Chapter 1866: A Small Disagreement

Not long after, Hong Kong media broke the news that Chow Yun-fat would star in Jiang Wen's new film, playing the villain Huang Silang.

“King vs. King: Jiang Wen and Chow Yun-fat’s Acting Showdown!”

“A Mega-Production in Chinese Cinema: 100 Million Investment!”

“What Magic Does Jiang Wen’s New Film Have That Makes Chow Yun-fat Willing to Play a Supporting Role?”

For a time, all kinds of discussions came pouring in.

There was no helping it—the news was simply too shocking!

Future Film, on the other hand, maintained a news blackout. In Zhao Fusheng’s words, letting them keep talking was actually a good thing; at the very least, it would generate some buzz for the film, which wasn’t a bad thing.

As for Ge You, he had no objections. He was already very happy; acting opposite Chow Yun-fat and Jiang Wen was a challenge for him.

After all, he rarely had such opportunities before.

For a professional actor, he didn’t want to miss such a chance.

But on the mainland side, Jiang Wen and Ye Jing were already dumbfounded.

Because Chow Yun-fat’s camp had formally notified them that he agreed to take the role.

“No way, it actually worked.”

Ye Jing looked at Zhao Fusheng in utter surprise. Clearly, he hadn’t expected Zhao Fusheng’s idea to actually be effective.

Zhao Fusheng smiled and looked at Jiang Wen.

Jiang Wen was obviously in a good mood. Seeing Zhao Fusheng look at him, he casually explained, “Actually, it’s simple. Chow Yun-fat is a big star now; he takes roles based on personal connections and the director. I gave him that much face, and the pay is good, so of course he’s willing.”

“That makes sense.”

Ye Jing nodded, finally understanding what it meant.

Clearly, Chow Yun-fat’s camp had been moved by their sincerity.

Given Jiang Wen’s status, being willing to invite him by writing a letter showed genuine sincerity.

Face is something people give each other. If you don’t give someone face, they won’t give you face either. Future Film had offered the olive branch, and Chow Yun-fat was smart enough not to play hard to get—that wouldn’t suit his character.

Most importantly, Chow Yun-fat was also looking forward to acting opposite two Best Actors like Jiang Wen and Ge You.

That was probably the mutual admiration between the strong.

“The main cast is set. Next is the female lead.”

Zhao Fusheng looked at Jiang Wen: “Are you really going to ask for Liang’s wife?”

He was referring, of course, to Carina Lau.

“Yeah, I think she’s the most suitable, especially in terms of presence.” Jiang Wen nodded.

“Alright, then it’s her.”

Zhao Fusheng ultimately didn’t argue with Jiang Wen’s opinion. He was the director; if he thought she was right, then she was the one.

Though in truth, Zhao Fusheng really didn’t like this Miss Lau.

In the thirty years since her debut, Carina Lau had always been tied to the glamorous name of “rich man.” Her thirty-year dream of marrying into wealth had taken her from a young girl to a middle-aged woman, from before marriage to after. In high-society circles, Sister Ling had always been the confidante of the rich—a fact that left all other actresses feeling inferior...

Thirty years ago, the newly debuted Carina Lau almost married into a wealthy family, becoming a rich man’s wife like Xu Ziqi. If that dream had come true, she would probably have had children by now, instead of still being suspected by the media of trying to conceive. Truly, life is hard, don’t expose it.

Miss Lau’s first rich boyfriend was someone many people knew well: Mr. Xu, now the husband of the beauty Michelle Reis. Although the couple now only lives on a monthly allowance of two million Hong Kong dollars, back then, Mr. Xu was a big deal among Hong Kong’s演艺圈 actresses.

However, Carina Lau didn’t win the Xu family’s approval. During their passionate relationship, Mr. Xu moved out of the mansion to live with Carina Lau and even held a small engagement ceremony.

Of course, the clever Miss Lau knew that winning her lover’s heart wasn’t enough; status was the most important thing.

So she tried to force a marriage.

Rumor has it that Mr. Xu once asked Carina Lau if she felt tired juggling acting and accompanying him to social events. She replied, “A bit, but acting is my interest. The worst part is the reporters—they keep chasing me with questions I don’t know how to answer. And I can’t lie, so I’m always afraid of saying the wrong thing.”

