Inside the hotel suite in Venice, the atmosphere was unusually relaxed.
After spending the night celebrating the Golden Lion victory with Gao Yuanyuan, Luo Zheng found himself in an exceptionally good mood. The excitement of the award had finally settled, leaving behind a calm sense of satisfaction.
The biggest goal of this trip had already been accomplished.
Not only had Getting Home won the Golden Lion Award, but its commercial value had skyrocketed overnight.
Now came the final step.
Turning that prestige into profit.
The next morning.
In the drawing room of the hotel, Chen Guofu had already arranged a private meeting with several distributors who had submitted the highest offers.
At exactly ten o'clock, Luo Zheng arrived with Gao Yuanyuan.
Even though he was technically late, nobody present showed the slightest dissatisfaction.
The moment he entered, several distributors immediately stood up with smiles.
"Director Luo."
"Congratulations again."
"Amazing film."
"Marvel's future looks very promising."
One greeting followed another.
Luo Zheng nodded politely as he shook hands around the room.
Among the visitors were quite a few familiar faces.
Representatives from Sony, Warner Bros., Lionsgate, Focus Features, and several other major companies had all arrived personally.
The atmosphere was completely different from before the awards ceremony.
Back then, everyone had been interested.
Now they were eager.
A Golden Lion-winning film carried a completely different value.
After everyone sat down, Luo Zheng didn't waste time with lengthy pleasantries.
The quality of Getting Home had already been proven.
The Golden Lion trophy was the best advertisement possible.
There was no need for him to sell the film with words.
So he simply smiled.
"Gentlemen, let's begin."
The room instantly became serious.
The bidding officially started.
Over the next hour, offers continued climbing.
The distributors clearly understood that this was one of the hottest international films of the year.
Nobody wanted to miss out.
After several rounds of negotiation, the results finally emerged.
Sony secured the North American distribution rights.
Final price:
Six million U.S. dollars.
Warner Bros. successfully acquired the European distribution rights.
Price:
Two point six million dollars.
Meanwhile, Focus Features joined forces with Japan's Toho to purchase the distribution rights for Japan, South Korea, and several other major Asian markets.
Price:
Three million dollars.
The remaining regions—including Australia, New Zealand, Latin America, and several smaller markets—were packaged together and sold to a collection of independent distributors.
Price:
One million dollars.
By the time the contracts were signed, the room was filled with satisfied smiles.
Everyone had gotten what they wanted.
After the distributors left, Chen Guofu sat down with a calculator and carefully reviewed all the numbers one more time.
Several minutes later, he looked up.
Even his usually calm face showed visible excitement.
"Director Luo..."
"The total is twelve point six million dollars."
The room instantly became silent.
Twelve point six million dollars.
More than one hundred million yuan.
And that was before the movie had even officially entered theaters.
Zhao Benshan stared blankly.
Song Dandan was equally shocked.
Even Gao Yuanyuan's beautiful eyes widened slightly.
For a few moments, nobody spoke.
Their brains simply couldn't process the number.
The production cost of Getting Home had only been a little over thirty million yuan.
Now the film had earned more than three times that amount before selling a single ticket.
This wasn't just profit.
This was a miracle.
If anyone dared claim that art films couldn't make money, Luo Zheng could simply throw this contract onto their desk.
The numbers alone were enough to silence all criticism.
And this wasn't counting future box office revenue.
Nor television licensing.
Nor DVD sales.
Nor streaming rights in the future.
The film hadn't even begun its real money-making cycle yet.
Looking at everyone's shocked expressions, Luo Zheng simply smiled.
"Alright."
"Stop staring at the numbers."
"Pack your things."
"We're going home."
Only then did everyone finally react.
The Venice trip had officially come to an end.
Winning awards.
Selling copyrights.
Building international connections.
Every objective had been completed perfectly.
The crew immediately returned to their rooms to prepare for departure.
Luo Zheng's plan was simple.
Leave early.
Return to China quietly.
Avoid the swarm of reporters waiting for him.
Unfortunately...
Reality rarely followed plans.
The moment the Getting Home crew headed toward Venice Airport, someone leaked the news.
Within hours, the entire entertainment industry exploded.
Newspapers around the world rushed to publish reports.
Hollywood media led the way.
[A New King Is Born! Chinese Director Luo Zheng Wins the Golden Lion and Completes Multi-Million-Dollar Distribution Deal]
[From Saw to Venice Champion: Luo Zheng Proves He Can Conquer Every Genre]
Back in China, the reaction was even more intense.
Supported heavily by China Film Group, the news practically dominated every entertainment section nationwide.
[Bringing Glory to the Nation! Luo Zheng Becomes China's Youngest Golden Lion Winner]
[Chinese Cinema Shocks the World Again! Getting Home Triumphs in Venice]
[Art and Commerce Combined! Golden Lion Winner Earns Over 100 Million Yuan Before Release]
And naturally...
