Chapter 39: Fragrant Carriage and Fair Maiden

At 3:00 PM, President Liu stood at the entrance, beaming with smiles as he saw the two of them off. Today was a good day; his branch had gained 7.86 million USD in new foreign exchange deposits and a high-net-worth client with assets exceeding 100 million.

On the way back, Lu Liang received a call from Tang Caidie, who informed him that Zhang Chen had already arrived.

"I'll be back in a moment."

Lu Liang decided to park the car at the entrance and called Tan Tao from the Peace Hotel, asking him to come and take the vehicle away. He had just received a call from Li Yue as well, confirming that the title transfer and registration were complete and that she was planning to drive the car over. With his new vehicle arriving, there was no longer any need for a rental.

In the elevator, Lu Liang bid farewell to Meng Changkun. Upon returning to the office, he saw Zhang Chen and Shen Teng squatting on the floor, enthusiastically helping Chen Jinchun tidy up some discarded cardboard boxes. Tang Caidie gave a wry smile, as if to say she had tried to stop them, but it was no use—the two insisted on helping.

"Mr. Zhang, Teacher Shen, I am terribly sorry. The company only opened yesterday, and our hospitality has been lacking; I hope you will forgive us," Lu Liang said.

"Mr. Lu, you are too kind. It’s just that I’m the type of person who feels uncomfortable the moment I’m idle. When Mr. Zhang saw me helping, he felt embarrassed to just stand by," Shen Teng replied. As a sketch comedian, he possessed a natural flair for humor, and even with his slight Northeastern accent, every word he spoke carried a comedic touch.

"Let’s go inside and talk."

Star Capital spanned 240 square meters, with only two partitioned rooms: Lu Liang’s office and a conference room. The group gathered in the conference room, where Zhang Chen produced the drafted contract, and Tang Caidie took charge of proofreading the details.

Half an hour later, after her third review, Tang Caidie looked at Lu Liang: "Mr. Lu, the contract is in order, but there is one point I’m not sure if you were aware of beforehand."

There was an additional clause: if the film garnered strong word-of-mouth and box office performance on its opening day, the Mahua team had the right to appropriately increase the marketing and distribution budget, up to a cap of 300% of the production cost. They could choose to invest further or decline. If they chose to increase their investment, their equity ratio would remain unchanged; if they declined, their stake would be diluted in proportion to the cost increase.

Afraid that Lu Liang might misunderstand, Zhang Chen hurriedly explained, "Mr. Lu, this additional clause is standard for all films."

In the past, films didn't include such clauses. However, ever since *Love is Not Blind* used 5 million in marketing funds to rake in 350 million at the box office—becoming that year’s dark horse and ranking eighth—practitioners realized that even the finest wine could suffer if the alleyway was too deep. Marketing and distribution were now considered just as important as the quality of the work itself.

"This is a good thing," Lu Liang laughed. "I look forward to the day you increase your marketing budget to 60 million."

Excluding films made for money laundering, higher subsequent marketing costs usually indicated greater box office potential. After all, the distributors weren't fools.

"Thank you for your kind words, Mr. Lu."

Seeing Lu Liang sign his name and affix the official seal, then instruct Tang Caidie to head to the bank later to transfer the funds, Zhang Chen finally let out a sigh of relief. The final piece of funding was secured; they could officially start shooting next week. He felt an urge to cry. These past few days had been incredibly difficult.

As they conversed, Lu Liang's phone rang again; Li Yue informed him that she had arrived downstairs at the Yongfeng Building.

"Understood, I'll be right down," Lu Liang replied. Seeing this, Zhang Chen said, "Mr. Lu, please go ahead with your business; we’ll be heading out."

"I was planning to head down anyway, let me see you off." Lu Liang accompanied Zhang Chen and Shen Teng downstairs.

Just as they stepped out of the building, they witnessed a remarkably alluring scene. A young woman in office attire stood there, possessing a figure that was shockingly hot and completely at odds with her innocent face. She stood tall, her chest straining against the tight buttons of her shirt, which seemed ready to pop at any moment. Beneath her short skirt were legs that rivaled those of a professional model, encased in Valentino pointed-toe stiletto pumps. Her calves were taut and straight, and with her heels, she likely stood at 1.73 meters.

On any other day, wherever she walked, she would surely be the focus of countless men and women. But now, she stood beside a Lamborghini, its yellow paint emitting a divine glow under the sunlight, the razor-sharp, rugged lines creating an aggressively striking visual effect. Beside such a masterpiece, a beautiful woman was hardly worth mentioning.

Upon seeing Lu Liang, Li Yue’s face lit up with a smile. She trotted over, clutching a file, and handed him the relevant documents and the car keys. Lu Liang nodded slightly, signaling her to wait a moment. He bid farewell to Zhang Chen and Shen Teng, "Gentlemen, I have some business to attend to, so I won't be able to see you off further."

