Chapter 84

"Tom Hanks," the man said.

Hearing this, Ye Wei was stunned, as if he had turned to stone. Tom Hanks? The Hollywood star who had been nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actor five times and won twice, one of the most valuable stars in Hollywood, the star with one of the highest salaries, the cowboy Woody, Forrest Gump! That Tom Hanks!?

He was so stunned that he even blurted out, "The Tom Hanks who played Forrest Gump?"

"Yes, that Tom Hanks," the man replied, using Forrest Gump's accent!

"Oh my God!" Ye Wei exclaimed, almost shouting in excitement. He quickly calmed himself down and said with a smile, "Hello, hello, Mr. Hanks, I'm a bit excited. Please forgive a fan's enthusiasm. I'm very happy to receive your call!"

Holy Jesus! Why would Forrest Gump call? How did he get my number? What's the purpose?

Ye Wei's heart rate skyrocketed, feeling as if something good was about to happen. But past disappointments had taught him not to get too excited too soon. He remained calm and listened.

"I watched your short film 'Dance of the Angels,' and it's really well done. I heard you're looking for opportunities."

Hanks' voice had a hint of a smile, "Actually, I watched it yesterday and wanted to contact you right away. But when I saw the credits at the end, saying you're a high school student, I was shocked. I wasn't sure if it was real or a joke, so I checked with Harvard-Westlake today and confirmed it was true. It's impressive that you can create such a work at your age."

Ye Wei had already stood up and was pacing silently in the room, his excitement still bubbling up. "Sir... do you want to give me an opportunity?"

"Yes, I think you have the ability to do more. I just don't know what kind of opportunity you're looking for. Do you want to turn 'Dance of the Angels' into a feature film?"

It seemed Forrest Gump didn't know the details. Ye Wei's mind raced, piecing together the events. He had given 20 more DVDs to Lily and Lamor, asking them to give one to any important person they met and say a few good words. Could it be because of that?

Forrest Gump got the DVD and watched it yesterday. Today, he confirmed Ye Wei's existence and called the phone number left on the DVD...

These thoughts flashed through his mind, and he quickly replied, "Thank you, I really need an opportunity! Not to turn 'Dance of the Angels' into a feature film, but a script called 'Little Miss Sunshine.' It's not my script, but a family road trip comedy. It's a top-notch script, so good that Bruce Willis' team believes it has the potential to win an Oscar!"

"Oh?" Hanks seemed very interested and asked, "What have you discussed with Willis?"

Both he and Willis had their own production companies. If Ye Wei had a good deal with Willis, he wouldn't interfere.

"It started well, but now they've backed out."

Ye Wei took a deep breath and suddenly made a decision. He wouldn't be so cautious anymore. When dealing with important people, politeness was necessary, but he had to be himself! Be Ye Wei!

"They also used some despicable tactics. Today, they spread rumors on IMDb, saying 'Dance of the Angels' isn't my work! Ridiculous! Sir, my situation is a mess. In the past two days, I've gone from a dream come true to a failure. Your call feels like winning the Powerball for a billion dollars."

"Is that true?" Hanks seemed surprised, paused, and then said, "Ye, let's meet in person. How about tomorrow at noon?"

"Of course, sir!" Ye Wei agreed without hesitation, his excitement growing. Any time, 24/7!

"Alright, I'll look into your situation first. We'll talk in detail then. Bring your work and the 'Little Miss Sunshine' script. I'm very interested."

"Sure, sir, I understand." Ye Wei agreed repeatedly, noting that the meeting place was "The Spatula" restaurant on Main Street in Santa Monica. "Alright, see you tomorrow!"

"Don't worry, young man. As long as you have real talent, I won't let you be overlooked. See you tomorrow."

The call ended, and Ye Wei stood there for a while. This short call brought immense hope, and suddenly, he felt enveloped by happiness again!

His eyes darted to a movie poster on the wall, showing a middle-aged man in a white suit sitting on a bench, a brown briefcase at his feet, with "Tom Hanks is Forrest Gump" written in the upper right corner...

The excitement surged, and he couldn't hold it in anymore. He shouted, "Forrest Gump, Forrest Gump, Forrest Gump, Forrest Gump, Forrest Gump, Forrest Gump!!!"

He ran around, punching a punching bag with Bruce Willis' head, kicking a soccer ball, bouncing on the bed, and dancing the dance Forrest Gump taught Elvis, shouting, "Wilson, Wilson!"

"Ha ha ha! I've got you, I've got you..." He hugged the soccer ball tightly, lying on the floor, "Ha ha ha, you jump, I jump..."

After a while, Ye Wei sprang up, ready to share the good news. But he paused with his phone in hand.

No, he wouldn't tell anyone yet. He'd wait until there was something concrete to avoid getting everyone's hopes up again.

But he dialed a number.

"Hey, Lily, we have to cancel our date tomorrow. Um, an old classmate invited me out. We haven't seen each other in a while, so..."

"Oh, that's fine. I'll find someone else to go out with—Tris, ha ha!"

"Alright, have fun. I'll prepare for tomorrow. That guy is a bit difficult."

"Okay, see you."

...

The next morning, when the time was right, Ye Wei tidied up and got ready to leave.

He had decided to be himself, so he didn't dress up to look older. He wore a long-sleeved T-shirt, jeans, sneakers, and a red and black Armani sports jacket. Yes, the back of the jacket had the name and soccer emblem of Harvard-Westlake, and the front had a small 'S' and his name, Ye Wei.

He didn't even wear the captain's armband. I'm a high school student, and I'm the soccer captain! And it's not a girly sport!

Looking at his reflection in the mirror, he combed his black hair and nodded, his gaze determined. He picked up a large suitcase and set off!

It was almost noon, and Ye Wei was outside "The Spatula" restaurant on Main Street in Santa Monica.

This was his second visit here recently. Last time, he had impressed the Willis team at a meeting, and they had taken him here for a meal. He had thought he was one of them and was very happy. This time, he was waiting with mixed feelings for the unexpected superstar.

He kept an eye on the suspicious vehicles on the main road, but to his surprise, it wasn't a luxury car. A taxi stopped at the curb, and a tall, brown-haired middle-aged man stepped out, wearing a simple dark gray casual suit, with a broad, honest face, thick eyebrows, brown eyes, and a large nose. It was Tom Hanks!

Really! The call wasn't a hallucination, and Hanks was really here!

Ye Wei took a deep breath, walked up confidently, and extended his hand with a smile, "Hello, Mr. Hanks, it's great to meet you. I'm Ye Wei, call me Wei."

"Wei, it's great to meet you," Hanks immediately sized up the young man. He was indeed a teenager, sunny and handsome, with a strong presence, making a good first impression. He shook hands and smiled, "You can call me Tom. 'Dance of the Angels' is great. It's unbelievable for someone your age."

Getting praise from one of his favorite actors, Ye Wei was naturally very happy. He smiled and said, "Tom, there are many unbelievable things in my life. Don't be surprised."

"Ha ha!" Hanks didn't mind his confidence and gestured toward the restaurant, "Let's have lunch and talk."

"OK, you pay, or I can only afford a bottle of water." Ye Wei followed Hanks, feeling much more relaxed and at ease compared to his first meeting with Willis at the Ivy restaurant. Just be yourself!

Stars, big shots, this is VIY. Like it? Welcome! Don't like it? Tough luck!

"Alright, I'll pay. I hope you can bring me even more surprises."

"Me too, Tom. This meeting today has truly made me understand your famous line: 'Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're going to get.'"