Chapter 169: Abandoning the Chicken to Mount the Horse

"You have no idea how popular we are over here! My hand is literally going numb from signing autographs for them!"

Listening to Gao Yuanyuan's excited voice over the phone, Wu Yuchen couldn't help but smile.

Gao Yuanyuan had followed *Postmen in the Mountains* to the Tokyo International Film Festival this time. Because the film carried the name of Wu Yuchen as producer, it had been highly valued by the organizing committee even before it went to the exhibition.

Coupled with the fact that *Ditto* had gained quite a few fans in Japan after airing there, the discovery that the male lead of *Postmen in the Mountains* was also Liu Ye naturally attracted even more attention.

Consequently, as soon as *Postmen in the Mountains* was screened at the Tokyo International Film Festival, it caused a huge sensation.

The locals absolutely loved this film. Every day, the tickets were in short supply; if you didn't come to queue, you simply couldn't buy one. The film directly became the most popular movie at this year's Tokyo International Film Festival—bar none!

And Gao Yuanyuan, who played the beautiful girl in the mountains, naturally enjoyed the enthusiastic pursuit of foreign fans. In this day and age, being able to conquer foreign friends was even more exciting than gaining fans at home.

"You can consider yourself an international star this time. After you go back, you must lay a solid foundation and hone your acting skills; otherwise, you won't be able to live up to your status as a big international star later~" Wu Yuchen joked.

"What kind of international star am I? Liu Ye is the real one. There are way more people surrounding him than me!"

Liu Ye had truly stolen the spotlight this time. With *Ditto* still airing over there and *Postmen in the Mountains* making a powerful strike at the film festival, he had instantly become a literary heartthrob in the hearts of Japanese literary youths! Even the silly look he showed when greeted by fans was exclaimed over by the locals as "Kawaii!"

However, despite the popularity, the Best Actor award at the film festival didn't go to Liu Ye, but to Teng Rujun, who played his father. At the same time, *Postmen in the Mountains* took home the Tokyo International Film Festival's Jin Qilin Grand Prize—that is, Best Film. It could be called a big winner!

It was just a pity for director Huo Jianqi; the Best Director award didn't go to him, but to Guy Ritchie for *Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels*. However, after they returned to the country, they would soon be attending this year's Golden Rooster Awards, where another big harvest was expected.

Thinking of this, Wu Yuchen couldn't help but sigh. His *Run Luo La Run*, being considered a banned film, couldn't participate in the Golden Rooster Awards evaluation. *My Brothers and Sisters*, however, did get him a nomination for Best Director.

But Wu Yuchen had also inquired about it, and it was just to console him. After all, *My Brothers and Sisters* was too melodramatic and didn't fit the taste of most judges. Therefore, he had no intention of going to this Golden Rooster at all—it would be a wasted trip, and going back and forth would delay the production of *The Sixth Sense*.

……

In the shot, Bruce Willis looked affectionately at his sleeping lover. The breath she exhaled condensed into a faint white mist when it touched the area around Bruce Willis, which was actually explaining Bruce Willis's identity as a ghost.

The filming process was filled with a large number of such hints from beginning to end. Whenever the ghost appeared, people would feel cold. It was just because the background was set in winter that less attentive viewers wouldn't easily notice it; only when looking back would they perceive such details.

Bruce Willis said affectionately to his lover:

"I think I can go now. Sleep, starting tomorrow, everything will be different~

I used to think I should help someone, and now I have done it."

"I also want to tell you one more thing, and that is, you have always been the most important to me, forever..."

As if by telepathy, his sleeping lover Anna seemed to hear his words in her dream. The corners of her mouth curled into an arc, revealing a faint smile, and she whispered softly, "Good night, Malcolm."

All of Bruce Willis's affection and reluctance turned into a satisfied and happy smile: "Good night, my dear~"

After speaking, he closed his eyes, his expression serene and peaceful.

"Cut! Perfect, Bruce, your performance was fantastic!"

Wu Yuchen didn't spare praise for the male lead at this moment. What had just been filmed was the ending where Bruce Willis let go of his obsession and was about to disappear from the human world; it was also the final scene. Therefore, this scene was very important and had to touch the audience's heart. Fortunately, Bruce Willis's performance just now was indeed great.

