Chapter 5: Did you drink fake liquor yesterday?

Half an hour later.

When Li Wenyu refused the suggestion to keep drinking and head out to another venue, steadying himself to hail a taxi, Pang Bing asked excitedly, "Director Li, let me drive you back. It’s too inconvenient to take a cab."

Since it was just a small favor, Li Wenyu didn't refuse.

On the way, he grew increasingly clear-headed. Once the car pulled over near the Beijing Film Academy, he finally spoke: "I’ve given you the script; make sure to prepare well. The female lead is strong, capable, and opinionated—a character who saves herself in a desperate situation. It’s a very positive and compelling role."

"If you play it well, it will be the breakout performance of your career!"

Pang Bing nodded repeatedly, pledging to prepare diligently, then smiled and asked, "Director Li, your school must have plenty of juniors, or even famous seniors like Yu Feihong and Jiang Qinqin, right? I am truly grateful for this opportunity."

"Are you really not considering letting me pay you a hundred or two hundred thousand to secure this role? I can borrow the money to book it; otherwise, I’m not confident I won't have it snatched away."

Li Wenyu nearly choked. Flirting with hand-holding and suggestive glances was one thing—she had clearly grown up after the setbacks with Aunt Qiong—but offering money?

"I appreciate your looks and figure, not because I’m looking to scam you. Let’s be clear: if we succeed, this will be the defining work that makes both our careers. You need this opportunity, and so do I."

"If we fail, it will take me years of settling down before I get another chance to hold the megaphone, and I’m sure you don’t want to be mocked by Yanzi either. Remember this: focus on improving your acting, and we’ll give it our all together."

As a reincarnated traveler, rising to the top and seizing opportunities was easy for him. At the very worst, he could spend three months maxing out his coding skills to 100, create a batch of game cheats, and make a quick fortune. This was the golden age where *Legend* created the richest men in the country.

Right now, he was just pressuring Pang Bing. Unlike later generations of starlets, she actually had acting talent. And Yanzi's presence was clearly a significant trigger for her.

Pang Bing seemed even more energized. "Then, Director Li, I’ll take you at your word. Can I really land the role that easily? You’re such a good person. Actually... how about we go out alone sometime, watch a movie, and build some rapport?"

Small favors were useless, and since he wouldn't take money, she could only continue using her beauty to offer more. She was still weighing the "extent" of that offer.

Li Wenyu looked at her, speechless. He lit a Red Plum cigarette and smiled. "Do you know why Brother Rong gave me the chance to direct?"

Pang Bing asked in surprise, "He asked you at the dinner table, didn't he? He even followed up several times, including asking about your first script... didn't you say it was luck and coincidence?"

She and her agent certainly wouldn't have missed that topic, especially since her agent, Hua Jie, was once dubbed the top agent in the industry.

Li Wenyu had been modest and evasive at the dinner table.

"That script was an awards contender," he explained with a smile. "After filming wrapped, Brother Rong and Director Derek Yee were aiming for the Berlin or Cannes International Film Festivals, targeting Best Actor, Best Director, or Best Picture. They have the connections and the willingness to invest."

"If we go to Cannes, I have a shot at Best Screenplay. If we film *The Shallows* well and prepare properly for the start of production, I’ll take you to walk the red carpet in Berlin or Cannes next year. If you don't prepare well, you won't have that chance. Right now, all I need from you is acting."

Pang Bing was utterly stunned. She stared at Li Wenyu, examining him from head to toe for several seconds. Suddenly, she snatched the cigarette from his hand, tossed it out the window, and leaned over. Such a handsome, professionally trained director, and so talented, too.

She had been debating the "extent" of their relationship anyway, and exploring a kiss scene wouldn't be a loss. The fact that the director of the *My Fair Princess* cast only appreciated her was an emotional validation that set the stage.

Was she too naive to believe him? The fact that Leslie Cheung himself had called to invite her to audition for the female lead was the most solid foundation of trust. Hua Jie had even asked around about him through her own connections.

Leslie Cheung had been nominated for Best Actor at Cannes!
Derek Yee had been nominated for the Golden Bear at Berlin!

If directors and superstars of that caliber felt it could win a top international award, how many mainland actors had ever even walked that red carpet?

...

