Chapter 48: Little Dog

On July 16th, after wrapping up his work in Taiwan, Lin Lu traveled to Hong Kong.

He officially signed four major endorsement deals.

BMW was extremely fond of Lin Lu’s youthful, energetic, yet rugged personal image, and expressed interest in having him endorse their mid-size sedan, the BMW 3 Series. Their initial offer was 6 million for two years, along with a complimentary top-tier 3 Series sedan. Ge Fuhong had persistently pushed for 10 million for three years, and after rounds of negotiation, they finally settled on 7 million for two years, plus two complimentary sedans.

One for Hong Kong, and one for Beijing.

He was required to make at least two appearance events at auto shows each year, shoot television commercials, and take print magazine photos. Furthermore, whenever he drove himself in Hong Kong or the mainland, he was strictly obligated to drive the complimentary 3 Series.

Next was Adidas athletic footwear. He became one of their brand ambassadors, put in charge of a specific product line, securing 11 million for three years. Every time a new product was released, it would be supplied to him directly, custom-manufactured to his exact foot size. Similarly, he had to shoot commercials and magazine print ads, and whenever he wore casual shoes in public, he was required to wear this brand.

Then came Coca-Cola, at 8 million for two years, with an endorsement territory covering the mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, and Southeast Asia.

Moreover, not only did the copyright for the song "Brave Heart" have to be exclusively licensed for use in the commercial, but he also had to promise to write another inspirational song for them in his upcoming album to serve as the new commercial soundtrack.

Because this involved copyright licensing, Sylvia Chang took charge and handled Rock Records.

In truth, it wasn't particularly difficult. Rock Records' indulgence toward Lin Lu had reached a point that even Lo Ta-yu during his peak years could hardly rival—to reiterate, once someone became as wildly popular as Lin Lu, they possessed the leverage to dictate terms to the company. As long as it was mutually beneficial, cooperation could continue smoothly, and neither side would make a fuss over minor matters.

After that came McDonald's, offering 8.5 million for two years. He needed to shoot commercials for selected menu items twice a year—once in Hong Kong and once in Beijing—and work as a server in their restaurants for two hours each time.

Within three days, four endorsement contracts were finalized, with a total value of 34.5 million.

In the first year alone, Lin Lu would directly pocket over 15 million Hong Kong dollars!

Of course, these were just the beginning.

In Ge Fuhong's words, signing these few first was meant to set the tone.

As for the rest, there were still many more undergoing negotiations and discussions.

Fashion labels, formal suits, leather shoes, electric shavers, shampoos, toothpastes, snowboards...

Even if no new endorsement contracts were signed, solely in terms of commercial value in Hong Kong—or rather, across the entire Chinese-language entertainment industry—he had already ascended to the third tier, trailing only Andy Lau and Jackie Chan.

Andy Lau in particular was difficult to surpass. At present, he perpetually held over 20 concurrent endorsement contracts, pulling in over 40 million annually in endorsement fees alone. If one were to purely judge by selling albums, holding concert tours, or earning acting salaries from films, people in the Chinese-language entertainment industry could easily outclass him in any single domain. His highest global album sales record was under two million copies, and given the booming backdrop of contemporary Hong Kong cinema, while actor paychecks were steadily rising, he earned just a little over a million per film. Yet, in terms of comprehensive earning power, he had consistently ranked first in recent years.

And that was entirely due to his skyrocketing commercial value!

Oh, right, Jackie Chan had already forged a new path. Last year, his film *Rumble in the Bronx* was not only released in the mainland—pioneering the concept of mainland China's Spring Festival film season and New Year blockbusters—but it also sold well in Hong Kong. Most importantly, the film achieved a successful theatrical run in North America, hauling in over thirty million US dollars at the box office.

That step was of monumental importance!

Previously, he had repeatedly attempted to earn US dollars without much success. Now that he had crossed this threshold, it indicated that he was beginning to figure out what Americans liked to watch—once you started making US dollars, the scale became incomparable!

All in all, the harvest was exceptionally bountiful.

Signing contracts, shooting promotional photos, and filming commercials.

Following that, escorted by Ge Fuhong and Joey Lam, Lin Lu made his second commercial tour to Japan to reap profits.

Then came South Korea.

Finally, he made a triumphant return to Hong Kong.

This whirlwind tour served as a continuation of his previous money-making trip to Southeast Asia. Combined, the circuit was essentially complete.

On his previous trip to Southeast Asia, he raked in 480,000 US dollars. This time around, he pulled in another 410,000 US dollars. After deducting the 10% commission for his manager, his personal net earnings totaled 800,000 US dollars!

Having transmigrated over half a year ago, it was only at this moment, with massive sums of money hitting his account, that he finally felt like a wealthy man for the very first time—over a million US dollars, plus more than 13 million Hong Kong dollars!

It was time to treat everyone!

Having reaped such a massive fortune in endorsement fees, failing to host a banquet would inevitably draw criticism from friends.

Leslie Cheung, Faye Wong, Sylvia Chang, Brigitte Lin, Gigi Leung, Wong Jing, Carina Lau, James Wong, Ge Fuhong, Sylvia Chang, and Lo Ta-yu were all present. Wong Jing brought Chingmy Yau. Carina Lau brought Tony Leung.

