Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 136 Sneak Attack
Twenty years later, when people talk about Lin Zhiying, opinions are mixed. He didn't do anything that crossed any lines, but he was just too pretentious, telling all sorts of lies to force himself to look cool. He was given a few nicknames by passersby, such as "King of Boasting" and "Liar".

Simply put, he and many celebrities in Taiwan share a common problem: they assume that the mainland and Taiwan are not connected to the internet, and they often boast and exaggerate their own abilities on the mainland, such as "rejecting a Thai princess's marriage proposal," "photoshopping a picture of himself with Schumacher," "stealing pictures of luxury cars to flaunt his wealth," "passing off a model phone as an iPhone 5," and "selling anti-aging drugs"...

Actually, everyone understands that celebrities in the entertainment industry often exaggerate and create a persona. Many stars have done it, but those like Jin Dong, who failed once, dare not do it again.

However, Lin Zhiying has made too many boasts to count, and the key is that he has been exposed and made a fool of himself every time, yet he never learns his lesson, which has greatly damaged his public image. I really don't know what he's thinking.

However, Wu Yuchen greatly admires his portrayal of Xiaoyuer. He captured the character's personality and emotions perfectly. Frankly, even if another actor were to play Xiaoyuer in mainland China, it would be difficult to surpass the effect. Therefore, they simply decided to cast him again, which also conveniently fulfilled the need for Hong Kong and Taiwanese actors to sell films well there.

Upon hearing this, Li Guoli's eyes lit up: "Director Wu, you have a sharp eye! Now that you mention it, it really does seem quite suitable! Moreover, I heard that Lin Zhiying is currently experiencing a career slump after his military service, and his career transition in the past two years has not been successful. He should be easy to hire now, and his salary is not high."

This is also one of the reasons why Wu Yuchen chose Lin Zhiying. Lin Zhiying enlisted in the military in 95 and was discharged in 96, but his subsequent album releases were not very successful. He wanted to transform from a boy into a mature man, but the market and fans simply did not accept his transformation.

Lin Chih-ying's salary is now more than half of what it was before he enlisted in the military, around 1 yuan per episode. He's quite famous in Hong Kong and Taiwan, and audiences recognize his face, but his salary is low, making him a very cost-effective actor. After all, he did act in the movie "Whirlwind Kid" before, unlike Alec Su, who was a complete newcomer and only earned 2000 yuan per episode for "My Fair Princess".

Li Guoli was quite satisfied with Wu Yuchen's suggestion; it was clear that he genuinely wanted to recommend a suitable candidate for the TV series. He then continued to ask:

"What about Hua Wuque? Which actor does Director Wu recommend from the mainland?"

Wu Yuchen smiled and said:

"According to the original novel, Hua Wuque is a humble and polite gentleman, gentle and refined, handsome and dashing, and deeply devoted. I don't think acting skills are the most important thing; image and temperament come first. We could totally cast a new actor..."

Compared to the mischievous and clever Xiaoyuer, who requires acting skills, the role of Hua Wuque is different. He mainly relies on his looks; as long as his appearance and temperament match, there's not much of a problem. There's no shortage of good-looking actors on the mainland.

If we're talking about handsome, Huang Xiaoming and Chen Kun are both handsome, but they're not the type like Hua Wuque.

When it comes to handsome men in period dramas, Wu Yuchen immediately thinks of the Four Beauties of Tianya.

Four handsome male celebrities highly praised by Tianya Forum were Yan Kuan, Qiao Zhenyu, Zhong Hanliang, and Huo Jianhua. In an era without marketing or public relations, they represented the most basic aesthetic preferences of netizens. Moreover, these individuals generally met the requirements in terms of both appearance and age.

“At the Shanghai Theatre Academy, there is a freshman named Yan Kuan this year. He has an outstanding appearance and temperament. Director Li might as well go and take a look, especially at his period costume.”

Since both Chung Han-liang and Huo Jianhua are from Hong Kong and Taiwan, that's fine. Moreover, Yan Kuan's appearance and temperament are indeed more suitable for Hua Wuque. Furthermore, the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Academy does not have a rule that freshmen are not allowed to film.

After listening, Li Guoli nodded: "Director Wu, I've got it."

Cai Yinong, who was standing nearby, also silently kept it in mind.

……

The next day, in the Miracle Films office, Wu Yuchen poured a cup of tea for the middle-aged man beside him and asked with a smile:

"Director Liu, what are your thoughts after reading it?"

That's right, it was Deputy Director Liu from CCTV's film acquisition department who came to see the newly completed "Love Will Carry On" after receiving a phone call from Wu Yuchen.

Having missed "The Passionate Years" before, and especially after seeing how well it was received after its broadcast, he regretted it quite a bit. Therefore, after Wu Yuchen said on the phone that it was a good drama, he personally brought people over again.

