Chapter 87

The one who came to Hong Kong was Wang Anping.

Although he didn't know why she had come to Hong Kong and contacted him, Shen Zhenghui knew that since she had called him and invited him out, he couldn't refuse. It was a matter of attitude.

The place Wang Anping had chosen was quite unusual—it was a park. Shen Zhenghui, wearing a hat and sunglasses to blend in, stood at the entrance, looking around foolishly. When a red Ferrari stopped in front of him, he was still dazed. It wasn't until Wang Anping poked her head out of the window that he realized whose car it was.

"I thought we were going to walk around the park while talking." Getting into the passenger seat of the Ferrari, Shen Zhenghui was surprised that Wang Anping had driven herself. He looked at the complex operating system of the Ferrari and felt a bit dizzy. "Sister Anping, why are you in Hong Kong?"

"Why are you in Hong Kong?" Wang Anping started the Ferrari.

"I have a cooperative relationship with several Hong Kong film companies, and I came to discuss business." Shen Zhenghui replied.

"Have you been discussing for a week and still haven't reached an agreement?" Wang Anping glanced at him.

"Ha... Well, business takes time." Shen Zhenghui laughed awkwardly.

"Are you planning to invest in Stephen Chow's new film?" Wang Anping asked straightforwardly.

"Sister Anping, you really know everything." Shen Zhenghui pursed his lips. "But if he refuses me, I plan to try my luck in Hollywood."

"Aren't you going back to the mainland?"

"A child sets out with a vow, not to return until he has achieved success. Why should I need to return to my hometown when the world is full of green mountains?" Shen Zhenghui recited in a melancholic tone.

"You still have an animation company in Yuhang," Wang Anping narrowed her eyes. "And a bunch of businesses in Pengcheng, and your father has a TV production company."

"That's why I need to expand to Hollywood!" Shen Zhenghui said casually.

Wang Anping sped up along a desolate road. "Is Liu's girl still handling your business on the mainland?"

"Didn't you warn me last time?"

Hearing this, Wang Anping pursed her lips. "So you troubled that girl?"

"She is a shareholder, it's legitimate." Shen Zhenghui replied.

Wang Anping slammed on the brakes, the tires screeching against the ground, and the car finally stopped by the roadside.

"Where are we?" Shen Zhenghui was puzzled. There was nothing around, just mountains on one side and the sea on the other.

"I've lost the paparazzi following you. Now we can talk properly." Wang Anping said casually.

"Really? There were paparazzi following me?" Shen Zhenghui looked around in surprise.

"They've been following you for days. Don't you read *Appledaily*?"

"I've been holed up in the office for days. I thought they had given up." Shen Zhenghui felt a bit embarrassed. "I've been too busy to read it. Is there more gossip about me?"

Wang Anping touched her nose and took out a stack of newspapers. "Take a look yourself."

Shen Zhenghui was shocked to see that he was all over the front pages.

"If I didn't know you, I wouldn't have known you changed your name to Shen Yu."

"It's a stage name." Shen Zhenghui flipped through the newspapers, finding mostly reports about film production, though most were fake news. People who had visited him claimed that Japanese investors were very interested in their films, which was all baseless.

"So, Sister Anping, did you come to see me because of the newspapers?"

"I'm not that idle."

"Then why are you in Hong Kong?"

"To raise funds!" Wang Anping replied. "Bank loans are tightening, and while it hasn't forced me to repay early, further expansion has been affected. So I came to Hong Kong to find new capital sources."

Shen Zhenghui raised an eyebrow. "Why not take this opportunity to strengthen your foundation and reorganize internally?"

Wang Anping smiled. "Now is the best time for development. Everything is at its lowest point."

"But if the scale is too large, a broken capital chain could lead to a collapse, and you'd end up working for others."

"That's why I'm in Hong Kong!" Wang Anping replied.

Shen Zhenghui felt that even as a穿越者 (time traveler), he might not be as clear about specific business operations as this young lady from the Wang family. Moreover, with the Wang family's background, they wouldn't lack loans. So he changed the subject. "What do you need from me?"

"Can't I just visit you?" Wang Anping rolled her eyes, and Shen Zhenghui wished he could scratch his heart.

"The Hong Kong Liaison Office wants to see you."

"Why would the Liaison Office want to see me?" Shen Zhenghui became nervous.

"Haven't you read the newspaper?" Wang Anping asked.

"Read what?" Shen Zhenghui shook the newspaper. "Most of this is rumors and lies! Does the Liaison Office use such newspapers for intelligence?"

"Rumors and lies can sometimes be useful references," Wang Anping said, spreading her hands. "You didn't know that because of *Appledaily*'s reports, a trend has formed in the Hong Kong entertainment industry, making people think a wave of Japanese capital is about to enter the Hong Kong film industry."

"Really?" Shen Zhenghui looked at the *Appledaily* again. "This is *Pingguo Daily*, not *People's Daily*. It's acting like the mouthpiece of Hong Kong, but even if it were, when did it start representing Japan?"

"Even if it's a rumor, once it has an impact, it must be taken seriously."

"Are you serious? You're giving too much credit to gossip newspapers."

"International relations are no small matter."

"This isn't international, it's domestic!"

