[Completed first date with a Type-B girl, Host Performance Rating: S]
After wrapping up his trip to Bear Mountain Park with Yuffie and returning to his New York home, Luke immediately got a system notification.
An S-level rating? The rewards had to be pretty sweet, right?
Thinking back on yesterday's amazing time, Luke felt like he'd already gained more than enough. Thanks to his rebirth, he'd gotten the chance to make up for past regrets.
So, did the rewards even matter?
Of course they did!
He desperately needed the skills the system could offer. Luke dreamed of becoming an action superstar, but aside from decent physical stats, he was clueless about martial arts. —he didn't know a single one.
Swordsmanship, spearmanship, knife techniques, staff fighting? Total beginner.
Muay Thai, karate, sambo, wrestling, jiu-jitsu? He was a complete outsider.
How was he supposed to become an action star like this?
In Fast and Furious, that truck-jumping scene? He'd pulled it off purely on physical ability. If he had parkour skills like Jackie Chan, his success rate wouldn't have been so shaky.
Becoming a "furniture store war god" was no easy feat.
So, what rewards would the system dish out?
He didn't have to wait long. Golden text flashed before his eyes:
[Host acquired skill reward: Swordsmanship (Master Level)]
[Achieved highest date rating, additional reward: Parkour Skills (Master Level)]
Before Luke could process it, a flood of memories poured into his mind.
In them, he was wielding a three-foot sword, practicing tirelessly for over thirty years, day in and day out. Every sword technique flowed through his hands, refined over time into sleek, efficient moves. His swordsmanship was just one step shy of some ethereal, ultimate mastery.
Instantly gaining skills that would've taken decades of hard work sent Luke into a frenzy of excitement. Not only had he mastered flashy swordplay perfect for film performances, but he'd also gained practical combat techniques. Talk about a two-for-one deal.
As he was still riding that high, another set of memories flooded in—this time about parkour. Years of grueling practice, climbing and leaping across all kinds of complex terrain, plus tricks to minimize injury.
Now armed with master-level parkour skills, a wild thought popped into Luke's head: Stairs? Who needs those? Do I even need to use them to get downstairs?
He pictured himself flipping over the balcony railing, hopping down from one air conditioning unit to the next, floor by floor.
Don't tempt fate, dude. You're not invincible. He quickly shook off the reckless idea.
His phone suddenly blared to life: "I'm laughing so proud, laughing so proud, raise a glass and live for now…"
Glancing at the caller ID, Luke picked up fast. "Director Ang Lee! Hey, how's it going?"
"You little punk, wrapped up Fast and Furious, huh?" Ang Lee's voice came through.
"Yeah, finished yesterday."
"Then why aren't you here for the promo tour? The movie's been out for two days! You're a lead, you can't just skip the whole thing!"
"On it! I'll book a flight and head over ASAP."
Hanging up, Luke threw on some formal clothes, grabbed his still-unpacked suitcase, and headed out.
Yesterday, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon had officially hit North American theaters. As a reborn soul, Luke knew this film would eventually rake in $128 million at the U.S. box office and over $200 million worldwide—an incredible feat. But he also knew it wasn't smooth sailing at first.
A wuxia film directed by a filmmaker didn't get much love from North American theaters early on. It started with just 16 theaters showing it, pulling in a measly $600,000 in its opening week. A total flop by any measure. No wonder Ang Lee sounded stressed on the phone.
But Luke wasn't worried. Word-of-mouth would kick in. By the second week, 31 theaters would pick it up. By the third, over 140. The screenings snowballed month by month as its reputation grew. At its peak, over 2,000 theaters showed Crouching Tiger, ultimately making it the highest-grossing foreign-language film in North America, leaving the runner-up, the Italian film Life is Beautiful, in the dust with just $50 million—$70 million less than Crouching Tiger.
This kind of success proved Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was a phenomenal wuxia film. Its themes were right there in the title: "Crouching" and "Hidden." Hiding meant concealing; crouching meant suppression. It was about the struggle between facing your inner desires head-on and the restraint imposed by societal norms like morality and propriety.
The more desires you had, the harder it was to let go, and the tighter they bound you. But could you really handle the consequences of letting it all go to chase freedom?
Years later, people in China would start preaching about "decluttering" and "letting go." This was a deeply Eastern story at its core, not some pandering to Western tastes. Ang Lee just had a knack for presenting the human struggle in a way that resonated with both Eastern and Western audiences.
Zhang Ziyi's character, Yu Jiaolong, the film's female lead, was the embodiment of someone chasing freedom at all costs. But what did her reckless pursuit get her? In the end, she leapt from a mountain, maybe finding true freedom in that fleeting moment.
Western audiences ate up this kind of philosophical storytelling. The themes of desire, struggle, and freedom were universal enough to click. Add in the gorgeous Eastern elements— architecture water towns, bamboo forests, qinggong, and a dazzling array of weapons—and you had the perfect recipe for Crouching Tiger's miracle.
Being part of such a film was a stroke of luck for Luke. He wasn't worried about its box office performance, but he did have one small, nagging concern: his role included a love scene. A pretty intense one, at that, between his character, Luo Xiaohu, and Yu Jiaolong.
Yuffie was bound to see the movie. Would she be upset?
To make matters trickier, Luke couldn't completely distance himself from Zhang Ziyi. His plan was to use her as a connection to meet director Zhang Yimou. Crouching Tiger's success had lit a fire under directors, sparking ambitions to make commercial blockbusters and break into Hollywood. Films like Hero and The Promise were the results.
Luke had zero interest in The Promise, but Hero? That was a must. It was a landmark film, kicking off the era of commercial blockbusters. It was the ride he couldn't afford to miss.
If he only cared about Hollywood, Hero might not matter much. But as a man, Luke knew his path to stardom couldn't just rely on Hollywood. Hero was a game-changer, and he wasn't quite ready to compete for a role yet. His resume needed more weight.
But he was close. In about a year, he figured he'd have enough clout to make his move.
Being reborn was a gift. The only way to honor it was to keep pushing forward.
[Detected Host's determination, issuing additional task.]
[Through your efforts, help increase Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon's box office. Rewards will be based on results.]
Luke: Huh???