Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 230 I am willing!

Lu Chuan's father and aunt were both well-known writers. He was admitted to the directing program at Beijing Film Academy in 1995 and received his master's degree in 1998. However, after graduation, from 1998 to 2001, Lu Chuan did not receive any film or television offers.

The frustration of having "no place to use one's talents" left Lu Chuan feeling utterly defeated. It was at this time that a novel called "The Search for a Gun" struck a chord with him. So, Lu Chuan bought the copyright to "The Search for a Gun" for 10,000 yuan and attempted to adapt it into a screenplay and bring it to the big screen, hoping to find his "lost gun."

Jiang Wen's film "Devils on the Doorstep" was banned, and he was also banned from directing for five years. He felt like he had lost his gun. Frustrated and resentful, Jiang Wen treated "Looking for a Gun" as his own work, freely venting his inner emotions.

Both men lost their guns. Clearly, Lu Chuan was not as fierce as Jiang Wen, and the gun ultimately ended up in Jiang Wen's shape.

Wu Yuchen thought of this not for any other reason than that he knew Jiang Wen's current state of mind: frustrated, resentful, and in dire need of an outlet; he wanted to explode.

Shen Lian, on the other hand, was a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, wielding the Embroidered Spring Blade; frankly, his role was more like that of a tool. Jiang Wen's suppressed anger and resentment were vastly different from Shen Lian's sullenness, which he kept bottled up inside.

Wu Yuchen understood this perfectly, so Jiang Wen's words were simply sophistry.

Jiang Wenzheng was about to say something when Wu Yuchen interrupted him again:

"Brother Wen, stop arguing with me. No means no. Shen Lian, forget about it. Your face won't do. I need to find someone good-looking to boost the box office!"

"me……"

Jiang Wen was speechless for a moment. He could cover up other things, but his appearance was what it was. Before he became famous, he was often called a big monkey and didn't meet the standard of a handsome man at all.

After a moment's reaction, Jiang Wencai said:
"No way, you, Director Wu, need to find good-looking actors to make movies? With your reputation, do you really need to find actors to boost box office?"

"Brother Wen, just give up and stop bothering me."

Wu Yuchen wasn't worried about not being able to control Jiang Wen, but he would find it troublesome. This guy was currently feeling restless and anxious; if he were to actually play Shen Lian, he would have to discuss every scene with Wu Yuchen for ages, arguing his reasons. If that happened, what should have been a two- or three-month shoot would have stretched into six months.

Jiang Wen was silent for a moment, then said, "Fine, I won't play Shen Lian anymore. I'll just sign up to be the eldest brother, okay? You can't expect me to find a handsome guy to play Lu Jianxing, can you?!"

This time it was Wu Yuchen's turn to hesitate for a moment, and then he said, "Lu Jianxing's registration has already closed, and you're changing it now..."

Jiang Wen, sitting opposite him, said directly, "Hey, don't try to fool me with this. It's just a matter of what you say, right? I won't make things difficult for you. I'm going to an audition in a couple of days. If I can't beat the others, I have nothing to say!"

Wu Yuchen sighed and could only agree to Jiang Wen's suggestion, thinking about having Jiang Wen play Lu Jianxing...

In the original version, Lu Jianxing was played by Wang Qianyuan; he was a calm, loyal, honest, and filial character. If Jiang Wen were to play him, wouldn't he just become the ringleader of a rebellion?

After he hung up the phone, Jiang Qinqin walked over with a smile and asked, "Jiang Wen also came to ask you for a role?"

He wanted it, but I didn't give it to him.

"Didn't you say you were going to have him audition for Lu Jianxing?"

Wu Yuchen shook his head: "We'll see how the audition goes. If he doesn't perform well, then he's no good."

Lu Chuan needed Jiang Wen's help to attract investment, relying on Jiang Wen as the main character; he didn't need to.

At this moment, Jiang Qinqin gently shook Wu Yuchen's arm and asked, "Honey, are you going to audition tomorrow and get two more female roles in the show?"

