The premiere of Saw had already turned into something far bigger than anyone expected.
Inside the theater, thunderous applause crashed through the venue like endless waves. Cheers, whistles, and excited shouts overlapped into a deafening storm of noise. It rose and fell again and again, refusing to stop.
For a moment, the entire theater seemed consumed by excitement.
Among the audience, both Steve Jobs and Roy Disney exchanged complicated glances. Neither spoke immediately. Yet from each other's eyes, they saw the same thing—
shock.
They had both watched The Man From Earth. They already knew Luo Zheng possessed an unusual ability. He could use incredibly small budgets to defeat productions many times larger than his own. But that film had been a philosophical science-fiction drama.
Saw was entirely different.
This was horror.
Violent horror.
Psychological horror.
A genre that many looked down upon.
Yet Luo Zheng had managed to use blood, fear, and cruelty as tools to expose human nature itself. Beneath the terrifying atmosphere and disturbing scenes lay something deeper—choices, morality, desperation, survival.
The pacing never relaxed.
The tension never dropped.
One climax chased another.
And then came that ending.
That final reveal.
The dead body in the room standing up...
That moment alone was enough to send ice straight down a person's spine.
Even Roy felt goosebumps rise along his arms while recalling it.
This film...
...was absolutely going to explode.
No wonder Marvel and Lionsgate had spent so aggressively on promotion.
If Disney had been fully involved, Roy felt they would probably have doubled the publicity budget.
On stage, Luo Zheng calmly accepted the microphone from the host.
He looked toward the audience and lightly cleared his throat.
Then he raised one hand and gently pressed downward.
Instantly—
the noise gradually died down.
The audience unconsciously followed his movement.
The applause weakened.
Voices lowered.
Within seconds, the chaotic venue returned to silence.
Many reporters looked at each other in surprise.
They suddenly realized something strange.
This young Chinese man on stage carried an invisible aura.
Not because of age.
Not because of authority.
Not because of status.
It was something else.
Confidence.
Absolute confidence.
He stood there calmly, yet it felt as though he naturally controlled the rhythm of the entire room.
Like an orchestra conductor.
Every movement seemed capable of commanding attention.
Luo Zheng smiled lightly.
"Hello everyone."
"My name is Zheng Luo. I'm the producer and screenwriter of Saw."
"Of course, you can also call me by my English name—William."
He paused briefly.
"First, thank you to every media friend and every horror fan for attending tonight's premiere."
Instantly—
applause erupted again.
Louder than before.
Even some audience members stood.
The response surprised James Wan.
As the director, he suddenly felt emotional.
Only a year ago, he had still been an unknown nobody struggling through life.
Now he stood under spotlights in Hollywood.
And all of this had happened because of one person.
Luo Zheng.
Beside him, James clenched his fists quietly.
Meanwhile Luo Zheng gestured again.
Silence returned.
Then he smiled.
"I know everyone is more interested in asking questions."
"So let's begin."
The reporters nearly exploded with excitement.
Hands shot upward everywhere.
The host quickly pointed toward a reporter from Vanity Fair.
The female reporter almost jumped from excitement.
She stood immediately.
"Mr. William!"
"Industry reports say Saw cost only 1.2 million dollars to produce."
"Meanwhile Spider-Man exceeded 140 million dollars."
"That's more than a hundred times the difference."
"Many analysts believe Saw only needed around three million at the box office to break even."
She gestured toward the audience.
"Judging by the reactions tonight, surpassing that won't be difficult."
"So I want to ask—"
"Does this mean your future projects will continue pursuing ultra-low budgets for maximum returns?"
The question came rapidly like machine-gun fire.
Many reporters instantly stared at Luo Zheng.
This question mattered.
Very much.
Marvel's future strategy mattered to everyone.
Luo Zheng smiled.
"The production cost of Saw was indeed 1.2 million dollars."
"But promotion is also part of filmmaking."
"So three million might still be slightly short."
A burst of laughter spread through the audience.
Then he continued:
"As for box office results..."
"I trust the audience."
"Their wallets are more honest than any critic."
More laughter followed.
Then his expression suddenly shifted.
"Regarding Marvel's future..."
"Since everyone is here tonight—"
"I'll take this opportunity to advertise a little."
The reporters instantly straightened.
Instinct told them—
big news.
Very big news.
Luo Zheng smiled calmly.
"The casting process has officially begun for Pirates of the Caribbean."
"It will be jointly invested by Marvel and Disney."
"Estimated budget—130 million dollars."
For one second—
silence.
Absolute silence.
