Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 242 Underestimating My Husband?

"Ah ah ah ah ah!"

"we won!"

The World Trade Center in Moscow erupted in cheers. Members of the Chinese delegation jumped up spontaneously, embracing each other tightly and expressing their joy and happiness.

Even though Wu Yuchen had anticipated this outcome, being in this atmosphere at this moment still stirred up his excitement and exhilaration, causing him to wave his arms in celebration. Dozens of International Olympic Committee members lined up to embrace the Chinese delegation, and Wu Yuchen also received numerous hugs and congratulations.

As the Chinese delegation exited, reporters swarmed around them, each with more than one microphone. Wu Yuchen was also interviewed.

"No language can express my feelings right now. I can only say that as a Chinese person, I feel incredibly proud!"

Wu Yuchen made no attempt to hide his joy and shared it with everyone.

Meanwhile, 40 people flocked to Tianmen Square and the Millennium Monument. Along Chang'an Avenue, at the entrances of hutongs, in university auditoriums, corporate lobbies, bars, canteens, and train stations, wherever there were people, there was revelry. China's century-long Olympic dream was realized. When the long-cherished and countless fantasies became reality, not only in the capital, Beijing, but throughout the entire country, the atmosphere was electric.

The celebrations in Hong Kong and Macau were equally grand, with bars filled with toasts, parades everywhere in the streets, and lion and dragon dances taking place.

The internet is also buzzing with excitement right now.

"Beijing has won! China has won the Olympics!"

"I'm so excited! I'm so happy! Director Wu's victory sign was definitely right. From now on, I'm going to worship Director Wu!"

"Fantastic! China succeeded! Director Wu is radiating a victory aura! I'll definitely bow to him during future exams!"

With Beijing successfully securing the right to host the Olympics, Wu Yuchen's victory sign photo has once again gone viral. Everyone is happy, and they've started joking and praising him without hesitation. No one is going to disagree at this time.

Unbeknownst to Wu Yuchen himself, his photo gradually became the first "lucky koi" image on the Chinese internet.

……

The following day, the Olympic bid delegation, having successfully completed its mission, was about to return home. Wu Yuchen was talking with Zhang Yimou at that moment.

That's right, it's Zhang Yimou. He was also part of the Olympic bid delegation and filmed a promotional video specifically for the bid. Wu Yuchen, on the other hand, was there to speak as a representative, so he didn't bother with filming.

"Senior Brother Zhang, how's your film 'Hero' coming along?" Wu Yuchen asked.

"Hehe, it won't be long. Once I get back, I'll have to continue the preparations for 'Hero,' and I estimate we'll start filming around August or September," Zhang Yimou said with a smile.

Speaking of which, when Zhang Yimou was filming "Hero," Wu Yuchen went to make some arrangements. It wasn't to ask for a role, but rather about the Qin Palace. He hoped that the Qin Palace in "Hero" would be located in Xiangshan Film City. Zhang Yimou readily agreed, and the attitude from the Xiangshan side was also very good. They were willing to meet all of his requests and transform the Qin Palace into the way he wanted it to be.

"Senior Brother Zhang, your work on 'Hero' this time has certainly attracted a lot of attention!" Wu Yuchen said with a smile.

"Hero" has indeed been generating buzz lately due to a series of big-name actors agreeing to join the cast. First, it was Tony Leung and Maggie Cheung, then director Chen Daoming, and finally, rumors circulated that kung fu star Jet Li had been secured as the male lead. This cast is arguably the best among all domestic films currently airing, even more impressive than Wu Yuchen's yet-to-be-filmed "Brotherhood of Blades," and could easily be called the strongest cast ever.

Zhang Yimou waved his hand: "Hey, it's not like it's for me, it's all for the celebrities."

"Only Senior Brother Zhang could manage to gather so many big-name actors!"

Zhang Yimou humbly replied, "This time it really wasn't me. Producer Jiang personally invited them one by one. I just benefited from his kindness."

