Huayu: Returned Overseas Chinese

Two weeks later, Chen Jingming received the actor list from the acting department at the company. He glanced at it, slammed it on the table, and looked at Yang Jie, demanding:

"this one?"

Yang Jie looked up at Chen Jingming and explained, "Mr. Chen, those actors you mentioned are indeed not suitable for our current roles. This is the most suitable cast selected by the acting department."

Upon hearing this, Chen Jingming's expression darkened. He calmed himself and thought carefully: It was only August 2001, a full three years before the historical filming began. It was understandable that the actors' temperament and acting skills might not match. Thinking this, Chen Jingming rubbed his head and said:

"Okay, you can go out now, I'll think about it some more."

Chen Jingming stared at the names on the document, speechless—he had never heard of most of them, not even in the future. He crumpled the document into a ball and threw it in the trash can, then stood up: if the company's casting was unreliable, then he would have to ask the school for help.

As a student at the Beijing Film Academy, he couldn't just let these resources go to waste. He found the script, took the elevator, and left the company.

"Old Xu, let's go to Beijing Film Academy." Chen Jingming said directly after getting into the back seat, then closed his eyes and wondered: Have I not put enough pressure on the people in the company, so they dare to fool me like this? Should I implement a bottom-ranking elimination system to increase the pressure?

The car slowly stopped near the Beijing Film Academy. Chen Jingming got out of the car and walked straight into the campus.

The Beijing Film Academy is different from ordinary universities. It's currently summer vacation, and while most universities only have master's and doctoral students remaining on campus, art schools still have quite a few students who haven't gone home.

Upon arriving at the Management Department office, Chen Jingming gently knocked on the door. After receiving permission, he pushed the door open and went inside. Inside, besides the class advisor Wu Bing, who was working, the department head Yu Li was also there. Both of them looked up at the newcomer. Wu Bing smiled and asked:

"Jingming, what brings you here? Aren't you resting at home?"

"Hello, Teacher Wu, Hello, Director Yu. Here's the thing, I've started a film and television company and invested in a script. It's been approved by the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television, and I've also obtained a television drama production license. But I'm a bit unsure about the casting, so I've come to trouble you two teachers."

Chen Jingming walked up to Wu Bing's desk and said directly.

Upon hearing this, not only Wu Bing, but even Yu Li looked up and stared intently at Chen Jingming. Wu Bing asked, somewhat incredulously:

"What you just said is true?"

"Hmm." Chen Jingming responded softly, then took the script out of his briefcase and handed it to her. Wu Bing took it blankly, only coming back to her senses when she felt its real weight in her hand.

He looked down at the script, then looked up at Chen Jingming, feeling a bit like it was a dream—this student, who would only be a sophomore next semester, was now coming to him and telling him that they were going to start producing a TV series?

"Please sit down first, I'll take a look." Although Wu Bing is not a professional screenwriter or director, as the class teacher of the management department, she can still tell the quality of a script.

Wu Bing quickly became engrossed in reading. Chen Jingming pulled up a chair and sat down. Seeing how focused he was, Yu Li came over and took the part he had read from the book.

They watched for over an hour, both completely absorbed in the story. Closing the script, Wu Bing looked at Chen Jingming and immediately gave him a thumbs up:

"Not bad, you have a good eye for scripts, and the script revisions are also quite good."

After praising Chen Jingming, Wu Bing turned to Yu Li beside her and asked:

"Director Yu, what's your opinion?"

"It's really good, a great script." Yu Li exclaimed, then looked at Chen Jingming, "Chen Jingming, right? Investing in a TV series is no small matter. Judging from the scale of this script, the investment will have to start at least at ten million. You'd better think it through."

"Yes, Jingming, a good script doesn't guarantee a profitable film. These kinds of patriotic films usually only get the budget if CCTV takes the lead, so you have to be careful," Wu Bing chimed in. Forget about tens of millions in investment; even two or three million these days requires begging and pleading, and there's no guarantee of finding a way in.

"Teacher Wu, Director Yu, don't worry, the budget of 1800 million is ready. Now we just need to select the actors so we can officially start production," Chen Jingming said with a smile.

