Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 155 Even a rich kid can't control me!

Inside the room, Wu Yuchen was still reflecting on Jiang Qinqin's performance, which was generally acceptable.

Zhang Yiman, the female teacher in the Republican era in the movie "Mr. Donkey", is flirtatious, free-thinking, and follows her inner desires and pursues sexual freedom, but she also retains her innocence and kindness and is not without moral bottom line.

This character is actually considered a "slut" in the public's moral view, a "shameless whore, a public toilet" in Pei Kuishan's words, but you still have to act in a way that makes the audience like you, so this balance is not easy to strike.

From this perspective, Jiang Qinqin did a good job, scoring around 70 or 80 points, and perhaps even no worse than Jiang Wenli. However, compared to Ning Jing, she falls short.

Among the actresses who have auditioned so far, Ning Jing has performed the best.

Ning Jing possesses a wild beauty and a free-spirited personality. After marrying her American husband, she was exposed to more Western culture and was very familiar with Zhang Yiman's pursuit of Western bourgeois freedom. Therefore, she truly presented a unique Zhang Yiman, which did give Wu Yuchen some surprises.

Just then, one of his men jogged over and whispered a few words to him, which instantly lifted Wu Yuchen's spirits.

A moment later, the door to the room was pushed open again, and the actress who walked in was none other than Gong Li.

Although Gong Li is now over thirty, she is very well-maintained, with fair and smooth skin. Moreover, Gong Li already has a great figure, and now, wearing a floral cheongsam, she appears even more curvaceous and alluring, exuding a unique charm in every gesture. It's safe to say that just standing here, women would envy her, and men would be captivated.

However, the aura that Gong Li exudes is not the kind that is full of lust and seductiveness, but rather carries a touch of coquettishness and cuteness, revealing a free and unrestrained temperament that is untouched by worldly affairs.

The character Zhang Yiman symbolizes freedom, but also exudes desire; both Pei Kuishan and the coppersmith harbor desires for her. Ren Suxi's performance in the previous life was quite good, but there were also criticisms, namely that she was somewhat unattractive. Viewers initially thought she was ugly and lacked figure, questioning how she could be a lead actress. However, her acting skills overshadowed this.

Don't think Zhang Yiman isn't pretty just because of Ren Suxi's appearance. In fact, how could she not be beautiful if she could bewitch Pei Kuishan and the coppersmith like that?

Gong Li, with her physical attributes alone, was able to fulfill the desire of the role, so she focused on showcasing Zhang Yiman's charming, cute, and innocent side.

Some people have criticized Gong Li, saying she can only play village girls. That can only be described as nitpicking or a lack of film experience.

In her romance film with Zhang Yimou, *A Terracotta Warrior's Tale*, she portrayed a naive and innocent heroine, even playing three different characters across three lifetimes. In *Farewell My Concubine*, she played Juxian, a top courtesan. In 94's *Painting Soul*, she was an intellectual painter. In 95's *Shanghai Triad*, she was a glamorous and alluring queen of song and dance…

Whether it's alluring, sexy, or intellectual, Gong Li can handle it all with ease.

Gong Li considers her only failed role in her acting career to be Qiu Xiang in "Flirting Scholar". She feels that she never integrated into the nonsensical atmosphere from beginning to end, which became a detriment to the film. She also regrets that she did not adjust her mindset when filming started.

Although this film, "Mr. Donkey," is also a comedy, it is completely different from Stephen Chow's nonsensical comedies. It is a tragedy that is full of sorrow beneath the guise of absurd comedy.

Gong Li had heard before that Wu Yuchen had written a script and adapted it into a stage play, but she had never paid attention to it due to her busy schedule. However, after seeing the script for "Mr. Donkey," she was completely captivated. Especially the character of Zhang Yiman, a new woman who believed in liberalism and was persecuted to the point of madness—the character was vivid, compelling, and highly controversial, completely drawing her in. From that moment on, she was determined to take on the role!

As soon as Gong Li entered the room, Wu Yuchen's eyes lit up, and he couldn't take his eyes off her as she moved.

Her beautiful body and her innocent, carefree and unrestrained temperament were perfectly combined. Isn't this the Zhang Yiman who advocated freedom and was endlessly charming?

Just looking at Gong Li, Wu Yuchen wanted to make the decision immediately. "Empress Gong, oh Empress Gong, it has to be you!"