Wong Jing went without saying—he was a perceptive, entertaining man who understood the ways of the world. Ever since they met, he and Lin Lu had hit it off immediately, scheming together with great mutual understanding. Lin Lu had zero objections to whoever he brought.

As for Carina Lau, they weren't particularly close, but she had an exceptionally good relationship with Faye Wong and got along well with Leslie Cheung. She was a regular at mahjong tables and a familiar face at drinking parties, which was why she was invited. She was a "Northern girl"—someone who had come from the mainland and, in earlier years, faced considerable ostracization from the Hong Kong inner circles, hence the derogatory nickname.

Regrettably, Dou Wei had returned to Beijing in early July, and Tsui Hark was currently in America, so the gathering wasn't completely whole.

Barely after the drinking began, Lin Lu discovered that Faye Wong was actually drinking juice.

Upon asking, he learned that she was pregnant.

Only then did Lin Lu suddenly recall that during their last heavy drinking session, she had avoided alcohol, but there had been too many people to entertain back then, leaving him no bandwidth to notice. "Hey! Why didn't you say so earlier! This definitely calls for a toast to celebrate!"

Faye Wong burst into loud laughter. "Go to hell!"

Wong Jing truly doted on Chingmy Yau!

Chingmy Yau was approaching thirty herself, easily well into her mid-twenties. Having debuted many years ago, she could hardly be considered a little girl anymore, yet Wong Jing actually stepped in to block drinks on her behalf, provoking indignation among the older group of women.

Consequently, they redirected their collective firepower toward Lin Lu.

Because another person being fiercely protected under their wings was Gigi Leung.

Veterans like Tiffany Lam and Brigitte Lin were seasoned figures in the industry, and their remarks were delightfully sharp. Gigi Leung, a twenty-year-old newcomer taking her first steps in the industry, simply couldn't handle it. Even Lin Lu often found himself helpless when facing these two formidable women. No matter how silver-tongued you were, you were no match for older women who were even more unrestrained than you—especially Brigitte Lin, who seemed to have completely cast off all inhibitions. "We're just helping you out, A-Lu! After young girls drink a bit of alcohol, they feel much warmer inside!"

The entire table of men and women pounded the table with wild laughter.

In the end, Gigi Leung blushed furiously and downed several glasses of brandy.

Her face remained so crimson that she didn't dare raise her head to look anyone in the eye.

It wasn't until the drinking party was nearing its end that Wong Jing brought up a serious matter.

His production company, Win's Film Productions, had only been founded this year. Logically speaking, with the massive blockbuster success of the *Young and Dangerous* series, he ought to be exceptionally joyful. But the reality was that from the first film to the second, Hong Kong society had heavily criticized the franchise, and the condemnations had continued unabated to this day. The film *First Option*, starring Gigi Leung and released the previous month, was precisely a remedial measure on his part. Yet, *Young and Dangerous 3*, released at the end of last month, had still subjected him to even greater public opinion pressure, severely impacting its box office performance.

Therefore, considering all aspects, Wong Jing, as a businessman, was utterly unwilling to completely alienate Hong Kong's social commentary circles and seal off his future prospects, so he intended to bring the *Young and Dangerous* series to a close.

He wanted to make *Young and Dangerous 4* and cast Lin Lu as the male lead. The script didn't exist yet, and it would completely diverge from the original manga. In his rough conceptualization, the story would take place after the handover. Lin Lu's character would be a company commander in the People's Liberation Army Garrison in Hong Kong, who, through a twist of fate, becomes entangled with Chen Haonan, Chicken, and the original gang. Naturally, a series of events would unfold, and in the end, under the moral guidance of the male lead, the group would experience a sudden awakening and quit the triad underworld.

Ah... what a wonderful ending!

Lin Lu burst out laughing. "Get out of here! Do you think the PLA Garrison is something we can just casually put on film?"

Wong Jing hurriedly explained, "It's an absolutely positive role! You're a veteran soldier yourself! It won't even be released in the mainland, only screened in Hong Kong—this should count as sucking up to Beijing, right?"

Lin Lu waved his hands frantically. "It won't work! Don't even think about it!"

After carefully explaining the mainland's strict regulatory grip on such themes, Lin Lu advised him to simply change course and abandon the idea. Wong Jing sighed in disappointment.

As the drinking party dispersed, Brigitte Lin intentionally sidled up to Lin Lu, laughing heartily, "Hurry back and try it out!"

Lin Lu reached around and pulled her into an embrace. "Let's the two of us go try it instead! You drank way more, you must be even warmer!"

Tiffany Lam and Sylvia Chang burst into laughter nearby.

Brigitte Lin chuckled as well. Ignoring the hazy-eyed Gigi Leung nestled in Lin Lu's arms, she flashed a flirtatious wink. "Let's go! Big sis has been waiting for you to say those words for months! Whoever backs out is a puppy!"

Gigi Leung blinked in a daze, subconsciously tightening her arms around Lin Lu's waist. "I'm not a puppy!"

A chorus of laughter erupted from the crowd.