"No problem, no problem. You go ahead and get to work, Mr. Lu. We'll be going now."

Shen Teng stared at the car, unable to tear his eyes away. Zhang Chen pulled him toward a taxi. Shen Teng, still unsatisfied, couldn't help but glance back several times: "Lamborghini Urus, at least 3 million."

"Don't be envious. If our film hits a hundred million at the box office, I'll personally sponsor you 500,000," Zhang Chen said with a laugh.

"Damn, can your vision get any smaller? I thought you were going to buy me one," Shen Teng said with feigned disgust.

"Even if it hits a hundred million, how much do I actually make? 500,000 is quite a lot, brother," Zhang Chen retorted indignantly.

"Broaden your horizons, look at the big picture. Aim for a small goal like a billion at the box office," Shen Teng joked.

"If it really hits a billion, never mind a Lamborghini, I'll buy you a Rolls-Royce."

"That's a promise; I'll remember it."

"If it hits a billion, come find me to collect."

The two shared a laugh, neither taking the words seriously. After all, it was their company's first film; they just hoped to break even, and a small profit would be a bonus.

...

Seeing that Lu Liang was about to sign for the car, Li Yue placed her palm over the documents and gave a playful wink: "Mr. Lu, don't you want to take it for a test drive first? If there are any issues, you can report them promptly."

Lu Liang looked her over, his gaze finally resting on her slender, high-heeled shoes, and he gave a playful smile: "Did you come here all by yourself?"

Li Yue pouted coquettishly, her tone slightly spoiled: "Of course, it’s just me. Who else would it be?"

"With heels that high, can you even drive?" Lu Liang suddenly asked in a cold tone, though a hint of mischief flashed in his eyes.

Li Yue was startled and hurriedly opened her bag, revealing a pair of flat sandals. In her haste, she had forgotten that a brand-new box of chewing gum was inside—a blue package that turned a pale purple in the sunlight.

Lu Liang’s lips curled upward. He sat in the driver's seat and gestured, "Let's go for a spin together and see how comfortable this car is."

Hearing the word "comfortable," Li Yue glared at him playfully, as if scolding him for scaring her earlier, then stretched out her long legs and stepped into the car.

The V8 twin-turbocharged engine surged, hitting 0-100 km/h in 3.6 seconds. The feeling of being pushed back into the seat by the acceleration was in no way inferior to a supercar. Leaving the city and entering the elevated highway, Lu Liang increased the speed, feeling the surging power as they headed east toward the coastline.

As they drew closer to the East Sea, the number of pedestrians and vehicles on the road gradually dwindled, and the Lamborghini Urus slowly reduced its speed.

"Mr. Lu, why did you bring me to such a remote place?"

Li Yue voiced her concern, yet she stood tall and proud, fully showcasing her impressive cleavage.

"In the middle of nowhere, just a man and a woman—what do you think?"

Lu Liang’s lips turned up. He stared straight ahead, while his other hand rested on her smooth thigh. It moved upward, tracing the line of her clothing. Moving higher, his fingers brushed against the tight buttons on her chest. Without even using force, a button popped off, and her charms were revealed.

"Mr. Lu, pay attention to safety."

The car accelerated, leaving the main road and entering a dirt path. The vehicle came to a stop, the suspension rose, and it began to sway rhythmically...

It wasn't until the sun dipped below the horizon that the sunroof opened a sliver. Li Yue turned on her phone's flashlight and took out wet wipes to carefully tidy up the aftermath, a fine layer of sweat still glistening on the tip of her nose.

"Mr. Lu, this is a new car, you know."

She gave him a playful, reproachful glare, checked everything once more, and finally took off her torn stockings, rolled them into a ball, and tucked them into her bag.

"So what?"

Lu Liang looked up at the stars filling the sky. He dribbled the "ball" with one hand; it was so large he couldn't grasp it with just one.

"Strange to say, the moment I saw you, I had a very special feeling," Li Yue said, hugging Lu Liang's arm.

"Me too. When I think about it, I realize you look just like my ex-girlfriend," Lu Liang laughed, the two of them acting their hearts out.

"Really? That’s exactly how I felt just now. Does this count as us being on the same wavelength?"

"Of course it does." Lu Liang held Li Yue, and the two rested in the car for quite a while before starting the return journey.

Back in the city, upon arriving at the residential complex where Li Yue lived, she pulled out the receipt: "Mr. Lu, if there’s a follow-up call, please remember to give me a good review. If you have any future car-buying needs, feel free to contact me."

"No problem," Lu Liang smiled. He had always held great respect for hardworking, ambitious young women.