a crush on me and keeps pursuing me," Scarlett replied.
Gilbert nodded in understanding. "And did you say yes?"
"No, I rejected him." Scarlett sounded unimpressed. "They're just a bunch of muscle-bound meatheads with no brains. I don't like that type."
Gilbert burst into laughter. "You never know—maybe one of them will make it to the NBA and become a superstar!"
Scarlett shook her head. "If all they rely on is their physique, they won't even be as good as that LeBron James guy you mentioned."
By then, LeBron James was already making waves in high school basketball, with multiple NBA teams eyeing him as a future star.
Scarlett added, "Guys like that basketball player couldn't even drink my bathwater, let alone dream of dating me!"
"Uh... what was his name?"
"Albert. Why?"
"Oh, nothing, nothing," Gilbert thought to himself. Good thing it wasn't Durant, or that would've been a weird twist…
On the eve of the premiere, Gilbert sat down for an interview with Empire magazine, discussing his wealth and filmmaking philosophy.
"I want the movies I produce to be of the highest quality, delivering an unparalleled experience to the audience. Serving the viewers' enjoyment has always been my top priority in filmmaking," Gilbert stated.
When asked how he had amassed such immense wealth, Gilbert didn't spin a rags-to-riches fairytale like some others did. Instead, he simply said he was lucky.
"I'm just a fortunate guy. Everything I have is an opportunity granted by God, and I seized it."
The interviewer followed up with, "Now that you've become one of the wealthiest figures in America and even the world, will you continue to dedicate yourself to filmmaking?"
"Of course," Gilbert replied. "Movies are the foundation of my entire career. Without filmmaking, I wouldn't be where I am today."
He added, "As long as I can still hold a camera, I will keep making films."
This interview was also part of the promotional campaign for his upcoming movie.
The Two Towers would introduce more characters and feature an even grander spectacle than the first installment. In the interview, Gilbert promised that fans would see an even more outstanding Lord of the Rings movie.
"This film features a greater mix of practical effects and CGI. It will fully showcase the Battle of Helm's Deep, the siege of Isengard, and the determination and courage of humanity in times of peril."
In reality, Gilbert didn't even need to say much—fans worldwide were already on the verge of losing their minds waiting for The Two Towers.
It was the same kind of anticipation that a Chinese gamer might feel, counting down the days and feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness while waiting for the release of Black Myth: Wukong.
But Gilbert was confident that he would prove the wait had been worth it—The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers would not disappoint.
On Thursday, May 3, 2001, The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers held its grand premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Los Angeles, officially kicking off the summer movie season.
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