As night fell, the day's activities came to an end. The delegation decided not to leave but to stay in the city for the night. Being close to the Somali border, it was safer to wait until daylight to return to Nairobi rather than risk traveling at night. After all, there was a regular Kenyan border guard stationed here.
As a border town, the hotel's accommodations and food weren't exactly great. Matthew had been here once before, so he was well-prepared.
Food wasn't much of an issue, but the biggest problem was the sheer number of mosquitoes in the hotel.
"Good thing I brought some essential balm," Matthew said, sitting in his room, the strong smell of the balm filling the air. The mosquitoes seemed to have fled through the open door. "It really is a travel necessity."
Among the gifts he brought for the refugee camp and orphanage were plenty of essential balm and cooling oil.
From the feedback, it seemed the locals really liked these small gifts.
"Achoo—achoo—"
Suddenly, someone sneezed at the doorway. Emma Watson appeared, lightly knocking on the door. "Matthew, can I come in?"
"Of course," Matthew replied quickly.
Emma Watson, wrapped in a thin blanket with only her head visible, walked in while rubbing her nose. "What did you spray in here? It smells really strong."
"Oh..." Matthew picked up a small green bottle and shook it. "Mosquito repellent."
Emma tilted her head, listening for a moment, then glanced around. "It seems like there aren't any mosquitoes in here."
Matthew shrugged. "They all flew away."
"Hurry and close the door," Emma said, turning back to shut it. "Don't let them come back in."
She walked over to the sofa in the middle of the room, pointed to the red spots on her face, and said, "There are too many mosquitoes. They're eating me alive. I swear they could suck all the blood out of a person in one night."
Matthew grabbed a large box of essential balm and a bottle of mosquito repellent, placing them on the coffee table in front of Emma. "Spray some in your room, it'll help."
"I'll do that later," Emma replied, examining the items. "I don't want to go back right now. If I get bitten a few more times, I'll be disfigured. I've got a bunch of Harry Potter promotional events in Europe soon. How much foundation will it take to cover this?"
Matthew handed her a bottle of herbal tea. "Stay here for a while. Later, I'll go to your room and spray the repellent."
Emma looked at the unfamiliar tea and asked, "Do you have anything to eat?"
"Didn't you have dinner?" Matthew opened his suitcase and pulled out some bread, offering her a variety. "All I have is bread."
"You really came prepared," Emma said as she unwrapped one of the loaves and began eating without hesitation.
Seeing that she wasn't interested in the herbal tea, Matthew placed a bottle of mineral water in front of her.
Emma unscrewed the bottle, took a sip, and glanced at Matthew's suitcase. "Did you bring an entire suitcase of supplies?"
Matthew nodded. "I've been here before, so I knew the situation wasn't great. I had someone buy all this before we left."
Emma finished one small loaf and drank a third of the bottle of water before stopping, clearly watching her caloric intake like many actresses in the industry.
"You mentioned this afternoon that you'd donate all the proceeds from *Fast & Furious 4*. You weren't serious, were you?" Emma asked cautiously.
Matthew had said it with many considerations in mind. Since he and David Ellison held the real control, it wasn't something he could explain directly. So he replied vaguely, "I'm just thinking long-term. I plan to make many more *Fast & Furious* movies."
Emma tilted her head and looked at him. "Is it worth it to invest so much in charity?"
"You'll understand in time," Matthew said with a smile, not giving a direct answer. "Emma, besides being an actor, I'm also a businessman."
The meaning behind his words was clear. Emma understood—businessmen don't engage in losing ventures.
The funds Matthew donated mostly came from his two charitable foundations. While a portion was from his own wealth, much of it was raised through donations.
That's one of the advantages of top-tier celebrities engaging in philanthropy.
"Emma..." Matthew pulled up a chair and sat opposite her. "From the way society is developing, the women's rights movement is only getting stronger, and children's rights will always be a central issue in families."
He spoke seriously. "If you continue to focus on women's rights and children's welfare, don't worry about what you give versus what you gain. It will benefit you in the long run."
Emma lacked experience but was smart, nodding slightly.
