Luo Zheng had no idea what was going through Ah Sa's mind.
All he knew was that, in every way possible, he always tried to do better.
Unfortunately for Ah Sa, that only meant she looked even more exhausted by the afternoon.
When Luo Zheng was finally ready to leave, he still felt a little uneasy. After a moment's thought, he picked up his phone and called Ah Jiao over to keep her company.
The moment the door closed behind him, Ah Jiao turned around and looked at her best friend with a serious expression.
"Zhuo Yan, tell me honestly… did he bully you?"
"No!" Ah Sa answered immediately, though her voice lacked strength.
Ah Jiao frowned, clearly unconvinced.
"Then why do you look so tired? Don't tell me…?"
Halfway through her sentence, something suddenly clicked in her mind.
Her cheeks instantly flushed red, and she stared at Ah Sa with wide, disbelieving eyes.
"Mhm…" Ah Sa gave a tiny nod, not even daring to meet her gaze.
Ah Jiao froze.
"No way… President Luo is really that… capable?"
Her voice was full of shock.
She had always thought her own boyfriend was already impressive enough, but compared to this, it seemed he was nowhere close.
Curiosity immediately took over.
Without another word, she pounced onto the bed and began what could only be called a very direct "inspection."
As expected, Ah Sa had not been exaggerating.
There were more than enough traces left behind to prove everything.
Caught off guard, Ah Sa let out an indignant cry and immediately launched a counterattack.
Soon, the room was filled with laughter and playful shrieks as the two girls tumbled onto the bed together, the atmosphere turning lively once more.
Meanwhile, on the other side—
Luo Zheng had already arrived at the Infernal Affairs production office.
Although the project had only been in preparation for a few days, the crew already had a solid structure in place.
The office space itself was spacious and impressive, carrying the air of a serious major production.
The moment he stepped out of the elevator, he saw Andrew Lau and Mak Chiu-fai already walking toward him.
"President Luo, sorry we couldn't come down to greet you personally," Andrew Lau said with a smile.
Luo Zheng waved his hand dismissively.
"Director Lau, Director Mak, you're being too polite. I'm only here to sit in and take a look. Today, the real leads are the two of you."
The two directors exchanged smiles.
"We wouldn't dare. Please, come inside."
As soon as he entered the meeting room, Luo Zheng saw Andy Lau already seated with Media Asia executive John Chong, surrounded by several senior staff members.
The room was buzzing with conversation.
No wonder Andy had only sent him a message instead of coming out personally.
Hearing the movement at the door, John Chong immediately stood up.
"President Luo, welcome, welcome."
The others followed at once, smiles appearing across every face as greetings and compliments quickly filled the room.
After the formalities, the meeting began.
The first major point was already decided.
Andy Lau had been confirmed as one of the male leads.
For the second lead, Andrew Lau recommended Tony Leung Chiu-wai.
The suggestion was met with broad approval from everyone present.
After a short discussion, Luo Zheng gave a small nod.
That was enough.
The role was immediately finalized.
Next came the female lead.
Although the role itself did not carry overwhelming importance in terms of screen time, Luo Zheng had come here specifically for this matter.
Without hesitation, he spoke.
"Let Kelly Chen take the role."
The room fell briefly silent.
John Chong and Andy Lau both looked slightly surprised.
They had originally assumed Luo Zheng would use one of the actresses under his own side.
Instead, he had directly named Kelly Chen.
A singer.
And not exactly known as a professional actress.
For a moment, everyone in the room had the same thought.
Could President Luo simply be a fan?
Still, no one voiced any objections.
The female lead did not carry enough weight to challenge the investor's decision.
At this moment, Luo Zheng's words were practically law.
Andrew Lau and Mak Chiu-fai quickly finalized the casting.
With that, the core cast of Infernal Affairs was officially set.
After the meeting ended, John Chong invited Luo Zheng into a separate room for a private discussion.
This, in truth, was one of the main reasons Luo Zheng had come today.
Originally, he had expected Peter Lam himself to show up.
Instead, it was John Chong.
John Chong smiled apologetically.
"President Luo, Chairman Lam had urgent matters to deal with and asked me to come in his place. I hope you won't mind."
