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The first batch of prizes started shipping out through the partnered logistics company.
Within hours, unboxing videos flooded Weibo.
"I got it! Brand new, still sealed—feels premium as hell!"
"Super fast delivery! Already using it—the camera is insane!"
"Came to fulfill my wish! It's real! Not a dream!"
"Proof! Thank you Cassius, thank you Lionsgate! I'll keep supporting you!"
These genuine, excited posts created the strongest word-of-mouth possible.
The snarky, backhanded comments that had been floating around vanished overnight.
Lionsgate's China market team later told Rob the giveaway delivered way more positive exposure and brand goodwill than any traditional paid ad campaign. The ROI was ridiculous.
Watching his fans light up made Cassius feel genuinely good.
The money was well spent.
At least the people who truly supported him got something real in return.
Meanwhile, the Rural Film Quest charity project was moving full steam ahead.
With Lionsgate's funding and resources, everything launched smoother and faster than expected.
Cassius's team in China hired an experienced nonprofit project manager and started building a solid core team.
When the volunteer signup opened, applications poured in even harder than they'd hoped.
College students, young professionals—plenty of Cassius fans—wanted to spend their weekends or vacations helping out.
The team put together strict screening and training programs to keep everything safe and professional.
---
The box-office bonus cleared.
Cassius finally gave himself a few days off.
He caught up on movies and shows he'd missed while filming, and occasionally checked the latest updates on the Rural Film Quest project.
Seeing videos of kids lighting up in remote villages felt better than any box-office chart.
While he was enjoying the quiet, Rob showed up at the Beverly Hills house in person, carrying a thick folder and looking like he'd just hit the jackpot.
"What's up? You get caught sleeping with someone's wife?"
"As if! I don't sleep with anyone's wife—wait, I don't sleep with anyone else's wife!"
Rob dropped onto the couch, making the leather creak, and slapped the folder on the coffee table.
"I've got a script. It's a good one. Question is… are you interested?"
"What script?"
Seeing Rob this excited, Cassius leaned forward.
Rob had been sending him a ton of scripts lately, but most were obvious cash-grabs trying to ride his current heat.
"Universal has a project that hit a wall," Rob said carefully. "Two lead actors almost came to blows on set because of script issues."
"The newly signed male lead just demanded to exit the production. Negotiations are ongoing."
Cassius raised an eyebrow.
On-set drama wasn't rare in Hollywood, but for it to blow up this early—with the male lead already trying to walk—was unusual.
"The other lead is digging his heels in too."
"Studio and producers are now facing a choice. Keep the original cast and risk a toxic shoot that kills the movie's quality, or make a change. With the budget this big, they're not willing to gamble."
"Who's getting replaced?"
"Dwayne Johnson!"
Rob finally opened the folder.
The Rock?
Cassius's mind clicked instantly.
Sure enough, Rob pulled out the script cover and slid it across the table.
The title read: Fast & Furious 5
Cassius's pulse jumped.
This was the movie—the one that saved the franchise and turned it into a global juggernaut in his last life.
The Rock and Vin Diesel's buddy-cop action spectacle.
He remembered the rumors about their real-life tension starting early. Looks like it had been there from day one.
"Dwayne Johnson and Vin Diesel are both very strong-willed guys," Rob explained with a shrug. "Tension exploded shortly after cameras started rolling."
"Johnson felt his role was being undercut. Diesel thought Johnson was too domineering. The whole production is stalled."
"Universal and the producers need someone who can jump in immediately with real star power and proven box-office pull to save the role of Agent Hobbs."
Rob looked at Cassius, dead serious. "They thought of you first. You've got The Hunger Games at 1.1 billion, plus the action cred from Green Lantern. Your heat is at its peak and your box-office pull has been proven. Plus you're Asian—fresh energy, new chemistry with Diesel, and you bring even more Asian market power. Right now, you're basically the ideal replacement."
Cassius picked up the script but didn't open it yet.
He quickly ran the Hunger Games 2 timeline in his head.
Lionsgate was still finalizing the script and locations—shooting was at least two or three months away. Even after that, as the lead he had negotiating power on his schedule.
If Fast 5 could shoot his scenes in a tight block or work around his availability…
"Any scheduling conflict?" he asked.
Rob perked up the second he heard Cassius wasn't saying no. "I already floated it with Universal. They know about your Hunger Games 2 commitment. They're willing to work around your schedule however they can."
"Hobbs's role is important but front-loaded. They can compress your scenes into a shorter window or adjust the shooting order to fit your availability."
