Perhaps due to the World Cup fever, almost all flights from Manchester to Paris were fully booked.
Ethan had made reservations several days in advance, but in the end he still could not get a flight before June 10th. The earliest ticket he managed to book was for 11 p.m. on June 10th, and he would not land in Paris until noon the next day. Forget about watching the World Cup opening ceremony, by then he could probably only watch the cleanup crews packing things away.
Although the new Manchester United had just been established, everything was running in an orderly manner. With the help of management veteran David Pace, the voluntary support of Steve Bruce, and the assistance of Andy Walsh and Mark David, Ethan felt he could travel to France without worries.
This time, he was not leaving just to slack off and watch the World Cup. He declared righteously that he was going to scout players.
As for which players, Ethan had already written all their names down in a notebook he carried with him.
Sitting in economy class, Ethan gazed out the window and thought about the opening match of the World Cup, which should have just ended at the Stade de France. He wondered if it would be the same as he remembered, with Brazil beating Scotland 2-1.
If it turned out differently, then his £700,000 stake would be a disaster.
In his past life, Ethan had been a Brazil fan, deeply admiring Samba football. He never understood why Brazil lost to France. Part of him wished history could be overturned. But this time, he hoped desperately that it would not change.
A fashionable young woman walked by. She wore oversized sunglasses, her long dark brown hair neatly styled, exuding a graceful charm.
When she noticed Ethan glancing at her, she smiled politely and sat down beside him, still not removing her glasses.
Ethan did not pay much attention. Outfits like that were common on the streets of Manchester. Still, he quietly admired her. Her skin was smooth and tender.
At 11 p.m., the plane departed Manchester Airport on time, reaching Paris an hour later.
Bored, Ethan closed his eyes to rest.
At that moment, he really missed having a laptop to watch movies or play games.
The woman next to him casually flipped through a thick film magazine. The sound of turning pages caught Ethan's attention. He opened his eyes and noticed she was focused on an interview.
Keanu Reeves was also an actor Ethan liked, though he always felt his acting was somewhat stiff, not as natural as Nicolas Cage, Ethan's favorite Hollywood actor.
As for actresses, Ethan was never fond of Western stars. He preferred women with oriental temperament.
"Do you like Keanu Reeves too?" The woman caught him glancing at the magazine and asked with a smile. Her smile was striking.
Ethan nodded. "I think he works very hard, but many people only notice his looks."
A bit like Beckham on the pitch.
Ethan kept that last comparison to himself. He didn't want to sound like he brought football into every conversation.
"But his status in Hollywood has declined a lot recently. He's been very unlucky." The woman pointed at the magazine and showed it to Ethan.
Ethan leaned closer and saw that the article reported Reeves had finally landed a role in a film called The Matrix. But just days after filming began, the leading actress, Carrie-Anne Moss, had quit for personal reasons.
"Could this be just hype?" Ethan's first reaction was skepticism. That trick had been used countless times.
"No. The crew really is urgently searching for a new female lead."
"Oh, I wonder which actress will be lucky enough to get it," Ethan said with a smile.
The Matrix trilogy was a groundbreaking production. It not only cemented the reputations of the Wachowski brothers and Keanu Reeves, but also swept the global box office. Whoever landed the female lead would surely become a superstar.
"Why do you say that? The directors aren't famous. Supposedly they've only made one well-received film before." The woman was curious about his confidence.
"How should I put it? I remember Reeves hadn't filmed for almost a year before taking this role. That shows how picky he is with scripts. If he chose this, it means he believes in it. I also really like some of the creative ideas in this movie. I think it will be a huge success, even an epic in film history."
Ethan, coming from the future, naturally knew The Matrix would achieve legendary status. His tone was filled with certainty.
"What about him?" The woman flipped the page. The next interview was with another director.
"Michael Bay?" Ethan immediately recognized the future director of Transformers.
"Yes. What do you think of him?" she asked earnestly.
"I'm no professional. How can I judge him?" Ethan answered with a smile.
"Just chatting, like friends."
Unable to resist showing off a little in front of a beautiful woman, Ethan thought for a moment and said, "He's a master of action films. The Rock, which he directed starring Nicolas Cage, is my favorite action movie. And Cage is my favorite Hollywood actor."
Using "favorite" four times in one breath showed just how much Ethan admired them.
"I heard he's planning an epic war film."
"Pearl Harbor, with a bigger budget than Titanic. At the very least, it should be a decent movie."
Ethan also liked Michael Bay, but he had only watched Pearl Harbor once and it hadn't left much of an impression, so he could not say much more.
"I didn't realize you're not only a football fan but also a movie fan," the woman said with a smile.
Ethan was stunned, then noticed she was referring to the Manchester United T-shirt he was wearing.
"Among my hobbies, football ranks first. As for movies, I'm not sure where they stand," Ethan replied honestly.
"I'm the opposite. Movies are number one. As for football… I don't even know where it ranks." The woman teased.
Ethan laughed. Meeting a seatmate he could chat comfortably with made the flight pass quickly.
"Ethan Yu, from Manchester." He extended his hand to introduce himself.
"Eva Snow, from London." She also extended her hand, taking off her sunglasses and shaking his politely. "Oh, my grandfather was Chinese, though he lived in England his whole life."
"Really? Then we share the same roots!"
"But my grandfather was an Arsenal fan," Eva joked.
"Ah? Then we're sworn enemies!" Ethan exaggerated, making her laugh.
What should have been a dull hour passed easily. By the time the flight attendant reminded them the plane was landing in Paris, Ethan realized they had already arrived.
"Nice to meet you, Eva. Let's keep in touch."
"OK!"
After getting off the plane, both treated it as a chance encounter. Although they had gotten along well, they did not exchange phone numbers or contact details.
But what Ethan did not know was that Eva, who disembarked later, immediately switched on her mobile phone.
"Hey Mike, I'm in Paris!"
"That's great, baby. You should rest, relax, maybe watch the World Cup. When you get back, we'll get married!" her boyfriend said warmly on the other end.
"No, Mike. I've thought carefully. I've decided to audition in Hollywood!"
"What?" he was shocked. "Eva, we agreed. You'd go on holiday and then we'd get married."
"But I can't give up such a good chance!"
"Listen, Eva. The director of The Matrix is a nobody. Keanu Reeves has been down on his luck. This isn't the opportunity you think it is. Please, be good, enjoy your vacation, alright?"
"Mike, you know how long I've waited for this chance. I can't let it go. I've made up my mind. I'm at the airport now. I'll fly to the United States tomorrow. I hope you'll understand!"
"I don't understand! We agreed you'd retire from acting after marriage. And now you're going back on your word..."
"That's what you want, not me!" Eva cut him off, hung up, and switched off her phone.
Standing in front of the flight board, she clenched her phone tightly. Her chest heaved as she whispered to herself, "This time, I can't hesitate any longer."
She turned and walked straight to the ticket office, booking the earliest flight to Los Angeles.
The next afternoon, Eva Snow arrived in Hollywood, passed the audition, and officially joined The Matrix as Trinity.
While Eva Snow was stepping into Hollywood, Ethan had just arrived in the unfamiliar town of Les Ulis, on the southern outskirts of Paris, and was wracking his brain over where to find his target.
(To be continued.)