Chapter 10: The Soup Was Sweet, Nourishing, and Never Cloying

More than an hour later, under beautiful weather and a picturesque sea view, the cameo scenes featuring Andy Lau and Joey Wong were finally wrapped up. Li Wenyu hurried over to where the two stars had boarded the boat and gave Andy Lau a quick pull. “Brother Hua, thank you so much. Your status as a senior figure in the entertainment industry really shines through. If you ever need anything in the future, just give me a call.”

Brother Hua and Sister Wong were showing face for Brother Rong...

But as a director, having these two appear in his debut work was something he should be grateful for. Andy Lau steadied himself and wiped off the water with a towel. “It’s nothing. You’re a director Brother Rong has high hopes for. Maybe in the future, I’ll be relying on you, A-Yu, to get me a job.”

“By the way, next time if you have a good script but lack funding, feel free to reach out to me. Whether I invest in your production or outright buy the script, I promise my offer won’t be less favorable than Brother Rong’s.”

Nearby, Wang Jinghua and Li Bingbing helped Joey Wong onto the boat. Sister Wong smiled and said, “Director Li, I’m not sure how talented you really are, but since Brother Hua and Brother Rong both hold you in such high regard, you definitely have a place in our film industry. If something good comes up next time, don’t hesitate to contact me.”

At this stage, Joey Wong was still on and off with that famous singer Qi Da, not having fully broken up or retired.

Setting aside the collaboration with Ah Zu earlier this year on *A Dream in the Garden*, she only retired after filming *Beautiful Shanghai* in 2004. Was her praise sincere, a commercial courtesy, or something else? Most likely, it was just business flattery.

Li Wenyu smiled and said, “Since you all say that, I’ll really bring out a script to try then. I won’t direct it myself; Brother Hua, if you’re interested and the price is right, I’ll sell it to you and make some quick money.”

Andy Lau was surprised. “You really are a quick shooter? That fast?”

Everyone else, including Pang Bing who had just boarded the boat, looked bewildered.

That morning, before departure, they had been discussing planning the next project, possibly a male ensemble crime film, though nothing was certain. And now, here was a new script being sold directly to Andy Lau?

Li Wenyu continued smiling, “I’ve got a new idea in mind. Brother Hua, give me half a month. I’ll finish writing it, then head back to the hotel to work overtime. When the time comes, you can decide how much you want to pay. As long as you’re not as stingy as Shao Daying, I hope we can have a pleasant collaboration.”

Andy Lau and Joey Wong almost burst out laughing. Brother Hua muttered quietly, “If word of this gets out... never mind. Shao is almost 100 years old. He doesn’t have time to fuss with a young guy like you.”

Joey Wong chimed in, “Then half a month later, I’ll come by to sneak a look at your script. Talent in a man always piques curiosity.”

She was about to turn 35. It was purely Zhang Guorong’s, Sunglasses Wang’s, and Gordon Sang’s high praise of Tsuen Wan by the seaside that made her curious about the young director’s talent.

Li Wenyu smiled and high-fived Andy Lau!

...

Time quickly advanced to October 7th.

In a suite at a hotel on Hong Kong Island, Li Wenyu was typing away on his laptop at the desk, working on the movie script. Pang Bing wrapped her arms around him from behind, her face full of excitement. “How’s it going? Let me see...”

It was nearly the deadline they had set half a month ago with Andy Lau for the new script.

Pang Bing had her own separate room on set, but on the evening of the 23rd two weeks prior, after dinner with Brother Hua, Sister Wong, Li Bingbing, and others, Li Wenyu returned to the hotel to work hard on the new script for sale.

After Pang Bing knocked on the door, she insisted on watching him write the script live. They had already been casually hugging and exchanging kisses for nearly a month. That night, things naturally progressed, and she ended up on top of him.

Even after his rebirth, Li Wenyu’s driving skill inherited from his previous life was only at 65 points—not very high. But his fitness had improved to 86 points, a solid national team-level comprehensive physical condition.

