*Chapter 173: A Chance Encounter at the Airport*

If it had been a lesser-known actor, Soderbergh might have blacklisted and replaced them right away. But Wayne wasn’t just a popular A-list star; he was also the owner of a top-five production company, right behind the "Big Seven," and a billionaire to boot.

In Soderbergh’s eyes, the fact that Wayne rushed over so quickly was a sign of real sincerity.

To reciprocate, after discussing with the producer, Soderbergh quickly revised the shooting schedule to get Wayne and Charlize Theron’s scenes wrapped up as fast as possible.

After all, Warner Bros. was eagerly awaiting the movie "The Notebook," which starred Wayne and Jessica, alongside big names like Nicolas Cage, Dustin Hoffman, and Susan Sarandon.

At 9 AM, Wayne, accompanied by Hannah, Charlize Theron, four bodyguards, and Theron’s assistant, arrived at the airport.

With such an entourage, they naturally attracted attention wherever they went. Even though Wayne and Charlize wore sunglasses that covered half their faces, their presence, bolstered by the four bodyguards, kept eager fans looking for autographs and photos at bay.

However, as they entered the VIP lounge, Wayne was surprised to spot some familiar faces.

"Mr. Wayne! I didn’t expect to run into you here!"

In a corner lounge area, Liam's expression shifted as soon as he saw Wayne walk in. He immediately stood up, his face lit up with a warm smile, and he hurried over to greet Wayne enthusiastically.

Seated around Liam were Zhang Yimou, Jet Li, Maggie Cheung, one of Yuen Woo-ping’s star students, and Zhang Yimou’s assistant.

It wasn’t exactly rare to bump into celebrities at Los Angeles Airport, with its tens of thousands of registered actors, not to mention countless writers, directors, and producers. It’s more common than one might think.

But running into such prominent figures from China’s film industry at this airport was indeed a rare occurrence.

"Hello, Director Liam, I didn’t expect to see you here either."

Wayne’s mind raced with thoughts, but outwardly, he maintained a noble, elegant smile and shook hands with Liam.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Wayne turned his attention to the others, pretending to be curious.

"Let me introduce you," said Liam, full of enthusiasm. "This is Zhang Yimou, one of China’s top directors, with multiple awards from the big three European film festivals."

"This is Maggie Cheung, one of China’s most famous actresses, who won Best Actress at both the 1992 Berlin International Film Festival and the Chicago International Film Festival."

"And this—"

"Jet Li! You’re one of my idols! I loved Lethal Weapon 4 and Romeo Must Die, but my favorites are Black Mask and Fist of Legend. Your fight scenes in Fist of Legend were incredible!" Wayne cut in, shaking hands with Jet Li before Liam could finish the introduction.

After all, Jet Li wasn’t an unknown in Hollywood—he was already a B-list star.

Jet Li was both surprised and flattered by Wayne’s enthusiasm. Hollywood hadn’t always been kind to Asian actors, often treating them with arrogance.

Liam, however, wasn’t surprised by Wayne’s friendliness towards Asian actors, having already learned this from the Oscars. He then introduced Wayne to Zhang Yimou and the others.

Zhang Yimou and Maggie Cheung were already somewhat familiar with Wayne’s work as an actor.

In the past ten days, The Bourne Identity had grossed 83 million RMB in mainland China and 21 million HKD in Hong Kong, becoming the highest-grossing film of the year in both regions.

As insiders, they couldn’t ignore this movie. However, they weren’t as familiar with Wayne’s other roles.

Upon learning that Wayne owned a production company with North American distribution channels, ranking among the top five outside the "Big Seven," both Zhang Yimou and Maggie Cheung were visibly impressed and became more courteous and enthusiastic.

After Wayne introduced Charlize Theron, he curiously asked what had brought them to the airport.

"Well, I’m working on a new film and hoping to cast Jet Li," Zhang Yimou said, seizing the moment.

Although his film Hero was still in the early stages, securing overseas distribution early would be a good move.

With a budget of 24 million dollars (close to 200 million RMB), relying solely on domestic box office returns wouldn’t be enough.

"Is it a martial arts film like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon?" Wayne asked, glancing at Liam as if he didn’t already know.

Zhang Yimou was momentarily taken aback.

In his mind, Hero had far more depth and significance than Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but this wasn’t something easily explained. So, he nodded and said, "Yes, it’s a martial arts film in that vein."

Wayne thought to himself, "It’s Hero after all," realizing Zhang Yimou was likely here to recruit Jet Li for the role of Nameless.

If he remembered correctly, Jet Li was currently filming The One, directed by James Wong of Final Destination fame.

Given Jet Li’s stature, it made sense that Zhang Yimou would personally come to negotiate, especially since the pay wouldn’t be as high as Hollywood’s rates.

"Can I take a look at the script outline and character breakdown?" Wayne asked, feigning curiosity.

Though the request was unusual—Hero wasn’t officially registered in Hollywood—Zhang Yimou, after glancing at Liam and Jet Li and seeing no objections, had his assistant hand over a script outline and character breakdown.

Wayne skimmed through the material quickly, then turned to Maggie Cheung with a smile. "If I’m not mistaken, the role of Flying Snow is yours, right?"

"That’s correct," Zhang Yimou replied on her behalf.

