Chapter 1340: A Fateful Encounter

Zhou Zhaolong and A-Jing went upstairs together to a private room. There weren't many people inside—only Hong Sanmao, Jiang Wen, and a few other key figures of the banquet.

Including several big shots from the Hong Family Troupe and a few people from the capital's entertainment circle who were previously acquainted with Hong Sanmao.

"Come, let me introduce you. This is A-Jing, who just joined the Hong Family Troupe not long ago. I've arranged for him to make cameo appearances in a few films," Hong Sanmao said, pulling the young man over and introducing him to Jiang Wen.

Jiang Wen smiled slightly and looked at the young man.

The young man was a bit nervous and quickly said respectfully, "Hello, Teacher Jiang Wen."

"Oh, you're from the mainland?" Jiang Wen was taken aback and was about to speak when his phone rang. He excused himself, stepped aside to answer it, said a few words, and then hung up.

When he came back to his senses, Jiang Wen said to Hong Sanmao, "My friend has arrived."

With that, he turned and went downstairs to pick up his guest.

Hong Sanmao nodded, watching Jiang Wen's back, his heart stirring with excitement.

Then he came to his senses and said to the young man with a smile, "A-Jing, sit down for now. Teacher Jiang went to pick someone up; I'll introduce you properly later."

Originally, he hadn't thought much of this mainlander, but since the guy had good martial arts skills and his Hong Family Troupe needed fresh blood, he had taken him in.

Now it seemed this was a clever move—after all, having a mainlander in the troupe was a way to show his yearning for the mainland entertainment industry.

It's said that great wisdom appears foolish. For a big shot like Hong Sanmao, if he really relied solely on loyalty and righteousness to get things done, he would have been devoured by this circle long ago, bones and all.

Some say living is a kind of cultivation. Though it sounds clichéd, it's true: the longer you live, the higher your cultivation becomes. Even if your talent is mediocre, accumulation over time naturally leads to a qualitative change.

The saying 'an old man who doesn't die is a thief' probably means something like that.

Although Hong Sanmao couldn't be called an old thief, he was indeed a shrewd man. Otherwise, he wouldn't have risen from a stuntman to a boss who founded his own film company.

This guy, like Jackie Chan, had big ambitions.

But Hong Sanmao sought wealth, while Jackie Chan sought fame.

Of course, later on, Brother Long, who endorsed Legend, was really short on money.

Soon, footsteps were heard at the door, and several people entered. Leading them were Jiang Wen and a young man, followed by a few burly men who were obviously bodyguards.

"Brother Sanmao, this is my good friend Zhao Fusheng," Jiang Wen said to Hong Sanmao, then turned to Zhao Fusheng and said, "Fusheng, this is Brother Hong Sanmao."

Zhao Fusheng nodded, smiled at Hong Sanmao, and extended his hand: "Hello, Brother Sanmao. I'm Zhao Fusheng."

"Hello, hello." Faced with Zhao Fusheng's politeness, Hong Sanmao dared not be negligent. He quickly reached out and shook Zhao Fusheng's hand: "Mr. Zhao, your reputation precedes you. I've heard thunderous applause for your name. Meeting you today for the first time is a great honor, a great honor."

Zhao Fusheng was startled, then laughed: "Brother Sanmao knows me?"

"I've been good friends with Andy Lau for years, and I've also collaborated with Lin Jianle before. He speaks highly of you," Hong Sanmao said in a flurry.

Of course, his words were half true and half false. As for the truth, naturally no one would bother to verify.

Even Zhao Fusheng, upon hearing these flattering words, showed a hint of a smile.

Everyone likes to be praised; in this world, no one dislikes hearing good things, and he was no exception. Although he knew Hong Sanmao's words were mostly flattery, Zhao Fusheng was still pleased.

As the saying goes, 'A kind word warms the winter for three months.' That's the idea.

"Mr. Lin flatters me," Zhao Fusheng said with a faint smile, then said to Hong Sanmao, "Brother Sanmao, don't stand on ceremony. I came today because I heard you were here and wanted to pay a visit. I grew up watching your movies."

