Chapter 404: Amanda

Around the New Year, New York was once again hit by a blizzard, turning Manhattan white. Despite this, the world's financial center remained busy, and most companies in Manhattan continued to operate normally. Employees still had to report to work on time.

A girl with short blonde hair walked into her father's financial trading company, ready to start her workday.

"Hi, Amanda."

The receptionist greeted her politely, "You're early today."

Amanda smiled, "The weather's bad, so I left a bit earlier." After clocking in, she headed to her workstation but suddenly noticed a familiar face on the cover of a magazine on the company's bookshelf. Curiously, she walked over and said, "Oh, this guy made it to the cover of Time Magazine."

"Annie," Amanda said to the receptionist, holding up the magazine. "Can I take this to read?"

"Of course," the receptionist replied promptly.

"Thank you."

Amanda thanked her and took the magazine to her desk. With some time before work started, she tidied up her desk and placed the Time Magazine in front of her.

The cover featured her old friend, Matthew Horner, sitting on a weathered yellow-green field with a group of black children running in the background.

"Did he go to Africa?" Amanda wondered aloud, "It looks like Africa, right?"

Below the picture, a caption read, "Focusing on refugee children, Matthew Horner's path of charity!"

Alongside this line, there was an annotation next to the picture.

"Matthew Horner says: Seeing the children in the refugee camps breaks my heart!"

Amanda gradually understood. It seemed Matthew had gone to Africa for charity work.

Seeing the cover brought back memories of when she first met Matthew. He was just an ordinary actor among many at the Angel Agency, but now he was a big shot on the cover of Time Magazine.

Who would have thought back then? Even as his friend, Amanda had never imagined he could become a Hollywood A-lister.

Amanda shook her head with a smile and opened the Time Magazine. The content right after the cover was an exclusive interview with the cover person.

With still some time before work, she decided to read it.

In December 2005, Matthew Horner was appointed a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador. As a UN representative, he visited refugee camps on the Kenya-Somalia border to investigate the living conditions of African refugees.

This experience had a profound impact on Matthew. He said it was the purest place he had ever been, where the people were "so generous and straightforward, kind and unmaterialistic."

Before this trip, he had no idea that the children there still walked on landmines every day. Deeply moved by the dire situation of the African people, Matthew felt he had to act as soon as he returned to the USA.

Matthew expressed to the UNHCR that he was willing to do anything he could to help. He wisely realized that his fame as a movie star would enable him to achieve things an ordinary person could not.

"If I use my fame in a positive way, it might mean influencing young people to get involved, which is very worthwhile."

Coming from a poor background and having experienced years of poverty, confusion, and frustration, this trip to Africa made Matthew realize that his troubles were nothing compared to those of the African people.

He said, "I spent too much time in my own small world, feeling sorry for myself, without waking up to see how many advantages I had."

Reading this, Amanda scratched her head, thinking that the Matthew she knew was always optimistic and positive, seemingly without such struggles.

Of course, she knew interviews could be edited.

Amanda continued reading.

Matthew's journey wasn't about playing the role of a do-gooder celebrity but about listening, seeing, and understanding. He faced terrible situations and scenes he had never encountered before. In the interview, he showed every emotion he felt and every tear he shed, sharing his feelings and those who moved him.

He provided statistics to explain why he did this: over 40 million refugees worldwide; one-sixth of the global population living on less than a dollar a day; 1.1 billion people without access to safe drinking water; a third of the world without electricity; over 100 million children out of school; and in Africa, one in six children dying before the age of five.

"I am very grateful I chose this path in life," he said in the interview. "Thank God I met these amazing people and had this incredible experience."

Initially, Matthew wanted to hide his actor identity, fearing his career might seem useless and shallow to these people.

"My job seemed very strange to them," Matthew said. But he quickly realized that these people had no concept of his fame and wealth, nor did they care about his acting career. If they got excited upon seeing him, it was because he arrived in a UN vehicle, not because he was a Hollywood star.

