What happened with Ah Jiao did little to affect Luo Zheng's mood when it came to business.
If anything, he remained as calm and focused as ever.
The one who truly suffered during this period was Ah Sa.
As for Ah Jiao, her situation was even more complicated.
After the breakup and everything that followed, living under the same roof as Luo Zheng and Ah Sa had become a quiet torment. She was still a normal woman with emotions, desires, and thoughts of her own, but now she was single again, forced to endure the awkwardness of everything around her.
Fortunately, this uncomfortable period did not last too long.
In order to establish a stable foothold in Hong Kong, Luo Zheng spent a considerable amount of money to purchase a luxurious villa in the prestigious Mid-Levels residential district.
Only after moving there did Ah Jiao finally escape the humiliating experience of being forced to stay in the room next door, listening to things she would rather not hear.
With the living situation finally settled, Luo Zheng could at last focus fully on work.
After days of preparation, the Infernal Affairs production team officially entered the filming stage.
For the first time in days, Luo Zheng felt relieved.
If Albert Yeung had not repeatedly insisted that he remain in Hong Kong a little longer, he would have already left for the mainland to begin preparations for his next film project.
At present, the Hong Kong branch of Marvel was finally beginning to take shape.
Though the company was still bleeding money every single day, Luo Zheng could clearly see the growth.
The manga department had been established.
The film and television investment department had also begun operating.
Several new projects were already under simultaneous development.
The company still depended heavily on the money Luo Zheng earned from filmmaking and outside investments, but at least now the foundation was there.
Before leaving the office that morning, he had issued a clear directive to the investment department.
"Look for good stories."
His requirements were simple, but strict.
The stories did not need to be limited to Hong Kong.
Excellent film and television projects from anywhere—domestic or overseas—were welcome.
Especially novels and comic works.
The moment they found something with potential, they were to report it immediately and buy the copyright without hesitation.
Luo Zheng understood better than anyone the importance of intellectual property.
In this era, many people still underestimated the true value of IP.
But he knew the future.
He knew that whoever controlled the stories would eventually control the market.
His decisiveness greatly motivated the employees.
Everyone in the department became noticeably more enthusiastic.
And soon, that enthusiasm produced results.
Among the scripts submitted for review, one particular project immediately caught Luo Zheng's attention.
It was a Qing Dynasty palace drama.
The script was still rough, incomplete in places, and only covered the first half of the story.
Yet the moment he read it, Luo Zheng's eyes lit up.
This was gold.
A genuine treasure.
The script was none other than War and Beauty.
As he slowly turned the pages, he could already see the framework of a future hit drama.
The political tension.
The emotional manipulation.
The layered female characters.
The intricate schemes inside the palace walls.
This was exactly the kind of story that could redefine an entire genre.
In his previous life, palace intrigue dramas had become wildly popular, and this work was one of the true pioneers.
Its future ratings success had already been proven.
Luo Zheng closed the script and looked up.
"Who brought this in?"
Chan Fai Wang immediately stepped forward.
"An employee from the script acquisition team, Boss."
Luo Zheng nodded.
"Give them a raise."
He tapped the script lightly.
"And let everyone know—if they bring in more material like this, promotions will follow."
Chan Fai Wang smiled quickly.
"I'll pass on the message immediately."
Before leaving, Luo Zheng added another instruction.
"The company will invest in this. Tell the writer not to rush. Let them polish it carefully. When the time is right, we can collaborate with TVB."
"Understood, Boss."
That evening, after attending the opening ceremony for Infernal Affairs, Luo Zheng was dragged away by Albert Yeung for what the older man called "a little relaxation."
A few days earlier, Media Asia had openly sided with him in blacklisting Edison Chen.
Because of that, Luo Zheng felt obligated to give Albert some face.
Besides…
He had to admit it.
The old entertainment tycoons of Hong Kong truly knew how to enjoy life.
The private club Albert brought him to was lavish beyond description.
Soft music drifted through the halls.
Fine liquor flowed endlessly.
Beautiful women moved gracefully between the guests.
The kind of decadent scenes Luo Zheng had once only seen in short videos from his previous life had already become standard entertainment here.
After a performance ended, Albert Yeung called over several young women.
"Little Brother Luo, these girls may seem unfamiliar now, but in the future they may become the next Joey Wong or Maggie Cheung."
Luo Zheng looked them over.
After a moment, recognition flashed in his eyes.
This was the newly debuted girl group Cookies.
He had seen their names in the entertainment section recently.
But honestly…
He was not particularly impressed.
Even with the makeup and revealing outfits, there was little that truly stood out.
Only one among them—Kary Ng—seemed somewhat distinctive.
Still, not enough to truly catch his interest.
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Hong Kong's entertainment industry after 2000 truly felt like it was declining.
The era of dazzling star power seemed to be fading.
Where once every actress seemed extraordinary, now it felt more like selecting the best among mediocrity.
Still, Luo Zheng politely entertained Albert Yeung for a while.
He drank.
He chatted.
He laughed.
But when the women offered to accompany him back to the hotel, he refused without hesitation.
More people did not necessarily mean better quality.
At this point, he had become surprisingly selective.
If something did not truly interest him, he would rather go without.
By the time he returned to the Mid-Levels villa, it was already late.
As he stepped out of the car, he casually tossed several business cards from the evening into the trash.
The next morning, Ah Sa was clearly pouting.
Her expression carried obvious grievance.
Apparently, because of some misunderstanding from the previous night, she had ended up receiving quite a bit of "punishment."
Even though she had wrapped herself carefully, Ah Jiao still noticed something strange.
Once Luo Zheng was out of the room, she finally couldn't help asking.
"Did he… do that to you again?"
Ah Sa's face turned bright red.
"No! Don't overthink it."
Her eyes darted around nervously.
Ah Jiao curled her lips.
As if she could possibly not overthink it.
After everything she had already seen, the answer was practically written on Ah Sa's face.
Strangely enough, instead of embarrassment, a trace of envy flickered through her eyes.
Meanwhile, Infernal Affairs had officially entered smooth production.
With the company's affairs temporarily stable, Luo Zheng finally began planning his return to the mainland.
But before leaving, there was one more crucial matter.
Marvel's scattered copyrights.
As Spider-Man's release approached next month, Luo Zheng knew time was running out.
Once the film became a success, the prices for every remaining Marvel property would skyrocket.
He immediately called Kevin on the way to the airport.
"How are the copyright buyback negotiations going?"
Kevin quickly gave the update.
"Blade and The Punisher are progressing smoothly. Lionsgate and New Line are both interested after our revised offers."
That was good news.
Especially Lionsgate.
Because of their increasingly close cooperation with Marvel, they were naturally more willing to negotiate.
But then Kevin's tone changed.
"Fox and Universal are causing problems."
Luo Zheng frowned.
Of course.
He had expected this.
The rights to X-Men, Fantastic Four, and the distribution rights for Hulk were far too valuable.
The studios had already sensed the market potential.
Universal had even explicitly stated they wanted to wait until after Spider-Man released.
They were waiting for the price to rise.
Smart.
But not enough.
Luo Zheng's eyes sharpened.
"Kevin, I don't care what method you use."
His voice turned cold.
"More money. Side deals. Contract loopholes. Legal pressure."
He paused.
"Get the legal department moving immediately. I want every contract reviewed line by line. If there's any room to force a buyback, use it."
Kevin answered immediately.
"Understood. I'll report back as soon as there's progress."
Luo Zheng ended the call and looked out the car window.
The city lights of Hong Kong blurred past.
His gaze was steady.
The game had only just begun.
And this time, he intended to reclaim everything that belonged to Marvel.