Huayu Entertainment 1995 started with hijacking.

Chapter 85 School starts

The following morning, Tu Honggang, supporting his back, limped out of the police station. Anyone would have had to squat like that all night if they weren't injured.

He stretched his legs for a while before he felt better, then took out his phone to call Wu Yuchen. It took a long time for the other end to answer.

"Hey, Brother Tu, are you alright?"

"It's alright, it's alright. Your brother has some training. Dealing with a few little bastards is a piece of cake!"

Tu Honggang said boldly, but then quickly asked:
"Hey bro, I haven't asked you yet, can you drive?"

Wu Yuchen naturally understood his thoughts:
"Yes, the car is perfectly fine, it's parked downstairs right now. Do you want me to bring it to you now?"

"No rush, no rush. Just bring it to me when you have some free time in the next couple of days."

Tu Honggang breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that the car was alright. His brand new car was shiny and he was taking good care of it!
On the other side, before Wu Yuchen could even turn around after hanging up the phone, a seductive body was already pressed against his back, its skin smooth and white.

Li Xiaoran wrapped her arms around Wu Yuchen from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder, and asked, "How's Brother Tu?"

"It's okay, you could hear his voice just now, right? It was full of energy." Wu Yuchen shook his phone and put it aside, then pecked the beautiful face close to his ear.

Li Xiaoran giggled, kissed him, and then whispered in Wu Yuchen's ear:
"Am I better or is she better?"

Wu Yuchen naturally understood who she was referring to, but he wasn't stupid in front of Li Xiaoran:

"Hello there!"

"Then who do you want?"

Li Xiaoran asked directly, as she has always been straightforward.

Wu Yuchen didn't dare to answer that question easily. He thought for a moment, then a flash of inspiration struck him, and he asked in return:

"So, between Lin Yueru and Zhao Ling'er, who would you choose?"

He knew that Li Xiaoran liked both of them very much and would definitely not want to part with either of them.

Li Xiaoran pouted and slapped him, giving him a disdainful look: "You think this is a game!"

"I just love playing games with you~"

After Wu Yuchen finished speaking, he turned over and covered her mouth again.

A moment later, the somewhat old bed started creaking again.

After an unknown amount of time, the room returned to calm.

Li Xiaoran lay on Wu Yuchen's chest, revealing a large expanse of snow-white skin. After her breathing calmed down, she pinched him lightly, her eyes welling up with tears.
"Are you born a donkey? Don't you ever get tired?"

"Sis, you know I was born in the Year of the Snake," Wu Yuchen chuckled.

Li Xiaoran knew this, but it took her a moment to realize the hidden meaning in his words. She lightly kicked him and scolded him:
"Shameless!"

Just then, someone's stomach started growling, and Wu Yuchen immediately got up and said, "I'll go cook."

Li Xiaoran looked at Wu Yuchen's tall back and snorted, thinking to herself that this little brat had become quite capable and ambitious, wanting everything. She would eventually steal him away from her!
However, she felt a bit more tolerant of her younger brother, whom she had grown up with, like an older sister. She felt he still had a childlike nature and didn't want to push him too hard. After all these years, could he possibly escape her grasp?

Wu Yuchen hummed a little tune as he cooked. He didn't know how Tu Honggang was doing, but he was feeling refreshed and invigorated. After all, Li Xiaoran was a dancer. Plus, her figure was absolutely stunning!

Meanwhile, a screening of the film "Coherence" had just ended at China Film Group.

Although the old China Film Group Corporation is not yet the behemoth it will become in a few years, it is the only distribution company that can distribute films nationwide. At this time, the person in charge is not Han Sanping, who is still the director of Beijing Film Studio.

When Wu Yuchen returned in July, he had already contacted China Film Group, but it took a month of delays before the screening of "The Night the Comet Came" was finally held in August.

"Tell me about it, everyone. What do you think? Anyone interested?"

These people have all been involved with movies for a long time, so they shouldn't have any trouble understanding them.

"It's hard to say, I can't quite figure it out."

"This film is a bit strange; there's never been anything like it in China before!"

"It doesn't feel like a domestic film at all. It feels like it was made by imitating the foreign style, with some novel theories added in. I found it quite interesting, at least the suspense was quite good."

"I also think it's quite novel, but I'm afraid the audience won't be able to handle something so new!"

