Chapter Twenty-Four: The Auditions Begin

"This script is well written—it feels just like reading a novel." Bald Qiang slowly closed the script in his hands, his expression clearly showing his satisfaction.

"So, what do you think? Will the company invest in it?" Yan Xu looked at Bald Qiang, concern evident in his eyes.

"With such a good script, and with you directing it yourself, of course we'll invest. What's your estimated budget for this project?" Bald Qiang asked, turning to Yan Xu.

The company had been doing well lately. Since he took over, the films produced hadn't lost money, and each had earned a profit, more or less. The remaining profits from "Butcher in the Rainy Night" had already been transferred from various cinemas. After paying Yan Xu his three hundred thousand, the company still made over a million, and screenings outside of Hong Kong had just wrapped up. Due to the film's rating, the combined box office across regions had just surpassed ten million Hong Kong dollars—a figure considered extremely high. This not only earned Yan Xu an additional two hundred thousand in profit sharing but also gave the company a good share, turning the initial eight hundred thousand he inherited into more than three and a half million. Meanwhile, the sale of videotapes had just begun, promising even more revenue in the future.

Currently, the company only had "Dr. Lamb" in production, with a modest budget of half a million. That left three million in idle funds—an impressive sum by any standard.

"To do this film justice, our current roster isn't enough. We'll need professional actors, and there are some big car-chase scenes that require stunt teams, as well as some wrecked vehicles. The minimum investment should be around one and a half million. Publicly, we can claim three million," Yan Xu replied, glancing at Bald Qiang. Of course, this budget didn't include his own fee. If his work as both screenwriter and director was factored in, it would add at least two hundred thousand more.

"Are you looking for a fee or a share of the profits this time?" Bald Qiang asked. Yan Xu was no longer formally with the company, and business was business; everything had to be clear.

"I'll leave that to you," Yan Xu replied with a slight smile, putting the decision in Bald Qiang's hands. He knew that Bald Qiang would treat him fairly.

"If you want a fee, it'll be six hundred thousand, covering both directing and writing. If you want a share, then it's ten percent below a ten-million box office, and twenty percent if the box office reaches ten million. If the company's agreement with the cinemas changes, we can sign a supplementary contract," Bald Qiang said.

"Hmm?" Yan Xu was slightly surprised. Last time, though he could get twenty percent of a ten-million box office, it was a huge risk; if the film didn't reach that milestone, he'd get nothing. At that time, ten million seemed an impossible dream. He'd expected his fee would cap at five hundred thousand, and ten percent of Hong Kong plus overseas box office would have been generous.

Now, these terms seemed overly generous given his current market value. Ten percent was already satisfactory—twenty percent above ten million was more than he had anticipated.

"The company's finances aren't that strong. I'll take a share," Yan Xu said. He was clearly taking a gamble with this choice. To his knowledge, the film's Hong Kong box office originally didn't break five million, and overseas numbers were similar. That was in '93—considering inflation, it was just over three million. Even if international sales doubled that, ten percent would barely match his fee. In other words, only if the total box office exceeded six million would his share surpass the fee. He chose the profit share because he hoped the film he directed would outperform the one in his memory.

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This round of casting was much larger in scale than the last. By now, both Yan Xu and Hundred Battles Film Company had achieved some recognition within the industry. Recent press coverage had seen their invitations quickly passed to agents all over the city.

Moreover, beyond the official invitations, given the success of their previous street auditions, Yan Xu requested the company to post open casting calls in the surrounding neighborhoods. Even if they didn’t find the right leads, they might discover some unique supporting actors.

By midday, Yan Xu had already shortlisted several promising candidates. Of course, these were just preliminary choices—final decisions would be made after all interviews concluded. None of those he had selected so far were suitable for the lead role. He needed someone with refined acting skills, in his thirties, with an honest face but capable of projecting a menacing aura—requirements that quickly ruled out most of the handsome or younger applicants.

Ge Minghui? Yan Xu paused, recognizing the name on the form. He was somewhat familiar with it and wondered if it might be more than coincidence. If it was truly the person he had in mind, it would be the second time he'd encountered someone from his memories, both times during auditions.

As Yan Xu watched expectantly, a young man in a white shirt, short hair, and an oval face—looking somewhat dazed—walked in. Though he lacked the scruffy beard Yan Xu remembered, he recognized him instantly and merged the youth before him with the image from his mind. He looked so young—perhaps sixteen or seventeen.

On the surface, Ge Minghui appeared very honest, even a bit foolish, with expressions that bordered on simple-mindedness. But his personality was entirely different—he was sharp-witted, naturally funny, and possessed a true gift for comedy, as demonstrated in his many comedic films. For a time, he was even called Stephen Chow's successor.

He was also a versatile figure in Hong Kong's entertainment industry—a radio host, actor, director, TV presenter, and even an album cover designer. With Lin Haifeng, he formed the duo Soft Hard, wildly popular in the music scene. They not only won Hong Kong's Favorite Group multiple times but also topped sales charts and were named Best Local Male Artists. They even performed many concerts at the Hung Hom Stadium.

"Are you Ge Minghui?" Yan Xu asked the young man before him.

"Yes, Director, I'm Ge Minghui," he replied with a smile, legs pressed together and hands balled into fists on his knees.

"Introduce yourself," Nine Brother said from the side.

"My name is Ge Minghui, I'm eighteen, a student at Kowloon Wah Yan College, and I just got into the Bai Yingqi School of Design..." Ge Minghui was clearly nervous, his speech stiff and formal.

"That's enough," Nine Brother interrupted before Ge Minghui could finish. With such an ordinary appearance and this level of nervousness, who knew how he'd perform in front of a camera?

"Oh!" Without looking at their expressions, Ge Minghui stood up, knowing he had performed poorly. He bowed to Yan Xu and Nine Brother, and before leaving, said, "Thank you, Director."

"Wait." Seeing the disappointment on Ge Minghui’s face, Yan Xu suddenly called out. This was a future star with a natural gift for comedy—he wasn’t about to let him slip away. Years from now, when people watched his films or interviewed Ge Minghui, discovering he had once appeared in Yan Xu’s movie or been discovered by him, would be a satisfying story.

"Are you free these days?" Yan Xu asked.

"Yes, I don't have many classes lately—my schedule is wide open," Ge Minghui replied, unsure of Yan Xu’s intentions.

"We’re still short a production assistant and some extras. If you’re available, come by the company in three days," Yan Xu said. Right now, Ge Minghui was still inexperienced and needed more training and cultivation.

"Really?" Ge Minghui’s eyes widened with excitement, his gratitude obvious as he bowed repeatedly. "Thank you, Director! Thank you!"

"Why keep that silly kid? Just looking at him makes me want to laugh," Nine Brother asked, puzzled as Ge Minghui left excitedly.

"You said it yourself—just seeing him makes you want to laugh. He has a comic face, though he’s not mature yet. He just needs more experience. I’m giving him a chance; with some nurturing, he’ll shine," Yan Xu replied.