Chapter 66: Mad Dog

The matter was practically settled on the spot, so Zhang Heping immediately got on the phone to rally his troops.

Although everyone still had alcohol in their systems from lunch, they promptly relocated to sit down with relevant figures from the Capital Television, the Capital TV Art Center, the Capital Film Studio, and the Capital Culture and Art Audio-Visual Publishing House to officially discuss the issues of investment and cooperation.

To Han Shanping's credit, when he brought Lin Lu and Brigitte Lin into the fold, not a single one of the four state-owned units offered any objection. Having dealt with the market day in and day out, these four co-investing entities understood the sheer weight of those two names far better than many domestic creators who were still stubbornly working behind closed doors!

Were they after their money?

What they wanted was their fame, connections, and influence!

It was a match made in heaven.

Lin Lu contributed a total of 4.5 million, the four state-owned units combined for 6 million, the Beijing Film Studio put in 1 million, and Brigitte Lin personally invested 500,000, bringing the total joint investment to 12 million.

Thus, the Forbidden City Film Company Limited was verbally established.

State-owned capital held a controlling stake of approximately 58.33%, Lin Lu personally held 37.5%, and Brigitte Lin, representing Hong Kong capital, held the smallest share at 4.17%, serving primarily as a joint-venture gimmick!

The initiator, Zhang Heping, was unanimously elected as the chairman and legal representative.

As the deputy director of the Capital Municipal Bureau of Culture and a renowned screenwriter, he was the most suitable candidate to represent the four investing entities of the capital market.

Lin Lu, Han Shanping, and Brigitte Lin were all given the honorary title of vice-chairmen.

Look at that—just like that, another makeshift troupe was formed as soon as the idea was voiced.

…………

"Phew, I'm so exhausted..."

After sitting for virtually a whole day, moving seamlessly from tea to alcohol, and holding court for hours, the two of them returned together to the Great Wall Hotel where Brigitte Lin was staying. She didn't even want to move a muscle, wanting nothing more than to slump there and smoke a cigarette.

But Lin Lu wasn't tired at all!

After taking a quick shower, he walked right up to her on the sofa and pushed her dress up without hesitation.

Brigitte Lin laughed out loud at first, then started whimpering, then began to cry, and finally fell completely silent, leaving only the faint sound of breath whistling through her nose to prove she was still alive.

Lin Lu had been holding back for twenty years, and just from transmigrating here until now, he had already suppressed himself for over half a year.

His internal fire was raging.

It was so intense that even an experienced older beauty who was like a tiger in her forties could barely handle it. She held on until Lin Lu finally extinguished his fire, leaving her entire body flushed red and sprawled out in a breathless mess, utterly motionless for a long while.

When she finally caught her breath, Lin Lu scooped her up for a bath, and after the two of them climbed back into bed together, she suddenly started to chuckle, then could no longer hold it back, bursting into loud, uncontrollable laughter.

"Gone mad?", Lin Lu turned to look at her.

She waved a hand dismissively through her laughter and concluded, "You're simply like a mad dog!"

Hearing this, Lin Lu couldn't help but laugh at himself.

Whatever, a mad dog it is; at least he had gotten his fill.

"Hey, you were born in the capital and grew up here, how do you not have a girlfriend here?"

"I suppose I do! Several, actually! But none of them are as sultry as you!"

"Get lost! ... Let me tell you, this is a one-time thing; I still want to get married, big shot!"

"You still want a next time? In your dreams!"

Brigitte Lin paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, balling up her fists to pummel him. "How can you be like this! Take those words back! Only I am allowed to say that, not you! Show some manners to a young lady, do you understand?!"

Lin Lu didn't care anymore.

He had figured it all out.

Hah, as for all those dream girls like Feifei, Bingbing, and Tiantian, that was still way too far down the road! When you run into them, you just stake your claim, but before actually getting your hands on them, was he supposed to keep holding back forever? If he kept suppressing himself, wouldn't he end up a 'good guy'?

Since he had managed to transmigrate, was he really going to keep himself pure for a few imaginary girls?

He wasn't short on money; he would date whenever he wanted to date!

Take right now, for instance. Once you let go of those mental constraints, you realize—so what if she's an older beauty? An older beauty only sounds old in age; the charm is still just as irresistible! Is it really so wrong to date an older beauty for a while?

