Upon arriving in Nairobi by plane, Matthew, accompanied by his bodyguards, immediately headed to the UN's Africa headquarters to meet with the UNHCR team. For this trip to Africa, he brought along six bodyguards, including Brown-Williams, all of whom were top-level professionals.
Back in Los Angeles, since nothing had happened for a while, he had reduced his bodyguard team to just two. However, traveling to Africa, a place often rife with chaos, he had to take security seriously.
Kenya, like Morocco, is one of the few relatively stable countries in Africa, with a more secure environment and better social conditions.
Nairobi is not only Kenya's capital but also the location of the UN's African headquarters. Organizations like the Environmental Program, UNHCR, and UNICEF all have their African branches here.
Upon arriving at the UN's Africa headquarters, Matthew was greeted by UNHCR officials. He first met briefly with Gutierrez, then was taken to a nearby hotel to await further instructions.
The destination of this mission was a place he had visited before: the Dadaab refugee camp, located on the Kenya-Somalia border.
The refugee camp was currently facing many issues, prompting the UN to organize a team for an on-site inspection and relief effort. It wasn't just the UNHCR involved; UNICEF was also participating, along with a large number of journalists.
Even from the UN's perspective, this sort of event needed to be publicly promoted to raise global awareness.
Upon entering the hotel lobby with the UNHCR staff, Matthew noticed it was packed with people. Many wore name tags, most of them journalists covering political news, including representatives from well-known outlets like AFP, BBC, and CNN.
Before arriving at the hotel, Matthew had a brief conversation with the senior UNHCR official Gutierrez, learning that this was a well-organized operation.
In recent years, the situation in the Middle East and Africa had grown increasingly volatile, with refugee crises becoming more severe. The real culprits behind these issues often made grand public statements while pushing the UN to engage in superficial efforts. After all, using the refugee crisis to gain leverage wasn't a new tactic.
Although Matthew wasn't particularly politically astute, he understood that the refugee problem was deeply complex, and organizations like the UN couldn't truly resolve it.
In any case, what the major powers did was beyond his control, and even if he wanted to intervene, he didn't have the capability. More often, the refugee situation was used as a tool to justify pursuing certain interests.
At least he was genuinely contributing significant amounts of money, which could indeed help a lot of people.
As Matthew walked through the hotel lobby, he noticed many journalists glancing his way. He quickly became the center of attention, with some reporters even greeting him.
"Xiao Li, who is that?" a middle-aged man with short black hair asked a young man across from him, around thirty years old. "He seems quite famous, and even has a UNHCR assistant escorting him."
The young man, Xiao Li, had also noticed Matthew and chuckled. "Old Wang, if you paid attention to entertainment news even a little, you'd know who he is."
"Entertainment news? What industry is he in?" Old Wang asked curiously.
Xiao Li pointed in Matthew's direction. "He's a Hollywood movie star."
"A movie star?" Old Wang, having grown up with more traditional views, scoffed. "Isn't he just an actor?"
"That's a bit narrow-minded," Xiao Li shook his head.
Although both were journalists, their differing ages led to vastly different perspectives.
Xiao Li thought for a moment and explained, "A movie star like Matthew Horner is far from just an actor. He's one of Hollywood's biggest stars, with influence that extends well beyond the entertainment industry. Old Wang, have you heard of the Forbes Celebrity 100 list?"
"Is that the one that 'Yaoming' and 'Liuxiang' sometimes appear on?" Old Wang asked, frowning.
Xiao Li nodded. "Yes, that one. But lately, 'Yaoming' and 'Liuxiang' only make it onto the domestic Forbes list. Matthew Horner, however, is a regular on the Forbes Global Celebrity 100, consistently ranked in the top five for the last three or four years. In fact, one or two of those years, he even topped the list."
Old Wang tilted his head, starting to understand. "That list does have some clout."
"It's not just about the list," Xiao Li continued. "In the US, he's more than a movie star. He's a prominent figure in high society. He's even openly criticized former President George W. Bush in the media."
Xiao Li sighed. "Being a movie star is just one of Matthew Horner's roles. He's also a well-known philanthropist and social activist."
"Social activist?" Old Wang seemed skeptical.
"He's been a strong advocate for women's rights and the protection of children's welfare," Xiao Li explained. "And not just with words—he's invested huge amounts of money in these causes and actively participates in related events."