"And what about the second female lead, Moon? Do you have anyone in mind for that role?" Wayne asked, catching everyone off guard.

Hannah, however, seemed to have a hunch about what Wayne was up to.

"Well, not yet. Do you have a suggestion?" Zhang Yimou asked.

"Yes," Wayne said directly. "My agent, Mike, represents a Chinese actress named Liu Shishi. Her period drama looks are stunning, and I think she’d be perfect for the role."

Wayne’s real motive was to use this opportunity to push Liu Shishi into the role of Moon, edging out Zhang Ziyi.

Though he hadn’t seen Liu Shishi in a while, she hadn’t stopped sending him messages, keeping herself on his radar. Now that the opportunity had presented itself, Wayne didn’t mind giving her a hand to land this visually striking, though not large, role.

"I know a director of your stature probably doesn’t lack for investors, but if you’re looking to sell the overseas rights for a good price, I think I can help," Wayne added.

This proposal might seem like an ordinary business offer to most, but for Wayne, who knew Hero would do well overseas, it was a win-win situation.

Zhang Yimou hesitated, glancing at Liam and Jet Li, who were no longer as calm as before. Both immediately signaled for Zhang to agree.

They knew how much Wayne’s films’ overseas rights sold for. The Bourne Identity alone had earned 110 million dollars from overseas sales, a fact everyone in Hollywood knew.

If Wayne could help, Hero’s overseas rights could fetch far more than they could ever sell them for on their own.

Zhang Yimou wasn’t fully aware of all the details, but he was sharp enough to realize that agreeing to Wayne’s offer would bring significant benefits.

Still, more focused on the film’s quality and awards at this stage of his career, Zhang hesitated. He didn’t immediately accept but did ask for Mike and Liu Shishi’s contact information to follow up later.

"No problem. That’s only fair," Wayne smiled, not at all offended.

After exchanging contact info with Jet Li, Wayne saw it was time and boarded his flight with Charlize Theron and the others.

As soon as Wayne left, Liam couldn’t wait to start explaining to Zhang Yimou and the rest just how valuable Wayne’s offer was.

"Oh my gosh! Yimou, you have no idea what you almost missed just now! If I were you, I would have agreed immediately!"

With Li An's explanation, Zhang Yimou and the others finally understood Wayne’s influence and status in Hollywood. Especially after learning that every movie produced by Hemera Pictures causes a bidding frenzy among the Big Seven studios, Zhang, who initially planned to discuss things back in China, could no longer sit still.

"Let me contact this Mike Jones right now!" Zhang Yimou said as he picked up his phone and dialed the number on the business card.

Aside from the potential for higher copyright revenue for Hero, what interested him more was what Li An had mentioned: Wayne had a good relationship with Harvey and wielded significant influence at the Oscars.

In today’s world, what ambitious director wouldn't want to go for an Oscar?

"Hello, is this Mr. Mike Jones? I’m director Zhang Yimou from China. Mr. Wayne asked me to reach out to you. He mentioned you have an actress named Liu Qianqian under you, who would be perfect for a role in my new film."

Even though he hadn’t heard from Wayne yet, after a brief conversation with Zhang Yimou, Mike was pretty sure Zhang wasn’t a scammer.

After confirming Zhang’s identity and influence in China through WMA channels, Mike quickly agreed to set up an audition.

Then Mike picked up the phone and called Liu Tianxian.

"Hey Mike, do you have a new role for me?"

At this point, Liu Tianxian had finished shooting a few commercials and TV cameos and returned to the U.S. She was cramming credits to graduate early. When she found out she had a chance to audition for the second female lead in Zhang Yimou’s new film, she almost jumped for joy.

She had spent several months in China, so she was well aware of Zhang Yimou's standing in the Chinese film industry.

Although in her eyes it didn’t quite compare to starring in a major Hollywood production, this was a second lead role! To think her "good sister" Megan, up to this point, had only ever landed a third female lead in her highest-profile role.

And according to Mike, this new film was similar to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, which made her even more pleased. After all, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon had grossed an impressive $205 million worldwide!

"Thank you, Mike!"

"No need to thank me. This is an opportunity Wayne fought for on your behalf. He said you're perfect for these kinds of period roles. But your acting is still a bit raw, so we’ve arranged for you to work with a professional acting coach here in the U.S. That way, you can improve your skills without falling behind on your school credits. The cost will be covered by the agency for now, and then deducted from your salary later."

"Okay, I’ll work hard on my acting. I won’t let Wayne down!"

After hanging up the phone, Liu Tianxian immediately sent Wayne a thank-you text.

Since Wayne was on a plane, he didn’t see it right away.

Already used to this, Liu Tianxian didn’t mind. After waiting for a bit without a reply, she excitedly shared the good news with Liu Xiaoli and her "bestie" Megan.

As expected, Liu Xiaoli was even more excited than Liu Tianxian upon hearing the news, repeatedly reminding her to properly thank Wayne and improve her acting.

While Megan was also happy for Liu Tianxian, she couldn’t help but feel a little envious deep down.

There might seem to be just one rank difference between a third female lead and a second female lead, but in reality, the gap was huge. Some actresses play the third lead their whole lives and never make it to the second.

"Damn it, she’s not even that pretty, and her figure is nothing special either. Why does Wayne value her so much?"

(End of Chapter)