Chapter 21: A Sudden Voice

Words : 1391 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

Chapter 21: A Sudden Voice "If it's too easy to master, what's the point?" "Seems like my understanding is lacking. Impressive!" Meng Changkun picked up his phone from the table, ending the day’s interviews ahead of schedule. “Let’s go. Old Wu is treating us to dinner.” Lu Liang nodded, standing up to leave as well. “Meng, Mr. Lu, the private room is ready…” A small group left Diwang Tower, heading to a private restaurant along the Yangpu River. Inside the private room, Lu Liang noticed Zhou Xiaoqi, who had just finished her audition, along with several models under the Haomeng Production Company. Zhou Xiaoqi beamed when she saw Meng Changkun, clinging to his pudgy waist. “Darling, how did I do just now?” “Very good, very good!” Meng Changkun grinned, giving her a thumbs-up. Though shorter than Zhou Xiaoqi, it didn’t stop him from wrapping his arm around her slim waist. “This is Mr. Lu, our esteemed Mr. Lu,” Wu Tianzheng introduced, signaling a young woman to pour Lu Liang some wine while handing over a folder. “Mr. Lu, these are recent film projects seeking investment. See if any catch your interest.” A stack of twenty project proposals, nearly as tall as half a basketball, was placed before Lu Liang. “So many? Are they all initiated by your company?” Sёarch* The nôvelFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Lu Liang, relaxed, casually wrapped his arm around the waist of the nearby model as he flipped through a few of the documents. The Horror Archives, Starry Summer, Goodbye, Mr. Loser, Disaster of the Two-Headed Serpent... Web films, web dramas, theatrical releases—they covered a range of genres with funding needs from millions to tens of millions. Lu Liang was impressed. If all these projects were from Haomeng, then Wu Tianzheng’s capabilities far exceeded his expectations. “Mr. Lu, you jest. At present, we only have Phantom Disc in production, thanks to Mr. Meng’s generous support.” Wu Tianzheng smoothly praised Meng Changkun, explaining that these projects were from various companies in the industry desperately seeking funds. Their resources were interconnected, and they helped one another. If none of these projects appealed to Lu Liang, Wu could prepare another batch. “Alright. I’ll take them home to review. If something stands out, I’ll give you a call.” Lu Liang understood. It was no different from when he used to work in real estate. He had clients, but the properties they wanted weren’t always in his hands. In such cases, he could either pass the client along for a referral fee or acquire the property himself, paying a fee in return. Wu Tianzheng was essentially playing the role he once had. “Come on, let’s eat!” “Qingqing, don’t just sit there. Pour Mr. Lu some wine. Maybe if he’s happy, you’ll be the lead actress in the next film.” Wu Tianzheng was the life of the party. At his prompt, the model beside Lu Liang perked up, almost sticking to him. ... After three rounds of drinks and a hearty meal, Meng Changkun, claiming to be a lightweight, left the private room with his lover. “Thank you for the treat, Mr. Wu. I’ve had a bit too much myself,” Lu Liang said, feeling a little tipsy and looking for an excuse to leave. “Mr. Lu, let me arrange for someone to take you home. Mr. Meng’s driver already left with him,” Wu Tianzheng said, summoning a young assistant. “Xiao Qu, take Mr. Lu home.” ????аƝ????ＢƐꞩ The model named Qingqing quickly stepped forward to support Lu Liang. “Mr. Lu, let us see you home.” “Much appreciated, Mr. Wu.” Lu Liang clasped his hands together in a mock gesture of thanks and didn’t refuse. Once in the car, he gave his address and then reclined against Qingqing’s lap. “Alcohol—it’s really not a good thing.” “Men are always like that, saying one thing and doing another. They love it while drinking, but complain afterward,” Qingqing said with a charming smile, her slender fingers gently massaging Lu Liang’s temples. From a person’s residence, you could deduce their net worth. Lu Liang lived in Tomson Riviera. Even if his assets didn’t amount to ten billion, he had at least three to five billion. This confirmed that Wu Tianzheng hadn’t been exaggerating. If Lu Liang was pleased, Qingqing might really secure the lead role in the next film. “Not bad for someone so young. You understand men well,” Lu Liang remarked, closing his eyes as the faint scent of her perfume wafted into his nose. “Who’s young?” Qingqing protested, pouting and straightening her posture. “Not young at all.” Lu Liang opened his eyes and grinned mischievously, pulling her close. “Oh, Mr. Lu, you’re so naughty~” The car was filled with Qingqing’s soft laughter. ... Near midnight, Lu Liang returned to his Tomson Riviera home with Qingqing and the driver, Xiao Qu. “Mr. Lu, I’ve placed the documents on the table. If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave,” the driver said. “Alright. Take care on the way back, and thank Mr. Wu for me,” Lu Liang said, heading to the bar counter to prepare a glass of lemon tea to sober up. “This house is so big. Don’t you ever get scared living here alone at night?” Qingqing asked, marveling at the place as if she were Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden for the first time. “What’s there to fear? If a ghost came knocking at midnight, I’d be overjoyed.” Lu Liang carried his tea to the balcony. As the weather grew warmer, he found himself spending more late nights on the balcony, enjoying the breeze while taking in Magic City’s nightscape. For a moment, he felt at peace. Qingqing playfully nudged him. “Don’t say such creepy things at night—it’s scary!” “With me here, what’s there to fear?” Lu Liang wrapped an arm around her slender waist. Though not as full-figured as Zhang Qian, she had her own unique charm. His hand drifted downward, undoing the button at her waist... Qingqing let out a soft gasp but giggled, breaking free from his embrace. “I’ll go take a shower first.” Lu Liang froze suddenly, his thoughts elsewhere. “Go ahead,” he muttered. His brow furrowed as he glanced at the wall clock. It was just past midnight, signaling the start of a new day. Qingqing noticed something was off and, thinking she had done something wrong, returned from the bathroom to cling to him. She traced her fingers along his arm and whispered into his ear. “How about we shower together?” “You go ahead. I just remembered something,” Lu Liang said, retreating to the living room to sift through the project proposals Wu Tianzheng had given him. He found the proposal for Goodbye, Mr. Loser, a theatrical release produced by Happy Mahua, with Liu Hongtao as the producer and Yan Fei as the director. The movie had a budget of 20 million, with a funding shortfall of 5 million. It was about a man reliving his youth as a singer in high school. “Is this movie really that good?” Lu Liang muttered to himself. Moments ago, he had once again heard the future’s voice—not about stocks, but about this movie. [November 30th, Goodbye, Mr. Loser, box office: 1.441 billion yuan.] At dinner, Wu Tianzheng had shared insights about film investment, including box office revenue sharing. For a theatrical release to turn a profit, the box office needed to be at least three times the production cost. For a 20 million yuan movie, breaking even required a 60 million box office. Any surplus revenue was split, with 35% going to the production company. With a 1.441 billion box office, subtracting the 60 million production cost left 1.381 billion for revenue sharing. If Lu Liang invested the 5 million to cover the shortfall and didn’t contribute additional funds, he could claim 25% of the production company’s 35% share—around 115 million in net profit. Hello, amazing readers! We’re thrilled to bring you more of your favorite story. If you’re enjoying our work, please leave us a 5-star rating on NovelUpdates. It really helps! ????????

Chapter 21: A Sudden Voice

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