*Chapter 197: The Grand Opening*

With the Hearst Group's global influence in the media and fashion industries, it’s no exaggeration to say that everyone is eager to join Lighthouse Entertainment.

As soon as people received the news from their teachers or professors, most rushed to buy clothes, get styled, control their diet, and maintain their figure, all striving to appear at their best at the reception following the opening ceremony.

Some were even willing to borrow money or clothes, sparing no expense.

After more than half an hour, the motorcade arrived downstairs at the company.

Thanks to the assistant’s prior notice, all of Lighthouse Entertainment’s artists, including Nicholas Tse and Aaron Kwok, were waiting downstairs to welcome him.

Alan Horn kept his word. After his phone call with Wayne, he settled the contracts of Zhou Xun, Aaron Kwok, and Na Ying within three days, ensuring they joined Lighthouse Entertainment and completed all the necessary paperwork.

Additionally, after Zhou Xun switched companies, Chen Kun, who actively sought out the opportunity, and Li Bingbing, who approached after learning about the company’s background, also joined.

Seeing this lineup, Wayne couldn’t help but feel breathless, affected by memories from his previous life. He suddenly understood the exhilaration of having "heroes from across the land in his grasp," much like Li Er once did.

However, what Wayne didn’t know was that Aaron Kwok and the others were just as nervous, sensing the overwhelming presence he exuded as they stood before him, their boss, and a Hollywood superstar.

“Let’s not just stand around. Let’s head inside.”

After entering the company, Ho Wenshi gave Wayne a brief tour of the office, inspecting the environment and introducing him to the employees as their big boss. Then, they made their way to the meeting room.

The meeting began with Aaron Kwok, the biggest name in the room, introducing himself, followed by the rest of the group.

Wayne then introduced Liu Yifei and Jet Li, offering some encouraging words. He assured them that as long as they worked hard, they wouldn’t lack opportunities and that making it in Hollywood as international stars was not out of reach.

Even Aaron Kwok couldn’t help but feel excited and hopeful after hearing this vision. It’s the same story, but when someone like Wayne tells it, it feels real.

Otherwise, why would these stars leave their successful careers at their former agencies and come to Lighthouse Entertainment?

It’s worth noting that Liu Yifei’s arrival naturally attracted attention, and many speculated about her relationship with Wayne.

Among them, Zhang Ziyi, being the closest in age, undoubtedly had the most thoughts on the matter.

As for Gillian and Sa, their focus was still on their music careers and hadn’t considered venturing into film yet, so they were less concerned.

After Wayne returned to the hotel for a brief rest, he invited Leonardo to join him for lunch and a bit of sightseeing.

In addition to Zhang Ziyi, who acted as the local “tour guide,” Zhang Bozhi also tagged along as a “translator.”

Wayne’s eyes flashed with a strange look.

A person who can’t even speak Mandarin properly as a translator? This must be a test of Zhang Ziyi’s listening skills!

However, understanding her intentions, Wayne didn’t refuse.

After all, this was the 20-year-old Zhang Bozhi, whom even Stephen Chow once proclaimed, “I’ll take care of you.”

Since this was his first return to Beijing, Wayne insisted the first meal be hotpot.

Upon hearing his request, Zhang Ziyi unsurprisingly recommended the century-old restaurant, Donglaishun.

At this time, Chinese cuisine hadn’t yet achieved the global prominence it would decades later, and this was Leonardo’s first experience with such hotpot.

He couldn’t help but exclaim in delight with each bite. If they weren’t in a private room, he would’ve surely been scolded for being loud.

Although Hannah and the others had tried hotpot before, the slight variations in ingredients, dipping sauces, and soup bases made a significant difference in flavor.

Donglaishun’s century-long reputation held true, with the food still of excellent quality at this time.

All three of them were quite satisfied.

After lunch, the group visited the Great Wall and the Summer Palace.

For Leonardo and the others, it was their first time, but for Wayne, it was a nostalgic return.

Later, they found a home-style restaurant near the Summer Palace that had been recommended in a travel guide. After a nice dinner, the group returned to the hotel.

“Ms. Zhang, you’ve worked hard today. As a thank you, may I treat you to a cup of coffee?”

Back at the hotel, just as Zhang Bozhi was contemplating her next move, Wayne, being perceptive, made the first move, extending an invitation.

He couldn’t help it. After a whole afternoon of sightseeing and a tiring flight, even Hannah, known for her stamina, was exhausted.

Jessica and Amanda had quickly showered and fallen asleep.

So, Wayne didn’t hold back.

Upon hearing his offer, Zhang Bozhi’s face lit up with joy, and she quickly agreed, as if afraid Wayne might change his mind.

However, she couldn’t keep up with Wayne’s pace and, despite her efforts, had to concede after less than forty minutes.

Yet, this exhaustion and exhilaration were unlike anything she had ever experienced.

Unquestionably, Wayne was far superior to anyone she had dated or worked with before.

At least for that moment, she was head over heels in love with Wayne.

However, Wayne only glanced at the exhausted Zhang Bozhi before picking up the phone to call Gillian and Li Bingbing.

Both were overjoyed and eager to accept his invitation.

Upon entering the hotel room and noticing other people present, they exchanged a brief glance but didn’t feel uncomfortable or upset, much less consider leaving.

Both were seasoned professionals. Gillian, after all, had been in Hong Kong’s entertainment industry for some time, while Li Bingbing, though only recently famous, had been around for years.

After some brief introductions, the three quickly got to the main event.

However, Wayne held back, knowing they had to attend the grand opening the next day. He concluded the evening after just over an hour.

“This isn’t because I’m out of shape; it’s the jet lag!” Wayne joked.

