The five older men seated in the private room all knew the name Zhao Dong. After all, even back in the day, his presence was unforgettable. But back then, the age gap between them and the Zhao brothers had been a clear divide—ten, sometimes even twenty years older. They weren't in the same circles, especially not the high-flying one the Zhao brothers eventually mixed into. Familiarity? Hardly. At best, they exchanged polite nods in the same courtyard. Now, things had changed—and fast.
Before, they could pretend not to see. Walk a different way. Choose a different event. Now? That wasn't an option.
Zhao Dacheng had stepped into their industry.
He wasn't just dabbling, either—he'd planted his flag in it.
They couldn't afford to keep their distance anymore. In fact, they had to be the ones to initiate contact. So, when they heard he had launched a film and television company half a year ago, all five scrambled to get his number.
"I saw on the news that his wife is some big shot on Wall Street. Is that real?" Cui Jian asked, half curious, half skeptical.
"The reports are reprinted straight from U.S. sources. Should be legit," Ma Modu replied calmly.
"If that's true, then damn… That's impressive," Jiang Wen said, eyebrows raised.
At that moment, Cheng Kai, who had been unusually quiet, finally spoke up.
"It's real."
"You know for sure, Brother Kai?" Jiang Wen turned to him in surprise.
Cheng Kai nodded. "Zhang Guorong reached out to me a few days ago. We talked about Zhao Dong. He's got major clout in the U.S., and his wife's got even more. He's not just some investor. He's a player—and not just here. He's got real influence in Hong Kong, too. Honestly, we're not even in the same league anymore."
Jiang Wen and the others looked at each other, clearly stunned.
Cheng Kai offered a bitter smile. "You think he's not powerful? He carved out everything himself overseas. I wouldn't be surprised if, one day, he surpasses even Brother Zhenguo."
Just then, Jiang Wen's phone rang.
He looked down at the caller ID. "It's Xu Qing."
"Hello? Qing, what's up?"
"Wen, I saw your car in the lot. Where are you sitting? Xiaogang and I came up to eat," Xu Qing's familiar voice rang out over the line.
"Oh, uh…"
Jiang Wen hesitated. Xu Qing was also from the same compound, but he wasn't sure how the Zhao brothers would react to her showing up—especially with Feng Xiaogang.
"What? Is it not convenient?" Xu Qing picked up on his hesitation immediately.
"No, no—it's not that," Jiang Wen said quickly. "It's just me and Brother Ma hosting today… you know, more of a compound kids' thing."
"I get it," Xu Qing replied, her tone shifting.
After hanging up, Jiang Wen let out a sigh. "Qing and Zhao Dacheng go way back. They're from the same courtyard, and she actually knows all the brothers. Age-wise, they're closer too. If it were just her, it'd be fine. But with Feng Xiaogang in tow… things get complicated."
The others nodded in agreement. This wasn't a public gathering—it was a tight-knit reunion. If outsiders got involved, the Zhao brothers might just walk out.
"Acting like they're in some secret society…" one of them muttered.
—
In the parking lot, Xu Qing slid her phone back into her purse and looked over at Feng Xiaogang.
"They said it's not convenient."
"Inconvenient?" Feng Xiaogang raised an eyebrow. "It's just dinner."
He didn't think it was that serious. He had followed Mr. Shuo for years and considered himself part of the Beijing film circle. He'd rubbed shoulders with all sorts of people. To him, this was just another meal.
But what he didn't realize was—that circle he was in? That wasn't the circle. It was merely the outer shell. The compound kids had their own hierarchy, their own inner sanctum. And someone like Zhao Dong? He didn't even acknowledge what Feng thought was the "Beijing Circle."
To Zhao Dong, it wasn't a thing. Just noise.
Suddenly, an Audi A6 pulled up beside them. Two tall young men stepped out.
"Dacheng?" Xu Qing blinked in surprise.
"Sister Qing! What a coincidence," Zhao Dacheng greeted her with a smile.
Xu Qing's eyes widened as she looked past him. "Zhao Dong? Wow, you've grown tall! I almost didn't recognize you. You back from the States?"
"Hello," Zhao Dong replied, nodding with a polite smile.
He wasn't very familiar with Xu Qing. Though they were from the same courtyard, she was seven years older than him and four years older than his brother. They never played together—he only knew her because of his older brother's stories.
"You heading upstairs?" Zhao Dacheng asked, gesturing toward the restaurant.
Xu Qing looked toward Feng Xiaogang, then back. "Is it… convenient?"
Feng Xiaogang took this chance to speak up, stepping forward with an extended hand. "Mr. Zhao, good to see you again."
