Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 312 Fixed Angle
The next one to enter was another of the Four Heavenly Kings, Leon Lai.

"Hello Director Wu! Hello everyone!"

Actually, this wasn't the first time Wu Yuchen had met Leon Lai. Lai had auditioned for the role of Shen Lian in "Brotherhood of Blades," but he wasn't chosen at the time due to his looks and charisma.

Upon seeing Leon Lai again this time, Wu Yuchen couldn't help but exclaim, "He's really good-looking!"
Unlike his previous role as Shen Lian, who was a member of the Imperial Guard, this time his character Lin Wu is a cellist, so Leon Lai's appearance and temperament won't be a disadvantage.

Wu Yuchen and Leon Lai resumed their casual conversation, smiling and saying:
"Leon Lai, I heard that when you first went to the film set, you drove a Mercedes and were ostracized by the crew members. Is that true?"

Leon Lai, slightly embarrassed, said, "At that time, I had just returned from abroad, and as a newcomer to the industry, I was naive and didn't think that much about it. It hasn't happened since!"

It is said that Leon Lai has an air of nobility, which is actually related to his family background. Being able to send him to study in the UK in the early 80s and let him drive a Mercedes-Benz, in Hong Kong at that time, was considered a wealthy family with considerable wealth.

Consider the other three Heavenly Kings: Andy Lau's father was a firefighter who had to support six children, and the family lived in a slum on Hong Kong Island; the singer "Fly Brother's" father was a seaman who developed gambling and alcohol addictions, which he brought home—you can imagine how their lives were; Aaron Kwok's family was relatively wealthy, with his father owning a small gold shop, but he still had five children to support. So, forget about Mercedes-Benz, Aaron Kwok doesn't even own a motorcycle…

Leon Lai, an only child with a wealthy father, lived a life of luxury after arriving in Hong Kong. When he studied abroad, he couldn't sleep because he could only shower twice a week and couldn't shower daily. If Andy Lau, then known as Lau Fuk-wing, knew this, he would surely berate him for his "out-of-touch" attitude.

"You went abroad to study when you were a teenager?"

“I went there at the age of 14, stayed in the UK for 5 years, and then returned to Hong Kong Island to recuperate from hay fever, which is how I entered the entertainment industry.”

"It must be tough for you all alone abroad, right? Do your parents visit you often?"

"Um, Director Wu, actually my parents divorced before I went abroad, and that's when my dad sent me to study in the UK."

Hearing this, Wu Yuchen perked up and asked the question he wanted to ask:

"A 14-year-old boy should be going through a rebellious phase, right? How did you react to this family upheaval and your parents' separation? Did you have any conflicts or resistance with your parents? Was that why they sent you to England?"

Leon Lai waved his hands repeatedly: "No, I was very happy at the time!"

"Happy? Why do you feel happy?" Wu Yuchen asked in surprise. Generally speaking, children wouldn't say they're happy when something like this happens.

"Maybe I'm a bit precocious, but I just feel that when the two of them are together, both Dad and Mom are in pain. When they're in pain and in a bad mood, Mom might take it out on me when Dad isn't around. Every time they argue, it's a burden for me too."

Then Leon Lai made a gesture of separating his hands: "Now that the two of them are separated, I feel like everyone is relieved. Wow, congratulations!"

Wu Yuchen nodded, then praised Li Ming, "I didn't expect you to be so insightful at such a young age!"

But the next moment, Wu Yuchen suddenly asked, "May I ask a question?"

"Director Wu, please go ahead," Leon Lai nodded.

What are your thoughts about your birth mother?

This was information that Wu Yuchen already knew beforehand: Leon Lai's biological mother divorced his father when he was very young, less than one year old. Later, his father remarried, meaning that the woman he divorced when he was 14 was his stepmother.

Therefore, based on Leon Lai's response, Wu Yuchen guessed that his stepmother might not necessarily treat him as her own son, which is why he reacted by saying he was happy about his parents' divorce.

Li Ming was taken aback by the question, but he didn't seem to mind. After a moment of confusion, he shrugged and said, "To be honest, I was so young back then, I really don't have any memory of her at all."

Wu Yuchen nodded in understanding. Although he had hoped that Leon Lai would have the kind of lingering resentment, shadows, or estrangement that characters portray in some movies or family reunion programs, which would make him more similar to the male lead's mindset, Leon Lai's reaction was actually quite normal. How much could a woman he had no recollection of possibly have in mind? Humans are emotional beings; the emotional bonds formed through upbringing far outweigh those based on blood ties.

