Back to 17, My Brother is the Cult Leader

The passport and visa process went relatively smoothly.

It wasn't until the end of May that it was finally completed.

During this time, news also came that "The Man from Earth" was participating in Cannes.

Just as Fang Yuan predicted, the Best Screenplay award went to "Henry the Fool".

However, he unexpectedly won the Jury Prize.

It ranked third among the best films.

That's pretty good too.

The copyright also sold very well, surpassing that of "Comet".

It reached $1050 million.

Ellie returned home with a full load.

This gives her great confidence in attending the Venice Film Festival.

The editing of "Buried Alive" has been completed, and the application materials have been submitted.

Of the three films, it had the highest production cost, reaching $300 million.

The main expenses are the directors' and actors' salaries.

The release of "Comet" has ended.

$2300 million in North American box office! Successfully finished its run in theaters.

Fang Yuan knew that the real money in these low-budget films came from subsequent television broadcasts and videotape copyright revenue.

Beijing Capital International Airport in early July.

Fang Yuan, carrying a suitcase with his passport and plane ticket in his pocket, stood in the departure hall waiting for the others.

He was going to Shanghai, and then flying directly from Shanghai to Los Angeles.

Those who traveled with him from Beijing included Zeng Li, Huang Xiaoming, Yan Danchen, Chen Hao, and an accountant from Forbidden City Film Studio, surnamed Liu, who was in his forties and didn't talk much along the way.

Old Liu was sent by the Forbidden City to Shanghai to handle the settlement with the Shanghai Film Studio. Someone had to keep an eye on the accounts for "Eighteen-Year-Old Sky".

The group of six took an Air China flight from Beijing to Shanghai, a journey of just over an hour.

This is Fang Yuan's first time on an airplane since his rebirth.

He was sitting by the window, and his ears were ringing as the plane climbed. Zeng Li, who was sitting next to him, handed him a piece of candy.

He chewed it a couple of times and felt a little better.

Huang Xiaoming sat in the back row, chatting with Yan Danchen, while Chen Hao read a book by the window.

As soon as Lao Liu boarded the plane, he closed his eyes, as if he had fallen asleep.

More than an hour later, the plane landed at Hongqiao Airport.

Summers in Shanghai are hotter and more humid than in Beijing, with a hazy, overcast sky.

He dragged his suitcase out and saw two people standing at the exit from afar.

One of them was Li Hong, still wearing that faded denim jacket, her hair a little longer than the last time I saw her, holding up a sign that read "Fang Yuan".

Zhu Yongde was standing next to him. He was the director of the Shanghai Film Studio, who had come to greet him personally.

Fang Yuan was a little surprised.

"President Zhu." Fang Yuan walked over.

General Manager Zhu glanced at him, smiled, and asked, "Was the journey alright?"

"good."

He glanced at the people behind him, nodded, and didn't say anything more.

Li Hong put away the sign and smiled at Fang Yuan: "Let's go, the car is outside."

A white van was parked in the parking lot.

Everyone got on the car, stuffing their luggage into the back seat. Li Hong sat in the front passenger seat, while Zhu Yongde and Fang Yuan sat in the back.

The car started moving, and Li Hong turned around and said, "President Zhu has arranged dinner tonight near the Bund. After dinner, we can go for a stroll on Nanjing Road."

Huang Xiaoming, sitting in the back row, asked, "Is Nanjing Road fun?"

Li Hong thought for a moment and said, "Just go shopping and see the night view of the Bund."

Dinner was arranged at a restaurant near Nanjing Road; it wasn't big, but it was high-class.

During the meal, General Manager Zhu didn't talk much about work; he just asked everyone where they came from, what they studied in school, and whether they were used to it.

He knew perfectly well what Lao Liu had come for.

For co-productions, it's the rule that someone from both sides needs to keep an eye on the accounts.

After finishing his meal, Zhu Yongde said, "Let's go take a look at the Bund."

A group of people walked along Nanjing Road toward the Bund.

