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

The Hong Kong Film Awards ceremony was still ongoing when Cheng Yu-ling turned around and held the microphone up to Lin Dong.

"Mr. Lam, this is your first time attending the Hong Kong Film Awards, and also your first public appearance since returning to Hong Kong."

On behalf of all Hong Kong filmmakers, I want to ask you a question—why did you invest in films? Two billion US dollars, why invest in anything else? Why choose this time?

Lin Dong thought for a moment, took the microphone, and held it to his mouth.

"I came to Hong Kong to invest in movies, nothing else." Lin Dong spoke slowly and earnestly, "because I believe the film industry is worth doing seriously."

The audience was silent.

"Value isn't determined by the rate of return. It's about whether the film can endure. Only things that endure have value. That's the essence of film."

He paused for a moment.

"I invested 30 million in a film, and some people think I did it to promote female stars. Let me say this today—" He raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over Andy Lau and then landing on Wong Jing, "I'm promoting the film itself. Andy Lau, Tony Leung, and many more people like them who truly dedicate their lives to acting are the ones who deserve to be promoted."

Applause erupted from one corner and quickly spread throughout the theater. Andy Lau sat up straight in his seat, his shoulders slightly tense.

Cheng Yu-ling chimed in at the opportune moment, her tone slightly teasing: "Mr. Lin is absolutely right! 'What he's praising is the film'—could we use that as tomorrow's headline?"

Lin Dong smiled. "Use it as you like."

There were a few laughs from the audience.

Zheng Yuling took another half step forward, the microphone almost poking Lin Dong's chest, her face showing an expression that said, "I'm going to ask you something explosive."

"Mr. Lin—someone on stage just now called you a 'nouveau riche,'" she deliberately drew out the word, "do you have anything to say in response?"

A rustling sound came from the audience. Some were nervous, some were excited, and some turned to look at a seat in the back row.

Lin Dong didn't follow the steps down; instead, he looked up with an innocent expression.

"I'm really not good at spending money."

The audience was stunned for a second.

Then laughter erupted.

"but--"

He raised one hand, signaling for quiet.

"If any of you here have any good projects, I will invest as much as you need. Don't worry about me not having money."

He lowered his hand, his tone calm and indifferent.

"After all, I still have over a billion US dollars in my account. I'm going to use that money to invest in movies."

The entire room fell silent for a moment.

Then thunderous applause erupted.

This applause was different from the previous ones. The previous applause was just politeness, a show of respect.

But now it's the shock of real money, the kind of shock that comes from what was originally thought to be the market value of stocks, but turns out to be real cash lying in an account.

All the quick-thinking people started calculating rapidly in their minds.

Over a billion yuan is in the account, readily available liquid funds.

It's important to understand that the assets of billionaires, multi-billionaires, or even those with net worths in the tens or hundreds of billions are tied up in stocks, real estate, and company shares. The cash they can mobilize with a single phone call is probably less than a fraction of Lin Dong's.

Many people also looked towards Zeng Aizi. Not long ago, Zeng Aizi had openly mocked Lin Dong, so perhaps it was time to keep some distance from him.

No one would suspect it's fake, because it's easy to check whether there's real money in the account.

On the stage, Chen Long took half a step back, turned his head to look at Lin Dong, and then raised his hands and cupped them in greeting.

This gesture may seem small, but it stands out under the spotlight. Hands clasped in a fist, fingertips pointing upwards, perfectly upright—it's the most solemn form of recognition in the martial arts world.

The people in the audience saw it.

Those who were still hesitating about whether to stand up were dispelled by this action.

More people stood up. The applause was thunderous and prolonged, like the waves of Victoria Harbour, one after another.

The host, Zhang Daming, was stunned for two seconds before he came to his senses. He smiled, shook his head, and made a downward gesture to the audience.

"Alright, alright! I know everyone wants to cast Mr. Lam in their films, but let's finish awarding the Best Actor prize first, okay? Mr. Lam isn't going to run away!"

Laughter and applause mingled together and slowly subsided. Zhang Daming cleared his throat: "The nominees for Best Actor at the 17th Hong Kong Film Awards are—"

Music begins. The faces and character clips of the five nominated actors flash across the large screen in turn.

"Happy Together – Tony Leung!"

"High Alert" – Liu Qingyun!

"Happy Together" - Zhang Guorong!

"Black Gold – Liang Jiahui!"

"The Thirteen Heroes of the South China Sea - Xie Junhao"

The camera panned across the faces of the five nominees. But many in the audience were no longer focused on the award. While the directors and producers were applauding, their eyes were all fixed on Lin Dong.

"The winner is—"

Chenlong tore open the envelope, glanced down at it, and a standard award-presenting smile appeared on his lips.

"—Tony Leung, Happy Together!"

The music is ringing.

Tony Leung stood up from his seat, next to Zhang Guorong—another runner-up. The two hugged lightly, and Tony Leung walked onto the stage.

Lin Dong and Chen Long stood side by side in the center of the stage. Tony Leung walked over, shook hands with Chen Long, and then shook hands with Lin Dong.

Chenlong and Lin Dong handed over the trophy together. Flashbulbs came from all angles, illuminating the stage brightly.

"Thank you. Thank you, Director Wong Kar-wai, thank you—"

He spoke slowly, with his characteristic reserve and gentleness. But the audience was already reacting quite differently.

The front row was alright, but the whispers in the back row were already uncontrollable—those practitioners who hadn't been nominated, hadn't won any awards, and whose projects were even on the verge of collapse were still processing the weight of Lin Dong's words and had no interest in what the person on stage was saying.

Tony Leung clearly noticed it too. He glanced at the audience, then lowered his head, then raised it again, smiled, and shrugged slightly.

The gesture was subtle, but it was captured on the big screen—an award-winning actor on the stage realized that his limelight had been stolen by a man who wasn't an actor, yet he couldn't say a word.

After the Best Actor award was given out, the proceedings continued.

The presenter for Best Director was Wu Yusen. When he opened the envelope, the curve of his lips visibly paused. He looked up, his gaze sweeping over the audience, a subtle hint of surprise in his voice.

"The winner is Chen Guo, Made in Hong Kong."

There was a moment of silence in the audience.

Then applause broke out, but it was mixed with obvious murmurs.

Chen Guo is a new director, an independent producer, who made a film about marginalized people at the bottom of society. He didn't have a big cast or a big budget—yet he won Best Director.

The Best Film award was then given to "Made in Hong Kong," which became the most controversial aspect of this year's Hong Kong Film Awards.

Once they reached this point, the awards ceremony was over, and most people began to move to the side hall.

Meanwhile, a short, fat man left the scene halfway through, his face ashen, clutching his phone like a lifeline.

In the side hall, a long table was covered with a white cloth and filled with champagne glasses and exquisite pastries. Lin Dong stood in the center of the banquet hall, slightly to the left, holding a wine glass, with Li Jiaxin holding his arm.

A polite smile graced her face, but her gaze seemed to survey her own territory. Lin Dong was the center of attention tonight, and she, as the only woman beside him, was no less so.

A crowd surged forward in waves. People handed out business cards, introduced themselves, claimed to have excellent projects, or said they were the go-to screenwriters for some famous director—Lin Dong smiled and nodded at them all, neither refusing nor accepting, pushing them all towards Chen Xinjian.

Meanwhile, on the outside, Zhang Baizhi followed next to Stephen Chow, watching the spotlight on Lin Dong and Li Jiaxin beside him, but he still didn't dare to take another step forward.

It wasn't that she was afraid of Li Jiaxin, but rather that she knew clearly that Lin Dong wouldn't like it.