However, he still had Gong Li try out a scene; after all, she had come all this way, so he couldn't let her come for nothing!
Gong Li was naturally already aware of the scene where Zhang Yiman was driven mad. After a moment of preparation, she directly showed Wu Yuchen what it meant to be a master of Chinese actresses. From slow to fast, from silent to audible, her eyes, expressions, and body language were completely unnoticed by Wu Yuchen. It was all so natural, just like it should be!
After Gong Li finished her performance, Wu Yuchen immediately clapped and gave her a thumbs up, saying, "Teacher Gong Li, you're absolutely amazing! I can't think of a single reason not to choose you. But there's still one problem: will you really shave your head then..."

"It's no big deal~" Gong Li waved her hand and said with a smile.

"I heard that Director Chen is going to premiere 'The Emperor and the Assassin' at the Great Hall of the People during the National Day holiday. Sister Li, will shaving your head have any impact?"

Gong Li is the female lead in "The Emperor's Shadow" and the biggest star in the cast, so she will definitely be a highlight.

"It's alright, he can't control me!" Gong Li said directly and domineeringly.

Wu Yuchen clicked his tongue inwardly; there weren't many actors in China who dared to speak so directly about Chen Kaizi.

……

That evening, Wu Yuchen held Jiang Qinqin, who looked sorrowful, in his arms and comforted her:

"Alright, alright, don't be sad. Look on the bright side. Now the 'Princess Pearl' crew won't have to push back their promotional efforts, and they can even go on a trip to Taiwan."

"What's so great about 'Princess Pearl'!"

Jiang Qinqin was very upset when she heard this. In her eyes, "Princess Pearl" and "Mr. Donkey" were like fireflies and the bright moon, worlds apart, and there was no comparison at all!

Wu Yuchen chuckled again and said:

"Then in a few months, 'The Classic' will be released. If you become famous then, people will see that you're all bald. How ugly will that be?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qinqin tried to comfort herself by echoing Wu Yuchen's words, which made her feel a little better, but only a little. "Mr. Donkey" was a film that Wu Yuchen was aiming for major awards! And even if it didn't win any awards, just for such an excellent script, any actor would want to act in it!
Seeing that Jiang Qinqin still had a long face and was pouting, Wu Yuchen said, "You, are you still not convinced?"

"How dare I disagree? She's Gong Li!" Jiang Qinqin said in a muffled voice. Wu Yuchen looked at her adorable expression, pinched her cheek, and said with a smile:
"Your face is practically puffed up like a steamed bun~ I didn't mean to discourage you, but now I'm showing you how big the gap is. Tomorrow I'll show you the recording of Gong Li's audition, and you'll be convinced."

The next day, after watching the video, Jiang Qinqin was completely dumbfounded. How could she dare to complain? Others had only been working on the script for a few days, yet they had completely outdone her two years of hard work. How could the difference between people be so great?
Wu Yuchen didn't comfort Jiang Qinqin either; giving her a shock lesson would motivate her to improve her acting skills. If she's truly traumatized and can't get over it, she should just be a proper idol star. What's so unacceptable about that? So many actors want to be that kind of star but can't achieve it!
……

He Bing was a student in the 1987 acting class at the Central Academy of Drama. When he applied to the academy, his teacher said that they didn't care about looks, and sure enough, he was accepted. However, after starting school, He Bing was dumbfounded. He looked at Hu Jun next to him, a tall guy of 1.8 meters, who was very popular; and on the other side was Jia Hongsheng, who was incredibly handsome. His female classmates Xu Fan and Jiang Shan were both stunning beauties. Looking at himself, he felt embarrassed to stand next to them.

While his classmates were constantly getting acting offers, He Bing spent all his time at school pondering: how should an actor act?

There was nothing he could do; he couldn't get any acting offers at all. He was the worst in his class, so he could only stay at school and hone his acting skills. What else could he do?

After graduating, He Bing joined the Beijing People's Art Theatre, hoping for a turning point in his career. However, the theatre was full of talented individuals; the older generation was outstanding, and the younger generation's brilliance was overshadowed by Pu Cunxi. Pu Cunxi came from an artistic family and was destined for this career from a young age. While Pu Cunxi was playing leading roles in suits, He Bing, after two years at the theatre, was still only playing minor roles with two lines. He Bing eventually resigned himself to his fate; minor roles were minor roles, but there were still skills involved.

