The second day after filming for Getting Home officially began, the quiet atmosphere of the crew was shattered before sunrise.
Luo Zheng had barely finished breakfast when he received an urgent phone call from the production team. Before the assistant on the other end could even explain clearly, the chaotic noise of reporters already echoed through the phone.
Without wasting time, Luo Zheng immediately changed clothes and rushed toward the filming location in Spring City.
Unfortunately, the moment his car appeared near the set, it was like tossing meat into a pack of starving wolves.
Entertainment reporters surged forward from every direction.
Cameras flashed wildly.
Microphones nearly smashed against the car windows.
The bodyguards cursed while desperately trying to hold back the crowd, but the reporters pushed forward without fear. Some even climbed onto flowerbeds and stone railings just to get a better angle.
"President Luo!"
"Director Luo, are the rumors true?"
"Did you really use resources in exchange for actresses?"
"Who exactly is your real girlfriend?"
"Is Huo Wenxi the woman you trust the most?"
"Did Ah Sa already move into your private residence?"
"Are Dong Jie and Liu Yifei both your rumored lovers?"
The questions exploded nonstop.
Inside the car, Luo Zheng rubbed his temples helplessly.
These reporters really treated him like an entertainment ATM.
Fortunately, the production crew reacted quickly.
Several staff members and bodyguards forcefully opened a path through the crowd. A production assistant even climbed onto the hood of the car and shouted loudly with a megaphone:
"Everyone quiet down!"
"Director Luo is willing to accept an interview!"
"The crew has prepared a temporary interview area. Please cooperate and follow us in an orderly manner!"
The moment those words were spoken, the chaotic crowd instantly became much more obedient.
After all, compared to secretly snapping blurry photos from afar, a proper public interview was obviously far more valuable.
Soon, under the protection of bodyguards, Luo Zheng stepped out of the car.
The flashing lights became even crazier.
Many young female reporters looked at him with shining eyes.
A handsome face, terrifying wealth, Hollywood background, endless scandals with actresses…
This kind of man was practically born to dominate entertainment headlines.
The temporary interview platform had already been set up nearby.
Once Luo Zheng sat down, countless microphones immediately stretched toward him like spears.
But unlike other directors who avoided questions cautiously, Luo Zheng appeared incredibly calm.
He even smiled.
"Ask one at a time," he said leisurely. "Otherwise I won't know which one to answer first."
The reporters immediately became excited.
They loved interviewing people like this.
Because most celebrities either dodged questions or gave official nonsense answers.
But Luo Zheng?
He actually dared to talk.
And not only did he dare to talk, he deliberately gave ambiguous answers.
A female reporter from Hong Kong was the first to attack directly.
"President Luo, there are rumors saying Ah Sa and Ah Jiao both have very close private relationships with you. Is that true?"
Luo Zheng leaned back slightly and smiled.
"We're friends."
The reporters instantly became energized.
Friend?
That word had too much room for imagination.
Another reporter immediately followed up:
"Then what about Dong Jie? She publicly admitted you praised her purity and personality."
Luo Zheng looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding seriously.
"She is indeed very pure."
"And she's a very smart actress."
The crowd immediately exploded into discussion again.
Not denying.
Not explaining.
Only praising.
This attitude was practically feeding headlines directly into reporters' mouths.
Another mainland reporter hurriedly shouted:
"President Luo! What about Liu Yifei? She called you cousin publicly!"
"Oh, that." Luo Zheng laughed. "Yifei is still a child."
"She's very talented, though. I have high expectations for her future."
The reporters immediately exchanged looks.
A child?
Talented?
High expectations?
Every sentence sounded normal individually.
But when combined together, the imagination space became terrifying.
An hour later, the interview finally ended.
The reporters looked completely satisfied.
Some even applauded directly.
Because compared to other celebrities who treated reporters like enemies, Luo Zheng's cooperation was simply heaven.
If everyone in the entertainment industry behaved like this, paparazzi would probably lose their jobs.
—
The following morning.
Inside the crew resting area.
Assistant directors had just bought stacks of freshly printed entertainment newspapers.
"Director Luo, today's headlines are all about you again."
Hearing this, Zhao Benshan and Song Dandan immediately gathered around curiously.
"President Luo, let us see too," Zhao Benshan said with a grin. "Yesterday's interview was truly lively."
Luo Zheng casually unfolded one newspaper.
The massive front-page title instantly entered everyone's vision.
[Marvel Emperor's Secret Harem Exposed! Huo Wenxi Oversees the Palace, Ah Sa and Dong Jie Fight for Favor]
Song Dandan nearly choked.
Zhao Benshan's eyes widened so much they almost popped out.
The two silently glanced at Luo Zheng.
They originally thought he would become angry after seeing such outrageous reporting.
But unexpectedly—
Luo Zheng simply laughed.
Because this was exactly the effect he wanted.
In his eyes, the best way to avoid future public backlash was simple:
Never create a perfect image in the first place.
If everyone already believed he was a scumbag openly surrounded by beautiful women, then even if scandals exploded later, nobody would feel shocked.
Public expectations determined public reactions.
This was entertainment industry psychology.
Luo Zheng picked up another newspaper.
This one was even more ridiculous.
[One Interview Reveals Half the Entertainment Industry's Relationship Web!]
