Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 148 The Spirit of Mengchang
Still not far from the aviation family compound, Wu Yuchen had already brought Gao Yuanyuan back after watching the movie.

Gao Yuanyuan and Wu Yuchen were chatting animatedly in the car, showing no intention of going back.

"Sydney Stallone's autograph? Of course, no problem. But he's just a grumpy old man." Wu Yuchen raised an eyebrow and said.

Gao Yuanyuan gently patted him: "How could you say that about him? Stallone is a global superstar, and he's a great actor."

"Okay, okay, I'll respect the elderly and care for the young from now on~" Wu Yuchen said with a smile.

He then asked, "Yuanyuan, how's your preparation for the art exam going?"

Upon hearing this, Gao Yuanyuan's eyes crinkled into a smile: "It's alright. I was quite unconfident at first, but after learning from the teacher for a while, I suddenly became a star. Many people wrote to me saying that I acted well, and I suddenly gained confidence."

"Prepare well, there will be absolutely no problem."

Wu Yuchen had absolutely no doubt that Gao Yuanyuan could pass the entrance exam. The Beijing Film Academy's selection criteria for actors are mostly based on looks, and not many from the 98 acting class have made it big. With Gao Yuanyuan's qualifications, she would easily win the exam this year just by relying on her looks and temperament, unless the teachers were all blind.

Besides, Gao Yuanyuan is already a famous star. She should be happy to apply to the Beijing Film Academy. How could they possibly turn her away?

However, Gao Yuanyuan then showed a troubled expression:
"I was so happy at first, and I replied to every single letter. But I couldn't possibly reply to them all. For every letter I replied to, ten more would come in. My hand was numb from writing so many, and I still couldn't keep up. Now I've accumulated three big boxes of them..."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen saw Gao Yuanyuan pouting and kneading her hands, so he pulled her hands over and said, "Let me see~"

The girl's small hands were fair and tender, with a soft and delicate feel to the touch.

Wu Yuchen held it in his hands, then lowered his head and said, "Let me blow on it for you~"

Wu Yuchen held Gao Yuanyuan's small hand, and then blew warm breath into her palm, making her feel itchy. Not only her hand felt itchy, but her heart felt itchy too, and a delicate blush appeared on her face.

Looking at the man who cared for her so much, the girl felt a surge of affection and courage. She leaned forward and pecked Wu Yuchen on the cheek.

Is that girl Xiaomeiyuan launching another sneak attack?

Last time you managed to sneak up once and escape, but this time your hand is firmly gripped. Let's see how you run now!
Wu Yuchen gently pulled Gao Yuanyuan's hand into his arms and lowered his head to kiss the girl's soft, fragrant lips.

……

On the sixth day of the Lunar New Year, Wu Yuchen was being interviewed by media outlets including China Film News, Film Weekly, and CCTV-6.

Ever since the news of his book "Frequency" surpassing 100 million views in North America reached the mainland, the media had been eagerly awaiting his return. Now that they had finally heard that Wu Yuchen was back, they naturally came knocking on his door.

The reason for choosing the Beijing Film Academy campus as the location is naturally because Wu Yuchen is still a student there, and it can also be seen as a way of giving back to the school.

"Sylvester Stallone? He's a great actor. We had a great time working together. His daughter is adorable, and he's a very loving father in real life."

"Of course I'm very happy to have achieved such good results in North America. As for the title of 'China's No. 1 Director,' that's just empty talk. This only represents a stage of my success, and I'll keep up the good work in the future!"

"Settle down in Hollywood? No, I definitely have no such plans! Chinese-language films are my roots, and I can't abandon them to devote myself entirely to Hollywood. But Hollywood represents the most advanced level of filmmaking in the world right now, and I need to go there to learn from them."

"Who is stronger, Hollywood or Chinese films? There is no doubt about it. You can see it from the box office rankings of domestic films in recent years. At present, Chinese films are still very weak when facing Hollywood's imported blockbusters."

"Then Director Wu, wouldn't your 'My Brothers and Sisters' beat 'Jurassic Park'?"

Wu Yuchen shook his head: "We cannot use a single case to represent the whole."

"Director Wu, but we can't judge a film solely by its box office performance. Haven't we always advocated prioritizing the artistic merit of a film?"

