Global Film Emperor

Chapter 342 Mickey
A face peered out the window, but from his angle, the inside was completely empty. He glanced at the "Open for Business" sign on the door with a puzzled look, then tried to push the door gently. To his surprise, it actually moved. He chuckled to himself; it was quite rare to see a beer house open at eight in the morning.

With a sudden push, the crisp sound of the wind chimes entered his ears, and the cool air from the air conditioner blew on his face, making the man, who was already feeling sweltering in the morning, sigh comfortably.

"Is anyone home? Cough cough, did I...did I disturb you two? It's not really appropriate to do this kind of thing with the door unlocked, is it? Do you want me to watch the door for you?"

The man turned his head and saw Gao Peiling crying in his arms. In an instant, this womanizer had a 1GB seed planted in his mind. He subconsciously turned around, coughed lightly, but was actually still curiously looking back.

"Mickey? What are you doing here? Don't talk nonsense, we didn't do anything."

Lu Ze recognized the man in front of him at a glance. He was Mickey, a rising director of bilingual (Chinese and English) origin, whose Chinese name was Zhang Weiyu. The two had met briefly in Cannes.

"Oh~ we didn't do anything~ that's what I told my parents when I lost my virginity at twelve. Are you all ready? I'm turning around now, ma'am, what about you?"

"I told you I didn't do anything! Stop thinking those dirty thoughts and turn around right now. She's just... just a little unhappy."

"OK, OK, I didn't do anything. I was overthinking it. How have you been lately? You look pretty energetic. God bless me, I'm so glad to see you again, buddy."

He turned around and hugged Lu Ze. Lu Ze was happy to see his friend, but when he looked at his clothes, he unconsciously frowned.

Mickey is flamboyant, the kind of flamboyant that's reminiscent of a show-off. Last year at Cannes, he wore top-tier luxury brands, a high-end watch, and accessories that could weigh two pounds if taken off. His calfskin shoes were polished to a shine, and he exuded a strong cologne scent. You could tell that he's a man who has no sense of style, but he insists on living a refined life and dressing flamboyantly.

And now? An old leather jacket, a blue plaid shirt over a white T-shirt, faded light blue jeans, tan Martin boots, a tan hat with sunglasses on the brim, and the only accessory he has is a cross strung on a rope. Wearing such thick clothes in the middle of summer, I wonder if he's hot. Anyway, he looks just like a budget traveler from Europe or America.

Forget about all that, just look at that obviously swollen face from drinking, those heavy dark circles under his eyes, those bags under his eyes that are practically drooping down to his mouth, and that stubble all over his face. The only thing that Lu Ze would find pleasing to the eye is that head of flowing, shoulder-length hair. But judging from Zhang Weiyu's personality, he probably isn't the kind of person who likes to keep his hair long.

Lu Ze was certain that he had encountered some trouble, but he didn't ask. He simply kept his questions to himself and introduced Gao Peiling to him, allowing the two of them to get to know each other.

"Mickey, this is my girlfriend, Gao Peiling, and this is..."

"Let me introduce myself. I'm Mickey Taylor, British. You can also call me Zhang Weiyu, a lousy director who occasionally does screenwriting, that's all... Wow~ Dude, can I drink the wine on the shelf? Sure, then I won't be polite."

He walked over to the bar, looked around, took a bottle of Valkyrie Awakening from the shelf, downed half of it in one gulp, let out a burp, and walked out with the bottle. He plopped down on the sofa, sitting slouching against the glass with no manners. The sunlight was a bit too bright, so he frowned, shielded his eyes with his hand, took another sip of beer, and mumbled another thank you to God, but seemed completely unconcerned about the self-proclaimed trash director.

Seeing him like this, Lu Ze and Gao Peiling felt a little awkward. Watching him drink heavily, Gao Peiling wanted to speak, but Lu Ze pulled her back and shook her head. In this way, she swallowed her words, but her expression began to look a little unnatural. Waiting for him like this was not a solution. With no other choice, Lu Ze asked softly.

"Mickey, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, great, I'm okay, don't worry, it's just... I need to rest for a while, I haven't adjusted to the time difference yet, I feel a little tired, but it's okay."

"If you're tired, there's a bed in the room. You can go in and take a nap, okay?"

"No, no, no, I don't need to sleep, Lu Ze. Aren't you curious why I flew all the way from England, and specifically came to see you?"

"why?"

“I’m finished, my life… is ruined, but I’m not resigned to it. I think there’s still hope for me, so I have a play, a play that I wrote myself. Believe me, it will be absolutely amazing. Just like you, I need to save myself. We only have this one lifeline left. I need it, and I need you too.”

He didn't speak in his broken Chinese, but rather in British English, which shouldn't be spoken so quickly. He seemed to have remembered the movie, and he perked up, hugging his bag and becoming somewhat agitated. Lu Ze felt that he... seemed to have some mental problems.

