The Future New Member of the USC School of Cinematic Arts

"Now, let us offer our warmest applause to congratulate Miss Irene Coppola on her successful graduation! May her future be more dazzling than the California sun and more brilliant than the starlight of Hollywood! Applause!"

Thunderous applause erupted from the audience, nearly lifting the roof off the auditorium.

Standing on the podium at the graduation ceremony, Irene took a gentle breath. Her gaze swept across the audience, where her family and friends were looking at her with smiles.

Even her sister Sophia, who was currently preparing for her first feature film, had specifically pushed aside her work to come; they were all there to witness this significant moment with her.

Seventeen years ago, Irene had arrived in Los Angeles from the other side of the Pacific. But her story had actually begun much earlier—or rather, it had begun in another life.

At that time, she had just finished the college entrance exams and thought she was finally about to take the steering wheel of her own life, only to be unexpectedly knocked off track by a car accident.

Before she could even check her exam results, she received the notice of amputation. Even though her scores were high enough to make 90% of the country's candidates envious, it no longer mattered; her life was henceforth confined to a hospital bed.

Her parents poured all their compensation money into her treatment. At first, they would accompany her to search for prosthetics and imagine the future: "Once you get it fitted, we'll still go to a top university; your life won't be any worse!"

But when the doctor diagnosed her with lower-body nerve necrosis, making even prosthetics unusable, everything changed. Her parents went from visiting daily to every three days, then to once a month...

Later, she learned from a nurse that her mother was pregnant.

She didn't blame them; what parents could bear the thought of a daughter they had raised for over a decade suddenly falling into an abyss just as she was about to touch the sky? Fortunately, the compensation was enough that she didn't have to become a burden to the family.

After her younger sister was born, her parents almost completely disappeared from her hospital room. Every day, she was accompanied only by caregivers and an endless stream of movies, television shows, and novels.

Lying in her hospital bed, she often wondered: What would she be like in her next life? She hadn't done any great deeds; could she be born into a good family?

As it turned out, the moment she opened her eyes, she had truly become an infant.

God was probably fair.

Seeing that her previous life had been forcibly ended just as it began, this life came with a "deluxe package": complete memories of her past life, plus an "Intracranial Cinema" that allowed her to infinitely replay any movie she had ever watched.

Now, her life truly had "infinite possibilities."

At first, she thought she had simply been reborn into an ordinary Western family. But the "familiar names" that frequently appeared in the household gradually made her realize: this family was not simple.

It wasn't until her first birthday that her father said: "You have a godfather, his name is George Lucas."

She then realized with a start: Coppola? So it was that Coppola! The great Hollywood director Francis Ford Coppola, the creator of The Godfather!

Unfortunately, carrying the memories of her past life, she really couldn't distinguish the facial features of Westerners. During the time she was learning to speak, she often confused her biological father with her godfather—who told them to both wear such thick beards?

Her family gradually discovered: Irene seemed to have a bit of face blindness.

She couldn't explain that "actually, I just haven't adapted to foreign faces yet," so she had to take the blame.

But mistaking the person actually made her godfather George dote on her even more. Thanks to the affection of the two great directors, she was exposed to the core circle of Hollywood earlier than her sister Sophia. The filming of The Godfather Part III was completed almost under her "supervision."

She accompanied her father Francis through the entire awards season, seeing enough of the vanity and illusion of the Hollywood scene, which only made her more determined in her own path.

"Your application has already been submitted to USC; there's absolutely no problem with your admission. But I have filming in the second half of the year, so I'm afraid I won't be able to accompany you to registration."

George Lucas, who had just defeated Francis in a game of Tetris, proudly won the right to go on stage to present flowers and take a photo, "But as an honorary alumnus, I welcome you in advance!"

"Thank you for coming today, George. But honestly, you could have skipped today's graduation, but you must be present for the one at USC." Irene smiled and hugged him tightly.

"Opportunities like this don't come often; someone is so jealous their eyes are red." George glanced toward a spot in the audience.

Because Irene often confused her godfather and her biological father when she was a child, these two "fathers" had been secretly competing at every important occasion since: graduation photos, parent-teacher meetings, and even her elementary school classmates once thought her surname was Lucas.

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"Fine, whatever makes you happy." Irene was already used to the competition between these two "old boys."

They stood on the stage for a full three minutes, allowing everyone to take their fill of photos, before finally returning the stage to the students waiting behind them.

After the ceremony ended, Irene returned to the estate in Napa Valley with her family.

The Coppola family was a true film dynasty. Aside from the famous Francis, almost everyone in the family held a place in Hollywood.

They gathered regularly to exchange industry trends, ensuring they always stood at the crest of the wave, and today, they took the opportunity of Irene's graduation to gather together.

On the wide backyard lawn, Japanese lanterns cast a gentle light. A jazz trio played softly in the corner.

The long table was covered with a linen tablecloth and filled with exquisite appetizers, roasted lamb chops, and a graduation-themed cake. The men wore polo shirts or casual suits, and the women wore elegant dresses.

The air was filled with the scent of cigars, high-end perfume, and freshly cut grass.

Irene opened her graduation gown, revealing the dress underneath. A classic Tiffany starfish brooch was pinned to her left chest, sparkling brightly.

She held a cup of black tea, standing calmly among her relatives and friends, accepting round after round of congratulations.

"Irene, what major are you planning to study in college?"

"I thought the whole world knew; I have to go to the directing department."

"No way? Hasn't George always wanted you to play his leading lady? I thought you would turn to acting! After all, this face of yours is more striking than many current female stars."

"Give it a rest, that's just your family filter. My acting skills? Compared to Miss Portman, I'm far behind."

"I don't agree; you have always been my first choice." George Lucas joined the conversation with a wine glass in hand.

When he was preparing the Star Wars Prequel, he was determined to have Irene play Queen Amidala, and even the investors had nodded in agreement, but Irene herself had refused.

"George, I don't want to ruin your movie. The investors and fans would hunt me down." She smiled bitterly.

In the Coppola family, the only one who could be called "good at acting" was probably her cousin Nicolas Cage. The others? They were all disasters.

George, however, did not give up: "That's basically a vase role; it doesn't require much acting!"

"George, you know, I've always wanted to be a director like you and Father. My dream is to stand behind the monitor, not in front of the lens."

"Not even if I'm the director? I know your goals, but this really is a great opportunity. Even if you only act in this one, it's enough to make you famous across Hollywood overnight. Sometimes, directors also need fame to convince investors, don't they?"

He had reason to be confident; the status of being the female lead in Star Wars was enough to drive any young actress crazy.

"George, I admit I was tempted... but since Miss Portman has already been with the production for so long, let's just turn the page, okay?"

She didn't regret it, but she occasionally wondered: if not for the confidence brought to her by the Intracranial Cinema, would she have made a different choice?

Just then, Francis tapped his wine glass, his loud and proud voice echoing through the courtyard:

"Everyone, please raise your glasses to our dearest Irene! May your future be as you wish—vast, brilliant, and full of surprises! But don't forget, this family will always be your backing. Cheers to Irene!"

"Cheers to Irene! Congratulations!"

Irene looked around at the familiar faces; they represented power, heritage, and expectation. She felt pride, but also the weight of a future that was almost destined to be bright, yet clearly defined.

Her smile remained radiant, but it carried a sense of composure and clarity beyond her years.

"Thank you all," her voice was clear and confident, "without you, there would be no me today. I will work hard to become your pride."

After saying this, she smiled and walked back to her seat.