Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 203 "A False Alarm"

"Wu Yuchen returns with $1 million to build China's largest film and television base!"

"Recently, Hong Kong-based investor Little Bear Media has reached a cooperation agreement with Xiangshan County on investing US$1 million to build a film and television city. Of particular note is the presence of two well-known figures in the film and television industry, Wu Yuchen and Zhang Jizhong, at the signing ceremony."

It is reported that director Wu Yuchen's influence played a significant role in securing the $1 million investment in Xiangshan. Wu Yuchen stated that the construction of the film studio was not for profit, but solely to provide greater convenience for the Chinese film and television industry; all film crews will be exempt from location rental fees in the future!
The first film crew attracted to Xiangshan Film and Television City was for "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer," for which they had already secured the rights from Jin Yong. Producer Zhang Jizhong spoke highly of Xiangshan Film and Television City:
"The service is excellent. They build whatever you need, and they even waive the site rental fee. This kind of service is unique in the whole country! Filming 'The Smiling, Proud Wanderer' requires a lot of ancient scenery, and construction has already started according to my requirements. It will be completed by the time I start filming next year. I'm really looking forward to it!"

When talking about director Wu Yuchen, Zhang Jizhong couldn't help but give him a thumbs up and commented:

"Success is achieved but the love for one's homeland remains; a heart devoted to giving back to the industry!"

Director Wu has achieved such great success and influence internationally, yet he always keeps China in mind. Now, he's returning to China with money and advanced experience to contribute to the country's development, giving back to the domestic film and television industry and providing convenience for everyone. This is a contribution to the present and a benefit for future generations! I, Zhang, have the utmost respect for Director Wu's noble character and his sincere dedication to the film and television industry!

I urge all colleagues in the industry to consider Xiangshan Film and Television City as the first choice for filming in the future!

With a loud bang, a young man slammed his hand on the table after finishing reading the newspaper. His face was grim, and he shouted, "With all this disruption, how are we supposed to make money?!"

Then he looked at the little old man sitting upright in his office chair, squinting as he smoked, and asked anxiously, "Dad, what should we do?"

"What's the panic! Hengdian won't collapse!" the old man scolded.

The old man was none other than Xu Wenrong, the founder of Hengdian World Studios. He had seen the report; in fact, he had received the news a few days ago, since such a big thing couldn't be kept secret.

He had tried to contact the Hong Kong businessman and Wu Yuchen, and even wanted to pay them a visit. After all, whether it was the 1 million US dollars or the famous director Wu Yuchen, if they could bring them to Hengdian, it would directly enable Hengdian to achieve a qualitative leap, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it would rise two or three levels!

Unfortunately, it is said that they have already reached a cooperation agreement with Xiangshan, and he has not been able to meet with either the Hong Kong businessman or Wu Yuchen.

Xu Wenrong never even considered that the $100 million came from Wu Yuchen himself. After all, he was just a director; how much could he possibly earn? Like almost everyone else, Xu Wenrong thought that Wu Yuchen had used his immense influence to bring back $100 million in investment from Hong Kong businessmen. He couldn't help but marvel at the director's powerful influence. How many people in China could bring back an investment of over $100 million these days?

Xu Wenrong flicked the ash from his cigarette and then instructed his son, "Announce to the public that starting from January 1st next year, Hengdian World Studios will also waive venue rental fees."

Upon hearing this, the young man exclaimed, "Dad, that's over 20 million a year! Without the venue rental fee, aren't we losing money?!"

Xu Wenrong frowned and reprimanded him:
"You're such a grown man, why are you still so impulsive! Use your brain! If the venue rental is gone, you can still earn money to support the crew's food, drink, clothing, and accommodation. But if the popularity is gone, then you'll have nothing left!"

Xu Wenrong had actually been pondering this point for a while, but he had been hesitant about whether to waive the rent, since over 2000 million yuan a year was no small sum. Then Xiangshan emerged and became the first to raise the banner of rent waivers, leaving Xu Wenrong with no choice but to follow suit. However, Xiangshan reaped almost all the good reputation, which he secretly regretted.

