Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 225 Olympic Bid Ambassador
Once the film passes the review by the big scissors, Wu Yuchen plans to release "Infernal Affairs" simultaneously in mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, which would be a fitting tribute to this classic.

Oh, and I should mention that because of Wu Yuchen's revisions to the movie script, the production team specifically added Wu Yuchen's name to the list of screenwriters and also added his name to the producer list.

When Wu Yuchen learned of this, he simply smiled. He knew that on one hand, it was Liu Weiqiang and the others trying to curry favor, and on the other hand, they obviously wanted to use his reputation as the current top Chinese director to increase the exposure of "Infernal Affairs." He didn't object to it; after all, it was beneficial to the film! He was the investor in the film, so any extra profits would be his anyway!

At this point, Cai Yinong paused, then continued, "Director Wu, we've run into some trouble with 'Shaolin Soccer'."

"What's wrong?" Wu Yuchen asked.

"We encountered some problems with the review process and got stuck."

Upon hearing Cai Yinong's words, Wu Yuchen recalled that in his previous life, "Shaolin Soccer" had not been introduced to mainland China, so he asked, "What happened?"

Cai Yinong explained:

"I asked around and found out there were two reasons. On the one hand, some people felt that the subject matter of our movie was a bit sensitive, specifically the part about the football league in the movie was portrayed too negatively, and some people were not happy about it."

Anyone who has seen "Shaolin Soccer" knows that the Devil Team in the movie is the big boss. They not only use banned drugs, but are also involved in various shady dealings such as match-fixing and referee corruption.

Wu Yuchen raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. Is it possible that even a fictional league from "Shaolin Soccer" could touch a nerve with some people? However, he thought about the current state of football in China, which has always been mired in corruption and has never been clean. These days, it's blatantly corrupt, with everyone colluding with each other.

Back in 98, Wang Jianlin's Wanda Group was so enraged by the scandal that it announced its permanent withdrawal from Chinese football. The repercussions of that incident are still ongoing. No wonder some people were unhappy when they heard about "Shaolin Soccer"—they were afraid that people would associate the movie with them!

Wu Yuchen did not comment, but asked again, "What's the other reason?"

Cai Yinong continued, "Some religious figures have said that this film makes fun of the Shaolin Temple, which has hurt the feelings of some religious people."

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen shook his head. He could tell from that voice that they were Buddhists. They probably thought the Shaolin monks and football players in the movie were too improper, smoking, drinking, getting perms, and clubbing, which was a disgrace to the temple's reputation.

Hong Kong films have always incorporated a lot of parody elements, not to mention Stephen Chow's nonsensical style. But to say that he deliberately disrespects Buddhism is definitely not true. Hong Kong is far more superstitious than mainland China, and many people dare not disrespect these ghosts and gods.

At that moment, a sentence popped into Wu Yuchen's mind: Lies don't hurt people, but the truth is the sharpest weapon.

"Shaolin Soccer" is clearly an exaggerated, nonsensical comedy film, but its exaggerated effects inadvertently hit the sore spots of both the domestic football scene and the Shaolin Temple. No wonder it couldn't be imported and released in mainland China in its previous life.

However, Wu Yuchen wasn't too worried, because this kind of thing can't be taken too seriously. Why are you making such a fuss over a simple, nonsensical comedy?

Wu Yuchen plans to ask them personally. To be honest, both groups are from different fields and don't have direct control. It mainly depends on the opinion of Big Scissors.

In his previous life, Stephen Chow couldn't handle it because he had no connections in mainland China. But when Director Wu went to Big Scissors, they still had to give him some face.

"Mr. Cai, I'll take care of the Shaolin Soccer matter when I have some free time. I'll let you know when I have some news."

Hearing Wu Yuchen's words, Cai Yinong felt relieved. As long as Wu Yuchen took action, the matter should be resolved.

As soon as the door opened, Jiang Qinqin threw herself into Wu Yuchen's arms and gave him a quick kiss.

After letting go, Wu Yuchen asked with a smile, "Did you miss me?"

Jiang Qinqin gave a light snort: "I wasn't thinking about you at all~"

As Wu Yuchen followed her into the house, they could hear music playing from the stereo:

Love moves too fast, like a tornado.

I can't bear it anymore, I have nowhere to hide.

I don't want to think about it anymore, I don't want to think about it anymore.

No, no, I don't want to think about you anymore.

Wu Yuchen pinched Jiang Qinqin's waist: "Oh ho, you really didn't want to? I even abandoned my parents the moment I got back to come see you~"

Jiang Qinqin quickly went over and turned off the music, explaining, "It's just some minor singer who's recently gained some fame. I was just listening randomly!"

Wu Yuchen clicked his tongue twice upon hearing this. Jay Chou was just a nobody singer back then! Who would have thought he would later become a king of the Chinese music scene?

