Chapter 1516: Treating to Dinner

"Chairman Zhao, long time no see."

On the other end of the line came the voice of Masao Ono.

This old fox from SoftBank Asia was not dealing with Zhao Fusheng for the first time. Although he had rarely gained any advantage, Zhao Fusheng never let his guard down around him, no matter the occasion.

There is a kind of person in this world, like a hungry wolf, who can tear a chunk of flesh from you if you're not careful.

Masao Ono was that kind of person.

So Zhao Fusheng never ignored Masao Ono at any time.

With a light laugh, Zhao Fusheng said blandly, "Mr. Ono is too kind. I miss you dearly as well."

Masao Ono laughed upon hearing this: "It seems Chairman Zhao and I are both nostalgic people."

Zhao Fusheng chuckled but did not take up his words.

There was no real friendship between the two; everyone knew that clearly. But they were both respectable businessmen, so basic courtesy was necessary.

Zhao Fusheng remained silent, and Masao Ono, not feeling awkward, continued on his own: "Chairman Zhao, I'm going to the capital soon. I think we need to exchange views on the Alibaba matter, don't you?"

Frowning slightly, Zhao Fusheng paused for a moment, then smiled: "Mr. Ono, you'd better discuss this with Miss Dong. Future Investment is about to operate on its own profit and loss, and as chairman, I can't interfere too much, don't you think?"

Masao Ono was taken aback, but before he could speak, Zhao Fusheng had already hung up.

"Little Jap!"

Zhao Fusheng muttered to himself, then snorted coldly.

After thinking for a moment, he dialed Dong Chenxi's mobile phone.

"What's up?"

Dong Chenxi asked, somewhat puzzled.

Zhao Fusheng recounted Masao Ono's call and concluded, "That Ono fellow seems interested in our shares."

"He's dreaming!" Dong Chenxi said bluntly. "Trying to reap the fruits? No way!"

Alibaba's prospects were now clear to everyone. As a major shareholder, Future Investment would never let go of its shares, even if it killed Dong Chenxi.

Zhao Fusheng laughed: "You decide. I won't interfere. I'm just letting you know."

After asking about the company's recent situation, Zhao Fusheng hung up.

...

...

Zhao Fusheng hadn't been strolling for long when Ning Hao hurried over.

Today's scenes didn't require the director himself to be present; an assistant director could handle the camera. But upon hearing that Zhao Fusheng had arrived, Ning Hao came to the set without a second thought.

"Chairman, you're here." Ning Hao approached Zhao Fusheng and greeted him respectfully.

Zhao Fusheng smiled: "It's nothing. I just came to have a look."

Then he asked with a smile, "By the way, any difficulties with the filming?"

After all, as the executive producer, this was his responsibility.

Ning Hao shook his head: "Not for now. With you as the producer, the company has been generous with funds. General Manager Ye said to spend freely. I'm really basking in your glory."

Zhao Fusheng laughed heartily: "Haha, no problem. Since we want to make a good film, we can't be stingy. But let me be clear: good steel must be used for the blade. The company won't short you a cent for necessary expenses. But if there are unnecessary expenses, don't let me down!"

Ning Hao quickly patted his chest: "Chairman, rest assured. I'm keeping an eye on the crew. Anyone who tries to embezzle or line their pockets will have to answer to me first!"

He meant it. It was said that a scholar dies for his bosom friend. In Ning Hao's eyes, Zhao Fusheng was his confidant, his Bole.

Through some company channels, he now knew that since the establishment of Future Film, Zhao Fusheng had never taken such a personal interest in any director's work. Even with his close relationship with Jiang Wen, Zhao Fusheng had never served as a producer for any film.

This made Ning Hao feel highly valued.

That's human nature: they fear inequality, not scarcity.

If everyone is treated the same, it seems normal. But if there are differences in closeness and distance, things change.

Zhao Fusheng naturally didn't know Ning Hao's thoughts at the moment, but Ning Hao's statement satisfied him.

As a superior, sometimes one doesn't care much about details.

Petty bourgeois always say not to care about the result, but to enjoy the process. That's pure nonsense. For any superior, they don't care about the process; they care about whether the desired result is achieved.

Zhao Fusheng was now a superior, so he cared about the result, not the process.

Zhao Fusheng had always held petty bourgeois in contempt.

If you say you visited the Terracotta Warriors, the petty bourgeois might not sneer but remain indifferent. But if you say you were drinking coffee on the Champs-Élysées, watching the Eiffel Tower against the Parisian night, they instantly reach climax!

If you could also watch a fashion show and pose with a few foreign models or designers—famous or lousy—and post photos on your Moments, the petty bourgeois would reach a grand climax, spraying you across the screen.

Everyone has the right to choose their own lifestyle; that's true. But in Zhao Fusheng's mind, those with different paths should not work together. It's better to keep such people away from his life.

"If you're free tonight, gather the crew. I'll treat everyone to dinner." Zhao Fusheng said to Ning Hao with a smile.

Ning Hao was startled, then hesitated: "Chairman, it's not appropriate for you to spend money..."

He was worried about the expense, as a film crew had at least a hundred people.

Zhao Fusheng smiled: "It's fine. I'm treating personally, so don't worry."

A personal treat naturally wouldn't come from the crew's budget.

Since he was the boss and the executive producer, and he said so, no one else could object.

Ning Hao immediately arranged for someone to notify the crew on set, including the actors in the capital.

After all, the executive producer and the幕后 big boss of Future Film was personally treating everyone to dinner. Unless they were idiots, no one in the crew would miss it.

Usually, such a big shot was hard to invite.

Soon, the news that Zhao Fusheng was treating the crew to dinner spread.

Sure enough, even Brother Shanzheng, who had no scenes that day and was resting at home, hurried over.

...

...

The restaurant was chosen by Ning Hao. Zhao Fusheng's entourage only included Hu Donghai and a few bodyguards; asking them to handle such arrangements was a bit much.

But looking at the hotpot restaurant before him, Zhao Fusheng felt a bit helpless.

"It's only October, and we're eating hotpot?"

Zhao Fusheng glanced at Ning Hao, looking resigned.

Ning Hao was also a bit embarrassed. Although he was now a somewhat famous director, he didn't have an assistant.

That's right. Future Film had originally wanted to assign him an assistant, but Ning Hao had refused. In his own words, he was just a director; why did he need an assistant?

"You should get an assistant."

Zhao Fusheng shot Ning Hao a look and continued.

Ning Hao smiled and nodded: "I understand. Don't worry."

Actually, Ning Hao had his own thoughts about the assistant matter. After all, an assistant assigned by the company would be the company's person. As a director under Future Film, even though he had signed a long-term contract, he still hoped to have some privacy. So Ning Hao had been looking for a suitable and trustworthy assistant.

Ye Jing naturally knew this, so he hadn't pressed Ning Hao.

Zhao Fusheng didn't know that. His casual remark today had no other meaning, but Ning Hao dared not take Zhao Fusheng's opinion lightly.