He had met Zhao Dacheng once, briefly, at a film investment dinner. Mr. Shuo had introduced him, calling him a new investor. But the way Mr. Shuo acted around Zhao Dacheng? Extremely respectful—too respectful. Feng Xiaogang could tell this man had serious backing.
Zhao Dong, of course, was another story altogether. Feng didn't even dare initiate conversation.
"Hello, Director Feng. Filming already started?" Zhao Dacheng shook his hand but didn't linger.
"Yes, production's rolling, everything's going smoothly. Just bumped into Qing, thought we'd grab dinner. Didn't expect to see you two."
Zhao Dacheng nodded. "Hope it goes well. But just so you know—I've lost money on a few of these projects already. If I lose again, I'm smashing Wang Shuo's desk."
Feng Xiaogang's face twitched slightly. He didn't dare respond.
Xu Qing rolled her eyes. "Dacheng, you're doing well now, but why talk so harshly? Brother Shuo helps you find projects, but can he guarantee profits? No one can. If you want to be a real big boss, then lead us. Help us all make money!"
"Harsh?" Dacheng said, surprised.
"You gonna charge at him again?" Xu Qing countered.
They were clearly still familiar with each other. Years ago, when Dacheng was in high school, he had chased after Xu Qing. She was beautiful, already at the Beijing Film Academy, and filming movies. He was just a kid in her eyes. She had dismissed him easily back then.
Zhao Dacheng just laughed and dropped the subject, turning to Zhao Dong.
"You set the scene. What are we doing here?" Zhao Dong asked.
"Let's head up together." Dacheng motioned for Xu and Feng to follow.
"Wait… are you meeting with Wen and the others?" Xu Qing asked, realizing something.
"That's them," Dacheng replied casually.
"So that's why they're acting all mysterious," Xu Qing muttered in realization.
Zhao Dacheng turned around and pointed subtly toward Feng Xiaogang.
Xu Qing froze, then nodded with understanding. Right. That explained everything.
—
When they arrived at the private room upstairs, Zhao Dacheng pushed the door open.
Inside, Jiang Wen, Ma Modu, Cui Jian, Cheng Kai, and the others quickly stood up.
"Dacheng's here," Jiang Wen said.
Even Cheng Kai and Wang Su—both nearly a generation older—didn't dare act superior. They greeted Zhao Dong with respect.
"This is my younger brother, Zhao Dong. You all know him," Zhao Dacheng introduced with a smile.
"Zhao Dong, hello."
The group nodded politely, sneaking curious glances at the people standing behind him—Xu Feng, Cui Jian, and others. They were surprised. Zhao Dong seemed... different.
"Hello, everyone," Zhao Dong greeted, his voice calm and friendly. "We're not strangers. You're all seniors—some even from my father's generation—so don't be so polite. Let's sit and chat."
That threw everyone off a bit. Was this still the arrogant Zhao Dong they remembered?
They didn't know. Zhao Dong had survived brutal beatings from life in America. And after reliving a past life full of hardship, the pride remained—but the arrogance was long gone.
After they sat down, Jiang Wen smiled and asked, "Qing, you ran into the Dacheng brothers downstairs?"
Xu Qing laughed. "Yeah, in the parking lot. I didn't even recognize Zhao Dong at first. He's so tall and built now."
Then she shot Jiang Wen a teasing glare. "I'm only here eating this meal because Dacheng's from the same courtyard. At least he has some generosity. Unlike you guys—always looking down on me."
Jiang Wen just chuckled awkwardly. Ma Modu and the others laughed, knowing full well how sharp Xu Qing's tongue could be.
Suddenly, Zhao Dacheng grinned. "Bro, I recently met a beautiful actress—the one from that Gege drama. Should I call her over?"
"What for?" Zhao Dong raised a brow.
"To eat, drink, and have fun. What else?"
Zhao Dacheng chuckled. "That Gege crowd is all the rage now. But I swear, this one's the prettiest."
Jiang Wen and the others burst out laughing.
"Men are all the same," Xu Qing rolled her eyes. "You little brat—used to chase me around, and now you're playing with female stars."
Zhao Dacheng caught that glance. Xu Qing had just turned thirty, and her youthful charm hit him like a punch to the chest. He swallowed his thoughts quickly.
"Don't mess around. I'm not into princesses or celebrities," Zhao Dong said casually, then turned to Cheng Kai. "Brother Kai, what are you working on these days?"
Cheng Kai smiled. "Filming The Emperor and the Assassin. Gong Li and Zhang Fengyi are starring."
