Under Luo Zheng's careful guidance, the conversation gradually shifted toward film investment.
This was not an accidental topic.
In fact, it touched directly on one of Andy Lau's current pain points.
Earlier this year, because of disagreements in business philosophy with his partners, he had been pushed out of the very company he had founded himself—
Teamwork.
It was an irony bitter enough to leave anyone speechless.
And the reason behind it was simple.
His previous film investments had failed.
He had lost money.
A lot of it.
Otherwise, there was no way someone like Andy Lau would currently be struggling to gather funds for a project he genuinely believed in.
Luo Zheng leaned back slightly and smiled.
"Brother Wah, do you happen to have any promising projects recently?"
Andy Lau paused for a moment.
Then he nodded.
"There actually is one."
His expression turned more serious.
"But let me make a call first."
"Please," Luo Zheng said calmly, though inwardly his heartbeat had already quickened.
Andy Lau stood up and walked toward a quieter corner of the VIP lounge, taking out his phone.
The call connected quickly.
"Zhaohui, how are the talks with Media Asia going regarding the investment for that film?"
The voice on the other side sounded frustrated.
"Brother Wah, don't even mention it. We agreed on thirty million, but yesterday they suddenly changed their mind. Now they're only willing to give twenty at most."
Andy Lau frowned.
"But don't worry," the other side continued quickly, "Brother Qiang and I are still talking with them. We should be able to squeeze out a little more."
Andy Lau was silent for a second.
Then his gaze shifted slightly toward Luo Zheng.
"Hold on for now."
He lowered his voice.
"I have a major investor here who's very interested in film projects. Don't rush to finalize anything yet. Wait for my news."
The person on the other end immediately agreed.
After hanging up, Andy Lau loosened his tie slightly before returning.
Luo Zheng looked up with an interested expression.
"Well?"
Andy Lau smiled.
"There's a crime film project."
He sat down and continued.
"The budget is roughly twenty-five million, and the story revolves around an undercover policeman and a mole inside the police force…"
As Andy Lau began narrating the outline, Luo Zheng listened carefully.
But inside—
his heart had already burst into fireworks.
Just as he suspected.
It really was Infernal Affairs.
One of the most iconic crime films in Hong Kong cinema.
A film that would later become legendary.
And now—
it hadn't even secured its investment yet.
This was practically picking up gold from the street.
Luo Zheng suppressed the excitement in his eyes and listened until Andy Lau finished.
Then he spoke calmly.
"Brother Wah, I'll invest thirty million."
Andy Lau froze.
For a moment, he thought he had misheard.
"…Thirty million?"
Luo Zheng nodded.
"Not only that."
He placed his teacup down gently.
"I want the costumes, props, makeup, and overall production quality upgraded on the existing basis."
"Any additional salary requirements for the main cast or crew can be discussed separately."
This time, even Rosamund Kwan, sitting nearby, widened her eyes in visible surprise.
Her lips parted slightly.
This was the first time she had ever seen someone increase the budget beyond what was requested.
Normally investors cut.
They bargain.
They lower expectations.
But Luo Zheng had done the exact opposite.
Twenty-five million requested.
Thirty million offered.
What kind of move was this?
Only one answer came to mind.
Rich and fearless.
Andy Lau looked at him for a long moment.
"Brother Luo…"
Even he was momentarily speechless.
If Luo Zheng had offered twenty million, it would have already solved a major problem.
But thirty?
And still talking about improving production?
That level of financial confidence was genuinely shocking.
"If thirty million isn't enough," Luo Zheng continued lightly, "we can still discuss additional support."
"No, no—"
Andy Lau immediately waved his hands.
"That's more than enough."
He could not help but laugh helplessly.
This American-dollar boss truly lived up to his reputation.
Beside them, Liu Xiaoli and Xixi had already gotten used to scenes like this.
Xixi was happily chatting while nibbling on snacks.
Liu Xiaoli, meanwhile, exchanged polite conversation with Rosamund Kwan, keeping the atmosphere warm.
The conversation between Luo Zheng and Andy Lau soon entered a deeper stage.
