Chapter 1012 The Grand Wedding

The big event Zhao Fusheng referred to was naturally Jiang Wen's wedding.

Although it was his second marriage, Old Jiang had no intention of shortchanging Zhou Yun. She was a proper, respectable young woman, and marrying him, an older man—if he tried to play it low-key, it would be far too cheap.

What's more, the two were tying the knot because she was pregnant.

So this time, Jiang Wen really put in the effort, planning to throw a lavish celebration.

On March 6th, Jiang Wen and Zhou Yun's wedding took place as scheduled.

There were many guests—big shots from the film and television industry, relatives and friends of Jiang Wen and Zhou Yun—a whole crowd of people. Of course, Zhao Fusheng and Fan Baobao were there.

Not only that, but the two of them were also chosen as best man and maid of honor.

In Jiang Wen's words, for this kind of thing, there was no choice but Zhao Fusheng, because among his friends, apart from Zhao Fusheng, there wasn't a single bachelor.

But it was fine; everything was ready. Zhao Fusheng just had to follow the bride and groom with Fan Baobao and go through the motions step by step.

Even so, after it was over, Zhao Fusheng was exhausted.

He had originally planned to settle scores with that bastard Jiang Wen the next day, but then...

"Zhou Yun and I are off on our honeymoon. I'll treat you to a meal when we get back."

Zhao Fusheng stared dumbfounded at the text message on his phone. When he called back, all he heard was, "The subscriber you dialed is powered off."

"That guy just left like that?"

He looked at Fan Baobao beside him, speechless, feeling for the first time that he had misjudged his friend.

Fan Baobao giggled and waved her phone: "Zhou Yun sent me a message too, saying they're going to the Maldives."

Clearly, the couple had sent the messages at the same time.

Since Old Jiang had pulled this stunt, it was obvious he didn't intend for Zhao Fusheng to find him. Helpless, Zhao Fusheng had to let it go.

Fortunately, before the wedding officially began, they had managed to sign the contract with Jiang Wen and his wife, which counted as a major accomplishment.

...

...

"By the way, our team leader wants to see you." Just as Zhao Fusheng was pondering Jiang Wen's affairs, Fan Baobao said to him with a strange expression.

"Is that so? Then I'll visit Teacher Yang at the People's Art Theatre tomorrow." Zhao Fusheng wasn't surprised at all; he smiled and said.

He had already guessed the reaction from the People's Art Theatre.

Artists have to eat too.

Fan Baobao probably didn't understand this principle, but the veteran actors at the People's Art Theatre were all shrewd operators in the circle. Just because they didn't come out to make money didn't mean they didn't understand certain things about the industry.

Young actors perform to gain fans, while older actors value the work and actual benefits.

Speaking of which, it's probably a difference in personal needs.

After all, young artists tend to be more star-oriented. Their fans are highly loyal; once they become fans of a star, as long as the work isn't too bad, they will unconditionally support and follow them. For example, 'The Tomb of Love' was like that—300 million at the box office on the first day proved the strength of its fan base, while a total box office of over 500 million showed that apart from fans, almost no casual viewers or audiences went to see it.

Conversely, for actors who are devoted to their craft, they don't care whether they can attract fans; they only care whether their work and their roles can move the audience.

Drama is like life; drama is greater than heaven.

These eight words are undoubtedly hard for many traffic stars to understand.

After all, they are used to green-screen acting. Um, how does that saying go? 'This face of mine is worth eighty million.'

Heh...

Perhaps this is how different eras produce different artists.

...

...

The meeting between Zhao Fusheng and Yang Lixin was quite harmonious.

Perhaps because of Fan Baobao, or because both parties had the intention of getting to know each other, in any case, both Zhao Fusheng and Yang Lixin were very polite.

"Teacher Yang, I grew up watching your works." Zhao Fusheng said to Yang Lixin with a smile.

This was true. In Zhao Fusheng's memory, he had seen many of this man's works. Although he wasn't a top star, he had enough seniority.

Yang Lixin was a typical old-school actor with good acting skills and a low profile, without much gossip. His greatest hobby was probably standing on the stage of a play, performing roles he liked.

Hearing Zhao Fusheng's words, he laughed: "Xiao Zhao, you're being too formal. Your girlfriend is an actor at our People's Art Theatre, so you're practically family."

"Then I won't stand on ceremony with you." Zhao Fusheng said without holding back.

This was their first meeting. Although they had heard of each other, to be honest, both Yang Lixin and Zhao Fusheng were inwardly cautious about each other.