Then—
before reporters even reacted—
Luo Zheng casually dropped another bomb.
"Also..."
"Marvel's independently developed superhero project Iron Man is officially entering preparation."
"Estimated budget—140 million dollars."
Boom.
The entire theater erupted.
People actually gasped.
Some stood up instantly.
Others looked at each other in disbelief.
Even Roy Disney nearly spilled his drink.
A 140 million dollar superhero movie?
Marvel?
Now?
Beside him Kevin Feige silently smiled.
Roy immediately grabbed him.
"When?"
"When is it happening?"
"How much funding remains?"
Kevin coughed lightly.
Then smiled professionally.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Disney."
"Internal company information."
Roy's face darkened.
"Damn it."
Kevin smiled even harder.
Back on stage, another reporter suddenly stood.
"Mr. William!"
"Warner Bros. is also premiering a horror film tonight—Eight Legged Freaks."
"It releases tomorrow morning across North America."
"There are rumors they intentionally scheduled this against Saw."
"What do you think?"
The audience immediately became interested.
Many eyes turned toward Luo Zheng.
Luo Zheng narrowed his eyes slightly.
Then glanced toward Kevin below.
Kevin instantly looked guilty.
Clearly, during previous negotiations something unpleasant had happened.
Luo Zheng quickly understood.
Then he smiled.
"I think one thing should be corrected."
The room quieted.
He slowly said:
"When the strong attack the weak..."
"That's called sniping."
"But when the weak challenge the strong..."
"In China, we call it throwing an egg against a rock."
"...asking for trouble."
Silence.
Then—
BOOM!
The theater nearly exploded.
People laughed wildly.
Some even stood while clapping.
The reporter immediately pressed further.
"So are you saying Saw is the stronger side?"
Luo Zheng spread both hands casually.
Then smiled.
"The audience's screams already gave you the answer."
Instantly countless people whistled and shouted.
The atmosphere reached another peak.
For the next hour, Luo Zheng answered questions one after another with complete ease.
Whenever James Wan became nervous, Luo Zheng naturally redirected attention and helped him.
James gradually relaxed.
He knew.
Tonight wasn't just Saw's victory.
It was Marvel's.
And it was his own beginning too.
Finally, over an hour later, despite audience reluctance, the premiere officially ended.
Backstage.
Executives from major studios approached one after another.
Paramount.
Universal.
Fox.
Everyone suddenly showed unbelievable enthusiasm.
Because they all saw the same thing tonight—
Marvel was no longer a small company.
A tiny investment had produced terrifying returns.
And now came two giant projects worth hundreds of millions.
No one wanted to miss this train.
Roy Disney smiled even wider than everyone else.
Marvel becoming stronger meant Disney benefiting too.
After saying goodbye to Jobs and others, Luo Zheng finally escaped the endless social interactions.
Outside, Angelina Jolie had been waiting quietly.
The moment she saw him emerge, she walked over naturally.
Luo Zheng smiled.
Without hesitation he pulled her into his arms.
A soft kiss landed on her forehead.
Jolie smiled.
"You finally escaped."
Luo Zheng sighed dramatically.
"Hollywood people are scarier than horror movies."
Jolie laughed.
Soon their car disappeared into the night.
Tonight...
would clearly become another sleepless night.
Luo Zheng silently made a decision.
No matter what—
he absolutely had to find time tomorrow to take a bath, refresh himself, and use the system lottery.
He wanted nothing else.
No skills.
No money.
No special items.
Just one thing.
Attributes.
Especially Constitution points.
More.
And more.
The next morning.
While Luo Zheng was still lazily enjoying warmth beneath expensive blankets...
Hollywood had already exploded.
Major headlines swept across entertainment media.
The Hollywood Reporter:
["The Audience's Screams Are the Best Answer!" Marvel's William Luo Announces Saw Is Only The Beginning—Pirates of the Caribbean ($130M) and Iron Man ($140M) Officially Incoming!]
Variety:
[The Cost Magician Strikes Again! Luo Zheng Turns $1.2 Million Into Massive Potential Returns And Announces Two Hundred-Million-Dollar Monsters]
Entertainment Weekly:
["Throwing Eggs Against Rocks!" Luo Zheng Publicly Fires Back At Warner Bros During Premiere]
Vanity Fair:
[A New Horror King Is Born—Saw Shocks Hollywood While Marvel Begins Its Billion-Dollar Era]
Across Hollywood—
one name had suddenly become impossible to ignore.
Luo Zheng.
And this time...
Marvel's ambitions had finally revealed themselves to the entire world.