Wu Yuchen didn't ask any more questions and let Leon Lai begin his audition performance.

Having studied in the UK for five years, Leon Lai possesses a distinctly Western flair and is also musically gifted. The way he picks up the cello doesn't seem out of place at all; he looks quite convincing.

Moreover, his acting skills are not bad. He has played this kind of introverted, sensitive and delicate character before, so his overall performance is really good.

However, before Leon Lai left, Wu Yuchen asked him another question: "If you are cast as the male lead, you will need to actually learn from an embalmer for a period of time. Can you do that?"

At the same time, Wu Yuchen also briefly described to him what he had seen and heard while following the mortician.

Upon hearing this, Li Ming paused slightly. He knew from Wu Yuchen's description that this was no easy task. However, after thinking for a moment, he said, "Director Wu, I'm not afraid of hardship, but may I ask how long the training will take?"

Wu Yuchen shook his head and said, "It's not certain. Maybe a few months, maybe half a year. I can't say for sure right now."

Leon Lai hesitated for a moment, then said to Wu Yuchen, "Director Wu, if it's going to last for half a year, I might have to do some promotional work and album promotions, but I promise it won't affect my performance!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen smiled and nodded at Li Ming, then sighed after he left.

When it comes to the Four Heavenly Kings, each has their own achievements, but when it comes to business, Leon Lai can be said to be the best, and he was once nicknamed the "Business King".

In the 90s, Leon Lai had already become a shareholder of PepsiCo Management Company. Later, after internal changes, he became a major shareholder, but he didn't make any big moves at that time. In the new century, Leon Lai began to slowly expand his business empire. This year, after terminating his contract with Sony, he started his own record company.

Although Leon Lai's career as a celebrity didn't reach the heights of Andy Lau's later years, he was far more successful in business than Andy Lau, and eventually transitioned to working behind the scenes.

In his past life, his divorce from Gaile Lok caused a huge uproar. Hong Kong media reported that Gaile Lok squandered a total of 700 million HKD of Leon Lai's assets during their four-year marriage, including a final divorce settlement of up to 150 million HKD, before he could settle things with her. This infuriated Leon Lai's father, who scolded him, saying he should have married Shu Qi instead! Back then, Leon Lai and Shu Qi's seven-year relationship didn't work out, and his father was the most vehemently opposed.

Later, Hong Kong media estimated Leon Lai's net worth to be at least 10 billion after the divorce. Wu Yuchen sighed because Leon Lai is no longer just an actor and singer. He has just separated from Sony and established East Asia Records. As his own boss, he will definitely have to devote a lot of energy to his new company and new album. How much energy will that take up?

From Li Ming's perspective, he felt that even if he took a month off during the six-month period, it shouldn't be a big problem. However, Wu Yuchen saw it differently. He definitely hoped to find a male lead who was more willing to fully commit and whose heart was purer. There's a saying: "The body is there, but the heart isn't!"

After two days of auditions, Wu Yuchen looked at the list and found that three people met his requirements based on their overall performance: Jin Chengwu, Zhao Wenxuan, and Li Ming.

However, after thinking about it, he ruled out the idea of ​​Dawn; the Heavenly King was too busy. Wu Yuchen could only wish the Heavenly King good fortune in his business endeavors.

Kim Sung-woo actually met his requirements, but Wu Yuchen felt that Winston Chao was a better fit for the role.

Moreover, he recently heard some other things about Jin Chengwu. He is being harassed by Taiwanese gangs because his older brother is a gambling addict. Not only did his private casino go bankrupt, but he also borrowed a large amount of money from the gang and ran away without being able to repay it. Now the gang has come after Jin Chengwu, the celebrity brother.

Wu Yuchen shook his head. He didn't know if the Taiwanese gangs were setting up a trap for celebrities, but he'd let Jin Chengwu worry about it himself, since he wasn't planning on using him anyway.

So sometimes casting is a really complicated matter. It's not enough for an actor to just perform well; many external factors can interfere with their casting.

……

"Director Wu, thank you so much!"

At this moment, Zhao Wenxuan bowed repeatedly to Wu Yuchen in gratitude, feeling quite excited.

