"Dude, a male version? Are you for real?"
Luke had mentioned it to the director before, but the director thought it was a joke and didn't take it seriously.
"Yeah, the actors are already here on set. Let's get this done quick," Luke said, calling out as two figures walked in.
A tall, buff guy and a shorter, stocky one stepped forward, grinning and greeting Luke.
But when they went for a hug, Taylor Swift immediately stepped in to block them.
Flashback to the premiere of Pirates of the Caribbean, where a couple was sitting next to Luke and Taylor.
When the movie ended, Luke quietly signaled for them to stick around.
When the couple realized the guy next to them, dressed in oversized clothes, was actually Luke, they were over the moon.
And when Luke asked them to shoot a music video, they jumped at the chance without hesitation.
I mean, who'd say no to getting paid and getting famous?
"You're really shooting a male version?" the director asked, still unsure.
"Yep, it'll create a ton of buzz and make the original MV even bigger," Luke said confidently.
In his past life, there was a male version of You Belong With Me that, for a while, got even more hype than the original.
(If you're curious, you should totally check out the male version MV—it's hilarious, and the actors nail it.)
It scratched that itch for parody and quirkiness, sparking a wave of meme-worthy fan edits.
Plus, it resonated big-time with certain communities.
Back then, it wasn't 2024 yet, and the LGBTQ flag wasn't flying as high. A video like this was a huge boost for those folks.
If it was such a hit, why not make it now? An official production would only be slicker.
So, at the premiere, Luke locked in that couple sitting next to him—they were perfect for it.
Seeing Luke's determination, the director didn't push back. He called the crew to start filming.
Money was good, time was plentiful—no reason to say no to the boss.
…
…
Zheyue Province, Xiaoshan International Airport.
After wrapping up Taylor's album MV shoot, Luke and Mr. Eisen hopped on a plane back to Asian.
Their trip was hush-hush. With Luke's fame, the airport would've been swarmed with fans otherwise.
If they couldn't even keep a trip under wraps, causing travel headaches, Mr. Eisen would've bought a private jet ages ago.
But both he and Luke were low-key guys. They weren't into flashy stuff like private planes.
Their flight had just landed—this was their first time back in Asian since shooting Hero.
(Note: For obvious reasons, characters in the Asian scenes are fictional. No real officials or businesspeople are used. Officials, especially, will barely appear. Thanks for understanding.)
As they walked out, the two chatted.
"Luke, you really think Hengdian Film City's got potential?" Mr. Eisen asked.
"It'll become the Hollywood of the East. It's still early days, but now's the perfect time to get in," Luke explained.
"A massive film base isn't just about construction costs. The real challenge is the ongoing expenses. Without a thriving film market to back it up, it's a house of cards," Mr. Eisen said.
"So, whether this project's worth it depends on whether Asian's film market can take off.
I'm not worried at all. In less than 20 years, Asian's film market will surpass North America to become the biggest in the world.
It'll easily support a film base bigger than Hollywood. Trust me on this," Luke said.
In 2001, Asian's total box office was just over 800 million RMB.
In 2002, thanks to Hero's massive success, it broke 1 billion RMB for the first time.
To Hollywood insiders, that's chump change.
Luke's Pirates of the Caribbean alone grossed over $1 billion globally, which, at the exchange rate then, was about 8 billion RMB.
Without the perspective of a reincarnated time-traveler, nobody in that moment could've predicted that, with Asian's economic boom, its film market would explode in under 20 years.
From a negligible side market to the world's biggest.
Luke had been planning how to deploy his growing pile of cash.
Like Mr. Eisen said, holding onto cash without turning it into real influence is asking for trouble.
Luke's strategy was to focus on the film industry as the core, with related industries as support, while spreading investments across countries to manage risk.
His Asian heritage meant he couldn't touch industries tied to national economic lifelines—nobody, in any country, would trust him with that kind of power.
But that same heritage gave him an edge in the film industry, a more peripheral sector, letting him navigate both sides with ease.
At least until global tensions spiked, he'd be seen as a cultural bridge, gaining more advantages.
Is the film industry peripheral?
You could say it's got huge cultural sway, but in terms of output and jobs, it's definitely a side player.
In the capital world, film money's at the bottom of the food chain—everybody knows that.
High-end manufacturing deals start at $100 billion. The film industry's peanuts don't even belong on the same table.
If he could, Luke would love to dive into those industries, but with his Asian background? Nah, better not.
"I'm with you. Let's give it a shot," Mr. Eisen said.
"We've got about $400 million to work with. Think Mr. Li at Hengdian Group will welcome our investment?" Luke asked.
Mr. Eisen had been handling the early talks with Hengdian.
Luke's film studio had about $770 million in cash on hand.
Setting aside $100 million for Pirates of the Caribbean 2, $150 million for a planned spy movie, and another $100 million for emergencies, they had around $400 million to play with.
"They'll probably roll out the red carpet, right? Asian's always been big on attracting foreign investment. Overseas cash gets all sorts of perks," Mr. Eisen said.