*Chapter 248: "I'll Deal with You When We Get Back"*

On August 24th, The Lord of the Rings premiered in the United States, opening in 3,359 theaters nationwide. On its first day, it grossed $51.21 million at the box office, with first-week projections expected to exceed $100 million. The film was not only a box office hit but also received overwhelmingly positive reviews from critics.

"The content of the film is exceptional. Watching it is like embarking on a wonderful, surreal dream, completely immersing oneself in the world of Middle-earth that Tolkien created." — San Francisco Chronicle

"Unparalleled visual effects, grand artistic vision, superb film production, and a cast that stays true to the source material. This is the first in the series and a delightful beginning." — Chicago Tribune

The film was praised for its meticulous production, accurately bringing to life the Middle-earth described in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Many critics also lauded Peter Jackson for his directorial prowess, declaring the film a classic with an epic quality.

The actors also garnered much attention. Despite not having an all-star cast—aside from Richard—the majority were second, third, or even fourth-tier actors. Thus, Richard received the lion’s share of the critiques.

"Brooding eyes, unkempt hair, a strong physique, and masterful swordsmanship—all of these shattered Richard's previous on-screen image. In the world of Middle-earth, he showcased another side of himself, which was a pleasant surprise." — New York Post

"As a fan of The Lord of the Rings books, I was initially skeptical when I heard that Richard was cast as Aragorn. Aragorn is a ranger and a king of Middle-earth—could Richard really pull it off?

After watching the film, I genuinely feel that Richard might not be the best Aragorn, but he is undoubtedly the most fitting. His dominance in the boxing world naturally carries an aura of power and presence that is hard to overlook. Moreover, his ruggedly handsome appearance and reserved, melancholic temperament perfectly blend into the character of Aragorn. Yes, Richard is well-suited for this role, and I can't imagine anyone else portraying Aragorn like he does." — Boston Globe

"Although Richard's acting might not be the most praised, his portrayal of Aragorn perfectly aligns with the character in the book—a powerful, handsome, and passionate king." — Los Angeles Times critic Rogers gave him a four-star rating.

*"Hehe, darling, you're amazing!"*

In the apartment, Gisele put down the newspaper and gave Richard a passionate kiss.

"Of course! How could I be your boyfriend if I wasn't this amazing?" Richard smiled as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Tsk, don't get so smug. You've starred in so many films, and aside from this one, most of your reviews were terrible," Angela commented, crossing her long legs and giving the couple a disdainful look.

"That just means I'm improving, doesn't it?" Richard laughed.

"That's debatable. I've heard that many actors like to leave positive reviews after their movies come out. Hey, Richard, why did your face go dark? Did I hit the nail on the head?" Angela covered her mouth, laughing like a sly fox.

"I acted so well; do you think I'd need to leave my own reviews? If I wanted to, wouldn't I have done it before?" Richard retorted, annoyed.

"Richard, don't argue with Angela. She's single again, and she's been in a bad mood lately, picking fights with everyone she meets," Ambrosio chimed in with a smile.

"Oh? That's good news! Haha, Angela, did he cheat on you this time, or did you two break up?" Richard laughed.

"You!!" Angela glared at him angrily.

"Alright, is there any point in you two hurting each other like this?" Gisele laughed.

"Bündchen, I don’t know how you can put up with someone as petty as Richard for over four years. If it were me, I'd have kicked him to the curb ages ago," Angela said in frustration.

"I don't believe it!" Ambrosio shook her head, smiling. "Every time you find a boyfriend, you compare him to Richard, and every time you're disappointed. If Richard were your boyfriend, could you really kick him to the curb?"

"Nonsense, who compares anyone to him?" Angela lunged at Ambrosio, pinning her down.

"Haha, okay, okay, I was just joking. Let's not fight," Ambrosio said, hugging her as they both laughed.

"No way! You traitor, always stabbing me in the back. I'll get you!" Angela kept tickling Ambrosio.

"Haha, if you don't let go, I'm going to fight back! Hahaha!" Ambrosio tugged at Angela's clothes, wrapping her long legs around her.

After a few playful moves, the two of them rolled off the couch onto the carpet, still wrestling, their summer clothes disheveled, revealing glimpses of skin.

Richard slapped his forehead, "Sigh, I'm too outstanding. I even got two gorgeous women fighting over me. Darling, should we record this on camera?"