To be honest, there were quite a few big names who auditioned this time, including Leon Lai, Andy Lau, and Takeshi Kaneshiro. He couldn't compare to these people in terms of fame and status, so he only came with the intention of giving it a try. But he didn't expect to be selected in the end!
Wu Yuchen smiled and said, "No need to thank me. You performed well and are the most like the male lead in my mind."

Then he patted Zhao Wenxuan on the shoulder: "Have a good New Year first. After the New Year, you'll be learning from an embalmer, and you'll also need to practice the cello. It won't be easy then~"

"Director Wu, don't worry, I will definitely not let you down!"

Wu Yuchen was also very satisfied with Zhao Wenxuan's attitude. He chose him because of this, as he wouldn't have as many entanglements as Leon Lai, and he could give 100% to the role.

Now, when Wu Yuchen makes award-winning films, he doesn't need to consider the star power of any celebrities; he himself is the biggest draw.

Actually, besides the male and female leads, the movie "Departures" also has several outstanding supporting actors, but Wu Yuchen doesn't need to rush now. He can wait until he's ready to film to select the supporting actors. His plan this time is to select the male lead so that he can experience life and get into character as soon as possible. Now that his goal has been achieved, he can relax a bit.

……

The first snow of 2002
It came later than usual.

Listening to the rough voice and melodious tune, Wu Yuchen couldn't help but smile at Gao Yuanyuan beside him and say, "I didn't expect you to like this song~"

Gao Yuanyuan blinked her big eyes and asked, "What's wrong? I think it's great! The singing was so emotional, it really brought back memories of the past!"

Wu Yuchen gave Yuanyuan a thumbs up: "Not bad, not bad! Our Yuanyuan has taste that appeals to both highbrow and lowbrow tastes. This song is sure to be a hit this year!"

He knew all too well that "The First Snow of 2002" was destined to be a massive hit this year, even prompting a group of Beijing's music scene to band together and criticize Dao Lang. They were attacking him for being unsophisticated, vulgar, and a disgrace to the music industry…

To put it bluntly, it's just a case of being envious. Dao Lang's huge success has also affected their interests. After all, he's just a country bumpkin from the border region, while the music scene in the mainland is almost entirely controlled by Beijing. He's become so popular, yet he hasn't even paid any respects to anyone. Where does that leave the Beijing music circle?

Upon hearing this, Gao Yuanyuan's eyes crinkled into crescent moons as she fed Wu Yuchen a cherry: "Is it sweet?"

"Sweet! Yuanyuan's cherries are the best!"

"Here's another one, it's hard to find such good cherries in winter~"

Wu Yuchen put his arm around Gao Yuanyuan and said, "It's even harder to find a girl as wonderful as our Yuanyuan~"

Gao Yuanyuan giggled and offered Wu Yuchen another one, then took the pit that Wu Yuchen spat out and threw it away for him.

Wu Yuchen was enjoying Gao Yuanyuan's services while watching TV. At that moment, a familiar figure appeared on the screen. Although the young girl looked a bit immature, she was very beautiful and had an outstanding temperament, which made her a good fit for the role. It was Liu Qianqian playing Wang Yuyan.

The TV series "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" was promoted for more than half a year, and finally premiered on CCTV at the end of last year, which was last month.

Moreover, this time, "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" was broadcast almost simultaneously in mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong, achieving the highest ratings in its time slot in both mainland China and Taiwan. The actors in the series also experienced a surge in popularity, proving that Jin Yong adaptations in recent years have indeed been successful in boosting the careers of actors.

Seeing Liu Qianqian reminded Wu Yuchen of something else. He had previously learned from Cai Yinong that Liu Qianqian had also won over Zhao Ling'er, the female lead in "Chinese Paladin".

Wu Yuchen didn't get involved this time. He Meitian was indeed a popular choice at first, but after the audition results came out, directors Li Guoli and Cai Yinong, after careful consideration, still chose Liu Qianqian.

As for the reason, it's mainly because of age.

When Zhao Ling'er appeared in the game, she was 16 years old, the age when a young girl is just beginning to blossom. Liu Qianqian is also 16 years old now, exuding youthful energy.

While He Meitian is undeniably sweet, she's already 28 years old. She could certainly play a 16-year-old girl with makeup, but compared to Liu Qianqian's natural and energetic charm, she falls short.

Therefore, Liu Qianqian was ultimately chosen as the female lead for Zhao Ling'er in "Chinese Paladin".

(End of this chapter)