Wu Yuchen nodded, then glanced at Jiang Qinqin and asked, "What, do you have someone else to recommend?"

In this movie, besides the female lead Zhou Miaotong played by Jiang Qinqin, there are indeed two other female characters with limited screen time, but who are still memorable.

One is Wei Ting, Wei Zhongxian's adopted daughter and personal bodyguard; the other is Zhang Yan, a female physician whom the third brother, Jin Yichuan, is fond of.

Jiang Qinqin bit her red lips lightly, then tentatively asked, "What do you think of Sasha and Bingbing?"

Shasha is Jiang Qinqin's classmate and roommate. She is one of the three beauties in their class, Chen Shasha, who has now changed her name to Chen Zihan; Bingbing is naturally Fan Bingbing!
Wu Yuchen smiled upon hearing this: "What, did they come to plead for you?"

"No, I heard they signed up, so I wanted to ask about it. If you think it's not going to work out, I don't want them to get too excited and be disappointed."

Wu Yuchen chuckled, then ruffled Jiang Qinqin's hair and said, "Let's see how the audition goes. If it's suitable, I'll consider it."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qinqin immediately smiled and gave Wu Yuchen a quick kiss on the cheek.

Looking at Jiang Qinqin's expression, Wu Yuchen thought to himself, "Even if you hadn't said anything, I would definitely have given the role to Bingbing. Our relationship is much more real, reliable, and intimate than your fake friendship!"

……

The next day.

In the morning, Fan Bingbing easily completed the audition for the role of Zhang Yan. In fact, she just needed to portray the lively, cute and kind side of Zhang Yan. She could just play herself. Director Wu had already promised her this role.

In the afternoon, after Chen Zihan left, Wu Yuchen shook his head slightly. Her acting skills were perfectly adequate, but her appearance was a bit lacking. It wasn't that she wasn't pretty; quite the opposite, she was too beautiful for the role.

Wei Ting is Wei Zhongxian's adopted daughter and bodyguard, responsible for martial prowess; she needs to be heroic and resolute. In this respect, someone else would be more suitable!

With a sigh, Wu Yuchen picked up Yu Nan's information and photos, and nodded slightly, thinking about her appearance just now.

The next day, after the audition, the two brothers went to a small restaurant.

"Boss, two mutton hot pots and two bottles of Yanjing beer, please!"

After ordering, Sun Honglei said to the person across from him, "Hey Duan Long, why didn't you sign up for Jin Yichuan? Why did you come here and squeeze in with me to sign up for Ding Xiu?"

Duan Long shook his head: "Why would I apply for Jin Yichuan? He's obviously not suitable for me. After looking around, the only one I can apply for is Ding Xiu."

"Hey kid! If you lose to me and don't make the cut, don't blame me. Consider this meal your apology in advance!" Sun Honglei said, picking up a bottle opener and pouring beer for the two of them.

"Is this all you're going to offer as an apology? That's incredibly stingy! When I finally get rid of you, I'll treat you to hot pot!" Duan Long raised his glass.

"You can dream on!"

Sun Honglei and Duan Long toasted each other and then drank it all in one gulp.

Meanwhile, Wu Yuchen was also considering the casting for Ding Xiu. Ding Xiu, the "money-grubbing guy," might only be ranked fifth in terms of screen time in the film. But to be honest, his character was just as memorable as the male lead, Shen Lian, and in some ways, he was even more unforgettable than Shen Lian.

In his previous life, Zhou Yiwei played this role so well that Wu Yuchen didn't want to replace him. It's just a pity that this guy is too young now, only 18 years old.

As for Sun Honglei, he certainly has the villainous aura, but Ding Xiu isn't a true villain, so Sun Honglei's portrayal lacks a bit of wickedness. On the other hand, Duan Long has really improved a lot in the past two years. His two years of honing his skills at the drama troupe have been quite effective, and he's captured that ambiguous, morally ambiguous quality in his performance.