Subsequently, Wu Yuchen clapped his hands and shouted to the entire crew: "Wrap!"

Amidst the cheers of the crew, Bruce Willis also walked over, smiling and remarking to Wu Yuchen: "Wow, it's finally over!"

"Hey, Bruce, why do I feel like you were eager for it to end early?"

Bruce Willis chuckled and shook his head:

"That kid Haley is truly terrifying. Although the filming went smoothly, to be honest, I don't really want to work with him again~"

He was talking about the actor who played the little boy. In fact, after his scenes were finished two days ago, he had been taken back to school by his parents to continue his classes.

It wasn't that Bruce Willis hadn't encountered actors with better acting skills than Haley, but the key was that he was too young, which caused him to keep his nerves taut and not dare to relax, fearing he would be overshadowed by this little child. Therefore, this filming experience wasn't a very pleasant one for him.

Wu Yuchen smiled and said: "Bruce, your performances were all great. I can guarantee you that *The Sixth Sense* will become one of your representative works!"

"Like the classic *Ghost*?" Bruce Willis asked with a smile.

"Why not?" Wu Yuchen shrugged and replied.

Then both of them burst into laughter.

Wu Yuchen's filming of *The Sixth Sense* this time was unexpectedly smooth, thanks to the super-god performance of the little boy actor Haley, which accelerated the progress of the entire crew. Originally, Bruce Willis had given them 40 days, but now filming was finished in 25 days.

However, it wasn't all smooth sailing just because filming was completed; there was still post-production. The film's score and sound effects were also quite important; only when the details were in place could the atmosphere be well-crafted.

While Wu Yuchen was busy with the post-production of *The Sixth Sense*, he also received a call from Cai Yinong.

After hearing Cai Yinong's report, Wu Yuchen couldn't help but start to ponder.

Zhong Hanliang, Wu Zhuoxi?

Zhang Zhiyao, Wu Kequn?

Cai Yinong's eye for talent was really something. These four all made a name for themselves later on. Although their career achievements couldn't compare to Chen Guanxi and Luo Zhixiang, they were definitely not nobodies.

Zhong Hanliang was also one of the original "Four Beauties of Tianya," and his looks were naturally top-tier. He later starred in many TV dramas like *My Sunshine* and *The Magic Blade*. Moreover, coming from a singer background, he could sing and dance, his overall quality was quite good, and his personal life was also very low-key.

Wu Zhuoxi had been active in Hong Kong dramas for many years; for mainland audiences, the one they might be more familiar with was Xu Ziling in *Twin of Brothers*.

Zhang Zhiyao was also a pretty-boy type, having played many handsome characters in period dramas; Hua Manlou and Chu Liu Xiang were his representative roles. Later, he also played important roles in *Swords of Legends* and *Eternal Love*.

Wu Kequn, this guy also had a lot of personality. When he debuted, he challenged Zhou Jielun, saying he would surpass him within 5 years. Later, he naturally couldn't achieve it, but he was quite talented in creation. *Big Tongue*, *General's Order*, *Laozi Says*, and *Writing Poetry for You* were all his representative works. Ten years later, he self-deprecatingly said: "He became the Heavenly King, and I was wiped out."

Wu Yuchen wouldn't be repulsed by this kind of personality; being young and vigorous wasn't a bad thing—daring to venture and fight showed ambition.

Wu Yuchen was quite satisfied with the people Cai Yinong selected this time. They met his requirements for forming F4, their inherent quality was good, and they wouldn't cause any trouble.

Wu Yuchen asked Cai Yinong: "Cai Zong, have you already handled all these people?"

"The two amateurs, Wu Kequn and Wu Zhuoxi, are basically handled. They are both willing to agree to the conditions I proposed, and now the initiative is in my hands.

Zhong Hanliang is still hesitating. After all, his personal career is developing quite well at the moment, and he is still relatively cautious about the choice of joining our company to form F4.

As for Zhang Zhiyao, I see that he himself is somewhat moved, but his contract still has several years left, which is a bit troublesome. If we want to poach him, we have to buy out his contract, and it also depends on whether his agency is willing to let him go. I am also inquiring about the situation now."

Wu Yuchen thought for a moment and said: "Cai Zong, if Zhang Zhiyao is hard to handle, then forget it. Just sign Wu Kequn directly. As for Zhong Hanliang and Wu Zhuoxi, how old is Zhong Hanliang?"

