The streets of Los Angeles in mid-December were already filled with the Christmas spirit. The holiday shopping season had kicked off, with stores displaying various Christmas decorations. Like many businesses in North America, Victoria's Secret scheduled its most important annual promotional event just before Christmas.
As night fell, Matthew arrived at the Kodak Theatre. Two long lines had already formed outside, flanked by a giant Christmas tree adorned with dazzling "Victoria's Secret" neon lights.
Though it didn't have the sophistication of top fashion brands, Victoria's Secret had the grandeur of one. Even the cheapest tickets were several thousand dollars, and those who bought them had to queue up obediently.
Matthew, however, had a VIP ticket, allowing him to use the VIP entrance.
As soon as he got out of the car, reporters surrounded him, snapping photos. Matthew had no interest in answering questions. With his bodyguards leading the way, he walked straight through the VIP entrance into the Kodak Theatre.
The theatre's lobby had been transformed into a T-shaped runway. Matthew looked around and spotted David Ellison, who had arrived early. He walked over at a leisurely pace.
"Hi, Matthew." David Ellison noticed him too.
Matthew sat next to David Ellison and glanced at the nearby runway, noting that their seats were in a prime position.
He then asked David, "Did you get here early?"
"Forty minutes ago," David replied, sounding a bit regretful. "Too bad you were late. We could have checked out the backstage together."
"You went backstage?" Matthew had been delayed by some last-minute business. "Did you see many naked models?"
David spread his hands. "Do you think that's possible?"
Matthew chuckled. "They open the backstage to the audience?"
"Yes," David nodded, "but only for ten minutes. We just saw models getting their makeup done, nothing substantial."
Both men had clear intentions for attending today's event. Matthew lowered his voice and asked, "Do you have a target?"
David glanced at the empty runway and said directly, "I have a rough idea, but I'll need to see during the show." He added, "Matthew, don't compete with me."
Besides being wealthier, David didn't think he had more appeal to these women than Matthew did.
Matthew asked on purpose, "Not Heidi Klum, is it?"
David quickly shook his head. "She's too old." He said mysteriously, "A young model named Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, not even twenty yet."
The name sounded familiar. Where had he heard it before? Matthew thought for a moment but couldn't recall. "I won't compete with you."
Both Matthew and David Ellison made no secret of their true motive for watching the Victoria's Secret show—it had nothing to do with fashion or art. They were there for the models.
Everyone knew the Victoria's Secret show was a meticulously planned marketing event, but men never tired of it.
Tickets like the ones Matthew and David had cost over thirty thousand dollars, granting front-row seats, backstage access before the show, and entry to the after-party where all the Victoria's Secret Angels would be present.
What could entice men to pay such high prices?
Some might say it was for the art, to feel the fashion atmosphere, but Matthew never hid his true intentions. He was there for the supermodels.
From Adriana Lima, Matthew had learned that supermodels had better bodies, superior stamina, and more liberated private lives than most Hollywood actresses.
The Victoria's Secret show was a celebration of desire and humanity. The brand's culture openly acknowledged this, with its marketing core being to create emotional, exciting, and unforgettable experiences in the name of "desire."
"Long legs, peachy buttocks, slender waist" became synonymous with Victoria's Secret Angels, and the show provided a stage for the world's most beautiful bodies, making hidden desires unashamedly visible and enjoyable without being vulgar.
"Do you have a target?" David Ellison asked at that moment.
Matthew shook his head. "Not yet." He had grown accustomed to this straightforward way of speaking. "I originally thought Gisele Bündchen was good, but I met her in Milan."
David's eyes widened. "You scored?"
Matthew shrugged. "Just don't compete with me if I find someone I like."
For someone like David Ellison, just mentioning his name would probably make the Victoria's Secret Angels go wild.
Compared to actresses, models were purely living on their youth. Most top models ultimately aimed to marry a wealthy man. David Ellison, a rich second-generation heir, was the top choice, followed by Hollywood stars or highly-paid sports stars.
