Chapter 10: Northeastern Tough Guy

Sun Honglei was overjoyed to hear this; he had come to Jingcheng in May specifically to become an actor, but all admissions had nearly ended, with only the musical theater class at Zhongyang Yinyuexue Academy still accepting applicants, so he had enrolled in that program.

But now two senior students—one from the acting class and one from the Jingying directing class—had come to ask him to act, and he was thrilled!

“Of course I’ll do it! Thank you so much for believing in me!”

Sun Honglei immediately shook hands with both of them in rapid succession, making Duan Long feel slightly embarrassed.

“Senior brothers, here’s the thing—it’s almost dinner time. If you don’t mind waiting a bit, let me change clothes and I’ll be right back. Tonight, I’m treating you both to dinner. We can talk in detail!”

“Alright, we’re not in a hurry, take your time,” Wu Yuchen smiled. For the first time, he felt what it was like to be fawned over as a director.

Watching Sun Honglei’s swift departure, Wu Yuchen felt pleased—securing Sun Honglei had gone so smoothly.

In Wu Yuchen’s mind, Zhongyang Yinyuexue Academy currently had two candidates well-suited for the role: one was Wang Qianyuan, a third-year student from the Class of ’93; the other was Sun Honglei, who had just enrolled.

Both had played thugs and bandits before, and after some thought, Wu Yuchen decided Sun Honglei was better suited—he was older.

Sun Honglei, though just a first-year student this year, was actually twenty-five—perfect age for a bandit.

Moreover, his villainous image was deeply ingrained in public memory; even on the street, elderly men had told him to his face: “You play the thug too well!”

In the original version of “Car 44,” the bandit was Li Yixiang, a senior at Jingying now—also quite good—but with Sun Honglei available, Wu Yuchen naturally preferred him.

Sun Honglei moved quickly: he showered, wiped himself hastily, threw on clothes, and sprinted back, his hair still wet, afraid of keeping them waiting.

Wu Yuchen said to Duan Long: “Take another look now.”

Then he turned to Sun Honglei: “Honglei, don’t smile. Keep your face serious, a little more menacing.”

Sun Honglei guessed what they wanted and obediently wiped the smile off his face.

Duan Long stared at Sun Honglei, now dressed in ordinary clothes, his smile gone, his expression rigid—and instantly, he looked menacing, a dark aura radiating from his brow.

This guy was a pure, unadulterated villain!

Duan Long nodded dumbly—now he fully trusted Wu Yuchen’s judgment.

…

At a decently decorated restaurant, Sun Honglei ordered seven or eight dishes before Wu Yuchen stopped him.

Wu Yuchen knew Sun Honglei wasn’t short on money.

In the 1980s, breakdancing exploded in popularity across Huaxia, and Sun Honglei became obsessed—he had real talent.

In 1987, he won first prize in the Heilongjiang breakdancing competition; the next year, he placed second nationally.

With his exceptional dancing, he quickly rose to fame in Heilongjiang and was selected for the Huaxia Breakdancing Star Art Troupe, affiliated with the Huaxia Opera and Ballet Theater, performing 30–40 shows monthly, earning 100 yuan per show.

That meant he was making several thousand yuan a month in the 1980s; later, in the 1990s, he outright bought a 40,000-yuan “big brother” phone.

He lived comfortably back home and had saved up quite a bit—but then he grew bored, lost direction. Hearing recommendations this year, he abandoned everything and came to Jingcheng to take the entrance exam for Zhongyang Yinyuexue Academy.

After hearing Sun Honglei’s self-introduction, Duan Long blurted out:

“You’re the Northeastern Tough Guy?”

“Northeastern Tough Guy?” Wu Yuchen asked, puzzled.

Seeing Sun Honglei didn’t mind, Duan Long explained to Wu Yuchen:

“Back in May and June, word went around our school that someone ate nothing but soup every day, ran and jumped constantly, and lost 36 jin in a month—then got admitted! The whole campus talked about him, calling him ‘The Northeastern Tough Guy.’”

Sun Honglei laughed casually: “Heh, I was desperate. When I met the teacher in May, he said my physique and foundation weren’t good enough, so I bet him—I’d lose weight in a month and prove myself.”

Wu Yuchen raised his thumb in admiration—few people could be that ruthless with themselves.

After reading the script, Sun Honglei was ecstatic.

Deep down, Sun Honglei had felt a bit insecure after entering school—he was essentially a guest student, admitted through special recruitment without taking academic exams, so he wouldn’t get a diploma, only a completion certificate. And this musical theater class was a junior college program, two years long.

Don’t think this spot was common—four months ago, seven hundred applicants competed for this special admission slot, and only Sun Honglei made it. His month-long weight-loss grind on campus had left a deep impression on the faculty.

In this era, everyone placed heavy value on education and status. Sun Honglei was just a guest student in a junior college class. For two undergraduate seniors like Wu Yuchen and Duan Long to come to him for a role—even a background part—he felt they truly respected him!

Especially since the script was this good!

Sun Honglei wasn’t after money—he just wanted a chance to prove he could do it.

Technically, Wu Yuchen, as director, should have paid for this meal—he was the one who invited them—but when he went to settle the bill, Sun Honglei stopped him, refusing outright.

Looking at the two prodigies beside him—Duan Long and Sun Honglei—Wu Yuchen felt even more confident about “Car 44.”

That night, back at school, Wu Yuchen first visited Jia Zhangke, who had already collected all the crowdfunding money and was holding it for now.

When he returned to his dorm, Wu Shixian and Chen Er rushed over:

“Wu Yuchen, how’d it go?”

They knew Wu Yuchen had been scrambling to prepare “Car 44” and were genuinely curious about the progress.

“Everything’s under control.”

“The camera and post-production are mostly sorted, and both the lead and the bandit are locked in!”

“Already?!”

Their reactions mirrored Jia Zhangke’s earlier—both thought Wu Yuchen moved at lightning speed. What would normally take others weeks, he’d finished in a day.

“Tell us everything!”

They were all directing students, deeply interested in the entire film-prep process—even Wu Shixian, who had studied two years in America, had never directed anything independently.

Having witnessed Wu Yuchen’s crowdfunding, they already admired him; now that he’d made such rapid progress, they naturally wanted to learn every detail.

Aside from Huang Lei and Sun Li’s matter, Wu Yuchen had nothing to hide—he recounted everything in detail, explaining he’d already had a clear plan for casting and had visited Jingying and Zhongyang Yinyuexue Academy multiple times to scout talent.