Luo Zheng smiled calmly.
"It's fine. As long as President Chong can represent Media Asia, that's enough."
"Rest assured," John Chong replied immediately, "I'm here with full authority."
After a brief pause, he leaned slightly forward.
"President Luo, you've truly made quite a name for yourself these past few days. A five-million-dollar investment in an internet company… that kind of move has shaken the entire industry."
Luo Zheng gave a modest smile.
"You flatter me. Internet companies burn money fast. Anything less than that wouldn't even create a ripple."
John Chong laughed lightly before finally getting to the real point.
"I may not understand the internet, but I do understand investment. I wonder… is your Hollywood project still open to outside capital?"
There it was.
The real purpose of the meeting.
Luo Zheng smiled faintly, pretending not to catch the hidden meaning immediately.
"I'm only testing the waters in Hollywood myself. The current project has just a one-million-dollar budget. Let's talk next time if there's an opportunity."
John Chong's eyes narrowed slightly.
Clearly, the direct path had been blocked.
So he changed his approach.
"President Luo, Media Asia also hopes to establish deeper cooperation with you. Just like Emperor Entertainment Group. We're willing to accept premium investment terms."
This time, he laid the cards openly on the table.
Luo Zheng leaned back, putting on a troubled expression.
"It's not that I'm favoring one side over the other. But I'm sure President Chong knows the details behind my cooperation with Emperor."
"And to be honest, I currently have no immediate plans for new projects."
John Chong fell silent.
He naturally knew the inside story.
The matter of Luo Zheng openly poaching talent from Emperor had already spread through the industry.
Many even joked that if Media Asia had more beautiful female executives, they might have become the target too.
After thinking for a moment, John Chong adjusted his strategy again.
"Then perhaps… in terms of casting opportunities, could Media Asia reserve a few slots?"
He added quickly,
"I'm not asking for much. Just enough for our artists to appear and gain exposure."
Luo Zheng frowned slightly.
"Hollywood productions generally prefer Western actors. It won't be easy to force Asian roles in."
John Chong immediately responded.
"Media Asia can bring funding into the production."
That made Luo Zheng's expression soften.
"In that case… I'll consider it."
John Chong's face lit up instantly.
He stood up and reached out his hand.
"Good. Then I'll wait for your good news, President Luo."
After politely declining John Chong's offer to take him out for evening entertainment, Luo Zheng returned home.
By then, dusk had already settled outside.
The moment he entered, he saw Ah Sa and Ah Jiao sitting together on the sofa watching television.
As soon as the door opened, both girls turned at the same time and stood up almost instinctively.
For a brief second, it truly felt like wives waiting for their husband to come home.
"You're back."
Ah Sa stepped forward naturally and took the jacket from his hand.
Standing slightly behind, Ah Jiao suddenly felt awkward.
"I… I should head back first."
She lowered her head and started walking toward the door.
Ah Sa immediately grabbed her arm.
"We already agreed to sleep together tonight. Why are you leaving again?"
Ah Jiao stole a nervous glance toward Luo Zheng.
Her expression was full of uncertainty.
Luo Zheng sat down casually on the sofa.
"Stay. Keep Ah Sa company."
Only then did Ah Jiao visibly relax.
She allowed Ah Sa to pull her back down onto the sofa, though she still deliberately chose the seat farthest from Luo Zheng.
After dinner, everyone returned to their rooms.
Late into the night, Luo Zheng woke up feeling thirsty.
He got up to fetch some water from the refrigerator.
Just then, he heard movement from the bathroom.
His steps paused.
After a brief hesitation, he walked over.
The bathroom door suddenly opened.
A dark figure rushed out.
Ah Sa had barely opened her mouth before a hand quickly covered it.
"It's me."
The familiar voice.
The familiar scent.
Her tense body instantly relaxed.
But the moment she realized what might happen next, she began shaking her head frantically in protest.
In the quiet darkness of the night, however, Luo Zheng had little intention of stopping.
Time passed slowly.
And then—
from the darkness inside the bedroom,
a pair of heated, sleepless eyes quietly watched everything unfold.