Chapter 1532: When Irresistible Force Meets Immovable Object

Men are all pigs' trotters—even Zhao Fusheng himself wouldn't deny that.

From a certain perspective, if he hadn't been reborn as a mature middle-aged man, he probably wouldn't be living so obediently with just Fan Baobao.

Tan Kaixuan's previous debauchery seemed perfectly normal to Zhao Fusheng.

Youthful indiscretion, after all.

By the same token, Zhao Fusheng was happy to see his friend fall into the snare of love without realizing it.

“Aren't you going to follow and see?” Fan Baobao asked, seeing Zhao Fusheng sitting there in a daze.

“Me?”

Zhao Fusheng looked puzzled. “Why would I follow?”

“In case something happens, you can lend a hand,” Fan Baobao said, baffled. In her view, given how close her husband and Tan Kaixuan were, how could he not get involved?

Zhao Fusheng shook his head and smiled. “Entertainment industry matters should be resolved in entertainment industry ways. Besides, Old Tan isn't a three-year-old. Don't forget, he's worth at least several billion yuan now and holds a US passport. If anything really happens, we don't need to step in—someone will stand up for him.”

Fan Baobao was taken aback, then suddenly understood. “Right, right, right. I almost forgot that.”

Though reluctant to admit it, that was just how things were in the country now.

Tan Kaixuan, with his US passport, could indeed move freely in the capital. At the very least, a businessman like him, holding a foreign passport while investing and spending money domestically, was exactly the kind of person the country favored.

After all, there were plenty of wealthy Chinese descendants, but not so many willing to keep their real money in the country.

In fact, Zhao Fusheng had another thought he didn't voice: setting everything else aside, Xue Yuanfang alone would never let Tan Kaixuan get into trouble under his nose.

After all, Tan Kaixuan was now one of the Xue family's partners.

Unlike Zhao Fusheng's cautious approach, Tan Kaixuan had returned to China to play the role of a money-dispensing philanthropist. He had invested in numerous projects with Xue Yuanfang, most of them joint ventures between the Xue family and Tan Kaixuan.

Under those circumstances, if Tan Kaixuan got into trouble in the capital, where would the Xue family's face go?

Especially now that it was all but certain that the Xue family's big shot would at least enter the Elders' Council—unless someone was insane, who would dare offend the Xue family?

With backers in both politics and business, Zhao Fusheng really wasn't worried about Tan Kaixuan.

He even felt a bit sorry for whoever had provoked Tong Xiaoya. Under these circumstances, even if that person's father had ten or a hundred billion in assets, it wouldn't be enough for Tan Kaixuan to crush.

In fact, if the other party wasn't careful, they might even give Tan Kaixuan an opportunity to teach them a harsh lesson.

Of course, that had little to do with Zhao Fusheng. No matter who the other party was, Zhao Fusheng would definitely stand on Tan Kaixuan's side.

That was just how he was—he sided with his friends, not with reason.

Given the bond Zhao Fusheng and Tan Kaixuan had shared in their previous lives, and how Tan Kaixuan had helped him countless times, this time, even if Tan Kaixuan went up against some big shots, Zhao Fusheng would still choose to support him.

At worst, they could both emigrate with their families.

In this world, as long as you had money, you could live well anywhere.

As for leaving one's homeland, that was just unavoidable.

But Zhao Fusheng figured the higher-ups wouldn't let that happen.

Especially the Xue family—now that Tan Kaixuan was scattering money like a philanthropist, they wouldn't give up this golden goose.

…

…

As it turned out, Zhao Fusheng's guess was right.

When Tan Kaixuan met Ye Jing, Ye Jing had already uncovered the whole truth.

“That role in C'est la vie, mon chéri was indeed taken away by someone else,” Ye Jing said, getting straight to the point as soon as they met.

“Who?”

Tan Kaixuan frowned, clearly displeased.

Ye Jing shook his head. “It was the investors' decision.”

“Investors?”

Tan Kaixuan was even more confused.

He really didn't understand the ins and outs of this. In his view, how could such a minor role involve the investors' opinion?

“This kind of thing is common in film production,” Ye Jing explained, seeing Tan Kaixuan's confusion. “A movie usually has many investors. To spread risk, several companies invest together. Of course, there are lead investors and smaller ones. In simple terms, it's about how much money each puts in.”

“I get that,” Tan Kaixuan smiled. “Zhao Fusheng mentioned it to me. I think it's the same principle as us venture capitalists casting a wide net.”

Ye Jing smiled wryly but had to admit Tan Kaixuan had a point.

“The director of C'est la vie, mon chéri is Er Xiaobao. He's from Hong Kong and has quite a few connections,” Ye Jing informed Tan Kaixuan.