While Zhang Yimou's words were self-deprecating, Jiang Zhiqiang's role in the "Hero" project was indeed significant. Firstly, he was the one who invested in the film.

In the initial investment of 1500 million yuan in the "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" project, Jiang Zhiqiang invested 300 million US dollars, accounting for 20%.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon grossed $1.28 million at the North American box office. Sony distributed the film, and after deducting distribution costs, they received $6500 million in North American box office revenue. After deducting $2000 million spent on public relations and film promotion, they were left with $4500 million. The overseas box office revenue, DVD rights, and other related rights were sold as a package for $7000 million. In other words, the project earned $1.15 million, and after deducting $1500 million in costs, the net profit was exactly $1 million. Of this, Jiang Zhiqiang received $2000 million, and the remaining $8000 million naturally went to Miracle Pictures.

Jiang Zhiqiang was extremely satisfied after earning 2000 million yuan this time. Although he had devoted more than two years of his life to the "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" project, the profits were substantial, making it the most he had ever earned in his career!

But looking at Miracle Pictures' $8000 million, he couldn't help but drool with envy. Even though he knew they deserved it, he couldn't help but think about how he should have invested more. That's human nature; desires always grow. Seeing how popular martial arts films were overseas, Jiang Zhiqiang wanted to find top domestic directors to continue making martial arts films, and this time he wanted to take the lion's share!
Although the famous saying "If you stand in the right place at the right time, even a pig can fly" hasn't been coined yet, Jiang Zhiqiang clearly understands this principle. Currently, Chinese martial arts films are undoubtedly a golden opportunity in the overseas market!
In reality, he only had a handful of big-name directors to choose from: Wu Yuchen, Wu Baige, Zhang Yimou, Chen Kaige, Xu Ke, and so on. However, Wu Yuchen had already produced his own film, *Brotherhood of Blades*, leaving him with no other investment opportunities. Wu Baige, who was doing well in Hollywood, also didn't lack his money.

He simply flew back to China and found Zhang Yimou, painting a rosy picture of an Oscar, a 2 million yuan blockbuster, and a top-tier Chinese cast—he could get him whoever he wanted. This immediately captivated Zhang Yimou. Coincidentally, Zhang Yimou also had the idea of ​​making a film about the First Emperor, and the two hit it off immediately.

Jiang Zhiqiang then visited them one by one, and eventually won over Liang Chaowei, Zhang Manyu, Li Lianjie and others.

To be honest, Jet Li himself felt a bit frustrated. He never expected that "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," a project he turned down from at the time, would actually win an Oscar!

Furthermore, Liang Jiahui, who replaced him as the male lead, quickly became one of the representative figures of Chinese actors in Hollywood. Although Li Lianjie has now also gained a foothold in Hollywood with his kung fu and action scenes, he has yet to receive the honor of participating in an Oscar!

Just then, Jiang Zhiqiang approached him, enthusiastically discussing "Hero," a film directed by Zhang Yimou, a more experienced and famous director than Li An, boasting an all-star cast, aiming for an Oscar, and with a global release planned. This immediately captivated Li Lianjie; he wanted to win back his lost Oscar with "Hero"!

Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to say that "Hero" was a project orchestrated by Jiang Zhiqiang. Of course, when it came to the actual filming stage, Zhang Yimou was the core figure of the film.

Wu Yuchen didn't get much involved in the "Hero" project, since he's been spending most of his time in Hollywood lately, and even if he had to worry about something, he had to worry about his own "Brotherhood of Blades" first!

After Wu Yuchen returned to Beijing, he specially participated in the Olympic celebration event organized by CCTV, where he was interviewed and talked about some interesting stories and details of the Olympic bid.

Meanwhile, the day after China's successful bid to host the Olympics, the long-awaited film "Kung Fu Soccer" was finally released. Its promotional slogan was: "Watch 'Kung Fu Soccer' to celebrate the successful Olympic bid!"

