The Most Famous Actor in Hollywood

As Christmas approached, Johannesburg reached the hottest time of the year. The sun scorched the earth madly, making the sky feel oppressive and the ground so hot it seemed to be on fire. There were few people on the roads, only cars shuttling back and forth. The sky was devoid of clouds, with some gray mist floating low, making people feel suffocated and uncomfortable.

"Damn this weather!"

Matthew opened his umbrella, creating a small patch of shade for himself. Suddenly, a mosquito flew by, its wings buzzing and seemingly bringing a bit of cool breeze.

It felt like a rhythm of stepping outside for five minutes and sweating for two hours.

Matthew deeply regretted not taking a car, just because the hotel was less than a five-minute walk from Charlize Theron's apartment building.

Although he was in Johannesburg, mentally, he was still in the northern hemisphere, assuming it was winter.

Upon entering the apartment building, Matthew registered at the front desk and took the exclusive elevator to the top floor, which Charlize Theron owned entirely.

When the elevator stopped and the doors opened, Matthew saw Charlize Theron standing right in front of him, arms crossed.

"Hi, Sally," Matthew greeted as he stepped out of the elevator and asked, "Where's the bathroom?"

Charlize Theron turned to lead the way. "This way."

After leaving the elevator, passing through a huge living room, Matthew entered the bathroom. Having absorbed too much heat outside, he felt like he was urinating boiling water.

Exiting the bathroom, Charlize Theron immediately handed him a towel. Matthew wiped the sweat off his face and drank some water she offered, feeling a bit better.

"This weather is killing me." Matthew returned the towel to Charlize Theron, complaining.

Charlize Theron put away the towel and said, "Take a seat." She glanced at Matthew and added, "Why come to Johannesburg from temperate Los Angeles?"

Matthew sat on a single sofa, "I came to see you, Sally."

"Don't joke," Charlize Theron clearly didn't believe him, "You would come to South Africa just to see me?"

Of course, Matthew didn't come just to see Charlize Theron. He honestly explained, "The UNHCR is about to hold a conference on African refugees here in Johannesburg. Have you heard about it?"

Charlize Theron nodded, "I know. The conference is here because of Mandela's efforts."

"I'm attending this conference," Matthew said straightforwardly. "So I came to Johannesburg, and since you're here, I decided to visit you too."

"You got the charity ambassador title?" Charlize Theron knew Matthew had been vying for a UN title. "So smoothly?"

She was also working towards something similar, aiming for UNICEF.

Matthew took a deep breath of the cool indoor air, the heat in his chest gradually dissipating, and said, "UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador, officially appointed this Monday."

Charlize Theron rested her chin in her hand, "Helen Herman's efficiency is impressive."

"She's been working on it for a long time," Matthew didn't hide from Charlize Theron. "Over a year, I think."

From December, Helen Herman had made multiple trips between New York and Geneva, finally securing the position. He successfully replaced Angelina Jolie as the UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador.

Knowing Charlize Theron was also pursuing a similar role, he asked, "What about your UNICEF efforts?"

Charlize Theron shook her head slightly, "No news yet." She then asked, "Will you be speaking at the conference?"

"Yes," Matthew leaned back in the sofa, "I have a speech before the conference starts."

"Don't you need to prepare?" Charlize Theron asked.

Matthew pointed to his head, "Helen Herman prepared the speech for me before I came, and I memorized it all."

He knew his own cultural limitations and never intended to rely on his own abilities for the speech.

"Matthew..." Charlize Theron said earnestly, "I really hope you can do something for the African refugees."

"I'll try my best." Matthew didn't want to deceive Charlize Theron and responded vaguely, "One person's ability is limited."

Hearing this, Charlize Theron could only sigh and shake her head. Having been both lovers and good friends, she knew Matthew well enough to realize that his gaining the ambassador title was more for his benefit than a genuine desire to help refugees.