"What about you, Brother Wen?" Zhao Dong turned to Jiang Wen.
At that, Wang Shuo and the others couldn't help but chuckle.
Jiang Wen rubbed the back of his neck. "From last year to now, I made a film called The Devils Are Coming... but it won't pass review."
Zhao Dong paused, nodding knowingly. He remembered: the film would later get critical acclaim overseas but get Jiang Wen banned for five years from directing in China. Five years—he could only act, not direct.
Not wanting to dwell on it, Zhao Dong smiled and changed the subject. "Brothers, you're not outsiders. Brother Kai and Brother Ma are barely younger than my father..."
Cheng Kai quickly waved his hand. "Half a generation. Old Ma and I are half a generation younger than Brother Zhenguo. The other three are a little older than you, that's all."
Zhao Dong nodded. "Alright. My brother wants to start a company in your industry. The family tried to talk him out of it, but he wouldn't listen. I've got no choice now but to support him. That's why I came here—to talk about this with you all."
Cheng Kai and the others nodded, waiting for more.
"If he's going to do this, he has to do it right," Zhao Dong said. "I told him already—no half-assed games. Either build it into the best film and television company in the country... or don't even bother."
"Leader of the industry?" They were stunned.
Zhao Dong smiled, raising one finger. "I plan to invest this much into my brother."
"…?"
The room fell quiet. No one could figure out how much he meant.
"100 million?" Zhao Dacheng guessed.
Zhao Dong gave him a look. "You think 100 million can build an empire?"
"…1 billion?" Zhao Dacheng asked again, stunned.
The room exploded into shocked silence.
It was 1999. China didn't even have a mature entertainment industry. Huayi Brothers had just been founded five years ago. They hadn't even entered the film and television space—just dabbled in music. The whole company wasn't even worth 20 million yet.
The total Chinese box office in 1998 hadn't hit 1 billion yuan. Titanic alone made 360 million. Without it, the rest of the year barely cleared 500 million.
This year was worse. Halfway through, the total box office was just over 300 million.
"10 billion?!" someone finally shouted.
"Can you buy the entire Chinese entertainment industry with that kind of money?"
Zhao Dong casually waved his hand. "As the industry leader, my goal is to build a one-stop platform—from scriptwriting to production, from promotion to cinema chains, even a high-tech VFX division."
Everyone was speechless. The ambition was insane. They wanted to build studios, theaters, tech companies—just how far was Zhao Dong planning to go?
"Bro, are you serious about 10 billion?" Zhao Dacheng's voice trembled. His own Huihuang Films barely had 20 million yuan—money scraped together from their mom.
If Zhao Dong really gave him that much money... he wouldn't even know where to start.
"It's not one big lump sum," Zhao Dong said with a grin. "It'll come in stages. This is a long-term investment."
Zhao Dacheng nodded, laughing nervously. "That's better. If you gave it all at once, I'd probably burn through it by accident."
Zhao Dong looked at the others. "Brothers, my brother's just getting started. He doesn't have many connections. We're hoping you'll all lend a hand."
"No problem," Jiang Wen raised his glass. "From now on, we're in this together. If I've got a movie, I'll come straight to you for investment."
The rest echoed their support—even Cui Jian, the legendary rocker.
Zhao Dong leaned forward, voice firm but composed.
"As the future leader in the entertainment and film industry," he said, "there's something else you need to understand. It's not just about talent or vision. You've gotta have the right values. Don't twist your morals, and definitely don't go cozying up in someone else's house trying to get ahead."
"Hey, I agree with that," Jiang Wen said, nodding quickly.
The others followed suit, nodding with varying degrees of understanding—some serious, some hesitant.
Zhao Dong smiled again, this time more relaxed. "Anyway, I'll be launching a major business operation here in China very soon. A private commercial investment bank is being established in Beijing—state-approved."
"Wait—an investment bank?"
"It's already a bank now?"
The group looked around at each other, clearly stunned. Zhao Dong's words were starting to overwhelm them. It was like every time he opened his mouth, another bombshell dropped. By now, they were numb. All they could do was keep listening.
Zhao Dong leaned back. "Look, if you're helping my brother, I won't let you go unpaid. If you ever want to invest down the line, just tell my brother. I'll bring you in personally."
"Oh—of course, yeah." Several people nodded repeatedly, eyes gleaming with a mix of awe and anticipation.
Right then, Zhao Dong's phone rang. It was a call from home.
"Hello?" he answered.
"Honey, the funds have arrived. We can start processing everything with the higher authorities now," said Lin Sai on the other end.