This time, *Kung Fu Soccer* is being released simultaneously in Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. With the censorship issues resolved, the release proceeded smoothly. Wu Yuchen had already secured this release date from the outset. While others were uncertain, he was certain that the Olympic bid would be successful, so he scheduled *Kung Fu Soccer* for the day after the successful bid, a Saturday. With the summer season and the successful Olympic bid, this was naturally the perfect time for *Kung Fu Soccer* to be released!
Riding the wave of the Olympic bid, quite a few people went to the cinema to see "Shaolin Soccer." After all, the subject matter is obviously related to sports!

To be honest, *Shaolin Soccer* is actually quite impressive, managing to seamlessly blend soccer, action, kung fu, and comedy. It's already difficult to weave soccer into the story of ordinary people, but adding kung fu and comedy makes it even more challenging. Furthermore, the film maintains Stephen Chow's signature nonsensical style, elevating the humor and showcasing the hardships of real life through absurdity. It perfectly embodies the grassroots spirit of Hong Kong society—that "small people can also have big dreams"—and interprets the Lion Rock spirit through the lens of a sporting dream.

Although the previous version of "Shaolin Soccer" was not released in mainland China, it was a box office hit in other regions, with a record-breaking 60 million yen in Hong Kong. Japanese moviegoers also flocked to see the film, which eventually grossed 3 billion yen (about 190 million Hong Kong dollars) and entered the top ten of the annual box office in Japan.

The film grossed over five million US dollars in Europe and America, and ultimately grossed over forty million US dollars worldwide. This attracted the attention of Sony Columbia, leading to Columbia's investment in "Kung Fu Hustle." However, to ensure the smooth filming of "Shaolin Soccer" and recognizing the strong presence of Little White Bear in mainland China, Stephen Chow signed an additional film contract with Little White Bear. Naturally, "Kung Fu Hustle" will still be under Little White Bear's control.

"Am I good?" Wu Yuchen rested his chin on Zeng Li's shoulder and asked, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"Amazing, amazing, you're the best! A national hero!" Zeng Li said with a grin.

It's no exaggeration to say that Beijing's bid for the Olympics has garnered nationwide attention. Wu Yuchen, as one of the representatives, spoke at the event and answered questions from reporters multiple times, naturally attracting significant public attention.

Now that the bid for the Olympics has been successful, the whole country is celebrating. Naturally, the representatives who represented the bid have been portrayed as heroes. Wu Yuchen, for example, was not only an ambassador for the bid but also one of the presenters, receiving particularly enthusiastic applause. His speech has been analyzed sentence by sentence and even used by middle school students in their essays. This is no exaggeration!
Previously, Wu Yuchen was only admired by those in the film and television industry and by movie fans. In the public's mind, he was a great director, the first Chinese director to win an Oscar, which was quite impressive. But that was about it; no one would suggest that their children take him as a role model. Because people felt that the profession of director was too far removed from their children's lives, lacking common ground.

But things are different now. Wu Yuchen is no longer just a director; he's become a hero, a symbol of China. Now, teachers and parents alike are teaching their children to learn from Wu Yuchen and contribute to the country when they grow up! As she spoke, Zeng Li broke off a segment of orange and fed it to Wu Yuchen: "Here you go, great hero, this is a treat~ Is it good?"

Wu Yuchen opened his mouth, chewed, and let out a long "Mmm": "Delicious, sweet~"

Zeng Li then broke off another slice and ate it herself: "Mmm, it's quite sweet~"

"Great! You're letting your husband test the medicine on you!" With that, Wu Yuchen started tickling Zeng Li's waist, making her giggle.

"Hey, no, I'm not, it's so itchy~ no, the orange is going to fall off~" Zeng Li quickly begged for mercy.

Wu Yuchen's hand gradually moved upwards, and he chuckled, "Oranges don't taste good. I don't want to eat oranges anymore. I want to eat pears!"

"Okay... I'll go, I'll peel it for you..."

"What are you peeling? I want to eat this pear of yours~" With that, Wu Yuchen had already sealed Zeng Li's lips with his.

