Hollywood, I became a legend with special effects.

August 25th, Friday evening at 8 PM, East Lake Villa District, Wuhan.

The summer sunset paints the surface of East Lake in a warm gold, and a gentle breeze rustles through the willows along the lake.

On the second-floor terrace of the Jiang family's detached villa, Zhou Huiwen was carefully inspecting the bedding that had just been aired. Her son was coming home today, and she had started preparing three days in advance.

"Huiwen, should we steam the fish or braise it?" Jiang Jianguo's voice came from downstairs.

"Braised! Yu Yu has loved braised fish since she was little!" Zhou Huiwen answered while speeding up her movements.

She is 48 years old this year and has taught classical literature at Central China Normal University for more than 20 years. She has a gentle and graceful temperament.

His actions at this moment revealed his urgency; his son had been in the United States for a year, and this was the first time he had come home.

In the kitchen, Jiang Jianguo, wearing an apron, hesitated in front of two fresh Wuchang fish.

As a businessman who started his building materials business in his early years, he could command hundreds of people in the company, but he was always flustered in the kitchen.

In the end, he decided to do as his wife suggested: braise it, add plenty of ginger and scallions, and his son would like it.

The villa was purchased in 2003, when the Donghu area had just begun development. Jiang Jianguo was drawn to its tranquility and lake view.

The three-story building has a small courtyard with some flowers and plants.

Zhou Huiwen often says that she made the right choice in buying this house. Every time she stands on the terrace looking at the lake, all her worries disappear.

At 7:30, the doorbell rang.

Zhou Huiwen practically ran to open the door.

Jiang Yu, dragging his suitcase outside the door, looked at his mother and smiled: "Mom, I'm back."

"Come in, come in!" Zhou Huiwen looked her son up and down. "You've lost weight! Did you not eat properly in America?"

"I haven't lost weight, I've actually gained five pounds." Jiang Yu put down his luggage and hugged his mother.

He smelled the familiar scent of gardenias on his mother; it was the scent of the face cream she had used for over twenty years.

Jiang Jianguo poked his head out of the kitchen: "You're back? Wash your hands and eat! The fish will be ready soon!"

......

The dining table is placed near the window in the living room, with a view of the night view of East Lake.

The three dishes and one soup are: braised Wuchang fish, sweet and sour pork ribs, stir-fried lotus root tips, and lotus root and pork rib soup, all of which are authentic Hubei dishes.

There was also an opened bottle of Moutai and three wine glasses on the table.

"Dad, you cooked today?" Jiang Yu asked, somewhat surprised, after washing his hands.

"Your mother is in charge of cooking, and I'll assist her." Jiang Jianguo took off his apron and sat down at the head of the table. "But I cleaned the fish myself, removing all the scales."

The three of them took their seats.

Zhou Huiwen kept piling food onto her son's plate: "Eat more. These lotus root tips were bought this morning at the Donghu Market; they're especially tender. The spare ribs are also from a local farm..."

Jiang Yu's bowls quickly piled up into a small mountain.

Jiang Jianguo poured wine into three glasses: "Come on, Yu Yu, welcome home. You've had a tough year in America."

The three wine glasses clinked together, making a crisp sound.

"Yu Yu, how long will you stay this time?" Zhou Huiwen asked.

"About a week," Jiang Yu said. "I'm going back to Los Angeles next Wednesday. A movie project there has already started filming, and I have to get back."

"A movie?" Zhou Huiwen's eyes lit up. "You were involved in making a movie?"

Jiang Yu put down his chopsticks, preparing to explain in the simplest way possible.

He knew his parents had limited knowledge of the film industry; his mother watched art films, and his father watched war films, and that was about it.

"I guess you could say I'm involved," he said, carefully choosing his words. "I started a special effects company with a classmate in Los Angeles, doing things like... people flying around, houses exploding, monsters appearing in movies. We've recently taken on a Hollywood project called 'Taken,' with a budget of thirty million dollars."

Zhou Huiwen was stunned: "Thirty million US dollars?"