“Tell me more,” Tan Kaixuan said curiously.

“He was an actor when he was young, from an acting family. Both his brothers are well-known actors in Hong Kong. Later, he switched to directing and did quite well. Oh, and he once dated Goddess Man,” Ye Jing said with a smile, recounting Er Xiaobao's glorious history.

Tan Kaixuan frowned. “A playboy?”

“Not really,” Ye Jing shook his head, dismissing the guess. “Anyway, he's a director with some reputation in Hong Kong. Making films on the mainland, he has market appeal. The movie had several investors. They approached me, but since I was busy with other things, I just threw in a symbolic million yuan.”

“Is that so?” Tan Kaixuan laughed. “So you're one of the investors too?”

“Sort of,” Ye Jing smiled. “I asked around. The person who had Tong Xiaoya's role replaced is probably one of the other investors. Since it wasn't a major role, Er Xiaobao didn't object.”

“Who is it?” Tan Kaixuan's expression turned serious.

“A guy named Wang Jie, a rich second-generation,” Ye Jing said slowly.

“From the investors?”

“Well, these days many companies are eyeing the film industry,” Ye Jing explained. “Wang Jie's father owns a real estate company that's very well-known in the capital. Conservatively, his net worth, even if not as high as our chairman's, surpasses most people's. Riding on his old man's reputation, Wang Jie has earned the title 'One of the Four Young Masters of the Capital.' He's someone in the capital's social circle.”

“Four Young Masters of the Capital?”

Tan Kaixuan's eyes widened. He looked at Ye Jing incredulously. “You're not joking, are you?”

Ye Jing barely suppressed a laugh and nodded seriously. “That's right, the Four Young Masters of the Capital. You heard correctly.”

“Impressive.”

After a long pause, Tan Kaixuan shook his head helplessly. “So, he's just a rich second-generation, driven by lust, and he's been secretly suppressing Tong Xiaoya?”

“Basically, yes,” Ye Jing nodded. “That day you hit him, he later found out Tong Xiaoya's identity, which led to what happened afterward.”

“Bastard!”

Tan Kaixuan cursed under his breath, his face dark.

That day, in the rush, he hadn't had time to size up Wang Jie. He never expected to be screwed over by this guy.

“What now? Go after him?”

Ye Jing asked Tan Kaixuan.

Tan Kaixuan thought for a moment, then shook his head. “Not yet. Have someone dig up his info for me. When I decide to deal with him, I'll let you know.”

He paused, then said to Ye Jing, “Check if any of your company's film or TV productions need actors. If there's a suitable role, arrange something for Tong Xiaoya. I'll talk to Old Zhao about it later.”

“No problem. It's a small favor,” Ye Jing said without objection.

He and Tan Kaixuan had a good relationship anyway, and he knew exactly how close Tan Kaixuan was to his boss.

It was no exaggeration to say that Zhao Fusheng and Tan Kaixuan were the kind of close friends who would entrust each other with their families. Even those around them envied that bond.

“By the way, what about the production team?” Ye Jing asked as Tan Kaixuan was about to leave.

“It's fine. It's just a role. If necessary, I'll invest in a movie for her myself,” Tan Kaixuan said, stopping in his tracks and considering for a moment, exuding authority.

Ye Jing shrugged and nodded, saying nothing more.

It must be nice to be rich!

So capricious!

But he also understood that Tan Kaixuan must have other considerations—that wasn't his concern.

Ye Jing knew his own limits. Though he was a big shot in the film and television industry, in the capital, under the shadow of the imperial city, he knew he was nothing.

So when it came to conflicts among the big players, it was better for him to just cheer from the sidelines.

As for charging into battle, it was wiser to stay out of it.

Tan Kaixuan understood that too, which was why he didn't push.

After leaving Future Film, Tan Kaixuan called Zhao Fusheng and recounted the situation. Finally, he asked, “What do you think I should do about this?”

Zhao Fusheng was also a bit stunned on the other end of the line. The Four Young Masters of the Capital?

As far as he could recall, that title wasn't exactly a good one!

Sure, the name sounded intimidating, but in reality, true big shots would never be foolish enough to expose themselves to the spotlight. The so-called Four Young Masters were just for show.

Of course, for ordinary people, there was still some substance to it. At the very least, Wang Jie, as one of the so-called Four Young Masters, would have no trouble going after an ordinary Central Academy of Drama student like Tong Xiaoya.

But now that Tan Kaixuan had entered the game, Zhao Fusheng was looking forward to seeing what spectacular scene would unfold when a Young Master of the Capital met a returnee tycoon!

But now that Tan Kaixuan had entered the game, Zhao Fusheng was looking forward to seeing what spectacular scene would unfold when a Young Master of the Capital met a returnee tycoon!