Reborn Action Star: Starting in Hollywood

Not only Kim Tae-yeon and Im Yoon-ah, but even Lee Soo-man was shocked by the completely blocked Hollywood Boulevard.

It was late afternoon, and the sun high in the sky was blazing hot.

The scorching sun beat down on Hollywood Boulevard, but even hotter than the heat was the enthusiasm of the crowd.

Countless fans gathered on both sides of the street from early morning, filling every crevice like a tide.

Fans climbed lampposts to hang banners, packed the terraces of street-facing cafes, and some even rented lifts just to get a panoramic view of this unprecedented event.

Kim Tae-yeon saw some seemingly organized die-hard fans who were wearing matching silver support outfits with illuminated lettering of Lin Yuan's English name and carrying huge posters that were twenty or thirty meters long and could be carried by a dozen people.

They would generously give small support flags to every passerby they saw.

Yoona also saw a fan-organized symphony band playing the theme song from Lin Yuan's movie amidst a crowd on the roadside.

This is truly an unbelievable sight; a symphony orchestra has appeared in the open air!
The fans laughed deafeningly along with the music, and their singing in unison drowned out the symphony orchestra's accompaniment.

Although it has a sense of tragic grandeur, the joyful atmosphere is undeniable.

The entire Hollywood Boulevard has now been transformed into a carnival where fans can have a blast.

Seeing this scene, Lee Soo-man's understanding was once again refreshed.

In his early years, he also studied in the United States and experienced the massive demonstrations during those major historical events.

But he had to admit that he had never seen such a grand spectacle.

"Look at this spectacle, this is the kind of grandeur a top-tier superstar would have today. This is a level we can probably never reach in our entire lives. Small artists like us are already being criticized before we even debut," Kim Tae-yeon exclaimed.

"Taeyeon unnie, you're so arrogant! You actually want to compare yourself to Lim Won oppa? Although we aspire to become legends, Lim Won oppa is far above legends." Lim Yoona teased with a smile.

"I never wanted to compare myself to Lin Yuan! Who would want to compare themselves to a monster? If we can have even one-tenth of this strength in the future, I'll be satisfied," Kim Tae-yeon remarked.

"Even one-tenth is amazing! I hope I can really reach that," Yoona said wistfully.

What they don't know now is that they will also have their shining moments in the future.

The candlelight vigil in Seoul on December 3, 2016, was the largest peaceful demonstration in South Korean history.

A total of 232 million people across the country sang their debut song, "A New World," expressing their firm desire for change.

Although so many of these people are not fans, nor did they come for them.

But when their songs become a banner, and can be transformed into a rallying cry in movements that have been recorded in Korean history many times, that is enough to make them feel gratified and proud.

"It's just that Lin Yuan is so popular that his fans have blocked the road, so we can't get over there now," Lee Soo-man said helplessly.

Mr. Li, who was in charge of receiving us, said with a smile, "You'll have to get off the bus and walk there."

"Isn't it still several kilometers away?" Lee Soo-man asked.

"Actually, it's not too far, only about 1300 meters, which takes about ten minutes to walk there," Mr. Li replied.

"Wait a minute? I've been to the Hollywood Walk of Fame before. The star-awarding site should be another five or six kilometers away, right?" Lee Soo-man asked doubtfully.

The so-called Hollywood Walk of Fame includes sections of Hollywood Blvd and Vine Street, with a total length of approximately 2.5 kilometers.

The entire Hollywood Boulevard is divided into three sections: East, Middle and West.

The eastern section is relatively quiet because the stars are mostly early radio and drama stars, and the density of stars is not high, so there are relatively few tourists.

The same applies to the western section; the real core is in the central region.

90% of tourists are concentrated here, and the middle section also boasts the most top-tier celebrity stars.

For Chinese viewers, the two most familiar landmarks are also located in the middle section:

The TCL Chinese Theatre (6925 Hollywood Boulevard) is the place that everyone remembers as a sacred place for the handprints and footprints of celebrities.

The Dolby Theatre (6801 Hollywood Boulevard), the venue for the Academy Awards, is where Lin Yuan received his awards and suffered betrayal.

Lee Soo-man recalculated and estimated that it was still at least 5 kilometers away from the middle section.
This is not a short distance, and considering the traffic congestion, it might take an hour to walk there.
Mr. Li explained with a smile, "Mr. Lin Yuan's star-granting location is not in the middle section, but in the southern section. This place is only about 1300 meters away from the southern star-granting location."