"Haha, great idea! I'll get the camera," Gisele stood up.

"..."

The two women stopped their scuffle, casually returning to the couch.

"Done fighting?" Gisele asked, looking down at them with a smile.

"Bündchen, you're the worst," Angela grumbled.

"Exactly!" Angela and Ambrosio exchanged glances before suddenly tackling Gisele, pinning her down on the couch as they burst into laughter, turning into a playful brawl.

Richard shook his head, "Enough of that. Didn't we agree to watch The Lord of the Rings for a second time? We can leave now."

"No way. I said I'd support your new movie, but you're too much of a jerk to deserve my support," Angela huffed.

"What about the jewelry exhibition? If you're not going, I'll give the invitations away," Richard teased.

"Going!"

The three women immediately stopped their antics, stood up, adjusted their clothes, and put on makeup. They quickly changed into elegant gowns, instantly transforming into three poised, sophisticated ladies.

Richard shook his head—this is how women are: best friends are precious, but men are more so, and jewelry is eternally cherished.

——

While accompanying Bündchen and the others on their shopping spree, Richard also participated in several promotional events with the film crew. Due to the unexpectedly high box office returns, the production and distribution teams ramped up their promotional efforts.

The cast of The Lord of the Rings participated in numerous activities, including fan meet-and-greets, talk show interviews, film festivals, and city tours. As a member of the Fellowship of the Ring, Richard joined in on these events for several days.

"Those who have seen The Lord of the Rings know that the film's battle scenes are spectacular. Each member of the Fellowship has their own unique skills. Could you demonstrate them on the show?"

In the recording hall of FOX's talk show, host Charlie Hurd looked at the main cast and asked.

"I'm the captain of the Fellowship, so I'll go first," Ian McKellen, who played Gandalf, laughed heartily, pulling out a staff and muttering a few spells to the audience.

He then raised his arm and roared a few lines, ending his performance with a serious note to the producer, "Remember to add special effects when you broadcast this," which sent the audience into fits of laughter.

"I'm the vice-captain, so I’ll go second,"

Richard smiled as he took a longsword from a staff member, expertly twirling it with a few quick wrist movements. The blade flashed around him, creating a series of dazzling moves that elicited cheers from the audience, who shouted, "Cool! Cool!"

Richard performed a few more moves before stopping, mindful not to take up too much time during the group interview.

"Richard, your swordsmanship looks quite impressive. How long did you practice?"

The host asked.

"I trained for a month before filming, and then continued practicing on set. After enough practice, it becomes second nature,"

Richard replied.

Orlando Bloom, John Rhys-Davies (who played Gimli), and Sean Bean (who played Boromir) followed suit, showcasing their talents.

Orlando, playing the Elf Prince, struck several cool poses with his bow, prompting a wave of screams from the female fans in the audience.

The Lord of the Rings had a massive impact on the actors, with Orlando benefiting the most. Richard was already a big name, so the extra publicity was just icing on the cake, whereas Orlando's fame skyrocketed from a fourth-tier actor to a second-tier celebrity.

Afterward, the dwarves performed an axe-throwing show, Sean Bean demonstrated his swordsmanship, and the four hobbits danced, each with their own unique style.

"Director Jackson, in 'The Lord of the Rings,' the actors converse in Elvish. Is Elvish a real language? Can it be used for communication?" asked the host.

"Yes, Elvish was invented by Tolkien. He was a linguist himself, and when he was writing 'The Lord of the Rings,' out of his love and interest in languages, he invented this language and used it extensively in the book," said director Peter Jackson.

"After 'The Lord of the Rings,' many other writers further developed this language system in their works. It's now quite complete and can be used for ordinary communication."

"Does anyone in the crew speak it? Who speaks it the best?"

"Richard. He learned it quite well. He's the best Elvish speaker in our crew." Peter Jackson passed the question to Richard.

"Richard, can you say a few sentences?"

"Of course." Richard first recited a poem by Shelley in Elvish, then explained everyday greetings like 'hello,' 'I love you,' and 'goodbye' in Elvish.

"Wow, Richard, you're amazing! Elvish is so difficult, how did you learn it?" The host and the audience applauded and asked.

