At the Berlin Film Festival venue, the atmosphere was lively and glamorous, filled with flashing cameras, film posters, and clusters of celebrities moving from one screening hall to another.
Amid the bustling crowd, Zhao Benshan vaguely heard someone calling his name.
He turned instinctively and quickly spotted Luo Zheng's group not far away.
They were difficult to miss.
Compared to his own group, theirs looked even more eye-catching. Aside from three Asian faces, the rest were all Americans, and the center of attention among them was an extraordinarily handsome young man.
Even from a distance, his presence stood out.
The confidence in his posture, the calm in his expression, and the way everyone around him naturally followed his lead made it obvious that this young man's identity was anything but ordinary.
Still, Zhao Benshan had no intention of walking over.
Their eyes met briefly across the crowd.
He simply smiled and gave a polite nod.
Luo Zheng returned the gesture with the same calm smile.
Nearby, Feng Xiaogang and the others also turned to look.
After a quick glance, they didn't think much of it.
People like this were not rare in their circle.
Young masters from wealthy families, second-generation heirs, sons of powerful businessmen — they had seen plenty.
Just as Luo Zheng was about to turn and leave, a soft and elegant voice sounded from beside him.
"Excuse me… are you Mr. William, the Chairman of Marvel?"
Luo Zheng turned his head.
The moment he saw the woman, a faint smile appeared in his eyes.
Another familiar face.
Slightly curly long hair rested on her shoulders, and she wore a dark V-neck suit dress that perfectly outlined her mature and graceful figure. The neckline revealed a generous amount of fair skin, paired with a naturally confident and seductive aura.
She carried herself like a woman who knew exactly how attractive she was.
It was Xu Jinglei.
Luo Zheng smiled faintly.
"As fellow people from Huaxia, my name is Luo Zheng. And how should I address this beautiful lady?"
The woman smiled brightly and stepped closer on her high heels.
"Xu Jinglei. It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Luo."
The two shook hands openly.
Her fingers lingered slightly longer than necessary.
Xu Jinglei herself had not expected to run into such an interesting person here.
She had recently been staying in New York and had already seen the newspaper reports about Marvel's young Chinese chairman.
At the time, she had only been mildly curious.
But now, seeing him in person, she realized the newspapers had not done him justice.
He was younger.
More handsome.
And far more composed.
That kind of temperament was not something ordinary wealthy heirs possessed.
Nearby, Liu Xixi quietly looked at Xu Jinglei, then glanced at her mother beside her, and secretly concluded that her own mother still had the superior aura.
This thought made her feel oddly satisfied.
Luo Zheng smiled.
"I wonder how Miss Xu recognized me?"
Xu Jinglei's smile deepened.
"You don't need to be so formal. Just call me Jinglei."
"I was staying in New York recently, so I happened to read the reports about you."
Her tone was casual, but the intention was clear.
She had come here specifically to make contact.
The conversation quickly attracted the attention of Feng Xiaogang and his group.
Although they did not know Luo Zheng, Xu Jinglei was an old acquaintance.
Naturally, curiosity brought them over.
Feng Xiaogang was the first to approach, smiling as if they were all old friends.
"Jinglei, I didn't know this gentleman was your friend. We came over to say hello."
His words immediately established familiarity.
Xu Jinglei quickly corrected him.
"You misunderstood. I only just met Mr. Luo as well."
Then she deliberately added,
"I had previously seen news about Mr. Luo in the New York Times, so I came over to introduce myself."
The moment those words were spoken, the expressions of everyone present changed.
New York Times.
That name alone carried enough weight.
Someone who could appear there was either wealthy or powerful.
And judging from the atmosphere around Luo Zheng, this was clearly no ordinary rich heir.
Feng Xiaogang's smile instantly became even warmer.
"Mr. Luo, my apologies. I was being presumptuous."
Luo Zheng smiled and shook his hand.
"It's fine. We're all from Huaxia. Director Feng, I've heard of your reputation."
The introduction continued smoothly.
Feng Xiaogang.
Zhang Yimou.
Zhao Benshan.
Ge You.
Rosamund Kwan.
Dong Jie.
One after another, they exchanged greetings.
When it was Dong Jie's turn, Luo Zheng noticed something interesting.
As their palms met, her fingertips lightly brushed against his.
A deliberate touch.
So subtle that no one else would notice.
A small gesture, but enough to reveal ambition.
