195: Chapter 195 The Mourning Maria!

The last shred of resentment in his heart had long since vanished.

The remaining aspects of the occasion should be left to Shen Zhou to play the good guy.

Shen Zhou gently lifted the teacup before him with one hand, brought it to his lips, took a light sip, and sighed in sincere admiration.

"Director Zhou, although you are a beginner at tea art, this cup of tea is the most fragrant one I have ever tasted."

"I can absolutely brag about this for the rest of my life."

"Director Zhou, rest assured, the funds will be in place very soon."

Shen Zhou's face was filled with a smile as he spoke with a firm expression.

He had never intended to play any tricks regarding the funding.

Even if Stephen Chow hadn't shown off his tea art today, he would have ensured the investment was in place immediately.

"Mr. Shen, I am certainly very at ease with you. I will also start working on the various aspects of the film with my team as soon as possible."

"You should know my reputation in the industry. Although I am a strict person, I never waste my investors' money."

Stephen Chow felt very confident about this. Many people called him arrogant and a tyrant on set.

But no one had ever said he tarnished films, nor had anyone ever said he wasted his investors' money.

Stephen Chow had built his current reputation through a lifetime of persistence.

Nowadays, every film he makes is one less remaining in his career. In any case, he wouldn't tarnish the reputation he had spent his whole life building during his later years.

"Director Zhou, I am naturally one hundred percent confident in you; otherwise, I wouldn't have proactively brought the funds to you."

Shen Zhou couldn't help but chuckle.

And this act of fully supporting Stephen Chow naturally made Stephen Chow, who was on the side, feel very much at ease.

Especially when he saw Shen Zhou personally sign the contract, a huge weight was completely lifted from his heart.

After finishing the contract matters, Shen Zhou immediately left the studio with Maria.

As for Stephen Chow's strong desire to treat Shen Zhou to a good meal or even arrange some entertainment activities, all of it was declined by Shen Zhou.

Of course, Zhao Pengju would personally stay in Hong Kong afterward to supervise the execution of the entire project.

After all, that was an investment of at least one billion dollars, and it also involved the reputation of Zhao Pengju's company, so he would definitely participate throughout the entire process.

Of course, if this project was done well, Zhao Pengju's reputation would also skyrocket within the industry.

After leaving the studio, Shen Zhou smiled and looked at Maria beside him.

"My dear boss, do you have any instructions?"

Maria flashed a sweet smile at Shen Zhou, and even wrapped her arm around Shen Zhou's arm without hesitation.

Shen Zhou instantly felt a softness pressing against his arm, and his heart naturally felt refreshed and delighted.

"Transfer the one billion dollars from my account as soon as possible."

"Zhao Pengju has decided to keep an eye on the flow of funds in the project. Of course, that is just on the surface. I hope you can also deeply participate in this project—on one hand, to learn things, and on the other hand, to supervise the flow of funds."

No matter how much Shen Zhou trusted Stephen Chow, this project was simply too big, and there were too many people for him to manage.

To avoid any awkward situations for both parties, Shen Zhou naturally had to arrange for Maria, who had used the loyalty card, to be deeply involved.

It is no exaggeration to say that compared to Zhao Pengju, the one Shen Zhou trusted most was naturally Maria.

"Rest assured, Boss. I will supervise the whole process, and I will also pay close attention to Zhao Pengju."

A glimmer of excitement flashed in Maria's eyes; she instantly felt that she held great power.

And Shen Zhou's trust in her also made her feel very comforted.

After settling this matter, Shen Zhou and Maria were strolling on the street when he suddenly received a call from Monica.

"Monica, are you done with your business? What made you think of calling me?"

Shen Zhou was quite pleasantly surprised; after all, he hadn't been in touch with Monica for a while.

"Shen Zhou, I just wanted to say good morning to you."

The voice of Monica on the other end of the line was so sweet that it was almost cloying.

"Shen Zhou, I am in Hong Kong, China, right now. It is evening here."

Shen Zhou couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"Ah, why did you run off there again? I thought you were in Dubai?"

Monica on the other end of the line seemed very surprised, and then quickly became hesitant.

"Monica, if you have something to say, just say it. Aren't we good friends?"

Seeing that Monica was dragging her feet, Shen Zhou immediately took the initiative.

If Monica didn't have any serious business, she definitely wouldn't have called him so easily.

After all, the most intimate contact between the two of them was just watching a movie alone.

But in any case, the relationship between the two of them was not close enough to the point of initiating invitations.

Moreover, the news about Shen Zhou and Juliana had long since caused a sensation throughout the European and American entertainment industry.

Everyone knew that the elf-like Juliana had been captured by this Chinese man, Shen Zhou.

It made no sense for Monica not to have heard the news.

Shen Zhou had originally thought there was no chance between him and Monica, who would have thought he would suddenly receive a call.

"Shen Zhou, have you forgotten that I am going to hold a solo art exhibition? The opening ceremony is in three days. Do you have time to attend?"

Monica on the other end of the line finally stopped stammering.

"Of course I have time. I have never forgotten such an important matter. Rest assured, I will definitely arrive in time three days from now."

Shen Zhou let out a hearty laugh, and his mood became much more pleasant.

Since Monica had proactively invited him to attend her solo art exhibition, it proved that the relationship between the two had not reached the point of never speaking to each other again.

At night, because he had been preoccupied with Monica's matter, and because he had come for serious business this time, Shen Zhou had no intention of fully winning over Maria.

As a result, Maria, who had been waiting bitterly in another room all night, got up the next morning with a pair of large dark circles under her eyes.

"Hahaha, Maria, surely you aren't struggling with the new bed?"

In the breakfast dining room, Shen Zhou asked, pointing at Maria with a wry smile.

He even specifically examined Maria's two perfectly placed dark circles.

Maria's two dark circles looked as if she had applied special smoky makeup.

Paired with her makeup that carried a hint of aggression, it immediately revealed the image of a nearly perfect career woman before Shen Zhou's eyes.

"Boss, I waited for you in the next room all night last night."

Maria could no longer hold it in and immediately looked at Shen Zhou with some resentment.

"Uh..."

Shen Zhou was instantly stunned. Where had that hesitant Maria gone? How had she suddenly become so aggressive?