*Chapter 199: A Frustrated Leonardo*

“Is this just my imagination? Falling in love with me without even getting to know me? Is love at first sight really this intense?”

If his instincts were right, Gao Yuanyuan wasn’t like most women chasing him for his fame, wealth, or influence. She seemed genuinely interested in him as a person.

The thought left Wayne feeling a mix of amusement and disbelief.

When he casually suggested signing Gao Yuanyuan to his agency, she eagerly nodded in agreement, without hesitation.

Wayne’s intuition was spot on.

After watching Wayne’s performance in The Notebook some time ago, Gao Yuanyuan had become completely enamored with him.

To feed her infatuation, she went out of her way to get her hands on all of his films. Upon learning that many of the story concepts came directly from Wayne himself, she was further captivated by his talent.

So, upon hearing that Wayne would be at today’s opening ceremony, she decided—without much deliberation—to break up with Zhang Yadong, her married boyfriend, thus ending her second stint as the “other woman.”

She reached out to her best friend, Wang Fei, asking to be brought along to the event.

If that’s the case, Leonardo won’t let them off easy.

“Alright then.”

“I’ll listen to you.”

Seeing the two behaving so obediently, a playful smile crossed Wayne’s lips. He waved them off before heading to the suite he was staying in.

“Darling, where should we go for a late-night snack?”

“The Donghuamen Night Market. I heard the snacks there are pretty good.”

Unlike Leonardo, who’s been a global sensation for years, Wayne only skyrocketed to fame in the past two months. So, he didn’t have to worry too much about being recognized.

Still, he opted to fully disguise himself to avoid any trouble and also called upon the standby “tour guide” and bodyguards arranged by Huo Wenxi.

It was simple enough—just have them follow behind without interfering with their stroll.

That night, Wayne seemed to rekindle a taste of his past life.

---

The next morning, after breakfast, Wayne left Jessica and Amanda—both equally exhausted from the night before—and took Hannah to the company.

“Boss, regarding the people you had your eye on yesterday: except for Gao Yuanyuan, whose previous contract requires a bit more time to process, everyone else has signed on.”

“Also, we’ve finalized the specific details for collaborations with Directors Zhang Jizhong and Wong Jing. Wong Jing has already signed a two-year, five-film contract as per your request.”

“As for Director Zhang Jizhong, his signing should be completed by noon.”

“Okay, once Director Zhang’s contract is signed, we can proceed to send out the audition invitations for The Legend of the Condor Heroes to the actors I’ve listed,” Wayne said.

When Zhang Jizhong initially purchased the remake rights, he acquired rights to four works in one go. Three years have passed, and the scripts have long been completed.

Other pre-production efforts have also been underway.

Now, with the success of The Smiling, Proud Wanderer airing in March, The Legend of the Condor Heroes has officially entered the pipeline.

Previously, Zhang had been haggling with investors, trying to squeeze out more funds, which gave Wayne the opportunity to step in.

Now that Wayne has committed to investing, production can speed up.

For instance, auditions.

The earlier auditions are held, the sooner actors can prepare, and the benefits of this need no further explanation.

Most importantly, with control over casting, Wayne can finally replace Li Yapeng as Guo Jing. And Zhou Jie as Yang Kang will have to go as well.

To be honest, after gaining control over casting, Wayne felt a heavy responsibility to redefine the aesthetics of Chinese wuxia dramas.

For this adaptation of The Legend of the Condor Heroes, he’s decided to enlist the “Four Beauties of Tianya.”

For Guo Jing, who should be simple but not foolish and definitely not unattractive, Wayne planned to cast Wallace Huo, whose period drama image exudes integrity and simplicity.

For Yang Kang, a character with a dashing appearance but a dark heart, Wayne initially thought of Qiao Zhenyu. However, to avoid disrupting Qiao’s next project—The Snowflake Goddess—as Ou Yang Mingri, he chose Yan Yikuan instead.

