Chapter 86

Hanks is so cool!

This was Ye Wei's summary of the lunch meeting, and he understood even more why Hanks had such good interpersonal relationships and why he could stand at the pinnacle of Hollywood actors. Think about it, how many people has Hanks helped? How many people in this industry are grateful to him?

He didn't get those Oscar honors for no reason. If Ye Wei joined a union in the future and eventually became a member of the Academy's jury, when faced with the choice between Hanks and Willis, he would of course vote for Hanks without hesitation.

So cool! Even if you think about it in a pessimistic way, this is also a testament to Hanks' wisdom. Within his power, he stands up for others, is kind to good people, and takes action against bad people when necessary. His circle of friends grows larger, and his invisible influence becomes stronger. He is truly Hanks.

But Ye Wei prefers to think of it this way: it's genuine, with no ulterior motives, just because he is a good person!

However, even though Hanks is a good person, and even though Lowitt is just a minor figure in front of him, the reason Hanks supports a young man he just met is because the young man has earned his admiration. He sees a treasure with boundless potential!

In any creative industry, talent is the most precious. Just like how "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" made Prentice a star and brought him great success, Ye Wei, who shot "Dance of the Angels" before he turned 16, shows great potential!

That's why he received such support from Hanks, which also proves the correctness of the saying "the work is the greatest power."

The changes in the situation were not due to winning the lottery or good luck, but rather because of his work and his own strength!

So Ye Wei accepted it with a clear conscience, grateful in his heart, and determined to repay Hanks' past help one day.

After leaving the restaurant, the two said goodbye. Hanks took the "Little Miss Sunshine" script and the entire suitcase with him, saying, "Wei, our company will study the feasibility of investing in this project. I'll contact you when there's any progress. We should have a result within this month. Relax for now; I can see you've been under a lot of stress lately. Young people should play more."

"Okay, I'll play while waiting for your reply," Ye Wei smiled, "My play is playing with movies, hahaha!"

Hanks patted his shoulder and got into a taxi, leaving behind a sense of warmth.

The street was bustling with traffic, and the taxi quickly disappeared from sight. The afternoon sun was warm, but it couldn't dispel all the darkness in the world.

Ye Wei pressed his phone and sent a text message to Kevin Thomas: "You bastard, I didn't come to you, but you jumped out. Do you want to go to jail? Don't call me, I don't want to hear your disgusting voice."

After a while, the other party replied: "Wei, I'm sorry! I know this is over, and I promise I won't appear again. Don't hold it against me."

Kevin Thomas, now of no use, had definitely been kicked out by Lowitt. He admitted to his own wrongdoing, not fearing that Ye Wei would use the power of big figures to make his life difficult?

"I'm warning you again, don't f**k with me! You can't afford to! Get as far away as you can! No need to reply!"

After sending this text, Ye Wei immediately deleted the messages, not wanting his inbox to be tainted by this scoundrel.

After doing this, he took a deep breath, looked at the clear blue sky, and gradually felt happy. Although he wasn't afraid, the fewer troubles, the better, and the project had renewed hope. Great! He called Lily with a smile, "Hey, girl, where are you?"

Lily's clear voice came from the phone: "Santa Monica, playing with Trista and the others."

"I'm also in Santa Monica. I just finished a reunion with an old classmate, and I'm very happy, very good! Let's play together this afternoon?"

"Um... O—K! They'll be like this in the future anyway."

...

After returning to the Prentice company headquarters in Santa Monica, Hanks called Willis. Their friendship wasn't particularly deep, but they were still friends.

"Bruce, it's not good for Lowitt to harm a young filmmaker like that. I made him back off."

"I've always been telling them to stop! The kid is arrogant... but I did something wrong, let it be! I've always been telling them, which part didn't they understand!? Lowitt... I haven't been scolding him enough lately! Damn! I won't blame you, no need to say more."

"It's all good now. This kid, Ye Wei, is really good."

"Tom..." Willis paused for a moment, "Are you planning to invest in him?"

"I haven't decided yet."

Hanks knew the potential of this project, and the Focus team had already explained a lot. However, Ye Wei's decision to be both the producer and director, a decision that would shock the world, wasn't easy to make. This referred to Prentice investing in and producing the film, and he and Ye Wei hadn't discussed whether he would act in it.

In this regard, Hanks admired Willis's courage and passion when he agreed, which he himself lacked.

"With this young man's talent, he will eventually succeed, whether we invest or someone else does. He will find a way, it's just a matter of when."

Hanks said this, and he had no doubt about whether Ye Wei could grow into an excellent, even top-tier, producer and director. His doubt was whether Ye Wei could be excellent, at least competent, at the age of almost 16. He wasn't sure if now was the right time to invest, so he didn't make a decision.

"I don't want to care about that kid anymore, and I don't want to hear about him. Tom, I wish you a good decision."

"Okay."

After ending the call, Willis on the other end of the phone had a complex expression, with two deep lines on his face. Would that kid persuade Hanks? Would Hanks play "Richard"?

...

From the 18th, the 19th passed with Martin Luther King Jr. Day, and another week went by.

During this time, Hanks read the "Little Miss Sunshine" script several times. The more he read, the more he liked it, and the stronger his desire to bring it to the big screen became.

He had also reviewed all the documents in Ye Wei's suitcase, finding no professional flaws. Because he understood directing, screenwriting, and producing, he had a deeper appreciation than Willis. A high school student about to turn 16 achieving this level might be the only one in the world.

His third son, Chester, was just over 13 and was still a spoiled teenager. Sigh!

Despite this, Hanks still hadn't made a decision. He asked his partner and good friend Gary Goetzman.

Gary exclaimed, "What!? Too risky! Tom, you don't need to prove anything, this is too risky!" He replied, "I'm not trying to prove anything, I don't need to, but this really interests me."

"This kid is either a golden key or a poison pill. You don't want your reputation to be damaged. My advice is, it's best not to get involved, there's no need."

Gary's opinion wasn't what Hanks wanted, so he asked his wife, Rita Wilson, who was also a producer of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." She was the one who introduced him to Nia Vardalos's one-woman show and supported the adaptation into a film, leading to the later miracle. Her professional opinion was highly valued by him.

Rita also watched "Dance of the Angels." Apart from not participating in the lunch meeting, she knew as much as Hanks and was also indecisive.

"This young man is full of talent, you can't treat him like an ordinary high school student... but... Tom, I don't know, this... goes beyond what I can understand, let alone think about."

Yes, this matter was somewhat supernatural, and they, these "mortals," found it hard to understand correctly.

But there was one genius who could, who started making short films at 11, shot his first feature film at 16 (in Super 8 format), has been nominated for the Oscar for Best Director five times, won twice, almost swept all major awards, and repeatedly sparked commercial waves, pioneering the concept of "summer blockbusters" and being hailed as "the greatest director."

One of the cultural icons, one of the symbols of America, one of the most influential figures in Hollywood, the owner of DreamWorks, a genius among geniuses.

Hanks called this 57-year-old old friend, earnestly asking, "Steven, I have something I want to consult you about..."

Steven Spielberg.

His opinion would directly influence Hanks' decision.