Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 315 Ask for advice
This year's Oscars ceremony was uneventful due to a lack of suspense. The only noteworthy event was the unparalleled success of "The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King" in winning all 11 Oscars.

Another memorable example is Charlize Theron, the South African actress who won the Oscar for Best Actress for her role in "Monster." Her Oscar win this year can be described as having gathered all the winning formulas: gaining 30 pounds for a less-than-ideal performance, playing a prostitute/lesbian—a vulnerable group with a history of childhood abuse and mental illness…

Although it is based on a true story, it is clear that this movie was made entirely to cater to the Academy Award label and is the only way for pretty-boy stars to win an Oscar.

However, Wu Yuchen was more interested in another piece of news that came after the Oscars: Peter Jackson had reached an agreement with Universal to direct "King Kong," and his salary was a top-tier deal of $20 million plus 2000% of the global box office revenue.

To date, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King has grossed $900 million worldwide. Although it hasn't reached $1 billion yet, Universal knows that it will definitely break $1 billion thanks to the Oscars, so they didn't hesitate any longer and directly agreed to the conditions offered by Peter Jackson.

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen smiled. Peter Jackson had already secured these conditions, so how far was he, Wu Yuchen, from achieving them? He already had an Oscar; all he needed now was a film that grossed over 10 billion yuan. He was even more motivated to work on the post-production of "Pirate King 2"!

As April arrived and the theater lights came on, Spielberg and the theater representatives who came to watch the film couldn't help but stand up and applaud.

"A truly fantastic sequel!"

"The special effects are amazing! I can't even tell that Davy Jones used CG technology, it's so realistic!"

"And that giant octopus is absolutely terrifying! It's sure to scare a lot of kids!"

"The introduction of the Flying Dutchman and the sea monster swallowing Jack have really heightened the suspense in the film!"

Spielberg, with his arm around Wu Yuchen's shoulder, said excitedly, "Wu, you've truly delivered an unparalleled sequel. 'Pirates of the Caribbean 2' is sure to ignite this summer's box office!"

Spielberg was actually a bit anxious before, since the post-production time for "Pirates of the Caribbean 2" didn't seem to be that much, and Wu Yuchen's time was also being taken up by "Spider-Man 2", which made him worry that something might go wrong with the post-production of "Pirates of the Caribbean 2".

However, after watching the finished film, Spielberg's mood instantly soared to heaven.

Although his words were exaggerated, in his opinion, the quality of "Pirates of the Caribbean 2" far exceeds the passing grade and can undoubtedly be rated 80 or even 90 points. Therefore, its box office will definitely not be lower than the first film, and even its reputation is guaranteed. So there is no need to worry about the box office of "Pirates of the Caribbean 3"!

Wu Yuchen smiled and said to Spielberg, "Steven, I've done all I can now. It's up to you guys and Universal's promotion now. I'm really hoping 'Pirates of the Caribbean 2' can hit 10 billion at the box office!"

One billion?

This number is not unthinkable for "Pirates of the Caribbean 2". After all, "Pirates of the Caribbean 1" has already grossed more than 800 million worldwide. With the second film being of high quality, 1 billion should be its target!

Spielberg laughed loudly, "Wu, I'm going to broadcast your words to the media today!"

"Pirate King 2 aims for $10 billion!"

As a result, this news about "Pirate King 2" has spread all over the world today, attracting the attention of many fans.

"Wow! Pirate King 2 is finally coming! I've been waiting for it for three years!"

"Finally, I can see my beloved Captain Jack again!"

"Looking forward to it! I really want to see what other mysteries Wu will unveil for us in the pirate world!"

"Spider-Man 2, Pirate King 2, The Bourne Legacy—this summer has been absolutely wonderful!"

This summer certainly has a lot of big-budget movies to be released. Aside from Spider-Man 2 and Pirates of the Caribbean 2, there's also Troy, which has already started its large-scale promotional campaign. This epic film, starring Brad Pitt and costing $180 million, will be released in early June.

After all, May has "Spider-Man 2" and July has "The Pirate King 2," both of which are big films that everyone wants to avoid.