Lost in these thoughts, his mind began to wander.

Suddenly, he thought of another older beauty... Ah, she had been gone for days without making a single phone call. No doubt, no doubt... no doubt those hesitating words of "us" that she ultimately swallowed back because of his silence would make her feel a little desolate and heartbroken whenever she recalled them when she was alone.

Sigh.

Whatever, no point lingering in the capital. Time to go, go stay in Taiwan for a while.

As these thoughts drifted through his mind, he suddenly snapped back to reality, realizing that the older beauty had been quiet for a long time. "Hey? What's wrong with you? Say something."

She gave a soft chuckle. "You have to understand, Ah Lu, I really am forty-two years old! You tossed me around for so long just now, I'm genuinely exhausted and don't want to talk!"

As she spoke, she suddenly rolled over and pulled him into an embrace. "Right now, I just want to hold you and sleep."

Lin Lu pursed his lips, slid his arm out, draped it over her smooth bare back, and patted her gently. Without realizing it, his tone softened. "Sleep then! Sleep well! We'll break up tomorrow when we wake up!"

"Pfft..."

She let out a laugh, but then snuggled even closer into Lin Lu's chest and fell fast asleep shortly after.

…………

During his morning wash the next morning, he suddenly went back into the bathroom.

Brigitte Lin, completely naked with a toothbrush clamped in her teeth, saw him march straight toward the mirror, tilted her head to look at him, and asked unintelligibly, "What is it?"

"I felt something was off while I was running earlier, and looking in the mirror made it all clear."

With a grave expression on his face, Brigitte Lin couldn't help but turn serious as well, subconsciously asking again, "What is it?"

That man said solemnly, "Today, I have been wounded by wine and women! ... Starting today, I am quitting alcohol!"

As he spoke, he symbolically smashed Brigitte Lin's disposable paper cup used for holding water.

How could Brigitte Lin possibly understand the obscure internet memes of a later era? She hadn't even watched the CCTV version of Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It took her several long seconds to process it before she burst into a chuckle, spraying foam halfway across the mirror. Pulling out her toothbrush, she leaned over and planted a kiss on Lin Lu's face, leaving foam all over him, and asked, "Aren't you quitting women?"

"I'll quit them tomorrow!"

"Hahahahaha!"

She roared with laughter, but a few seconds later, the laughter stopped abruptly. "Brush your teeth! Brush your teeth! Ah Lu, Ah Lu, ah..."

…………

After eating breakfast together, Brigitte Lin left.

Radiant with a glowing complexion, her eyes shimmering like autumn water.

Xue Zhongding personally drove over to pick her up. Knowing she hadn't brought an assistant, old Xue had specifically found an employee from Henan Province at the company—a woman around thirty years old—to accompany her back, even buying two train tickets.

Standing at the hotel entrance, watching her get into the car and leave while continuously waving back at him, Lin Lu smiled and waved back until the car completely vanished from sight.

Returning to his little nest after two days away, he took one look inside and felt a pang of deep regret—he had forgotten to turn off the air conditioning.

Oh man, his heart ached.

He could be reckless with money since he earned it and spent it himself without regret—like buying a top-of-the-line BMW 3 Series worth over eighty thousand dollars after tax and handing it straight to Charlie Young without a second thought. But food that went bad because it couldn't be finished, an air conditioner left running, and an old water cup left behind at a hotel that he could never go back to retrieve... those things hurt.

He went out to buy groceries, making a detour to the courtyard house to check on the construction progress, considering it preparation for what would inevitably be another long period of travel.

The moment he got back home, his phone started ringing incessantly.

By some incredible coincidence, within the span of ten minutes, he received three phone calls—

"School starts tomorrow, are you coming to pick me up this afternoon? I don't want to take the bus! Sneak over and hide by that bus stop you dropped me off at last time, my parents won't find out. The most they'll do is see me downstairs!"

This was Gao Yuanyuan.

"Brother Ah Lu, are you coming back to Hong Kong or not? Sister Ge agreed to let me go to the capital to find you, oh. If you can't come over, can I come find you instead? My standards are very low, just feed me will do! Please, I'm begging you!"

This was Karen Mok.

"Ah Lu, the new issue of *Time* magazine is out, and you're on the cover. I guarantee I'll get you a copy by this afternoon!"

This was Old Xue, Xue Zhongding.