Chapter 1435: Unease

The Chinese often say: Of the three unfilial acts, having no offspring is the greatest.

From this, one can see how important a descendant is to a family.

Just like now, after the news of Fan Baobao's pregnancy spread, the entire Future Group was plunged into ecstasy.

Zhao's parents, far away in Ninghai, were even more overjoyed. Zhao's mother directly stated that she would pack her bags immediately and rush to the capital to accompany her precious grandchild.

That's right, even Zhao Fusheng didn't yet know whether the child in Fan Baobao's belly was a boy or a girl, but in Zhao's mother's heart, she had already chosen a name for her precious grandchild.

"This time you're the hero."

Zhao Fusheng said to Fan Baobao with a wry smile.

Upon hearing this, Fan Baobao proudly raised her head and stuck out her belly: "You have a problem?"

"No, no, how would I dare." Zhao Fusheng waved his hand repeatedly.

This was his true feeling.

Although he had no children in his previous life, Zhao Fusheng understood very well the price a woman pays to become pregnant and give birth, the risks she must bear, and the pain she must endure.

Under such circumstances, no matter what Fan Baobao did, it was tolerable in Zhao Fusheng's eyes.

This was no joke; childbirth ranks highest among the most unbearable pains for humans.

In other words, if you want someone to taste the most painful thing in the world, let them experience the feeling of a woman giving birth.

"Smart of you."

Fan Baobao giggled, then said to Zhao Fusheng: "Mom is coming over. Should we prepare some daily necessities?"

Zhao Fusheng looked helpless, thinking to himself that she wasn't a new bride, so why be so cautious.

But he dared not show any emotion on his face, and quickly nodded: "Of course we need to prepare. How about this: when Mom arrives, the two of you can go to the supermarket together, what do you think?"

As he spoke, he smiled: "Anyway, you have to give Mom a chance to show off her daughter-in-law, right?"

Speaking is definitely an art.

How to express one's thoughts more appropriately and persuade others to follow one's words is an even more important art.

Just like now, if Zhao Fusheng had directly refused Fan Baobao, she would certainly be unhappy, but by phrasing it differently, Fan Baobao was naturally overjoyed.

At that moment, Fan Baobao's phone rang. She ignored Zhao Fusheng and went aside to answer the call happily.

Zhao Fusheng shook his head helplessly, ignored her, and returned to his room to look over documents.

As the chairman of Future Group, although he didn't often manage the company's operations, many company matters required his approval.

After reading the documents for a while, Zhao Fusheng suddenly froze.

After thinking for a moment, he dialed Wu Sijie's number.

"What's the deal with that letter of intent for cooperation between Future Film and MGM?" Zhao Fusheng asked directly.

Wu Sijie thought for a moment and quickly replied: "It's like this: MGM is seeking domestic partners to co-invest in their big production 'Windtalkers,' directed by the famous Hong Kong director John Woo. President Ye attaches great importance to this matter and has written a special report for you, hoping you'll give the green light."

"Yeah, of course he attaches importance." Zhao Fusheng said irritably: "An investment of a full fifty million US dollars—Ye Jing has gone crazy!"

"Tell him to wait for me at the company headquarters."

After saying this, Zhao Fusheng said to Wu Sijie: "Prepare the car. We're going to the company."

Wu Sijie, like Hu Donghai and the others, lived nearby. Zhao Fusheng was already considering renovating his siheyuan so that the people around him could live close by, to avoid inconvenience.

As he was dressed and about to leave, Fan Baobao asked in surprise: "Where are you going?"

"To the company." Zhao Fusheng said softly: "Rest well at home. Have Yang Panpan come keep you company."

Fan Baobao nodded, knowing Zhao Fusheng had things to handle: "Come back early."

…

…

In the car, Zhao Fusheng took a report from Wu Sijie and began reading it.

It was the letter of intent for cooperation between Future Film and MGM Group.

Clearly, the two sides were in contact but had not yet reached a final agreement.

"This Ye Jing, he's really getting bold."

Zhao Fusheng said through gritted teeth as he read.

"Uh…" Wu Sijie was puzzled: "Chairman, President Ye's idea shouldn't be wrong, should it? MGM is a major American film company, well-known in Hollywood. Isn't cooperating with them a good thing?"

Clearly, he didn't understand why Zhao Fusheng was angry.

Zhao Fusheng was startled, then suddenly realized that his reaction was too strong.

Perhaps in their eyes, an international director like John Woo, combined with one of Hollywood's Big Eight like MGM, would surely make a big-budget Hollywood blockbuster—how could it lose money?

