Chapter 1135: Turning Down Money Is a Fool's Move

Ye Jing was also a seasoned player. Zhao Baogang's words, though they sounded like a joke, who could guarantee they weren't his true feelings?

"Alright, I'm definitely fine with it. I'll go talk Fusheng into writing a script." Ye Jing laughed heartily and said to Wang Zhonglei, "Zhonglei, what do you think?"

Wang Zhonglei shrugged, looking indifferent. "If you can convince him to write a script, no matter the genre or budget, Huayi will definitely follow."

"Xinbaoyuan will invest too, and if you need any actors, their schedules are flexible." Zhao Baogang also patted his chest in assurance.

Clearly, neither company held much hope that Ye Jing could persuade Zhao Fusheng.

After all, his status had changed. Back then, Zhao Fusheng was just a top-notch planner, free to write a script in his spare time. Now he was a billionaire—when had anyone seen a billionaire casually writing scripts?

So, despite Ye Jing's words, honestly speaking, neither Wang Zhonglei nor Zhao Baogang had much hope for Zhao Fusheng writing a script.

But Ye Jing didn't think that way. He had heard from Jiang Wen that Zhao Fusheng had a story in mind while filming *Soldiers Sortie*, and it was supposedly quite good.

Now that Zhao Baogang and Wang Zhonglei had brought it up, Ye Jing had no reason to refuse.

Most importantly, if this film were made, it would send a signal to the outside world that Future Film was willing to cooperate with others and share the spoils.

That would help break the current deadlock.

With that thought, Ye Jing grinned. "In that case, just wait and see."

Wang Zhonglei and Zhao Baogang exchanged glances, puzzled as to why he was so happy. Could he really have a way to convince Zhao Fusheng?

Just then, Zhao Fusheng walked over and, seeing their expressions, teased, "What are you all up to?"

"Come here, I've got good news for you." Ye Jing grabbed Zhao Fusheng without a second thought.

This guy felt no guilt at all about dragging his own boss into things.

"Good news?" Zhao Fusheng looked at Ye Jing suspiciously and said bluntly, "I just don't see you thinking of me when there's good news."

With a snort, Wang Zhonglei and Zhao Baogang couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Ye Jing's face instantly reddened, and he glared at Zhao Fusheng speechlessly. "You!"

But Zhao Fusheng showed no sign of taking back his words, looking innocent. "It's true. From your three sleazy smiles, I clearly saw the words 'sinister and cunning.'"

Zhao Baogang blinked, subtly distancing himself from Wang Zhonglei and Ye Jing, then said seriously, "Fusheng, get this straight—I make TV dramas. How can you use 'sinister and cunning' to describe me? Only those who like making movies can be described that way."

His remark, tarring everyone with the same brush, instantly sparked outrage. After all, there were plenty of film people in the room. The men couldn't say much, but the actresses certainly wouldn't hold back. Led by Liu Bei, several actresses started toasting Zhao Baogang, and it looked like he'd be carried out horizontally today.

With the boss being toasted, Xinbaoyuan's people couldn't just stand by. Sun Honglei and others joined the fray without hesitation, and the atmosphere at the table heated up again.

Meanwhile, Zhao Fusheng was pulled aside by Ye Jing and Wang Zhonglei.

"What's going on?"

Looking at them curiously, Zhao Fusheng asked Ye Jing and the other.

"Do you have a script?" Ye Jing didn't beat around the bush and asked seriously.

Zhao Fusheng was taken aback and was about to shake his head, but Ye Jing didn't give him a chance to deny it. "Old Jiang already told me, those days I was in the northwest, right?"

Since he had put it that way, denying it would be pointless. So Zhao Fusheng nodded. "I have an idea, but I haven't written it into a script yet."

Given copyright issues, aside from Fan Baobao, Zhao Fusheng hadn't told anyone the specific story of *A World Without Thieves*.

"How about this: before you go abroad, write out this script. I'll register it, and then Baogang and Huayi will invest together. We'll also put in some funds, and the three of us will collaborate on this project. What do you think?" Ye Jing looked at Zhao Fusheng expectantly.

Zhao Fusheng frowned. Before he could speak, Wang Zhonglei chimed in, "Yes, investment isn't a problem. If the three of us join forces, as long as it doesn't exceed a hundred million, it's fine."

Good heavens, Zhao Fusheng looked at him in surprise, not expecting the guy to have such ambition, daring to mention an investment of a hundred million.

But on second thought, he could understand Huayi's thinking. With Wang Jinghua about to leave, if they didn't make a big move soon, they might easily fall into a passive position.

Moreover, his own reputation was established. The scripts he had given before had all performed excellently at the box office, and now he was a billionaire. Just that gimmick alone would attract a bunch of movie fans.

"Alright, I'll do it as soon as possible." Zhao Fusheng thought for a moment and said to Ye Jing and Wang Zhonglei, "But I'll decide on the main cast. Is that okay?"

Wang Zhonglei was taken aback, but Ye Jing had no objections. Zhao Fusheng was the big boss and the screenwriter, so naturally he had the final say.

After hesitating for a moment, Wang Zhonglei gritted his teeth and said solemnly, "But Huayi's actors have to be in the cast."

Clearly, he didn't want this film to become a project that benefited others.

Zhao Fusheng smiled. "Not just Huayi's actors, but also Xinbaoyuan's actors are within my consideration. What I mean is, if I need a particular actor, you'll be responsible for coordinating their schedule."

Hearing Zhao Fusheng's words, Wang Zhonglei couldn't help but laugh heartily. "No problem, we'll fully cooperate. I reckon Old Zhao won't have any issues either."

After all, this was their own business. Besides, making a movie was different from making a TV drama. Unless you encountered someone like the legendary Wong Kar-wai, who could spend a year or two on a single film, generally a movie could be finished in a few months at most.

So, in Wang Zhonglei's view, even if Zhao Fusheng needed a particular actor, they could just adjust the actor's schedule and coordinate with the crew to wrap up filming quickly.

Zhao Fusheng nodded and smiled slightly. "That's good."

Since they had come this far and they were being so accommodating, insisting further would be pretentious.