Chapter 1546 The Real Purpose

"Chairman Zhao, I was immature before. Please be magnanimous and don't hold it against me."

Zhou Bing hesitated for a moment, then finally picked up a glass of wine, walked very straightforwardly up to Zhao Fusheng, and softly apologized.

She wasn't an idiot. Since she was hosting this banquet to admit fault today, she might as well be direct and let the matter be settled.

In front of her own agency boss, Zhou Bing could put on the airs of a proud天之骄女, but in front of Zhou Jianmin, she dared not show any pride at all.

Because Zhou Bing knew very well that the reason she could be so carefree in the entertainment circle was not because she was particularly beautiful or had great acting skills—there were plenty of beauties and skilled actors in the film and television circle, yet others still had to accept all kinds of under-the-table rules and still couldn't get good resources.

In the end, it was because of the family behind her.

More bluntly, it was because those big shots feared the Zhou family behind her and dared not provoke those in officialdom, which allowed her to be carefree until now.

If she truly lost her family's support, Zhou Bing could imagine with her toenails what kind of situation she would face.

So now, she was truly afraid!

Zhao Fusheng smiled as he looked at Zhou Bing, then after a long while shook his head and sighed: "Forgive my frankness, Miss Zhou, you really aren't suited for development in the entertainment circle."

Ah?

Zhou Bing was startled, and even Zhou Jianmin looked at Zhao Fusheng with some surprise.

Zhao Fusheng shrugged: "Miss Zhou's personality is more like that of a spoiled child. The entertainment circle is a place that requires constant compromise."

Then he glanced at Zhou Jianmin: "Forgive my frankness, Brother Zhou. I'm like this—if I consider someone a friend, I won't hide anything when I speak. You and I hit it off at first sight, so I'll speak bluntly."

Zhou Jianmin laughed and nodded: "I understand what you mean. You're right. Bingbing's personality really is..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear—he agreed with Zhao Fusheng's words.

Zhou Bing wanted to retort but dared not speak.

There was no help for it; on one side was her brother, on the other was Zhao Fusheng, whom she had just apologized to. She couldn't afford to offend either of them.

More importantly, she wasn't stupid. In this gathering today, Zhou Jianmin clearly had matters to discuss with Zhao Fusheng. If she ruined this cooperation because of herself, she dared not imagine what her future days would be like.

Zhao Fusheng smiled and said nothing more.

He glanced at Zheng Yao, who had been silent all along, and said: "President Zheng, if the opportunity arises, you can cooperate with Miss Zhou."

Zheng Yao nodded in response: "Understood, Chairman."

"I've long heard of President Zheng's reputation," Zhou Jianmin said with a smile to Zheng Yao.

This was the truth. Zheng Yao was quite well-known in the business circles of the capital.

A beautiful woman, single, and in charge of the Future Group with a market value exceeding five billion RMB—that in itself was a相当吸引人的噱头.

Although news had spread that the Future Group's various subsidiaries were being split off to be responsible for their own profits and losses, Zheng Yao remained a target of attention for many.

"You flatter me, Mr. Zhou," Zheng Yao said with a calm yet polite smile.

She was generally not very interested in people who relied on family backgrounds to rise.

Not that she disliked them, but she had no desire to develop a deep friendship.

In Zheng Yao's view, a man with such a family background had absolutely nothing in common with her.

Zhou Jianmin didn't waste words either; he turned back and continued chatting with Zhao Fusheng.

One doesn't visit a temple without a reason. Zhao Fusheng knew that if it were just about admitting fault with a banquet, this gentleman wouldn't have taken this attitude. Clearly, he had something to discuss with him.

Sure enough, Zhou Bing soon left on the pretext of having a schedule, and Zheng Yao also had things to do and took her leave.

In fact, she knew that Zhao Fusheng had asked her to come just to meet Zhou Bing. Since the other party had apologized, she would naturally drop the suppression and blacklisting of Zhou Bing and Chenfeng Entertainment when she returned.

Soon, only Zhao Fusheng, Zhou Jianmin, and Xue Yuanfang remained in the room.