To be honest, 2000 was still the golden age of the Chinese music scene. Not only did Jay Chou release a new album, but many new styles of music flooded the market. Sun Yanzi's "Darkness" beat Jay Chou to win Best Newcomer, Liang Jingru's "Courage" became a hit, Dr. Chen sang "King of Karaoke," Mayday's "Gentle" was still sung live, Leehom Wang hadn't yet been ruined by scandal, and "Descendants of the Dragon" was popular across mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. It was truly a golden age for music.

This era of fierce competition in the Chinese music scene is truly precious and should be cherished, as every year that passes is one less year to come.

Wu Yuchen smiled and said, "If you really like his songs, I'll have him sing them for you when we get back~"

This isn't Wu Yuchen bragging. He was just thinking about whether to ask Cai Yinong to poach Jay Chou from Little White Bear Media. Jay Chou has only just released one album and isn't very famous yet. Little White Bear Media is quite well-known in Hong Kong and Taiwan. With the successful and popular group F4, it's no wonder that many artists aspire to work with Little White Bear.

Moreover, Jay Chou's boss, Wu Zongxian, probably sold Alpha Entertainment, the company where Jay Chou, Vincent Fang, and others were located, in the last two years. Therefore, it wouldn't be a problem to buy Jay Chou and have Jiang Qinqin go to listen to him record a song live.

Jiang Qinqin immediately shook her head: "No need~ I didn't buy this CD, Bingbing gave it to me, I'm just listening to it for fun!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen's heart skipped a beat, but he maintained his smile and asked, "Oh? You and Fan Bingbing are getting along quite well now?"

Jiang Qinqin smiled and said, "Bingbing is such a nice person. He comes to visit me all the time, chats with me, and always brings me gifts when he comes back from his trips. He also humbly asks me for acting advice. Unlike you, who can be gone for months at a time!"

After Jiang Qinqin finished speaking, she rolled her eyes at Wu Yuchen to express her dissatisfaction.

Seeing that Jiang Qinqin had already treated Fan Bingbing as a good sister, Wu Yuchen couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "Fan Bingbing, you're quite something!"

Wu Yuchen nodded in agreement: "That's good, that's good. I'll take better care of her from now on."

Jiang Qinqin smiled with satisfaction upon hearing this, and then asked Wu Yuchen, "Hey, you're not going home tonight, are you?"

"I'm not going back. I told my parents I'd be going to see them tomorrow, so I'll spend today with you!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qinqin immediately broke into a bright smile and pulled Wu Yuchen toward the dining table: "Come on, let me show you some of our mountain city's specialties. I've been preparing this for ages!"

Wu Yuchen immediately laughed and said, "That's great! I've been craving Chinese food so much back in America, I can eat it even if it's terrible!"

Jiang Qinqin patted Wu Yuchen on the shoulder, wrinkled her nose, and said, "What's so bad about it! My cooking is excellent!"

"Alright, alright, let me try the fairy's cooking!"

……

The following day, at the Beijing New Overseas Chinese Hotel, the staff of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Bid Committee, who had been working on the sixth floor since its establishment in 1999, worked there.

When Wu Yuchen arrived, someone came to greet him, shook his hand and said with a smile, "Director Wu, you're finally back! We've all been waiting for you to come and receive this certificate!"

Wu Yuchen immediately apologized, "It's my fault, it's my fault. The Americans weren't ready to let me go until they finished their work. I had to rush back, and I'm so sorry for delaying everyone!"

"It's alright, it's alright, I know you're busy. It's fine if we stay here all the time, it's just that it's hard to find a time that works out with Cheng Long. Luckily you made it back this time!"

A moment later, Wu Yuchen followed the people from the Olympic Bid Committee to the office. They took out a certificate, but didn't give it to Wu Yuchen directly. Then they led Wu Yuchen to the second floor of the hotel. In the conference room there, Cheng Long happened to be there. Upon seeing Wu Yuchen, he immediately came over and gave him a warm hug: "Director Wu, it's really fate that we were appointed as Olympic Bid Ambassadors together!"

After he let go, he joked with Wu Yuchen, "But this time I arrived earlier than you and got the first spot. I got the employment certificate first and I'm the first image ambassador for Beijing's bid to host the Olympics!"

Wu Yuchen laughed and said, "Brother Long, you're so successful now, an international superstar, with your fame spreading all over the world. You represent the image of us Chinese people, so naturally you should be number one!"

Although Wu Yuchen has directed a series of box office successes and even won an Oscar, he is ultimately a behind-the-scenes director. In terms of fame, he is definitely behind Jackie Chan. Therefore, Jackie Chan truly deserves the title of the first Olympic bid ambassador.

However, Wu Yuchen now has considerable influence. Given his international achievements, especially after winning an Oscar, the Olympic Bid Committee has specially appointed him as the Olympic Bid Ambassador.

