Chapter 521: Silver Treasure Chest +1, Unboxing

“Welcome back to Los Angeles, Mr. Li Wei,” Jason Miller said with a smile, waiting in the private terminal at LAX. “Are you just here for the audition this time? Or do you have other plans?”

As he spoke, he took the suitcase from Li Wei’s hand and began pushing it himself without being asked.

“Thanks… The main purpose this time is the audition,” Li Wei said with a small smile. “Then I’ll wait for the results. If things look good, I’m thinking of buying a property here or something, since I’ll have to be around for a while anyway.”

“Understood. This way,” Jason Miller said, putting the luggage in the trunk of the Cadillac Escalade. “Please, get in. We’re still headed to the Hotel Bel-Air, correct?”

“Right,” Li Wei said as he and Don Quixote got into the car. “By the way, for *The Last Flying Dragon* crew, who else is auditioning for the male lead?”

“Mostly some B-list and C-list stars,” Jason Miller said, closing the car door and taking out his iPad. “Glenn Powell, he had a supporting role in *Top Gun: Maverick*, but he has a comedian’s face and not enough star power. He most likely doesn’t stand a chance.”

“Regé-Jean Page, the male lead from *Bridgerton*. The role of the Duke made him famous for a while, but his looks…”

Jason Miller glanced at Li Wei’s profile. “He’s no threat to you. You probably don’t need to worry.”

“And here I thought Hollywood cared more about acting skills,” Li Wei said with a small laugh.

“It’s just a commercial film funded by Netflix, not something aiming for an Oscar or one of the big three film festivals,” Jason Miller said with a shrug. “Influence, looks, and appeal are what really matter. But speaking of handsome young guys, there’s Timothée Chalamet—”

“Sweet Tea,” Li Wei said. “I know him.”

“Right, Sweet Tea. But after filming *Dune*, he shot up to the A-list and became a leading man. His agent’s asking price was reportedly 25 million USD, plus a cut of the box office. Director Del Toro sent his offer sheet right back.”

“There’s also a British actor named Tom Blyth. He was in a BBC series before. He’s good-looking, but not well-known in North America.”

Jason Miller closed his iPad and paused for a moment.

“So, all in all, the competition for this role isn’t actually that fierce,” he said, looking at Li Wei in the rearview mirror. “The main reason is that Director Del Toro sank most of the budget into practical sets and special effects. The salary for the male lead is only 10 million USD, which is a bit low for A-listers. Meanwhile, B and C-listers think the film’s genre is too niche and might hurt their future career prospects.”

“That’s good news for Li Wei, then,” Don Quixote said, looking at Li Wei beside him. “Your competition isn’t too strong. Maybe you can make up for your acting skills with your influence?”

“Don’t say that,” Li Wei said, rubbing his nose. “What if my talent for acting is on par with my talent for sports?”

“Oh, give me a break,” Don Quixote laughed heartily. “Acting is an art that takes time to polish. Your physical gifts might be innate, but I guarantee most people won’t believe you could possibly have good acting skills.”

“I believe Mr. Li Wei will become a great actor,” Jason Miller said. “But on another note, there is one person you might need to watch out for. This person—”

Before he could finish, the Cadillac Escalade had just driven out of the private terminal’s gate and was turning onto the pickup lane when it suddenly slowed down.

“What’s going on?” Jason Miller asked, looking out the window.

On the circular driveway outside the terminal, a dozen or so people were crowded at the edge where the sidewalk met the road.

There were photographers with long-focus lenses, sound recordists with boom mics, and several independent paparazzi live-streaming from their phones.

“Li Wei! Li Wei! Are you here to audition?”

“Hey! Li Wei! Look over here!”

“Is a football player coming to Hollywood to steal our jobs?!”

Both Cadillac Escalades were blocked at the exit.

A young paparazzo on an electric scooter even zipped around to the front of the car, half-squatting to point his phone’s camera at the windshield, trying to film through the dark tint.

“Hey, Mike, it’s Jason,” Jason Miller said, immediately pulling out his phone. “My client just came out of the FBO and got swarmed by paparazzi. Can you send two security guards over to clear the area? We’re on the circular driveway at the exit… Okay, right away.”

After hanging up, he immediately turned to apologize to Li Wei.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Li Wei,” he said, looking a little nervous. “I swear on my son’s life, the leak absolutely did not come from my end. I—”

“Don’t worry,” Li Wei said with a smile. “If I can get intel on others, it’s only natural they can get my itinerary. It’s normal, and it’s not like I was deliberately trying to hide it.”

“But compared to the reporters and paparazzi in New York,” he added, even waving at the cameras outside the window, “Los Angeles is definitely a lot more enthusiastic.”

The private terminal’s security team acted quickly. Within half a minute, several armed guards rushed out on a golf cart and dispersed the crowd.

“Hey, Li Wei, what do you think about competing with Johnny Depp for the same role?”

a reporter shouted before being driven away.

By then, the Cadillac Escalade had already merged into traffic.

“So,” Li Wei spoke first, “the person you were about to mention, the one I need to watch out for… it’s Johnny Depp? Captain Jack Sparrow from *Pirates of the Caribbean*?”