"Southern section??" *3
Lee Soo-man asked, puzzled, "Excuse my ignorance, but does the Avenue of Stars have a southern section?"

“It wasn’t there before, but it’s available from today onwards,” Mr. Li said.

Seeing that the three people still looked confused, Mr. Li further explained:

"Come on, let's talk as we walk."

The surroundings were so noisy that Mr. Li had to raise his voice, to the point of almost shouting.

But this way of speaking unexpectedly gives people a feeling of great pride and ambition.

“Although the middle section is the core area, the best locations have already been taken by those who came before,” Mr. Li said.

Lee Soo-man and the other two nodded, confirming that what Mr. Lee said was indeed true.

The Hollywood Walk of Fame has been around for over forty years, and in that time, established stars have occupied more prime spots.

Given Lin Yuan's status, it seems inappropriate to assign him to any particular position.
So why not just create a new area just for him?

"In the newly planned southern section, Lin Yuan is the unique core. In the entire southern section, Lin Yuan's star is the first, and all other stars will revolve around his star in the future," Mr. Li said.

“The idea has a good starting point, but the stars in Linyuan are all alone and can’t form a cluster effect to attract tourists. Won’t it eventually become very deserted?” Li Xiuman asked worriedly.

"President Li, do you think Lin Yuan still needs to team up with others?" Mr. Li asked with a smile.

This question stumped Lee Soo-man. If it were any other celebrity, the answer would definitely be no.

But for Lin Yuan... he has proven himself countless times over the past few years:
I alone am an army of thousands; everyone else is just a foil.

Is it not enough for Lin Yuan to be alone?

Obviously that is not the case.

Lee Soo-man couldn't help but sigh, "Yes, with Lin Yuan's popularity, let alone the fact that the southern section is located on Hollywood Boulevard, even if it were placed in some godforsaken place, it could still create a popular tourist attraction out of thin air."

Tourists come to the Walk of Fame to take photos because their favorite stars are there.

The location isn't important; who's there is what matters most.

Lin Yuan is undoubtedly a superstar who stands far ahead of others, in a class of his own.

Wherever his star is placed, it will attract countless admirers.

Mr. Li laughed and said, "Haha, it's not as exaggerated as you say."

He was very modest, but the pride in his eyes was hard to hide.

Lee Soo-man was secretly surprised again: Lin Yuan was truly loved and respected by his subordinates, so much so that praising Lin Yuan made them happier than praising them themselves.

"Actually, Lin Yuan's star isn't lonely, you know? Those big shots in the film industry have been fighting tooth and nail for those few spots around him," Mr. Li said proudly. "Fighting tooth and nail?" Kim Tae-yeon asked curiously, "Does that mean the competition is fierce?"

"Haha, no, it was a real 'head-to-head' fight. A while ago, director Spielberg and director Cameron actually got into a physical fight over the seat next to Lin Yuan. Luckily, nothing serious happened," Mr. Li said.

Lee Soo-man: "..."

He never expected that two of the most influential directors in Hollywood would actually fight over the spot next to Lin Yuanxing.
Outrageous!

But upon further reflection, Lee Soo-man immediately understood that although the dispute between the two great directors was real, it could not be denied that there was a considerable element of acting involved.

This is an extremely effective way to express sincerity to Lin Yuan:

"In order to be able to follow you, we have really abandoned all dignity."

It was a bit too obsequious, but it worked very well!
Lee Soo-man once again felt Lin Yuan's absolute dominance in the film industry at this moment:

In terms of capital, he is the biggest capital player in Hollywood.

The market value of Lin Yuan Film Industry alone is equivalent to that of several other large film companies combined.

On the business level, Lin Yuan's film achievements are even more outstanding.

This makes Lin Yuan an absolute pillar of the film industry, both inside and out.

It's not shameful for directors Spielberg and Cameron to act a little obsequious towards such an overpowered figure.

In fact, many people would love to have such an opportunity to flatter, but they don't even have the right to do so.

Because you must first be qualified to have a star on the Avenue of Stars, and then you must have a high level of achievement and status, otherwise it's impossible for any Tom, Dick, or Harry to be ranked next to Lin Yuan.

"But haven't the two great directors already left their mark in the core area of ​​the middle section?" Lee Soo-man asked.

"Oh, submitting an application and moving locations isn't a matter of principle," Mr. Li replied.

"..."*3
That's outrageous; no one has ever done anything like that before.

But it seems that it's not entirely impossible; many stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame have been removed because the individuals made serious mistakes.

