At this moment, Luke, sitting in the truck's driver's seat, was completely focused on the golden text floating before his eyes.
[Completed a C-level dangerous stunt, gained 2 assignable attribute points.]
[Overachieved the stunt, gained an additional 1 assignable attribute point!]
Due to an unexpected twist, the stunt's difficulty had jumped from D-level to C-level, and he'd exceeded expectations? Originally, he'd expected just 1 attribute point as a reward, but now the system had handed him 3 points. Luke couldn't help but feel like he'd hit the jackpot.
Without hesitation, he allocated the points to Agility.
For an action actor, Strength and Constitution were important, sure, but Agility offered the best bang for the buck. High-difficulty stunts demanded lightning-fast reflexes and pinpoint body coordination.
[Agility: 14 → 15]
He wasn't done yet—Luke planned to pump Agility up to 17 in one go.
But the next second, a golden system prompt popped up in front of him.
[Host has reached potential limit, unable to further increase this attribute. Complete task: Establish an intimate relationship with any female to unlock potential limit breakthrough.]
So, everyone's physical potential had a cap, and this was as far as he could go for now? But what was the deal with this method to break through the limit?
Since boosting Agility was off the table for now, Luke split the remaining two points between Strength and Constitution.
[Strength: 12 → 13]
[Constitution: 12 → 13]
The three-point boost hit him immediately. The bump in Strength and Agility didn't just make him run faster or jump higher—it sharpened his reflexes and coordination to a whole new level. The increase in Constitution toughened up his knees and ligaments, letting his joints handle more impact.
Even if he botched a stunt, any injuries would likely be less severe. The slight strain in his hand from earlier? It already felt way better, no longer burning with pain.
If he had to redo that stunt from earlier, his odds of nailing it would be much higher now.
Curious, Luke mentally checked with the system to reassess his success rate for that stunt.
[This stunt, danger level D, host success rate: 90%.]
[This stunt, danger level C, host success rate: 50%.]
As expected, his chances had improved. Next time he tackled a stunt like that, he'd be a lot safer.
Luke did some quick mental math. At his peak, action legend Jackie Chan probably handled stunts just a bit tougher than C-level. What kind of death-defying madness would count as higher difficulty? For now, with his current physical stats, even C-level stunts were a stretch, so anything tougher was irrelevant. He pushed the thought aside.
Stepping out of the truck, Luke was immediately swarmed by a group of crew members.
"Lin, are all you Eastern folks this incredible?"
"Dude, you were like Jackie Chan possessed out there! You're gonna be the next legend!"
"Sign something for me, quick! I wanna tell my buddies I was there when Luke rose to fame."
Luke grinned, thanking each of them for their enthusiastic praise.
Then, Vin Diesel pushed through the crowd and pulled Luke into a tight bear hug.
"Damn it, I almost lost you out there! Don't ever pull that stunt again!"
"Uncle, you're squeezing the air outta me," Luke teased, pretending not to notice Vin's slightly red eyes.
He was taller than his uncle now. It was time to stand on his own two feet, carve his own path, and stop hiding in Vin's shadow.
"Come on, the director wants to talk to you," Vin said, pulling Luke along. "You're about to get lucky—no, scratch that, you earned this."
Director Cohen approached them with a wide smile.
"Lin, you blew me away. I've gotta add more scenes for you. The next few days are gonna be a whirlwind—we're reshooting some of your parts."
"Is that okay?" Luke asked.
He'd only meant to squeeze in an extra stunt to get some attention. But Cohen was ready to rewrite the script to beef up his role significantly. That was a huge favor. The movie was nearly wrapped, set to finish tomorrow, but now they'd be filming extra days just for him.
"It's non-negotiable!" Cohen said. "If I don't give you more screen time, audiences in theaters will roast me alive for shortchanging you. I'm not making that rookie mistake."
Leave it to a director to make it sound so smooth while doing you a solid.
"Thanks, Director! Throw whatever you want at me for the reshoots!"
"Don't thank me yet," Cohen said, grinning. "Wait till we're back in New York after filming. I've got a surprise for you then."
"I'll never forget your support and belief in me," Luke said earnestly.
"You deserve better opportunities. I can't wait to see you soar," Cohen replied, giving Luke's shoulder an encouraging pat.
Vin Diesel, standing nearby, was all smiles. He knew Cohen was impressed with Luke and was already pulling strings to get him into another film crew. It'd probably be a big production, but which one? That was still a mystery.
---
Over ten days later, Luke wrapped up all his scenes and returned to his home in New York's 26th District. It was late October.
Fast and Furious was slated for release around May or June next year. Luke wished it could hit theaters sooner, but he knew that was already a tight schedule. Thankfully, his other film, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, was about to premiere in North America in just a couple of days, so he wouldn't be twiddling his thumbs.
In a few days, he'd be swamped again—promoting Crouching Tiger on one hand and meeting with the new film crew Cohen had lined up on the other.
But before the next wave of chaos hit, he had an important promise to keep.
A cold snap had just swept through North America. With no major east-west mountain ranges to block it, frigid Arctic air had barreled down from the Great Lakes all the way to Florida.
"It got chilly fast, but the maple leaves are turning red. Perfect season for a trip. Time to keep that promise," Luke murmured.
He drove the beat-up old car Vin had given him to Louis Pasteur Middle School 67 in Queens—MS67, where he'd gone to school. But he didn't get out. He was waiting for someone.
In his past life, he'd missed his chance with her, and they'd drifted apart. He'd stayed in the U.S., where life had been a rough ride, eventually leaving him bedridden for years in middle age. Meanwhile, she'd returned to her home country, where she thrived
They'd become people from two different worlds. Their childhood bond should've faded with time.
Yet, during his illness, she'd still tried to help him financially. Out of pride, Luke had turned her down and cut contact.
But in his final moments, too weak to even open his eyes, he'd felt her presence by his bedside, saying goodbye.
As darkness closed in during his previous life, her soft humming had filled his ears.
"The promise we made growing up, so sincere, the endless memories we shared…"
"And now I can't tell if you're a friend or a love I let slip away…"
Luke found himself humming Jay Chou's The Promise of Dandelions, a song that wouldn't even come out until 2007. But it fit his mood perfectly.
A lifetime apart, and now a long-awaited reunion. His heart swirled with emotions.
As he waited, a striking figure dashed out from the school…