In fact, a little girl even asked the Hollywood star for his address. At first, Matthew hesitated to give such personal information.

"I thought about privacy for a while because in the USA, I've always been told to do so," Matthew said. "But they shared their information with me, so I will share mine with them."

The refugees didn't care who he was or what movies he had made. They only cared that he was there, trying to help them!

At the end of the interview, Matthew told us he was planning to establish two charitable foundations: one specifically to help African refugees, and another to provide better healthcare and education for refugee children...

At this point, Amanda stopped reading, closed the Time Magazine, and rested her chin in her hand, lost in thought.

Matthew wanted to set up two charitable foundations? Her cousin Helen Herman was more skilled in managing agents and might not be as familiar with financial matters, but Amanda was different. She had majored in finance and business in the UK and had participated in the operation of her father's charitable foundation...

In her father's company, she didn't have many opportunities to showcase her abilities. Her status as the boss's daughter gave her enough convenience, but it also restricted her actions.

Helen and Matthew's situation would be different. There would be more freedom and room to play to her strengths. She and Helen were like sisters, and she had been friends with Matthew for years. For a charitable foundation, they would certainly entrust it to someone they could completely trust.

Amanda suddenly smiled. With years of professional study and practice, she had grown into a confident young woman, believing she could manage two charitable foundations without any problems.

"I just don't know what Matthew and Helen think..." Amanda pondered for a while. "My father should have no objections. He also wants me to gain more experience, and ability and experience are honed bit by bit."

Amanda looked around the office area. Seeing no one, she quickly took out her phone and dialed Helen Herman's number. Helen seemed to be woken up, her voice clearly annoyed, but her mood quickly improved when she heard it was Amanda. They talked for a few minutes, and the call ended.

Helen's message was clear: the charitable foundation was still being set up. If Amanda could join, she would be more than welcome, but it also depended on Matthew's opinion. As long as he agreed, everything would be fine.

Amanda was a doer. Once she had an idea, she would try to make it happen. She dialed Matthew's private number but received no answer.

She called twice more, and the phone still went unanswered.

Amanda checked the time. There was a time difference between New York and Los Angeles. She guessed that Matthew might still be sleeping and had put his phone on silent.

The whole morning, Amanda was distracted, checking her phone frequently. Matthew had her number, and in the past, he would quickly call back in such situations.

Finally, by noon, her phone vibrated. Seeing it was Matthew's number, she went to an empty conference room and answered.

"Sorry, Amanda." Matthew explained on the other end, "I left my phone in my assistant's car yesterday and just got it back."

"No problem," Amanda replied, getting straight to the point. "I just read Time Magazine and saw that you're setting up two charitable foundations?"

Matthew, standing inside the Warner Bros. studio, saw many reporters gathered outside. Lowering his voice slightly, he said, "Yes, we're already in the process. Helen is mainly in charge, but progress hasn't been ideal. Helen says she's not very strong in that area."

"Do you need me to recommend a professional?"

Hearing Amanda's words, Matthew immediately remembered her well-connected background and smiled, "Sure, I'm in need of professionals."

Amanda's clear voice came through, "What do you think of me?"

"You?" Matthew was a bit surprised but asked, "Are you ready to work in Los Angeles? Will your father agree?"

"Of course, he will," Amanda replied directly. "After I graduated, I worked at my father's charitable foundation for a long time."

Matthew thought for a couple of seconds and said, "Alright, Amanda. If you have time, come to Los Angeles, and we can discuss this in person."

Hearing his agreement, Amanda smiled. Matthew hung up and called for Bella Anderson to leave the Warner Bros. studio together.

Immediately, more than twenty journalists surrounded them. Matthew knew this was the effect of being on the cover of Time Magazine.

A male reporter loudly asked first, "Matthew Horner, you're so passionate about charity. Why don't you give up acting and fully devote yourself to charity?"

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