Chapter 1089: Entering the Game

On Zhihu, there is a perennial topic.

What are some cases that seem insignificant but are actually major ones?

After reading them, ordinary people feel that the world seems full of malice toward them.

But in fact, the world simply couldn't be bothered with us, okay?

Xue Yuanfang was no fool. Although he was the most useless child in the family, that didn't mean he was good for nothing. In an era where birth determined destiny, even a pig born into a prominent family would live a happier life than a child from a common family—this was an indisputable truth.

From childhood to adulthood, the education Xue Yuanfang received was more comprehensive than ordinary people imagined.

If Zhao Fusheng had nodded and agreed to give him shares, Xue Yuanfang would never have agreed to become the public relations director of Future Group. Moreover, he would have subtly chosen to distance himself from Zhao Fusheng.

The reason was simple.

Take money, eliminate disasters for others.

If he didn't ward off disasters for others, why should he take their shares?

But Zhao Fusheng directly refused, telling him that only a salary was possible. Instead, Xue Yuanfang felt more at ease.

At the very least, even if someone criticized him, it wouldn't bring trouble to his family.

Disasters often arise like this: an seemingly insignificant cause can trigger unpredictable waves.

The so-called butterfly effect means this.

"Only salary, no shares," Zhao Fusheng said calmly to Xue Yuanfang. "If you do well, you can be promoted; if you do poorly, you will also have to resign."

He paused, then smiled: "But I can give you a privilege: you report directly to me. As long as it's beneficial to the company's brand promotion, you can tell me first, and then make a decision."

This was already considerable freedom. After all, Zhao Fusheng was essentially the company's boss. A department manager who could directly speak with the boss naturally had unquestionable authority.

Giving Zhao Fusheng a deep look, Xue Yuanfang smiled and said, "Alright, it's settled then. Once your company is officially established, I'll start working."

Zhao Fusheng nodded and said succinctly, "Good."

...

...

The dinner party ended quickly. Liu Liang and Xue Yuanfang wanted to catch up, so they drove off. Zhao Fusheng and Ye Jing walked together toward the hotel.

"Fusheng, is it worth it?" Ye Jing asked Zhao Fusheng as they walked. "Going to all this trouble to bring Xue Yuanfang into the company—is it really just to have him handle the company's external publicity and promotion?"

Zhao Fusheng smiled, looked directly at Ye Jing, and spread his hands: "To be frank, there are things in this world we can't tolerate, things more painful than being beaten. There must be something we cannot lose even at the cost of death. So, since we can't tolerate it, we must resist."

Ye Jing was startled, looking at Zhao Fusheng in surprise, unable to speak for a long time.

He naturally understood what Zhao Fusheng meant. In fact, the moment Zhao Fusheng finished speaking, Ye Jing realized what Zhao Fusheng intended to do.

And the more he realized this, the more he felt that the young man before him might be even more formidable than Jiang Wen or he himself had imagined.

Under thirty years old, yet with a mind as meticulous as a man in his fifties or sixties. For the first time, Ye Jing silently mourned for Zhao Fusheng's competitors.

After all, being targeted by such a person was not a pleasant thing.

You see, young people give the impression of being unstable, like a child who doesn't understand things.

It's useless to reason with a child. Even if you tell them a hundred or a thousand times that a knife is sharp and can hurt people, they won't understand the danger of the blade. Only when they are cut by the knife and blood flows out will they realize what pain feels like.

Because things one experiences personally are always more deeply remembered than lessons taught by others.

But Zhao Fusheng seemed to have never had such an experience.

From the very beginning, he did business with terrifying maturity: step by step, cautious, and almost never giving competitors any chance, making it impossible to find his weakness.

To be honest, Ye Jing sometimes thought about how terrible it would be if Zhao Fusheng were not his friend but stood on the opposite side.

"Kid, you really hold a grudge," Ye Jing said helplessly after a long while.

Zhao Fusheng laughed and shrugged: "This isn't holding a grudge; it's what I call 'a gentleman takes revenge, ten years is not too late.'"

Ye Jing rolled his eyes at that. He could only say that this guy was simply too shameless. But he also understood that what Zhao Fusheng was doing was indeed correct. With Xue Yuanfang's addition, plus himself, the plan for revenge was no longer an unattainable dream.

