Chapter 211: The Least Dedicated Boxing Champion

---

Buzz, buzz, buzz~

On the highway, two sports cars were racing side by side, speeding toward the train tracks. One was Dom’s signature ride, a silver-gray Dodge Charger, and the other was Brian's Toyota Supra. Just as the train was about to arrive, the two cars crashed through the barrier, nearly brushing against the train’s front as they flew onto the street on the other side.

Dominic smirked and glanced over at Brian in the other car.

Bang!

At that moment, a truck crossed the road unexpectedly. Dominic didn’t notice and crashed directly into it. His car flipped three times in the air before hitting the ground and rolling over twice more before finally coming to a stop, smoke billowing from it.

Cut~

The scene on the screen ended.

Applause erupted around them.

“That was amazing, such an intense scene.”

“Now that’s a real car chase scene. Other movies don’t even come close.”

“Yeah, but it’s a shame about that car.”

The crew members clapped and praised the scene.

Richard also clapped his hands. The scene was indeed fantastic, with a very high level of completion.

This car chase was a death race between Dominic and Brian after dealing with Johnny Chen, where Dominic accidentally crashed into a truck and was seriously injured.

This scene was extremely difficult and dangerous to shoot. The crew spent ten days filming it, crashing four cars, and even indirectly causing a stunt performer to get injured before they finally completed the scene.

After editing, less than two minutes of footage remained. Although the dubbing hadn’t been added yet, the visuals were intense, indicating that the scene had been successfully shot.

“Haha, everyone did a great job. Drinks are on me tonight,” producer Neil Moritz announced.

“Great!”

The more than one hundred crew members cheered.

Hearing so many people respond, Producer Moritz regretted it. So many people together, a thousand dollars wouldn’t be enough.

“It’s rare for Neil to be generous, so don’t forget, everyone,” someone said, covering their mouth in the crowd.

“Haha, yes, definitely going.”

People laughed around him.

Producer Moritz’s face darkened as he turned to look at Richard.

Richard was taken aback, “What’s up, Neil? Are you asking if I’m coming? Don’t worry, I’ll be there for sure.”

“Heh~”

Moritz curled his lips, then turned with a dark expression to look at Paul Walker.

“It’s not me either!” Paul Walker laughed, “Heh, I know who it is, but I don’t dare to say.”

“Cut the crap, it’s our turn to shoot.”

Richard grabbed him by the neck and walked onto the set.

“Haha, Richard, are you feeling guilty?”

“No, I’m saving you.”

Richard released him with a laugh.

“Saving me?”

Paul Walker looked puzzled.

“Yeah, if you talk nonsense, I’ll beat you to death. Isn’t that saving you?”

“Uh, okay, thanks!”

Paul Walker pushed him away with a dark face and got into the orange Toyota Supra.

“Hey, Paul, for the sake of your life, you should drive slower in the future. I have a feeling that something bad will happen if you drive fast.”

Richard walked a few steps and said seriously.

“F*** you!”

Paul raised his middle finger with a dark expression.

“I’m serious.”

Richard frowned, deciding to give him a word of caution as the shoot was coming to an end.

“So am I.”

Paul Walker waved his middle finger.

Richard shook his head, sighed softly, and got into the nearly wrecked Dodge Charger.

The shoot was about to start. The makeup artist came over to apply injury makeup on him, while the crew placed smoke bombs under the hood, making it look like the car was about to explode.

Once everything was ready, the filming began.

“Tang!”

Paul Walker ran over from the car.

Richard leaned back in the seat, breathing heavily, his left hand holding his right arm, his body covered in bloodstains, with blood still streaming down his forehead and face.

“I didn’t expect it to turn out like this.”

Richard struggled to get out of the car window, wincing in pain as a police siren wailed in the distance.

Paul Walker hesitated for a moment before pulling out a set of car keys from his pocket.

---"Do you know what you’re doing?" Richard asked as he took the keys.

"I still owe you a race car," Paul Walker replied.

Richard smiled slightly, took the keys, and got into the orange Toyota Supra, driving off down the street with one hand.

Paul Walker watched for a few moments before walking off in the opposite direction.

