The richest actor in Hollywood.

At the first light of dawn at Warner Bros. Studios, Phyllis Beretta arrived. As it was still early, there were no reporters or other fans at the entrance. She easily found a prominent spot, then took off her worn, large backpack and pulled out a series of everyday equipment she always carried with her.

Sunlight shone on her dark skin. As an ordinary black girl from Queens, Phyllis Beretta didn't stand out much.

Before the paparazzi and other fans arrived, she set up her equipment.

She opened a simple folding stand and hung a somewhat old fabric poster on it. The poster featured a young man with a sunny smile—tall, strong, handsome, and charming.

"So good-looking."

Phyllis Beretta glanced at the poster, then unfurled a smaller one she was holding. The words on it were equally eye-catching: "Phyllis Beretta Forever Supports Matthew Horner!"

The sun gradually rose higher, and paparazzi and entertainment reporters began to gather at the entrance of Warner Bros. Studios. It wasn't a secret that Matthew Horner's new film was being shot here, and staying here would surely yield some good entertainment news.

Like this black female fan of Matthew Horner who had been camping out at Warner Bros. Studios recently.

Several entertainment reporters, upon seeing Phyllis Beretta, immediately started taking photos. Phyllis Beretta held up her poster, her expression serious and determined, much like a scientist meticulously conducting an experiment, treating her fan activities with utmost seriousness.

The reporters flocked over to take pictures. As seasoned entertainment reporters, they knew that the entertainment industry never lacked crazy fans, especially in recent years. The term "groupie" was long outdated.

Phyllis Beretta enjoyed the attention from the media. Occasionally appearing in reports related to Matthew always excited her.

At only twenty-two, she considered herself Matthew Horner's most devoted fan. By the fan community's unwritten classification, she was a "crazy frontline fan," meaning she went to various sites to follow her idol in person.

Since graduating high school, Phyllis Beretta had been a frontline fan for three years. Whenever Matthew had promotional events, she would travel long distances to be there, camera in hand, capturing his every move.

Last year, for example, she traveled to more than ten cities, including New York, Los Angeles, Houston, Seattle, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Toronto, following Matthew's promotional tours for "Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest" and "300 Spartans."

She even flew to Sydney for the Australian premiere of "300 Spartans," all to support her idol.

As a passionate frontline fan, Phyllis Beretta gathered a lot of information about Matthew and shared it with other devoted fans, quickly tracking down his flight schedules, hotels, and more.

Often, if Matthew was traveling, she would book the same flight—a practice known as "following the plane."

Sometimes she would spend hundreds of dollars on information about Matthew's whereabouts, though she always felt it was worth it, despite her constant financial strain.

Once, by sheer luck, a problem with first class had Matthew seated in the regular cabin, just a row away from her. Phyllis Beretta was so ecstatic she almost fainted, feeling happier than winning a five-million-dollar lottery.

As the sun climbed higher, nearing 8 AM, more fans and reporters gathered at the studio entrance. Phyllis Beretta spotted other frontline fans and exchanged discreet greetings with them.

They were all hardcore Matthew fans and knew each other well.

At Warner Bros. Studios entrance, a dozen Matthew fans showcased their presence in various ways, creating a unique sight.

The star had yet to arrive, and the entertainment reporters were happy to photograph the fans.

Phyllis Beretta's dark skin couldn't hide her excitement, even though she had faced many difficulties in recent years.

The road to fandom was long, and her biggest headache was the expenses.

Over the years, she had spent tens of thousands of dollars on plane tickets alone.

From a modest background in Queens, New York, she scraped together the money from her job earnings.

However, she had long since developed frugal habits, sometimes squeezing into a tiny room with three companions or surviving on just one piece of bread a day while following Matthew's outdoor shoots.

Every time Matthew had an event, she made sure to be there.

Years of following had its hardships. Not all security guards were professional. A few years ago, in the Dominican Republic, she hid in the bushes for four to five hours to avoid local security guards' patrols, getting bitten by bugs. To get a better angle, she once climbed a six-foot fence, accidentally dropping and breaking her thousand-dollar camera. In the Dominican Republic, a companion almost fell off a cliff while trying to get a shot of Matthew filming in the mountains.

As a frontline fan, she posted her photos on the dedicated Matthew fan support site. High-quality photos would be processed into albums for other fans to enjoy.

Despite the hardships, Phyllis Beretta always felt it was worth it. Their efforts meant more attention for Matthew, potentially attracting new fans and increasing his popularity, making media and brands notice his value.

"Hi, Phyllis." Someone greeted her, "Can I borrow some space?"

Phyllis Beretta turned and, slightly surprised, asked, "Kristen, what brings you here?"

She moved aside to make room for Kristen.

Kristen took out a poster with "Matthew Horner" written on it from her backpack and held it high above her head. She explained, "It gets too stuffy staring at the computer screen all the time, so I came out for some fresh air."

Although both were die-hard Matthew fans, Kristen wasn't a frontline fan like Phyllis but rather a screen fan.

Kristen was one of the many screen fans in Matthew's fan support site, showing their support mainly through the internet and social media, boosting his online presence and popularity.

In the support site, there was a special section for any vote-related rankings involving Matthew. They would actively respond, voting like crazy, even for the smallest gossip site's most trivial poll, aiming to put Matthew at the top.

Kristen's group far outnumbered Phyllis Beretta's frontline fans, sometimes reaching tens of thousands, all voluntarily participating for Matthew's sake.

Once, using a special loophole, Kristen alone cast over a thousand votes for Matthew in a ranking.

The support site had dedicated tech experts who updated Matthew's online metrics every two hours, detailing the rise and fall of his rankings. For major topics like a new film or project, they had daily summaries at midnight, and the dedication of the data team moved her: she was never fighting alone.

Of course, she had heard rumors that Matthew's agency might be behind the support site, but she didn't mind.

The support site was filled with talented individuals from various fields and backgrounds, self-organizing based on their skills, all for one purpose: everything for Matthew.

For fans, as long as it helped their idol, whether voting, booking theaters, or supporting in person, it was all considered a rational choice.

While fans and reporters waited, Matthew's car drove into Burbank.

"Today, you'll get off at the Warner Bros. Studios entrance."

In the passenger seat, Bella Anderson reminded Matthew in the back, "The support site got word that many fans will be waiting for you at the studio gate. Don't forget to interact with them."

Matthew, reading today's script, replied without looking up, "I remember."

Both Bella Anderson and Helen and the Angel Agency had never relaxed their fan coordination efforts. Besides professional fans like Brian Lister, they also established a fan support site to better harness fan power.

For any commercial star, fans were always an indispensable part.

Matthew's fan support site was highly professional, with nine departments: Film, Review, Copywriting, Publicity, Video, Frontline, Art, Drawing, and Ranking, each staffed by highly skilled individuals.

Just as a film's reputation could be marketed, so could fans.

Matthew understood that with the rapid development of the internet and social media, traditional celebrity economics were changing. He was adapting to these changes.

Unlike most stars, he had a great attitude and valued fan interaction. To avoid unnecessary issues, he often reminded his staff to never treat fans harshly unless there was a clear threat.

Many negative reports about stars being difficult or other issues often stemmed not from the stars themselves but from their staff.

The Mercedes stopped at Warner Bros. Studios, and as soon as Matthew got out of the car, he was surrounded.

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