Last year, He Bing heard that the Beijing Film Academy had produced a great play with a script written by the renowned director Wu Yuchen, so he went to see it in person. He was amazed by what he found. Since then, He Bing has made numerous trips to the Beijing Film Academy just to see the play "Mr. Donkey," instinctively wondering how he would act in it if he were in that role.

As for the audition for "Mr. Donkey", to be honest, He Bing didn't have high hopes. He was used to it. But since he had this opportunity, he still wanted to show his skills until he answered the phone.

"Hello, is this Mr. He Bing? This is Wu Yuchen. You performed very well in the audition for the role of Pei Kuishan. If you have time, please come over and sign the contract."

Wu Yuchen and Pei Kuishan sign the contract...

These words buzzed in He Bing's mind, leaving him momentarily stunned.

"No, Director Wu, you really chose me?"

He Bing instinctively asked a question, still somewhat incredulous. You see, the role of Pei Kuishan had big names like Chen Daoming, Pu Cunxi, and Wang Zhiwen auditioning for it. Why would they choose someone like him, a nobody and a nobody?

He Bing's reaction puzzled Wu Yuchen: "Yeah, Mr. He Bing, don't you have time for the next few months?"

"No, no... no, I mean, I have time! I have time!"

After confirming what had just happened, He Bing was immediately overwhelmed with joy and became somewhat incoherent.

"Director Wu, thank you so much! I'll go ask my workplace for leave right away! Don't worry, I'll definitely play Pei Kuishan well and won't let you down!"

Wu Yuchen chuckled: "Okay, I'm looking forward to your performance!"

After hanging up the phone, He Bing jumped for joy, feeling that spring had arrived and everything was so beautiful!
This is a major award-winning drama by renowned director Wu Yuchen, and the little He Bing has actually outshone Chen Daoming, Pu Cunxi, Wang Zhiwen and others!

Ten years of hard work have finally paid off, making all his perseverance and dedication worthwhile!

……

Wu Yuchen strolled around Dahebao Village, Gaoshizhuang Township, Pinglu District, Shuozhou, Shanxi Province, and nodded in satisfaction. He chose this location to tell the story of "Mr. Donkey."

In 1942, a group of teachers with dreams of changing the backward and ignorant environment of China came to a water-scarce village. They raised a donkey to carry water, but the Ministry of Education refused to pay for its upkeep. So, the principal falsely claimed the donkey belonged to a teacher named "Lü Deshui" and used this fictitious teacher's salary to feed the donkey. When a special envoy from the Ministry of Education came to inspect, they had to find a coppersmith to fill the gap, fabricating various excuses. Unexpectedly, to cover up one lie, they had to cover up more lies, and the situation eventually spiraled out of control…

The story in the movie "Mr. Donkey" takes place in a school in a drought-stricken area. The story has a logical basis in reality: perhaps these teachers found an abandoned, dilapidated old building on a barren mountain, did some simple repairs and cleaning, and used it as a school.

Therefore, when looking for filming locations, you need to find a place that is truly arid and lacks water, whether in terms of terrain or living conditions, and is located on high ground with a large ancient building.

Dahebao Village is surrounded by an ancient fortified wall, creating a closed environment. Inside the wall are the cave dwellings where the villagers once lived, giving a sense of temporal displacement and absurdity, almost magical, feeling, which is very similar to the style of the film "Mr. Donkey." The film aims to achieve a visual style that downplays or blurs the characteristics of the era, and this is the most suitable filming location.

The crew also needs to build some sets here, such as Zhang Yiman's room, which is decorated in the style of an artistic young woman. There are posters of domestic and foreign stars on the walls and Western oil paintings on the table, which shows her yearning for Western liberal and open ideas.

Wu Yuchen led several key members of the crew in a script reading session.

The "Mr. Donkey" crew doesn't have any instances of filming multiple projects simultaneously or joining another project only if you have scenes to film. Important actors are on set the entire time, and when they're not filming, they observe and reflect from the sidelines. That's how it is these days, and Wu Yuchen wants to maintain this fine tradition. Anyone who dares to film multiple projects at once can get lost; if you don't want to act, get out!

The main characters naturally all sat around Wu Yuchen.

Zhang Yiman: Gong Li;

Coppersmith: Fu Dalong;

Pei Kuishan: He Bing;

Principal Sun: Li Xuejian;
Zhou Tienan: Sun Honglei;
Sun Jia: Zhou Xun;
Special Correspondent: Zhang Guoli;
The coppersmith's wife: Ding Jiali.

(End of this chapter)