Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 165 Arrangement
In September, the autumn winds came, but they still couldn't blow away the lingering heat of summer. Students in short sleeves and skirts were everywhere on campus, creating a vibrant scene.

Standing at the entrance of the Beijing Film Academy, Wu Yuchen was also infected by the youthful atmosphere and couldn't help but sigh that university life was the best!

This year he's been so busy that he's had very little time to return to Beijing Film Academy, sometimes even almost forgetting he's a student there. But Beijing Film Academy hasn't forgotten him; just look up at the banners hanging there and you'll know:

"Warmly congratulate our outstanding student Wu Yuchen on the box office surpassing 100 million for 'The Classic'!"

Wu Yuchen just smiled when he saw this; to be honest, he was already used to it.

Back at the Beijing Film Studio, he no longer needed to wear a mask to conceal his identity. On the street, he might still encounter many fans who would run up to him asking for autographs, but not at the studio. Although many students showed excitement upon seeing him and shouted "Hello, Senior Brother Wu," not a single one came up to ask for an autograph.

Nowadays, everyone at Beijing Film Academy maintains a tacit understanding: no matter how big a star you are, when you return to the campus, you are still considered fellow students or teachers. You can greet each other, say hello, and chat, but if you ask for an autograph, it will be seen as you currying favor with others, and people will look down on you if word gets out.

Wu Yuchen's main purpose in coming back this time was to catch up on the exams he had missed. It was impossible to make things difficult for him. All the make-up exam papers were subjective questions. To put it bluntly, as long as you wrote something on each question and didn't hand in a blank paper, Beijing Film Academy couldn't possibly fail him.

Of course, Wu Yuchen tried his best to answer reasonably well. This kind of thing needs to be kept on file. If someone wants to look at his exam paper years later and finds that all the answers were nonsense, it won't matter to him, but the school teachers will be criticized.

Inside the dean's office, Wu Yuchen rubbed his hands together and joked with Hou Keming, "Teacher Hou, I'm not kidding, but this make-up exam is much more tiring than filming a movie!"

"Hey, it's because you, Director Wu, are so busy right now that you don't even have time to go back to school for a few more days. You scheduled all these exams on one day, but you applied for it yourself."

"Dean Hou, please tease me. I also want more time, but I really don't have any. I have to go to America in two weeks. If I don't finish things here first, all my schedules and plans will be disrupted," Wu Yuchen said with a smile and a shake of his head.

Hou Keming sighed: "We were originally planning to have you give a speech to inspire the new students when they started school..."

He then specifically instructed, "When you graduate next year, you'd better make sure you have time for it, so you don't miss the graduation ceremony!"

"Haha, don't worry, I'll definitely be at the graduation ceremony!" Wu Yuchen assured him with a smile.

However, he then asked Hou Keming:

"Teacher Hou, I remember our school only hangs up banners for awards, right? Why is the box office results for 'The Classic' being displayed here? I'm afraid I'll be gossiped about by the senior students."

Hou Keming smiled and waved his hand: "It's different. It's been so many years since a Chinese-language film from mainland China has broken 100 million. Old Han and I discussed it and decided to give it a boost. You won't have to worry about it anymore, no matter how high you go."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen understood. He guessed that Han Sanping wanted to take this opportunity to encourage the directors in school to learn from their senior brother Wu when making films in the future, and not only think about art, but also about box office.

He couldn't help but click his tongue a few times in his mind. Han Sanping hadn't even officially taken office yet, and he was already worrying about the future of Chinese-language films.

Wu Yuchen picked up his teacup, took a sip, and had just put it down when Hou Keming looked at him with a smile and said:

"Wu Yuchen, have you decided what to film for your graduation project yet?"

"No, Dean Hou, do I still need to film a graduation project?" Wu Yuchen asked in surprise.

"Of course, how can you graduate if you don't produce a satisfactory graduation project?" Hou Keming said righteously.

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen blurted out, "Can't I just pick one of the works I shot during my time at school? It's impossible that none of them meet our graduation requirements, right?"

Hou Keming seemed to have been waiting for these words: "That's not impossible. How about this, let's use your latest film, 'Mr. Donkey,' as our graduation project?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen glanced at Hou Keming's smile and realized what was going on. He couldn't help but chuckle and said, "Dean Hou, you could have just told me directly. How could I possibly refuse?"

