After walking around for a while, Matthew found Amanda. Being considerate, Amanda introduced him to several prominent figures from New York's business circle, including the father-daughter duo who would later lead Twitter. Speaking of the future first daughter, she was indeed robust, but her figure was impressive. Her well-endowed chest, if natural, was the second largest Matthew had ever seen after Alexandra Daddario's.
He found her somewhat interesting, but that interest stayed superficial. As soon as he thought of certain unspeakable horrors, all thoughts of the first daughter vanished.
After all, human strength has its limits.
"Interested in her?" Amanda asked, eyeing the tall blonde with the impressive chest.
Matthew shook his head directly. "No."
Amanda smiled and said quietly, "Her father is a master of media manipulation. If you got involved with his daughter, you'd be a topic in his promotions for the next decade."
"Don't worry," Matthew said, glancing at the father and daughter again. "I'm not messing with them."
Only Matthew truly understood what he meant by that. Amanda looked confused for a moment, then shook her head, choosing not to press the issue. It wasn't the first time Matthew had said something odd.
Suddenly, Amanda spotted someone interesting and nudged Matthew. "Look, an old friend of yours."
Following Amanda's gaze, Matthew spotted Natalie Portman. She seemed to be having a lively conversation with an older Jewish man from the film academy. Both of them appeared to be in good spirits.
Natalie was also holding onto a man's arm, and that man looked somewhat familiar.
Matthew thought for a moment and realized he had met this man years ago on the set of The Mummy. Back then, he had just started pursuing Rachel Weisz.
It had to be Darren Aronofsky.
So, Natalie Portman and Darren Aronofsky had progressed to this stage.
Matthew then recalled some information Rachel Weisz had shared with him. Both Darren Aronofsky and Natalie Portman were of Jewish descent, which gave them an unseen advantage in Hollywood. If Rachel did nothing, these two might just gain something at the Oscars.
As Matthew stared at Natalie Portman, Amanda reminded him, "That woman's no simple character."
Matthew nodded slightly. "I know."
"There's a rumor in the New York circle," Amanda gossiped, "that Natalie Portman had an abortion when she was around 19 while studying at Harvard."
"Really?" Matthew had never heard of this before.
Amanda shrugged. "It's probably 80% false." She added in a low voice, "Her background isn't impressive, and her looks are average, yet she carries herself like she's some kind of life champion. Naturally, that rubs a lot of people in New York the wrong way."
Matthew gave Amanda a surprised look. "Since when are you so into gossip?"
"It's simple," Amanda said calmly. "I don't like her. I don't like women who try to paint themselves as saints."
Matthew looked back at Natalie Portman. It seemed she had sensed his gaze because she suddenly turned her head and spotted him. She smiled and nodded in his direction.
"I'm going to say hello," Matthew said.
Since they had run into each other, not greeting her would seem impolite. After all, he and Natalie Portman had always maintained a cordial public relationship.
As Natalie Portman and Darren Aronofsky finished their conversation with the film academy veteran, Matthew walked over with a smile. "Hey, Nat."
"Good evening, Matthew."
Natalie returned his smile warmly. Just as she was about to introduce Darren Aronofsky, Matthew took the initiative and extended his hand. "Hello, Director Aronofsky. We met a long time ago."
Darren Aronofsky, who had little to do with the world of commercial films, shook Matthew's hand, replying politely, "That was many years ago."
To be honest, Aronofsky had little regard for a commercial actor like Matthew, whom he saw as a purveyor of lowbrow entertainment.
But he wasn't foolish. He knew better than to antagonize someone as powerful as Matthew Horner.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Darren Aronofsky found an excuse about spotting someone he knew and walked away.
Natalie Portman, however, stayed, as Matthew still held some value in her eyes.
"I heard Fast & Furious 5 started filming?" Natalie Portman deliberately brought up the topic. "Is everything going well?"
Matthew nodded slightly. "We should wrap up filming by May."
Natalie Portman, adopting a playful tone, asked, "Any chance for more roles in the future? Maybe save one for me?"
There was no way Matthew could agree to that. What use would Natalie Portman be in a commercial film? This was just playful banter, nothing more.
"I heard you returned to the indie film scene?" Matthew responded vaguely. "Is your new project finished?"
Natalie smiled and said, "It's done. It's called Black Swan, directed by Darren. It'll premiere at the Venice Film Festival this year."
Matthew nodded. "I've heard about it."
