Chapter 1050: The Clatter of Wishful Thinking

Friends like Jiang Wen and Yu Feihong had always felt that Zhao Fusheng was growing up far too quickly.

To be precise, his mental age never seemed to match his physical age.

In truth, a person matures because they carry too much on their shoulders, endure humor that no one applauds, experience loyalty that is taken advantage of, trust that is betrayed, and love that goes unanswered—all of which force one to grow up fast, storing it all in the heart as a fence to protect oneself.

If one could have a peaceful life, who would choose to drift from place to place?

Zhao Fusheng had no chance for that in this life, but he truly hoped his loved ones and family could live more comfortably.

Yang Lixin and the others came over to exchange pleasantries and then naturally left. Fan Baobao followed the leaders away, but before leaving, she remembered to wink at Zhao Fusheng and make a phone-call gesture. Zhao Fusheng smiled lightly and nodded, watching her leave.

New actors are cheap and easy to manage. Seeing Yang Lixin and the others walk away, Jiang Wen looked at Zhao Fusheng seriously and said, 'Most importantly, for this play of yours, I doubt any established actor would be willing to endure so much hardship.'

Although it was a stage play, as director and screenwriter, he could tell at a glance that if 'Soldiers' Sortie' were made into a TV series, the actors would have to suffer quite a bit.

Established actors often unconsciously have certain issues. For example, during performances, they habitually bring in their own interpretations, and occasionally even subconsciously resist the director's arrangements.

With newcomers, there aren't so many problems.

Having the chance to act is already good enough. If a newcomer is still picky, they can forget about surviving in this circle.

That's why Jiang Wen suggested Zhao Fusheng use new actors.

They can endure hardship, have low salaries, and are easy to discipline.

'Newcomers aren't that easy to find,' Yu Feihong interjected. 'If we adapt the stage play into a TV series, the content won't change much; it's mainly the filming environment. Barring any surprises, we'll have to go to the northwest.'

After a pause, Yu Feihong added, 'If you ask me, it's better to find third- or fourth-tier actors. At least some of them have real skill but never got a chance.'

Jiang Wen frowned. 'That's not suitable. Those people are old hands. It won't be easy to get them to obey like newcomers. If they go through the motions, it'll waste time and money.'

As a director, he considered issues more comprehensively than Yu Feihong, who came from an acting background.

A production crew, especially for a TV series, has extremely high costs. With a hundred people to feed and house, every day eats into the budget.

Not to mention, just accommodation and meals are a huge expense. If actors go through the motions, the losses over a month are no small sum. In severe cases, it could even bankrupt the crew.

Such things have happened in the circle. Every year, hundreds of TV series are produced in China, but at most only ten or twenty percent actually air. There's too much underhandedness involved.

Yu Feihong didn't know because she had little exposure to this. Jiang Wen, being a film director himself with a brother who was an actor mainly in TV series, had some understanding of it.

That's why he advised Zhao Fusheng to use newcomers—because at least, compared to those old hands, newcomers are relatively easier to manage.

'I still need to discuss this with the people below,' Zhao Fusheng said, not taking a stance on Jiang Wen's or Yu Feihong's opinions. Although he was the big boss of Future Films, the company had its rules, and these matters had to be decided through discussion.

Decisions made on a whim rarely lead to long-term success.

'By the way, as the company's number one star, can I also act in this TV series?' Jiang Wen said, as if remembering something, smiling at Zhao Fusheng.

Zhao Fusheng rolled his eyes at him and said irritably, 'No money, you're too expensive.'

He knew exactly what Old Jiang was thinking—he saw the company was in trouble and was thinking of stepping in personally to create some buzz for the new show.

That was always his way: even with good intentions, he sounded flippant.

'Come on, with our relationship, do we need to talk about money? How about I make a guest appearance?' Jiang Wen said cheerfully.

Earlier, when the company had issues, although he had a good relationship with Zhao Fusheng, he couldn't get involved because the situation was different. Now that he was part of Future Films, Jiang Wen felt he needed to do something.

Zhao Fusheng was about to refuse, but Yu Feihong spoke up: 'Fusheng, I think Old Jiang has a point. Since he's part of the company, it wouldn't be right if he didn't do anything.'

Hearing this, Zhao Fusheng suddenly understood.

Although he didn't care about such details, since Old Jiang had shown this attitude, he had to give some response.

With that in mind, Zhao Fusheng suddenly remembered a plan he had idly thought about before. He looked at Jiang Wen and Yu Feihong and said with a smile, 'Tell me, you two, do you trust me?'

'What kind of talk is that?'

Jiang Wen and Yu Feihong looked baffled. Yu Feihong frowned slightly at Zhao Fusheng: 'Do you need money? Is it urgent? If not, I can raise some.'

Clearly, she had misunderstood.

Jiang Wen, on the other hand, was calmer. He looked at Zhao Fusheng and said, 'If there's something, just say it directly.'

He could tell that Zhao Fusheng had something important to discuss with him and Yu Feihong; otherwise, he wouldn't have suddenly asked that question.

Sure enough, Zhao Fusheng looked around, saw that no one was paying attention to the three of them, thought for a moment, and said, 'Let's talk somewhere else.'

Jiang Wen and Yu Feihong exchanged glances, knowing he was being cautious about eavesdroppers, so they said nothing more and the three walked out of the theater.

Zhao Fusheng sent a text to Fan Baobao, telling her he was going out to discuss business with Yu Feihong and Jiang Wen, and they'd talk about anything else when he got home that evening.

Once outside the theater, instead of taking the assistant's car, Jiang Wen and Yu Feihong both got into Zhao Fusheng's car.

'Let's go home,' Zhao Fusheng said to Zhang Qian, who had been in the theater earlier but was now somehow already sitting in the passenger seat.

Jiang Wen and Yu Feihong were startled but had long been used to Zhang Qian's mysterious comings and goings. They all knew that Zhao Fusheng had this usually taciturn butler by his side.

But what was so important that it had to be discussed at home?