[The Tenderness Capital Theory of a Wealthy Boss: Trading Resources for Beauty?]
This article directly connected all the women around him together using speculation and suggestive wording.
Some descriptions were so dramatic that even Luo Zheng almost applauded.
"These reporters really are talented," he muttered.
Of course, some articles had already crossed sensitive lines involving industry regulations.
But Luo Zheng simply made one phone call to Han Sanping.
The matter was resolved instantly.
Compared to the outside storm, what gave him a bigger headache was actually his own women.
Xu Jinglei had begun calling him almost every night.
She clearly knew he was unreliable.
Yet she still couldn't let go emotionally.
Meanwhile, Ah Sa felt wronged after seeing the headlines.
As for Ah Jiao…
She pretended not to care.
But the moment she and Ah Sa landed in Beijing, the first thing greeting them was not Luo Zheng's embrace—
—but stacks of newspapers exposing his "confidantes."
—
Blue Whale Entertainment.
Inside Huo Wenxi's office.
Ah Sa and Ah Jiao sat quietly on the sofa.
The excitement from arriving in Beijing had vanished completely.
Huo Wenxi crossed her legs elegantly while sipping coffee.
"Why the long faces?" she asked calmly. "Unhappy because President Luo didn't personally pick you up?"
Ah Sa immediately shook her head.
"It's not that…"
Her voice carried obvious grievance.
Huo Wenxi smiled knowingly.
"You saw the newspapers."
Ah Sa bit her lip silently.
The room fell quiet.
After a moment, Huo Wenxi finally sighed softly.
"You girls are still too naive."
"Entertainment reporters survive by exaggerating stories."
"They can turn one sentence into ten scandals."
Ah Jiao immediately nodded weakly.
"Exactly. Those newspapers even dragged Sister Wenxi into it too…"
Huo Wenxi laughed.
"That's because I'm useful to them."
Then her tone suddenly changed.
"But even if some things are true… what can you do?"
The two girls froze.
Huo Wenxi looked directly at Ah Sa.
"You only have two choices."
"Accept it."
"Or leave."
Her words were straightforward and merciless.
Ah Sa lowered her head silently.
Because deep down, she already knew the answer.
—
Meanwhile, back at the Getting Home set.
After finishing an entire day of filming, Luo Zheng finally received a call from Huo Wenxi.
"I helped settle those two little girls for you," she said lazily over the phone.
"How are you planning to thank me?"
Luo Zheng smiled immediately.
"In the future, the best nutritional supplements will belong to you first."
"Get lost!"
Huo Wenxi cursed laughingly before hanging up.
Luo Zheng shook his head helplessly.
Then he turned toward a nearby RV parked beside the set.
Inside that RV…
…was another troublesome woman waiting for him.
—
Time passed quickly.
Mid-June arrived in the blink of an eye.
The entertainment storm surrounding Luo Zheng finally began calming down.
During this period, Jane Zhang's album recording was completed successfully.
Meanwhile, Luo Zheng continued maintaining ambiguous late-night calls with Gao Yuanyuan under the excuse of discussing music.
Under his careful guidance, Gao Yuanyuan gradually forgot about Zhang Yadong completely.
From Luo Zheng's perspective, he had practically "helped" Zhang Yadong return peacefully to his family.
A truly good deed.
In fact, one rainy night, Zhang Yadong even drunkenly called Luo Zheng while crying about heartbreak and emotional pain.
By the end of the conversation, he was inviting Luo Zheng out for drinks next time he returned to Beijing.
After hanging up, Luo Zheng almost laughed out loud.
At this point, he felt completely safe.
Meanwhile, preparations for A World Without Thieves officially accelerated.
After enormous effort, Han Sanping finally secured the adaptation rights to the original novel.
Soon afterward, Huayi Brothers publicly announced large-scale casting auditions.
The entertainment industry exploded again.
Actors, agencies, investors—
everyone began contacting Feng Xiaogang and Huayi nonstop.
Some wanted information.
Some recommended actors.
Some simply hoped to gain favor.
The project instantly became one of the hottest topics in mainland entertainment.
And yet…
Ironically, the person least busy about it was Luo Zheng himself.
He hid quietly behind the scenes while controlling everything remotely.
Then, just days before filming for Getting Home wrapped up—
his phone rang unexpectedly.
Unknown number.
After connecting, a soft female voice came through.
"Hello, President Luo."
"This is Li Shuangbing."
"I'd like to invite you out tonight. Do you have time?"
Luo Zheng glanced outside at the gradually darkening sky.
Then he answered calmly:
"Sorry, Miss Bingbing."
"I'm still filming on set tonight."
Unexpectedly, the woman on the other end showed no intention of retreating.
Instead, she smiled softly.
"President Luo…"
"I'm already in Dongchuan."
"Very close to your filming location."
Luo Zheng narrowed his eyes slightly.
Instantly, he understood everything.
Clearly—
she had already learned that the second female lead role in A World Without Thieves had internally been reserved for Fan Bingbing.
And now…
Li Shuangbing had personally come all the way from Beijing to Spring City—
just to fight for that role herself.
Luo Zheng slowly smiled.
He admired ambitious women.
Especially women willing to gamble everything for opportunity.
So this time…
…he decided to give her a chance.