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly caught sight of a figure standing in a corner among the group behind Hong Sanmao.

His pupils contracted slightly, and Zhao Fusheng was instantly stunned.

His gaze fixed on that person, several images overlapped in his mind: a bare-handed Wolf Warrior, a father in a spacesuit, and finally, the young man in the corner with a shy smile, looking somewhat immature.

Zhao Fusheng's reaction naturally caught the attention of Hong Sanmao and Jiang Wen. Following Zhao Fusheng's gaze, the young man named A-Jing appeared before everyone's eyes and instantly became the focus.

"A-Jing, come here." Although he didn't know why, Hong Sanmao quickly waved A-Jing over, brought him to his side, and enthusiastically introduced him to Zhao Fusheng: "This is my brother A-Jing. I have high hopes for him; he'll definitely be a top-notch action actor in the future. Mr. Zhao, if you have the chance, you must give A-Jing a leg up."

"Hello, Mr. Zhao. I'm Wu Jing." A-Jing, with a baby face, looked very green. Although he was already thirty years old, he wasn't a big shot in the entertainment circle; at best, he was a junior.

Zhao Fusheng smiled, trying hard not to let his emotions get too excited, and said as calmly as possible, "Hello, no need to be so formal. I'm younger than you; just call me Fusheng."

Then he added, "When I was in school, I watched your 'Tai Chi Master.' It was really cool. I even secretly practiced tai chi back then."

Wu Jing was taken aback. Seeing how sincere Zhao Fusheng was, he hadn't expected that this distinguished guest was actually a fan of his.

Little did he know that at that moment, looking at his face, Zhao Fusheng was thinking far more than he was.

In this world, there is no such thing as 'man can conquer heaven.' In the observable history, such a thing has never happened. But for countless years, many people have strived to prove it.

They want to win, to show heaven the power of humanity, but more often than not, they are just proving to themselves and the world that if one is willing to work hard, they can achieve what they set out to do.

Before the release of 'Wolf Warrior,' Wu Jing wasn't a very famous actor. At least among all Chinese action actors, he wasn't among the best.

This isn't a criticism; it's a fact.

After all, among Chinese action actors, not to mention aging stars like Jackie Chan and Jet Li, even Donnie Yen and Zhao Wenzhuo were more famous than Wu Jing.

But this guy burst onto the scene with 'Wolf Warrior,' quickly making a name for himself. By the time 'Wolf Warrior 2' came out, it achieved a staggering 5.6 billion yuan at the box office, and Wu Jing's fame reached its peak.

After all, China finally had its own mainstream heroic blockbuster.

If that were all, it would be fine—after all, some people like things while others dislike them; mixed reviews are normal. But a few years later, when the sci-fi blockbuster 'The Wandering Earth' started filming, Wu Jing did something no one expected.

At first, 'The Wandering Earth' invited Wu Jing for a cameo, purely as a favor to a friend. After filming, the director said, 'Bro, I have no money.'

Wu Jing thought about it and decided not to take any money, since he was just helping a friend. But the filming ended up lasting thirty-one days!

If that were all, it would be fine. But in the end, the director came to Wu Jing again.

"Bro, the investors pulled out. We have no money."

Wu Jing was utterly speechless, but in the end, he invested sixty million yuan in the film.

That's the legendary 'Empty-Handed Wolf Warrior.'

How popular was this film?

Within three days of release, its box office exceeded one billion yuan, and it achieved this comeback despite a poor first-day performance.

Among the films crushed by it during the same period were even the New Year movies of Stephen Chow and Jackie Chan.

In the era Zhao Fusheng was reborn into, Wu Jing had practically become a god.

Now, he was a thirty-year-old young man, still struggling for his dream of becoming an action star. After realizing there were no pure action films in the mainland, Wu Jing chose to develop in Hong Kong.

And now, he was a newcomer in the Hong Family Troupe. No one knew that ten years later, he would shine with such brilliance.

Fate is always full of unpredictable drama.