The next morning, as Leonardo yawned and exited his room, ready to head downstairs for breakfast, he spotted Wayne with Zhang Bozhi and the others waiting by the elevator.

He was instantly filled with envy.

They had spent all afternoon sightseeing, including climbing the Great Wall, and Wayne still had the energy for coffee with three women? That was incredible!

"Sure, sure, whatever you say."

Wayne casually agreed, though his tone only irritated Leonardo further.

“I’m serious! I’ll take on three tonight and show you!”

Wayne gave him a strange look and said calmly, “Three is a challenge? That’s just standard.”

“.Shit!”

Leonardo froze, almost cursing in frustration and feeling utterly defeated.

“They’re here! It must be Hollywood star Wayne arriving in that million-dollar Silver Angel!”

At 11 a.m., when Wayne arrived at the company by car, the outdoor parking lot, cleared for the occasion, was packed with people.

The innermost circle was filled with high-profile guests from the industry.

Next, separated by temporary barriers and security, were students from the Film Academy and Drama Academy.

On the outermost layer stood reporters from various media outlets and fans jostling for positions.

It was as grand as any major awards ceremony.

Soon, after all the other guests had arrived, a black Silver Angel car slowly pulled up in front of the red carpet.

Bodyguards opened the door, and a figure emerged.

A gasp swept through the crowd.

But to their surprise, it wasn’t Wayne who stepped out of the car—it was Leonardo.

The simultaneous appearance of Jet Li and Jackie Chan had already left students, reporters, and fans—who had no prior knowledge—extremely surprised.

Now, the unexpected appearance of Leonardo DiCaprio, the lead actor of the highest-grossing film "Titanic," shocked everyone even more.

Putting aside his Hollywood superstar status, his strikingly handsome looks, which are still at a heartthrob level, had everyone pleasantly surprised.

After DiCaprio, Wayne finally made his grand entrance.

As Hannah, dressed as a bodyguard, opened the car door in her black suit, Wayne stepped out of the car alongside Jessica and Amanda under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

At that moment, the flashing magnesium lights from the cameras and the cheers of the crowd reached their peak.

This filled Wayne's heart with an overwhelming sense of satisfaction.

Honestly, he wasn't sure how many of these fans genuinely liked him or how many were paid by his PR manager.

Regardless, the experience of being surrounded by flashing lights and cheers in his hometown was still quite enjoyable on occasion.

"Mr. Wayne! Look this way!"

With a charming and elegant smile on his handsome face, Wayne waved to the fans and reporters around him, giving them a moment to take photos. Then, he led Jessica and Amanda down the red carpet and to the temporary stage.

The following process was pretty much like any other opening ceremony.

As guest speakers, in addition to Jackie Chan, Jet Li, and Zhang Yimou, there were also Han Sanping, invited by Zhang Yimou, as well as the vice presidents of the Film Academy and Drama Academy.

However, since Wayne disliked long, meaningless speeches, the entire process wrapped up in just over half an hour.

Of course, everyone knew that the opening ceremony wasn't the main event—the real highlight was the after-party.

Whether they were students who hadn't officially entered the industry or those with some fame, this party was an opportunity to network and seek new opportunities.

Previously, there had been such parties in the Chinese entertainment industry, but they were small in scale and very exclusive.

A party like today's, giving nearly all performing arts students a chance, was unprecedented.

This is why the Film Academy and Drama Academy were so quick to accept the invitation and send important figures to attend.

It was the first big move in Wayne's expansion into Chinese entertainment.

After the security team dispersed the fans and reporters, the invited guests, including all the students, headed to the hotel.

The party followed the usual format—buffet-style food, with a wide variety of dishes that tasted pretty good.

However, aside from Wayne, the host, and DiCaprio, who was already an international superstar, few people touched the food.

Even the students gathered in small groups, encouraging each other to approach the "big shots."

To help the students smoothly approach these figures and prevent any awkward situations, the professors from both academies took the initiative to mingle with the VIPs.

That way, when a student came to say hello, they could help with introductions and ease any potential awkwardness.

The two vice presidents of the academies naturally stood beside Wayne, the host.

Additionally, Zhang Yimou, Han Sanping, and Zhang Jizhong, who Zhang Yimou had invited, were also present.

"Thank you all for taking the time out of your busy schedules to attend today's opening ceremony and celebration party," Wayne said, after a brief exchange of pleasantries.

He got straight to the point.

Wayne had invited Zhang Jizhong because he was interested in acquiring the rights to remake "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils," and "The Return of the Condor Heroes."

Although these remake rights weren't exclusive and he could get them from Jin Yong for a reasonable price if he wanted, Wayne had other options for directors too. For instance, he could ask Yuen Woo-ping or Jet Li to invite directors like Wong Jing or Tsui Hark, who were chatting nearby.

However, Zhang Jizhong had one advantage that Wayne needed—his good relationship with CCTV and strong connections there.

Wayne's usual strategy was to offer generous post-production profit shares in exchange for the right to choose the lead actors and veto major supporting roles.

While Zhang Jizhong was known to be a strong-willed director, he wasn't foolish.

First of all, Wayne's offer was extremely generous.

For example, for "The Legend of the Condor Heroes," which had a total budget of just 40 million RMB, Wayne was willing to cover half the costs but only wanted 25% of the post-production profits.

You wouldn't find a second person offering such terms anywhere in China, Hong Kong, or Taiwan.

Although Zhang Jizhong appeared to pursue artistic goals, he was ultimately driven by profit. Otherwise, why would he choose to remake Jin Yong's works instead of directing original productions?

The offer was enough to tempt him, and at the same time, it made him a bit uneasy.

(End of Chapter)