"Zhang Ziyi, 21 years old, currently has a role as the second female lead in a kung fu film called *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon*, which is set to release next month. She plans to take this opportunity to break into Hollywood."
Mike quickly rattled off Zhang Ziyi's background without any embellishment, sticking to the facts.
On the other end of the phone, Wayne paused for a few seconds after hearing this.
"Zhang Ziyi? *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon*?"
"Oh, do you know her?"
Wayne snapped out of it and casually explained, "Since I hired Yuen Woo-ping as the martial arts coordinator for *Resident Evil*, I naturally had to check his schedule. *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* is also one of his projects, and I heard it's been well received at both the Cannes and Toronto film festivals this year."
"Oh, so that's how it is!" Mike, and Zhang Ziyi, who was sitting nearby, suddenly understood.
"So what do you think of Ms. Zhang? If you're interested, I can introduce you two."
Wayne understood Mike's implication instantly.
Was he interested in Zhang Ziyi? Of course! She was a superstar in his past life, someone he could only admire from afar.
And she's just 21, a fresh-faced Zhang Ziyi.
After a brief moment of thought, he said, "I already have someone in mind for the second female lead in *Resident Evil 2*. However, I could offer her the role of the third female lead, a journalist, or perhaps the second female mercenary role from the first *Resident Evil*."
"Of course, this depends on the final script from the writers, but I can probably get her a role that's at least a third lead. You can let her know, and if she's interested, she can come meet me here in Zurich."
Zhang Ziyi hadn't fully reacted yet, but Mike's expression turned to one of surprise.
"Are you sure, Wayne?"
"Of course."
"You're still as generous as ever!" Mike couldn't help but sigh.
"Alright, since you've made your decision, I'll let her know. I'm sure as soon as she hears your offer, she'll be booking the next flight to Zurich."
After hanging up, Mike turned to explain to the curious Zhang Ziyi.
"*Resident Evil* is a female-led series. The supporting female characters are just as prominent as the male lead, so the second female role is essentially like the second billing in a typical film."
Zhang Ziyi's eyes widened in surprise.
In *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon*, she also played the second female lead, Yu Jiaolong, but if ranked by importance, she would certainly come after Chow Yun-fat and Michelle Yeoh, making her the third billing.
But what was *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon*'s production budget?
Even though Chow Yun-fat earned $2.6 million alone, the total budget was only $15 million.
And *Resident Evil*? The initial budget for the first film was set at $30 million, and if they shot both parts one and two back-to-back, the combined budget would be at least $55 million.
Mike smiled and offered an even more direct incentive: "Your pay for *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* is less than $20,000, right? I can guarantee that if you land the second female role in *Resident Evil*, your salary will be at least $500,000."
"Wow—"
Zhang Ziyi gasped, her breathing becoming rapid.
$500,000? At today's exchange rate, that's about 4.3 million RMB! How many actresses in Hong Kong or Taiwan could command that kind of paycheck?
"Please give me Mr. Anderson's hotel address! I'll have my assistant book the earliest flight to Switzerland immediately!"
Mike nodded in satisfaction and began writing on a note, his face turning serious as he said, "There are two things I need to remind you of. First, Wayne is possessive—you get what I mean, right?"
"I understand!" Zhang Ziyi immediately replied without hesitation.
She grasped this concept far better than those in America did.
"Second, there's an unspoken rule in Hollywood: if you want to land a role, you need to at least meet the minimum standards in appearance and acting ability for that role. Even if you have connections, you can still get eliminated."
After hearing this, Zhang Ziyi nodded seriously once again.
Mike's mention of the unspoken rule was something she already knew. She had landed the role of Yu Jiaolong because director Zhang Yimou recommended her during a gathering with Ang Lee. Later, Zhang Yimou even arranged for a private meeting between her and Ang Lee. At that meeting, Ang Lee had told them directly: if her acting wasn't up to par, not even Zhang Yimou's influence would help. From then on, she was aware of this well-known Hollywood rule.
"Very well, Ms. Zhang, I appreciate your intelligence and ambition. I hope you seize this opportunity." Mike smiled again, handing her the note.
Zhang Ziyi accepted it solemnly, thanked him, and immediately left WMA with her assistant.
Meanwhile, after Wayne hung up the phone, he felt a bit of regret.
In his previous life, the *Resident Evil* movie franchise wasn't a massive box office hit and was heavily criticized for its weak plot, but it was still a successful video game adaptation.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have made so many sequels.
His plan was to keep the basic framework of the original movies but enhance the plot and action scenes with help from Christopher Nolan, Quentin Tarantino, and Yuen Woo-ping, the trio he had carefully selected.
This way, he could ensure the box office wouldn't flop while also improving the film's reputation. With some luck, it might even boost ticket sales—a perfectly reasonable plan.
However, the character Ada Wong, which he thought was a better fit for Zhang Ziyi, wouldn't appear until later films. Making her wait two or three years for a second female lead role probably wasn't something she'd agree to.
So, the best he could offer her was either the role of Rain, the female mercenary in the first film, or the journalist in the second.
"By then, *Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon* will have been a box office hit, and Zhang Ziyi won't be an unknown. She could easily move up to a third or even second-tier Hollywood actress. In that case, I'll still be the one benefiting!"
Wayne rubbed his chin, feeling even more pleased.
"Hello, Director Lee? It's Ziyi. I'd like to request a few days off. Is that okay with you?" On the other side, Zhang Ziyi, having just left the WMA building, immediately called Ang Lee.
(End of the chapter)