On August 13, 2025, it was reported that mainland Chinese businessman and director Zheng Jifeng, who played the role of “Zheng Zong” in Stephen Chow’s movie “The Mermaid”, was formally arrested and is awaiting prosecution after being approved by the prosecutor’s office on August 12.
Zheng Jifeng was reported by the Longhua Sub-Bureau of Hainan Haikou Public Security Bureau on February 19 this year. The 58-year-old Zheng was accused of committing indecent acts towards underage female participants during auditions in Haikou under the guise of guiding dance movements. He was arrested on January 17 after the police received a report, and detained the following day.
Following the case, a victim named Wang revealed that when she was around 13 years old, she was sexually harassed and molested by Zheng Jifeng under the pretext of filming, who lured her to a hotel by claiming to change her role. Fortunately, she was able to escape with the help of other girls who called at the time. The actress stated that almost all seven girls in the crew were forcibly kissed by Zheng Jifeng, with the youngest victim being only 12 years old.
According to information from “Baidu Baike”, Zheng Jifeng, born in 1971 in Lichuan County, Jiangxi Province, is a multi-talented individual involved in writing, directing, acting, film production, and business. He holds titles such as Secretary-General of CCTV A8 Forum, Chairman of Hong Kong HFIO Capital Management Company, Chairman of Golden Image Films, Partner of Culture Entertainment Fund, Executive Vice Chairman of the Advertising Art Professional Committee of the China Television Artists Association, and General Manager of Beijing Huayi Golden Eagle Company.
Public records also show that in February 2016, Zheng Jifeng played the role of the rich and whimsical tycoon “Zheng Zong” in Stephen Chow’s film “The Mermaid”. In December 2017, he portrayed the Thai gangster boss “Bameifou” in the comedy action movie “Undercover Mega Star” directed by Gregory Rivers. In June 2019, his first directorial film, “Pig Bajie: The Legend”, released its first teaser trailer. In February 2022, the film “The Legend of Journey to the West” in which he made a special appearance was exclusively streamed on Tencent Video.
According to a report by “Hong Kong 01”, during the production of the movie “The Mermaid”, there was a dispute between Stephen Chow and one of the investors, Huayi Brothers, leading to a shortage of production funds and the possibility of stopping filming. As a fan of Stephen Chow himself, Zheng Jifeng was willing to help but requested a role in the movie as a condition.
Stephen Chow thought he was joking since Zheng Jifeng was a successful businessman and it seemed unlikely for him to have time for acting. However, when Zheng Jifeng provided the funds and visited the set one day, he asked Stephen Chow, “What role did you arrange for me?”
Stephen Chow was surprised, realizing that the boss was serious and the roles in the movie had already been cast. Thinking quickly, overnight, Stephen Chow tailored the role of “Zheng Zong” specifically for Zheng Jifeng, a billionaire who carried an aircraft on his back.
Although the role had limited screen time, it played a crucial role in the plot development. The movie turned out to be a huge box office success, becoming the first Chinese film to gross over 3 billion RMB. As an investor, Zheng Jifeng also made a substantial profit from the film.
According to Article 237 of the Mainland China Criminal Law, the crime of molesting children can result in a basic sentence of up to 5 years in prison. However, due to the aggravating factors in Zheng Jifeng’s case, including multiple offenses, numerous victims, and the exploitation of his profession to commit crimes, industry analysts believe that he may face a sentence ranging from 5 to 15 years.