After leaving the hotel that night, neither Li Bingbing nor her younger sister Li Xue managed to get a direct answer from Luo Zheng regarding future cooperation.
The only thing he made clear before they left was one condition.
If Li Xue wanted to continue discussing any collaboration with Blue Whale Entertainment, then she would first have to leave Huayi Brothers and join Blue Whale as an artist manager.
At first glance, the request sounded simple.
But to the sisters, it carried a completely different meaning.
Inside the car heading back to the hotel, the atmosphere became strangely quiet.
Streetlights flashed past the windows one after another, illuminating Li Bingbing's thoughtful expression. Ever since leaving the private room, she had been unable to stop replaying every word Luo Zheng had spoken tonight.
The more she thought about it, the stranger it felt.
Why would a man like Luo Zheng suddenly become interested in Li Xue?
If he truly wanted women, then shouldn't he have chosen her first?
Whether it was fame, appearance, status, or future potential, she believed she was far superior to her younger sister.
Yet tonight, Luo Zheng's attention had clearly drifted toward Li Xue several times.
That made Li Bingbing feel an unfamiliar sense of frustration.
"Sis?"
Li Xue waved her hand in front of her face.
"What are you thinking about so seriously?"
Li Bingbing snapped out of her thoughts and shook her head lightly.
"Nothing… I was just thinking about what President Luo really meant tonight."
"What else could he mean?" Li Xue leaned lazily against the seat and crossed her long legs. "He clearly values my professional abilities and wants to poach me to Blue Whale Entertainment."
Her tone was extremely natural.
But after speaking halfway, Li Xue suddenly paused.
Then she slowly turned toward her sister with widened eyes.
"Sis… wait a minute…"
"You don't actually think President Luo took a liking to me, do you?"
Li Bingbing looked at her calmly.
"Isn't that possible?"
"What?!"
Li Xue nearly laughed out loud from shock.
"Sis, are you overthinking this too much?"
But Li Bingbing did not retreat.
Instead, she analyzed the situation seriously.
"Think about it carefully. Why would someone like Luo Zheng suddenly care so much about an ordinary manager? And he specifically wants you to join Blue Whale. Doesn't that sound strange?"
Li Xue stared at her sister for several seconds before suddenly bursting into laughter.
"Oh my god…"
"Sis, you really scared me."
Li Bingbing frowned slightly.
"What's so funny?"
Li Xue leaned closer and whispered mysteriously:
"Then let me ask you something."
"If President Luo truly liked me…"
"…then why wouldn't he like you first?"
Li Bingbing froze instantly.
Li Xue continued confidently:
"We look alike. We're sisters. If even I caught his attention, then how could a famous actress like you not attract him?"
"Compared to me, you have fame, status, public recognition, awards, and a celebrity halo."
"So there's only one possible explanation."
Li Bingbing subconsciously asked:
"What explanation?"
Li Xue grinned.
"He wants both."
Silence filled the car.
Li Bingbing's beautiful eyes widened slightly.
For a moment, even she was stunned by this outrageous conclusion.
But strangely enough…
…the more she thought about it, the more reasonable it sounded.
With Luo Zheng's personality, wealth, and current status in the entertainment industry, it really didn't seem impossible.
"You're insane."
Li Bingbing finally muttered softly.
But Li Xue immediately caught the weakness in her tone.
"Sis, you actually believe me, don't you?"
"Stop talking nonsense."
Li Bingbing turned her head toward the window, but the faint redness near her ears had already betrayed her thoughts.
Li Xue, meanwhile, became more excited the more she analyzed things.
"In fact, this might not be a bad thing."
Li Bingbing turned back immediately.
"What do you mean?"
Li Xue crossed her arms and spoke seriously.
"Sis, think about your future carefully. Can you really stay at Huayi Brothers forever?"
"Right now they value you because you still have commercial value. But entertainment companies are realistic. Once newer actresses rise up, your resources will shrink sooner or later."
"But Blue Whale is different."
"Luo Zheng controls international resources."
"Marvel. Hollywood. North America."
"If we can establish a stable relationship with him now, then your future path will become much easier."
Li Bingbing frowned deeply.
"You want to use this chance to bind yourself to him?"
"Not bind." Li Xue corrected immediately. "Cooperate."
"Besides…"
A sly smile appeared on her face.
"President Luo is young, rich, handsome, talented, and powerful."
"I honestly don't think I'd lose anything."
After speaking, she slowly loosened two buttons near her collar and leaned back confidently.
Li Bingbing's expression changed instantly.
"Li Xue!"
"What are you doing?!"
Li Xue blinked innocently.
"I'm just analyzing the situation."
"You—"
Li Bingbing felt both embarrassed and angry.
After a long pause, she finally lowered her voice and muttered:
"Then I might as well do it myself…"
"What?"
"Nothing!"
—
Meanwhile, the Li sisters' unexpected visit did not affect the filming progress of Getting Home at all.
The crew continued working intensely every single day.
However, there was one person who truly caused trouble for Luo Zheng.
That person was Fan Bingbing.
After staying with him for another entire night, she finally left the set in satisfaction the next morning.