……

The orange in her hand was long gone; Zeng Li was now nestled in Wu Yuchen's arms, enjoying the afterglow of their passionate encounter. Wu Yuchen ran his hand through her hair and casually asked, "Li Zi, how did you feel about the performance of 'Qing Yi'?"

"It's fine, why are you asking this?" Zeng Li didn't even look up.

Wu Yuchen said, "It's good, but the drama 'Qing Yi' has enough charm, but it may not become a hit drama, you understand?"

Zeng Li leaned to the side: "You mean something like 'The Smiling, Proud Wanderer'? After it aired, Li Yapeng became an instant national sensation?"

Wu Yuchen nodded with a smile. In March of this year, "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer" was broadcast as a major CCTV drama, and the theme song's "Ee-ya" became a nationwide hit. The main characters in the drama—Li Yapeng who played Linghu Chong, Xu Qing who played Ren Yingying, Gao Yuanyuan who played the junior sister, and Wei Zi who played Yue Buqun—have all become incredibly popular, given that the show is being broadcast on television every day.

"Why be so popular? I was popular when I acted in 'The Grand Mansion Gate,' and I was quite happy at the time. But later I felt a lot of pressure and was always thinking about how to maintain it, which made me very tired. I think I'm pretty good now."

Hearing Zeng Li's answer, Wu Yuchen couldn't help but smile. She was indeed more laid-back. Unlike Zhang Ziyi and Fan Bingbing, who were ambitious and constantly trying to climb the ladder.

Wu Yuchen thought of Fan Bingbing again. The TV series "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," starring this girl, started airing on various TV stations in May. It's currently airing and is a huge hit, broadcast on more than a dozen channels during prime time. It's become a nationwide sensation.

This drama seamlessly blends ancient costume romance with martial arts elements. Huang Haibing immediately became a dazzling ancient costume male god in the public's mind upon his appearance, while Wang Yan, playing the villainous Bai Feifei with a tragic backstory, directly rivaled the female lead. As for the female lead, Fan Bingbing, her portrayal of Zhu Qiqi was quirky and clever, and her beauty surpassed that of the original actress, naturally garnering her a large fan base. This avoided the situation where the female lead, Zhu Qiqi, was overshadowed by the villainous Bai Feifei.

Fan Bingbing is now truly the number one actress born in the 80s!

Well, these days, those born in the 80s can only be called "little flowers." Even the title of "Four Little Flowers" was only introduced last year, referring to Zhao Wei, Zhang Ziyi, Zhou Xun, and Gao Yuanyuan, all born in the 70s.

Currently, the leading roles for actresses in the industry are still dominated by those born in the 70s, while those born in the 80s can only pick up supporting roles and minor parts. Fan Bingbing, who is not yet 20 years old, has already landed the lead role in a hugely popular drama, which is practically unique among actresses born in the 80s. It's no exaggeration to say that she is the most outstanding actress among the post-80s generation!

Wu Yuchen rubbed his hands on Zeng Li's thighs, having now figured out her personality. As an actress, she certainly had ambition, but not an overwhelming drive. Having highly acclaimed representative works like "The Grand Mansion Gate" and "Qing Yi" was enough for her. She was the type to live off a good drama for three years before even considering taking on another good one.

Suddenly remembering something, he asked, "Pear, how is Xiaoyu doing? Is she going to be a senior in college soon?"

Zeng Li has a younger sister, Zeng Yu, who is about three or four years younger than her and will soon be a senior in college, facing graduation.

Zeng Li nodded: "It's summer vacation for juniors now, and in two months we'll be seniors."

Wu Yuchen asked, "So what are her plans? Does she want to work after graduation? Or will she continue her studies by taking the postgraduate entrance exam?"

"Xiaoyu has good grades, and our family wants her to continue her studies. We're not entirely sure yet. Her school can offer her a recommendation for graduate school. She originally wanted to take the entrance exam for graduate school, but her parents want her to study abroad. We just don't know how difficult that will be."