Thus, at many fashion parties, you could often see models actively seeking suitable targets.
Of course, to marry a model, one needed a big heart. Perhaps Matthew would never understand this, as he wasn't a pure Western man.
The theatre filled up quickly. Matthew noticed many familiar faces, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Jason Statham, Mark Wahlberg, and Ben Affleck.
As he drew his gaze back from afar, he noticed a bright bald head walking up the aisle toward him.
At the same time, the bald man also saw him. Their eyes met in the air. Matthew remained calm, but the bald man's mouth curled up in a disdainful smile.
Then, he strode over.
Matthew raised an eyebrow. After years apart, Vin Diesel still had that universe's number-one, overly-cool swagger.
There were many empty seats in this row, but Vin Diesel ignored them all and sat right next to Matthew on the left, full of pomp.
Matthew didn't even glance at Vin Diesel. Even as a small actor, he had dared to confront this bald man head-on, let alone now.
Vin Diesel sat there because of Matthew, and once seated, he growled, "Matthew Horner!"
"What's up?" Matthew deliberately glanced at him from the corner of his eye.
Vin Diesel exuded an air of superiority. "Don't think no one knows you secretly schemed against Spike Lee."
Having just talked to Spielberg about this a few days ago, Matthew had no interest in engaging with him. After all, he and David Ellison were already working on the "Fast & Furious" series.
But someone as self-centered as Vin Diesel didn't have such awareness. He turned to Matthew and said, "I can tell at a glance if you're a good or bad person."
Matthew couldn't help but laugh and directly said, "I'm definitely a bad person, so you'd better stay away from me." He deliberately looked at Vin Diesel with disdain. "People like me, really, do hit people."
David Ellison heard their exchange, first looking at Vin Diesel, then at Matthew. To acquire the rights to the "Fast & Furious" series, he had watched the already-released trilogy and immediately recognized Vin Diesel. He then remembered that Vin Diesel was among those who had recently criticized Matthew.
He deliberately asked Matthew, "Who's this idiot?"
Vin Diesel turned to look at David Ellison, seeing a skinny stranger, and growled, "Kid, shut your dirty mouth!"
No matter what, David Ellison was defending him, so Matthew immediately responded, "Baldy, speak respectfully."
David Ellison, having witnessed Matthew's skills, was completely unafraid. "You're a brave man!"
Vin Diesel thought David was backing down and proudly raised his head, his swagger reaching its peak.
"For someone who looks as ugly as you," David, having spent time in Hollywood, had learned plenty of insults, "living is indeed brave."
"Pfft—"
Matthew couldn't help but laugh at that.
"You..."
Vin Diesel shot up, ready to lift his hand and show the skinny guy some colors, but he instantly felt a rough, iron-like hand grab his wrist.
"This is a civilized place." Matthew, the type who only allowed himself to start trouble, not others, tightened his grip on Vin Diesel's wrist. "You'd better be civilized."
David Ellison, having seen Matthew in action, was utterly confident.
"You..."
Before Vin Diesel could say anything, the excruciating pain in his wrist choked his words.
Within seconds, his face turned red, and sweat beaded on his forehead as if his wrist bone had snapped.
Noticing the attention they were attracting, Matthew released his grip and calmly said, "If you want to fight, fine. After the show, we can find a place and have a one-on-one."
Vin Diesel looked at his trembling wrist.
"If you don't have the guts, stay away from here!" Matthew said coldly.
Vin Diesel, enduring the pain, glared at both David Ellison and Matthew, his over-the-top swagger seemingly even more pronounced, then... he turned and walked away.
David Ellison watched Vin Diesel's retreating back. "This guy acts like he's above everyone."
An idea struck Matthew, and he deliberately said, "I think he came over on purpose. I heard a rumor that Vin Diesel wants Universal Pictures to reboot the 'Fast & Furious' series." He added, "The source might not be reliable, just hearsay."
"Looking like he does, a disgrace to the planet," David seemed to have a grudge against Vin Diesel, "I want in on this too."
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