Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 346 Happy conversation
Zhang Yimou and Zhang Weiping are often referred to as the "Two Zhangs," one focusing on creative work and the other on management, and they are considered a golden duo by many. But now, have the two Zhangs split up?
Upon hearing this news, Wu Yuchen was also taken aback. He wasn't shocked by the split between the two, since that was something that had happened in his previous life. The key point was that in his previous life, the two didn't split until 2012, after "The Flowers of War".

And now? It's only 2005, that's a full 7 years earlier!

Wu Yuchen immediately pressed, "What happened?"

"Director Wu, I just received the news about this. It's probably only spreading in small circles right now. There are a few rumors. One is that the two had a falling out over money, with Zhang Yimou withholding his salary; another is that Zhang Weiping seriously interfered with Director Wu's creative process. He wanted to direct 'Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles,' but Zhang Weiping disagreed; and there are also rumors that it involves Gong Li..."

Wu Yuchen listened to Cai Yinong's words, secretly pondering the situation. There was definitely a problem with the money. Zhang Weiping not only owed Zhang Yimou his salary, but also had issues with the investment and returns of several films, suggesting he had misled Zhang Yimou quite a bit.

There's also interference with Zhang Yimou's creative process. It's not surprising that Wu Yuchen interfered with this. Think back to his past life, when he squeezed Jay Chou into "Curse of the Golden Flower," it wasn't too jarring; but later, with "A Simple Noodle Story," he forced Xiao Shenyang in, and Zhang Yimou gritted his teeth and agreed, only to produce a terrible film. And they hadn't broken up yet, had they?

Zhang Yimou's patience is also extremely strong, so Wu Yuchen guessed that there must be other reasons besides this that led to the split between the two.

Just as Wu Yuchen was still pondering, he heard Cai Yinong tentatively ask over the phone:

"Director Wu, do you think we should take this opportunity to recruit Director Zhang?"

Whether or not to hire Zhang Yimou is not a decision Cai Yinong can make. If it were any other company's boss, they would be eager to bring in Zhang Yimou, such a highly sought-after talent. However, the big boss of Miracle Films is Wu Yuchen, who is already China's top director. Who can figure out what his opinion is of Zhang Yimou? Perhaps like repels like?

Wu Yuchen's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. Actually, Miracle Films wasn't that desperate for Zhang Yimou; the company already had him as a leading figure. However, Zhang Yimou was undeniably talented, and he didn't cause trouble or create problems—just an honest, unassuming man dedicated to his craft. More importantly, if nothing unexpected happened, Zhang Yimou would likely be the chief director of the Olympics; what boss would refuse such talent?
Wu Yuchen thought for a moment and said, "President Cai, let me call Senior Brother Zhang to find out what's going on."

That would be perfect!

After Wu Yuchen hung up the phone, he found Zhang Yimou's number, hesitated for a moment, and then dialed it. After a few rings, he heard a deep, somewhat tired voice on the other end: "Hello."

Hearing Zhang Yimou's voice, Wu Yuchen could roughly guess his current state and asked, "Hey, Senior Brother Zhang, are you alright?"

"Junior Brother Wu, I didn't expect the news to have reached you..."

“I just heard some news myself, and I don’t know your specific situation or how things are going with Zhang Weiping. But if there’s anything I can help you with, just let me know.”

Thank you for your concern.

"Senior Brother Zhang, what are you saying? It's all my duty."

"Me and Zhang Weiping...sigh!"

Zhang Yimou sighed again. Actually, Wu Yuchen had warned him years ago that Zhang Weiping had financial problems, and Zhang Yimou wasn't completely naive; he vaguely sensed something was amiss. However, he felt Zhang Weiping's words made sense, and as long as he could resolve issues outside of filming, he didn't want to argue with Zhang Weiping too much.

The reason he and Zhang Weiping fell out this time was due to a combination of factors.

Last year, Zhang Yimou wanted to film "Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles," but Zhang Weiping interfered, causing him to break his promise to his idol, Ken Takakura. Later, Takakura wrote him a private letter, urging him to stick to his artistic choices and not be bound or controlled by producers. Upon learning of this, Zhang Weiping was furious, berated Takakura, and demanded that Zhang Yimou cease all contact with him.