In an instant, Lu Ze noticed that the hand he was holding suddenly tightened its grip. Seeing that her expression was gradually turning unfriendly, and then glancing at Mickey, who was rummaging through his backpack as if he was about to show Lu Ze the script, he could only raise his palm, make a stop gesture, and shake his head at Mickey.

"Mickey, hey friend! I'm not an actor anymore."

“I know you’ve run into some trouble. I’ve heard about it even abroad, so we’re going to turn things around! Screw Lawrence, I’m going to make him lick my shoes, you son of a bitch.”

"Lu Ze means... he will no longer act, he will no longer be an actor."

Gao Peiling was getting a little anxious and answered Lu Ze's next question for him. Lu Ze didn't say anything, but just watched as she put her arm around her shoulder.

Upon hearing this, Mickey froze as he rummaged through his backpack. He closed it, tossed it aside, shrugged, and asked, puzzled, "Why?"

"Because he has chosen a new life. I admit, your circle is very attractive and has a strong appeal to the vast majority of people, but that's all in the past, isn't it? Lu Ze is like that, and so are you. Your resentment is none of my business, but he is my boyfriend, and we may get married soon, so he has other things to do now, and another kind of life waiting for him to experience. He won't stay where he is."

"Madam, your English is very good..."

"Thank you. I graduated from the University of Sydney. Do you have any other questions?"

Lu Ze had never seen her so aggressive. This was understandable; Mickey's arrival had disrupted all her beautiful fantasies about the future. For someone who loved her family, no one could break the balance of her family, and if anyone did, she would defend it.

"But he belongs on screen! He's a genius, you know? Absolutely stunning! Overflowing with talent! He can definitely be called a master in this industry, a top actor! A gem that drives people crazy. Believe me, as long as he has the right tools to match him, no director can refuse him, no one can resist him! His income will be very substantial then, which can be used to improve your lives. That's what a man should do, not choose a life of comfort!"

“I’m sorry, my family’s assets are about £130 million. If he’s willing, I can use that money to spend the rest of my life with him. He really doesn’t need to go back into this industry and gamble his youth.”

When Mickey heard about Gao Peiling's wealth, he was so shocked that he almost dropped the wine bottle. He never expected Gao Peiling to be so rich. Indeed, more than 100 million pounds was enough for Lu Ze and Gao Peiling to live a carefree life. They would run out of money before they even bought a few mansions or a few supercars.

In reality, as long as the two of them don't gamble or squander the money, they won't even have to spend much of it. Because if they make some low-risk investments, the annual dividends will be beyond what ordinary people can imagine. After all, once assets accumulate to a certain level, the speed at which money makes money is comparable to a money printing machine!
"Fuck, Lu Ze, you actually found a rich woman..."

The winner of this verbal battle was undoubtedly Gao Peiling. At this moment, she was leaning against Lu Ze's chest like a victor, enjoying the happiness of protecting their future. Seeing that the atmosphere had become tense, Lu Ze had no choice but to smooth things over.

"I'm sorry, Mickey, it probably won't be as you wish. I don't have any desire to act right now. Maybe one day in the future I'll want to act and I'll try acting in a movie as a hobby, but for now, I'm sorry."

Hearing Lu Ze's words, Gao Peiling finally felt relieved. After all, verbal sparring didn't mean anything; the most important thing was Lu Ze's attitude. Only when Lu Ze personally said that he didn't want to act could she be completely at ease. However, Lu Ze's next words immediately made her raise her eyebrows.

"I'm very glad you could visit China. Now that you've found me, if you're not in a hurry to leave, I can show you around and show you what life is like in China."

"Great, that would be wonderful."

Lu Ze was simply entertaining his friend. After all, Mickey had come all the way from England, so it was only right to entertain a friend from another country. However, in Gao Peiling's opinion, Mickey's quick agreement meant he still had ulterior motives and wanted to seduce Lu Ze. Lu Ze was essentially letting a wolf into the house!
But what could she say? Could she stop Lu Ze from entertaining his friends? If she really chased Mickey away, what would Lu Ze's other friends think? How could he get along with his friends then? She was so angry that her teeth itched, and finally threw Lu Ze's arm off her shoulder, picked up her bag, and angrily said to Lu Ze.

"I'm leaving now. The tutoring center is about to open. I'll come back tonight."

"Okay, I'll take you."

Lu Ze got up and went out with her. Mickey leaned against the glass window, watching Gao Peiling shake off Lu Ze's hand and get into the car. He smiled and finished the rest of his beer in one gulp, then leisurely crossed his legs.

When Lu Ze returned, opened the door, and leaned slightly against the doorframe, seeing him like this, she sighed helplessly and called out to Mickey.

"Mickey".

"yeah?"

"Had breakfast?"

"not yet."

"Would you like some steamed dumplings? There's a pretty good steamed dumpling place nearby, you should try it."

Is it okay to drink alcohol with breakfast in China?

“It’s not possible in Shanghai, but it is possible for Lü Hua.”

"Then what are we waiting for, buddy! Let's go. I really want to try the difference between local Chinese baijiu and the baijiu exported to Britain. Also, I really like dumplings."

"..."

(End of this chapter)