Inside the luxurious hotel bedroom, the faint, dry scent of cigars lingered in the air.
It slowly drifted through the room, mixing with the fading sweetness of perfume and the lingering heat of the previous night.
Luo Zheng sat by the window, watching a thin stream of smoke curl upward into the quiet morning light.
For a rare moment, his expression turned thoughtful.
What exactly was life about?
Money.
Love.
Power.
Fame.
How much did any of it truly matter?
Perhaps, he thought, human beings spent too much time chasing things they could touch, and far too little time trying to understand the mysteries they could not.
The universe.
Existence.
The beginning of everything.
For a brief moment, his thoughts seemed to drift toward the origin of the Big Bang itself.
Then a cool, soft hand gently brushed against his cheek.
"Brother Zheng… what's wrong?"
Xu Jinglei's voice was low and lazy, still carrying the softness of someone who had just woken up.
Her arm naturally looped around his neck from behind.
The coolness of her skin instantly pulled Luo Zheng back to reality.
He let out a helpless sigh.
Just a little more and I might've uncovered the secret of the universe.
And now all that inspiration was gone.
What a pity.
The storm of the previous night had come fiercely, but it had also ended just as quickly.
By morning, the sky outside Berlin had cleared completely.
The sunlight was bright and golden.
Xu Jinglei chose to stay behind at the hotel to rest.
She was gentle, mature, and endlessly accommodating.
But for some reason, Luo Zheng still felt that something was missing.
Perhaps it was youth.
Perhaps it was innocence.
Whatever it was, the feeling lingered.
As he stepped out of the hotel room and into the corridor, his eyes suddenly lit up.
By the window at the end of the hall stood Liu Xixi.
The morning sun poured over her slender figure, making her seem almost wrapped in threads of golden silk.
The light danced across her face.
Pure.
Bright.
Beautiful.
Hearing footsteps, she turned around.
The moment she saw him, a smile instantly bloomed across her face.
For that single moment, it felt as if the entire world had paused just for her.
Luo Zheng stared for a second longer than he should have.
The faint dissatisfaction left behind by last night's emptiness suddenly seemed to disappear.
At least in this moment, that regret was quietly soothed.
The only pity was that his little cousin was still too young.
He walked over with a smile.
"Xixi, sorry to keep you waiting."
He gently brushed away the strands of hair that the morning wind had blown across her face.
Liu Xixi smiled brightly.
"It's okay, Cousin. Mom had something to do and left early, so I came out first."
Luo Zheng frowned slightly.
Liu Xiaoli left early?
What could possibly be more important than staying with her daughter during the Berlin Film Festival?
The thought crossed his mind, but he didn't dwell on it.
"Come on," he said with a smile. "I'll take you to breakfast."
"Mm! I'm starving already!"
The two walked side by side toward the restaurant.
Along the way, Liu Xixi's laughter never stopped.
Her cheerful mood made even the morning seem brighter.
At the same time, across the ocean, Marvel Headquarters was already in complete uproar.
Employees rushed through the office early in the morning, newspapers clutched in their hands.
Excited voices filled the room.
Mike, one of the employees, even stood on a stool in the middle of the office area, loudly reading from the latest entertainment report.
"The boss's movie, made with only fourteen thousand dollars, has become a major success at the Berlin Film Festival!"
"It even received direct praise from jury chairwoman Mira, who said it could have been a Golden Bear contender!"
The office instantly erupted.
"Quick! Does it mention how much the rights sold for?"
"Five million dollars!"
"What? Only five million? Wasn't the film a huge success?"
"It's a guaranteed five million upfront, and the company also gets a percentage of the box office later!"
"The better it performs, the more Marvel earns!"
Someone immediately shouted—
"Then doesn't that mean the boss is definitely winning the bet?"
Because Old Karl's early surrender had been kept strictly internal, none of the ordinary employees knew the wager had already been decided.
Management had intentionally kept silent.