Cassius nodded.
This was exactly the kind of leverage real box-office numbers bought you.
A year ago he wouldn't have even been in the conversation. Now they were bending over backward to make it work.
Rob's efficiency was as sharp as ever.
Less than a week after the first contact, Universal delivered a revised script directly to Cassius's house.
It was no longer the original Fast & Furious 5 draft.
The new version had been re-formatted with a cover page that read:
"Zhen – Revised Role Draft for Cassius"
Cassius raised an eyebrow, impressed.
He knew Universal was eager, but he hadn't expected them to move this fast.
He made a fresh cup of coffee, sat down at his desk, and opened the script.
The first page after the cover was a clean character breakdown:
Character: Zhen
Affiliation: Interpol – Asia Special Operations Unit
Background: Former member of China's elite Wolf Warrior tactical unit. Expert in combat, multilingual. Selected for Interpol due to exceptional skills. Specializes in cross-border organized crime involving Asia.
"Zhen…"
Cassius read the name and felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
Universal had clearly gone all-in on the Chinese market. They'd picked a name loaded with cultural weight—strong, heroic, instantly recognizable to Chinese audiences—without feeling forced.
He kept reading.
The opening train heist and chase stayed intact, but the pursuing force was completely restructured.
Instead of the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service acting alone, Interpol receives intel that Dominic Toretto's crew may be involved in international money laundering tied to South American and Asian crime networks.
Zhen, as head of the Asia Special Unit, is sent to Rio to coordinate with local authorities.
All the signature action beats—door breaches, shootouts, hand-to-hand—remained, but the dialogue and motivation were now grounded in a much more logical international law-enforcement framework.
Mid-script, the character's drive gets a full rebuild.
After Reyes's hitmen attack the joint task force's safe house and a Chinese-American female agent is killed, the story hits its turning point.
Standing at the gravesite, Zhen tells his superior over the phone, voice calm but steel-edged:
"The legal process is too slow… and the bad guys won't wait for us to finish the paperwork."
He hangs up.
Then he makes the call that changes everything.
He reaches out to the cornered Toretto crew and offers the now-famous deal: "You help me get Reyes's evidence and the location of the dirty money. I use my position and Interpol's resources to clear your names and give you real freedom."
Zhen shifts from hunter to reluctant ally.
Cassius closed the thick script and leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly.
Universal had delivered.
They kept every crowd-pleasing commercial beat—insane car chases, explosive action, team dynamics, enemies-to-allies tension—but rebuilt the role of Zhen specifically for him.
The character now had clear motivation, solid backstory, room to grow, and independent agency. The Chinese elements felt natural instead of shoehorned.
This rewrite was obviously designed to maximize appeal in Asia—especially China.
A strong, principled, internationally respected Chinese law-enforcement hero would create massive identification and box-office potential.
For Cassius himself, it was an exciting challenge.
Heavy action, car sequences, new territory.
Luckily he had the combat and stunt skills he'd absorbed from Jackie Chan and Hank. This role would finally let him show what he could really do.
"Bro, what do you think of the script?" Rob asked when he called a few minutes later.
"It's been reworked with real care. It fits me perfectly," Cassius answered honestly.
Rob laughed. "They knew they had to bring their A-game to get your attention."
"They're already talking terms. Base pay won't be below your current market rate, plus global box-office points. Preliminary schedule coordination looks good—they're promising to prioritize your availability."
Rob's voice was full of confidence.
Cassius's rising heat and proven box-office numbers had dramatically increased his standing in Hollywood.
These days, the people negotiating his contracts had gone from burly male assistants to sleek female executives.
"What about Hunger Games 2?" Cassius asked.
"Gary and Suzanne are a little worried about you burning out, but they're supportive overall. Lionsgate's execs are thrilled—you being even hotter only helps them."
"As long as Hunger Games 2 doesn't get materially impacted, they're on board. The teams are already working on a schedule that concentrates your scenes."
The offer was strong, the timing workable, the role exciting.
There was no real reason to say no.
"Let's do it," Cassius decided.
Rob let out a loud cheer on the other end. "I'm on it! Bro, get ready—you're about to enter Fast & Furious mode!"
Once the deal was finalized, Cassius flew to Atlanta with Rob for the Fast 5 production.
Waiting at the airport wasn't just the Universal staff.
Director Justin Lin was there too.
Justin Lin was shorter than expected, wearing black-rimmed glasses and a director's casual jacket. His smile was warm and genuine.