If we can keep a star, we can also pluck one; therefore, moving a star is indeed not a matter of principle.

“The twelve star positions closest to Lin Yuan have now been auctioned off at an average price of $800 million each,” Mr. Li continued.

"..."*3
The SM trio has once again shattered their values.

Will there still be an auction and bidding process for leaving stars around Linyuan?
The average price per location is a staggering $800 million?
It sounds outrageous at first, but upon closer inspection, it seems to make perfect sense.

After the stars in Linyuan are left behind, the central part of the southern section will surely become a popular spot for tourists to take photos.

It can be said that Linyuan is the biggest traffic entry point.

The thing celebrities fear most is being forgotten. So, the other celebrities standing right next to Lin Yuan can naturally cling to his coattails, ride on his popularity, and constantly try to stay relevant.

Not to mention, besides riding the wave of popularity, there are many other benefits:
For example, being able to be located around Linyuan indicates that one's status is at least not low, which can achieve an implicit upgrade in status.

This is similar to how less well-known brands like to open stores next to luxury brands.

For example, he was able to take the opportunity to express his favor towards Lin Yuan, which made the public think that he and Lin Yuan had a very harmonious relationship.

In short, there are many benefits; a one-time investment yields lifelong benefits.

Looking at it this way, the price of $800 million doesn't seem expensive at all.

"Is this money going to Lin Yuan or the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce?" Kim Tae-yeon asked curiously.

This sum adds up to nearly $1 million.

For Lin Yuan, it might not be much, but for Kim Tae-yeon, it was an enormous sum of money she could never earn in her entire life.

"neither."

"neither?"

"Yes, this money was donated to a foundation for the education of minors in developing countries in the joint name of Lin Yuan and the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce."

Lee Soo-man sighed again, "No wonder Lim Won is able to keep reaching new heights. He never forgets to share the benefits with the public. Anyone who isn't a competitor would like someone like that, right?"

Kim Tae-yeon and Im Yoon-ah listened with smiling eyes: What woman doesn't like a strong and loving man?

"Who took those photos of the stars around Lin Yuan?" Kim Tae-yeon asked curiously.

"The four stars closest to Lin Yuan were given to directors Eastwood, Spielberg, Bob Iger, and Swift. I won't go into detail about the others; you can look them up yourselves if you're interested," Mr. Li replied.

Director Clint Eastwood is a Hollywood legend and a living fossil, as well as a close friend of Lin Yuan and a key employee of Lin Yuan Film Studio. It's not hard to understand why he took a close position next to Lin Yuan.

Director Spielberg... no need to say more about him, but the fact that he was able to appear next to Lin Yuan means he must have defeated director Cameron?

Bob Iger is a top figure in Hollywood's financial circles and the CEO of Disney. He was a benefactor in Lin Yuan's early rise to prominence, which goes without saying.

The last one is Taylor Swift...

Compared to a group of big shots, it seems a bit weak.

But upon closer reflection, Kim Tae-yeon and Im Yoon-ah couldn't help but admit: Taylor Swift really does deserve it.

She is currently the most popular singer in the world music scene, without exception.

Just as Lin Yuan's dominance in the film industry is strong, Taylor Swift's dominance in the music scene is equally formidable.

You could say that Taylor Swift's success wasn't entirely due to her own efforts.

Because Lin Yuan personally starred in almost every music video for Taylor Swift's private jet.

Many of his songs were inspired by or inspired by Lin Yuan.

In addition, Taylor Swift's heartfelt confession of "I Have a Lover" at her Nashville concert some time ago, and Lin Yuan's affectionate response.

With Lin Yuan's help, Taylor Swift's popularity soared to new heights, making her the undisputed queen of the music scene.

Judging solely from Taylor Swift's personal achievements and wealth, she already qualifies to appear around Lin Yuan and stand shoulder to shoulder with a host of big shots.

But Taylor Swift's status goes far beyond that; she is also a senior executive at Lin Yuan Pictures, holding the distribution resources of the entire Lin Yuan Pictures company.

In the film industry, Taylor Swift is someone whose every move can shake the entire industry.

Placing her next to Lin Yuan wouldn't be inappropriate at all.

Thinking about this, Kim Tae-yeon and Im Yoon-ah felt an immediate surge of crisis:
Why are all the women around Lin Yuan of this caliber?
She is a super all-around warrior who combines beauty, wealth, talent, ability, and status.

Compared to this, don't we seem a bit too low-class?
The two girls suddenly felt so ordinary... (End of Chapter)