"I wouldn't say I'm fluent, just know a little. Elvish is relatively close to the Nordic languages, and its pronunciation and roots are also derived from the Latin alphabet. If you study diligently for a few months, you can learn it. It's much simpler than Chinese characters," said Richard.

"Let me share a little secret," Peter Jackson interjected. "Richard is a language genius. He speaks seven languages, plus Elvish, that's eight. During the audition, he had already learned Elvish, which completely impressed me. This guy is talented and a great fighter. He was the perfect choice for Aragorn."

"Thank you for the compliment," Richard smiled.

"Richard, you speak eight languages?" The host was surprised.

"Yes, English, Chinese, German, French, Arabic, Japanese, Italian, and I learned Portuguese from my girlfriend. I have a bit of a talent for languages," Richard said casually.

"Wow, that's fantastic, Richard! You said you speak the particularly difficult Chinese, can you demonstrate?" asked the host.

"Sure, but since you don't understand Chinese, you won't know if I'm speaking it well or not," Richard said in Chinese.

"..." Everyone around was indeed confused.

"Zhou, was Richard speaking Chinese?" The host looked at a Chinese-American camera assistant.

"Yes, he speaks it even better than me," the person gave a thumbs-up and smiled.

Clap clap clap! There was another round of applause from both the stage and the audience.

---

"Tsk tsk, this guy is showing off again," Keanu Reeves said, pouting, in front of the TV.

"Richard is talented and capable, what's wrong with showing off a bit?" Jennifer laughed.

"Hmph, truly capable people never brag. Like me, I actually also speak Chinese. 'Ni hao,' 'Chi le ma,' 'Xie xie,' how's that?" Reeves said proudly.

"Wonderful!" Jennifer laughed.

"Tsk tsk, Richard is too amazing. Not only is he a great fighter and good at making money, but he's also fluent in eight foreign languages. Is this guy a genius?" In front of the TV, Scarlett Johansson lay on the sofa, her feet dangling.

"Such a person can't be simply described as a 'genius.' Both boxing and language learning require hard work and perseverance. The most valuable thing about Richard isn't his intelligence, but his perseverance and willpower," Scarlett's father, Karsten, said, holding a glass of water.

Slap! Scarlett's mother, Melanie Sloan, slapped her daughter's butt. "Look at Richard. He's already a genius, and he's so diligent and hardworking. Then look at you, you just lie around as soon as you have a break. You're so lazy."

"Mom~" Scarlett rubbed her butt, glared, and said, "How can you blame me? Richard is an orphan, he had no one to take care of him since he was young, that's why he needs to work so hard. Can I compare to him?"

Pfft~ Scarlett's father spat out his water.

"What did you say?!" Scarlett's mother was furious and raised her hand to hit her.

"Ah, Mom, spare me!" Scarlett quickly rolled off the sofa, ran barefoot behind it, and giggled at her mother.

Sigh~ Scarlett's mother shook her head. This daughter was spoiled.

"See that? To become a boxing champion, just practicing boxing isn't enough. You also need to learn more about science and culture to make your brain more flexible. You're about to take the college entrance exam, so don't just focus on training, pay attention to your studies too. It would be too embarrassing if you can't get into college."

After watching the interview, Neil Moritz also took the opportunity to lecture his son, Jim.

Seeing his son's strong and sturdy physique, he felt both relieved and a bit sad.

Ever since Jim started training with Richard, he felt his son was going astray. Their Moritz family, from his grandfather's grandfather onwards, were basically intellectuals, relying on their brains to make a living.

But with Jim, he had become a muscle man. It was a disgrace to the family, and it was all Richard's fault.

"Dad, don't worry. Your son is the New York State Youth Games boxing gold medalist last year. Next year, I'll also win the National Youth Olympic Games championship. Someone like me can't get into college? Haha, those universities will be fighting over me," Jim, now fifteen years old and 175cm tall, about the same height as his father, said confidently while crossing his legs and drinking milk.

"Sigh, you never thought about getting into college on your own merits. Look at Richard, he learned eight languages while training boxing, and he's always reading books on set.

Think about it, he's already a boxing champion, why does he still read? Of course, it's to make himself smarter, to fill his brain with wisdom. Richard has a nickname, 'Tactical Master,' right? Tactics are strategies. How can you have strategies without reading and learning?"

