The reporters' siege lasted nearly twenty minutes before Luo Zheng and Andy Lau finally managed to break free.
Several bodyguards formed a protective wall around them while staff members created enough space to escort them toward their vehicles. Even after the doors closed, flashes from cameras continued to explode outside the windows.
Inside the car, however, silence quickly returned.
The bustling noise of reporters was isolated outside, leaving only the low hum of the air conditioner.
Andy Lau loosened his collar slightly and let out a long breath.
Then he turned toward Luo Zheng and smiled.
"Congratulations, Brother Luo."
"Getting Home making it into the Venice main competition is a huge achievement."
Luo Zheng smiled modestly.
"Thank you, Brother Hua."
"But this is only the beginning."
"The shortlist is just the entrance ticket."
"The real challenge starts after entering."
Andy Lau nodded in agreement.
"That's true."
"There are so many films shortlisted every year."
"But in the end, there's only one Golden Lion."
As he spoke, a trace of emotion appeared in his eyes.
Perhaps most people wouldn't notice it.
But Luo Zheng did.
There was admiration.
There was longing.
And there was a faint trace of envy.
Not envy toward Luo Zheng himself.
Nor envy toward Getting Home.
Instead, it was envy toward the opportunity.
The opportunity to stand on the international stage.
Andy Lau had already reached the peak of Chinese entertainment.
His music career was legendary.
His acting career was equally successful.
The title of one of the Four Heavenly Kings had elevated him into a category that few could ever hope to reach.
His awards at home were numerous enough to fill display cabinets.
His popularity stretched across Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and the mainland.
Yet despite all of that, one thing remained missing.
International recognition.
An internationally acclaimed award-winning performance.
A major film festival trophy.
A role capable of placing his name beside the world's greatest actors.
For any actor with ambition, that temptation was impossible to ignore.
After a brief silence, Andy Lau finally spoke honestly.
"Brother Luo."
"I won't hide it."
"The international stage is too tempting."
"If you ever find a suitable script in the future..."
He paused before continuing.
"Please remember me."
"The salary doesn't matter."
Luo Zheng couldn't help laughing.
This was already the third or fourth collaboration promise he had made recently.
The entertainment industry truly was a giant vanity fair.
Everyone chased opportunities.
Everyone chased resources.
Everyone chased fame.
And nobody could resist a shortcut to greater success.
"Brother Hua."
"If I find the right role, I'll definitely contact you."
Andy Lau immediately extended his hand.
"Then I'll thank you in advance."
The two shook hands.
The atmosphere inside the vehicle became noticeably more relaxed.
Meanwhile, several kilometers away, inside a suite at Harbour Plaza Metropolis Hotel, the mood was completely different.
Heavy cigarette smoke filled the room.
The curtains remained closed despite the bright afternoon sunlight outside.
The air itself felt oppressive.
Zhang Weiping sat silently on the sofa.
One cigarette after another disappeared between his fingers.
His ashtray was already overflowing.
Across from him sat Zhang Yimou.
The director's face looked equally unpleasant.
Finally, Zhang Yimou broke the silence.
"We still haven't received any payment?"
His voice carried disbelief.
According to the contract, Harvey should have transferred the initial installment two days ago.
Normally, overseas rights deals required a substantial advance payment.
At minimum, thirty percent.
Yet until now...
Nothing.
Not even a single dollar had arrived.
Zhang Weiping crushed his cigarette into the ashtray.
Then immediately lit another.
After taking a deep drag, he finally answered.
"Forget the payment."
"I can't even find him."
Zhang Yimou frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"Exactly what I said."
"That fat bastard is hiding."
"He claims there are financial difficulties."
"He says the market assessment has changed."
"He says the risk is higher than expected."
"He says we either lower the price dramatically or cancel the deal."
The more Zhang Weiping spoke, the uglier his expression became.
The entire situation was humiliating.
They had celebrated too early.
Far too early.
"What about the deposit?"
"He doesn't want it back?"
Zhang Yimou asked.
Zhang Weiping shook his head.
The room became silent once again.
The answer itself revealed everything.
Harvey had already calculated the situation.
The other distributors had left Hong Kong.
The auction was over.
The excitement had faded.
Now he could pressure them freely.
Even if he sacrificed the deposit, he could still force them into negotiations later.
After all, once the movie's release schedule approached, who else would suddenly pay a premium price for leftover distribution rights?
The initiative had completely shifted.
A long sigh escaped Zhang Yimou.
"We should've sold it to Luo Zheng."
"Ten million wasn't a small number."
Those simple words suddenly made Zhang Weiping freeze.
A moment later his eyes brightened.
"That's right!"
"Luo Zheng!"
"We still have Luo Zheng!"
The more he thought about it, the more excited he became.
Marvel was building distribution channels.
Luo Zheng had money.