This was perfectly normal.

Even if Zhao Fusheng had something to discuss with Yang Lixin, he wouldn't appear too eager at their first meeting.

Warmth should be in the attitude of socializing, but never in the attitude of doing business.

Anyone who appears too enthusiastic when discussing matters is easily manipulated by the other party.

So both knew that today's meeting was purely to build rapport and get acquainted.

As for what would happen later, that was a matter for the future.

In fact, Yang Lixin was also somewhat curious about Zhao Fusheng.

He wasn't familiar with Fan Baobao. Or rather, before Fan Baobao entered the People's Art Theatre, Yang Lixin didn't have much impression of her. He wasn't the type to follow the entertainment industry closely; his focus was on the People's Art Theatre. As a famous actor himself, he naturally wouldn't pay much attention to newcomers.

This was only human. Just like later generations, big leaders wouldn't be particularly invested in a traffic star.

On one hand, they were in different circles; on the other hand, their levels were simply different.

But since Fan Baobao joined the People's Art Theatre, Yang Lixin had gotten to know her better and had a deep impression of her. After all, an actress who was both beautiful and willing to endure hardship was rare.

Especially someone with Fan Baobao's personality, which was quite popular in the troupe. Everyone, old and young, liked this little girl who was always smiling and friendly to everyone.

Most importantly, Fan Baobao was the kind of person who truly wanted to settle down and hone her acting skills.

Yang Lixin remembered clearly that in one scene, Fan Baobao played a maid who needed to be doused with cold water on stage. During rehearsal, due to someone else's mistake, she was doused more than a dozen times.

Another newcomer might have exploded on the spot, but Fan Baobao didn't complain at all and obediently cooperated with the lead actors.

At that moment, Yang Lixin felt she was a talent worth shaping.

Later, through some connections, he learned that this newcomer was not simple—she had connections and a capable boyfriend.

After all, not every ad planner could write several blockbuster scripts and be a top-notch planner themselves.

Yang Lixin only loved acting; he wasn't stupid. He had also filmed commercials and naturally understood the status of a top ad planner in the advertising circle.

In other words, as long as Fan Baobao wanted, she could have countless commercials to shoot.

But since joining the People's Art Theatre, she had indeed shot very few commercials.

"Teacher Yang, does the People's Art Theatre have any performance plans recently?" Zhao Fusheng asked Yang Lixin with a smile.

When chatting, you naturally steer the conversation toward the other person's interests. Zhao Fusheng and Yang Lixin's chat naturally revolved around the People's Art Theatre.

"There are performances, but they're all old classics." Yang Lixin waved his hand with a smile: "As you know, our theatre only has a few old works. 'Thunderstorm' and 'Teahouse' are classics. We've been considering lately whether to let the young people like Baobao take the lead and try to perform them."

Zhao Fusheng's heart stirred. He thought this was a good thing. For young actors like Fan Baobao, the training on the stage of a play was extremely beneficial for improving their acting skills.

After all, even Chen Dao had spent many years as a bit player on the stage before acting in TV dramas, honing his skills that way.

The fragrance of plum blossoms comes from bitter cold; the sharpness of a sword comes from grinding.

Any good actor, no matter how talented, needs to constantly improve.

Later generations all say that Gong Li and Maggie Cheung have outstanding acting skills, but don't forget that Maggie Cheung started out as a famous花瓶 in Hong Kong. If she hadn't met Wong Kar-wai, who was serious about losing money and tricking you without mercy, she might not have developed such acting skills later.

In other words, even those idols praised for their acting skills in Hong Kong films of the 1980s and 1990s weren't really that great at acting. It's just that the Hong Kong film and television industry was so booming at the time that it gave these people plenty of opportunities to practice.

If a certain young idol had poor acting skills, throw him into a crew, keep filming non-stop all year round, constantly honed by the director—even a pig would eventually develop some habits.

Let alone a human, and a smart one at that.

In later generations, the reason those traffic stars were criticized for lacking acting skills was actually because they didn't have many opportunities to practice. After all, in the internet age, not only has the production cycle of films and TV shows lengthened, but stars no longer rely solely on movies and TV shows to make money. There are many ways to become famous. Haven't you seen that even live streaming can make you an internet celebrity?

And clearly, this time, Fan Baobao had caught the attention of the top brass at the People's Art Theatre, seemingly set to be groomed as a key talent.

Thinking of this, Zhao Fusheng suddenly felt that this meal with Yang Lixin was well worth it.

Even if nothing came of the discussion, getting this news alone was worth the price of admission.