"He was born at the end of '74 and just finished his 24th birthday. In this regard, I actually think it's no problem; he is full of youthful spirit."

Hearing Cai Yinong say this, Wu Yuchen knew she was optimistic about Zhong Hanliang, so he didn't argue anymore. Thinking about Zhong Hanliang's state in his past life, he had indeed always maintained it very well, and his professionalism was impeccable.

"Cai Zong, let's do it this way. For the Wanwan selection, let's pick Wu Kequn. For the Hong Kong Island member, if Zhong Hanliang agrees within 1 month, we'll set him; if not, then Wu Zhuoxi."

Cai Yinong agreed after hearing this, and then asked again: "Wu Dao, what about this fourth candidate, what do you think..."

"Cai Zong, what are your thoughts? You can tell me."

"Now that we already have one from the mainland, Hong Kong Island, and Wanwan, I actually want to find one from overseas, such as an American-born Chinese like Wu Yanzu, or a Chinese from Singapore or Malaysia; all are fine." Cai Yinong stated her thoughts.

Overseas Chinese?

Hearing Cai Yinong's idea, Wu Yuchen was startled. Cai Yinong's ambition was really big.

Figures of a few people couldn't help but appear in his mind, like Lin Junjie from Singapore, and Pan Weibo who grew up in America. But their images before debut weren't very good, and it was estimated that it would be hard for them to catch the eye of Cai Yinong, this die-hard face-control freak.

However, he didn't want to dampen Cai Yinong's enthusiasm: "Cai Zong, follow your ideas. If you can find a suitable candidate, that's even better. If you can't find one, then just pick one from the mainland as the fourth person."

"Okay, there are many good seedlings in the mainland. I had taken a fancy to one at the Beijing Dance Academy before, named Qiao Zhenyu. But since Wu Dao you had already set Huang Huang Xiao Ming, I didn't bring it up again."

Qiao Zhenyu? Wasn't this also one of the original "Four Beauties of Tianya"?

The image was definitely no problem, and born in '78, the age was also appropriate. Since he studied dance, he could definitely dance. His overall quality met the requirements in every aspect.

Wu Yuchen had no objections at all and said with a smile:

"Cai Zong, as for who to choose for this last one, it depends on your thoughts. After all, this F4 will have to be brought up by you single-handedly in the future~"

After Wu Yuchen hung up the phone, he felt that after the F4 candidates were set, he wouldn't need to worry too much for a short time. For training, at most half a year would be enough. One must know that in his past life, those few people in F4, except for Yan Chengxu who had been a model, the others were completely pure amateurs. As an idol group, the four of them couldn't sing or dance; it could be said that their professional quality was sparse, but they were still popular beyond measure.

This thing actually mostly relied on a persona; a *Meteor Garden* established their persona. Him letting the group train for half a year was already doing justice to the fans.

Moreover, the F4 he formed this time would definitely be more capable than that version in his past life. Among those four, if you really talked about being handsome, it was only Zhou Yumin. The other three, in terms of looks, were the kind that couldn't stand out in the entertainment industry. Like Zhu Xiaotian, his looks wouldn't even rank in the entertainment industry, yet he still followed along to eat a wave of dividends and didn't have to worry about food and drink for a lifetime.

However, with this, Huang Huang Xiao Ming would have to work hard. If his teammates were really Zhong Hanliang, Qiao Zhenyu, and Wu Kequn, those few were all capable of singing and dancing. Huang Xiao Ming, if you don't put in some effort, your status in the team will really become the lowest!

As for whether two mainlanders in one group would be accepted or looked down upon, Wu Yuchen wasn't worried at all.

As long as they became popular relying on *Meteor Garden*, fans in Hong Kong Island and Wanwan wouldn't care about these at all.

Like Li Lianjie, didn't he still become the Kung Fu Emperor when he arrived in Hong Kong Island? And Zhao Wenzhuo, didn't he still get Mei Yanfang as his girlfriend?

And Jiang Qinqin, Zhao Wei, Zhou Jie, and Fan Bingbing, didn't they still receive the pursuit of fans when they arrived in Wanwan? In the final analysis, what matters is your work.