“Cut!”

With that, the scene was wrapped, and Richard’s work on the film was finished. After a night of drinks at the production studio, he temporarily said goodbye to the crew. He would return for a few more days if any reshoots were needed later.

---

"Now that you've wrapped up Fast & Furious, do you have any other roles lined up?" Gwyneth asked, standing beside a chair in the New Line Cinema office, dressed in a white suit with a short skirt as she gently massaged his shoulders.

"Yes, I’ve got the role of Aragorn in The Lord of the Rings. After this fight, I'll be flying to New Zealand. It’s a big production, and I have no idea how long it will take to film," Richard replied while flipping through some documents.

"Alright, I was thinking of asking you to collaborate on another role," Gwyneth said with a soft smile.

"I don’t have time. I’ve been busy for half a year and I’m starting to feel numb. I plan to cut back on acting in the future—two films a year should be enough. The rest of the time, I’ll focus on boxing and looking for good film projects. I don’t want to overwork myself."

"Haha, you’ve finally figured it out. You’re a boxing champion, after all. Taking on four movies a year while training for matches? No wonder there are so many headlines calling you the least dedicated boxing champion in history," Gwyneth teased.

Richard laughed heartily. "I guess I have been a bit uncommitted. I’ll shoot fewer films from now on. Compared to fame and acting, making money is more important to me."

"But you’ve publicly said you want to win an Oscar. There are even newspaper reports about it," Gwyneth reminded him with a grin.

Richard smirked. "Can’t I joke around?"

"Of course, you can," Gwyneth replied with a gentle smile, leaning forward onto his shoulder. "What do you think of this budget proposal?"

"It looks good!" Richard said, setting down the file. It was New Line’s first movie project, Rock 'n' Roll Barbie, with a detailed budget proposal.

Richard had previously learned about such things on the set of Fast & Furious. He specifically sought out and reviewed the film’s planning and budget documents, so he was no stranger to these matters.

After reviewing it twice, everything seemed in order. The initial investment budget given by director John Cameron was $5 million, and the production department estimated it at $4.2 million.

"Is that amount enough?" Richard asked.

"It’s definitely enough. Directors usually give a maximum budget to ensure there’s no shortage of funds, and they can pocket some of the excess. Arnold is very familiar with these tricks, and he won’t let them take advantage. This movie doesn’t have any big scenes or special effects, so $4.2 million is more than enough," Gwyneth explained with a smile.

"Alright then." Richard signed his name in the lower-left corner, above the signatures of Arnold Kopelson from the production department and Gwyneth, the head of resources.

"The script is good. I hope John Cameron takes it seriously; maybe it’ll win an award," Gwyneth said.

"It doesn’t matter. We’ll just treat the $4.2 million as practice. Do you plan to join the production team?" Richard asked, pulling her into his arms.

"Yes, I’m going to work with Arnold as a producer. What do you think?" she replied.

"That’s great!"

"Mmm~ And you?" Gwyneth hummed softly, closing her eyes.

"I don’t have time, Gwyn. It seems like you’ve gotten even curvier," Richard remarked.

"Really? I told you, my new role is a 400-pound woman," she joked.

"Uh, are you actually going to gain 400 pounds?" Richard paused, surprised.

"Haha, of course not. The crew has a fat suit made of synthetic flab. I’ll just wear that," Gwyneth laughed.

"Alright, you had me worried for a moment," Richard chuckled.

After finishing up in Los Angeles, Richard returned to New York.

The WBC light heavyweight semifinals had concluded, with British boxer Eric Harding winning the silver belt. Richard returned to New York to prepare for the match.

Eric Harding, 30 years old, had a professional record of 20 fights, 19 wins, and 1 draw. Standing 182 cm tall and weighing 173 pounds, his boxing style was similar to Roy Jones, though he wasn’t as strong.

On the day of the fight at Madison Square Garden, Richard fought him for 11 rounds before knocking him out with a final punch, sending him back to the UK.

After this challenge, Richard's personal record reached 21 fights, 21 wins, with 17 KOs, giving him an 80% KO rate—a figure that ranks him among the top in the boxing world.

---

(End of the Chapter)