As Zeng Li spoke, she also showed a worried expression. She had a deep affection for her younger sister and was naturally very concerned about her future.

Although Zeng Li's parents divorced a long time ago, they still care about their two daughters equally. Currently, studying abroad is very popular in China, and many people believe that anyone who has studied abroad and received an overseas education is superior.

This isn't some unspoken rule; it's an open secret, like the hiring criteria for some universities. Currently, the hiring requirements for university teachers haven't reached the doctoral level; they require a master's degree or higher. However, many universities specifically request foreign master's degrees, putting domestic graduates at the back of the queue. Even if the requirement changes to a doctoral degree in ten years, it will be the same—foreign doctoral graduates will still be more sought after than domestic ones.

Many parents, if they feel they have the means, are willing to sell their possessions to send their children abroad to study. Businesses like New Oriental and Li Yang Crazy English initially grew and thrived by riding this wave of sustained enthusiasm for studying abroad.

“Studying abroad? That’s a good idea. Many universities abroad do have better academic environments and conditions, and it’s worth it to broaden your horizons for a few years.”

Wu Yuchen nodded upon hearing this, and then continued to ask, "Which school does Xiaoyu want to go to? Find out and tell me, and I'll help her sort it out!"

Zeng Li looked up at Wu Yuchen: "How are you going to help? Can you even control a university's admissions process?"

Information about studying abroad in China is currently very limited, far less open than it will be in a decade or two later. People are largely unaware that there are many pathways to studying abroad; they simply believe that you need to excel in English and apply with good grades. People like Zeng Li are even less informed.

Wu Yuchen smiled and said, "Don't even mention studying abroad, I can help her get into Tsinghua University or Peking University if she wants. Didn't you say her grades are good?"

"Really?" Zeng Li asked, slightly excited.

Wu Yuchen smiled confidently. Undergraduate studies at Tsinghua and Peking Universities are more difficult, and you need to prepare your results in advance if you really want to get in. However, there are many intricacies involved in getting a recommendation for postgraduate studies. With the connections he has now, it wouldn't be difficult to get a recommendation for postgraduate studies at Tsinghua or Peking Universities, especially since Zeng Li's grades are already excellent.

Don't think that professors at Tsinghua and Peking Universities are detached from worldly affairs. There are still plenty of people in academia who form cliques and climb the ladder through social connections. With Wu Yuchen's current reputation and status, there are definitely many professors willing to get to know him. It's just taking on one more student, no big deal!
Wu Yuchen lightly slapped Zeng Li's bottom: "What, do you underestimate your husband?"

Zeng Li shook his arm, calling out affectionately, "Husband, are you serious?"

Wu Yuchen said with a smile, "Here's what we'll do: have Xiaoyu come to Beijing right away, and I'll get her an internship at the Beijing Olympic Bid Committee. I'll also get her a certificate. With this internship experience, she'll be able to present herself well whether she's applying for graduate school or studying abroad."

"If she wants to study abroad, let's say at an American university. I'll use my connections to get recommendation letters from celebrities or industry leaders in her field; foreign universities value that highly. Have her improve her English, and with her internship experience at the Olympic Bid Committee and strong recommendation letters, she could even apply to Harvard!"

Leaving aside others, he could easily get a letter of recommendation for Steve Jobs with a simple phone call. As for other people's letters of recommendation, Spielberg could basically handle that for him. In fact, even Spielberg's agency was willing to help him with these kinds of things. After all, Wu Yuchen is now one of CAA's most important clients.

To be honest, if Zeng Yu were studying film and television and wanted to go to the University of Southern California, Wu Yuchen's letter of recommendation would guarantee her direct admission!

Zeng Li didn't know much about recommendation letters and such, but seeing Wu Yuchen's confident demeanor, she no longer had any doubts. Wu Yuchen wasn't the type to make empty promises; he always kept his word.

Zeng Li hugged Wu Yuchen tightly: "Husband, I love you to death!"

(End of this chapter)