"I think it's worth a try. These days, all the domestic suspense films on the market are about solving crimes, and everyone is already tired of them!"

Speaking of domestic suspense films, they have actually had their glory days. The 1980 film "The 405 Murder Case" was the first detective film produced by China Film Group. It caused a huge sensation upon its release, not only grossing over 100 million yuan and becoming the box office champion of the year, but also accumulating over 100 million viewers.

In the 80s, a number of large-scale, high-quality thriller and suspense films were produced, such as Li Shaohong's "The Silver Snake Murder Case," which was one of the highest-grossing films of the year and set a record for the highest number of copies made by Beijing Film Studio.

However, in the 90s, as censorship became stricter, domestic suspense films became stuck in the crime-solving genre and audiences grew tired of them, leading to a narrowing of their appeal.

Therefore, after the screening, the new type of suspense film "The Night the Comet Came," which is completely different from other films on the market, really caught the attention of these people.

However, they also had many concerns, such as the market not accepting this product and people with low levels of education not being able to understand it.

At this moment, the person in charge of distribution in Shanghai raised their hand first: "I want 10 copies!"

The distribution rights of the old China Film Group are still divided by province and city, and then distributed to cinemas in various cities.

Everyone looked at him in unison: "Old Feng, are you sure? Aren't you afraid of being stuck with this?"

The cost of a copy is at least 8000 yuan. If he wants it, he has to deduct it from his own funds. If no one reads it, it will be stuck in his hands.

Old Feng laughed and said, "Hehe, it won't be a disaster. This movie has a gimmick. When it comes out, I'll give it a big tagline about the 18-year-old Chinese director who won the Berlin Golden Bear and the Best Film at the Sydney Film Festival. Do you think that'll attract attention?"

"His short film isn't good enough for a Golden Bear, is it? And the Sydney Film Festival? I've never even heard of it, let alone the audience!"

"Does the short film Golden Bear mean it's not a Golden Bear?"
Besides, how many moviegoers actually know about these awards?
Don't worry about Berlin or Sydney; these are major international cities. Just add the international award title, plus the promotion of a science fiction film, and they'll think you're amazing. People in Shanghai buy into that; ten copies are nothing, we definitely won't lose money!

Upon hearing this, everyone agreed that it made sense; their advertising wasn't false, and it wasn't their fault if the audience didn't understand.

"Then I want five too."

"I'll take three and test them out when I get back."

……

“70!” Wu Yuchen was quite surprised when he heard the number from China Film Group.

To be honest, he didn't have high hopes for the domestic box office of "Coherence," since he had already made a fortune selling the rights overseas, and didn't expect to earn much domestically. He thought it would be good if a dozen or twenty copies were released in North China, but it far exceeded his expectations.

"Yes, Director Wu, your film has won awards abroad, and it's science fiction, so it's bound to be worth watching. Director Wu, what are your thoughts on the film's distribution?"

After hearing this, Wu Yuchen pondered for a moment, and then said:

"Then I suggest showing the film in cinemas with a large number of students, especially university students, who are the most suitable audience, and university is about to start its new semester."

"Yes, you're right, we'll consider it."

After hanging up the phone, Wu Yuchen felt a little more hopeful. He had lost control of the distribution once it was handed over to China Film Group, but it seemed there were still surprises in store.

Seventy copies is no small number. The distribution and screening of movies in those days were incomparable to those of later years. Unless it was a movie like Jackie Chan's, it was impossible to have a large-scale release.

The films are first shown in the provincial capital, and then distributed to the suburbs and lower-level cities. Of course, if the first run is well-received, the screening scale will be expanded immediately, and other cinemas will be urging for copies.

A city like Shanghai, with its developed economy and numerous universities, can certainly accommodate 10 copies.

Another point to mention is that the total box office revenue in 1996 was twice that of 2000, and the number of moviegoers hadn't yet plummeted to the lows of the early 2000s. Wu Yuchen and Li Xiaoran shamelessly cuddled at her house for several days, only reluctantly leaving when school was about to start.

At the Beijing Railway Station, the crowds were bustling. Zeng Li, carrying her suitcase, walked to the bus stop.

Although the train station in 96 was not nearly as crowded as it is decades later, it was still quite busy during the start of the school season.

She had just stopped at the bus stop when she felt the suitcase she was carrying become lighter. Thinking she had encountered a thief, she instinctively tightened her grip. These days, there are quite a few thieves at train stations.