After thinking about it, Wu Yuchen made the decision to hire Duan Long!
……

The original actor, Jin Shijie, played the role of Wei Zhongxian so well that Wu Yuchen personally invited him to audition. Jin Shijie naturally accepted and traveled all the way from Taiwan to Beijing.

Although Jin Shijie is only close to 50 years old now, and is still far from 60, his performance did not disappoint Wu Yuchen. As for age, it doesn't matter much; a little makeup is enough.

Then Wu Yuchen took on another important eunuch role, which is the real villain in the movie, Zhao Jingzhong.

To be honest, Wang Zhiwen's performance in the dramatic scenes was excellent. However, the character of Zhao Jingzhong involves more than just dramatic scenes; there are also many action scenes. And considering the action scenes, if he can both deliver a beautiful fight performance and portray the character well…

Wu Yuchen's mind drifted back to Zhao Wenzhuo. Zhao Wenzhuo had actually stunned the film industry early in his career with his ruthless villainous role as the "Nine Gates Admiral" in *Fong Sai-yuk*. While he might not have been as nuanced in dramatic scenes as Wang Zhiwen, his action scenes were truly spectacular!
Moreover, Zhao Wenzhuo is not without acting skills. He has played the villain "Nine Gates Admiral" before. With this experience, he should be able to handle the role of Zhao Jingzhong this time.

Now, among the important characters, only the three main brothers remain. The first one to be chosen is the eldest brother, Lu Jianxing.

After changing into his costume, Zhang Hanyu was a little nervous. He started out as a voice actor and had been doing voice acting for over a decade. Don't think that voice actors lack acting skills; in fact, many voice actors are completely immersed in their roles behind the scenes, putting themselves in the shoes of the actors and performing while dubbing.

Zhang Hanyu's advantage lies in his more presentable appearance compared to other voice actors. Two years ago, with the recommendation of his friend Fu Biao, Zhang Hanyu was able to play his first role. He later participated in Feng Xiaogang's "Endless". Now he has become a real on-screen actor.

Now, Zhang Hanyu never expected that his casual application for the role of Lu Jianxing would lead him to the final round! This has changed his initially relaxed mindset, and he is now starting to feel nervous and anxious before the audition.

This time, the competition is fierce for him, as his opponents are all big names. Besides Zhang Fengyi, whom he met in the previous round, he even saw Jiang Wen here today. Compared to these big names, Zhang Hanyu is truly just a nobody!
Zhang Hanyu wanted to light a cigarette, but fearing he'd be called on soon, he took deep breaths to calm himself. Sure enough, a moment later: "Teacher Zhang, it's your turn!"

Watching Zhang Hanyu walk out the door, Wu Yuchen scribbled on his file. His image and temperament did indeed fit Lu Jianxing's requirements, at least better than Zhang Fengyi, the previous applicant. Zhang Fengyi's upright demeanor was a bit too heavy-handed; he thought this was a martial arts movie and acted like a chivalrous knight. It was unclear whether he had genuinely misinterpreted the role or simply couldn't control himself.

Wu Yuchen shook his head; he wasn't considering Zhang Fengyi anymore. Then he looked at Zhang Hanyu in his hands. Although his appearance and demeanor were good, he wondered if it was because Zhang Hanyu was nervous or lacked acting experience, as his performance had been flawed.

Then he looked at Zhang Hanyu's resume. He had quite a few voice acting works, but so far he had had very few opportunities to actually perform on screen. No wonder his acting skills didn't look as good as in his previous life. He lacked practice!

Wu Yuchen rubbed his chin. Zhang Hanyu definitely had potential. If there weren't any better options, he wouldn't mind being a mentor and giving him a hand...

Just as Wu Yuchen was pondering, Jiang Wen walked in. Moreover, the way he entered was quite peculiar. Jiang Wen was dressed in a flying fish robe, with an embroidered spring knife slung across his waist. He leaned slightly forward and lowered his head, looking like a subordinate entering a leader's office.

After Jiang Wen stood in the center, he clasped his hands together and bowed, saying, "This humble servant greets Lord Wu!"

Upon seeing this, Wu Yuchen couldn't help but smile. Jiang Wen's stunt was rather interesting!