However, what troubled him even more was the combined power of the $1 million and Wu Yuchen. With abundant funds and strong appeal, they were coming on strong!

Although Hengdian developed early, it was a trial-and-error process. Initially, they only intended to develop it as a tourist area, and it wasn't until Xie Jin filmed "The Opium War" that they began to develop it into a film and television city. In terms of investment, they didn't even reach 1 million US dollars, let alone a third of others. If Xiangshan were to invest 1 million US dollars, how could they compare?

Xu Wenrong felt that Hengdian couldn't just sit idly by and wait for their demise. They could scrape together more money from various sources, but this person...

When it comes to status and influence in the industry, Xu Wenrong immediately thought of Chen Kaige, who had previously filmed "The Emperor's Shadow" in Hengdian. He was determined to bring Chen Kaige's next project to Hengdian.
……

In Shanghai, on the set of the TV series "Brave New World," Jiang Qinqin frowned as she looked at the newspaper.

The newspaper article was about Zhang Dahuzi's interview with the cast of "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer." He stated that Gao Yuanyuan was beautiful and popular, and that he had just met with her. She was his first choice for the female lead, Ren Yingying.

Jiang Qinqin frowned not because she wanted to play Ren Yingying or anything like that. In fact, everyone still had doubts about whether Zhang Dahuzi could do a good job directing this version of "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer," and not many actors were eager to compete for the role. Besides, Jiang Qinqin now considered herself a film actress, and the two TV series "Princess Pearl" were already popular enough; she didn't want to go back to acting in TV dramas.

She frowned because Zhang Dahuzi said he had just met Gao Yuanyuan, while another report said that Zhang Dahuzi clearly attended a film and television city signing event with Wu Yuchen in Xiangshan. Doesn't that mean that Gao Yuanyuan was also in Xiangshan? Was she with Wu Yuchen?!

Thinking about this, Jiang Qinqin became restless. Whether the movie was made or not was not important, but this man couldn't be taken away! Especially such an outstanding man as Wu Yuchen!
Jiang Qinqin felt a growing anxiety. She got up, intending to pack her things and head straight to Xiangshan to see if her suspicions were true. If her fears were realized, then she... she...

So what can you do? Break up with Wu Yuchen? That's impossible. Or go and cause trouble for Wu Yuchen?

Although she's a popular celebrity now, she knows exactly who made her famous. And with Wu Yuchen's achievements over the past two years, the gap between their statuses has widened, leading to a situation where she's essentially dependent on him. Even though their relationship has deepened over the years, she still has many concerns, fearing that a conflict might cause Wu Yuchen to dislike her.

Jiang Qinqin was well aware of how attractive Wu Yuchen was. A man like him was bound to have a group of temptresses vying for his attention. If she were to have a conflict with Wu Yuchen, another woman might immediately flock to him, wanting to take his place. Just look at the examples of Chen Kaige, Ni Ping, and Chen Hong—wasn't Wu Yuchen even more desirable than Chen Kaige?

Thinking of this, Jiang Qinqin stopped in her tracks, suddenly feeling a sense of fear and no longer daring to investigate further...

Jiang Qinqin forced herself to calm down, took a deep breath, and knew she couldn't rush things or act impulsively. The most important thing now was to figure out if it was true or false before making a decision. Thinking this, Jiang Qinqin's mind raced, and suddenly a name came to mind. She quickly took out her phone, found the name, and dialed the number.

The phone rang, and Fan Bingbing, seeing it was Jiang Qinqin calling, quickly answered it:

"Hey, Sister Qinqin~"

"Bingbing, I have a question for you. Did you film 'Young Justice Bao' before, and were you in the same production team as Gao Yuanyuan?"

"Yes! Sister Qinqin, Yuanyuan and I are quite close. Is there something you need from her?"

"That's perfect, Bingbing, go and find out where she is now."

"Where?" Fan Bingbing asked, puzzled.

"Yes, ask her if she's at home, on some film set, or out having fun. Find out exactly where she is, whether she's in... Xiangshan!"