Wu Yuchen chuckled: "It's true that movies should pursue art, but they can't only pursue art. I always adhere to the principle that my movies are made for the people. As long as everyone likes them, whether they are popular or refined, I don't care."

The prevailing trend in China still prioritizes artistic merit over commercial success. For example, Feng Xiaogang's film "The Dream Factory" grossed over 30 million yuan, which boosted his fame but also attracted a lot of criticism, with many accusing his films of lacking artistic merit. He's different from Wu Yuchen, who, after all, won the Berlin Film Festival's Best Director award and has the backing of an award, could make films like "My Brothers and Sisters" without much criticism. But Feng Xiaogang lacks any background or foundation, so the criticism is unrestrained.

Wu Yuchen paused for a moment, then continued:

"Moreover, commerce and art are not entirely opposed. There is a movie called 'Titanic' that is about to be released. This movie has a good balance between commerce and art, and it represents the highest level of Hollywood. It is well worth appreciating and learning from!"

Wu Yuchen already knew that "Titanic" had passed the censorship; it was Director Zhang who personally called him. He felt that the other party was very polite during the call, quite different from when they last met.

The debate over commercial versus artistic cinema has always accompanied the development of film, with the artistic school currently holding the upper hand. However, given Wu Yuchen's current status, he dares to speak out, which may attract criticism, but it won't affect him much.

This is actually his honest opinion: pursuing art in film is certainly acceptable. But if you only pursue art, you'll kill the film market, and in the end, you'll just hand it over to someone else.

The release of "Titanic" was actually a good thing for the development of Chinese cinema. It shocked a large number of people, making them realize how big the gap is between Chinese films and those of other countries, and to some extent promoted the reform of Chinese cinema.

After the interview concluded and the reporters left, Hou Keming walked over with a smile and patted Wu Yuchen on the shoulder:

"The title of China's No. 1 Director is not something that just anyone is willing to turn down. I'm afraid you might impulsively accept it."

"Haha, Dean Hou, I'm not that stupid. I'm already successful enough. This empty title doesn't mean much to me."

In reality, if he were to accept this title, given the current climate in China, it would definitely displease a large number of senior figures. He'd bet Chen Kaizi would be extremely unhappy with him, and might even get someone to lead a campaign against him.

Reputation is useless if you just boast about it. Once he racks up more awards and box office success, even if you deny it, people will still pin it on you.

Hou Keming smiled and nodded:
"Well, it's good that you can figure things out. Our Beijing Film Academy's admissions process will begin after the New Year. Would you like to host it?"

"I'll be in charge of admissions?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen immediately shook his head:

"Dean Hou, let's forget about it. I'm very busy right now. I won't be able to stay for more than a few days after I come back. I have to go to America in another week."

"Still going?"

"Yes, I just finished filming another movie, which will be released at the end of this month. I have to rush back to do the promotion. I'll come back after this movie is finished."

Hearing Wu Yuchen say this, Hou Keming stopped insisting, since it was just a casual remark.

In fact, Wu Yuchen has been quite busy these past few days. Since his fame has grown, he's been getting a lot of attention. Especially his company, Miracle Films, which made a fortune filming "My Brothers and Sisters" and then went on to produce two hit dramas, "The Passionate Years" and "Love Will Carry On." Everyone knows their company is wealthy.

Moreover, news of Wu Yuchen's righteousness and generosity in investing in "The Grand Mansion" had spread, which made many people want to come to him to seek investment.

To be honest, most of the projects were really not good; some of the scripts were even poorly written. However, there were some good ones as well.

In the office, director Huang Jianxin, who had met Wu Yuchen several times before, sat quietly drinking tea with another director, Yang Yazhou, waiting for Wu Yuchen to read the script.

A moment later, Wu Yuchen closed the script in his hand and smiled at the two of them, saying, "Director Huang, Director Yang, this script is really good!"

Huang Jianxin and Yang Yazhou exchanged a smile upon hearing this, and then Yang Yazhou said:
"Director Wu, last year after I read 'The Happy Life of Zhang Damin' in Beijing Literature, I really liked it and asked the studio to buy the adaptation rights as soon as possible, so I turned it into a movie script."

