The rental apartment was as depressing as ever.
The curtains were drawn tightly shut, sealing off every trace of sunlight from the outside world. Despite it being August, the room felt strangely cold and damp, carrying the unpleasant smell of stale alcohol and neglect.
Empty beer bottles covered nearly every inch of the floor.
Some stood upright.
Others lay scattered across the room like discarded corpses.
Instant noodle containers, cigarette butts, and crumpled newspapers formed small mountains in the corners.
The apartment no longer looked like a place where someone lived.
It looked more like a garbage dump.
In the middle of this mess, a television flickered weakly.
Entertainment news was playing.
The screen changed rapidly as reporters discussed the hottest stories in the Hong Kong entertainment industry.
Most people would have ignored it.
But when the words "Emperor Entertainment," "The Twins Effect," and "Nicholas Tse" appeared, a figure suddenly jerked upright from the pile of blankets and beer bottles.
His hair was messy.
His eyes were bloodshot.
His face carried the exhausted look of someone who hadn't slept properly for days.
It was Edison Chen.
The once-promising newcomer who had been abandoned by the industry.
He immediately grabbed the remote control and turned up the volume.
The reporter's voice filled the apartment.
"According to our station's latest information, Emperor Entertainment Group officially announced yesterday that it has reached a cooperation agreement with Marvel Company."
"The movie The Twins Effect has officially entered production."
"Sources close to the project reveal that Nicholas Tse is expected to play one of the male leads."
"Considering that the effects of the recent hit-and-run cover-up controversy have not fully disappeared, Emperor Entertainment's decision has generated considerable discussion..."
Edison could no longer hear the rest.
His breathing became heavier and heavier.
His eyes widened.
Veins appeared on his forehead.
The numbness that had occupied his face for weeks suddenly disappeared, replaced by pure rage.
Bang!
The remote control smashed against the wall.
Plastic fragments flew everywhere.
"Why?!"
His roar echoed throughout the apartment.
"Why him?!"
"Why is it always him?!"
The veins on his neck bulged visibly.
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became.
Nicholas Tse's reputation had already been severely damaged.
The media criticized him every day.
Public opinion wasn't favorable.
Yet somehow, he still received major projects.
Still received resources.
Still remained active in the entertainment industry.
Meanwhile, Edison had practically disappeared.
Nobody cared about him anymore.
Nobody offered him opportunities.
Nobody called.
Nobody remembered him.
To make matters worse, he had spent almost all his savings hiring people to spread negative publicity against Nicholas.
He had believed Albert Yeung's promises.
He had believed that if Nicholas stumbled badly enough, the opportunity would eventually return to him.
But now?
That opportunity had vanished again.
The role had gone to Nicholas.
The project had gone to Nicholas.
Everything had gone to Nicholas.
Edison clenched his fists until his nails dug into his palms.
He wanted to hate Albert Yeung.
But he didn't dare.
He wanted to hate Luo Zheng.
But he dared even less.
No matter how drunk or miserable he became, he still understood one simple reality.
Those people could destroy him effortlessly.
If they wished, they could completely erase him from the entertainment industry.
So the only person left for him to blame...
Was Nicholas Tse.
His former friend.
His former colleague.
The easiest target.
The safest target.
As hatred continued building inside him, a loud crash suddenly came from the apartment entrance.
Bang!
The old wooden door shook violently.
Edison froze.
Before he could react—
Bang!
Another impact.
The entire door frame cracked.
His expression changed.
Then came the third strike.
The door burst open.
Several young men rushed inside.
They carried sticks and metal pipes.
The leader pointed directly at Edison.
"It's him!"
"Beat him!"
Before Edison could even ask what was happening, a heavy kick landed in his stomach.
The world spun.
Pain exploded through his body.
He collapsed onto the floor.
The next second, fists and clubs rained down mercilessly.
His screams were quickly swallowed by the chaos.
Outside the apartment, nobody paid attention.
In this neighborhood, such sounds were not uncommon.
And nobody cared enough to investigate.
Time passed quickly.
Before anyone realized it, August was already coming to an end.
On the set of The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber, filming continued smoothly.
At the center of the studio, Director Yang was explaining the next scene.
Alec Su and Alyssa Chia listened attentively.
Around them, dozens of actors and crew members gathered nearby.
Some were genuinely interested in learning.
Others were simply watching the production process.
Toward the back of the crowd stood Gao Yuanyuan and veteran actor Zhang Guoli.
Both had already completed their scenes for the morning.
Leaving immediately felt impolite.
So they stayed behind, chatting casually while waiting.
At that moment, Gao Yuanyuan's phone rang.
The sound wasn't particularly loud.
Normally, nobody would have noticed.
However, the set had become unusually quiet during the director's explanation.
As a result, the ringtone stood out clearly.
Zhang Guoli subconsciously glanced toward the screen.
The caller ID displayed a name.
Luo Zheng.
His eyebrows instantly rose.
Recently, Luo Zheng's name had appeared everywhere.
Hollywood.
Marvel.
Venice Film Festival.
Spider-Man.
Hero.
Every major entertainment headline involved him somehow.
Yet Gao Yuanyuan actually had direct contact with such a person?
Before Zhang Guoli could think further—
An excited voice suddenly erupted.
"Really?!"
"You're taking me too?"