Upon hearing the name Xiangshan, Fan Bingbing, who had just heard the news about Xiangshan Film and Television City, immediately recognized it. Her heart skipped a beat, and a sense of gossip and excitement welled up within her. However, a sudden thought flashed through her mind, connecting all these feelings and generating a new idea.

"Bingbing, would you be willing to help me with this?"

Hearing Jiang Qinqin's voice on the other end, Fan Bingbing breathed a sigh of relief, then immediately spoke into the phone:

"Sister Qinqin, don't worry, it's a piece of cake. I'll go and inquire about it for you right away!"

"Okay, thank you so much, Bingbing. I'll definitely remember your kindness this time!"

After hanging up the phone, Fan Bingbing could still hear Jiang Qinqin's words of thanks. She also remembered the time Jiang Qinqin helped her, and a feeling of guilt welled up in her heart.

Fan Bingbing understood what Jiang Qinqin meant, of course. She wanted her to help spy on the "mistress"! She didn't even need to investigate; she knew that Gao Yuanyuan was probably with Wu Yuchen right now. But could she tell Jiang Qinqin about this?
After she exposes the matter, Jiang Qinqin might go and make a scene with Wu Yuchen. In the end, the couple will most likely be fine, but she will be dealt with by Wu Yuchen! The one who truly matters and can decide her fate is not Jiang Qinqin, but the great director Wu Yuchen!
Looking at Gao Yuanyuan's name in her call log, Fan Bingbing felt a pang of envy for her good friend. She sighed and dialed the number. The phone rang. Wu Yuchen saw Fan Bingbing on the caller ID and wondered why she was calling him. Seeing Gao Yuanyuan reading a newspaper nearby, he took a few steps back and answered, "Hello."

A respectful yet cautious voice came through the microphone: "Hello, Director Wu, this is Fan Bingbing. I have something I'd like to report to you."

"Well, you said."

Fan Bingbing paused, composed himself, and then said, "Director Wu, it's like this. Sister Qinqin just called me and asked me to inquire whether Sister Yuanyuan is in Xiangshan."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen raised an eyebrow, wondering why Jiang Qinqin would suddenly pull this stunt. How did she know?
He glanced at Gao Yuanyuan subconsciously, and after seeing the newspaper in her hand, he instantly recalled the interview with the bearded man and roughly guessed what had happened.

However, he didn't panic and calmly asked into the phone, "Bingbing, what do you think?"

Fan Bingbing's heart tightened; she knew her chance to shine, the most important moment, had arrived. She began speaking according to her prepared words:
"I just called Sister Yuanyuan, and she's at home. She even invited me to come over for dinner tonight. She said she met Producer Zhang a few days ago and thought I was perfect for the role in 'The Smiling, Proud Wanderer.' I'm happy for Sister Yuanyuan, and I plan to go see her later."

After Fan Bingbing finished speaking, she immediately held her breath, waiting for Wu Yuchen's reaction.

As Wu Yuchen listened to the conversation coming from the other end of the phone, he couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth. Fan Bingbing, this girl, is quite interesting!
I remember when he was in school, he hated people who tattled on teachers. But now that he's become a "teacher," wow, this little girl has come to her senses!
"Very good, Bingbing, I'll remember you."

Hearing this, Fan Bingbing was incredibly excited. Even though Wu Yuchen on the other end of the phone didn't say anything more and hung up, she didn't care. She had seized this opportunity, directly catching Wu Yuchen's eye and taking her relationship with the big shot a step further. Nothing else mattered! She, Fan Bingbing, also wanted to be ambitious, wanted to prove herself, wanted to become famous, wanted to be a big star!

Wu Yuchen hung up the phone and walked over to Gao Yuanyuan with a smile. Seeing him approach, Da Meiyuan pointed at the newspaper, somewhat confused, and asked, "Brother Chen, weren't you saying I'd play Junior Sister Yue Lingshan? Why did Producer Zhang say in the interview that the female lead is Ren Yingying?"

Gao Yuanyuan didn't understand, but Wu Yuchen knew perfectly well that it was just Zhang Dahuzi's usual hype.