"Perfect. I'll go find my dad now. He's not home, is he?" Zhao Dong asked, smiling.
"Nope, he's at the company—or rather, the unit. Oh, and by the way," she added with a chuckle, "Mom wants to know if you're coming back for dinner."
Zhao Dong laughed, "Not tonight. My brother and I are hosting some friends for dinner at the Beijing Hotel."
"Alright. I'll let Mom know. Love you."
"Love you too."
After hanging up, Zhao Dong immediately dialed his father's cell.
"Dad, you finished with the handover?"
"Not yet," Zhao Zhenguo replied. "This is a massive deal—it'll take at least another day."
"Well, our capital just landed. How do we move forward with the paperwork?"
"It's all in place already? Hmm... you don't need to worry about the paperwork. I'll try to bring it home tonight," his father answered.
"Great. By the way, my brother and I are at the Beijing Hotel with Chen Kai, Ma Modu, and a few others. Want to join us?"
"What? Those guys?" Zhao Zhenguo's tone hardened. "Why are you wasting your time with them?"
Chen Kai and Ma Modu stiffened slightly when they heard their names, their expressions a mix of embarrassment and fear.
"Come on, Dad. My brother's building a career in that industry. Let him enjoy it."
"I don't care what he does—he's useless. But you better stay out of that business, understood?"
"Yeah, I know. I don't have the time anyway," Zhao Dong replied with a smile, then hung up.
"Brother, did the bank funds come through?" Zhao Dacheng asked, eyes gleaming.
"Yeah, the money was wired from the port city. Smooth and fast."
"Ten billion U.S. dollars?" Dacheng asked, voice lowered.
Zhao Dong nodded. "Exactly."
Chen Kai and the rest of the table exchanged looks again. Ten billion dollars? What was Zhao Dong doing in the U.S.—digging for gold or robbing the Federal Reserve?
The lunch dragged on until 3 PM. As they wrapped up, Zhao Dacheng was already pulling Zhao Dong toward the next gathering.
---
Courtyard Kids Reunion – Diaoyutai State Guesthouse
This next event had been organized for a different crowd: childhood friends from the courtyard days. These were the second-generation elites—kids who had grown up within the walls of power. Most of their parents held military ranks no lower than colonel.
The venue: Diaoyutai State Guesthouse. The level of the event? Clearly far above the previous party.
Although the guesthouse had been open to the public since 1980, it only opened buildings 8 and 9—and only when no foreign delegations were using them. This time, however, they were assigned Building 18. Out of respect for international guests, buildings 1 and 13 didn't exist.
After clearing registration and inspection, the car passed through the gates.
Inside Building 18, the atmosphere was already buzzing. Zhao Dong recognized a crowd of about twenty or thirty people the moment he stepped in.
"Brother Lei! Fatty Er! San Jie!"
Zhao Dong greeted them warmly, his voice carrying across the hall.
"Dongzi! It's been years—damn, you got jacked! Watching you dunk on TV... man, it doesn't feel real."
"Dong Ge! You didn't even come see us last year when you were back. I thought you'd ditched us."
"Dongzi! I was in the States for a few months. Didn't dare reach out, figured you wouldn't recognize me."
"Brother Dongdong, how could you get married and not even tell us? Looked down on us, huh?"
Zhao Dong laughed as he waved his hands, trying to calm everyone down.
"San Jie, I got married in the States—it was all a blur. I'd never look down on you guys."
Then he turned to the crowd. "Honestly, I've been away too long, barely kept in touch. I owe everyone here three rounds of wine—at least."
"Alright, alright, quit the mushy talk." Zhao Dacheng stepped in, raising his voice. "My brother's handling real business now. He doesn't have time to hang out like before."
He looked around and shook his head. "All you do is think about going overseas. That's why I wanted to bring some of my brother and sister-in-law's foreign employees here today. Open your eyes. You think foreigners are hot stuff? They work for my brother and sister-in-law."
"Dacheng, come on—Uncle Zhenguo just got another promotion, right? You guys are unstoppable."
"It's more than that," someone whispered. "He's not just promoted—he's a full deputy minister now. Left public security too. His future? Blazing bright."
The murmurs turned into another wave of chatter.
At that moment, the door opened again. A smaller group entered—six people total. Four men, two women. Their presence drew attention immediately.
"Whoa—is that Liu Chengbing?" Zhao Dacheng turned and squinted. He recognized one of the guys and quickly stepped forward, suddenly cautious.
His tone shifted. The swagger was gone—replaced by the kind of cautious respect Jiang Wen had shown Zhao Dong earlier.
---
(End of Chapter)
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