Hou Keming also frankly laughed and said, "That's not necessarily true. Everyone knows this is a movie you've been working on for three years, and you treasure it so much. Who knows if you'll be willing to do it?"

Hou Keming was well aware of the high quality of the script for "Mr. Donkey." He had read the script several years ago and even went out of his way to secure the opportunity for Beijing Film Academy to stage a play of "Mr. Donkey." Now, Wu Yuchen's "Mr. Donkey" was aiming for the Golden Bear, and it was obvious that it was his highest-quality work to date. Naturally, he wanted to try his best to secure the title of a graduation project for Beijing Film Academy.

In recent years, thanks to Wu Yuchen, the reputation of Beijing Film Academy has completely surpassed that of the Central Academy of Drama. Not only is Wu Yuchen himself about to be promoted to vice dean of the film academy, but his class teacher, Xie Xiaojing, became the head of the directing department last year. If "Mr. Donkey" can be included in their graduation project, the significance will naturally be different.

"Alright, alright, Dean Hou, how can I refuse now that you've said so?"

The school helped him a lot when he was starting out, so Wu Yuchen had no problem with this small request. It was just a matter of being listed as a friend; it wouldn't hurt him.

……

The three golden flowers of the 94 class of Beijing Film Academy, Jiang Qinqin, Chen Shasha, and Yin Qiaoqiao, have already graduated, but this year, three new golden flowers have emerged from the 98 class: Gao Yuanyuan, Miao Pu, and Pan Yuchen.

Among them, Gao Yuanyuan was the most dazzling. She became the class beauty as soon as she entered the class, and attracted many senior students to come and watch.

Gao Yuanyuan was already a nationally renowned star before entering the school. With "Love Will Carry On" as her foundation, she would attract attention wherever she went.

Moreover, because she and Chen Kun played the male and female leads in the drama, Chen Kun even came to help her when school started and took her to visit the school, which led to many people on campus spreading rumors that the on-screen couple had developed their relationship into a real-life romance.

“Yuanyuan, I really envy you. You can go home every week. We have to stay at school and suffer all the time,” Miao Pu sighed.

"Hehe, when I come back on Sunday night, I'll bring you some delicious food made by my mom~" Gao Yuanyuan gave Miao Pu a cute smile.

"Okay, okay, Auntie's cooking is so good, I was moved to tears last time!" Pan Yuchen exclaimed happily.

"Hey, Yuanyuan, we're thinking of going shopping at the mall tomorrow, let's go together!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Yuanyuan immediately shook her head: "Sorry, I have something to do tomorrow. How about the day after tomorrow? I'll take you to Wangfujing then~"

"Okay, then you can show us country bumpkins what it's like to be in a big city!"

After Gao Yuanyuan left, the girls in the dormitory discussed that since it was finally the weekend, they would skip the cafeteria and go out for a nice meal together.

Not far from the school gate, Pan Yuchen suddenly tugged at Miao Pu's sleeve and asked, "Hey, isn't that Yuanyuan?"

Looking into the nursery, they saw a pretty girl getting into a Crown car from behind. Although it was just her back, they could recognize her as Gao Yuanyuan.

Miao Pu said, "What's so strange about that? Yuanyuan is a big star and a local from Beijing. Isn't it normal for her to be picked up and dropped off in nice cars?"

Pan Yuchen nodded upon hearing this, and then said in an envious tone, "There's really no comparison. I don't even know if I'll be able to play a leading role when I graduate from university, while they're already big stars as soon as they enter school."

"Isn't this a good thing? Others would love to be friends with a big star!" Miao Pu said with a smile.

However, they were all confident in themselves, because the Beijing Film Academy had produced a string of stars in the past two years. Jiang Qinqin, who just graduated in 94, is now incredibly famous. Chen Kun and Zhao Wei, who were still in school in 96, have also become popular idol stars. After entering the Beijing Film Academy, with the achievements of the previous graduating classes as a benchmark, they naturally had many bright hopes for the future.

Just then, they suddenly felt a gust of wind blow past them, and saw a boy running quickly towards the Crown car, shouting as he ran, "Teacher Wu, wait a minute!"

However, the Crown car had already started moving, and before he could catch up, the car had already picked up speed. By the time the boy ran over, all that was left were wisps of black exhaust fumes drifting over for him to eat.

Miao Pu and Pan Yuchen exchanged a glance and walked over out of curiosity. They saw that the boy was obviously exhausted from running and was now supporting himself on his knees, panting heavily.

