Chapter Fourteen: The Goal—To Become an International Superstar

The battle report meeting had turned into a denunciation assembly. Still, even in such circumstances, Wu Xiang refused to lower his standards. Admittedly, his criteria might have been a bit too high, but he saw no issue with it. He firmly believed that only by selecting the leading actress according to these standards could he find the most suitable candidate for his film—there was no doubt about it.

Previously, Wu Xiang had relied on democratic centralism. Since democracy had proven unreliable, he decided to go central—he’d take matters into his own hands.

As soon as Wu Xiang announced that he would choose the leading actress himself, the crowd in Room 307 cheered. In their words:

“This is your idea. If it doesn’t work out, it’s not our fault.”

With the pressure lifted, everyone was relaxed and happy.

Wu Xiang, naturally, said nothing more. Now that he had shouldered the responsibility, he knew he had to get the job done, or else he’d lose face in a big way. But in truth, he had already made up his mind.

After all, as someone who had been reborn, how could Wu Xiang not know where all the beauties of this era could be found? Especially those who fit his requirements perfectly.

The Central Academy of Drama!

At this moment, Wu Xiang stood outside the gates of this renowned institution, rivaling the Film Academy in prestige. His target was within these walls.

The class of '96 at the Central Academy was as famous as the Film Academy’s class of '96—a star-studded cohort, and with even more big names than the Film Academy. The Film Academy boasted three musketeers, while the Central Academy had the “Seven Flowers.”

The class of '96 produced many beauties, including one international superstar, a stunning woman, and Wu Xiang’s target for today was none other than her.

“Hello, are you Zhang Ziyi?” Wu Xiang managed to slip inside and, after some inquiries, finally cornered Zhang Ziyi, the future superstar, at lunchtime while she was still a student.

Yes, Zhang Ziyi—the international superstar herself. Regardless of whatever negative news might surround her in the future, or how things may change, at this moment, Zhang Ziyi was the embodiment of Wu Xiang’s ideal: light, graceful, and spirited.

There was no need to elaborate on Zhang Ziyi’s beauty, nor even to mention the brilliance she brought to her performances. The most crucial thing was that, right now, she was still a girl—her innocence, her smile, seemed tailor-made for Wu Xiang’s vision of his heroine.

Wu Xiang knew that Zhang Ziyi had acted in a film more than two years ago, but it hadn’t been a box-office success. She wasn’t famous yet; Director Zhang Yimou hadn’t approached her. So Wu Xiang slightly lowered his standards, for this opportunity was simply too precious.

“Yes, I am,” Zhang Ziyi replied curtly, clearly uncomfortable because the young man before her was so tall, giving her a sense of pressure. At this point, she was still just a girl, and even with classmates nearby, she felt uneasy around a stranger. Still, since this was on campus and the man’s attire was casual, he seemed a little more approachable, a faint sunbeam in the summer.

Wu Xiang sensed her guardedness and understood it well. So, he flashed what he believed to be a harmless smile and produced a small gift as a peace offering.

“Here, have some water,” he said, handing her a bottle of iced black tea—of course, from a certain Master brand. The infamous knockoff brands hadn’t yet appeared. Wu Xiang hoped to win over the future superstar with a cool, refreshing drink in the summer heat, a calculation as shrewd as could be.

“Be careful!” Before Zhang Ziyi could react, the girl beside her immediately intervened. “Ziyi, you need to be careful! This guy is a stranger—don’t drink anything he gives you. I saw a movie about this once, you know, where they put something in the drink…”

“Hey, hey, hey!” Wu Xiang was instantly annoyed. What was this girl thinking? Was he really that suspicious? “How can you say that? What’s so unclear about my origins? I’m from the Film Academy, class of ‘97. I came here specifically to find Zhang Ziyi. I’m here to…”

He was about to introduce himself, but the girl refused to give him a chance. She cut him off.

“So you say you’re from the Film Academy—does that mean you actually are? And even if you are, does that automatically make you a good person? Hm? Do you think everyone from the Film Academy is some model youth, all five virtues and four beauties? I think you’re here because you heard about Ziyi’s looks, so you came with ulterior motives. But you know you don’t stand a chance, so you came up with some shady plan, am I right?”

Wu Xiang applauded her performance. “Classmate, you shouldn’t have applied to the acting department—you should have joined the literature department with me. Your scriptwriting is pretty good!”

She looked at him quizzically. “How did you know I’m in the acting department?”

Now, that was a good question. Wu Xiang smiled. “Not only do I know you’re in acting, I know you’re in the same class as Ziyi. I even know your name, and what you used to do.”

Wu Xiang naturally called out the future actress’s name, omitting her surname to shorten the distance between them. But his words made the girl nervous.

“I don’t believe you! Tell me—what’s my name, and what did I used to do?”

Wu Xiang replied confidently, “Your surname is Qin, and your given name is Hailu—Qin Hailu. You used to sing Peking Opera, and you were very good at it. I even know we’re from the same province—I’m from Shencheng, and you’re from Dalian, right?”

“Ah?!” Qin Hailu’s mouth hung open, as if she could swallow an egg whole. She never expected someone to know her background so thoroughly.

Most people wouldn’t, but Wu Xiang, a reborn man, was intimately familiar with the “Seven Flowers” of the Central Academy’s class of '96. In the original timeline, he had even worked with Qin Hailu, though their collaboration was brief and Wu Xiang was just a junior screenwriter.

“Sister Hailu, is it true?” Zhang Ziyi grew even more anxious. Judging by the look on her friend’s face, it must be. This stranger knew so much about her classmate—had he studied her just as closely? What did he want?

Anyone would feel uneasy under such scrutiny, and Zhang Ziyi was no exception. She was only twenty, her face pure and fresh, looking even younger than fifteen or sixteen.

“Please don’t misunderstand. I’m really here for a legitimate reason. Though I’m still a student, I’m preparing to make a film—really, believe me, I’m writing and directing it myself. Please, don’t doubt me,” Wu Xiang pleaded. But as he spoke, he noticed their eyes change, as if they were looking at an alien or a con artist. Of course, he hoped it was the former.

Facing their skepticism, Wu Xiang felt he needed to explain himself. One bottle of iced tea wasn’t enough, so he proposed, “Since it’s lunchtime, why don’t we talk over a meal? The cafeteria’s food is trustworthy, right? Please, let me treat you both—order whatever you like.”

What a tempting offer. Zhang Ziyi and Qin Hailu exchanged glances—should they go or not?