"If it's domestic, it's even more complicated." Wang Anping nodded.

"Then what should I do? Should I go to the Liaison Office and explain the situation?"

Wang Anping rolled her eyes. "I'm here, aren't I?"

Shen Zhenghui suddenly understood. "Oh, thank you, Sister Anping."

Wang Anping shook her head. "I don't know what to say to you. Have you considered giving a public interview to explain your purpose in Hong Kong?"

"Stephen Chow hasn't agreed yet!"

"Who asked you to say that?"

"Then what should I say?"

"Just don't repeat what's in the newspaper." Wang Anping looked at Shen Zhenghui seriously.

"Got it." Shen Zhenghui nodded.

"The financial crisis has just passed, and the Hong Kong market is bleak. Now, someone is using your visit to stir up a lot of hype, which isn't good." Wang Anping said. "This is a critical time, and the Liaison Office is naturally on edge."

"The Xinhua News Agency will interview you tomorrow at the latest. Don't refuse."

"Got it." Shen Zhenghui nodded, but he was curious. "Sister Anping, if you weren't in Hong Kong, what would they do to me?"

"Someone would talk to you, but I don't know how." Wang Anping said, looking at Shen Zhenghui seriously. "You should go back to the mainland more often. Anran's performance depends on you!"

Although he knew the last sentence was a joke, Shen Zhenghui felt a surge of gratitude. He spread his hands. "I'm in Japan mainly to get business for my animation company."

"Aren't your main efforts in acting in films and TV shows?" Wang Anping asked.

"Well, the company is on track, so I don't need to be involved in every detail." Shen Zhenghui blinked. "So I can focus more on what I'm interested in."

"Are you interested in dating Japanese actresses?"

"That's for work."

"Then are you more interested in Hong Kong actresses?"

"That's a smear campaign by the newspaper." Shen Zhenghui put on a righteous look. "When I had dinner with Lin Jian and the Xiang family, everyone brought their partners. Why am I the only one portrayed as a playboy? That's unfair."

"Who said you were married?"

"Lin Jian is married and still flirts in the entertainment industry. He has a soft spot for Taiwanese actresses, causing a pair of golden children to break up, and now he's causing trouble again. The Xiang family is even worse." Shen Zhenghui spread his hands. "Sitting with them, I feel as pure as a white lotus."

"White lotus, your Japanese girlfriend looks like one." Wang Anping said sarcastically.

The atmosphere between them became a bit awkward.

At that moment, the sound of a car engine came from a distance, and a car seemed to be approaching from behind. Wang Anping coughed, restarted the engine, and said, "I'll take you back."

"Drop me off somewhere convenient for a taxi." Shen Zhenghui nodded.

"Central then!" Wang Anping smiled, not joking.

"Central, that's fine. I haven't been there much." Shen Zhenghui didn't mind.

Two vans approached from behind. Strangely, they saw Wang Anping's Ferrari and pulled up, one in front and one behind, blocking the Ferrari.

Shen Zhenghui was stunned, but Wang Anping had already pressed the safety button, locking the windows and doors. She started calling for help, shouting, "Where are you? Someone is trying to kidnap me!" Then she put down the phone and calmly watched as people with knives, clearly gang members, jumped out of the vans.

About ten people got out of the vans, divided into tasks. The tires were punctured first, and two people with paint cans splashed the Ferrari. The others used their knives to slash the car and smash the windows. Fortunately, the glass was of high quality and only made loud noises. Red paint flowed down the windshield like blood. The apparent leader of the group was banging on the glass near Shen Zhenghui, shouting in Cantonese. Shen Zhenghui looked at Wang Anping with a calm expression.

"We're lucky they didn't bring guns." Wang Anping chuckled, looking at her watch. "They'll be here in ten minutes at most."

Shen Zhenghui felt reassured. A family of Wang's status wouldn't go out without bodyguards. He looked out the window at the man pointing at him with a fierce expression. Shen Zhenghui took out a camera and took a photo of the man. This enraged the group, and some of them dropped their knives and picked up wrenches to smash the car.

It felt like they were on a construction site inside the car.

Wang Anping rolled her eyes at Shen Zhenghui. "You really know how to pour oil on the fire."

"Is this car sturdy enough?" Shen Zhenghui asked uncertainly.

"If they had professional tools, it would be a different story." Wang Anping spread her hands.

"I was too careless. If I had known..." Shen Zhenghui pursed his lips. "I won't die here today, right?"

"Die?" Wang Anping sneered. "I'll see how many people will join me in death."

They were all shouting in Cantonese, telling the Japanese to go back to Japan. Clearly, they were after Shen Zhenghui, and Wang Anping was just an innocent bystander. The gang members were trying to break the windows. The leader pointed at Shen Zhenghui and shouted, "Hand over the camera! Today, I'll teach you a lesson and show you that Hong Kong isn't a place for Japanese to mess around in!"

Shen Zhenghui and Wang Anping moved closer to the center, back to back, facing their respective windows. People were standing on the hood, trying to break the windshield, which was already cracked.

Just then, the sound of sirens approached.

The gang members were clearly panicked, surprised by the speed of the police. The leader waved his hand, and they all got back into the vans. One of them stuck his head out and shouted at Shen Zhenghui, "Don't think this is over!"