I'm conquering Hong Kong entertainment with two billion US dollars.

The Moon Pavilion is located on the East Coast waterfront in Tsim Sha Tsui.

Huang Baiming arrived an hour early. He sat by the window, his suit jacket unbuttoned, a teacup in his hand; the tea had already been changed three times.

Director Qiu Litao sat opposite him, flipping through the menu and then closing it.

"Ming-ge, do you think he'll come?"

"We've already made the appointment."

"I mean—will he vote?"

Huang Baiming did not respond.

Last year, when *Titanic* was such a hit, he wanted to make a Chinese-language version. The script was completed; it was called *Love Dream*, about a rich young man named Li Xuejin who breaks off his engagement on a luxury cruise ship and falls in love with a new love. A grand cruise ship, romantic love, handsome men and beautiful women—a complete copy of Cameron's formula.

But what kind of world is this? A financial crisis, tight credit in Hong Kong, and film companies are all downsizing. He approached Golden Harvest, banks, and several established investors, but was turned away by everyone. Just as he was about to grit his teeth and bear it himself, Lin Dong appeared.

With a net worth of two billion US dollars, he spent a whopping thirty million last night on Li Jiaxin at the Peninsula Hotel, which was widely reported in the newspapers.

After reading the newspaper in the morning, Huang Baiming picked up the phone and called Li Jiaxin.

"Brother Ming, can't we handle a 40 million yuan project ourselves?" Qiu Litao probed.

"If I could eat this much, would I still be sitting here?"

Qiu Litao remained silent.

Huang Baiming picked up his teacup and looked out at the night view of Victoria Harbour. "It's a good book. But with the current market, nobody dares to spend money on it."

He paused for a moment and put down his teacup.

"If Lin Dong is really like what the newspapers say... the female lead can be replaced."

Qiu Litao looked up at him.

Huang Baiming didn't say anything more.

The newspaper clearly stated that Lin Dong spent 30 million yuan on Li Jiaxin on the spot. Since this tactic worked, he would simply give the lead role in his project to Li Jiaxin. Who plays the role doesn't matter; the most important thing is that the investor is happy.

The two sat in silence for a while until the voice of the hostess at the door came.

Lin Dong arrived. Li Jiaxin was with him.

Huang Baiming stood up, his face beaming with smiles, and strode forward to greet him. "Mr. Lin! I've heard so much about you! This way, please—"

He personally pulled out a chair and called the waiter to serve the food.

Abalone, shark fin, and grouper covered most of the table.

Lin Dong sat down, and Li Jiaxin took his arm. She naturally let go of him as she sat down, but the chairs were very close together.

They toasted and exchanged drinks. Huang Baiming urged others to drink, Qiu Litao agreed, and Li Jiaxin chimed in at the right moment, creating a lively atmosphere.

Huang Baiming was a seasoned socialite, and when he praised Lin Dong for being young and promising, every word he uttered hit the mark.

After eating about 70-80% of the food, Huang Baiming put down his chopsticks.

"Mr. Lin, I've invited you here today because I'd like to discuss a project with you."

Lin Dong picked up his wine glass, gesturing for him to continue.

Huang Baiming pulled a stack of scripts from his briefcase and handed them over with both hands. "Love Dream Cruise—a love story on a luxury cruise ship. You know Titanic from last year, it was a global sensation. This is the Chinese-language version of Titanic."

Lin Dong took the notebook and glanced at the cover.

I don't remember.

He had watched many Hong Kong films from the 1990s in his previous life, but this film left him completely blank. He knew all too well what that meant—either it was never released, or it was released but flopped without a trace.

He casually flipped through three or four pages, then closed it.

"Mr. Huang, how do you plan to invest in this project?"

Huang Baiming was secretly pleased. Asking about the investment structure indicated interest.

"The total budget is HK$40 million. My preferred choices for the male and female leads are Andy Lau and Ms. Li. I know Andy Lau well, and Ms. Li…"

He smiled and glanced at Li Jiaxin, "With Mr. Lin involved, there won't be any problems. I'll contribute 16 million, which is 40%. Mr. Lin, you'll invest 24 million, which is 60%. I'll handle the distribution and production."