Meanwhile, Zhang Weiping wanted Zhang Yimou to direct "Curse of the Golden Flower," which led to Zhang Yimou contacting Gong Li and reminiscing about the past. Gong Li revealed to Zhang Yimou the time when Zhang Weiping and his wife had sown discord between them. This left a shadow in Zhang Yimou's heart once again.

However, whether it's money, interference in filming, or his past relationship with Gong Li, Zhang Yimou can tolerate it all. The reason he erupted this time was because his mother came to Zhang Weiping and asked him, "Aren't you and Yimou brothers? Why are you stopping him from getting married?"

Zhang Yimou's family opposed his relationship with Gong Li back then, but Chen Ting is different now. She has given birth to two sons for him, so his mother naturally wants the two of them to get married.

As a result, Zhang Weiping scolded Zhang Yimou's mother, calling her senile and saying that rural women have long hair but short brains. This was too much for Zhang Yimou to bear, and he immediately clashed with Zhang Weiping. This argument brought to the surface all the hidden problems that had been brewing before, ultimately leading to a falling out between the two.

"Forget it, let's not talk about these things anymore." Zhang Yimou didn't want to gossip about the ugly things between the two of them, it was too upsetting.

When Wu Yuchen heard what Zhang Yimou said, he knew what Zhang Yimou was thinking, so he didn't continue to ask about the issue. Instead, he asked, "Senior Brother Zhang, how is your Olympic opening ceremony plan coming along?"

To everyone's surprise, Zhang Yimou's somewhat dejected voice came through the phone: "I'm not really thinking about doing it anymore."

Wu Yuchen was taken aback upon hearing this. Zhang Yimou was the best candidate for the chief director position, so why did he not want to do it anymore?!
Wu Yuchen quickly asked, "No, Senior Brother Zhang, what happened?"

"Sigh, last year's eight-minute blackout in Athens, I did such a terrible job, and the whole country disliked me. Now that I'm facing these kinds of things again, I think I probably can't do it well. Maybe I should just give up." Zhang Yimou's words were somewhat disheartened.

Clearly, this breakup with Zhang Weiping has had a significant impact on him, not only distracting him but also leaving him in a generally low mood. Coupled with the backlash he received last year, he is currently in a state of extreme turmoil.

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuchen became a little anxious and quickly said, "Senior Brother Zhang, you can't just give up! I'm really looking forward to seeing the opening ceremony you're directing!"

"Hehe, Junior Brother Wu, you flatter me too much. I think you'd be more suitable to direct than me," Zhang Yimou said with a smile.

He genuinely thought so. Wu Yuchen not only had a good reputation but was also a recognized creative master whose ideas were often talked about and who had an international perspective. In these aspects, Zhang Yimou was ashamed of himself. He felt that even if he did it, he might not be able to compete with Wu Yuchen, so he might as well just give up.

Wu Yuchen quickly shook his head: "Senior Brother Zhang, I won't lie to you. I did have some ideas, but I really don't have time to prepare! Look at the Batman movie I'm currently working on, it'll be filming for several months, where would I find the time to prepare an opening ceremony plan?"
"And Senior Brother Zhang, you really are the best choice in my mind. The opening ceremony is all about grandeur and magnificence, showcasing our Chinese culture in a generous and beautiful way. In terms of visual aesthetics and color, I am no match for you, so you can't just abandon your post!" "What? You're not prepared?" Zhang Yimou opened his mouth in surprise.

The Olympic Organizing Committee had called him before, and since then, Zhang Yimou has started some preparatory work. Although the plan is only half completed, it is still underway. However, he has been hit hard by the breakup of Zhang Yimou and Zhang Fei.

But to his surprise, Wu Yuchen hadn't even made any preparations!
"Yes, I'm planning to recite a poem then. So, Senior Brother Zhang, you really shouldn't give up! I still want to see your opening ceremony amaze the world!"

Zhang Yimou was also encouraged by Wu Yuchen's words, and his spirits actually lifted a bit. If Wu Yuchen himself gave up, then his chances would actually be much better. However, he humbly said, "Not at all, not at all. Even if I finish my proposal, it's not certain that it will be selected!"

Wu Yuchen thought for a moment and said, "Senior Brother Zhang, if you trust me, you can tell me about it, and I'll give you some advice."

Wu Yuchen wanted to see if the plan that Zhang Yimou was preparing this time was the same as in his previous life. If it was completely different, then things would be a bit unpredictable.