Luo Zheng smiled inwardly.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Xu Jinglei, however, was faster in controlling the conversation.
With a faint smile, she said, "Mr. Luo is too modest. A company valued at two to three hundred million dollars can hardly be called small."
The moment those words came out, the atmosphere shifted again.
Even Feng Xiaogang and the others were visibly shocked.
Two to three hundred million US dollars.
Converted into domestic currency, that was already a massive figure.
Even among top domestic enterprises, it was no small amount.
Luo Zheng only smiled calmly.
"The company's foundation was built by the previous generation. I'm merely inheriting it."
No one believed such modesty.
Instead, the respect in their eyes deepened.
Soon, Liu Xiaoli and Liu Xixi were naturally drawn into the conversation.
Once it was known that the two women beside Luo Zheng were his aunt and younger cousin, Xu Jinglei and Dong Jie both became much warmer toward them.
Especially Xu Jinglei.
Her social instincts were exceptional.
She knew very well that winning favor with the family often mattered just as much as pleasing the man himself.
Before long, it was time for the screening of Big Shot's Funeral.
Feng Xiaogang personally led everyone into the screening room.
Kevin and Jon, who had been following behind, suddenly seemed to have turned into bodyguards.
They could only exchange helpless looks and sit in the back.
Inside the theater, Luo Zheng and the Liu mother-daughter pair were seated prominently in the front.
As the lights dimmed, Liu Xiaoli quietly glanced sideways at Luo Zheng.
Her emotions were extremely complicated.
She had never imagined that this once unreliable nephew would one day receive this level of treatment.
Feng Xiaogang.
Zhang Yimou.
Zhao Benshan.
Every single one of them was a major name in China.
And yet today, they were all showing Luo Zheng exceptional courtesy.
Was it really just because he owned an American listed company?
Even if the company was worth three hundred million dollars, it wasn't cash in hand.
Moreover, it was only a comic company.
The confusion in Liu Xiaoli's heart only deepened.
After the screening ended, Feng Xiaogang took the cast on stage for thanks and interviews.
Before concluding, he unexpectedly mentioned Luo Zheng by name in front of everyone, openly expressing his pleasure at meeting such a distinguished new friend.
Naturally, Luo Zheng stood and acknowledged the gesture with a polite wave.
Afterward, Feng Xiaogang left to negotiate distribution rights with film distributors.
Zhang Yimou and Zhao Benshan also left early to prepare for the next day's screening.
Soon, only Xu Jinglei and Dong Jie remained beside Luo Zheng.
The atmosphere subtly changed.
Xu Jinglei was the first to speak.
"Miss Dong, Director Zhang and Teacher Zhao are busy with tomorrow's screening. As the female lead, shouldn't you be helping?"
Her voice was calm, but the hidden meaning was sharp.
Dong Jie smiled softly, looking entirely innocent.
"Sister Jinglei is overthinking. Director Zhang specifically asked me to stay and accompany Mr. Luo around the festival."
The response was elegant.
Polite on the surface.
Yet clearly a counterattack.
Liu Xiaoli immediately frowned and instinctively pulled Liu Xixi a few steps back, worried her daughter might absorb bad influences from these women.
Little did she know, Liu Xixi was already far too familiar with this kind of situation.
She had seen far worse in Luo Zheng's past romantic chaos.
Hair pulling.
Clothes tearing.
Full-scale fights.
Compared to that, this was practically refined warfare.
Xu Jinglei's expression stiffened for a brief moment, but she quickly regained control.
Turning away from Dong Jie, she looked directly at Luo Zheng.
"Mr. Luo, do you have time tonight? I know a very good German restaurant. I'd love to invite you."
Dong Jie instantly grew anxious.
This was clearly an invitation that went far beyond dinner.
She hesitated.
She wanted to compete.
But Xu Jinglei's influence in the Beijing circle was not something she could easily offend.
Luo Zheng looked at both women and smiled calmly.
He was in no rush.
Good things should be handled slowly.
One step at a time.
One person at a time.
Then he nodded.
"Alright."
"At six in the evening, I'll have a driver pick you up at the hotel."
The moment those words were spoken, Xu Jinglei's lips curved into a victorious smile.
She stepped closer and gave Luo Zheng a polite embrace.
Her breath brushed lightly against his ear as she whispered in a low, slightly husky voice,
"Then… don't keep me waiting."