The gossip media had their own priorities.
[Golden Lion Witnessed by Beauty! Gao Yuanyuan Accompanies Luo Zheng Throughout Entire Journey]
[Romance Confirmed? Luo Zheng and Gao Yuanyuan Remain Inseparable in Venice]
Award.
Money.
Love story.
The media practically had a complete entertainment package.
The story spread far beyond the entertainment industry.
Even retirees chatting in parks discussed Luo Zheng's Golden Lion victory.
Within the industry, the impact was even greater.
Blue Whale Entertainment's headquarters.
Marvel's Hong Kong branch.
Marvel headquarters in Hollywood.
All three locations were surrounded daily by reporters.
Airport terminals became temporary media battlefields.
Especially Beijing Airport.
Entertainment reporters practically moved in permanently.
Every day they waited.
Every day they asked questions.
Every day they searched for information.
Everyone knew one thing.
Luo Zheng was returning soon.
And they wanted the exclusive story.
Unfortunately for Luo Zheng...
His dream of secretly sneaking back into the country was already dead.
—
Meanwhile, in Beijing.
Early in the morning.
Liu Yifei burst into Liu Xiaoli's bedroom carrying her phone.
"Mom!"
"Cousin really won!"
"He actually won the Golden Lion!"
She practically jumped onto the bed.
The excitement on her face was impossible to hide.
Liu Xiaoli slowly sat up.
Her expression was considerably calmer.
After all, Luo Zheng had personally informed her much earlier.
The initial shock had already faded.
"I know."
She rubbed her forehead helplessly.
But Liu Yifei was far too excited to notice.
She waved her phone around.
"Cousin arrives tomorrow morning!"
"We're going to the airport, right?"
Liu Xiaoli immediately shook her head.
"No."
"You have class tomorrow."
The Beijing Film Academy semester had already started.
As a freshman, Liu Yifei had barely attended a few days before trying to skip classes.
Naturally, Liu Xiaoli wasn't pleased.
However...
Liu Yifei instantly switched to her secret weapon.
Acting cute.
She grabbed her mother's arm and started shaking it.
"Mom~"
"Please!"
"I'll ask for leave today!"
"The teacher will definitely approve it!"
Looking at her daughter, Liu Xiaoli finally surrendered.
"Fine."
"I'll help you ask."
The moment she agreed, Liu Yifei cheered loudly.
Meanwhile, Liu Xiaoli silently picked up her phone.
After contacting Liu Yan and confirming the airport arrangements, she couldn't help feeling emotional.
Countless artists would fight desperately for a chance to appear beside a Golden Lion-winning director.
Yet for her daughter...
The opportunity arrived naturally.
Sometimes connections truly mattered more than effort.
Looking at Liu Yifei's excited expression, a complicated emotion flashed through Liu Xiaoli's eyes.
But she quickly hid it.
—
At the same time.
Huayi Brothers headquarters.
Inside a conference room.
Preparations for A World Without Thieves were underway.
Standing beside the planning board, Feng Xiaogang spoke confidently.
The meeting progressed smoothly.
Until he noticed one problem.
Fan Bingbing wasn't paying attention.
She was completely distracted.
Feng Xiaogang frowned slightly.
If this were another actress, he would've criticized her immediately.
Unfortunately...
This was Fan Bingbing.
And everyone knew about her connection with Luo Zheng.
So he held back.
Instead, he looked toward Wang Zhongjun.
The chairman immediately understood.
"Bingbing?"
"Do you have any opinions regarding Director Feng's proposal?"
No response.
Fan Bingbing seemed lost in another world.
Only after hearing her name twice did she finally react.
She looked up.
Everyone was staring at her.
Her face immediately turned red.
"No!"
"No objections."
"Director Feng's plan is very good."
Just as Wang Zhongjun was preparing to say something else—
A loud notification sound suddenly echoed through the conference room.
Everyone froze.
Fan Bingbing hurriedly grabbed her phone.
"Sorry!"
She apologized quickly while unlocking the screen.
Both Feng Xiaogang and Wang Zhongjun frowned.
The apology sounded extremely unconvincing.
However...
The next second—
Fan Bingbing's eyes suddenly lit up.
She stood up excitedly.
"President Luo lands at Beijing Airport tomorrow at eight in the morning!"
The entire room went silent.
Feng Xiaogang's expression instantly changed.
A cold sweat appeared on his back.
At that moment, he secretly thanked heaven.
Fortunately...
Fortunately he hadn't lost his temper just now.
Otherwise, if Fan Bingbing casually mentioned it during a pillow-talk conversation with Luo Zheng—
The consequences might have been far more troublesome than he wanted to deal with.
Thinking of that possibility, Feng Xiaogang quietly exhaled in relief.
This time...
He had truly escaped disaster by a hair's breadth.