But Zhao Fusheng knew very well that 'Windtalkers' not only didn't make money but also drove MGM into bankruptcy.

John Woo, from then on, had no foothold in Hollywood and had to return to China to swindle domestic investors.

That led to the later 'Red Cliff' and 'The Crossing.'

"Let's talk at the company."

Zhao Fusheng closed the folder and said to Wu Sijie.

Soon, the car arrived at Future Group's headquarters. Zhao Fusheng took the elevator directly to his office, where Ye Jing was already waiting at the door.

"What's wrong?" Ye Jing looked at Zhao Fusheng strangely, not understanding why he reacted so strongly to the cooperation intent with MGM, which was a good thing.

Waving his hand, Zhao Fusheng said: "We're not investing in this movie."

"Why?"

Ye Jing was quite puzzled: "I know such a large investment carries considerable risk, but greater risk means greater opportunity. We're not gods; we can't know which film will definitely make money. Cooperating with a company like MGM and having a big director like John Woo is undoubtedly the best guarantee."

Zhao Fusheng waved his hand: "That's not how it works. Even if you know which film will have high box office returns, it's not easy to make it in Hollywood."

Ye Jing was taken aback: "How do you know?"

Zhao Fusheng smiled. When he was in the US before, he had indeed asked someone about Hollywood. It must be said that Hollywood is even darker than the Chinese entertainment industry.

Glancing at Ye Jing, Zhao Fusheng said flatly: "Not to mention John Woo's directing skills, just on the MGM side, do you really think Hollywood money is that easy to make? For small investors like us with no connections, trying to recoup our investment is nothing but a pipe dream."

"How is that possible?" Ye Jing clearly didn't believe Zhao Fusheng.

"You can't even see the real accounts of the production company, distributor, and theaters, so how can you expect to get your money back?" Zhao Fusheng said irritably: "Don't forget, we're Chinese!"

Ye Jing frowned. He really hadn't expected Zhao Fusheng to react so strongly.

Seeing Ye Jing's expression, Zhao Fusheng sighed inwardly. He knew that everyone in the Chinese film and television circle had a Hollywood dream, but the problem was that Hollywood wasn't easy to break into.

Back in the US, Zhao Fusheng had Tan Kaixuan help him find a manager well-versed in Hollywood's insider dealings. From him, Zhao Fusheng understood just how deep the waters of Hollywood were.

In that person's words, film investment is essentially gambling. No one knows in advance what audiences will like. Even the Big Eight film companies have big productions that lose everything, let alone smaller companies. In Hollywood, no one can guarantee whether a film will lose or make money.

Moreover, Hollywood's favorite thing is to cheat investors.

Some people always think that by bringing money and signing a contract, they can sit back and wait for the film to be made, released, and then share the profits.

Ha, where in the world is there such a good deal? They can easily cook the books and leave investors with nothing.

For example, during an audit, you might find that a set cost five hundred thousand US dollars. When you ask what it was for, they'll say it was a house used as a backdrop.

Where is the house?

It was demolished after filming.

Then if you dig further, you'll find that the building was constructed by a company owned by a distributor's executive, and then there's even more wrangling.

Back in Hong Kong, Peter Chan's 'The Warlords' cheated Bona that way, leaving Yu Dong in tears.

That's just the distributor. As for theaters, don't even get started—the pitfalls there are even deeper.

Overall, as a small investor trying to make a living in Hollywood, big productions are out of the question. The only way is to gamble on small and medium-budget films.

For example, investing in 'Saw' cost no more than five hundred thousand US dollars, but the returns exceeded ten million US dollars.

That's the most successful investment case.

But such opportunities don't come often; it depends on luck.

However, Zhao Fusheng didn't think Future Film had that kind of luck.

"Besides, come to think of it, do you think John Woo is still the John Woo who made 'A Better Tomorrow'?" Zhao Fusheng paused and looked at Ye Jing helplessly.

Ye Jing was startled, somewhat surprised that Zhao Fusheng would say that.

Seeing his confused expression, Zhao Fusheng knew that, like most people, he hadn't seen through John Woo's true colors.

"He's an internationally renowned director. I…" Ye Jing looked at Zhao Fusheng, wanting to explain further.

But Zhao Fusheng waved his hand: "If he's really as great as you say, then I ask you: why isn't MGM seeking partners in Hollywood, but instead coming all the way to China to find us?"

At that moment, the expression on Ye Jing's face changed.