Harry Potter 3 originally wanted to join the summer blockbuster season, but when discussing release dates at the beginning of the year, seeing these two popular sequels, they abandoned the summer idea and obediently returned to their Christmas release window. It wasn't that they were afraid of these two movies, but rather that there was simply no need to force their way into the summer.

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban was able to dominate the Christmas season, but other movies couldn't and had to struggle to survive.

For example, Fox's disaster film "The Day After Tomorrow," which cost $130 million, was released at the end of May, while Universal's fantasy monster blockbuster "Van Helsing," which cost $160 million, was released in mid-June.

There are also some movies starring big stars, such as Spielberg's "The Terminal," starring Tom Cruise and Zeta-Jones, which will be released in mid-May; Jackie Chan's "Around the World in 80 Days" is scheduled for late June.

Looking back, the summer of 2004 was a very busy time for Hollywood movies, and movie fans were quite happy.

After completing the post-production of "Pirate King 2", Wu Yuchen finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Well, it's only slightly, because his work hasn't stopped. He's already in the post-production of "Pirate King 3," and he plans to finish it all in one go to avoid trouble later.

However, there was plenty of time for "Pirate King 3", which made Wu Yuchen's work pace much easier.

At this moment, Wu Yuchen is making a transoceanic phone call:
"Congratulations, Pony, you've finalized Tencent's listing. You've worked hard on the IPO journey!"

Little Ma on the other end of the phone was also very happy:
"We still need Mr. Wu's continued support! Mr. Wu, are you really not planning to come and ring the bell?"

Wu Yuchen shook his head: "Never mind, I'm a bit busy right now and can't get away. You guys just need to make sure my turn knocks even louder!"

Wu Yuchen hung up the phone with a smile. Pony Ma had just called to tell him that Tencent's listing was all set and that it would be listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in June, two months from now. He also extended an invitation to Wu Yuchen, the major shareholder, to go to the listing ceremony together.

However, Wu Yuchen declined after some consideration. Firstly, his presence would overshadow Pony Ma and the others; secondly, he wanted to remain behind the scenes for the time being. Although information would be made public after Tencent's IPO, the company publicly disclosed would be White Bear Venture Capital, not Wu Yuchen himself. Currently, Wu Yuchen prefers to be known as a director and doesn't want to reveal too much to the public. Of course, those who need to know about his role as a major shareholder already know.

It's just a legitimate investment; nobody will do anything to him. As for the allegations of forced buying and selling, that's overthinking it. With Wu Yuchen's current international influence, aren't they afraid that his revelations will severely damage the country's image?

What if we force a renowned director who is currently bringing glory to the country, bearing national honor, and representing the image of the Chinese people to emigrate? Who would take responsibility for that? That would be a huge laughing stock on the international stage. Only someone with a brain wouldn't dare to do that to him.

……

In late April in Los Angeles, the weather was great. Wu Yuchen, dressed casually in a short-sleeved shirt and shorts, was sitting with Steve Jobs, having tea.

"Steve, I heard you've been working on a secret project at the company called Project Purple. Can you tell me about it?"

"Oh, Wu, it's nothing serious, just a little personal experiment of mine~" Jobs tried to laugh it off.

Wu Yuchen said with a smile, "Steve, you know, if I ask about the project details at the board meeting, you won't be able to hide it from me."

Jobs shrugged: "Okay, Wu, I can tell you, but you must keep it strictly confidential and promise not to tell anyone a single word."

Wu Yuchen didn't agree immediately. Instead, he smiled at Jobs and said, "Hey, Steve, I can actually guess what you're up to. Is it the mobile phone project?"

Upon hearing this, Jobs was taken aback, then his expression immediately changed, and he questioned Wu Yuchen, "How did you know? Did someone tell you?!"

Steve Jobs was a naturally suspicious man. He was very worried that his mobile phone development would be watched by some big manufacturers, such as Motorola and Nokia. Therefore, he listed the iPhone project as a highly confidential project within the company. He only recruited people from within the company and did not tell them what they were developing. He only told them after they signed a confidentiality agreement and required the project team not to reveal a single word to the outside world.