In early July, Shanghai wasn't too hot at night, and the wind carried moisture from the Huangpu River.

Nanjing Road is bustling with people, neon signs line the streets, and old shops and newly built shopping malls are crammed together. It's a bit chaotic, but lively.

When you arrive at the Bund, the Huangpu River lies in front of you, and Lujiazui on the opposite bank is dark, with only the Oriental Pearl Tower lit up.

Back then, Lujiazui didn't have the skyscrapers that would later appear. The Oriental Pearl Tower stood there all alone, like a newly planted sapling.

Li Hong leaned against the railing by the river, turned to Fang Yuan and asked, "Have you ever been to Shanghai?"

Fang Yuan thought for a moment: "No."

That's the truth. In his previous life, he first came to Shanghai in 2005, not 1998.

Li Hong nodded: "You can come often in the future. There are many opportunities to film in Shanghai."

Fang Yuan didn't respond.

He looked at the ship lights on the Huangpu River, flashing on and off, and thought about Los Angeles a few days later.

The next morning, Fang Yuan went to the Shanghai Theatre Academy with Li Hong.

The Shanghai Theatre Academy's campus is not large, smaller than the Central Academy of Drama's, but it is very exquisite.

Li Hong led them into the rehearsal room, where seven or eight people were already seated, all of whom Li Hong had selected from the previous round of casting.

Fang Yuan was stunned as soon as he entered the door.

He saw several faces that seemed familiar, but he was certain he shouldn't have known them in 1998.

Fang Yuan withdrew his gaze and sat down in the last row.

Li Hong walked to the front, gave a brief introduction, and then asked everyone to come up on stage to perform in turn.

Fang Yuan sat in the back watching, feeling a bit complicated.

He knew these people were "future" stars, but at this moment they were all ordinary people.

It was just a group of students from the Shanghai Theatre Academy, dressed in ordinary clothes. Some were nervous, some were relaxed, some were overacting, and some couldn't find their footing in front of the camera.

Li Hong looked at them one by one, occasionally writing a few words in her notebook.

Fang Yuan didn't speak, he just watched.

When he saw the third person, Fang Yuan leaned over and whispered to Li Hong, "Um, the one sitting on the left in the front row, you can take a closer look."

Li Hong glanced at him, didn't ask why, and made a mark in her notebook.

After the audition, Li Hong came over to Fang Yuan and asked, "What did you think?"

Fang Yuan thought for a moment and said, "They're all fine. Some of them will be able to get out in the future."

Li Hong smiled and said, "You have a good eye for people."

Fang Yuan didn't explain. He couldn't explain.

That afternoon, all the actors arrived. There were more than a dozen people, including those from the Central Academy of Drama, Beijing Film Academy, and Shanghai Theatre Academy, plus a few that Li Hong had selected from the Shanghai Theatre Academy, standing in the courtyard of the Shanghai Film Studio.

Zhu Yongde made a special trip over, stood on the steps and said a few words, the gist of which was to tell people to take good pictures.

Then came the opening ceremony.

According to the tradition of Shanghai Film Studio, incense is burned and prayers are offered to all four directions before filming begins.

Zhu Yongde led everyone in bowing, and Li Hong stood at the front, holding a red "start-up bonus" in her hand, and shouted to everyone: "Let's get started!"

Fang Yuan stood at the back of the crowd, watching this scene unfold.

He couldn't participate in the filming of this drama at all; he had already handed over the script, and the rest was up to Li Hong.

After the ceremony, Li Hong approached him: "What time is your flight tomorrow?"

"11:00 AM."

I'll take you to the airport.

Fang Yuan shook his head: "No need, I can go by myself. You need to turn on your computer tomorrow, don't bother."

The next morning, Fang Yuan carried his suitcase and left the hotel for Hongqiao Airport.

After checking in and going through security, he sat in the waiting area waiting for his flight.

Through the huge glass window, he saw a Boeing 747 parked on the tarmac, with "Air China" written on its fuselage.

The announcement came over the loudspeaker: boarding is now open.