“That’s right,” Jason Miller nodded. “The one and only Johnny Depp, a bona fide A-lister. His new agent submitted an audition request to Del Toro’s casting team last week.”

As he spoke, his expression turned a little strange. “Normally, someone of his stature would look down on this salary, but his situation right now isn’t normal.”

“Because of his lawsuit with Amber Heard?” Li Wei said with a laugh. “It was all over the news the last couple of years. There was even that insane rumor about Amber shitting on Depp’s bed and blaming it on his dog.”

“Exactly,” Jason Miller lowered his voice. “He just got out of that legal battle. Even though he won, the years-long tug-of-war drained his cash flow. Legal fees, breach of contract penalties, lost paychecks from being dropped by Disney and Warner, plus his own lavish lifestyle… he’s desperate for money right now.”

“Besides, this fantasy film is a perfect fit for his quirky, dark, and highly individual style,” he said, choosing his words carefully. “If it weren’t for his age and the investors’ concerns about his public image, this role would have been tailor-made for him.”

The convoy entered the 405 freeway and was immediately swallowed by Los Angeles’s eternally unchanging traffic jam.

The Cadillac Escalade crawled along in stop-and-go traffic.

Don Quixote glanced at the motionless traffic outside, then back at Li Wei. “Do you think you can land this role?”

“That’s actually hard to say,” Li Wei said, hesitating a little after some thought. “After all, I practically grew up watching his movies, and his acting talent is undeniable.”

“I’ll just take it one step at a time,” he said.

‘If I hadn’t discovered that the mechanical dragon could trigger a quest, I probably would have just let it go. Failing the audition wouldn’t have mattered.’

‘But now that the quest has been triggered, if I can smoothly land the lead role under normal circumstances, I might be able to trigger other quests during filming. That would let me continuously farm attribute points. That’s the best-case scenario.’

‘If I really do fail the audition—’

‘Then I guess Guillermo Del Toro will probably have to halt production and fix that damaged dragon model first.’ Li Wei thought to himself.

The Cadillac Escalade exited the 405 and turned onto Sunset Boulevard.

The late March sun of Los Angeles filtered through the palm trees and the branches of sparsely flowering trees on either side, casting dappled light and shadows on the car window.

After entering the Bel Air District, the road suddenly narrowed, flanked by high walls and oak trees with dense canopies. Even the cell signal dropped by two bars.

Under the portico of the Hotel Bel-Air, the front desk manager had been waiting for some time.

“Mr. Li Wei, welcome back,” she said with a slight bow. “We have arranged for you the same villa that you and Miss Anya stayed in last time.”

“Thank you,” Li Wei nodded.

After helping hand the luggage to the bellboy, Jason Miller took his leave. He still had to get to NBC to finish his own work.

Li Wei and Don Quixote walked into the villa.

The moment he casually tossed his jacket onto the arm of the sofa—

a series of dialog boxes suddenly popped up on his retina.

[Your fame has reached the farthest corners of the Kingdom. Minstrels sing of your deeds in taverns, and the topic in every tavern is whether you will become the Warrior who slays the dragon]

[Many believe in you because you are the champion of the grand tournament, but not all ballads are songs of praise.]

[Rumors, ridicule, and malice spread like an undercurrent through the city streets and alleys. Some say you are overreaching, others say you are destined for success]

[But whether through praise or slander, you have begun to become a part of the legend]

[Spreading Fame (1) Quest Progress Updated 5/5]

[Spreading Fame (1) Complete]

[First Stage Reward Acquired]

[You have obtained silver Treasure Chest x1]

Li Wei raised an eyebrow slightly. ‘Looks like Los Angeles’s obsession with celebrity gossip is much higher than New York’s.’

‘Maybe it’s also because I’m moving into the entertainment industry? In any case, I remember this fame quest being pretty hard to complete before.’

[Spreading Fame (2) Unlocked]

[To become a legend, to be carved into the monuments of history, you must accomplish legendary deeds]

[Complete 3 major events sufficient to shock the entire continent and etch your name into everyone’s memory]

[Major Events: 0/3]

[Quest Reward: Gold Treasure Chest x1]

[Gold Treasure Chest (New): Upon opening, randomly obtain 1 of the following rewards: 3 attribute points; a Gold-tier skill; a Gold-tier item; 5 attribute points (small chance); a Hero-tier skill (small chance); a Hero-tier item (small chance)]

“I’m going to take a shower first.”

Li Wei was getting ready to light some incense, bathe, and open his treasure chest.

He walked into the bathroom, closed the door, and turned on the faucet for the bathtub.

Suddenly, his phone rang.

It was Jin Heon.

“Boss!” she said, speaking rapidly. “You’re already headlining on at least seven entertainment media outlets! TMZ, Deadline, Vanity Fair, Page Six—they’ve all posted about it.”

“Oh?” Li Wei said, stepping into the bathtub and sinking into the water. “What are they all saying?”

He felt the hot water envelop him as his consciousness sank into the system panel.

The silver Treasure Chest hovered in the center of his vision, its surface swirling with silvery-white patterns.

‘Open.’

The chest’s latch sprang open, bursting with silver light.

[You have obtained equipment: Mask of the Deceiver (silver)]

Looking at the item’s description, Li Wei’s expression first went blank with surprise, then broke into a smile.