Even Wu Sijie, the assistant, had been instructed by Zhao Fusheng to wait outside.

After several rounds of drinks and various dishes,

"Business is tough these days," Zhou Jianmin sighed helplessly to Zhao Fusheng. "In the past few months, after the subprime mortgage crisis broke out in the US, it's started to affect the whole world, especially for those in investment. The impact is huge."

Xue Yuanfang agreed: "Yes, this is an era of global economic integration. One move affects the whole board. When the US has problems, we feel the effects here too."

Clearly, the two had communicated before.

Zhao Fusheng listened to their words as a cold bystander, then after a long while smiled: "Actually, that's not necessarily true. The outbreak of the subprime crisis might just be an opportunity."

Opportunity?

Xue Yuanfang and Zhou Jianmin exchanged a glance, especially Zhou Jianmin, who showed a hint of a smile.

The reason he chose to bow his head to Zhao Fusheng was largely because of this.

He was a businessman. At a time like this, having the chance to associate with a recognized genius in the investment circle like Zhao Fusheng, he naturally wouldn't miss it.

"Fusheng, tell me, what's going on?"

Zhou Jianmin looked at Zhao Fusheng eagerly, clearly hoping to get some advice from him.

Zhao Fusheng smiled: "Brother Zhou, forgive my frankness, how much money can you put up?"

"What?"

Hearing Zhao Fusheng's words, Zhou Jianmin was immediately startled, looking at Zhao Fusheng with some surprise, as if he hadn't understood his meaning at all.

Zhao Fusheng shrugged: "I mean, how much money can you pull out right now to cooperate with me?"

Cooperate?

This time, Zhao Fusheng's words completely unsettled Zhou Jianmin.

Originally, his plan was to meet Zhao Fusheng today, build a relationship, get familiar, and then see if he could get some advice from him.

As for cooperation, Zhou Jianmin had actually thought about it, but he felt their relationship wasn't close enough, and abruptly proposing cooperation would likely not be easily agreed to.

But he hadn't expected Zhao Fusheng to take the initiative to bring up cooperation. This really surprised Zhou Jianmin.

Looking at Zhou Jianmin's reaction, Zhao Fusheng smiled faintly.

In fact, from the moment Xue Yuanfang acted as a mediator for Zhou Jianmin, Zhao Fusheng realized there must be something behind it.

He wasn't a child, nor was he arrogant enough to think that a businessman with some wealth could force a high-ranking official's family to bow and submit to him.

At most, they would stop being celebrities, but they had other ways to make things difficult for him.

In that case, the best outcome would be mutual destruction.

How could it be that as soon as he made a move against Zhou Bing, Zhou Jianmin immediately softened and had Zhou Bing host a banquet to apologize?

There was only one possibility: Zhou Jianmin had a favor to ask!

So Zhao Fusheng agreed to Xue Yuanfang's request to meet Zhou Jianmin.

Facts proved his guess was right. Zhou Jianmin's words just now, along with his earlier attitude, confirmed Zhao Fusheng's speculation that he indeed intended to cooperate with him.

And for Zhao Fusheng, he didn't mind cooperating with others.

Money can't be earned all by oneself—a truth Zhao Fusheng understood long ago.

Even if one were a time traveler reborn, one's power would ultimately have limits. If he tried to hog everything, not to mention whether he could succeed, he would end up with enemies everywhere.

That was a situation Zhao Fusheng certainly didn't want to see.

So he would try to expand his circle of allies.

And the best way to win allies was to give them enough benefits.

If everyone made money together, naturally more and more people would stand on his side.

Seek common ground while reserving differences, and prosper together.

That was Zhao Fusheng's current thinking.

Clearly, Zhou Jianmin felt Zhao Fusheng's goodwill.

"How much do you need?"

Zhou Jianmin looked at Zhao Fusheng and said slowly.

Zhao Fusheng was taken aback, then laughed: "Han Xin musters troops—the more, the better, naturally."

That was his true feeling.

When it came to making money, Zhao Fusheng was naturally full of confidence.