Chapter 35

"From now on, it will be weeks, even months before we see each other again. Take care of yourself," Li Xu said with a smile, gripping Deng Lijun's shoulder.

"I can come back anytime," Deng Lijun said, still with her usual demure look, but she had finally returned to the state she was in before Bao Mu and the others first visited.

Li Xu is not a monster, and at most, his age is a bit awkward, considering they have been together for over a year.

"Alright, if you want to come back, you can go to Japan first. I'll have Mother arrange a flight to avoid those reporters," Li Xu smiled and turned to the Asian man in his thirties standing on the other side, "Mr. Guan, I'll leave Teresa in your care."

"No problem, Mr. Li, you can rest assured," Guan Weihua said immediately, his face showing respect.

"After the comeback performance in Taiwan, I'll find some top Japanese songwriters to prepare a Japanese single for Teresa. As for your side, you can make the decision," Li Xu continued, "I've already talked to PolyGram, they will give a new contract. If it doesn't work out, I'll have someone set up a company there."

"I will, Mr. Li," Guan Weihua nodded, his forehead slightly sweating.

"If there are any problems, contact Wang Chuanpu directly. I'll give you his contact information. If that doesn't work, call me," Li Xu instructed.

Li Xu seemed not to notice and continued, "I've also hired two American bodyguards, who can take decisive action when necessary."

"Isn't that a bit much, Edward?" Deng Lijun was startled.

"Be a good girl, Teresa," Li Xu pinched her shoulder, "I won't allow you to be hurt in any way."

"Oh..." Deng Lijun did not object.

After talking with his father and dealing with his letters, Li Xu went to the Four Seasons Hotel. Deng Lijun's return trip was almost planned, and he had to come to see her off and say a few words.

"Mr. Guan, I won't say more. You are a good agent, and Teresa's family trusts you. So I won't say much. While I'm not around, I'll leave her in your care. You know, she is very smart in many things, but also very naive in others," Li Xu said to Guan Weihua after sending Deng Lijun away.

"I understand, Mr. Li," Guan Weihua was clearly more nervous. He had already learned about Li Xu's background and, combined with Bao Mu's experiences, he knew Li Xu's power.

Even if he was still a minor, he was not someone a small agent in Hong Kong or Taiwan could oppose.

"You heard me just now, two American bodyguards, and I've already talked to Wang Chuanpu. So don't let anything happen that I don't want to see," Li Xu said suddenly.

"Your... Your meaning is..." Guan Weihua was slightly surprised.

"I think neither of us wants to see the most regrettable thing, right?" Li Xu said calmly.

Guan Weihua's throat moved, and he answered with difficulty, "Yes, Mr. Li."

Since it's a kept relationship, she is his possession, and as his possession, no one else should touch her.

Deng Lijun was not wrong; to him, she was a plaything, a collection item, even if he did have the intention to help her.

Of course, Li Xu was aware of this, but he did not think it was wrong. It's about actions, not intentions, and no one is perfect when it comes to intentions.

I destroy your dojo, kill your family, but I help you achieve your goals and bring your family back to life. So you should be grateful. If you dare to raise a weapon against me, you are a scoundrel.

So, even though I teach you, play with you, and treat you as a plaything and a collection item, these are not more important than life.

As long as I keep you alive past 1995, protect you and your family, and give you more honor, making your name known throughout the Chinese world, you must be grateful. If you dare to resist or speak ill of me, you are a scoundrel—see, it's very logical.

There wasn't much to do here. After instructing Guan Weihua, there was nothing left. Most of the work was done by him, and the communication with the mysterious place was complete. The rest was just following the trend.

Deng Lijun's popularity was undeniable. After a year of silence, East and Southeast Asia would only be more eager to hear her voice, even though she was criticized in her home country a year ago.

With Li Xu's protection, her comeback would be even more successful, and no one would bring up last year's events, so there was no need to worry.

However, his weekend was over. Four days later, he couldn't catch Deng Lijun's flight, but it didn't matter. That night, he thoroughly enjoyed Deng Lijun in a light cheongsam, making her sob and beg for mercy before he stopped.