As soon as she finished speaking, Wu Bing and Yu Li exchanged a glance, a hint of surprise flashing in their eyes.

The 18 million yuan investment, when spoken of by Chen Jingming, sounded as casual as if it were 1800 yuan. Yu Li gave Wu Bing a wink, and Wu Bing, understanding, tentatively asked:

"Jingming, it's not that I'm trying to pry into your privacy, I just want to ask, does your family know about this large sum of money?"

Upon hearing this, Chen Jingming thought for a moment and then said directly, "Teacher, you know I am an overseas Chinese. This time when I returned to China, my family gave me some funds for investment; here in China, I invested in a cinema last year, which is expected to open in mid-November, with about 200 screens."

Upon hearing "two hundred screens," their eyes widened instantly.

This is no small sum; it's an investment of hundreds of millions, no wonder he spoke so casually of a ten million yuan budget for a TV series. Thinking of this, Wu Bing asked:

"When you came over, you said it was about the actors, right?"

Chen Jingming nodded, and Wu Bing then asked, "What about the director? Have they been chosen yet?"

"It's not decided yet, but I have some ideas. If the teacher has any recommendations, I can consider them," Chen Jingming replied after some consideration.

Wu Bing and Yu Li immediately understood the situation, picked up the list of characters, and began to discuss it.

"Old Wu, I think You Yongzhi is very suitable for the role of Li Yunlong. He is upright and tough."

"Director Yu, I still think Zhang Fengyi is more suitable. You Yongzhi is too upright and too tough, lacking the bandit-like air of Li Yunlong in the script. Zhang Fengyi, on the other hand, can handle that down-to-earth, swearing language."

Wu Bing immediately retorted. Yu Li compared it in her mind and it was indeed as Wu Bing said, so she nodded, picked up the pen on the table, and wrote Zhang Fengyi after Li Yunlong's name.

"As for Chu Yunfei, I think Chen Baoguo is more suitable. He just finished filming 'The Grand Mansion Gate,' and he can easily handle the roles of noble, domineering, and refined. What do you think, Lao Wu?"

Upon hearing this, Wu Bing lowered his head and thought for a moment before nodding in agreement.

"Indeed, I originally considered Zhang Guoli, but compared to Chen Baoguo, he does seem a bit too smooth, so let's go with Chen Baoguo."

Yu Li wrote down the names and then continued describing the characters:

"Zhao Gang can be played by Wang Zhiwen, Ding Wei by Hou Yong, Kong Jie by Zhang Hanyu, Yamamoto Ichiki by Liu Yunlong. Tian Yu is to be played by Jiang Wenli, Wei Heshang by Wu Yue, and Yan Ni is quite suitable for the role of Xiuqin."

After reciting the list of names, Wu Bing fell into deep thought. A moment later, he looked up at Yu Li and smiled:

"Director Yu, you're keeping the benefits within the family! It's all people from our Beijing Film Academy. This is an investment of nearly 2000 million yuan. If outsiders knew, they would be furious and cursing us."

"Hmph." Yu Li snorted coldly, then said, "Jingming is a student in our management department. When there's a good project, we naturally prioritize people from the Beijing Film Academy. Besides, the people I recommended are indeed the most suitable. We haven't done anything wrong, Jingming, don't you agree?"

Chen Jingming was quite satisfied after listening. Apart from Yan Ni, whom he wasn't particularly familiar with, the others were all recognized as powerful actors in the industry. Although he hadn't had much contact with Liu Yunlong, he knew he was a professionally trained actor with solid acting skills.

"That's great. I've heard of all the teachers here, but I don't know if we can get them to come," Chen Jingming said with some concern.

"Jingming, don't worry, I'll talk to Liu Sibing myself. If he doesn't agree, I'll just tear down his office," Yu Li said domineeringly.

The Beijing Film Academy has always had its acting, directing, and cinematography departments as the most prominent, while other departments have mostly kept a low profile. Now that the management department has produced a student with such talent and resources as Chen Jingming, she, as the department head, naturally has to support him.

Liu Sibing is the department head, and so is Yu Li. Why should she be subservient to him?