143: Chapter 143: After the Banquet, AI Uncovers the Roots and Reveals the Film and Television Trends

Just as they stepped out of the Waldorf Astoria's revolving doors, the night wind swept in with the chill of the street. Ella raised her hand to pull her shawl closer, unable to help clicking her tongue, her voice filled with lingering fear: "That banquet was too intense. Morgan's 'wolf in sheep's clothing' act made my skin crawl. I was terrified he'd dig a hole for us at any moment."

Lin Chen adjusted his suit cuffs, his gaze sweeping over the hotel entrance's surveillance cameras. He said calmly, "He never had good intentions. The cooperation was just a front; testing us was the real goal."

Jack followed beside them, spat on the ground, and reached out to open the door of the Bentley: "That old fogey just wanted to manipulate us. Seeing how young you are, Brother Chen, he thought you'd be an easy target. He didn't expect you to reject the agreement outright, leaving him so choked up his face went stiff."

Li Wei had already started the car, its headlights glowing in the night. The group got in one by one, and the Bentley slowly pulled away from the hotel, merging into the street traffic. The cabin was quiet for a moment as no one spoke unnecessarily, each reflecting on the details of the banquet. Every word and look from Morgan seemed to hide a calculation.

The car sped along, finally stopping below Chenxing Investment. The top floor of the office building was still lit, standing out prominently in the night. The group took the elevator straight to the top floor and walked directly into the conference room. Li Wei stood guard at the door, while Jack conveniently closed it behind them.

In the top-floor conference room of Chenxing Investment, all the crystal ceiling lights were on, their brightness almost dazzling. The long solid wood conference table was polished to a shine, reflecting their silhouettes. On one side, a giant electronic screen was on standby, its edges glowing with a faint blue light. The air conditioner in the corner blew a cool breeze, dispelling their fatigue.

Lin Chen walked to the electronic screen, pressed the power button, and quickly operated the touchpad. He said, "Everyone, take a seat. Let's review tonight's banquet and see what exactly Morgan is up to."

Ella pulled out a chair and sat down, her elbows propped on the table, her brow furrowed. "Is there even a need to say? Morgan definitely didn't have good intentions. His cooperation agreement probably has countless predatory clauses hidden in it. Accepting it would be like walking into a trap."

"It's more than that." Lin Chen's fingers tapped on the screen, and Chenxing Investment's AI system quickly booted up, lines of code jumping across the display. "He proactively suggested cooperation and specifically mentioned Wall Street resources because he wants us to depend on him. To put it bluntly, he wants to swallow the fruits of Chenxing Investment."

Jack sat to the side and nodded in agreement. "I think so too. The way he looked at Brother Chen was pure calculation. Especially during the toast, he intentionally led those old foxes from the business world over to test us. Luckily, I blocked them. However, him suddenly mentioning Hollywood film and television investment is a bit strange. That's not exactly the Morgan Family's main line of business."

At those words, Ella was also stunned for a moment. "Now that you mention it, it's true. Morgan has always focused on big sectors like finance and real estate. Why would he suddenly eye film and TV? Could there be something fishy there?"

Lin Chen didn't speak, but simply clicked the AI system's deduction function. The words 'Morgan Family Investment Intent Deduction' immediately appeared on the screen. Strings of data began to dance across the display, with red trend lines and white analytical text constantly refreshing. The AI system's mechanical voice echoed in the room: "Deducing the Morgan Family's core intentions: cooperation testing accounts for 78%, and film and television investment layout accounts for 22%. The Hollywood film and television sector will enter an explosion period in the next 6-12 months, with an estimated return on low-cost investment exceeding 800%."

The data on the screen continued to scroll. The trend line for the film and TV sector's popularity soared upward. Audience preference analysis, box office projections, and genre popularity rankings were densely listed, with every number pointing to the same result—Hollywood film and television was about to become the next big opportunity.

Ella suddenly leaned toward the screen, her eyes wide as she looked at the return rate figure. She couldn't help but exclaim, "My god, such a high return rate? Morgan must have had his eye on this cake for a long time. Mentioning it just now was probably to test if we'd discovered this opportunity yet."

"Exactly." Lin Chen's gaze locked onto the film and TV sector data on the screen, his fingers tapping lightly on the table's edge, his tone exceptionally certain. "He either wants to use film and TV investment as a pretext to pull us into his circle and manipulate us, or he's afraid we'll discover this opportunity and is sounding an early alarm. But no matter what he's thinking, we're definitely taking a piece of this cake."

"Then how do we do it?" Ella sat back in her chair, her eyes full of excitement but also a bit of practicality. "The Morgan Family has vast assets; we definitely can't go head-to-head with them. If we invest in big productions, we can't compete with his capital and resources, and the risk would be too high."

"We won't invest in big productions; we'll do low-cost film and television investment." Lin Chen looked up at the two of them, his tone decisive. "AI deductions show that low-cost comedies and dramas have the widest audience, quick returns, and high ROI. Even if we lose, it won't hurt Chenxing's foundations, but if we win, it'll be a massive profit. This is our chance—to seize the opportunity and fight a quick battle."

Upon hearing this, Ella's brow instantly cleared, and she nodded repeatedly. "That's a great idea! Morgan would definitely look down on low-cost small productions. It's the perfect chance for us to pick up the slack. By the time he reacts, we'll have already eaten our fill."

"I'm familiar with Hollywood connections and the rules of the film industry." Jack immediately raised his hand, his tone very certain, leaning forward slightly. "Leave connecting with Hollywood resources, contacting producers and directors to me. I guarantee it'll be handled perfectly and won't delay a thing."

Lin Chen looked at Jack and nodded. He knew Jack had spent a few years in Hollywood and indeed had solid connections; he was the most suitable person for this task. "Alright, you'll have full authority over the relevant Hollywood connections. If you need any coordination from the company, just say so."

"Don't worry, Brother Chen, I'm on it." Jack patted his chest in assurance, then suddenly paused, fumbling in his pocket as if remembering something. "By the way, I ran into a producer at a Hollywood party a while back. At the time, she was looking for investment and said she had a good script. I was busy with company matters then and didn't pay her much mind, but thinking about it now, it might be the perfect connection."

Ella's eyes lit up, and she immediately pressed, "What producer? Is she reliable? What's the genre of the script she has?"

"She's a female producer who's been working in Hollywood for several years. She's quite capable, but she doesn't have much of a background, so she's never been able to get major investment." Jack replied with a smile, pulling a gold-embossed card from his inner suit pocket. The card had delicate patterns on its edges and listed a Hollywood address and contact information.

Jack handed the producer's business card to Lin Chen, his fingertip tapping its surface. "This is her. I didn't ask for details about the script, but I heard her mention it's a comedy, which fits our investment direction perfectly."

Lin Chen reached out and took the producer's business card.