Lin Dong remained noncommittal, picked up his wine glass, and took a sip.

"Forty million?"

"Yes. Forty million is already a top-tier production in Hong Kong these days," Qiu Litao added from the side. "Filmed on a luxury cruise ship, starring Andy Lau, this scale is sufficient."

How much was invested in Titanic?

Huang Baiming was taken aback.

"Two hundred million. US dollars." Lin Dong put down his wine glass, his tone calm. "The global box office, as of this month, has already exceeded one billion US dollars. A movie about cruise ships, invested two hundred million, and grossed one billion."

He glanced at Wong Pak-ming. "Mr. Wong, you said you'd make a Chinese-language version of 'Titanic' for 40 million Hong Kong dollars?"

Huang Baiming's smile looked a little stiff.

"Mr. Lam, this is a Hong Kong film, we can't compare it to Hollywood—"

"Why not?" Lin Dong interrupted him, tapping his finger on the table. "What was sold for forty million isn't the Chinese version of 'Titanic,' it's a knock-off."

The visuals are crude, the sets are cheap, and the special effects are shoddy—audiences can see right through it. You spend 40 million to make a knock-off; why should anyone pay to see it in theaters?

Huang Baiming and Qiu Litao both fell silent.

"A big production and a big investment are needed to achieve a big return. This is my conclusion based on the global box office performance of Titanic."

He leaned forward, staring at Huang Baiming, "Mr. Huang, if you want this film to be good, the investment can't be less than 100 million."

Li Jiaxin's hand holding the wine glass trembled slightly.

One billion.

The man in front of her was sitting at a table in Yingyuelou Restaurant, dressed in clothes that cost less than three hundred Hong Kong dollars, and was calmly discussing an investment of one hundred million.

And she will be the female lead in this drama.

Her legs gently rested against Lin Dong's legs under the tablecloth, and her body involuntarily twisted slightly. It wasn't intentional; she couldn't help it.

Huang Baiming frowned.

One hundred million Hong Kong dollars. He couldn't even scrape together half of his entire fortune. And with a larger operation, the pressure to recoup his investment would be even greater.

He was confident he could break even with 40 million, and even with 100 million – the best year for Hong Kong box office – the champion only made 40 to 50 million.

Of course, it still comes from box office revenue and copyright sales in other regions, but it's a hundred million! How are we going to make that back?

"Mr. Lin, one hundred million..." He carefully chose his words, "...the break-even point is too high. In this market—"

"I can invest all the money."

Huang Baiming suddenly looked up.

"One hundred million? I, Lin Dong, can afford that all by myself." Lin Dong leaned back in his chair, holding up one finger. "You just need to handle production and distribution, and take the fixed service fee. You won't have to worry about breaking even."

He spoke casually, as if he were talking about something trivial.

Huang Baiming opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.

All in. One hundred million.

This means that Lin Dong will bear all the risks, while Huang Baiming will only profit and not lose—provided that he does not take a share.

If this film is a huge hit, he won't get a single penny. But if it flops, it won't affect him either.

Huang Baiming considered the situation. He had some confidence in the project. But if it really made a profit, wouldn't it be a huge loss to just collect service fees?

"Mr. Lin," he forced a smile, "let me think about it."

Lin Dong stood up. Li Jiaxin followed suit, and took his arm again.

"Mr. Huang, you can think about it as long as you want. But let me make this clear from the start—if the investment in this film doesn't reach 100 million, I won't invest a single penny."

Huang Baiming nodded with a wry smile.

He watched Lin Dong and Li Jiaxin leave the private room. Li Jiaxin's steps were lighter than when she came in, her waist swaying slightly, as if she were walking on clouds.

He sat back down in his chair, looked at the leftover food on the table, and suddenly sighed.

Qiu Litao leaned closer: "Brother Ming, one hundred million! What was he thinking?"

Huang Baiming did not answer.

A thought kept running through his mind—was this person doing business or just playing around?