After all, protecting Karl also meant protecting themselves.
Mike excitedly continued reading.
"The newspaper says DVD sales are expected to become the major revenue source, with annual sales projected at around fifty million dollars!"
The entire office exploded.
"That much?"
"Then we don't have to worry about layoffs anymore!"
"Hahaha! We're safe!"
"Long live the boss!"
"Long live Mr. William!"
The cheers rang through the entire office floor.
As company president Bill Jemas walked past, he couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head.
These employees were celebrating far too early.
Ever since he learned about Luo Zheng's determination to completely transform Marvel's development direction, he had already understood one thing—
layoffs were inevitable.
Anyone unable to adapt to the new direction would be removed.
That included senior management if necessary.
While Marvel was celebrating, the reaction in Hollywood and New York's entertainment industry was far more restrained.
After all, in their eyes, this was still merely an exhibition film.
It had not entered the main competition.
It had not received an official nomination.
Even with Mira's praise, many still viewed it cautiously.
If it had actually been nominated, the distribution fee alone might easily have doubled.
As for the supposed fourteen-thousand-dollar production cost—
almost nobody believed it.
For Hollywood professionals, that number sounded absurd.
That amount wasn't even enough to cover costume expenses for a single actor.
How could it possibly produce a science fiction film?
But while North America remained skeptical—
China exploded.
Completely.
Luo Zheng's Chinese identity, combined with his status as chairman of a U.S.-listed company, instantly made him a national talking point.
A twenty-one-year-old Chinese man taking charge of Marvel?
To many people, that sounded almost unreal.
Something out of fiction.
Even those who had never heard of Marvel before became intensely curious.
A young Chinese chairman.
A company valued at three hundred million dollars.
A film that turned fourteen thousand into five million.
Every detail sounded outrageous.
And outrageous stories always spread the fastest.
By noon, newspapers across Hong Kong and the mainland were selling out.
Entertainment headlines dominated every corner.
Popular Entertainment Weekly (Hong Kong):
"Marvel's Young Chinese Chairman Luo Zheng Strikes Gold? A $14,000 Film Earns $5 Million in Berlin!"
Starlight Daily (Hong Kong):
"Exclusive! The Hidden Story Behind 21-Year-Old Billionaire President Luo Zheng's Berlin Celebration Night — Secret Actress Companion Exposed!"
People's Evening News (Mainland):
"Chinese Young Director Luo Zheng's Debut Film Shines at Berlin, Receives Jury Praise, Rights Sold Successfully"
Beijing Entertainment News:
"At 21, Taking Control of Marvel and Producing a Hit Film — How Real Is Luo Zheng's 'Cheat-Like Life'?"
Southern Weekly:
"Deep Investigation Into the 'Earth Project': Can a $14,000 Budget Truly Produce a Berlin-Level Film?"
In just one day, Luo Zheng's name had become widely known across mainland China and Hong Kong.
But the bigger storm was inside the entertainment circle itself.
Phones were ringing nonstop.
Feng Xiaogang, Zhang Yimou, and Zhao Benshan practically had their phones blown up by calls from industry acquaintances.
Everyone wanted one thing—
information about Luo Zheng.
At breakfast, Feng Xiaogang and Zhang Yimou had no choice but to sit together again because of the same topic.
Before either of them could even begin eating, both of their phones rang at the same time.
The two exchanged helpless looks.
Then both glanced down.
Feng Xiaogang answered first with a smile.
"Hello, President Wang…"
But before he could continue, he suddenly noticed Zhang Yimou's expression change drastically.
Without saying a word, Zhang Yimou stood up and immediately walked out of the private room.
Only after stepping outside did he answer the call.
Feng Xiaogang faintly heard his voice.
"Chairman Han…"
The moment those words entered his ears, Feng Xiaogang's expression changed as well.
Because that name carried a weight far beyond ordinary entertainment gossip.
This was no longer just buzz.
The real storm had arrived.