"This is advice from someone who's been there," Matthew added.
"I walked around Dadaab refugee camp twice," Emma sighed. "It feels like the UN's resources and all this charity money are just being wasted on these people."
Matthew asked directly, "You saw it too?"
Emma nodded. "If all the donations and UN resources were actually going to the refugees, it would be worth it. But why did I hear so many complaints... and see so many disputes at the food distribution center? Why are there so many Kenyans in Dadaab? They make up almost a third of the population."
She was only nineteen, so her frustration showed. "Isn't Kenya one of the most stable and economically developed countries in East Africa?"
Matthew didn't respond immediately, as he had been aware of this situation before arriving.
Emma asked curiously, "Matthew, I don't get it. Why would normal people go to a refugee camp just to freeload?"
Matthew stayed silent for a moment before answering, "Free food and shelter are better than working hard. Even if the conditions are poor, at least they don't have to work for their meals."
"Don't they want to improve their lives, live with more dignity?" Emma wasn't really asking Matthew.
She didn't need an answer and continued, "We passed so many barren fields on the way here, especially as we got closer to the camp. The translator told me those people are all freeloading at the camp."
"I've heard the same," Matthew replied.
This was no secret. Amanda had mentioned it before he came. Many of the so-called refugees in Dadaab weren't actually refugees.
Emma ran her fingers through her hair, pulling it back. "Just thinking that the supplies I raised are going to those people makes me feel sick."
Matthew comforted her. "A lot of things in this world are more complicated than they seem. Don't get upset over this, Emma. It's not worth it."
Thinking about the supplies that had been distributed that day, Emma vented her frustration. "People have said before that these people are lazy, that they just live to eat and do nothing. I didn't believe it at the time, but today..."
"Emma!" Matthew interrupted, walking over to lightly pat her shoulder. "Don't say things like that anymore."
He specifically cautioned her. "It's fine to say it to me, but never mention it in front of others."
"I understand," Emma said softly. "I only talk about this with you."
She looked up at Matthew, smiled slightly, and said, "People would accuse me of discrimination if I said it out loud. I wouldn't dare."
Matthew nodded. "You're a smart girl."
Emma, however, still seemed troubled. "But I still can't let it go." She looked at Matthew again. "How do you manage it?"
"Some waste is inevitable, no matter what. I can't prevent it entirely," Matthew said slowly. "But my two foundations have professional teams here. Their principle is to provide emergency relief, not poverty alleviation. If you tried to eliminate poverty, even the combined wealth of the top 100 richest Americans wouldn't be enough for Africa."
He was implying that Africa was too vast and chaotic to help everyone.
But Emma misunderstood and said, "Exactly. There are too many people here who are just lazy. Giving them too much just creates a bunch of freeloaders."
She lowered her voice. "The translator told me that the seeds distributed by the UN World Food Program were eaten instead of being planted, and now they're waiting for more."
Matthew didn't respond further. Talking about this only brought frustration.
People like this weren't unique to Africa; they existed in every country.
Soon after, he changed the subject, and they discussed films, particularly *Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince*, which was set to release during the summer.
Additionally, after the summer, Emma would be heading to the U.S. for university. Perhaps in line with her image as a scholar, she had chosen Brown University, an Ivy League school.
They chatted until nearly 11 PM, after which Emma returned to her room. Amid their conversation, Matthew had forgotten to spray the mosquito repellent.
After showering, just as he was about to sleep, there was a knock on his door.
Matthew opened it to find Emma standing there with a large pillow. "What's up?" he asked.
"Too many mosquitoes," Emma pointed to the bumps on her forehead. "I can't stay in my room."
Hearing this, Matthew stepped aside. "Come in."
Emma didn't hesitate, tossing her pillow onto the bed and flopping down.
Matthew closed the door and walked over, ready to sleep.
"What are you..." Emma turned to look at him. "What are you doing?"
"You took my spot, so I'm charging you," Matthew replied, sitting cross-legged beside her.
Emma buried her face in the pillow, her voice muffled. "I didn't bring any money."
"Don't worry." Matthew twisted a lock of her hair around his finger. "I don't want money."
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