"You're not lying to me, right?!"
The entire set froze.
Director Yang stopped speaking mid-sentence.
Everyone turned.
The source of the interruption was obvious.
Gao Yuanyuan stood there holding her phone.
A bright smile filled her face.
The excitement in her voice was impossible to hide.
Director Yang's expression darkened instantly.
Only moments earlier, he had specifically instructed everyone to remain quiet during scene explanations.
Now someone had interrupted him publicly.
As a director, if he ignored it, his authority would suffer.
Even if the person involved was one of the female leads.
He still needed to make an example.
Nearby, Alyssa Chia immediately noticed the director's displeasure.
A subtle smile appeared in her eyes.
Not because she hated Gao Yuanyuan.
But because competition naturally existed between female leads.
Since joining the production, Gao Yuanyuan had maintained a calm and detached attitude.
She neither fought for attention nor sought special treatment.
Oddly enough, that made Alyssa even more uncomfortable.
In her eyes, Gao Yuanyuan seemed too perfect.
Too calm.
Too elegant.
Too detached.
It felt artificial.
As though she were intentionally portraying herself as pure and aloof.
A white lotus.
At least, that's how Alyssa interpreted it.
Director Yang strode through the crowd.
The atmosphere became tense.
Zhang Guoli quietly tugged Gao Yuanyuan's sleeve.
Only then did she realize something was wrong.
Looking up, she found the director standing directly in front of her.
Her excitement faded immediately.
"Oh!"
"I'm sorry, Director Yang."
She quickly apologized.
Then she explained honestly.
"Director Luo Zheng just called."
"He invited me to attend the Venice Film Festival."
"I got too excited."
"I'm really sorry."
She even bowed politely.
The moment those words left her mouth—
The atmosphere changed completely.
Director Yang's expression froze.
The crew froze.
Alec Su froze.
Even Alyssa Chia froze.
The Venice Film Festival?
Luo Zheng?
Invitation?
For a moment nobody spoke.
Director Yang recovered first.
His dark expression vanished instantly.
In its place appeared a warm smile.
A very warm smile.
"President Luo?"
"You're talking about President Luo from Blue Whale Entertainment?"
"Yes."
Gao Yuanyuan nodded innocently.
Director Yang nearly slapped himself.
Good heavens.
He had almost criticized the financier's favorite actress in front of the entire crew.
Fortunately, he hadn't said anything yet.
Otherwise, the consequences could have been awkward.
The crowd immediately erupted into discussion.
Venice!
That wasn't some random event.
For television actors, it was a dream destination.
Many people worked their entire lives without ever getting close to such a stage.
Yet Gao Yuanyuan had received a personal invitation.
At the front, Alyssa Chia's expression changed repeatedly.
Shock.
Disbelief.
Envy.
Jealousy.
One emotion replaced another.
She couldn't understand it.
Why was Gao Yuanyuan always so lucky?
Why could she attract powerful backing so effortlessly?
What exactly made her special?
The more she thought about it, the more unwilling she felt.
Meanwhile, Gao Yuanyuan had no idea what everyone else was thinking.
She simply looked at Director Yang.
"Director, may I ask for a few days off?"
"A few days?"
Director Yang laughed.
"A month would be fine."
"No, no."
"I'll come back immediately after the festival."
Director Yang leaned closer.
Then he lowered his voice.
"If President Luo has time..."
"Could you perhaps invite him to visit the set?"
Gao Yuanyuan blinked.
"Visit the set?"
"Why?"
Director Yang almost laughed.
"You don't know?"
"Blue Whale Entertainment is one of our investors."
This time it was Gao Yuanyuan's turn to be shocked.
She genuinely didn't know.
Suddenly, many things made sense.
Before she joined the production, Luo Zheng had only told her not to worry and that everything had already been arranged.
Now she finally understood what he meant.
After promising to pass along the invitation, Gao Yuanyuan prepared to leave.
She greeted Zhang Guoli.
She greeted Alec Su.
Then her gaze landed briefly on Alyssa Chia.
The two women's eyes met.
No words were exchanged.
But some things didn't require words.
Gao Yuanyuan wasn't foolish.
She could sense hostility.
She could sense competition.
She simply chose not to participate.
Today, however...
For the first time since joining the crew, she lifted her chin slightly.
Elegant.
Calm.
Confident.
Like Zhou Zhiruo standing above the martial world.
Her gaze swept lightly over Alyssa Chia.
Then she turned and walked away.
The surrounding crew immediately looked elsewhere.
Nobody wanted to get involved.
Women truly were terrifying.
Especially when they fought without speaking.
Meanwhile, far away, Luo Zheng had already completed most of his work in Hong Kong.
After settling matters at Marvel Asia-Pacific and finalizing several projects, he boarded a flight back to Beijing.
The Venice Film Festival was approaching.
Time was running short.
Upon landing at the airport, key members of the Getting Home crew were already waiting.
Everyone looked excited.
Everyone looked nervous.
This was the first major international film festival experience for many of them.
As for Luo Zheng?
He barely had time to rest.
He didn't even have enough time to visit several women who had been waiting for him.
After a brief meeting with the crew, he immediately completed the final preparations.
Soon afterward, Gao Yuanyuan arrived.
The two exchanged smiles.
Then, together with the rest of the delegation, they boarded the international flight bound for Italy.