Huayu 1999: Starting with nothing but getting something for nothing

A short while later, Guo Baochang, carrying a vintage-looking black leather bag, was welcomed in by Zhang Yimou.

When talking about the benefactors of the great directors of the Fifth Generation, people often mention Wu Tianming, who was once the director of Xi'an Film Studio, and call him the "godfather".

But in fact, it was Guo Baochang who first reached out and strongly advocated giving the fifth generation of actors a chance. As the artistic director of Guilin Film Studio at the time, he overruled objections and supported the establishment of the film "One and Eight".

The term "Fifth Generation Directors" originated from this film, which is also widely recognized as the pioneering work of the Fifth Generation. The main creators were all young people, which is extremely rare in any era, let alone in the early 80s, an era that valued seniority above all else.

Zhang Junzhao, He Qun, Xiao Feng, and Zhang Yimou were also very excited. They all shaved their heads to show their determination and promised Guo Baochang that they would definitely make a good film.

By the way, Chen Kaige's directorial debut, "Yellow Earth," was also directed by Guo Baochang, who overcame all opposition to let him take the helm.

That's why we see so many directors from the fifth generation in "The Grand Mansion Gate", and these people all respectfully call Guo Baochang "Master Bao".

It's the same principle as Cheng Er, Wu Shixian and their gang calling Yang Che "Brother Che".

Guo Baochang's ability to earn people's respect is not only due to his willingness to mentor younger generations, but also to his personal charm. This man, who has experienced hardship and witnessed the ways of the world since childhood, has always maintained optimism and a strong sense of justice, which is truly worthy of respect.

Yang Che naturally respected the gesture. He stood up, leaned forward, and extended his hand: "Director Guo, hello. I apologize for being so forward. My intention was to ask Director Zhang to let me know first, and then I would like to pay you a visit another day."

Guo Baochang had a loud, rough voice: "Don't say that. I'm here to attract investment. I'd be very grateful if you were willing to listen to me."

Zhang Yimou, standing to the side, said, "Sit down and talk... waiter, bring two more bottles of Luzhou Laojiao."

So Yang Che witnessed firsthand that this Master Bao truly loved drinking and knew how to drink. Looking at the way he smacked his lips and savored the taste, you could tell that the wine was really delicious... Yang Che was no exception.

So they started drinking and chatting. Bao Ye, being a man of the world, pulled out the script and immediately began to tell the story of the twists and turns of the script "The Grand Mansion Gate," as well as the story of the Le family.

In fact, Yang Che had seen it on social media to some extent and had a general understanding of it, but he still listened with great interest, as did the others.

This is truly a case of you having a story and me having wine.

When Guo Baochang mentioned that filming had already begun in 95, but the investors withdrew their funding, Yang Che, in a daze, slammed his hand on the table and said, "Brother Bao, I'll invest in this drama, no matter how much. Director Zhang, be my witness, I'll transfer 500 million tomorrow."

Guo Baochang's face twitched: "Oh dear, don't be impulsive. Take a look at the script first. I've waited all these years, a little more time won't make a difference."

Yang Che shook his head: "Brother Bao, I didn't act on impulse. First, I'm doing this out of respect for Director Zhang; second, I'm doing this because of your reputation in the industry. With those two reasons, I'm happy to pay thirty or fifty million, and I'll be happy even if I lose money. Besides, I think you can make this story great. Don't think I'm bragging. Zhao Xiaoding knows I'm not the kind of person who likes to brag."

Zhao Xiaoding quickly chimed in, "Master Bao, Director Zhang, and President Yang are always loyal and thoughtful."

Zhang Yimou once again felt like a petty person.

When Zhang Yimou heard "to offend Director Zhang's face," his first reaction was discomfort. However, he immediately felt that he was a terrible person. Even if Yang Che wanted his favor, Yang Che was still asking for real money to help Master Bao.

So he quickly spoke up: "Brother Bao, Yang Che is not an impulsive person. He not only invests in movies and TV series, but is also an advisor to the Olympic bid office. He just represented the country at a meeting in Switzerland not long ago. Yes, he designed the Olympic bid emblem."

Guo Baochang's eyes widened instantly, and for a moment he was speechless.

"this..."

Yang Che felt ashamed: "It's nothing to mention..."

Guo Baochang was displeased: "National honor is not worth mentioning? Your humility is ill-timed."

"Director Guo's reprimand is correct..."

Yang Che's phone rang, and unsurprisingly, it was Wang Fei calling again, which made him inexplicably displeased.

After saying "Excuse me," she answered the phone: "Sister, I'll be right back..."

"How much have you drunk? Which private room are you in?"

"what?"

Wang Fei retorted irritably, "What the hell? Which private room?"

"Guanzhong..."

The other person hung up the phone directly, which made Yang Che feel a little awkward.

At this point, Guo Baochang also realized that "sister" was not his sister, but Wang Fei. He chuckled and said, "Take the script with you, go back and take a look before we talk."

"Let's exchange phone numbers first. Also, please send me your bank card number so I can transfer money. Otherwise, someone else might invest before me."

"Hey, don't say no one is as enthusiastic as you. Even if there were, I would still agree to your request, unless you don't vote."

Just as Yang Che was about to argue further, there was a knock on the door of the private room, and Wang Fei arrived.

As soon as I entered the room, I saw that my boyfriend's eyes were unfocused and he seemed quite drunk.

Looking around again, there were four old men and a middle-aged woman with short hair.

Of course, she wasn't worried that Yang Che would ruin her reputation outside; she was just acting impulsively.

"Hello, Sister Fei. I'm the photographer who used to work with Brother Che. My name is Zhao Xiaoding."

Wang Fei smiled and said, "Hello, Director Zhang."

Hello, hello.

Yang Che walked up to her at this moment. Although he was drunk, he could still feel the resentment and suppressed anger emanating from her.

After exchanging pleasantries, Yang Che cupped his hands in farewell and said, "Excuse me, everyone, I'll take my leave now. Director Guo, I'll take the script with me and contact you tomorrow."

"Okay. Slow down."

"Please wait, don't embarrass me, a junior."

"Ha ha."

So Zhao Xiaoding and Zhang Zhenyan saw Yang Che and Wang Fei off.

During this time, Yang Che tried to grab her hand, but she shook him off.

This made the two men chuckle to themselves.

Yang Che, however, became increasingly embarrassed and couldn't help but let out a muffled groan, his anger rising.

The two started to compete, but because they were in public, they still maintained a basic level of decorum.

The staff at the club smiled at Wang Fei, and she smiled and nodded in return.

Facing Li Xiangdong who came to greet him, Yang Che waved his hand and said, "Old Li, pick me up at Jialin tomorrow morning."

And so Yang Che said goodbye to Zhao Xiaoding, got into Wang Fei's passenger seat with a stiff gait, and returned to Jialin Garden in silence.

As soon as she entered the house, Wang Fei went upstairs with a cold face, completely ignoring her boyfriend who was walking unsteadily.

Yang Che threw his bag down in annoyance and slumped onto the sofa, looking incredibly frustrated.

"Mr. Yang, would you like some rice water?"

At this moment, Wang Xiufang placed a bowl of thick rice soup on the coffee table in front of him.

"Thank you, Sister Wang. Could you pour me a glass of water? I don't really want to drink this."

Wang Xiufang whispered, "Rice soup helps with hangovers and will make your stomach feel better. It was what Afei told me on the phone."