American Entertainment: Starting with playing the role of Little Beaver

Chapter 1 Family
2000, October.

London summers are like teenagers, unpredictable and moody.

The morning may be sunny, the afternoon may bring a sudden shower, and the evening will see the sun shine again. Once the troublemakers appear, the temperature difference will be huge, and the streets and alleys will be filled with all sorts of figures.

Short sleeves and shorts represent the height of summer, while windbreakers and rain gear evoke spring and autumn. The most eye-catching item, however, is the sweater interspersed among them. It seems to tell people that the cold has not yet subsided, but it also seems to remind people that the harsh winter will eventually arrive.

"No wonder Sherlock always wears a trench coat and scarf when he appears in Sherlock."

"I thought this was to maintain a sense of style and emphasize elegance, but I didn't expect it to be really cold."

Street scene after the rain.

Isabella looked around and felt a little sentimental; the distinct seasons of spring, summer, autumn, and winter made her homesick.

That's right, she's not from this era.

Two weeks ago, she was living in 2025, a member of a great Eastern country. But in the blink of an eye, she found herself in Great Britain at the beginning of the century, a Union Jack-sign of old London. It was truly unexpected.

What's even more surprising is that she is currently a ten-year-old girl.

"Isa?"

"Isa!"

"Oh my God! I've finally found you!"

Suddenly a shout came from behind, and a girl ran over. Her waterfall-like golden hair bounced with each step, her fair face flushed naturally after running, her plain dress could not hide her youthful beauty, and her jade-like eyes were filled with anxiety.

"What are you doing here? Didn't we agree that you'd wait for me in the car? Hey? Why do you have a newspaper on your belt?"

"I just felt a bit stuffy in the car, so I got out to get some fresh air."

As she spoke, Isabella also stuffed the newspaper she had been wearing at her waist into the pocket of her jeans.

Ignoring all that, the girl continued, "Going for some fresh air? Couldn't you wait for me to come back? I'm just going to the bathroom! Mom asked me to keep an eye on you before she left, and I promised. So how am I supposed to explain to Mom if you get lost?"

"Oh, my dear sister, how could I get lost so easily? Yes, I know London isn't entirely safe, but we're in the West End right now. If we can get lost so easily here, is there any safe place in London?"

"Isha, you... Oh—I'm not going to talk about this with you. Come on, come on, come back with me!"

Catherine couldn't win an argument with Isabella, but fists are the only true weapon.

Three years older than Isabella, she grabbed her younger sister's wrist, pulled hard, and the little girl flew up with a whoosh.

The difference in strength left Isabella helpless, so she could only take small steps and follow her sister back.

The streets of London's West End are mostly lined with Victorian and Edwardian buildings.

The core feature of the former is the Bay Window design;
The window frames are often decorated with carved window lattices, and the glass is often made of colored splices, which will show dazzling light and shadow when the sunlight shines on it.

The latter is characterized by Sash Windows, which are vertically sliding frame windows;
The design with large panes of glass is a hallmark of minimalism.

Isabella hadn't actually gone very far. After walking briskly for about half a minute through the slightly winding, quaint city, a five-story white building appeared before them—the point where the two sisters had parted ways.

A yellow banner hangs on the side of the building, with a simple drawing of a lion's head above and a slogan printed below:

The Lion King.

The Lion King.

On the front facade, the name of the building is engraved on the six pillars:
Lyceum Theatre.

Lyceum Theatre.

"Mom's already out?"

"No."

"So you mean she didn't know what just happened?"

"What do you mean?"

Catherine frowned slightly and glared at Isabella.

As Isabella smiled, she opened the back door of the black Mercedes parked in the makeshift parking space next to her and said, "Catherine, you don't want your mom to waste her energy on trivial matters, do you?"

So you mean you're saying I can beat you up in place of Mom?

Catherine raised her eyebrows and clenched her fist.

She understood Isabella's ulterior motives and wasn't buying it.

"Okay, Keisha, please don't tell Mom about this, okay?"

The overwhelming force rendered Isabella deflated, and she adopted a pitiful expression.

"So, are you still going to listen to me?" Catherine asked.

"Deal?" Isabella smiled again.

"Get inside!" Catherine pointed forcefully into the car.

"Hehe~" Isabella squeezed into the back seat of the Volkswagen.

Catherine, however, did not follow.

He stood outside and slammed the car door shut in frustration.

Catherine's attitude may have been a bit harsh, but the harsher it was, the more it proved that she didn't want to tattle.

Isabella was the same way; she didn't want to worry her few remaining blood relatives in this life.

Isabella was not a member of the Qidian Orphanage, but her family was also small, with only three members in total.

They are her mother Vivian Carlson, Katherine Heywood, and herself Isabella Heywood.

As for Dad?

The other person is lying in Highgate Cemetery in the northern suburbs.

Isabella's father, Eric Heywood, was a typical British small-town student who excelled academically. He didn't attend one of the top nine secondary schools, but still gained admission to UCL with outstanding grades. For his postgraduate studies, he skipped to Cambridge, which led to a successful job at Barclays after graduation. At 30, his exceptional emotional intelligence propelled him to a senior position in the private banking division, serving billionaires.

If Eric had worked diligently and steadily, he would have had a high probability of becoming the head of the UK region before the age of 40, and the global president of Barclays Private Bank before the age of 50. But who in the financial industry doesn't want to make quick money?
No one can resist the temptation to earn in a year what others earn in a century.