To put it bluntly, the goal is to leverage Wu Yuchen and Cheng Long's fame and international influence to vigorously promote Beijing's bid for the Olympics and use their international connections to help Beijing win the competition to host the 2008 Olympic Games.

"Brother Long, how's Rush Hour 2 going?" Wu Yuchen asked with concern.

"Thank you for your concern, Director Wu. Everything is fine now. I'll be heading to the United States to start filming right after leaving Beijing. Also, thank you for your advice, Director Wu. I think you're right. $500 million won't affect me much; I should give it my all!"

Previously, Jackie Chan had specifically called Wu Yuchen to inquire about his salary for "Rush Hour 2," not regarding filming. After negotiations, New Line Cinema offered him two options: Option A was a salary of 2000 million plus 5% of the box office revenue, and Option B was 1500 million plus 10% of the box office revenue.

Jackie Chan was a bit unsure, so he called Wu Yuchen for advice. Wu Yuchen naturally recommended option B to him, since he knew that "Rush Hour 2" was quite profitable. Jackie Chan earned 2600 million from the 10% share plus the DVD revenue share, plus a fixed salary of 1500 million, which brought him a total income of 4100 million US dollars for the film.

Don't think New Line Cinema is stupid. They did this to reduce risk. After all, although Rush Hour 1 was a success, who can guarantee that the sequel will be successful? Especially since the lead actor, Jackie Chan, is Asian. What if the audience is only interested in the novelty this year and doesn't like Jackie Chan as an Asian in the second movie?
It was only because Wu Yuchen had experience in his past life that he was so certain and strongly persuaded Cheng Long to choose option B.

Wu Yuchen smiled at Cheng Long and said, "Brother Long, I have confidence in you. You're very popular right now, and the profit sharing will definitely be more profitable than a fixed salary!"

The Rush Hour film series starred Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker. Many people still say that Jackie Chan was the second lead in those films, while Chris Tucker was the true lead.

Whoever said that is truly brainless, even fawning over a Black man. It's obvious that Jackie Chan is irreplaceable in *Rush Hour*, while Black men like Chris Tucker are everywhere in Hollywood! Before *Rush Hour*, this Black man was just a minor Hollywood star; he only got his highest salary thanks to this series, and he has no other notable works besides that film.

Upon hearing this, Jackie Chan said to Wu Yu-chen, "Director Wu, I heard that you also chose the revenue-sharing model. It seems that you are very confident in 'The Pirate King'. I'll be waiting for your good news in a few months!"

"Brother Long, you have to come and support me at the premiere!" Wu Yuchen invited Cheng Long, putting his arm around him.

"Don't worry, don't worry, I'll definitely be there to help!"

Cheng Long patted his chest and assured him, then scratched his head and explained to Wu Yuchen:
"Director Wu, I'm really sorry about the female role in my movie. I had already promised it to Zhang Ziyi."

When the two contacted each other earlier, Wu Yuchen casually asked if the role of the Chinese female supporting character in his movie was still available. If it was, he was thinking about whether he could get it for someone close to him. Although it was just a villainous female role, even if Jiang Qinqin and Li Xiaoran didn't want to play it, Fan Bingbing would probably be more than happy to get it.

Wu Yuchen waved his hand: "It's okay, it's nothing, don't worry about it."

After hearing this, Wu Yuchen roughly understood what was going on. It was highly likely that Zhang Ziyi had already sacrificed herself for Jackie Chan in order to advance her career and break into Hollywood, otherwise Jackie Chan would not have humiliated her for this.

Based on the photos that circulated in the previous life, showing Jackie Chan brazenly embracing and kissing Zhang Ziyi on set, given Jackie Chan's womanizing nature, who would believe that the two had nothing going on!

Wu Yuchen wouldn't look down on Zhang Ziyi because of this. Fan Bingbing was also ambitious and offered herself to him. Both women are very ambitious. That's how the entertainment industry is. Offering yourself isn't the point. The point is whether it's worth it. It all depends on whether you can make it in the end.

Later, in an interview, Yang Mi stated that such unspoken rules are normal in the entertainment industry, and directly said that if it were Zhang Yimou and Li An, she would be willing to accept their unspoken rules.

Wu Yuchen and Cheng Long chatted and laughed as they walked into the conference hall, where they were immediately greeted by a barrage of camera flashes from numerous reporters waiting inside. Both of them were already used to this kind of scene and smiled and nodded to the reporters.

However, this time, neither of them sat in the center position (C position). The center position was occupied by the director of the Olympic Bid Committee, with the two sitting on either side of him, and the director then addressed the audience.

"Thank you all for attending our Olympic bid ambassador appointment ceremony today..."

Everyone present was very patient, listening to the director's long speech. When he picked up the certificate and stood up, the reporters were all invigorated, knowing that the important part was about to begin.