Upon seeing the boy's handsome profile, Miao Pu blurted out, "Senior Brother Huang, it's you?"

Upon hearing this, Huang Xiaoming slowly turned his head to look, then straightened up, calmed his breathing, and nodded to the two women: "Oh, it's Junior Sister Miao and Junior Sister Pan, hello!"

The two girls met Huang Xiaoming by chance at the beginning of the semester, and they had a good impression of this senior who was down-to-earth and sincere.

Pan Yuchen asked curiously, "Senior Brother Huang, what were you doing just now?" Huang Xiaoming looked miserable upon hearing this, "I went to a film set today, and only found out that Teacher Wu had returned to school when I got back. I rushed over, but I still missed him! I should have known better than to go out!"

"Teacher Wu? Which Teacher Wu?" Miao Pu asked curiously. Wasn't that car picking up Gao Yuanyuan?

“It’s Director Wu Yuchen! Don’t you know this is his car? Oh, it’s not surprising that you don’t know it since you just entered the school. I’ve memorized the license plate number…” Huang Xiaoming said, then sighed again.

"Wu Yuchen!!!" Miao Pu and Pan Yuchen both exclaimed in surprise upon hearing this.

They originally thought it was Gao Yuanyuan's family or company coming to pick her up, but they didn't expect it to be Wu Yuchen!

This, this, this...

The two women looked shocked, but they couldn't say anything, their feelings were quite complicated.

Huang Xiaoming, who was standing to the side, had no time to pay attention to the two women and walked back dejectedly with his head down.

……

In the car, Gao Yuanyuan asked Wu Yuchen, "Why did I think I heard someone call 'teacher' just now?"

Wu Yuchen laughed and said, "You must have misheard. Besides, even if they were calling for a teacher, they wouldn't be calling for the two of us. It has nothing to do with us!"

Gao Yuanyuan thought about it and agreed, so she didn't think about it anymore. Then she said to Wu Yuchen in a coquettish tone, "My classmate wanted to ask me to go shopping tomorrow, but I turned them all down~"

"If you want to go, then go ahead. I'm not stopping you. It'll just mean you'll walk a little less," Wu Yuchen chuckled.

"You're so annoying~" Gao Yuanyuan's eyes sparkled as she gave Wu Yuchen a flirtatious wink.

Then Gao Yuanyuan started chattering to Wu Yuchen about her time filming "Postmen in the Mountains" during her vacation:

"You have no idea how chaotic it is outside of Beijing. Our film crew's car was hijacked by highway robbers at least three times on the road, it really scared me to death!"

Fortunately, Director Kang personally accompanied us this time. He always steps in to resolve issues; otherwise, I really don't know what we would have done!

Wu Yuchen hadn't heard Kang Jianmin mention it, so he figured Kang Jianmin probably didn't think it was a big deal or was used to it. However, he did know that in his previous life, because the film crew was short of money, they had to make the crew members take long-distance buses to the set on their own. As a result, Liu Ye was robbed by bandits on the way.

This time, thanks to the investment from Miracle Films, the crew, who had sufficient funds, chartered a car to accompany them. Kang Jianmin followed along the way. After all, he was the director of Xiaoxiang Film Studio, a local bigwig with connections, so everything was handled smoothly.

Wu Yuchen smiled and reached out to pat Gao Yuanyuan's heart: "Don't be afraid, I'm here. I'll give you some courage later."

Gao Yuanyuan's face immediately turned bright red: "You're so bad!"

Her body was damp with fragrant sweat, and a gentle spring breeze permeated her jade-like skin.

The joyful place is clear and the sword is ready, and the Zhejiang machine is flowing away.

During the intermission after their passionate encounter, Wu Yuchen stroked Gao Yuanyuan's soft, panting shoulder and asked with a smile, "Yuanyuan, this film, 'Postmen in the Mountains, Postmen and Dogs,' will be submitted to the Tokyo International Film Festival next month. I reckon it'll be a hit. Do you want to go?"

Miracle Films is now well-funded, unlike back when they had to be stingy and calculate the number of attendees just to participate in a film festival, fearing they wouldn't have enough money. This time, they can arrange for any male or female lead who wants to go.

Gao Yuanyuan naturally wanted to go. After nodding, she snuggled closer to Wu Yuchen, pressing her face against his chest, and asked, "Brother Chen, will you come with me?"

Wu Yuchen shook his head: "I will be listed as the producer of this movie, but I have to go to Hollywood in a few days. I will probably be busy with things there and won't be able to make it."