After all, Yang Kang’s outward image remains noble and virtuous before his true nature is revealed. Otherwise, someone as morally rigid as Qiu Chuji would have dealt with him early on.

As for Ouyang Ke, the pure villain, Wayne decided to cast “Changhua.”

Although Xiujing’s acting and costume aesthetics are commendable, they still fall slightly short compared to Changhua.

With a cast like this, both in terms of looks and acting, this version wouldn’t need to wait twenty years to be considered a classic.

---

“Got it, Boss. What about the actresses?”

Huo Wenxi’s question made Wayne furrow his brows slightly.

After the revamp in male casting, the only potential criticism might come from the choice of Huang Rong.

“Should Zhou Xun be replaced?”

Wayne had been pondering this for the past two days.

While Zhou Xun’s acting was undeniably good, her looks and aura didn’t quite match up. Especially when compared to previous versions by Barbara Yung and Athena Chu, the difference was noticeable.

Even if they relied on dubbing for the voice, he still had his reservations.

Honestly, if Athena Chu were five years younger, Wayne would cast her in a heartbeat, even if it risked backlash.

But now, Athena Chu was in her thirties, and no amount of maintenance could bring back her youthful charm.

Excluding her, Wayne thought of two other candidates: Cecilia Cheung and Crystal Liu.

Although Cecilia Cheung rarely acted in period dramas, her performance as Li Yingqi in The Legend of Zu was impressive and stunning. Her suitability for the role of Huang Rong was certainly above Zhou Xun’s.

As for Crystal Liu, the comparison hardly needed elaboration. Her roles as Zhao Ling’er and Huang Rong would fit seamlessly, aside from some differences in their intelligence.

The issue, however, was that Wayne still wanted Crystal Liu to play Wang Yuyan and Xiaolongnu. If she also took on Huang Rong, she’d have claimed half of Jin Yong’s most iconic female characters.

“This—”

Wayne thought for a moment and decided to have Huo Wenxi arrange an open audition.

Just then, the office door was knocked, and another candidate joined Wayne’s shortlist.

“Chairman, Ms. Huo, Huang Yi—the lead actress from last year’s hit drama Wrong Carriage, Right Groom—has come to our company. She’s looking to transfer over. She’s waiting in the reception room.” Huo Wenxi’s assistant informed them.

Since Wayne believed in focusing on quality over quantity, actors had to meet strict standards to sign with the company.

Well-known individuals like Huang Yi were granted individual interviews, while newcomers attended group interviews biweekly.

This approach, combined with Huo Wenxi’s discerning eye, ensured they wouldn’t miss out on promising talent.

Still, Wayne hadn’t expected Huang Yi herself to show up, seeking to join Lighthouse Entertainment.

“What do you think, Boss?”

“Let’s meet her together,” Wayne said, recalling Huang Yi’s look and performance in Wrong Carriage, Right Groom.  

If Huang Yi still had her charm from that role, she might be a good fit for Huang Rong. But she was now a year older, and he needed to see her in person to be sure.

A moment later, Wayne met Huang Yi in the reception room.

At first glance, Huang Yi was indeed beautiful and carried herself gracefully. Even upon seeing Wayne present, she only showed a moment of surprise before confidently introducing herself.

However, Wayne couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

As he feared, while Huang Yi was just as stunning as in her breakout role, the spark of vitality that once defined her seemed to be gone.

(End of Chapter)

Although Wayne had a girlfriend and many lovers, Gao Yuanyuan’s worldview made her unfazed. To her, it was perfectly normal for a talented man to have many admirers.

And Wayne wasn’t just talented—he was incredibly handsome, on par with Leonardo DiCaprio’s heartthrob status. It was only natural for women to flock to him.

For Gao Yuanyuan, as long as Wayne fulfilled her romantic fantasies, that was enough.

Once her feelings faded, if their relationship didn’t progress—say, to marriage—she planned to move on and find her next target.