"Yes, that's about 240 million RMB." Jiang Jianguo calculated it for her; he frequently dealt with exchange rates in his business. "But son, are you going to work for someone else or...?"

"I am one of the investors," Jiang Yu said. "Our company's special effects services are converted into an investment, representing a 20% stake in the project. That means if the movie makes money, I can get 20% of the profits."

There was a few seconds of silence at the dining table.

Zhou Huiwen slowly put down her chopsticks: "Yu Yu, are you saying you invested over 200 million in a film project in Hollywood?"

"It's not a cash investment, it's a technology-based equity investment," Jiang Yu explained as simply as possible. "My company is responsible for the special effects, and this service is provided free of charge, in exchange for shares in the film."

Jiang Jianguo took a sip of his drink, his brow furrowing slightly: "Is this reliable? Will the Americans rip you off? I've heard Hollywood is a murky place."

"There are Chinese people among our partners," Jiang Yu said. "The main investor is my classmate's company, which I know very well. Furthermore, the contract was reviewed by a Hollywood lawyer, so there are no problems."

He paused, then continued, "Also, during this trip back to China, I set up an office in Beijing. It's not for special effects, but for content development."

"Content reserves?" Zhou Huiwen didn't understand again.

Jiang Yu thought for a moment and said in a way his mother could understand: "Mom, don't you teach classical literature? 'Dream of the Red Chamber' and 'Journey to the West' are classic works. What I'm doing now is to find out which works might become classics in the future and buy their film and television adaptation rights in advance."

"Is it like hoarding and speculating?" Jiang Jianguo thought to himself, using a businessman's mindset.

"It's somewhat similar, not just about making money," Jiang Yu said. "The more important thing is to build our own story library. Why is Hollywood so powerful? Because it has decades of content accumulation. For Chinese films to develop, they also need their own batch of good stories."

Zhou Huiwen asked thoughtfully, "So you're preparing to return to China in the future?"

"Yes." Jiang Yu nodded. "Let's start from the basics, find a good story, buy the rights, and when the time is right, we can make it ourselves or find someone else to film it."

Jiang Jianguo ate the fish in silence, carefully picking out the bones.

After a long silence, he said, "Son, I don't understand what you're doing. I understand the building materials business—steel bars, cement, concrete—you can see and touch them, and once a house is built, it's built. But what you're doing—the movie, the copyright, the special effects—it's all too abstract. You're moving too fast right now; I'm afraid you'll stumble."

His worry was written all over his face. This man, who had been through many ups and downs in the business world, had seen too many stories of people getting rich overnight and going bankrupt overnight.

My son is only 22 years old, yet he has already ventured into a field he knows nothing about, and he's taking such big steps.

"Dad, I understand your worries." Jiang Yu looked at his father earnestly. "The film industry is not to be underestimated. Hollywood in the United States generates hundreds of billions of dollars in revenue every year, driving tourism, toys, games, and a whole host of other industries. China is lagging behind now, but it will definitely catch up. Think about it, with 1.3 billion people, as the economy develops, the demand for cultural products will definitely explode."

He raised his glass and clinked it with his father's: "I'm planning ahead now, just like you went into the building materials business in the late 90s. We both caught the wave of the times. It's just that your wave was urbanization, while mine was the upgrading of cultural consumption."

Jiang Jianguo looked at his son with a complicated expression.

When did this son, who was obedient and academically excellent but introverted since childhood, become so opinionated, so unfamiliar yet so a source of pride?

He remembered when Jiang Yu was a child, he was bullied by his classmates because of his introverted personality, and he would secretly cry when he got home.

He taught his son: "Boys should be tough. If someone hits you, hit them back."

Jiang Yu remained as gentle and mild-mannered as ever, preferring to hide away and read rather than clash with others.

But now, my son is talking about Hollywood, multi-million dollar investments, and industry development plans.

The change was so big and so sudden that it caught him, as a father, somewhat off guard.