Ten minutes later, Li Wenyu stepped out of the car and gave Pang Bing the middle finger. She laughed and gave him a double-finger salute in return before they parted ways.

A ten-minute verbal spar and a brief embrace were nothing in the entertainment industry; every student in the program had practiced "camera-trick" kissing at least once during their studies.

The curtain had risen on the new script and the new crew, and Pang Bing’s morale and fighting spirit had been ignited. Now, she just needed to work hard.

If things really hit a wall, Li Wenyu could always "cheat" for her. Today was August 26th; *The Shallows* would definitely make it in time for the Christmas or New Year season, or perhaps crash into the Lunar New Year slot.

...

The next day, Li Wenyu watched his attribute points accumulate to 4. Before officially getting up, he dumped them directly into Fitness, bringing it to 62. This would boost his stamina, energy, and learning efficiency. He wasn't in a rush to boost his Directing stat; the *The Shallows* crew was too small, and a passing grade was sufficient. Even a directing ability of 80 or 90 wouldn't turn *The Shallows* into *The Meg*.

Fitness was the foundation of everything. Since there were plenty of water scenes in the film, he, as the director, would need to handle some underwater filming himself, and he had to be careful not to fall into the sea while tracking the lead actress from the speedboat. High fitness meant better swimming skills!

After lying in bed for a few minutes to adapt to the slow changes, he went to the office building to ask his teacher for leave. In a certain office, his 40-year-old teacher, Mr. Zhang, heard his request and looked like a man staring at a smartphone on the subway: "What did you say? You’re directing... a project invested in by Leslie Cheung? Did you drink fake liquor yesterday?"

No one said a screenwriter couldn't be a director.

The students in the '99 literature, photography, and fine arts departments all loved to audit directing courses—that was normal—but Li Wenyu had always been a background character. Actually, no, many people felt he should have applied to the acting department.

His looks and build were superior to those of the '96 class stars like Xiaoming or Akun, and far better than the boys in the '99 acting class.

But beyond that, in the memories of his teachers, Li Wenyu’s performance in screenwriting and directing studies, his assignments, and his exams had never been stellar.

Li Wenyu explained, "I sent a script to Brother Rong in June via mail. He liked it, and they’ve already finished filming it. Brother Rong said there’s a chance to compete for Best Actor or Best Screenplay at Berlin or Cannes."

"Because of that, my second script secured funding led by Brother Rong. We’re filming in Hong Kong—it’s a low-cost, small-scale production. Teacher, please keep this confidential for now; I’ll wait until there are results before saying anything else."

Mr. Zhang was even more shocked. After a long moment of confusion, he finally agreed to the long-term leave. In the acting department, even without such big opportunities, it was common for students to take long leaves to run errands or play bit parts in TV dramas.

"Fine, I’ll keep your secret for now. We’ll talk when there are results. Whether your new project is a success or you win an award, you’ll be the pride of the '99 Screenwriting class."

"It’s late August already—not long now."

...

September 2nd, 2001. Li Wenyu arrived in Hong Kong again and headed to an office building. His fitness attribute was now at 68.

The assistant, Xiao Hu, led him inside. As soon as he reached Leslie Cheung’s office, he saw Andy Lau inside. Brother Hua had finally broken out of his "trash film" machine phase; with *Running Out of Time* and next year’s *Infernal Affairs*...

He was truly beginning his transformation into a serious actor!

Leslie Cheung made a brief introduction, and Li Wenyu quickly offered polite pleasantries and asked for a photo, thanking Brother Hua for joining as a guest star. He was playing one of the two passersby the lead actress encounters while surfing. The other passerby had also been booked: Joey Wong, the "vegetable-buying sister" from Canada.

Her comeback film, *Peony Pavilion*, had been released earlier that year, and her cameo had lost its biggest gimmick, but having her surf alongside Andy Lau was still a nostalgic callback to their couple-pairing in *God of Gamblers*.

Once Pang Bing arrived to audition and sign the contract, they could begin preparations for filming.

The assistant director had already started scouting locations.

Li Wenyu had even negotiated the marketing and distribution. He planned to keep the project under wraps until the pre-release, avoiding outside interference. He would work quietly and stay out of the spotlight during the theatrical run, letting the poster featuring Leslie Cheung, Andy Lau, Joey Wong, and Fan Bingbing do the talking.