"Brother Ye, to be honest, I think the current film and television circle really needs some changes," Zhao Fusheng said sincerely, looking at Ye Jing.

Ye Jing remained silent, but he understood what Zhao Fusheng meant.

In fact, to succeed in anything, you need to make thorough plans in advance, then charge toward the goal. Don't think too much about other things, because the more you think, the more you are influenced by external factors, slowing down your progress.

After a long time, Ye Jing sighed and said to Zhao Fusheng, "You need to know, if we start this plan, we may face more and more difficulties in the future."

Zhao Fusheng smiled, paused to think, then said, "How can one live without encountering difficulties? And this matter can't be rushed; a careless move could backfire. So you need to be mentally prepared—this is a protracted war."

Ye Jing nodded firmly, as if Zhao Fusheng's words had rekindled his fighting spirit. He gritted his teeth and said, "Don't worry, I know what to do. Since those people dared to screw me over, even if I have to endure hardships, I'll make them know my power!"

Sometimes, utter despair and decadence can drain a successful man's mind more than anything else. Such a man must have faith in his heart to fall and then stand up again.

Seeing Ye Jing's confident expression, Zhao Fusheng smiled with satisfaction. With such an ally, he could rest much easier.

...

...

On the road of life, if you stop to throw stones at every mad dog that barks at you, you will never reach your desired destination.

This was a truth that Zhao Fusheng in his past life only understood after turning forty. But by then, he had lost the opportunity to strive and had no ambition left.

Youth ended, and Zhao Fusheng stumbled into middle age, gradually feeling the hardships and difficulties of life. If he had money, he could live with ease and grace like others. Life was gentle to others, but to him, it was very sharp.

Daily necessities—fuel, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, tea—even the trivialities of life, seemingly insignificant, could drive a person crazy.

That was how Zhao Fusheng used to be.

Speaking of which, the world can sometimes be frustrating. There are so many drama queens and contrarians. If you say money is important, they immediately tell you that money isn't everything—it can't buy time, love, or health.

Zhao Fusheng had met too many such people. In their view, as long as you earn enough to spend, what's the point of making more money?

He used to think so too.

But when his parents were seriously ill in bed, when he himself encountered real trouble, Zhao Fusheng realized how expensive it is to live in this world.

This 'living' is not just about existence, but also about life itself.

The poor resent the rich, but once they become rich, they enjoy life. The reason is that even if being rich brings suffering, it's still easier than suffering without money.

Of course, as Zhao Fusheng said to Ye Jing, there are things in life more important than living. In everyone's heart, there is something more important than life itself—this is human nature.

...

...

"Drinking so much again," Fan Baobao said, glaring at Zhao Fusheng when he returned reeking of alcohol.

Zhao Fusheng smiled bitterly and shook his head helplessly: "I already drank the least."

The drinking culture is a tradition for thousands of years. When discussing business at the dinner table, it's rare not to drink.

Sometimes, even if you don't want to drink, others will urge you to. Unless there's really no way out, it's hard to talk business at the table without drinking.

"How did it go?" Fan Baobao asked with concern as she helped Zhao Fusheng with his clothes.

She naturally knew what Zhao Fusheng had gone to do, so she asked.

Zhao Fusheng smiled: "Pretty smooth. Ye Jing agreed."

He didn't mention Xue Yuanfang's matter to Fan Baobao. There were too many things involved, and there was no need to make her worry.

"Really?" A hint of joy appeared on Fan Baobao's face. She now knew a bit about the problems Future Film faced and understood that once the company became a group, it would face even more difficulties. Although Bai Jie was capable, she was a latecomer to the industry and needed assistance.

And obviously, Ye Jing was one of the most suitable candidates.

For Zhao Fusheng, or for the entire Future Group, Ye Jing's appearance was not abrupt and could be accepted by the company's original management.

After all, these people suddenly had a new boss parachuted in. If it were someone else, they would surely feel dissatisfied. Such things are common in the workplace; even open and covert struggles are mild, and it might even affect the company's normal operations.

But as one of the most prominent figures in the Beijing circle, Ye Jing was well-known. His appearance would instead make many people reassess their own standing.

After all, if they didn't perform well enough, with Ye Jing's connections, he could naturally find replacements.

And that was precisely Zhao Fusheng's goal.