As for people like Hu Ge or Peng Yuyan, they were only 16 years old and still in high school; Cai Yinong wouldn't look for someone so young at all.

In mid-December, the post-production of *The Sixth Sense* was basically completed. This film didn't need special effects, so post-production wouldn't take too much time.

"How is it?" After the lights came on, Wu Yuchen asked Jennifer Connelly and producer James beside him.

"Fantastic! Especially that twist at the end. Although I already knew the plot in advance, it still made my scalp tingle! Wu, your foreshadowing in the early stages was done too well!" Producer James shouted excitedly.

Jennifer Connelly was staring blankly at the screen. Although she had read the script beforehand, she never expected the effect of the film to be so good after it was shot!

Although it was a ghost movie, it was completely different from those coquettish bitches that startled people in the past. *The Sixth Sense* brought a great shock to people's hearts, not fear, but surprise and wonder mixed with warmth and emotion.

"Wu, you are simply a master! Unparalleled!" Jennifer Connelly didn't care that James was still present, hugged Wu Yuchen's face, and kissed him several times.

Wu Yuchen only invited a few internal people to watch the film this time. Bruce Willis didn't come because his schedule was too tight, so the ones watching together were just Jennifer Connelly and James.

However, Wu Yuchen felt the effect was quite good, which could be seen from the reactions of these two people.

Subsequently, Jennifer Connelly asked somewhat urgently: "Wu, when do you want to release the film? I can't wait to see it appear in the cinema!"

Wu Yuchen gently stroked her back: "Jenny, don't be anxious. I want to pick the best scheduling slot for *The Sixth Sense*. Next year's summer slot is the most suitable."

James on the side asked: "Wu, are you sure? I mean, for a ghost movie theme, the best scheduling slot is Halloween."

Wu Yuchen immediately shook his finger, emphasizing:

"No, no, no, James. As the producer of *The Sixth Sense*, why do you still treat it as a ghost movie? Remember, *The Sixth Sense* is a family movie!"

James immediately raised his hands to signal it was his slip of the tongue: "OK, OK, it's my fault. Then you mean..."

Wu Yuchen said with a smile: "As everyone knows, the most suitable scheduling slot for family entertainment is two: summer and Christmas. We will land in the summer slot this time!"

James opened his mouth, but didn't say it out loud. You say *The Sixth Sense* is a family movie, he accepts it, but you say it's family entertainment! Family entertainment my ass!

However, Jennifer Connelly on the other side revealed a happy smile. After all, she wanted the film to be released sooner; compared to Christmas at the end of next year, the summer in the middle of the year was undoubtedly earlier.

After the post-production of *The Sixth Sense* was completed, Wu Yuchen could also breathe a sigh of relief. It would be fine to leave the operation to Disney. *The Sixth Sense* had Bruce Willis and him, Wu Yuchen, so it could be considered quite prestigious; arranging it in the summer slot wouldn't be difficult, but Disney still needed to make a complete promotional plan, and there was plenty of time.

Wu Yuchen didn't linger in America. After handling *The Sixth Sense*, he also boarded a plane, flying directly to... Wanwan.

That's right, it was Wanwan. Because of the banned film reason, the Golden Rooster Awards didn't let *Run Luo La Run* participate in the evaluation, but the Golden Horse Awards didn't care about this. They nominated *Run Luo La Run* for several awards, and the invitation to Wu Yuchen was also very active.

Actually, Wu Yuchen was still hesitating whether to come and participate before. But on one hand, Li Xiaoran kept begging him to come and accompany her to attend this Golden Horse Awards because she was nominated for Best Actress relying on *Run Luo La Run*; and on the other hand, Han Sanping actively persuaded him to come and participate in the Golden Horse.

Han Sanping almost explicitly told Wu Yuchen that the higher-ups really hoped that influential figures like him would come to Wanwan more often to represent the mainland, show the mainland's beautiful image to this side, and improve the favorability of the people here.

It didn't matter if he didn't participate in the Golden Rooster, but it was best not to miss this Golden Horse.

Since Han Sanping had already hinted like this, how could Wu Yuchen refuse again?

Thus, carrying the earnest expectations of the higher-ups, and under the bitter begging of Li Xiaoran, Wu Yuchen boarded the flight directly to Wanwan. ===== CHAPTER 170 =====