He had shown genuine interest during the auction.
Most importantly—
He had actually offered real money.
Unlike Harvey's empty promises.
"Yi Mou!"
"We can still talk to him."
"He'll definitely be interested."
Zhang Yimou's excitement vanished almost immediately.
His shoulders slumped.
His expression became complicated.
"You go."
"I'm not going."
He leaned back against the sofa.
His refusal was immediate.
For him, personally asking a younger generation filmmaker for help felt unbearable.
Especially after everything that had happened before.
Zhang Weiping almost jumped from his seat.
"Yi Mou!"
"This isn't the time for pride."
"Selling the rights comes first."
Seeing Zhang Yimou remain unmoved, another idea suddenly appeared.
"Gong Li."
The room became quiet.
Zhang Yimou's face changed slightly.
"Gong Li has a good relationship with him."
"Didn't you see them talking during the auction?"
"Maybe she can help."
The mention of Gong Li immediately complicated matters.
Old memories surfaced.
Emotions long buried resurfaced.
His expression became increasingly uncomfortable.
"I'm not asking her."
Zhang Weiping nearly lost his patience.
"You don't need to ask directly."
"Just talk."
"Explain the situation."
"Gong Li understands the industry."
"She'll know what's important."
After several minutes of persuasion, Zhang Yimou remained silent.
Meanwhile, outside the hotel, news about Luo Zheng continued spreading through the entertainment industry.
Getting Home entering Venice.
Spider-Man's explosive success.
Marvel's rapid expansion.
Every topic generated attention.
As a result, Luo Zheng's phone never stopped ringing.
Calls came one after another.
Friends.
Directors.
Actors.
Investors.
Everyone wanted to congratulate him.
Even more surprisingly, several actresses somehow acquired his private number.
Li Jiaxin called.
Shu Qi called as well.
The conversations were brief.
Slightly awkward.
But the intention was obvious.
Fame itself was attractive.
Success was even more attractive.
And a young billionaire director with growing international influence?
That combination was practically irresistible.
Unfortunately, Luo Zheng was currently too busy to entertain additional complications.
While everyone focused on Venice and Hero, another piece of news suddenly appeared.
Emperor Entertainment officially announced the launch of The Twins Effect.
Albert Yeung spared no expense in promotion.
Press releases flooded newspapers.
Advertisements appeared everywhere.
The promotional message was simple.
The screenplay had been personally revised by Luo Zheng.
The project would adopt a Hollywood commercial production model.
Total investment exceeded fifty million Hong Kong dollars.
It was one of Hong Kong cinema's biggest productions in recent years.
Some articles even claimed it surpassed Infernal Affairs in scale.
Whether true or not hardly mattered.
The publicity alone was enough to ignite excitement.
Actors from every corner of Hong Kong suddenly became interested.
Many agencies immediately contacted Emperor Entertainment.
Countless artists sought auditions.
The project became the hottest topic in the industry almost overnight.
Inside Emperor Headquarters, several key actors were already reading the script.
Ekin Cheng.
Nicholas Tse.
And the members of Twins.
Albert Yeung stood behind them proudly.
His expression resembled a father showing off an outstanding report card.
After finishing several chapters, Ekin Cheng closed the script.
His eyes were shining.
"It's good."
"Very good."
"The story moves naturally."
"The action scenes are exciting."
"And the pacing feels completely different from ordinary Hong Kong films."
"If this is filmed properly, it'll definitely be a hit."
His evaluation carried considerable weight.
Everyone present respected his judgment.
Albert Yeung smiled even wider.
The praise made him happier than receiving compliments himself.
The Twins naturally had no objections.
As artists under Emperor and close collaborators with Luo Zheng's company, their positions were already secure.
The real concern belonged to Nicholas Tse.
After some hesitation, he finally spoke.
"The script is excellent."
"But my reputation lately..."
He stopped halfway.
No explanation was necessary.
Everyone understood.
The hit-and-run controversy still lingered.
Although his Hollywood appearance had improved public perception somewhat, media criticism continued.
In fact, Nicholas increasingly suspected that someone was deliberately fueling the negative coverage behind the scenes.
Every time the topic seemed ready to disappear...
A new article appeared.
A new accusation surfaced.
A new discussion began.
It felt almost orchestrated.
Albert Yeung naturally understood his concerns.
But before he could answer, a smile slowly appeared on his face.
"Don't worry."
"This project has one advantage."
Everyone looked at him.
Albert Yeung tapped the script.
Then he said confidently:
"As long as Luo Zheng's name remains attached to it..."
"Nobody will care about anything else."
The room instantly fell silent.
Because everyone knew he wasn't exaggerating.
In today's Hong Kong entertainment industry, Luo Zheng's influence had already reached a level that few people fully realized.
And the most terrifying part was—
He wasn't even twenty years old yet.