Chapter 486: Witnessing History

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Box office, box office, box office.

This was the only word in Gloria's mind as she anxiously opened the newspaper. But the moment she saw the number, she began to doubt her eyes—

Wait, how many zeros is that?

Could it be a mistake?

One, two, three… Gloria carefully started counting the zeros, focusing intently. She counted them once, then checked again, and then a third time.

Finally, Gloria could confirm that her eyes were not playing tricks on her.

$130 million.

"Spider-Man" had raked in $130 million across North America in just three days after its premiere—not $90 million, not $100 million, but a staggering $130 million, shattering the previous record by $40 million.

At this moment, when looking back at "Jurassic Park III," the once seemingly insurmountable $70 million opening weekend suddenly seemed small in comparison.

Unbelievable, astounding.

But it was really happening.

"Ah!"

Gloria turned to her mother, unable to contain her excitement, and let out a cheer.

"Ahhh, Mom, Mom!"

"Anson's movie broke $100 million on its opening weekend! A hundred million!"

"Ah!"

Seeing her daughter jumping up and down with joy, Mrs. Preston was equally shocked. She instinctively brought the newspaper closer to her face—

"Making History!"

Not just in the entertainment section, but as the front-page headline of the *Los Angeles Times*. This historic moment was given its due recognition, with Anson's photo gracing the cover, his expression solemn as he held Spider-Man's mask, the intensity of it all leaping off the page.

$130 million!

In the face of this number, any words seemed to lose their meaning.

Even Mrs. Preston's heart began to race, pounding in her chest. Even if she didn't fully grasp the significance of the number, she could still feel the heat of the summer box office frenzy.

Looking up, Mrs. Preston could see Gloria spinning in place with a beaming smile, her genuine joy making the sunlight in the room seem dim in comparison.

"Ah, ahhh."

Gloria used all her strength to express her happiness. She grabbed the brown paper bag Mrs. Preston had prepared, snatched up her school bag, and dashed out the door—

"Mom, I'm off to school!"

"Haha."

Even from far away, Gloria's laughter could still be heard, followed by another shout.

"A hundred million! A hundred million!"

Soon, a commotion broke out as well, indicating the school bus was about to join in the celebration. One could easily imagine the noise in the school today.

Mrs. Preston shook her head, laughing quietly to herself, and then opened the newspaper to read in detail.

"…Witnessing History."

"Spider-Man" had utterly dominated the North American box office this week, delivering on all the hype and expectations with absolute strength and confidence. The market, which had been dormant since the brief resurgence during the release of "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," found its outlet now, fully igniting the summer.

The world's first film to break $100 million in its opening weekend had made its debut, completely unannounced, and without warning.

And not just breaching the $100 million mark, but surging all the way to $130 million, disrupting all norms and signaling a new era for the North American box office.

Every audience member was both a witness to history and a creator of it.

"…Anson Wood shone on the big screen with an unparalleled charm—a youthful, vivid, nuanced, and deeply complex charisma. Every frame he appeared in radiated both the character's and the actor's individual allure, serving as the final and most crucial piece of the puzzle in making history…"

Carter Robins watched Hayden Christensen's expression carefully. Hayden didn't read the entire article; he set the paper aside and looked out the window with a calm face, his eyes slightly unfocused, revealing little emotion. It was hard to discern what he was feeling.

Carter was unsure.

As an agent, Carter had met all kinds of actors with various personalities, and reading people's emotions was key to his livelihood. But now, looking at Hayden's reaction, Carter couldn't quite figure it out.

He had thought Hayden was an open book—somewhat naive, somewhat simple—but now it seemed that wasn't the case.

As Carter pondered this, Hayden suddenly got up and walked toward the kitchen, which caught Carter off guard. He quickly spoke up.

"Hayden, this doesn't mean anything. Maybe the market is just waking up, and we'll easily surpass their record, just like how 'Harry Potter' topped 'Pirates of the Caribbean' last year."

Hayden, "I know."

Carter was surprised, "What?"

Hayden didn't repeat himself, instead asking, "I'm making breakfast—eggs, do you want some?"

"No, I'm not hungry," Carter replied. "Hayden, I'm serious, there's no need to get thrown off by their success."

Hayden paused, "I know. Carter, I know Anson can do well. He's always been like that, so it doesn't surprise me that he's getting this kind of praise."

Carter: …

Is this reaction normal?

Hayden picked up two eggs, "You sure you don't want any?" Carter shook his head, and Hayden started cracking the eggs. "James has always had personality and talent; he knows his appeal, so he seizes every opportunity. And Anson, well, he's definitely a unique guy, isn't he?"

"It's no surprise the movie is successful. Everyone's shocked, but I'm not. $130 million, it seems about right. But they are them, and we are us, right? Their success doesn't mean we'll fail. Maybe we'll succeed too."

Sure, that made sense.

But Hayden's reaction was really odd.

Looking back, one day out of the blue, Hayden contacted him, asking for help finding a new apartment as quickly as possible. Within 24 hours, he had moved out completely, vanishing from Anson and James's villa like a puff of smoke.

Carter was baffled. He naturally assumed there must have been some issue between them, or perhaps Hayden was jealous of Anson and James and decided to leave. Or maybe it was a case of two tigers in one mountain. Whatever the reason, it seemed like something bad had happened. Otherwise, why would Hayden have gone so far as to move out and change his phone number, cutting ties with those friends?

Of course, Carter didn't react outwardly.

A truly prepared superstar should clean up their circle of friends, getting ready for the media attention that was sure to come. The world of fame and fortune was far more complicated than it seemed.

But now, the situation in front of him was a little different from what Carter had imagined.

Carter was full of questions. Worried that Hayden might be upset, he rushed over to Hayden's apartment early in the morning, ready to play the role of the super-agent, comforting Hayden, building trust, but—

That's it?

Things didn't seem right.

All the motivational pep talks Carter had prepared were now useless!

What was going on?

So, now what?

Carter looked up to see Hayden holding up a frying pan, flashing a big smile, "You sure you don't want any?"

Carter: What?