"Now, on behalf of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Bid Committee, I hereby officially appoint Wu Yuchen as the image ambassador for Beijing's Olympic bid!"

Reporters at the scene had already set up their cameras and were snapping away. Wu Yuchen then stood up and smilingly accepted the appointment certificate from the director. Of course, it wasn't a simple acceptance; the two opened the certificates, each holding one side, and smiled at the reporters, allowing them to take notes.

A moment later, after Wu Yuchen sat down with his appointment certificate, the Q&A session began. A group of reporters started asking questions, the questions of which were pretty predictable: "Mr. Wu Yuchen, how do you feel about being selected as the Olympic bid ambassador?"

Wu Yuchen gave a warm smile:

"The Olympics has been a dream of ours for decades, and our country has made great efforts for it. Now, with the rapid development of our country, our land of China is changing with each passing day. I believe that we have a great chance in Beijing's bid for the 2008 Olympics."

"I am very excited, happy, and honored to be able to participate in this Olympic bid as an ambassador! I will do my best to cooperate with the Olympic Bid Committee and contribute my share to this bid!"

Click, click, the flashbulbs went off non-stop below. Because this was an official event, no reporters asked any irrelevant questions; everything was focused on the Olympic bid.

"Director Wu, now that you've been selected as the Olympic bid ambassador, will you still participate in the filming of this Olympic bid promotional video?"

After listening to the reporter's question, Wu Yuchen thought for a moment and said:
"First of all, the Olympic bid film has a very clear purpose, which is to serve the Olympic bid. The most important thing is to report to all members of the International Olympic Committee, introduce our Beijing, and show that our Beijing has the ability to host the Olympic Games and meets the requirements in terms of hardware and software."

Secondly, this Olympic bid requires more than thirty sets of films of varying lengths and different segments for various purposes. I am not the only director involved; director Zhang Yimou will also be involved.

I will participate in and take on a part of it. For example, the part with Jackie Chan is a public service announcement, showcasing the public-spirited image of China to the International Olympic Committee and the world. Therefore, we chose Jackie Chan to represent the image of the Chinese nation for promotional purposes!

Then the reporter asked Jackie Chan about his feelings. Jackie Chan, no longer joking around, looked serious:
"The Olympics are very important to China. I think it's a matter for all Chinese people. We must do our best to win the Olympics because it will greatly enhance the image of China and all Chinese people."

I feel incredibly proud and honored to participate in this international event! Working with Director Wu on the promotional video is truly a dream come true. Before coming, I told Director Wu that no matter how busy I was, I had to fly here!

……

After the press conference, Wu Yuchen immediately began filming promotional video clips with Cheng Long. Because Cheng Long was also in a hurry, Wu Yuchen had to get on set right away.

However, Cheng Long's part wasn't too difficult, and the tone and style of these promotional videos had already been agreed upon, so Wu Yuchen wouldn't mess around and make anything unconventional on his own.

Moreover, the clip itself shouldn't be too long. After filming, it might be cut shorter depending on the runtime, so the goal is to make a lasting impression in a short time.

What is Jackie Chan's image? Chinese and kung fu—these are his biggest labels. Therefore, this film definitely needed to include kung fu. However, this was a more formal promotional video, so it couldn't follow his usual comedic kung fu style. Therefore, a very simple concept was chosen: Jackie Chan practicing Tai Chi.

Of course, during his Tai Chi practice, he connects different locations through his moves and transitions, showcasing some of Beijing's classic styles. For example, he can practice alone on the Great Wall; he can practice with a group of children in the Forbidden City; and he can practice with a group of elderly men at the Temple of Heaven.

Wu Yuchen initially thought this wouldn't be difficult, but he didn't expect...

"Director Wu, I'm sorry, I've never learned Tai Chi..." Cheng Long scratched his head, looking embarrassed.

This left Wu Yuchen completely bewildered: "Brother Long, is this for real? You're not kidding me, are you?"

"Really, Director Wu, I don't joke about things like this. If you want me to do a few simple Tai Chi moves, I can do that, but this is something that's going to be shown to the whole world, and I don't have any professional training in it, so I can't fool you. Otherwise, it would be so embarrassing when it's released!"

Wu Yuchen felt helpless upon hearing this, and then said, "This is also my fault. I thought you would definitely know how! Here's what we'll do: let's find an expert to teach you, and we can learn as we film!"

So, their production team hurriedly invited a professional Tai Chi master to teach Jackie Chan Tai Chi step by step. They taught him while filming, and the team traveled to several different locations in Beijing, filming for two days, before finally finishing filming Jackie Chan's promotional video.

Wu Yuchen still has a few other scenes to film, but once Cheng Long's part is finished, he won't be in such a rush. He can slow down and film at his own pace.

(End of this chapter)