Jiang Jianguo raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

"Dad's getting old, I can't keep up with you young people's ideas anymore." His voice was a little hoarse, "But Dad supports you. As long as you walk the right path and don't break the law, do whatever you want. The family will always be your support. If you need more money, just tell Dad. I've saved up some money from doing business all these years."

"Dad, no need." Jiang Yu felt a warmth in his heart. "I don't lack money now, I have enough."

At this time, the TV in the living room was on, showing "The Return of the Condor Heroes".

The episode that aired was the one featuring Little Dragon Girl, where Liu Yifei, dressed in flowing white robes, practiced swordsmanship in an ancient tomb.

"Wow, Liu Yifei is so beautiful." Zhou Huiwen was drawn to the television. "She's a girl from Wuhan, she really brings honor to her hometown."

Jiang Jianguo also glanced at her: "This girl is indeed very talented. Her mother, Liu Xiaoli, used to work at a song and dance troupe. I've seen her perform; she's a great beauty too."

Jiang Yu looked at Liu Yifei on the TV screen. In 2005, she was 17 years old, with a bit of baby fat on her face and clear eyes.

He remembered that blind date in 2026 of his previous life, and how she said, "Parallel lines can intersect in non-Euclidean geometry."

"Mom," he suddenly joked, "how about I find you a wife?"

Zhou Huiwen was taken aback, then laughed and scolded, "Get lost! You're making fun of your mother! She's a big star, why would she be interested in you?"

"What if?" Jiang Yu continued to tease her. "What if your son becomes successful and becomes a big producer or boss? Maybe there really will be a chance."

"Then you'd better work hard," Jiang Jianguo joked. "If you can really marry Liu Yifei, your mother will be so happy she won't be able to sleep."

"You two are never serious!" Zhou Huiwen scolded playfully, but with a smile on her face. "But seriously, Yu Yu, you're 22 now, you can consider dating, and it would be best to find a reliable and good girl."

"Mom, I'm busy with my career right now," Jiang Yu said. "We'll talk about it again once my career is more stable."

"I'm busy with my career, but I also need to think about my personal life." Zhou Huiwen started picking at her food again. "Look at these ribs, eat more. You definitely can't find this authentic one in America..."

The meal lasted almost two hours, during which Jiang Yu recounted his experiences in the United States.

USC courses, life in Los Angeles, and my team members.

He talked about Zhou Mu's passion for technology, Wu Na's meticulousness, and Chen Wei's business acumen.

They avoided the thrilling parts, like leveraged stock trading and high-stakes World Cup betting.

The parents listened with great interest. To them, their son's world seemed so distant and wonderful.

After dinner, Zhou Huiwen cleared the dishes, and Jiang Jianguo brewed a pot of tea. The father and son sat on the terrace.

The night view of East Lake is beautiful, with the lights of cruise ships in the distance and the sound of the lake water lapping against the shore nearby.

"Yu Yu, tell Dad the truth," Jiang Jianguo said, taking a sip of tea. "You didn't do anything risky while you were in America, did you?"

Jiang Yu remained silent for a few seconds.

"Dad, I did some risky things," he admitted, choosing to be partially honest, "but it was all within my control. And... I had my own judgment."

"What kind of judgment?"

"I know what will succeed and what won't," Jiang Yu said vaguely, "It's like... intuition. A very accurate intuition."

Jiang Jianguo stared at his son for a long time.

Finally, he patted his son on the shoulder: "It's good that you know what you're doing. Remember, whatever you do, leave yourself a way out. If you really run into trouble, come home, Dad will cover for you."

"Thank you, Dad."

Jiang Yu went to bed very late. Lying on his bed in his room, looking at the familiar ceiling, he felt a long-lost sense of peace.

The bookshelf also holds textbooks and certificates of merit, and a poster of "Slam Dunk" is pasted on the wall.

Everything was the same as when he left home to go to school in Beijing.

But everything is different now.

He was no longer that confused teenager about the future; he knew what he wanted to do, where he wanted to go, and what kind of person he wanted to become.