The richest actor in Hollywood.

In the barren wilderness near the US-Mexico border, a long convoy set up camp near the border wall. One by one, wildly styled cars rolled off freight trailers as the crew began their hectic setup. A small team moved to a nearby hillside, where a Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG and a Dodge Challenger were positioned facing the wall, ready for filming. 

Matthew and Paul Walker approached and stood in front of their respective cars.

The crew quickly set up the scene, and once the cameras were in place, director Justin Lin first gave instructions to Gal Gadot, who had just arrived on a motorcycle, and then came over to Matthew and Paul Walker.

"Matthew, Paul, keep the atmosphere lively!" Justin Lin emphasized. "And Matthew, don't forget to kiss Gadot at the end."

"I know," Matthew replied.

Paul Walker nodded slightly to Justin Lin.

Justin Lin returned to his director's position. With a signal, the filming began.

Matthew sat on the hood of the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, silently gazing at Mexico beyond the border wall. In the distance, he could faintly see a town. Paul Walker picked up a stone from the ground and threw it forcefully towards the wall.

"This wall has never stopped drugs or illegal immigrants," Paul Walker suddenly said.

The roar of a motorcycle came from the hill below. A rider in a black bodysuit and helmet rode up the road and stopped opposite the Mercedes. The rider propped up the motorcycle, took off the helmet, and revealed Gal Gadot's sharp features.

Matthew immediately walked over, standing close to Gal Gadot. She smiled as she tidied her wind-blown hair, her eyes fixed on Matthew.

"I thought you wouldn't show up," Matthew said.

"You saved my life," Gal Gadot's hair fluttered in the wind. "I wanted to return the favor."

With her hands in her pockets, accentuating her slender waist and long legs, she said, "I'll help you find Braga."

She pulled a piece of paper from her pocket and handed it to Matthew. He took it, glanced at it, and calmly said, "Thank you."

Gal Gadot suddenly grabbed his arm and warned, "Sean, going there is suicide!"

Matthew's expression remained unchanged. "I have no choice."

He turned to leave.

But Gal Gadot's grip didn't loosen. "I know you meant me that day. I just didn't want to admit I was attracted to you."

She stepped closer, placing her hands on Matthew's muscular chest, seemingly reluctant to part.

Without hesitation, Matthew followed the script, pulling Gal Gadot into a passionate kiss.

They kissed intensely.

Gal Gadot pulled away first, staring into his eyes. "Come back alive. I'll be waiting for you. You have to come back alive."

With that, she turned and left, mounting her motorcycle, putting on her helmet, and riding away without looking back.

Paul Walker, arms crossed, delivered his line, "Just a suggestion, if we make it back alive, settle down and don't let this girl down."

Matthew watched the departing motorcycle and said, "This is just the beginning."

"Okay!" Justin Lin called out. "That's a wrap for this scene. Let's move to the back of the hill!"

The crew quickly started packing up their equipment. Matthew returned to the Mercedes, opening the door to get in, and noticed Paul Walker laughing uncontrollably.

"Paul..." Matthew called out. "Is it that funny?"

Paul Walker stifled his laughter but burst out again when questioned.

"Haha... haha..."

Matthew pointed at him. "What's so funny?"

Paul Walker, catching his breath, said, "Don't you think the lines are spot on for you?"

Matthew shrugged, "They were tailor-made for me."

The script's lines were discussed and approved by him in advance.

As he often stated, he didn't mind how people viewed his personal life. If needed, it could be turned into an interesting scene in the movie.

The crew worked efficiently, packing up cameras and lighting equipment, and began to leave.

Director Justin Lin reminded them before getting into his car, "You two head back to the camp!" Then he instructed his assistant, "Let's go first."

Soon, Matthew and Paul Walker also left the hill, following Justin Lin's car. They didn't return to camp immediately but observed the filming at the back of the hill.

This scene didn't involve them but featured Gal Gadot and Daniel Wu.

Filming continued until noon before the group returned to the convoy. The crew would camp here for the next period, filming the movie's climax scenes, including chases, fights, and shootouts.

Naturally, Matthew and the others wouldn't perform the actual stunts. Like before, they would sit in the cars and shoot scenes simulating driving. The action scenes would be achieved through editing later.

Before coming here, Gal Gadot wanted to personally participate in scenes involving motorcycle combat with drug dealers, but Matthew vetoed it. If any main actor got injured, it would significantly delay the crew's progress.

For over a week, collisions, car chases, gunfights, and crashes became the norm on set. Cars were constantly being wrecked and towed away.

Fortunately, cars in North America were relatively cheap. With a budget of a few million dollars, they could easily afford to destroy dozens of vehicles.

The biggest single expense for the crew was actually Matthew's salary. As a top box office star, Matthew didn't waive his fee despite having a significant investment in the film. Everything was done according to industry norms.

His base salary was $20 million, plus 5% of the global box office revenue.

No one, including David Ellison, could argue against this, as everyone knew this was Matthew's standard fee.

In comparison, other actors earned significantly less. Paul Walker, who had earned $8.5 million for "Into the Blue," saw his pay drop due to its poor box office performance. This time, he earned $6 million, partly due to the sequel effect.

Jordana Brewster had barely any recent work, and her roles were minor. After marrying producer Andrew Form last year, she stopped working, making her a minor star at best. Her pay for this film was $1 million.

As for the other key roles, Gal Gadot was paid $100,000, and Daniel Wu $200,000. The pay gap was partly due to experience and partly gender-based.

Strictly speaking, Gal Gadot had more screen time than Daniel Wu, but Hollywood's gender pay gap was a harsh reality.

The crew's payroll was kept healthy, with salaries strictly controlled within 30% of the budget, a relatively low ratio for Hollywood.

Matthew would never allow a situation where actor salaries exceeded half of the film's investment, as it would impact the film's quality. High-budget films needed corresponding production investments to ensure a polished final product.

Overall, "Fast & Furious 4" had no major financial issues. The crew could secure new sponsorships and investments as needed.

Before the crew headed to the US-Mexico border, a Japanese car company approached them, drawn by Matthew's fame, offering sponsored vehicles, especially for Brian O'Conner's car.

However, Matthew instructed bearded Jack to decline. The crew neither needed more cars nor more money at this stage. Adding a new sponsor could disrupt the filming schedule, as director Justin Lin and the stunt team had already selected vehicles and designed scenes.

Additionally, Matthew was somewhat averse to the Subaru brand. The sponsorship would bring limited benefits, making refusal the best choice.

Filming at the US-Mexico border progressed smoothly, thanks to Justin Lin's thorough preparation. Learning from "Tokyo Drift's" failure, Lin focused on emphasizing speed and passion.

All action scenes were shot in cars, particularly during chases.

Matthew witnessed the prowess of Hollywood stunt drivers, whose skills made the wild and classic chase scenes possible. Unfortunately, these professionals were often marginalized in Hollywood.

After two weeks of filming, the scenes here were nearing completion. Despite the smooth progress, the crew faced some challenges. This desolate part of the US-Mexico border was frequented by drug dealers and illegal immigrants.

Fortunately, the crew had ample security patrolling 24/7. Those individuals knew better than to provoke such a large crew.

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