Wu Yuchen nodded and asked again, "So who do you plan to cast as Zhang Damin?"

Yang Yazhou said confidently, "Feng Gong! When I revised the script, I wrote it entirely according to his instructions!"

Wu Yuchen smiled and said, "The title 'The Happy Life of Zhang Damin' is a bit too cliché for a movie. Let's change it to 'Find Joy in Small Things'!" Huang Jianxin immediately clapped and cheered, "Great! 'Find Joy in Small Things' means that even in the bitterest times, there will be sweet moments. Just like Zhang Damin said at the end of the story, 'As long as you live well, you'll encounter lots and lots of happiness. So just find joy in small things.'"

Huang Jianxin naturally understood that Wu Yuchen's words meant there was a high probability of success, and then said:

"Director Wu, don't be fooled by the fact that Yazhou'er has never been credited as an independent director before. He has actually been an assistant director for ten years. We co-directed 'Back to Back, Face to Face'. He has a wealth of experience!"

Sure enough, Wu Yuchen asked Yang Yazhou, who was staring at him expectantly, "How much funding do you still need?"

Yang Yazhou said excitedly, "Two million! Our factory gave us one million in funding, so I expect to get three million!"

Wu Yuchen smiled and nodded: "Okay, 200 million is fine, but you have to guarantee that the movie won't go over budget."

Huang Jianxin immediately replied, "I guarantee it, no less!"

After seeing the two off, Wu Yuchen smiled. "The movie 'Stealing Joy' was pretty good; it helped Feng Gong win the Golden Rooster Award for Best Actor. The box office was probably around ten million, which might not make much profit compared to the 300 million budget, but it definitely wouldn't lose money."

Two million is nothing to him now. Spending some money to invest in a good movie, while also building connections and getting on good terms with the Xi'an Film Studio behind them, is a worthwhile investment no matter what.

Who dares to say that Master Wu is a slacker?
He's constantly spending money to contribute to Chinese cinema!
After putting down the script for "Finding Joy in Nothing," Wu Yuchen picked up another book, his expression becoming slightly more serious.

As they walked, Kang Jianmin asked Huo Jianqi beside him:

"Old Huo, I've already approached at least ten companies, and not one of them is willing to invest in our film. Would Director Wu be willing?"

Kang Jianmin, the director of Xiaoxiang Film Studio, bought the adaptation rights to "Postmen in the Mountains" several years ago and had been wanting to make a film. Initially, he wanted to make a TV series, but after reading the script, Huo Jianqi thought it would be more suitable to make a movie, so he started to seek investment everywhere.

Huo Jianqi has the face of a kind-hearted person, and his smile is gentle and refined.

"Director Wu is a very generous person; he invested 2000 million yuan in Guo Baochang's 'The Grand Mansion Gate.' I just heard from Huang Jianxin that they've already secured funding from Director Wu. These are scripts that nobody else wanted to invest in, so we're not without hope!"

Upon hearing this, Kang Jianmin couldn't help but smile, and then the two of them entered Miracle Films together.

Wu Yuchen smiled and brewed tea for the two of them, then asked them to sit down: "Director Kang, Director Huo, I really like 'Postmen in the Mountains'."

Both of them showed joy, but the next moment Wu Yuchen said:

"However, this movie probably won't do much at the box office."

This dampened their spirits and extinguished their initial excitement.

Kang Jianmin forced a smile: "Director Wu, it's alright. You're not the first person to refuse us. Let's try looking again..."

"What are you looking for? When did I say I was going to refuse you?"

"Huh? Director Wu, you mean..." Kang Jianmin and Huo Jianqi looked at Wu Yuchen with shining eyes.

"I've estimated that this movie should cost around 200 million. How about I give a little more, 250 million?"

In fact, the film's production budget in the previous life was 210 million, so 250 million should have been no problem.

Kang Jianmin was overjoyed upon hearing this: "That's enough, that's enough! Our factory can still contribute another 50!"

Wu Yuchen smiled and nodded, then said:

"I have faith in Director Huo's abilities, and I'm not worried about the film's quality. I can also tell that you, Director Kang, are aiming for awards with this film. How about this: you handle the domestic promotions, and I'll handle the international ones?"