He explained with a smile, "Because Ren Yingying is the female lead, the female lead gets far more attention than the second female lead. Putting you in the female lead role first to generate buzz and traffic for you is a way to increase your popularity. But don't take it too seriously, just prepare like Yue Lingshan!"

Upon hearing this, Gao Yuanyuan suddenly understood. So that's how it is! She also realized that the other party must have done this because of Wu Yuchen. And if it weren't for Wu Yuchen, she wouldn't have gotten the role of Yue Lingshan.
Wu Yuchen gently squeezed Gao Yuanyuan's smooth little hand: "Yuanyuan, if anyone asks in the future, just say that you met with Producer Zhang in Beijing, had a pleasant conversation, and were chosen for this opportunity."

Upon hearing this, Gao Yuanyuan's mind raced, and she was instantly moved. He didn't want others to know that he was a nepotism hire, but rather that he earned this role through his own hard work!
Da Meiyuan immediately moved close to Wu Yuchen, stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek, her face beaming with smiles. She wrapped her arms around his neck and said sweetly, "Brother Chen, you're so good to me!"

Wu Yuchen then wrapped his arms around her waist and pecked her on the lips: "Our Yuanyuan is so cute, who wouldn't like her?"

Gao Yuanyuan shook her head and pressed it against Wu Yuchen's chest: "Brother Chen, I don't want anyone else to like me! I only like you, and I will love only you for the rest of my life!"

Clearly, the lovestruck Da Meiyuan had completely transformed into Wu Yuchen's shape. Wu Yuchen gently stroked her smooth hair, feeling the love of the beauty in his arms, and smiled as well.

There's definitely no problem with Da Meiyuan's side, but he still needs to go over to Jiang Qinqin's side!

……

"Okay, thank you, Bingbing, I'm fine now~"

After hanging up the phone, Jiang Qinqin patted her chest and breathed a long sigh of relief. What a false alarm! It was all just worrying for herself. Gao Yuanyuan was still at home, about to have dinner with Fan Bingbing. Beijing and Xiangshan are practically a million miles apart!

And thinking about it, it makes sense. Gao Yuanyuan is quite pretty, and she even acted in a TV series like "Love Will Carry On," so she's quite popular. It's reasonable that Zhang Jizhong took a liking to her after meeting her in Beijing. Jiang Qinqin is just overthinking things!

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but feel a little guilty towards Wu Yuchen, for she had actually doubted his character; she had been too suspicious.

Jiang Qinqin immediately pulled out her phone and eagerly called Wu Yuchen. But the phone rang for a while without being answered. She didn't think much of it, put the phone down, assuming Wu Yuchen was still busy with the Xiangshan Film City project—after all, it was a multi-million dollar project!
Wu Yuchen was indeed busy with a big project worth hundreds of millions of yuan. After all, he was going to send the lovely Da Meiyuan back to Beijing on a plane tomorrow. He had to express his deep love before leaving so that Da Meiyuan would remember it!
Two days later, in Shanghai, Jiang Qinqin threw herself into Wu Yuchen's arms: "Honey, I missed you so much! If the movie hadn't been filmed for so long, I would have gone to Xiangshan to see you a few days ago!"

The film crew of "Brave New World" only started filming at the end of August, and it has been more than a month since then. Richie Jen and Wu Bai also made cameo appearances in the film.

Wu Yuchen put his arm around Jiang Qinqin, gently patted her back, and said with a smile, "There's no rush. The film and television city has only just started construction. If you want to go, wait until it's built up to a certain size next year, and I'll take you there when we have time."

Jiang Qinqin nodded sweetly in Wu Yuchen's arms. Whether or not they went to Xiangshan was not important; what mattered was who was by her side.

Seeing this, Wu Yuchen knew there shouldn't be any problems; Fan Bingbing's side had worked. Actually, his trip back to China was all planned out. He spent time in Beijing with Li Xiaoran and Zeng Li, then took Gao Yuanyuan on a trip to Xiangshan, and finally came to Shanghai to attend this year's Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival with Jiang Qinqin.