"The goal is the awards season this year," Natalie Portman made no secret of her intentions, as it was clear from the start of the project. "I hope you can lend your support when the time comes."
She had heard rumors about Matthew's influence behind the scenes at this year's Oscars, particularly in relation to The Hurt Locker winning Best Director and Best Picture. There were whispers that Matthew's network had played a role.
It was hard to gauge how much of an impact he had, but she knew it wasn't insignificant.
Matthew gave a rare, empty promise. "No problem, Nat."
Natalie Portman smiled brightly. "Then I'll thank you in advance."
In her view, Matthew's films were never aimed at the Oscars, so there was no competition between them. Besides, they seemed to get along well enough.
"You're welcome," Matthew replied with a smile.
Could Black Swan actually make waves at the Oscars? He wasn't sure, but both he and Rachel Weisz had some special plans for that film.
Especially Rachel, who still harbored a burning grudge.
After chatting for a few more minutes, Matthew excused himself and returned to Amanda, who was now in conversation with a middle-aged man wearing glasses.
Seeing Matthew approach, Amanda gave him a helpless smile and motioned toward the man. "This sci-fi writer has been looking for you. He insisted I introduce him to you."
Matthew and Amanda exchanged a look, and he quickly understood that Amanda didn't know the man either. He probably saw them talking and decided to approach.
"Hello," Matthew greeted the middle-aged man, maintaining his usual approachable demeanor in public. "What can I do for you?"
The middle-aged man smiled awkwardly, clearly a bit shy. "H-hello, Matthew." He seemed uncomfortable with public speaking. "I-I'm... a fan of yours. I've always... really liked your sci-fi films."
Matthew nodded politely. "No need to rush. Take your time."
Encouraged by Matthew's smile, the man began speaking more clearly. "I'm Andy Weir, deputy creative director for Warcraft at Blizzard Entertainment."
Hearing this, Matthew grew curious. Why was someone from Blizzard seeking him out? Were they planning a Warcraft adaptation? Movies based on video games were notorious failures in Hollywood.
Matthew had heard of World of Warcraft and had once downloaded and watched the Warcraft movie. As a casual viewer, he had found it utterly confusing.
Andy Weir continued, his words flowing more smoothly now. "Last year, I wrote a sci-fi novel and serialized it online."
He pulled out a USB drive and handed it to Matthew. "This is a copy of the novel. I was hoping..."
At this point, Andy Weir scratched his head, unsure of how to continue.
Matthew took the USB drive and smiled. "You want me to see if it has potential for a film adaptation?"
"Yes, exactly!" Andy Weir said with a hint of shyness. "Could you take a look?"
Matthew pocketed the USB and said, "Sure."
Andy Weir quickly added, "I left my contact information on the drive."
Matthew nodded lightly. "I'll get back to you after I've had a look."
"Thank you," Andy Weir breathed a sigh of relief.
He had pitched his book to several Hollywood companies, and thanks to his position at Blizzard, he had met a few high-level executives and producers. However, hardly anyone had shown interest in his novel.
After all, his sci-fi book was only serialized online and had yet to be published in print. Getting a movie studio's attention under those circumstances was next to impossible.
Seeing Matthew Horner today, Andy Weir decided to take a chance by carrying a USB with the first half of his serialized novel, hoping for a stroke of luck.
It seemed like that luck was on his side.
Matthew didn't think much of the USB, though. After chatting with Amanda for a bit, he continued to circulate through the banquet hall. At one point, he bumped into Elizabeth Holmes again. She struck up a conversation and directly asked if he was interested in investing in her company.
While Matthew wasn't ranked among the richest billionaires in North America, he was certainly one of the most famous.
"Mr. Horner, this is a rare opportunity," Elizabeth Holmes expertly used her connections. "Rupert Murdoch has already confirmed his investment in my company. If you join, it could be as wise a decision as your investments in Apple and Marvel."
Matthew knew well that he had reached a point where he could indeed be a major investor.
However, he was a cautious and conservative person in many ways, which was why
he only owned two properties up to now.
"I don't have much liquid capital," Matthew said, spreading his hands in a subtle refusal. "I've invested in several film projects, and my available funds are very tight."
But then Elizabeth Holmes shifted tactics. "In that case, would you be interested in becoming a spokesperson for Theranos?"
At the mention of an endorsement, Matthew frowned imperceptibly but then quickly responded, "You'd have to speak with my agency about that."
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