Turning her head, she saw a tall, handsome figure standing beside her, carrying her suitcase and giving her a bright smile. It was none other than Wu Yuchen.

"How did you find me?" Zeng Li asked in surprise.

"Your sister told me." Wu Yuchen chuckled.

Several times when he called her house, her younger sister Zeng Yu answered the phone, which led him to verbally bribe her.

"Let's go, I'll take you. Look at all the people at this station, who knows how long it will take to catch a bus."

After saying that, Wu Yuchen picked up her suitcase and left. Zeng Li inwardly complained about her sister's talkativeness, but still followed behind Wu Yuchen.

A moment later, Wu Yuchen led Zeng Li to a car parked on the street and put the things inside.

As he put the things down, he introduced them: "BJ Jeep 212, this is what the great man rode in 20 years ago. I just bought it, or strictly speaking, it should be the company's."

Zeng Li simply observed them without saying much.

Wu Yuchen could also notice that Zeng Li was much quieter after meeting him this time, probably because she wanted to keep her distance from him.

However, he didn't mind; he was mentally prepared. After getting in the car, he continued talking at length.

"I made a low-budget film, and with the money I made, I started a company called Miracle Pictures. I figured I couldn't keep using other people's cars and cameras when I made movies in the future, so I just bought a bunch of new ones. I just got the car back a couple of days ago, and it's perfect for picking you up today."

Zeng Li listened quietly to Wu Yuchen's rambling, feeling somewhat conflicted.

When she was at home, she kept telling herself that she should draw a line between herself and Wu Yuchen and keep her distance, and that she should start a new life when she arrived in Beijing.

The TV series "Bright Sword" was a huge hit a while ago, and its popularity reached her hometown. One day, when she came back, she found that the copy of "Bright Sword" that was on her bedside table was missing. She was extremely anxious. Later, she found out that her younger sister, Zeng Yu, had taken it and read it. She almost had a fight with her. Actually, at that time, she knew that she still couldn't forget it, so she could only comfort herself by telling herself that they should just be friends from now on.

But after meeting Wu Yuchen today, she found her heart still racing, still aching, and still unable to resist coming with him. She listened to him talk about his experiences abroad, about what happened while filming a movie, and how happy his father was after "Bright Sword" became a hit...

Wu Yuchen didn't drive into the Central Academy of Drama; instead, he stopped across the street. After unloading her things, he looked at Zeng Li and asked softly, "Can I give you a ride there?"

Zeng Li glanced at Wu Yuchen and saw his somewhat cautious appearance. Her heart softened, and she thought that it shouldn't be a big deal for a friend to give her a gift, so she nodded.

Seeing this, Wu Yuchen grinned and then carried her things to cross the street.

In the girls' dormitory, Zhang Ziyi was chatting with Qin Hailu, whom she had just met. When she saw a pretty girl enter the dormitory, she immediately went over to greet her happily.
"Hello, my name is Zhang Ziyi. You must be Zeng Li? I remembered you during the third audition. You're so beautiful!"

"Hello, I'm Zeng Li~"

Zhang Ziyi, with the typical outgoing nature of Beijingers, was about to say something more to Zeng Li when she saw a tall, handsome young man walk in, carrying a suitcase, following behind Zeng Li. He nodded and smiled at her, saying:
"Hello."

Upon seeing Wu Yuchen, Zhang Ziyi and Qin Hailu immediately stopped what they were about to say and simply smiled politely.

After putting down the box, Wu Yuchen said to Zeng Li, "Lizi, I'll be going now. Contact me if you need anything. If you don't know anyone on campus, you can ask Duan Long."

Seeing Zeng Li nod, he then turned to Zhang Ziyi and Qin Hailu and smiled politely, saying:
"You guys chat, goodbye~"

As soon as Wu Yuchen left, Zhang Ziyi quickly followed him to the door and looked around. Seeing him come downstairs, she ran back to Zeng Li's side, excitedly grabbing her hand and saying:
"Zeng Li, your boyfriend is so handsome!"

Qin Hailu chimed in, "Zeng Li, you must be the first one in our dorm to have a boyfriend. You have to tell us about it!"

Zeng Li was taken aback for a moment, but still explained, "He's not my boyfriend, we're just ordinary friends."