Therefore, Eric also makes some investments in his spare time.

Initially, he was relatively cautious and pursued steady growth, but after he correctly predicted the September crisis in 92, bet on the peso in 94, and shorted the Thai baht in 97, his audacity grew infinitely.

They went into business and started their own company.

After realizing that the internet would be the next big thing, he wanted to achieve everything in one fell swoop, single-handedly completing the wealth accumulated by five generations of his family. Then, in March 2000, everything was wiped out...

Eric jumped off Tower Bridge.

"Sigh, I'm still immature. After so many years of investing, I still haven't grasped the essence of investing." "The candlestick charts in the financial market aren't a wealth code; they're a meticulously designed harvesting machine."

'Capital's target is those who threaten to achieve upward social mobility.'

"You know, even Warren Buffett is a greenhorn in front of the stock market guru on Capitol Hill, and the Capitol Hill guru has to stand up and applaud the American sun. If you can't be a market maker, don't use leverage. What's worth betting your life on?"

Isabella was somewhat moved.

If her adoptive father were still alive, she would be a wealthy heiress by now.

In her memory, when she went all-in on the internet, her father had put out more than 50 million in cash.

2000 years!
£50 million in cash!
She could spend all of this in her entire life!

To put it bluntly, you could just lie down!

But now?

Snapped--

That's all!

All gone!

"Oh~ Keisha~ Isha~ You two are truly Mommy's precious babies~"

"Thank you so much for watching the car for Mom. Mom will definitely buy you some delicious food when we get back!"

"How about Patisserie Valerie?"

"Keisha, did Mom buy you your favorite strawberry cake? Isha, would you like a slice of raspberry tart today?"

As I was silently reflecting, a burst of laughter suddenly descended from the sky.

A middle-aged woman who looked to be only in her early twenties, with a pretty face and a slender figure, appeared in front of the two.

She first leaned down slightly, hugged Catherine outside the car, and kissed her cheek. Then she leaned against the car window and winked at Isabella inside. Her joyful yet fearful expression told her everything; she was their mother, Vivian.

"Oh~Mom~ I love PV's raspberry tower, thank you."

Before Catherine could speak, Isabella interrupted.

This situation caused Catherine to glare at her sister, suppress her previous displeasure, hug her mother back, and accept the reward.

"Mom~ I like strawberry cake too~ So is this a celebration?"

"Uh... sort of." Vivian's smile froze at the expectant question.

However, while looking back at her eldest daughter, she composed herself and said, "I'm happy that you helped Mom keep an eye on the car."

"What? The theater..."

Catherine's eyes flickered.

"Can we talk about the theater situation when we get home?"

Vivian's smile widened. "Honey, there are some things that aren't suitable to be said in public."

“O…Kay, I understand, Mom…”

Catherine didn't press further, and Vivian opened the door with a smile.

After making sure her daughters were all wearing seatbelts, she climbed into the driver's seat.

As the car started, the street scenes on both sides rushed past.

In the rearview mirror, the Lyceum Theatre, the most famous theatre in London's West End, gradually shrank until it disappeared from view.

Vivian was born in 65 and is 35 years old this year.

At the age of 10, she made her debut in London's West End, and at 14, she took on the lead role of Juliet in Romeo and Juliet, playing Juliet in Group A. As she grew older, even though she was no longer suitable for the role of Juliet, Vivian was not abandoned by the stage. Instead, she switched to staging Cats, which she performed for two years.

It's no exaggeration to say that at the height of Vivian's fame, she was a well-known star in the West End.

Then, at the age of 21, she chose to retire.

Because she got married and started dating.

When Isabella was pursuing Vivian, her father Eric was already a multi-millionaire, so there was no need for Vivian to appear in public. Therefore, after marriage, Vivian chose to be a wife and mother, and she lived this leisurely life for 14 years.

Vivian thought her life would continue peacefully, but no one expected that her husband's all-in bet would bring about such a dramatic change in everything around her.

After learning of her husband's death, Vivian actually wanted to leave as well.

But my two daughters are still young, and we don't have many relatives, so...

Let's keep going!

After losing her source of income, Vivian, who had no diploma and only knew how to act, wanted to return to her old profession.

In her view, even though she has been away from the stage for ten years, with the support of her past fame, it shouldn't be difficult to find a job back in the theater. After all, she is not seeking a leading role; as long as she has a role to play, that's enough.

We can talk about other things later.

but……

"Would you know my name~If I saw you in heaven~"

"Would it be the same~If I saw you in heaven~"

"I must be strong~And carry on~"

"'Cause I know I don't belong~"

"Here in heaven..."

As they passed an intersection and waited for the light to turn red, Vivian casually turned on the car radio.

The next second, Eric Clapton's voice came on.

That's "Tears in Heaven".

The unexpected appearance of her aged appearance startled Vivian. A few seconds later, she came to her senses and pursed her lips.

Even the hands gripping the steering wheel tightened a little.

　Notes: ① Eric Clapton, a renowned British musician, has won 18 Grammy Awards. ② "Tears In Heaven" is a song released by Eric Clapton in 92. It tells the story of his longing for his son after their deaths, and is later used as a way for the living to remember the deceased.

　　Internal investment has been completed; investors are welcome.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)