Chapter 371 - 345: George Lucas’s Invitation

The Hollywood Walk of Fame was created in 1958. It’s a sidewalk stretching along Hollywood Avenue and Vine Street, embedded with over 2,000 star-shaped plaques bearing the names of Hollywood celebrities to commemorate their contributions to the entertainment industry.

Wu Yun looked at the stars stretching out along the ground, but he didn’t think there was anything particularly special about them. To him, they just looked like systematically arranged tiles engraved with people’s names.

Wu Yun didn’t recognize most of the names, however, because more than half the stars on Hollywood Avenue had been placed there within the first year or two of its creation.

After having dinner with Lin Wei, Wu Yun decided to walk along Hollywood Avenue toward Beverly Hills, taking in the local sights and scenery along the way.

Just as Wu Yun was about halfway there, a voice called out from behind him, "President Wu! Please wait up!"

A young Asian man in his twenties came running over, but as he neared Wu Yun, Da Xiong blocked his path.

The young man looked up at the fierce-looking white man, who was nearly a head taller than him, and couldn’t help but swallow nervously. At the same time, he cursed himself internally for his recklessness. ’I can’t believe I got so excited when I ran into Wu Yun again on Hollywood Avenue.’

This young man was He Yongzhi, the very same person who had been asking about Wu Yun in the VIP lounge back in Modu.

He Yongzhi had just finished his business for the afternoon. He and his girlfriend had just left the restaurant after dinner when he once again spotted the most influential young man in all of Huaxia.

That, coupled with the fact that his startup’s business was somewhat related to Wu Yun’s, was why he had run over without a second thought.

"President Wu! I’m He Yongzhi from Ryan Film and Television Special Effects. I was wondering if I could have a few minutes of your time?"

Despite coming from a wealthy family himself, He Yongzhi felt as if he were facing one of Huaxia’s top business tycoons. He couldn’t help but feel his own confidence falter.

Just then, He Yongzhi’s girlfriend walked over and stood by his side.

Wu Yun gave Da Xiong a nod.

Da Xiong gave He Yongzhi a quick scan before stepping aside.

Passing tourists cast curious glances at the Asian man surrounded by several large white men.

Wu Yun asked in a level tone, "What can I do for you?"

He Yongzhi paused for a moment, then pulled a business card from his pocket. He presented it to Wu Yun with both hands and said, "Honestly, I just wanted to introduce myself to you, President Wu, and take the opportunity to promote my company’s services!"

A flicker of interest appeared on Wu Yun’s face when He Yongzhi said this.

"Ryan Film and Television Special Effects, General Manager He Yongzhi?" Wu Yun murmured, raising the card to read it. One side was in Chinese, the other in English.

Wu Yun didn’t recognize the company’s name. After all, the entertainment industry intel and gossip he’d bought was all surface-level. Even a seasoned veteran of the industry wouldn’t necessarily know about all the special effects companies working behind the scenes.

Seeing Wu Yun’s questioning look, He Yongzhi smiled and explained, "It’s perfectly normal that you haven’t heard of us, President Wu. Our business has primarily been based in Huaxia. I’m here in the United States to acquire a small Hollywood special effects company and to see if we can expand our business into Europe and America."

Wu Yun asked, "Does your company have any notable projects?"

He Yongzhi readily replied, "Our company was only founded in 2013, so our domestic portfolio is still relatively small. We’ve worked on sequences for films like *Macao Storm*, *Journey to the West: Conquering the Heavens*, *That Demon Within*, and *Armor Hero*. We also have projects that haven’t been released yet this year, like *Helios* and *Monk Comes Down the Mountain*. Of course, our company has also independently handled the special effects for several TV dramas and web series."

"Technologically, our company is already mature. Plus, we’re about to complete the acquisition of a Hollywood effects company. Once that’s done, our technology and manpower will be more than enough to meet the demands of a major commercial film’s special effects."

Listening to He Yongzhi’s confident pitch, Wu Yun handed the business card to Wang Hao. "President He," he said, "let’s exchange contact information. As it happens, my company has a few scripts heading into production soon. We’ll see what your technical skills are like then!"

On this trip to the United States, Wu Yun had already scheduled a meeting with people from Industrial Magic Light. He was planning to visit their headquarters for an evaluation after the Oscar awards ceremony to prepare for several upcoming film and television projects.

Now that an opportunity had presented itself, he figured it was best to compare several companies to find the most suitable one. The truth was, as long as you were willing to spend the money and the effects company’s technology was up to par, you generally wouldn’t get cheesy, low-budget effects, much less the kind of laughably bad CGI that becomes a running joke for years.

Besides, a Huaxian special effects company would likely have a better grasp of Huaxian culture. Take *Great Wall*, for example. Although the effects done by Industrial Magic Light were excellent, the style didn’t feel authentically Chinese in the slightest.

Once Wang Hao and He Yongzhi had exchanged contact information, Wu Yun nodded to He Yongzhi. "I hope you can meet my standards."

With that said, he paid He Yongzhi no more mind and continued walking ahead with his men.

He Yongzhi watched the backs of Wu Yun and his group as they disappeared into the distance, then glanced down at his phone. The contact name was indeed Wu Yun. ’It’s probably his work number,’ he figured.

But that didn’t matter. Based on their conversation, combined with the rumors he’d heard about Wuyun Company and the industry, He Yongzhi knew another opportunity had just landed in his lap. Now it was up to them to seize it.

Just then, his girlfriend patted him on the shoulder. "Yongzhi, you can do it! Just the other day you were saying you had no chance to meet him, and now look, you have!"

A determined look crossed He Yongzhi’s face. "That’s why we absolutely have to succeed with this acquisition!"