Where his technique lacked, Li Wenyu was left with nothing but deep affection for Pang Bing.

If he weren’t worried about delaying the shooting at Shark Beach, he could confidently say, “If you offend me, don’t expect to successfully start filming.”

In the past two weeks, besides boosting Pang Bing’s acting skills to an impressive 73 points, he had invested all other attribute points into improving his directing and screenwriting abilities.

Host: Li Wenyu
Screenwriter (75/100)
Director (72/100)
Fitness (86/100)
Driving (67/100)
Car operation (68/100)
...

He hadn’t allocated points to driving; the improvement came naturally from spending more time with Pang Bing. Just like her surfing skills, which had reached 65 points through daily, relentless practice.

With the diligence and hard work of youth, a skill can be steadily improved little by little.

It was still early—6 a.m. on the 7th. Li Wenyu lifted Pang Bing effortlessly as if carrying her hundreds of times from the water onto the yacht, then got down to his morning grind.

The script he was writing these days was for the movie *Wonder*, not expecting to make much money; it was mainly to cultivate connections with Andy Lau and arrange a role for Pang Bing.

*Wonder* had been released in the U.S. in 2018, raking in $132 million there and 180 million yuan in China. It even snagged a nomination for Best Makeup at the 90th Academy Awards...

Only the Best Makeup nomination.

The investment cost was low, and the entire film relied solely on the actors’ performances.

...

The original work’s success came from being adapted from a bestselling book. The novel, first published in 2012, won not only the Mark Twain Award in the literary world but also the U.S. International Reading Association Teacher’s Choice Award, the U.S. Parent’s Choice Gold Award, among many other honors.

From publication, it topped the children’s book bestseller list continuously for 120 weeks and remained near the top of the charts for more than 400 weeks.

The story follows a boy born with a congenital disorder who undergoes numerous surgeries during his growth that leave him disfigured. As he grows older, he wears an astronaut helmet when going outside, afraid of scaring others, which only draws more attention and ridicule.

As the boy grows, his parents’ efforts to educate him at home can no longer keep up with society’s pace, so they try sending him to public school.

This is a heartwarming story about a child with congenital disabilities who, with the help of his parents, sister, teachers, and friends, finds confidence and transforms from an outcast into someone who embraces life—a classic inspirational family drama.

The tone is comforting, touching, warm, and healing—a textbook example of a family motivational film. The sweetness might be a bit much if overdone, but it leaves a warm, pleasant aftertaste.

Li Wenyu raised his directing and screenwriting skills above 70 points, not only to perfect his craft by “copying homework” more meticulously and naturally localizing it but also to prepare for future projects. He couldn’t settle for being just a passable director.

He hadn’t read the original book and lacked the ability to fully restore the classic novel that topped bestseller charts for over 400 weeks, but focusing on the film—parents and sister encouraging a child with congenital disabilities to step into a new life.

The feel-good message was sweet and nourishing.

Especially in the early 21st century, when mainland China still favored uplifting stories rather than opposing them, this film... was decent. He personally wouldn’t direct it but would sell it to repay favors.

Andy Lau might offer around two or three million yuan, arrange for Pang Bing to play the second or third female lead. The investment wouldn’t be large, the shooting schedule quick. They felt there was a good chance of reaching 20 million yuan at the Hong Kong Island and mainland box office.

Without the original book’s bonus, expectations were modest; overseas sales might bring in a couple of million dollars at best.

...

Half an hour later, Pang Bing, with a look of disdain, kicked Li Wenyu away with her foot. “You’re such a beast—delaying my morning training again. If anyone ever mocks my acting skills in the future, it’s all your fault...”

When she entered the crew, her acting was rated 69 points; now, it had risen to 73. Through daily polishing, she noticed significant improvement in her acting skills, including her command of lines.

This discovery delighted Pang Bing immensely. She began to wonder if she, too, was one of those naturally gifted performers like Zhou Xun—just previously undiscovered.