Zhang Ziyi immediately retorted, "You still say no! I remember clearly from the third round of auditions, he was holding your IV drip the whole time. Would an ordinary friend be that nice to you?"

Qin Hailu was taking the exam in the Bincheng examination area, so she didn't know. Upon hearing this, her eyes immediately lit up with gossip: "What happened? Tell me quickly!"

Zhang Ziyi immediately started chattering and recounted everything that had happened in the exam room. The two girls chatted while smiling at Zeng Li, giving her a "you still won't confess" look, which made Zeng Li feel quite helpless.

……

Wu Yuchen was in a good mood. It was a good start. Keep up the good work!
However, instead of driving back to Beijing Film Studio, he went to the train station again.

An hour later, at the train station exit, Jiang Qinqin was walking with her bag in her hand. A boy next to her kept smiling and talking to her, which made her very impatient.

But the next moment, upon seeing Wu Yuchen standing not far away, her face immediately lit up with a smile. She took off running excitedly over, dropped the box in her hand, and threw herself into Wu Yuchen's arms.

This scene left the boy who had been pestering her frozen in place. When he saw the two of them kiss in public without any shame, he was completely disheartened. His back hunched over, and he left dejectedly.

Wu Yuchen picked up Jiang Qinqin's suitcase and asked with a smile, "Who was that just now?"

Jiang Qinqin said with a grin, "It was that boy who sat opposite me on the train. He probably talked non-stop the whole way, like a little megaphone!"

"Looks like our Qinqin's charm hasn't diminished at all!" Wu Yuchen gently flicked her nose with his finger.

"I don't care!" Jiang Qinqin said proudly, tilting her chin up, and then took Wu Yuchen's arm.

"Hey, you bought a car!"

"Yes, isn't that a surprise?"

"I remember seeing them riding in this Jeep when they were on patrol on TV before!"

"Yes, it used to be for military use, but now it's widely used in civilian applications."

Jiang Qinqin chatted happily about all sorts of interesting things that happened at home the whole way, her mouth never stopping, completely unaware that she had also become a little gossip.

This time, Wu Yuchen didn't hold back and drove straight into the Beijing Film Studio. It wasn't a luxury car; it was just a domestically produced Beijing Jeep worth tens of thousands of yuan, nothing to brag about.

After dropping Jiang Qinqin off, Wu Yuchen had just returned to his dormitory when Chen Er approached him with a smile on his face and said:
"Brother Chen, I just saw a student arrive at the freshman dormitory over there, accompanied by seven parents!"

Wu Yuchen raised an eyebrow and then asked:

"Is it from the acting class?"

"It seems so, look, that room."

Wu Yuchen walked in the direction Chen Er pointed, and he was quite curious about which future star this kind of mama's boy would be.

As soon as I reached the door of the house, I heard a middle-aged woman's voice from inside:

"Is this place even habitable? It's just a few planks of wood and a metal frame. Look inside, there's no air conditioning, not even a fan. And the toilet is right across from here, it'll stink to death all day long! How about we apply for a different dorm for Xiaoming?"

Alright, Wu Yuchen doesn't even need to look to know who this is, it's Huang Xiaoming!

“That’s right, Xiaoming, if things get too tough, we can go back to Qingdao and find a job. Wouldn’t that be better than suffering here?” another middle-aged woman chimed in.

Wu Yuchen peeked inside and saw Huang Xiaoming, dressed in a white short-sleeved shirt and jeans, looking impatient. He stomped his foot and pushed a middle-aged couple, saying in a Shandong dialect:

"Mom, you're making a fuss! People will laugh at me later, you'd better leave now!"

"What's the rush? Look at the mess in your room, I'll have to clean it up for you!"

Huang Xiaoming was about to say something when he saw Wu Yuchen peeking in through the door. Thinking that his new roommate was coming, he quickly switched to a smile and smiled at him, a genuine smile without any greasiness.

Seeing this, Wu Yuchen nodded and chuckled at him, then turned and went back to his dormitory. It's really interesting; who would have thought that Huang Xiaoming at this time was a mama's boy longing to escape his family's control?

Wu Yuchen rubbed his chin as he walked. He had seen most of the students from the Central Academy of Drama's Class of '96 a few months ago during the third round of auditions, but he hadn't really seen the Beijing Film Academy's Class of '96, which was just as famous. Should he go and see what these stars looked like when they first enrolled?
(End of this chapter)