Wu Yuchen didn't say anything, just looked at Jiang Wen, and Jiang Wen maintained this respectful posture, not only not raising his head, but also lowering his upper body even further.

What is this? This is humility and subservience, showing Lu Jianxing's respect for his superiors, which is very much in line with Lu Jianxing's character.

Wu Yuchen raised his hand and said with a smile, "Get up, is the mission complete?"

Jiang Wen then straightened up and said humbly, "It was all thanks to your excellent planning, sir. The credit should belong to you! That's what I wrote in the official documents too!"

Wu Yuchen nodded, then said calmly, "Hmm, very good. Alright, it's not time to draw lots for assignments yet, you can go and rest."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wen paused for a moment, but instead of stepping back, he took two steps forward and stood in front of Wu Yuchen.

Wu Yuchen raised his eyelids slightly: "Hmm? Something's up?"

Jiang Wen immediately smiled ingratiatingly, "Sir, I mentioned to you before the matter of filling the vacancy of a centurion..."

Wu Yuchen pointed at him and said sarcastically, "Lu Jianxing, you really won't do anything without a reason! Still no word!"

As he spoke, he waved his hand impatiently at Jiang Wen!
Jiang Wen hesitated for a moment, then said in a simple and helpless tone, "Sir, I've already entrusted you with the money to bribe officials, and even this credit belongs to you..."

Wu Yuchen interrupted him loudly: "Lu Jianxing, you have some nerve! You think I care about your little bit of credit? Don't ever come to me again for filling in the gaps!"

After saying that, Wu Yuchen snorted coldly, flicked his sleeve, and turned around.

Jiang Wen quickly clasped his hands and bowed again, striding forward to Wu Yuchen: "My lord, please calm down and don't blame me. I misspoke! It's just that my mother keeps asking when I can fill in for my father..."

At this point, according to the script, Wu Yuchen should have interrupted Jiang Wen, but he didn't follow the script. Instead, he looked steadily into Jiang Wen's eyes and asked, "Lu Jianxing, it's not that you can't have this position. Let me ask you, are you willing to complete the mission in a down-to-earth manner?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wen's heart stirred, and he looked at Wu Yuchen, who was smiling at him. He knew what Wu Yuchen meant; this was the role, and the question was whether Jiang Wen was willing to work diligently in the crew, follow Wu Yuchen's orders, and honestly complete the tasks.

Jiang Wen bowed again and shouted, "I am willing!"

"Alright, you can go now. Wait for my news." This time, Wu Yuchen's voice was full of laughter.

"Your subordinate obeys!" Jiang Wen then straightened up and walked out.

Wu Yuchen watched Jiang Wen's departing figure and couldn't help but laugh out loud. It was truly rare! This guy actually agreed to play Lu Jianxing honestly today, and he did it quite convincingly. He kept his imposing aura under control and looked like a kind, honest, simple-minded big guy.

Since Jiang Wen had already agreed to his request and even bowed to him repeatedly, behaving quite well, it would be unreasonable for him not to agree.

Let's give him the role of Lu Jianxing. He's not the main character Shen Lian anyway, so he probably won't cause any trouble. Besides, Wu Yuchen is not like Lu Chuan; the crew is completely under his control. If he doesn't say to start filming, who dares to make a move?

……

After Lu Jianxing, the second role to be confirmed is not Jin Yichuan, but the male lead Shen Lian! This is because Wu Yuchen will choose Jin Yichuan based on the male actor playing Shen Lian after he has been cast.

For the three brothers, Lu Jianxing, the eldest brother, was cast as a tough guy, and they were all older, with faces that immediately suggested he was the eldest. As for the role of Jin Yichuan, that would have to wait until Shen Lian was cast before casting him, because since he was the third brother, he had to look like the third brother, and the three brothers together had to have a good chemistry.

This time, the cast for the role of Shen Lian is incredibly big, including not only those from mainland China but also from Hong Kong and Taiwan!

