May 9, 2002, New York, Taylor's Music Studio.
"The script is almost ready. Remember to save your time for me next week," Taylor Swift ( "Tay-Tay" ) said to Luke, who was sitting on the sofa.
"Sounds good. After this music video airs, you're going to blow up," Luke replied with a smile.
"Because of my song? Or am I just riding on your popularity?"
"A little bit of both. To truly explode, you need every element to work. But your songs are the main thing; I'm just giving it a push."
Luke, of course, knew that in his past life, hits like "Love Story" and "You Belong With Me" had become so famous they were practically inescapable—everyone had heard them. With his added popularity in this life, Taylor would surely rocket to a much higher level of fame than before.
"So, will I be able to make the cover of Time magazine, too, just like you?" Taylor asked, handing him the latest issue of Time.
"It's possible. About an eighty percent chance," Luke replied, taking the magazine.
The magazine in Luke's hand was the current week's issue of Time, featuring two images of him on the cover:
One showed him in a football jersey, clutching his helmet, with an expression of confident dominance that suggested any challenger would be crushed beneath his feet.
The other showed him as Will Turner in his period costume, sword extended in a mighty thrust, exuding an unstoppable, commanding presence.
Though the clothing was different, the essence they projected was identical: powerful, dominant, and fearless.
"This issue's sales went up sixty percent because you're on the cover," Taylor said, smiling.
"I don't mind if that encourages them to put me on the cover a few more times," Luke responded.
"You're already the Asian artist who's appeared on the cover of Time the most."
"This is only the second time. Mr. Iger says I might be selected as Time's Person of the Year for 2002," Luke replied with a smile, confirming that was his true goal.
"If that actually happens, you'll genuinely become an enormously influential public figure!" Taylor was thrilled for Luke.
### The Significance of the Time Cover
Time magazine, one of the three major newsweeklies in North America, has broad content, reports on major international events, and is seen as a reflection of American and European global influence. Even today, if a Asian person makes the cover of Time, domestic media still hype it up, seeing it as a sign of great international recognition and influence.
Time has different regional editions, including North American, Asian, and European. The North American edition is considered the most prestigious. Being on the Asian edition is often seen as an internal, self-congratulatory honor, and most claims of being on the cover nowadays refer to the Asian edition.
Before the 1990s, the only Asian people to appear on the cover of the North American Time were political figures, sometimes in a negative or distorted light. The first Asian-language artist to grace the cover of the North American Time was Gong Li (January 29, 1996), followed by Faye Wong (October 28, 1996). Then, Chow Yun-Fat and Michelle Yeoh made the cover due to the huge success of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (July 10, 2000).
Now, in just two months, Luke had made the cover of the North American Time twice. The first time was for the hit run of Hero, where he shared the cover with Jet Li. The second was for the combination of the football incident and the massive popularity of Pirates of the Caribbean.
At just 20 years old, Luke had become the Asian celebrity with the most appearances on the cover of the North American Time magazine.
"Want to hear how the mainstream media is praising you lately?" Taylor sat down in front of the computer, smiling.
"Please don't, please don't read it out loud. It's too embarrassing," Luke said. Even when he read the reviews himself, he felt so awkward he could practically dig a three-bedroom apartment with his toes. Having Taylor read it to his face would be unbearable.
Seizing a rare chance to see Luke squirm, Taylor refused to back down and began reading aloud:
> "Last week, after watching Hero, I was lamenting that I might never see a more exciting action film in my lifetime, but Luke immediately showed me that the entirely non-inferior Pirates of the Caribbean exists."
"That's a quote from an LA Times special commentator. What's your reaction to being praised like that?" Taylor asked, teasing him.
"I like that they're so easily impressed. In a little while, I'll hit them with something even more exciting to make their jaws drop," Luke replied. He never believed in "humility" when talking to people he was close to.
> "If it weren't for the fighting on the mast, I think Pirates of the Caribbean would be an 8.1 at best. But now, I think it fully deserves an 8.4. This is a great movie."
"That's the hottest thread on IMDb. What do you think about Pirates of the Caribbean getting that super high score of 8.4?" Taylor pressed.
"I think it's spot-on. I agree, and I accept the score without any guilt," Luke said.
It truly was spot-on, because without Luke's involvement, the score for Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl was indeed 8.1. With the added excitement and risk of his performance, the film was now tied with Hero at a superb 8.4, which was entirely deserved. This score made it a timeless classic, likely ranking around the top 50 films of all time, adding yet another film to Luke's list of IMDb Top 250 movies.
Realizing that reading the comments wasn't embarrassing Luke but just fueling his ego, Taylor stopped reading.
Instead, she asked with a smile, "I hear people in your country really value these Western honors. Are you a superstar in Asian now?"
Luke nodded. "By the time the first-week box office results and final projections for Pirates of the Caribbean come out the day after tomorrow, I should be."
"Superstar? How 'super' are we talking?"
"In Asian, I'll be sitting comfortably at number two, aiming for number one."
Luke made this claim without any arrogance. If you looked only at his current international influence and box office pull, he had already surpassed Jackie Chan to become the undisputed number one Asian star. However, considering Jackie Chan's decades of influence and entrenched industry status, which is hard to overturn lightly, Luke felt it was fair to claim the spot as the top star after Jackie Chan for the time being.
"You look so pleased. Does having influence back home matter a lot to you?" Taylor, being American, couldn't quite understand why Luke placed such high importance on Asian influence, especially since the country's total annual box office was less than a single Hollywood blockbuster.
"Having that influence makes it easier for me to get certain things done."
A grand plan was unfolding in Luke's mind, a vision he was preparing to execute and ultimately bring to fruition.