Director Liu pondered for a moment, then shook his head slightly:

"To be honest, Director Wu, I'm a little unsure about 'Eternal Love'. In my personal opinion, it's not bad, but it's definitely not as good as 'The Passionate Years'."

Wu Yuchen didn't say anything in rebuttal. Director Liu was getting on in years, and watching idol dramas like "Eternal Love" was definitely not as good as watching "The Passionate Years".

He smiled and said, "Director Liu, why don't you ask these two colleagues who came with you first?"

Wu Yuchen had come prepared, reminding Director Liu that it would be best to bring a young person or a female colleague with him.

Director Liu turned to a woman in her thirties beside him and asked, "Xia, how are you feeling?"

Seeing Xia hesitate, he said, "Just tell me how you feel, no need to hide anything."

Upon hearing this, the young woman also spoke up: "I think it's great. The more I watch, the more I want to watch, especially the emotional entanglements between the characters. It's so intriguing, I really want to know what happens next."

Director Liu was slightly surprised when he heard this. Why didn't he have this feeling?
He then turned to another young man who had come with him and asked, "Xiao Li, where are you?"

Li, who had only been with the company for a few years and was in his early twenties, was even more excited than a young woman:
"Director Liu, it's so good! There are so few TV dramas in China that focus on the lives of young college students. I can't stop watching. It feels like it's telling the story of what happened in our college. I dare say my classmates and friends will love watching it too!"

Director Liu was even more surprised. Was it really that attractive?

Seeing this, Wu Yuchen smiled and said:

"Director Liu, 'Eternal Love' is different from 'The Passionate Years.' Its main audience is teenagers and women. I think you also know that most women control the TV remote at home. I can guarantee you that 'Eternal Love' will have excellent ratings!"

In fact, "Love Will Tear Us Apart" was also broadcast on CCTV in a previous life, but it wasn't the first broadcast. CCTV bought the rights to broadcast it three times after the show became a hit.

Director Liu was initially hesitant, but seeing the positive reactions from the two people beside him after watching it, he made up his mind: "Okay, Director Wu, we'll take this 'Love Will Come,' 500 million, and I'll arrange the premiere next month."

When Miracle Films sold the first broadcast rights for "The Passionate Years" before, the price was not high because Miracle Films had never produced a TV series before. However, now that they have a hit series, the price of the first broadcast rights for the second series, "Eternal Love," has naturally increased.

However, Wu Yuchen did not agree directly:

"Director Liu, let me put this in perspective: Beijing TV offered me ten million, but remembering you as an old friend, I'll offer 700 million. If the broadcast doesn't go well, come find me. I, Wu Yuchen, will never do anything that damages my reputation!"

Director Liu and Wu Yuchen exchanged a glance, then burst into laughter:
"Okay, Director Wu, I definitely believe you! It's 700 million. I'm looking forward to good news from 'Eternal Love' next month!"

After seeing off the CCTV staff, Cai Yinong spoke to Wu Yuchen:

"Director Wu, this is only possible because of your influence; otherwise, I doubt that Director Liu would be so easy to talk to."

Wu Yuchen smiled and said, "Isn't this the time to save face? We can lower the price for CCTV, but not too much. Once they get a taste of success this time, it will be easier to cooperate in the future."

By the way, Mr. Cai, please inform the production crew of this news. If there are any promotional activities planned, please ask them to cooperate.

"Great, they'll be ecstatic if they know this will be broadcast on CCTV!" Cai Yinong laughed.

Just then, Wu Yuchen's phone rang. He glanced at it, answered it, and said with a smile:
"Yuanyuan, your call came at just the right time."

A clear, cheerful voice came from across the room: "Huh? Brother Wu Yuchen, do you know I'm going to treat you to dinner?" "Why are you suddenly treating me to dinner?"

"I just wanted to ask you for more advice about applying to film school."

"Oh, sure, no problem! I have some good news for you later~"

"What good news?"

"Haha, we'll talk about it when we meet later."

……

Inside a stylish Western restaurant, the pale yellow walls paired with beige pendant lights add elegance and warmth to the atmosphere. Elegant tables are neatly arranged in the center, adorned with several romantic table lamps.

Wu Yuchen looked at Gao Yuanyuan across from him. She had taken off her white coat, and her black wool sweater accentuated her well-developed figure. She still had a bit of baby fat on her face, but it couldn't hide her beautiful face.

He asked with a smile, "Why did you choose a Western restaurant?"

Gao Yuanyuan's face was filled with joy at this moment:

"I think our first dinner together should be a bit more formal and special, Wu Yuchen. Don't you like Western food?"

