Huayu 1999: Starting with nothing but getting something for nothing

Han Sanping pondered for a moment.

Yang Che continued, "Jiang Wen is a very good actor, and he is the most suitable for this role. You'll know once you take a look at the script, Mr. Han."

Han Sanping then said, "Don't worry, as long as he's willing, acting won't be a problem."

"Okay then, do you have his phone number?"

Han Sanping took out his phone.

Yang Che wrote down Jiang Wen's phone number, chatted for a few more minutes, and then left.

The cameo appearance was not mentioned again; there was no need. Han Sanping loves visiting the set, so we'll talk about it later.

I explored that in "Waiting Alone," since it also bears the Beijing Film Studio's name.

After leaving Han Sanping's office, Yang Che called Jiang Wen.

Jiang Wen is currently at Huayi Brothers Media Corporation discussing revisions to "Devils on the Doorstep." Yes, the director was banned, but after some negotiation between the investors Huayi and Huayi, they said the revisions would be compliant and the film could be released. They've been discussing this for a month now.

Jiang Wen was very annoyed. He knew that in order to pass the review, the theme had to focus on "people's awakening, spirit of resistance, and historical lessons," and all plots of "servility" and "inability to distinguish friend from foe" had to be deleted. But if he changed it like that, it wouldn't be "Devils on the Doorstep." It would be better to change it to "Anti-Japanese Legend."

Of course, it can't be changed; it has to be reshot.

Upon seeing the unfamiliar number on his phone, Jiang Wen immediately hung up.

Yang Che raised an eyebrow. This wasn't the future, where there were plenty of nuisance calls. Nowadays, people didn't have the habit of not answering calls from unknown numbers.

After thinking for a moment, I edited a short message and sent it over.

"Hello Jiang Wen, I am Yang Che. I have adapted Fan Yiping's novel 'The Search for the Gun' and am preparing to make it into a movie. The male protagonist, Ma Shan, must be played by anyone but you."

Ma Shan is a Vietnam War veteran and a professional policeman in a small town on the southwestern border. In middle age, he is facing a crisis—his career, family, and health are all in jeopardy. One day, he loses his gun and suffers a mental breakdown.

I contacted you to ask you to take a look at the script first.

With a "beep," Jiang Wen picked it up and looked at it, his expression strange.

He naturally knew Yang Che, Wang Fei's boyfriend, who invested in "The Grand Mansion Gate". He had also watched "My Sassy Girl" on DVD because his wife Sandrine wanted to see it.

So his first reaction was to call back and refuse, since he couldn't act out romantic relationships.

Looking at the following content, their expressions became even stranger.

Does a young person understand what a midlife crisis is?

Do you understand the tension you feel when your wife walks past the door in the middle of the night? Without that tension, you can't write anything about a midlife crisis.

However, we can't directly refuse, since they are the investors in "The Grand Mansion Gate," and we'll inevitably run into them again.

"I'm going out to make a phone call."

The people in the conference room were taken aback. "Huh, this isn't normal. We haven't seen Director Da go out to answer or make phone calls before."

"Hello, this is... I'm Jiang Wen. I was in a meeting just now."

Yang Che smiled, quite politely. As he sat down on a long bench by the roadside in the Beijing Film Studio area, he said, "Hello Jiang Wen, I got your phone number from General Manager Han at the Beijing Film Studio, haha. Where are you? I'll send you a script, and we can talk after you've read it."

"Sure, I'm at Huayi, right at Fenglian Plaza..."

"It will take about half an hour."

"Okay, sure."

After hanging up the phone, Jiang Wen smacked his lips and went back to his office.

Seeing the puzzled looks on everyone's faces, Jiang Wen took the initiative to say, "Yang Che asked me to act in a play, saying he'll come over in a bit to deliver the script."

People's eyes widened immediately.

Shuping wanted to ask what the script was, but he didn't say anything.

Dong Ping of Huayi was the first to speak: "Coming in person?"

Jiang Wen blinked: "No way, he's just giving away a script. He's a boss, though not as good as you guys."

Wang Zhongjun's lips twitched: "No, I can't compare to them."

Wang Zhonglei appeared somewhat meek and submissive.

Dong Ping noticed the brothers' expressions and asked with great curiosity, "What news?"

"Uh, you know Xu Qing's boyfriend, Liu Bo, right?"

"Yes, I know. What's wrong?"

Jiang Wen also pricked up his ears in curiosity.

Wang Zhongjun subconsciously lowered his voice: "Something's happened. He was arrested at the airport yesterday, suspected of illegally manipulating the stock market and committing large-scale fraud."

"And then what, what does this have to do with Yang Che?"

Wang Zhonglei's expression was not good: "Yang Che went to visit the set of 'The Smiling, Proud Wanderer' and bumped into Liu Bo. It seems that Liu Bo wanted to give him a set of books, and then Yang Che got angry and scolded Liu Bo and Xu Qing in front of so many people."

Dong Ping stared blankly: "Damn, first there was the Beijing News, now there's Liu Bo, what does this guy even do? He's really something else..."

Wang Zhongjun smiled and said, "Who knows?"

Jiang Wen was somewhat baffled by Dong Ping's train of thought, but he still asked, "How is Xu Qing? Is she alright?"

Wang Zhonglei shook his head: "I don't know."

Jiang Wen paused for a moment, then picked up his phone and dialed Xu Qing's number. They'd met on the set of "The Emperor's Shadow," and had dined together a few times in the industry; they were practically friends. Xu Qing had even been showing him special concern recently...

However, Xu Qing's assistant answered the phone, saying that Xu Qing was filming normally in Wuxi and there was nothing wrong.

After hanging up the phone, Jiang Wen was fine as long as he wasn't implicated.

At this moment, Jiang Wen's childhood friend, producer Er Yong, said, "Hey? How about we cast Yang Che for our movie?"

"......."

The gossip in everyone's mind vanished instantly, and the room fell silent.

That's really bringing up the very thing you shouldn't be talking about.

Everyone has friends in heaven; if it's not working, it's not working, and no amount of help will change that.

As everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, Wang Zhongjun took out his phone and dialed Yang Che's number, but what he said was, "Mr. Yang, haha, are you coming to Huayi? Really? Haha, I'll come downstairs to greet you. No need to be so formal, it's only right..."

Hua Yi's location is on the 9th floor of the Fenglian Building, opposite the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Yang Che has never been there, but he has sent wreaths, or rather, flower baskets.

Of course, he's a film and television company owner, what would he be doing here when his company is opening?

He wouldn't have sent the flower basket if it weren't for the fact that Xiao Pang needed him to express his opinion.

Wang Zhongjun naturally didn't come downstairs to greet him; he waited at the elevator entrance on the 9th floor.

As Yang Che stepped out of the elevator alone, he smiled before speaking: "President Wang, President Wang, it's been a long time. Congratulations! You two are even more radiant than before."

"......"

The two kings found the awkward, half-classical, half-traditional Chinese style of the opera neither quite right nor wrong.

"Let's not be so polite."

Yang Che shook hands warmly with the two Wangs, saying that he should learn from them in the future, as they were like guiding lights that illuminated every place.

Then Yang Che keenly noticed that Xiao Wang was acting strangely, seemingly afraid of him.

He couldn't help but chuckle to himself; his plan to borrow the tiger's power had indeed worked.