It must be said that her beautiful voice made certain activities very satisfying, especially psychologically.

April passed, and May was halfway through. Life was very peaceful. Li Xu mostly stayed at school, doing SAT and ACT practice tests—immersing himself in a sea of questions—until the release of "The Empire Strikes Back."

"Wow, there are so many people. I never knew a movie premiere could attract so many people," Adam Pritzker said, standing at the entrance of the Chinese Theatre, looking out and smacking his lips.

Outside, the red carpet was lined with barriers, behind which were reporters and fans. The former were trying to get microphones to the stars walking the red carpet, while the latter were holding up plastic and foam boards with support messages, hoping their favorite stars would see them, or like the reporters, reaching out to shake hands with them.

"That's because of fans like you," Li Xu said with a smile.

"Hey, I'm not a fan," Adam countered.

"Really? Who begged to come with me when they heard I was attending the premiere?" Li Xu laughed even louder.

"That's because it's 'Star Wars'! For heaven's sake, you're an investor, don't you feel anything?" Adam said, somewhat excited.

Nonsense, how could he be excited? For someone who had been bombarded with cool special effects in his previous life, the original 'Star Wars' trilogy, no matter how well-made, was just that.

Of course, he couldn't say that, so Li Xu shrugged, "I just think you're a bit too excited. Look, Scott is very calm..."

Then he heard Scott Fujita call out, "Oh my God, I see Harrison Ford, he's about to come in, Eddie, can I go get an autograph?"

"Me too!" Adam quickly joined in, looking around.

Damn, Scott, you're from the Pritzker family, do you need to care about an actor like this? Li Xu felt like rolling his eyes.

Well, not every prominent family can have a mother who can teach them about social hierarchy in the most direct way.

"Alright, go ahead. George is already on the red carpet. I'll wait for him to come in and say hello," Li Xu said, seeing Harrison Ford getting closer.

"Really? Great, remember to introduce me, I want a signature from Lucas too," Adam said and ran off with Scott.

Li Xu could only shake his head. The first time he encountered 'Star Wars' in his previous life was with the prequel trilogy, and even after 2000, the weak plot left nothing to comment on—though the original trilogy's plot wasn't much better—combined with the special effects from 'The Matrix' and 'The Lord of the Rings,' he didn't find it particularly impressive, so he didn't go to the cinema for the seventh installment.

So, even though he invested in George Lucas in this life, he couldn't be as enthusiastic about the movie as Americans.

"Hey, Eddie," George Lucas noticed Li Xu as soon as he came in, and before Li Xu could greet him, he smiled and walked over with open arms.

"Hey, George, it's great to see you," Li Xu hugged him.

"Why don't you go in and sit down?" Lucas looked around and asked.

"I brought two friends. It's their first time at a movie premiere, especially for 'Star Wars.' They want to get Harrison's autograph first," Li Xu shrugged, "I also have something to ask you, so I'm waiting here."

"What is it?" Lucas asked curiously.

"I've heard from the crew more than once that there's a shocking plot twist in 'The Empire Strikes Back,' but neither Irvin, Gary, nor Robert would tell me, so I came to ask you," Li Xu spread his hands.

"Oh, oh!" Lucas made a realization, then looked around and leaned in closer.

It was as if they were secret agents meeting, and he even lowered his voice, "Can you keep it a secret?"

"Of course, George!" Li Xu immediately put on a serious face and said with a solemn tone.

"I can too!" Lucas was especially firm, then laughed like a mischievous old man.

Li Xu was stunned for two seconds, then rolled his eyes. He was actually playing this gag with me, isn't it just "I am your father"? Laughing so happily, do you think I won't use a megaphone to spoil it before the movie starts?

Of course, that was impossible. Spoilers are always despised, no matter when or where, especially in this era before spoilers became common. Lucas and his team kept the secret so well that only the director, writers, and a few others knew the full story. Even Mark Hamill, who played Luke Skywalker, only learned about the big twist when filming the scene with Darth Vader.

If he really did that, Lucas might turn on him, and the years of investment would be wasted.

So, facing this smug middle-aged man, Li Xu could only sigh, "Alright, you win."

This only made the other man laugh even harder.