Those familiar with Chinese cinema should know about the three major film awards: the Golden Rooster Awards, the Hundred Flowers Awards, and the Huabiao Awards. Simply put, the Golden Rooster Awards are professional awards, selected by a jury composed of film industry professionals; the Hundred Flowers Awards are audience awards, reflecting the audience's love and recognition of films; and the Huabiao Awards are government awards, representing official recognition and honor.

In 1992, in order to increase influence and attract more attention, the Golden Rooster Awards and the Hundred Flowers Awards were merged into the Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival, with both awards being presented together at the annual awards ceremony.

Wu Yuchen spent two days with Jiang Qinqin in Shanghai before they flew together to Fengtian City in Liaoning Province, the venue for this year's Golden Rooster and Hundred Flowers Film Festival.

The awards ceremony was held at the Fengtian Gymnasium. To be honest, the setup was a bit like a makeshift stage—just a red carpet laid out in the gymnasium with a stage in the middle. However, the atmosphere was quite lively. Wang Gang, known for his role as "Heshen" in the classic Chinese novel, was invited to host the event. The atmosphere was very lively, and many big names attended, including Wu Yuchen and Jiang Qinqin, as well as Zhang Yimou, Gong Li, Pu Cunxi, Ning Jing, Liang Jiahui, and other stars from mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

Ning Jing was the most eye-catching because she arrived wrapped in a military overcoat. When interviewed by reporters, she was asked why she dressed like that. She bluntly said that she wouldn't win an award this time, so why dress up so beautifully?
Indeed, this was the case. Gong Li won Best Actress at this year's Golden Rooster Awards for her role as Zhang Yiman in *Mr. Donkey*, and *Mr. Donkey* also won Best Film, with Wu Yuchen winning Best Director. Best Actor went to Teng Rujun for his role as the father in *Postmen in the Mountains*, Best Supporting Actor to Xie Tian in *The Matchmaker*, and Best Supporting Actress to Yuan Quan, who has had a very successful career since her debut.

The biggest winner of this year's Golden Rooster Awards was undoubtedly "Mr. Donkey." In fact, this was expected by Wu Yuchen before he came. Although the Golden Rooster Awards no longer have any added value for him personally, it is still an honor. When he went on stage to accept the award, he naturally had to appear happy. He said a string of words of thanks and behaved humbly and appropriately.

Compared to Wu Yuchen's half-hearted happiness, Jiang Qinqin beside him was genuinely nervous. Although she hadn't won anything at the Golden Rooster Awards, only receiving a nomination, her hopes for the Hundred Flowers Awards were extremely high!

What was the most popular Chinese-language film last year? It was definitely "The Classic"!

Even so, Jiang Qinqin was still very nervous. After all, everyone knows how things are with domestic awards. Even the so-called Hundred Flowers Awards, which are supposedly chosen by the audience, are still subject to manipulation. She's just a new actress; even if she doesn't win, no one will find it strange. People will just say she's still young and that's perfectly reasonable.

Putting aside other things, just take "Be There or Be Square," which ranked second in domestic film box office last year, only behind "The Classic." Logically, it should have been loved by many viewers. But this time, it didn't even make it into the top five in the Hundred Flowers Awards votes. The two films ranked behind "The Classic" are "The Male Women's Director" by Uncle Benshan and "The Matchmaker," which had a pitifully low box office.

Sensing that Jiang Qinqin beside him was a little nervous, Wu Yuchen squeezed her hand and said with a smile, "Don't worry, what's meant to be yours will be yours~"

Wu Yuchen is no Feng Xiaogang. These people dare to criticize Feng Xiaogang's "Be There or Be Square," but they certainly wouldn't dare criticize his "If Love Has a Destiny." Do they really think he's been wasting his time all these years?

"This year's Hundred Flowers Award for Best Actress, which is also the most popular actress among audiences, is... Jiang Qinqin from 'The Classic'!"

Jiang Qinqin jumped up excitedly and hugged Wu Yuchen, her smile impossible to hide. Only after Wu Yuchen reminded her did she walk towards the stage amidst applause.

When Jiang Qinqin went on stage to receive the Best Actress award at the Hundred Flowers Awards, she was overjoyed. After all, it was her first major award, and she was a Best Actress winner of one of the three major domestic awards!

(End of this chapter)