The first person to walk in was none other than Andy Lau. At just 40 years old this year, still in his prime, he looked quite striking in his flying fish robe and embroidered spring knife at his waist.

It's fair to say that Andy Lau is an evergreen in the film and television industry. Among the Four Heavenly Kings, he is the only one who has been able to remain active, and even 20 years later, he was still able to land an important role in a top-tier production like "The Wandering Earth".

However, after watching a performance by Andy Lau, Wu Yuchen felt that while Andy Lau was handsome, his temperament didn't quite match the vibe of Shen Lian.

Shen Lian always carried a sense of loneliness and sorrow, a feeling that Wu Yuchen simply couldn't find in Andy Lau. Although Andy Lau had just won the Hong Kong Film Awards Best Actor, proving his acting skills, he still lacked that artistic temperament!

He's worked hard, but there are some talents that Andy Lau simply doesn't have. Wu Yuchen shook his head and put an X next to Andy Lau's name.

……

Dawn is just too handsome! But it's precisely because he's so handsome that, with his damn good looks, he looks more like a refined and elegant nobleman in this flying fish robe than a tool for carrying out a mission. How could this be Shen Lian!

Wu Yuchen decisively drew an X after Leon Lai's name.

……

When Kim Sung-woo walked in, Wu Yuchen's eyes lit up. Kim Sung-woo is also known as an artistic male god by fans, but Wu Yuchen was not interested in that. What he was interested in was the aura that Kim Sung-woo exuded, which carried a deep and mysterious feeling.

After the performance, Wu Yuchen asked some more questions, and Jin Chengwu smiled and nodded. Jin Chengwu is the kind of person who is quite reserved in real life, much like Shen Lian, which is another plus.

Moreover, Kim Sung-woo's acting skills are quite good, as you could see from his performance just now. Wu Yuchen felt that casting him as Shen Lian would best capture the feeling of the original Zhang Zhen's portrayal.

After Kim Sung-moo left, Wu Yuchen put a checkmark next to Kim Sung-moo's name, but then added a question mark to indicate that it was pending.

Kim Sung-woo doesn't have any other flaws, but judging from his past life, his box office appeal is a bit lacking. Although he is promoted in Hong Kong and Taiwan, he can't carry the box office of big productions on his own.

However, with him as the director of "Brotherhood of Blades," there shouldn't be any problem with the publicity. Besides, isn't Jiang Wen also involved? He's a big name in mainland China, though he's not as well-known in Hong Kong and Taiwan.

To be honest, the casting of Shen Lian wasn't Wu Yuchen targeting any mainland actor; it's just that none of the current generation of mainland actors can compete with the Hong Kong stars in terms of fame.

As he told Jiang Wen, he wasn't making "Brotherhood of Blades" for awards; it was a big-budget commercial production, so naturally, he wanted a lead actor who could carry the box office. Ideally, he wanted someone with a certain level of appeal across mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and even Asia. In this respect, middle-aged mainland actors are at a huge disadvantage; they basically have no notable talents.

Therefore, Wu Yuchen is now focusing on selecting actors who are famous and have influence.

Wu Yuchen then asked his assistant, "Who's next?"

“It’s my brother,” the female assistant replied.

"Hmm?" Wu Yuchen turned his head and glanced at her.

The assistant quickly added, "Excuse me, Director Wu, it's Leslie Cheung!"

Just as the two were talking, the door was pushed open again, and Leslie Cheung, dressed in black ancient costume, carrying a sword in his hand, walked in quietly in his boots.

Wu Yuchen has had dealings with Leslie Cheung before. At the 98 Berlin Film Festival, Leslie Cheung was a jury member, and Wu Yuchen won the Best Director award at the festival.

In the past, Leslie Cheung always presented himself as a "gentleman," "exquisitely handsome," and "approachable," which was the most immediate impression he gave to the public. But at this moment, he was nothing like a gentleman, lacking any elegance or composure…

Some people are born loners, like a tree standing alone in the wilderness, preferring to face the storms alone, their silence containing a steadfast strength.

This is Leslie Cheung.

(End of this chapter)