"If you can help, you should." Charlize Theron added.

Matthew smiled, "I'll help some people."

Celebrities, using their fame to call for action, could indeed make some difference. As a Goodwill Ambassador, he couldn't just talk. He would actively donate and, at the right times, hold charity auctions.

Such charity auctions were common in Hollywood. Though participants' motives might not be pure, and some funds might be misappropriated, a portion would still go to charity, helping some people.

Issues in Africa, especially those related to war and refugees, couldn't be solved by donations alone. Even someone as politically naive as Matthew knew Africa's problems were extremely complex.

For instance, Mandela, who highly regarded Charlize Theron, had mixed evaluations worldwide, with as many criticisms as praises.

Matthew and Helen Herman's aim for the Goodwill Ambassador title was simple. Neither had political ambitions. It was primarily to enhance his profile and gain fame, building capital for a superstar.

After chatting for a while, Charlize Theron gave Matthew a tour of her duplex apartment. The apartment occupied the top two floors of the building and was incredibly spacious. In a study, Matthew saw a gold brick engraved with "Charlize Theron," a gift from South African President Thabo Mbeki, honoring her for winning an Oscar for Best Actress.

This highlighted the significance of the Oscars and explained why many actors were willing to go to great lengths to win one.

Standing in front of the glass display case holding the gold brick, Matthew asked, "Are you planning to settle in Johannesburg and not return to Los Angeles?"

Charlize Theron stepped forward, standing beside Matthew, and smiled, "This is my hometown." After a moment of silence, she added, "Of course, I'll go back. My career is in Hollywood. I've signed on as the lead in Warner Bros' 'In the Valley of Elah.' I'll probably return to North America in February to start preparations."

Sky Dance Pictures was collaborating with Warner Bros, so Matthew had heard of this project. The script was based on a true story about a retired soldier investigating the death of his son, who had served in Iraq.

It wasn't a commercial film, likely aimed at the Oscar season, showing Charlize Theron's continued pursuit of Oscars.

After thinking for a moment, Matthew said, "If you want to win another Oscar, you should prepare more funds."

The strategy of gaining weight and uglifying oneself, as she did in "Monster," wouldn't have the same impact a second time.

Charlize Theron replied, "I haven't thought that far ahead."

Matthew nodded, not pushing the matter further.

They continued chatting in the apartment. Charlize Theron personally cooked South African seafood paella for dinner. After the meal, neither mentioned Matthew leaving, and naturally, they walked into the same bedroom at bedtime.

Being adults with previous intimate interactions, neither Matthew nor Charlize Theron had any psychological burdens.

The next day, the weather in Johannesburg cooled significantly. Charlize Theron played host, taking Matthew on a tour of the city.

Johannesburg, the largest city in South Africa, is also known as the "City of Gold," the center of South Africa's gold industry.

According to Charlize Theron, a white man named George Harrison once stumbled over a rock on a farm north of Johannesburg, discovering it was a gold nugget.

This discovery triggered a gold rush, attracting prospectors from all over the world, leading to Johannesburg becoming a populous settlement.

Today, a statue of George Harrison stands by the road from Johannesburg International Airport to the city center.

Throughout their tour, Charlize Theron's four armed bodyguards accompanied them. Like many American cities, Johannesburg's crime rate was alarmingly high, making it one of the world's most dangerous cities.

South Africa's unemployment rate was about 40%, with the majority of the unemployed being unskilled, poorly educated Black individuals. Even seemingly harmless Black children and youths playing soccer by the roadside could pull out guns and knives when encountering tourists, turning into robbers instantly.

While driving through a road near a Black residential area in Charlize Theron's car, Matthew faintly heard gunshots.

Seeing such poor security, Matthew lost interest in sightseeing after a morning tour and decided to return to Charlize Theron's luxurious apartment.

That evening, Matthew received a call from Helen Herman, returned to his hotel, and made final preparations for the upcoming conference.

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