Before leaving, she even shamelessly claimed she was "helping him reduce internal heat."
The exhausted Luo Zheng almost laughed angrily after hearing that.
What kind of heat reduction required that much physical effort?
After finally sending away this "master physician," Luo Zheng thought he could rest for a few peaceful days.
Unfortunately, fate clearly had other plans.
A week later, filming for "Getting Home" officially entered its final stage.
The entire crew's mood visibly improved.
After more than a month of continuous shooting, everyone was physically exhausted.
Especially for a road movie like this one, many scenes had been filmed outdoors under difficult conditions. The workload was far greater than ordinary productions.
Still, the results made everyone excited.
Even veteran actors like Zhao Benshan and Song Dandan privately admitted that this was one of the most special films they had ever participated in.
This movie felt different from traditional commercial comedies.
It carried an almost cold sense of realism.
The humor was restrained.
The pain felt real.
And the absurdity of society quietly seeped into every frame.
On the final shooting day, just after filming wrapped for the last scene, an unexpected guest quietly arrived at the set.
Han Sanping.
The moment Luo Zheng saw him walking into the temporary lounge, he immediately stood up in surprise.
"Uncle Han?"
"Why did you come all the way here personally?"
Han Sanping laughed while removing his coat.
"If I didn't come quickly, I was afraid you'd disappear again after finishing filming."
The two sat down inside the lounge.
Luo Zheng personally poured tea for him.
Only after taking a sip did Han Sanping finally explain the reason for his sudden visit.
"The Disney joint-production factory in Wushang has officially been completed."
"The city leaders are waiting for you to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony."
Luo Zheng was genuinely shocked this time.
"So fast?"
It had only been around two months since the agreement with The Walt Disney Company was finalized.
Yet now the production base had already reached the ribbon-cutting stage.
And this was not some ordinary factory.
This was a derivative manufacturing base built entirely according to Disney's strict international standards.
For the project to pass inspection this quickly…
…it could only mean that the local government had pushed the construction speed to the absolute limit.
Han Sanping smiled knowingly.
"This project is now one of Zhejiang Province's key priorities."
"Of course they'd move fast."
Luo Zheng nodded slowly.
"When do we leave?"
"Tomorrow morning." Han Sanping placed down his teacup. "Tonight, we'll attend your wrap party first."
That evening, the crew held a simple but lively wrap-up banquet at the largest nearby hotel.
Because time was tight, Luo Zheng skipped all unnecessary formalities.
He directly reserved over a dozen tables and invited the entire crew to celebrate together.
The atmosphere became extremely lively after several rounds of drinks.
Many staff members who had endured difficult filming conditions finally relaxed completely.
At one point during the banquet, Han Sanping suddenly looked toward Luo Zheng and asked:
"I heard Benshan and Dandan praising this movie endlessly these past few days."
"So tell me honestly."
"How confident are you about Venice?"
The moment he asked this question, the surrounding atmosphere quieted slightly.
Even Zhao Benshan and Song Dandan turned to look over.
Luo Zheng calmly put down his wine glass.
Then he smiled faintly.
"The Golden Lion Award…"
"…is something I'm definitely taking."
The moment he finished speaking—
—a familiar system notification suddenly rang inside his mind.
[Congratulations Host for triggering side mission: Determined to Seize the Golden Lion]
[Mission Requirement: Lead "Getting Home" to participate in the 59th Venice Film Festival and win the Golden Lion Award]
[Reward: 12 Lucky Draws]
Luo Zheng's eyes narrowed slightly.
The second system mission had finally arrived.
Across from him, Han Sanping laughed.
"You're that confident?"
Luo Zheng leaned back comfortably.
"It's not confidence."
"It's just that this year's competition really isn't strong enough."
Han Sanping's expression changed slightly.
"You already got the list?"
Luo Zheng smiled mysteriously.
"Uncle Han, you understand international awards better than anyone."
"Sometimes the movie itself is only half the battle."
"The other half…"
"…is public relations."
"And this year…"
"…we happen to have one of our own people."
The moment those words came out, Han Sanping instantly understood.
This year's Venice jury president was Gong Li.
Right timing.
Right place.
Right people.
For "Getting Home," everything aligned perfectly.
Han Sanping slapped the table excitedly.
"Good!"
"Then I'll personally prepare your celebration banquet in Beijing!"
The next morning, before sunrise, Luo Zheng boarded the flight with Han Sanping toward Zhejiang.
But during the drive to the airport, his phone rang once again.
This time, the call came from America.
Kevin's excited voice sounded through the speaker.
"Boss!"
"Don't forget the premiere date for Saw!"
"And another thing…"
"I already convinced Stan Lee to make a cameo appearance in the new project!"
Luo Zheng's eyes instantly sharpened.
The new project.
Marvel's next true gamble.
Its first real superhero cinematic plan after Spider-Man.
Iron Man.
Ever since obtaining the massive funds from the system, Luo Zheng had already been waiting impatiently for this moment.
Spider-Man's success was only the beginning.
The real Marvel era…
…was finally about to begin.