Andy Lau sighed softly.
"To be honest, this film originally already had an investor lined up for thirty million."
Luo Zheng raised an eyebrow.
"Oh?"
"But yesterday they suddenly changed their mind."
His expression darkened slightly.
"They were only willing to give twenty."
"If you hadn't appeared tonight, we would probably have signed with them tomorrow."
Luo Zheng asked knowingly, "Has the Hong Kong market already declined this badly?"
Andy Lau gave a bitter smile.
"It's worse than most people realize."
He leaned back slightly.
"Last year, Shaolin Soccer managed more than sixty million at the box office because of Stephen Chow."
"But second place barely crossed forty."
"The gap is too big."
He shook his head.
"Hong Kong cinema is struggling to create anything truly fresh. Audiences are slowly losing interest."
His analysis was sharp.
And correct.
Even legends like Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and Chow Yun-fat had already sensed this years ago.
That was why they moved toward Hollywood.
Unfortunately, except for Jackie Chan, the results had been far from ideal.
For Chinese actors, Hollywood had never been an easy battlefield.
But Luo Zheng knew something they didn't fully see yet.
The mainland market.
That was the future.
Especially after China's WTO entry, the entertainment industry was entering an explosive growth phase.
Imported revenue-sharing films had already expanded.
From eight titles.
To ten.
And in the future, it would grow even further.
The market was only getting started.
The night deepened.
Their conversation became increasingly relaxed.
By the time Xixi finally dozed off in Liu Xiaoli's arms, the meeting naturally came to an end.
When they stood to part ways, the atmosphere between Luo Zheng and Andy Lau had already become extremely close.
Arms over shoulders.
Brother this.
Brother that.
"Brother Wah," Luo Zheng said with a smile, "I'll come to your company tomorrow to sign the contract. We can discuss the details then."
Andy Lau laughed warmly.
"I'll be waiting for Brother Luo's grand arrival."
As their car drove away, silence lingered inside for a moment.
Then Rosamund Kwan finally spoke.
"Do you really believe what he said?"
"About the mainland becoming the biggest market outside Europe and America?"
Andy Lau's gaze remained fixed ahead.
His voice was steady.
"I do."
He paused.
"You've been there too. You've seen how fast it's developing."
Then he turned slightly toward her.
"In the future, I'll gradually shift more of my work there."
His expression became serious.
"A-Lin, if you still want to continue developing in this industry, you should prepare early too."
Meanwhile, back on the mainland, at Huayi Brothers—
Fan Bingbing had just returned from the set when Sister Hua called her in.
"Sister Hua…"
She smelled faintly of alcohol, clearly having just escaped a wrap party.
"It's already so late. Can't this wait until tomorrow?"
But Wang Jinghua's expression was unusually serious.
"Little President Wang wants me to ask you something."
Her eyes locked onto Fan Bingbing.
"And you must answer honestly."
Fan Bingbing immediately sat up straighter.
"Do you really know that big boss from America?"
For a moment, she instinctively wanted to lie.
But Wang Jinghua interrupted before she could speak.
"Think carefully."
After a pause, Fan Bingbing sighed.
"…I know him."
"But only through QQ."
"I don't even have his phone number yet."
This time she was telling the truth.
Wang Jinghua studied her for a moment, then nodded.
"Alright."
"I'll report this to President Wang."
After Sister Hua mentioned that Huayi wanted to cooperate with Luo Zheng because of his Hollywood connections—
Fan Bingbing suddenly froze.
A thought struck her like lightning.
She had been focusing only on the obvious things.
Young.
Handsome.
Rich.
Talented.
But she had overlooked the most important point.
Hollywood.
If she could build a relationship with Luo Zheng—
even a supporting role in a Hollywood film—
she could package herself as an international actress.
Just like Zhang Ziyi.
By the time she rushed home, a triumphant smile had already spread across her face.
The three photos she had taken earlier?
Far too conservative.
Not enough.
She needed better ones.
Much better.
Because she understood one thing perfectly.
She knew exactly—
what kind of photos men liked the most.