Wu Yuchen smiled and shook his finger: "No, no, no one told me, you said it yourself~"

"Myself?!" Jobs looked puzzled.

"Just a couple of days ago you said publicly that Apple is pessimistic about mobile phones, believing they are complete garbage with no future. Combined with the secret project you've been organizing, it's not hard for me to guess," Wu Yuchen said with a grin.

"Oh! Damn it, is my intention so obvious?!" Jobs cursed. He now felt that the iPhone project was no longer a secret. Even Wu Yuchen could guess it, so what about the others?

Wu Yuchen reassured Jobs, "Steve, don't worry. I'm a board member, which is why I thought of these things. No one outside will doubt your words. Besides, I personally have always paid close attention to Apple."

Jobs thought of Wu Yuchen's initial opinion and felt somewhat relieved.

When Wu Yu-chen brought the White Bear Charitable Foundation into Apple and visited the company, he told Jobs that the iPod needed to be compatible with Windows to truly open up the market. Initially, Jobs insisted on his opinion, but eventually compromised with the market and made it compatible with Windows in the second generation. As a result, iPod sales exploded, Apple gained a large cash flow, and finally got on the right track. Last year, Apple launched the iTunes Store, a move that will have a profound impact on the future.

Jobs looked at Wu Yuchen and asked, "Wu, you will support my project, right?"

Wu Yuchen gave a somewhat helpless look: "Steve, you've already taken action, how can I stop you?"

Upon hearing this, Jobs smiled broadly: "Wu, all those phones on the market right now are garbage. Apple will definitely bring something new that will shake up the entire market!"

Wu Yuchen smiled sincerely: "I have no doubt about what you said!"

Apple's market capitalization has now rebounded to $150 billion, and Wu Yuchen's initial investment of $4 million has grown to over a billion dollars. However, Wu Yuchen has no intention of selling. He knows that the secretly launched iPhone is just the beginning of Apple's true path to dominance, and this 7.23% stake in Apple will become his greatest fortune in the future.

That's right, it's the future. Because his Miracle Pictures in America is already valued at a staggering $35 billion. If he's willing to sell, there's sure to be a major studio willing to buy it, provided, of course, that he, as the director, establishes a future collaboration.

Then, Wu Yuchen smiled and asked Jobs, "Steve, you didn't come to talk to me about Apple, did you?"

Jobs didn't mince words and asked directly, "Are you also collaborating with Disney now?"

Wu Yuchen nodded: "Miracle Pictures and Disney have collaborated on 'The Princess Diaries,' which will be released this June. What's up?"

Jobs thought for a moment and said, "Has Disney ever mentioned acquiring your Marvel Studios?"

Wu Yuchen smiled upon hearing this: "Aiger is indeed a good guy, but he hasn't been so direct yet. Instead, he has tentatively mentioned establishing a closer cooperative relationship."

Steve Jobs didn't hide anything from Wu Yuchen: "He contacted me and talked to me about Disney acquiring Pixar. I'm a little hesitant now."

Wu Yuchen undoubtedly has a keen eye for film, and his Miracle Pictures is currently a hot commodity in the industry. Therefore, Jobs came here to seek his opinion.

Wu Yuchen asked Jobs, "Steve, Pixar isn't doing very well right now, so why do you want to sell Pixar?"

Jobs sighed and said, "Wu, the risks of making movies are still too great. Even though Pixar has been very successful, I'm not sure what its next movie will be like. After all, the tastes of audiences and the market are always changing."

Actually, there's one thing Jobs didn't say: his primary focus was always Apple. Pixar was something he created unexpectedly. Initially, he started Pixar to sell software, and he considered selling it several times, but the deal fell through because the price was too low, until Toy Story became a huge success.

Therefore, Eisner was right about one thing: Jobs wasn't actually that good at animation and film. Apple was his true passion, where he poured his energy and could genuinely develop according to his vision.

Then Jobs added, "And, as you should know, I've been diagnosed with cancer."

(End of this chapter)