Chapter 21: A Sudden Sound

"If it were easy to get, it wouldn't be worth much."

Lu Liang didn't care for women who could be had by anyone with a bit of cash. He was a rather casual man himself, but he disliked women who were just as casual.

"Looks like I'm not on your level—you really know how to play!"

Meng Changkun picked up his phone from the table and cut the day's interviews short. "Let's go. Old Wu is planning to treat us to dinner."

Lu Liang nodded and rose to leave as well.

"Boss Meng, Boss Lu, the private room is booked..."

The group left the Diwang Building by car and arrived at a private kitchen restaurant along the banks of the Huangpu River.

Inside the private room, Lu Liang met Zhou Xiaoqi, whom they had just interviewed, along with several other models and performers under the Good Dream Production Company.

When Zhou Xiaoqi saw Meng Changkun, she beamed, wrapping her arms around his stout waist. "Darling, how did I do just now?"

"Marry, marry good!"

Meng Changkun smiled and gave her a thumbs-up. Though he was a head shorter than Zhou Xiaoqi, it didn't stop him from pulling her slender waist closer.

"This is Boss Lu, Lu Liang."

Wu Tianzheng beckoned a waitress over to pour drinks for Lu Liang and produced a folder. "Boss Lu, these are film projects currently seeking investment. See if any of them catch your eye."

The stack of documents contained twenty project proposals, standing nearly half the height of a basketball.

"So many? Are these all initiated by your company?"

Lu Liang, acting naturally, kept his arm around the model's supple waist as he idly flipped through a few.

*Terror Archives*, *Summer of the Stars*, *Goodbye Mr. Loser*, *Disaster of the Two-Headed Snake*...

Web movies, web series, theatrical films—the genres were diverse, with funding gaps ranging from one million to ten million.

Lu Liang was surprised. If Good Dream had initiated all of these, Wu Tianzheng’s reach was far more impressive than he had imagined.

"Boss Lu, you're joking. We currently only have the *Spirit Board* project, and that is thanks to Boss Meng's generous support."

Wu Tianzheng deftly offered a compliment before explaining that these were simply film projects in the industry in urgent need of capital. Their companies shared resources and helped one another; if Lu Liang didn't like these, he could easily bring over another batch.

"I see. I'll take them home and look through them slowly. If I find a project I like, I'll give you a call."

Lu Liang understood. It was much like his old days as a real estate agent: he had the clients, but the properties they wanted weren't in his own listings. In such situations, one either passed the client on to earn a referral fee or secured the property listing and paid the referral fee. Wu Tianzheng was playing the role he once had.

"Come, everyone, let's eat, let's eat..."

"Qingqing, don't just sit there. Pour a drink for Boss Lu. Who knows, if Boss Lu is happy, you might just be the lead in his next film."

Wu Tianzheng was a master of setting the mood. Prompted by his reminder, the model beside Lu Liang caught on, nearly pressing herself against him.

...

After several rounds of drinks, Meng Changkun, claiming he couldn't hold his liquor, left the room with his young mistress.

"Boss Wu, thank you for your hospitality. I've had a bit too much to drink myself," Lu Liang said, feeling a bit dizzy and looking for an excuse to leave.

"Boss Lu, let me have someone take you back. Boss Meng’s driver just left with them." Wu Tianzheng waved over a young man, his assistant. "Xiao Qu, take Boss Lu home first."

The model named Qingqing also hurried over to support Lu Liang. "Boss Lu, let us take you home."

"Many thanks, Boss Wu." Lu Liang, looking thoroughly intoxicated, pressed his palms together in a gesture of thanks and stopped refusing.

Once in the car, he provided his address and rested his head on Qingqing’s lap. "Alcohol—this is really not a good thing."

"Men are always saying one thing while meaning another. It’s one thing when you're drinking, and another thing entirely after you've had a few." Qingqing smiled like a flower, her ivory-white fingers gently massaging Lu Liang’s temples.

One could judge a person's worth by where they lived. Lu Liang lived at Tomson Riviera; even if he wasn't a billionaire, he was worth at least three to five hundred million. It was proof that Wu Tianzheng hadn't been boasting. As long as she kept Lu Liang happy, she would be the lead in the next film.

"You're quite young, but you understand men's hearts well enough," Lu Liang said, closing his eyes to feign sleep as a faint scent of perfume drifted to his nose.

"Who says I'm young?" Qingqing pouted, stubbornly puffing out her chest.

"Certainly not small," Lu Liang said, opening his eyes with a mischievous smirk. He reached up to pull her neck down, testing the weight for himself.

"Boss Lu, you're so naughty~"

Qingqing’s giggles filled the car.

Near midnight, Lu Liang returned home with the model Qingqing and the driver, Xiao Qu.

"Boss Lu, I've left the documents on the table. If there's nothing else, I'll be heading off," the driver said.

"Mm, drive safely. Give my thanks to Boss Wu." Lu Liang walked to the water bar to make himself a lemon tea to sober up.

"Living in such a big house all alone, aren't you afraid at night?" Qingqing asked, her eyes filled with surprise and envy, much like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden for the first time.

She wandered through every room before ending up on the balcony, drawn by the invincible river view outside. She had once spent hundreds to take a night cruise on the Huangpu; the scenery that commoners had to pay to see was something Lu Liang saw every night, with a better angle and a wider view.

"Afraid of what? If a female ghost came knocking at midnight, I'd be only too happy to welcome her," Lu Liang said, walking onto the balcony with his lemon tea.

As the weather grew warmer, he found he enjoyed coming to the balcony at midnight to feel the river breeze and admire the night view of the Magic City. At this moment, his mind was remarkably calm.

Qingqing acted coy, giving Lu Liang a light nudge. "Ew, don't say things like that in the middle of the night. It’s creepy."

"With me here, what is there to fear?"

Lu Liang held her waist. It was slender and slightly bony, far from the voluptuousness of Zhang Qian, but it had a charm all its own. His hand began to slide down, undoing the button at her waist...

Qingqing let out a soft moan, then giggled and pulled away. "I’ll go take a shower first."

Lu Liang suddenly stiffened, his mind elsewhere. "Go ahead."

He frowned, glancing at the wall clock. It had just passed midnight, marking the start of a new day.

Qingqing sensed something was off, thinking she might have done something wrong. As she reached the bathroom door, she turned back. She hugged Lu Liang, her fingertips grazing his forearm, and whispered into his ear: "How about we shower together?"

"You go on. I just remembered something." Lu Liang returned to the living room and began rummaging through the project proposals Wu Tianzheng had sent.

He found the proposal for *Goodbye Mr. Loser*. Produced by Mahua FunAge, produced by Liu Hongtao, and directed by Yan Fei. It was a theatrical film with a production cost of 20 million, currently facing a 5 million funding gap. It told the story of a man who goes back in time to his school days and becomes a superstar.

Lu Liang muttered to himself, "Is this movie really that incredible?"

Just a moment ago, he had heard the voice of the future again—not about stocks, but about a film.

[November 30, *Goodbye Mr. Loser*, box office 1.441 billion.]

Earlier at dinner, Wu Tianzheng had shared a lot of knowledge about film investment, including how box office revenue was split. For a theatrical film to be profitable, the final box office usually needed to be at least three times the production cost. A 20-million-cost film would break even at 60 million; the production company would then claim 35% of the excess.

Taking a 1.441 billion box office as an example, after deducting the 60 million in production costs, there remained 1.381 billion in distributable revenue.

If Lu Liang covered the 5 million funding gap alone, and assuming no additional investment was made, he would be entitled to 25% of that 35% share of the 1.381 billion.

That would be a net profit of approximately 115 million.