He gestured toward the hotel lobby. "Why are we here today? To cover news from refugee camps, right? Matthew Horner is the UNHCR's goodwill ambassador."
Old Wang still didn't seem impressed. As a journalist, he viewed titles like "philanthropist" and "goodwill ambassador" with a certain level of cynicism.
"And here's the most important thing," Xiao Li said slowly. "According to Forbes, Matthew Horner's estimated net worth is over $500 million."
"How much?" Old Wang quickly adjusted his glasses. "Did you say $500 million?"
Xiao Li held up five fingers in front of Old Wang. "At least $500 million, probably more."
Old Wang was momentarily speechless. As someone who covered international politics, he knew exactly what kind of power came with that level of wealth.
"Billionaire… a billionaire," he muttered to himself.
In a country like the US, with its business-oriented society, a billionaire's influence was far greater than in many other places.
Old Wang's gaze turned toward the hotel front desk, where Matthew was checking in. Clearly, this wasn't just an ordinary movie star.
"It's already April," Xiao Li muttered to himself. "I heard Matthew Horner is supposed to be in China next month for the premiere of 'Fast & Furious 4.' I hope I'll be back in time; it'd be a shame to miss it."
At the front desk, Matthew had finished checking in. Gutierrez's assistant handed him an itinerary, then politely excused himself.
Several more journalists came up to greet Matthew, and he responded to each one. These reporters would all be joining the UN team for the refugee camp visit, which was one of the main reasons Matthew had personally come to Africa.
There are people in this world who do good deeds without seeking recognition, but Matthew wasn't one of those people. Since he was doing something good, there was nothing wrong with making his name known.
Political journalists tend to be more reserved than entertainment reporters, so there was no crowding around Matthew. Plus, they'd all be traveling together to the refugee camp soon, leaving plenty of time for interviews.
With the help of his bodyguards, Matthew took his luggage and headed up to his floor. Once in his room, he pulled out his phone. He'd turned it off during the flight and had forgotten to turn it back on until now.
Upon checking his messages, he saw one from Helen Herman, but nothing else for the moment.
Helen had informed him that the filming schedule for "Inception" had changed and that they would be staying in London for a while longer. Once his trip to Africa was over, he should head straight to London instead of Paris to meet the crew.
After replying to her message, Matthew took a shower and changed into fresh clothes. Although Nairobi was nicknamed "Little Paris of Africa," the weather was much hotter than in Paris. Its oceanic climate made the air humid, and sweat quickly accumulated.
Just as he finished getting dressed, there was a sudden knock at the door.
Matthew was puzzled. Who would be visiting him at this time? The UN had already given him the itinerary, and everything had been discussed. Now it was just a matter of waiting for the trip in two days.
He went to the door and peered through the peephole. Outside stood a brunette girl, her lips curled into a familiar smile.
It was… Emma Watson?
Matthew immediately opened the door, and there stood Emma Watson.
Emma Watson was dressed casually in a T-shirt and shorts, as if she were at home. She playfully swayed and asked, "Surprised to see me?"
"What are you doing here, Emma?" Matthew asked curiously.
He quickly stepped aside and motioned for her to come in. "Come on in."
Emma Watson walked into the suite, and Matthew waved to the other side of the hallway, signaling that everything was fine.
When he opened the door, he'd noticed Brown-Williams in the doorway across the hall, watching closely.
Matthew shut the door and followed Emma Watson into the living room. He moved his still-unpacked suitcase aside and said, "Emma, make yourself comfortable."
Emma sat down in a single chair, a smirk playing on her lips. "You haven't answered my question yet."
Matthew sat beside her and said, "Surprised? Absolutely! I never expected to see you here in Africa. I'm not sure how to describe how happy I am." He quickly added, "But why are you in Kenya?"
"Did you forget?" Emma reminded him. "I'm an ambassador for the Women's and Children's Fund."
She thought for a moment before adding, "
I knew you'd be here, so I purposely didn't contact you. I wanted to surprise you. I had people in the lobby keeping an eye out for you. As soon as you arrived, I knew."
Matthew remembered that the event included not only the UNHCR but also other UN organizations.
The two chatted in the room for a while. As the evening approached, Matthew invited Emma Watson to join him for dinner.
Unfortunately, Emma had commitments with the Women's and Children's Fund that evening and the next day, so they couldn't explore Nairobi together.
However, they would be heading to the refugee camp together in two days.
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