Neil Moritz secretly praised himself. This speech was excellent. He hoped his son could take Richard as an example and read more books, and not become a mindless muscle man.

Jim nodded slightly. "Hey, wait, Dad, Richard didn't seem to go to college."

"..."

Neil Moritz's face darkened. Richard didn't even go to college. It's better to use him less as an example in the future, or he might lead Jim astray.

---

"Gisele, Richard is so outstanding, do you feel pressured dating him?" Angela asked, watching TV in the company office.

"Hmm~" Gisele touched her chin and thought for a moment. "Yes! I feel a lot of pressure in bed."

Pfft~ The colleagues in the office burst into laughter.

"You pervert!" Angela playfully scolded.

"Haha, Gisele, do you need someone to help you relieve the pressure? Angela seems suitable." Tyra Banks joked.

"If you want to, you go!" Angela rolled her eyes at her.

"Okay, I'll go. I'll go home with Gisele tonight."

"Dirty~ You guys are all so dirty. As a pure little fairy, I have to cover my ears when I'm with you."

"Bah, you're a dirty monster, stop pretending to be a little fairy."

The group laughed heartily.

"Wait, stop talking for a moment!" Gisele pointed at the TV.

The interview continued on TV, and the host asked the guests to share some interesting stories from the set.

"I'll share something about director Jackson," Richard said. "Everyone knows the Elven Queen, Cate Blanchett. She doesn't have many scenes in the three movies, but her appearances are stunning, and her role spans a long time.

At first, she came and filmed for a few days, and then came back to the set near the end of filming. The second time she came, she walked into the set looking for director Jackson, but couldn't find him anywhere. So she came to me and asked, 'Richard, where did director Jackson go?'

I was stunned for a moment, looked at the director's area, and director Jackson was sitting right in front of the monitor. How could she not see such a big person? So I pointed and said, 'Isn't he right there?'

Cate was also stunned and looked for a while, 'That's director Jackson? Wasn't he a big fat guy before?'"

"Hahaha~" There was a burst of laughter from both the stage and the audience.

The screen showed a comparison photo of director Jackson before and after filming. Before filming, he was a 220-pound short and stout man. After filming, he became a 140-pound handsome middle-aged man.

He lost 80 pounds in half a year of filming.

Director Peter Jackson also stood up and showed off his figure. "Okay, I'll also share something about Richard. During the filming of the first movie, the scene in the dwarven kingdom's underground city.

There was a shot where Aragorn kicks an iron helmet. You saw Richard kick the helmet flying with one kick, but actually, that helmet was a solid model. The props department made a mistake. Richard kicked it, and his second toe on his right foot fractured, but no one knew at the time.

We filmed that scene in the morning, and in the evening when we were leaving work, Richard was changing shoes in the costume department. Suddenly his assistant said, 'Richard, why is your toe crooked?' Everyone came over to look, and his toe was fractured.

I immediately gave him five days off to rest and recover, but that guy came back the next day. Running, jumping, riding horses, nothing was affected. That's when I finally understood why he could become a boxing champion. Richard is not human."

Director Jackson shrugged.

The audience laughed again.

In front of the TV, Gisele frowned. She took out her phone and called Richard.

"You got injured during the filming of 'The Lord of the Rings' last time?"

"It's nothing, just a minor injury!" Richard laughed on the phone.

"A fracture is a minor injury? And you kept it from me?" Gisele said angrily.

"I know how to set bones, it healed the next day. Why tell you? When do you get off work? I'll come pick you up."

"Five o'clock. We'll talk about this later." Gisele hung up the phone with a stern face.

"Tsk tsk, Gisele, you're becoming more and more queen-like," Tyra Banks admired.

"Yes, it's scary when you talk with a cold face."

"I'm so envious that you can talk to the boxing champion like that."

Angela and the others teased.

Gisele rolled her eyes at them. "Richard often gets injured and doesn't take care of his body. If I don't say something, who knows what he'll do next?"

"He didn't tell you because he didn't want you to worry. What a good man. Sigh~ Why didn't we meet someone like him?" Tyra Banks laughed.

Gisele smiled slightly, stood up, and stretched.

"It's time for rehearsal. Let's finish early and go home!"

"Let's go, let's go!"

The group walked out of the office, arms linked. Fashion Week was coming up in September, and their workload was increasing.

---

(End of Chapter)