Both of them listened with great excitement, after all, Wu Yuchen had already won the Best Director award at the Berlin Film Festival and had experience in this area.

"Director Wu, are you planning to send him to the Three Greats?" Kang Jianmin asked curiously.

Wu Yuchen shook his head: "I roughly understand Director Huo's style. Judging from this script, the most suitable venue is not the Big Three, but the Tokyo International Film Festival. So after Director Huo finishes filming this summer, we need to hurry up with production and try to finish it as soon as possible so we can participate in the Tokyo International Film Festival."

The movie "Postmen in the Mountains" caused quite a stir in Japan in its previous form, and its box office of over 8 million yen was no exaggeration.

Unfortunately, the production company didn't submit the film to awards in Tokyo at the time, otherwise it would have certainly won some awards. It wasn't until after the film was released in Japan that it began to garner numerous awards there.

This time, Wu Yuchen naturally wanted to make up for this regret. He smiled and continued:
"I have some reputation at the Tokyo International Film Festival, so I can be credited as a producer or executive producer, which should attract a lot of attention. If I win an award, recouping the costs shouldn't be a problem."

After listening, the two naturally had no objection to Wu Yuchen's suggestion, and then discussed the cast with Wu Yuchen: "Director Wu, we both have our eyes on Teng Rujun for the role of the father, what do you think?"

"That's perfect. Teacher Teng is very suitable for this kind of reserved father role. Sons, who are you planning to hire?"

Both of them shook their heads: "We thought about it, but there aren't any suitable ones in the industry, so we plan to look around at schools."

Wu Yuchen chuckled and said, "That's perfect. You can go to the Central Academy of Drama and check it out. There's a sophomore named Liu Ye who just worked with me. He played a farm boy, and I think he'd be suitable."

Kang Jianmin immediately agreed, "Okay, then we'll go check on them as soon as school starts. There's also a Dong ethnic minority girl, Director Wu, do you have any recommendations?"

The role was originally played by the charming Chen Hao, but it wasn't necessarily her choice. The role wasn't particularly difficult. Initially, Liu Ye recommended Yuan Quan and Zhang Ziyi, but both of them had other commitments, so the role ended up with Chen Hao.

Wu Yuchen thought for a moment and said, "Have you two seen 'Love Will Carry On'?"

The two of them hadn't actually watched the entire series, but they had seen it on and off. Huo Jianqi said, "Director Wu, you mean..."

"The female lead, Gao Yuanyuan, is beautiful, and her presence will definitely benefit the film's box office."

This isn't just Wu Yuchen making things up; Gao Yuanyuan is incredibly popular among young people right now.

In its previous life, "Postmen in the Mountains" only sold one copy in China, and was described by the media as "a film with almost zero domestic distribution." Its only revenue came from the 48 yuan and 8 US dollars overseas rights buyout fee given by the movie channel.

However, if Liu Ye and Gao Yuanyuan are cast as the male and female leads, Gao Yuanyuan is already a star, and Liu Ye will probably be just as successful after the release of "If Love Has a Destiny". Based on the male and female leads alone, it is unlikely that there will be another embarrassing situation of one copy.

Of course, the main reason is that why give the right role to an outsider? The current Xiaomeiyuan has already taken his shape, so she's his wife!

Let Xiaomeiyuan learn and hone her skills by studying with these talented and experienced actors; her acting skills will improve as well.

“Okay, Director Wu, then it’s settled!” Kang Jianmin said immediately.

After securing the investment, the two were overjoyed and left Miracle Films chatting and laughing.

Kang Jianmin exclaimed, "I never expected Director Wu to be so generous!"

Huo Jianqi nodded in agreement: "Yes, everyone in the industry says he's generous and righteous. Huang Jianxin even joked on the phone that he was a timely helper!"

Kang Jianmin immediately shook his head:

"Timely Rain? Isn't that Song Jiang? Song Jiang is a short, fat, dark-skinned man with a rather ruthless heart. It's not appropriate to call Director Wu that. Director Wu is so handsome, I think he should be called Jade-Faced Mengchang!"

"Jade-faced Mengchang? Hahaha, Director Wu certainly has the air of Mengchang."

(End of this chapter)