To be fair, if this approach were taken by a man, it might seem entirely normal. Whether the woman was single or had suitors lining up, he’d still pursue her.

If he managed to hold her hand, it would already feel like a win.

If he could monopolize her affection, even better.

And if he ever grew tired, he’d simply move on to chase another woman.

However, when a woman adopted this attitude, it seemed a little unusual.

Not that Wayne minded—he was clearly benefiting from the situation.

Apart from the women coming to greet him, a few promising young men caught Wayne’s attention.

For instance, the Beijing Film Academy’s Class of ’99 had Du Chun, Yu Bo, and Ling Xiaosu, while the Class of 2000 included Zhou Yiwei, Cui Peng, and Zhang Songwen. The Central Academy of Drama’s Class of ’99 also had notable names like Zhang Luyi.

Signing everyone might not be ideal for the local entertainment industry’s development, and it could raise suspicions, so Wayne narrowed it down to just Du Chun, Zhou Yiwei, Cui Peng, and Zhang Luyi.

As for Yu Bo—destined to rise to fame with his iconic “ramen-head” hairstyle—and Zhang Songwen, who would later prove his acting chops, Wayne decided to pass on them for now.

The cocktail party lasted about two hours. Most attendees, unaccustomed to Western-style gatherings, eventually gravitated to the surrounding sofas, grabbing the food that had been laid out.

In China, business discussions were still more suited to banquets and dinner tables.

By around 3 p.m., as older guests began to leave, the party officially wrapped up.

Wayne, with pressing matters to attend to, didn’t stay until the very end. After Han Sanping and others left, he entrusted Ho Man-Chi with the follow-up tasks and returned to the hotel with Amanda and Jessica.

After taking a quick shower and changing into comfortable loungewear, about half an hour had passed when a knock came at his door.

As expected, since Tang Wei and Gao Yuanyuan were still busy with contract paperwork, the visitors were Liz and Christy Chung.

Two glasses of red wine later, the trio moved straight to the main event.

Liz’s performance was as expected—decent. Christy Chung, however, was surprisingly strong, lasting nearly fifty minutes. She could almost rival Monica Bellucci and Nicole Kidman.

Still, against Wayne’s “prowess,” it wasn’t enough.

After Wayne dominated the “game,” he suggested inviting a few more people to join in. Liz and Christy eagerly agreed.

Soon enough, Cecilia Cheung and her friends, who had been waiting in a nearby room, couldn’t resist joining.

The new “game” began, lasting three intense hours before Wayne emerged victorious again.

Just as Wayne changed clothes, planning to grab a late-night snack with Hannah and Amanda, he bumped into Leonardo DiCaprio in the hallway.

Leo had two women with him, likely acquaintances from the party.

To Wayne, though, their looks were merely average.

Most notably, the two women seemed energized and excited, suggesting something about the “game” they had played.

Wayne gave Leo a knowing look, his expression teasing.

“…”

Leo instantly understood and couldn’t help but curse, flipping Wayne off.

He wanted to explain that his “game” had ended over two hours ago and that he’d had plenty of time to recover his energy.

But considering Wayne’s track record, Leo realized explaining would only humiliate himself further. He opted to change the subject instead.

“What are you up to now?”

“Taking Hannah and Amanda out for a midnight snack.”

“Want some company?”

“No thanks,” Wayne declined without hesitation, adding, “If you’re heading out, you’d better cover your face. Otherwise, you might not make it back tonight.”

“Seriously?”

Leo was startled.

Wayne shrugged, confirming it was no exaggeration.

In China—especially in a city like Beijing—security was excellent.

But given how much the Chinese loved to gather around celebrities, spotting Leo in public could only end in chaos.

“In that case, we’ll just head to the hotel restaurant,” Leo decided quickly, turning to his companions.

The two women, hoping to use the outing to gain exposure, were clearly disappointed.

Still, in the presence of Leonardo and Wayne, what could they say?

Could they act spoiled or demanding as they might with their usual admirers? Certainly not.