Now that Wu Yuchen is a well-known figure, as long as his name is listed as a producer, the movie will immediately receive a lot of attention; there's no need for it to take a long time to build up interest. However, Wu Yuchen doesn't list any film on his credit; unless it's a high-quality production, he won't list it for ordinary films.

Gao Yuanyuan was quite disappointed upon hearing this, as she had been hoping to travel abroad with Wu Yuchen.

Seeing this, Wu Yuchen kissed her cheek and then gently nibbled her soft ear, saying, "Good Yuanyuan, you should focus on your studies and learning acting at school. You'll have plenty of opportunities in the future."

Gao Yuanyuan, tickled by Wu Yuchen's bites, gasped, "I... I'll do whatever you say, Brother Chen~"

That night, Wu Yuchen repeatedly injected Mei Yuanyuan with hundreds of millions of courage points, making her feel safe and secure as she fell asleep.

The following day, after sending the satisfied and reluctant Mei Yuanyuan home, Wu Yuchen also returned to Miracle Films.

While he was arranging some company projects, he asked Cai Yinong, "President Cai, what's the situation with 'If Love Has a Destiny' overseas?"

Cai Yinong said with a smile:
“Many overseas film companies are actively seeking to purchase the rights. We currently have two options. One is to sell the global rights directly to large companies like Sony, Columbia, or Warner. They offered $500 million, but I think we can negotiate further. The other option is to sell them separately in different regions.”

Wu Yuchen pondered for a moment, then said, "We'll divide it into two parts. For the Asian region, including Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea, we'll negotiate with local film distributors. For the regions outside Asia, we'll sell directly to major distributors, whoever offers the highest price will get it."

"If Love Has a Destiny" is sure to be a hit in Asia. Its success outside of Asia is uncertain, but with Wu Yuchen's name on the roster, it should fetch a good price.

Of course, in terms of revenue, it certainly can't compare to "Phone Booth" or even "Run Lola Run." With an all-Chinese cast and entirely Eastern-style emotions, it won't resonate with a wide range of Western audiences. At most, it might interest some artsy types, and it'll probably only sell a few million dollars outside of Asia.

Then there are the films he invested in, "Postmen in the Mountains" and "Stealing Joy," which have already been scheduled to participate in the Tokyo International Film Festival. Moreover, Wu Yuchen suggested that they directly participate in this year's Golden Rooster Awards. Since both films have the support of Xi'an Film Studio and Xiaoxiang Film Studio respectively, they can directly go through internal recommendations to participate in this year's Golden Rooster Awards, without having to wait until next year.

As for next year, Wu Yuchen's "Mr. Donkey" will be participating in the competition, and he doesn't want to fight with his own people.

Wu Yuchen then asked, "President Cai, how are 'The Legendary Twins' and 'The Grand Mansion Gate' progressing?"

"The production of 'The Grand Mansion Gate' is still in post-production. Director Guo Baochang is going to polish it meticulously this time, so I haven't been pushing him on the schedule."

Wu Yuchen nodded upon hearing this. He knew that Guo Baochang valued "The Grand Mansion Gate" highly, and it was this attitude that created a classic.

"The Legendary Twins has already been filmed, but I think we should wait a little while?"

Wu Yuchen looked at Cai Yinong, signaling her to continue.

"Director Wu, 'My Fair Princess' is so popular in China right now, with various TV stations airing it one after another. It might not be a good time to release 'The Legendary Twins'. On the other hand, 'My Fair Princess' has been airing in Taiwan for half a year now, and the enthusiasm has waned a bit."

I think we could air "The Legendary Twins" in Taiwan first, which would avoid the hype surrounding "Princess Pearl." If it does well there, we can use that to negotiate with different TV stations later.

After listening to Cai Yinong's analysis, Wu Yuchen nodded and said, "President Cai, your idea is fine. Let's do it your way. You and Director Li Guoli can contact the Taiwan TV station."

"Director Wu, don't worry, Director Li has some connections in Taiwan, there won't be any problems."

"Then I'll have to trouble you two." Wu Yuchen smiled.

Just then, a staff member knocked on the door, came in, and said to Wu Yuchen:
"Director Wu, there's a student outside looking for you."

"Student? What's their name?" Wu Yuchen asked curiously.

He said he was from Beijing Film Studio and his name was Huang Xiaoming.

(End of this chapter)