Wu Yuchen shook his head with a smile: "No, I have one advantage: I'm not a picky eater, and I'm easy to feed! I can eat Western food, and I can eat noodles with soybean paste too~"

Gao Yuanyuan giggled upon hearing this: "Really? Actually, I love Zhajiangmian the most! And I can even make it myself~"

"Oh? Then I'll have to try your cooking sometime, Yuanyuan~" Wu Yuchen said with a smile.

"Okay! It's a deal~" Gao Yuanyuan laughed happily.

Wu Yuchen then steered the conversation to the main topic: "Yuanyuan, have you decided to apply to film school?"

Gao Yuanyuan looked at Wu Yuchen with sparkling eyes: "I've made up my mind. I plan to apply to the Beijing Film Academy. Although I don't have any special talents, since you think highly of me, I want to give it a try!"

Wu Yuchen chuckled: "Yuanyuan, who said you have no talent? Being beautiful and kind-hearted is your greatest talent."

Upon hearing this, Gao Yuanyuan blushed slightly, but seemed to be overjoyed, as if she had eaten honey.

"Here's what we'll do: I'll get you a tutor in the next couple of days. You can prepare with him for two or three months, and with your reputation, you'll definitely be fine."

Gao Yuanyuan nodded upon hearing this: "Thank you, Brother Yuchen, I will definitely prepare well. But I don't have any fame at all."

"Oh, this is the good news I wanted to tell you! I just finalized the deal today: your starring role in 'Eternal Love' will be broadcast on CCTV next month. Get ready to become famous!"

Gao Yuanyuan was stunned for a moment upon hearing this, her beautiful eyes widening before she immediately covered her mouth. Although she had filmed commercials and a movie before, she hadn't felt anything particularly special. And now, the TV series she was starring in was going to air on CCTV! CCTV! The CCTV that she thought only celebrities could appear on!
"Really?!" Gao Yuanyuan asked incredulously.

"It's fake, I was just kidding you~" Wu Yuchen curled the corners of his mouth.

"what?"

Gao Yuanyuan couldn't help but show a look of disappointment, then breathed a sigh of relief, patted her chest, and said, "I knew there was no way I could possibly be on CCTV!"

Seeing this, Wu Yuchen laughed again, "Yuanyuan, do you really think it's fake? I was just teasing you!"

Gao Yuanyuan was completely stunned. Looking at Wu Yuchen's slightly mischievous smile, she couldn't tell which of his words was teasing her.

Then she couldn't help but gently kick Wu Yuchen under the table, saying coquettishly, "You're so annoying, always making fun of me~"

Looking at Gao Yuanyuan's adorable blush, Wu Yuchen smiled and said:

"Okay, okay, I'm not kidding. I'm serious. It'll be broadcast on CCTV next month, and you guys will probably need to help with the promotion. Your director will probably contact you in a few days. By then, you'll be a big star, and applying to film school will be a breeze!"

Gao Yuanyuan was naturally happy to hear this, but she didn't show it on her face. She pouted slightly and said, "My excitement from before has worn off, and I'm not happy anymore~"

"Okay, okay, it's all my fault. I'll punish myself with three steaks later!"

"Hehehe, how can you punish yourself like this? Aren't you afraid of holding it in for too long?" Gao Yuanyuan was amused again.

"Don't worry, I have a great appetite. I'm just afraid you'll feel bad about spending money on me."

"No way! I've saved up a lot of money. Eat whatever you want, it's on me!" Gao Yuanyuan said, raising her chin.

"Fine, then I'll eat you out of house and home, you little rich girl!"

The two chatted and laughed, enjoying their dinner very much.

That evening, Wu Yuchen drove his new Crown with Gao Yuanyuan through the night.

"Brother Yuchen, I heard from the director that you were the one who asked me to play the female lead. How did you know about me?" Gao Yuanyuan asked curiously.

Wu Yuchen replied while driving:
"I saw the commercial you filmed and remembered you at first glance. You were so pure and lovely. Later, I even asked around about you."

Gao Yuanyuan thought to herself with a hint of happiness, "Does this mean they've taken a liking to me at first sight and are treating me differently?"

At the entrance of the aerospace compound, Wu Yuchen slowly stopped the car and said with a smile, "Alright, thank you for your hospitality today, Yuanyuan! Good night."

Gao Yuanyuan turned to look at Wu Yuchen: "Brother Yuchen, I should be thanking you for helping me so much~"

Wu Yuchen chuckled: "It was nothing at all..."

Before he could finish speaking, he felt a peck on his cheek. He turned around and saw Gao Yuanyuan, who had ambushed him, blushing and whispering goodbye before opening the car door and fleeing.

Wu Yuchen looked at Gao Yuanyuan's retreating figure under the streetlight and couldn't help but touch his face. This little girl, she's so fast, why is she running...?

(End of this chapter)