“I absolutely trust you, Junior Brother Wu! My idea this time is to incorporate the Four Great Inventions into the opening ceremony to showcase the brilliance of our ancient Chinese civilization to the world…”

After listening to Zhang Yimou explain part of his ideas for the Four Great Inventions, Wu Yuchen smiled and praised him:
"Hmm, Senior Brother Zhang, your idea is fantastic. I have some thoughts on papermaking and movable type printing; would you like to hear them and see if they're suitable?"

Wu Yuchen then directly supplemented and improved upon Zhang Yimou's still-emerging plan, which immediately brightened Zhang Yimou's eyes.

Zhang Yimou slapped his thigh: "Wow! Your idea is brilliant! I felt that my previous presentation wasn't quite right, and I was just thinking about how to present it. This has really helped me a lot!"

"Haha, Senior Brother Zhang, these are just some ideas. If you find them useful, that's fine."

Zhang Yimou immediately added, "I have some other ideas, namely the Silk Road..."

And so, the two exchanged various ideas about the opening ceremony over the phone. Zhang Yimou generously shared his plans with Wu Yuchen, who in turn provided supplementary information, prompting Zhang Yimou to frequently applaud.

The two talked on the phone for two hours, until they were both hoarse. Wu Yuchen finally said, "Senior Brother Zhang, let's call it a day. I'm still on the plateau, and I'm starting to feel dizzy from talking so much!"

He wasn't lying. Talking is physically demanding, and the lack of oxygen at high altitude made Wu Yuchen feel quite dizzy.

"Oh dear, you should get some rest. I didn't expect you to still be in Tibet! My conversation with you today, Junior Brother Wu, has been so enlightening. To be honest, I'm almost embarrassed to say that I wrote this plan!"

"Hey, Senior Zhang, don't be shy about this. As long as you secure the directorship and put on a spectacular opening ceremony, it'll all be worth it! If you have any questions in the future, feel free to call me anytime!"

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Yimou still had a happy smile on his face. He and Wu Yuchen had really hit it off today, especially since they had many similar ideas about the opening ceremony, which made him lose track of time.

This greatly enriched his plan, bringing it to near completion, which made him very happy and dispelled much of the bad mood he had felt after breaking up with Zhang Weiping. Now, Zhang Yimou truly had much more confidence in his bid to be the chief director of the Olympic Games opening ceremony!

Meanwhile, Wu Yuchen went inside to use the oxygen concentrator and inhaled oxygen for a while before his symptoms subsided.

Regarding the Olympics, since he had already decided not to compete for the position of chief director, he might as well help Zhang Yimou out. These were all effects he had witnessed Zhang Yimou produce in his previous life, so it was a return to their rightful owner.

Wu Yuchen did have the intention of recruiting Zhang Yimou, but it was clear from the phone call that Zhang Yimou was not keen to discuss this matter at the moment, especially regarding Zhang Weiping.

Come to think of it, he and Zhang Weiping had worked together for seven or eight years. Now that they've fallen out, there are probably still many things to discuss, especially the conflict of interest. This probably makes Zhang Yimou feel somewhat resistant to many talent agencies now.

So Wu Yuchen simply decided not to mention it to him for the time being, and let Cai Yinong focus more on Zhang Yimou during this period. Moreover, he estimated that after his discussion with Zhang Yimou about the opening ceremony today, Zhang Yimou would inevitably call him again if he encountered any problems later, and he would bring it up again when the time was right. If Zhang Yimou wanted to come, he could; if he didn't want to, he wouldn't force him.

The snow mountain scenes in Tibet have now been filmed, and according to his plan, he will fly directly to Europe next. However, Wu Yuchen first arranged for the plane to fly to Chengdu, the closest major city to Tibet.

"Wow! This is your private jet?" Jiang Qinqin looked at the plane in front of her, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Wu Yuchen said with a smile, "To be precise, it belongs to the company, not under my personal name. But if you want to use it in the future, just give me a call anytime."

"Really!"

However, Jiang Qinqin then asked, "How much does it cost to fly one trip?"

"Several hundred thousand."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Qinqin clicked her tongue and shook her hand, saying, "Then forget it, it's too wasteful!"

In reality, the hundreds of thousands are for domestic flights. For long-haul flights like those to the United States and Europe, it would cost over a million.

Wu Yuchen had already notified the main members of the "Departures" crew to gather in Chengdu. He came here to pick them up and then fly directly to Europe!

(End of this chapter)