“He [Lau] started multiple companies, but none of them worked out,” Chen said, according to The Star. “At the time, he didn’t want to be an actor; he also wanted to prove himself in business.”

Chen explained that Lau invested heavily in producing several films during his early entrepreneurial efforts, but most fell short of expectations. These setbacks left him with unpaid debts totaling HK$40 million (US$5.1 million)—so large that even giving up his company shares would not cover what he owed.

Seeking help, Lau turned to Chen, who lent him the funds without hesitation, not even requiring an official IOU (an informal document acknowledging debt).

“I told him to take the money first, and we would sort out the details later,” she said.

Chen also shared a humorous aftermath: after Lau publicly acknowledged the loan, she received calls from friends jokingly asking if they could borrow money too.

“I was overwhelmed and asked Andy what was going on,” she recalled. “He just laughed and said he never expected that to happen.”

She also praised Lau for his loyalty, saying he “never forgets those who once helped him.”

Chen, 66, is Heung’s second wife, and the couple runs China Star Entertainment Group. Her husband, 77, is credited with launching the careers of stars such as Jet Li, Chow Yun Fat, Stephen Chow, Johnnie To, and Lau himself, per Variety. In 2022, the South China Morning Post estimated Heung’s net worth at US$1.2 billion.

Lau, 63, is regarded as one of the “Four Heavenly Kings” of Cantopop, alongside Aaron Kwok, Jacky Cheung, and Leon Lai, who dominated the Hong Kong pop scene in the 1990s.