So Mr. Xu asked what the reporters wanted to know. Carina Lau said, “They ask when we’re getting married. I don’t know how to answer.”

He thought for a moment, then said, “Don’t rush this. My parents are very traditional, but you have to have faith in me... Next time they ask, just say ‘soon.’”

With her boyfriend’s promise, Carina Lau was one hundred percent sure she would marry into wealth, so she started bragging to the media. At a press conference, when asked about her relationship, she blurted out, “He and I have discussed it; we’re going to have a wedding soon.”

But unfortunately, Miss Lau was slapped in the face. The other party quickly came out to clarify, and her dream of marrying into wealth was shattered.

Of course, Mr. Xu didn’t marry Michelle Reis afterward; instead, he married He Chaolian, the daughter of gambling king He Hongshen. They divorced ten years later, and then he married the beauty Michelle.

Even so, Miss Lau didn’t stay idle. From real estate prodigy Luo Zhaohui to Taiwanese tycoon Guo Taiming, they all became her suitors.

We have to admit, she was quite skilled. Even the ex-husband of Guan Zhiqiang became her “good friend,” which says a lot.

For that, the two women even had a war of words in the media.

But then again, neither of them was a good bird, and it was a wonder they had the nerve to trade insults in the press.

Guan Zhiqiang, who stole someone else’s husband when Xiaoqing was pregnant, was no better than Miss Lau.

This isn’t Zhao Fusheng slandering Miss Lau; it’s the plain truth. None of her “good friends” were easy to deal with. That Mr. Guo from Taiwan was simultaneously close to Miss Lau and Lin Zhiling—hardly big news. And Luo Zhaohui, after going bankrupt, once revealed that he had kept Yuan Liangliang as a mistress for 500,000 Hong Kong dollars a month.

Speaking of which, one has to mention again how hypocritical Hong Kong actresses are. When Luo Zhaohui went bankrupt and revealed he had kept actresses, Yuan Liangliang denied it when the news broke. But years later, on the Zhiyun dinner show, she openly admitted that she was young and naive, corrupted by the sugar-coated bullets of a sugar daddy.

What a fine example of a prodigal son who turns over a new leaf!

Ha, I really wonder if the fans who worship them as goddesses have something wrong with their brains. What’s there to like about such actresses?

I digress. Back to the main topic.

For Zhao Fusheng, as long as the actors weren’t too unreliable, he didn’t bother to meddle.

The reason he had rejected Chen Yao earlier was because of her public intellectual tendencies. To be honest, compared to Chen Yao, Miss Lau was just materialistic.

That Chen Yao truly didn’t deserve to be an actress.

“By the way, Huayi wants to co-invest.”

Ye Jing remembered something and said to Zhao Fusheng.

“Co-invest?”

Zhao Fusheng frowned: “We’re not short on money, so is it necessary?”

In his view, “The Bullet” was bound to make money. Why should he let others take a share?

“I think it’s necessary.”

Ye Jing looked at Zhao Fusheng and explained, “It’s not just about risk sharing; we also need to strengthen cooperation with other companies through this project.”

As the general manager of Future Film, he considered things more comprehensively than Zhao Fusheng. Although Zhao Fusheng was confident in the film, and Ye Jing believed that with Zhao Fusheng and Jiang Wen’s writing and directing skills, plus the acting of Chow Yun-fat and others, the film would likely be profitable.

But the problem was that Future Film couldn’t just make this one film.

As human beings, everyone needs to survive in society. Not everyone can be Robinson Crusoe, and even he eventually returned to normal human society.

The same goes for business. If you narrow your path and hog all the gains, in the end, no one will cooperate with you.

Take Future Film now. Although the company had signed many actors, a film required not only actors but also all kinds of staff, distribution channels, and theater chains.

This was undoubtedly Future Film’s weakness.

Therefore, Ye Jing felt it was possible to bring in funds from other companies for cooperation.

Money can’t be earned endlessly. Seeking common ground while reserving differences and developing together seemed like the right path.

“What do you think?”

Zhao Fusheng didn’t comment on Ye Jing’s words but looked at Jiang Wen.

Jiang Wen didn’t speak, head down, lost in thought.

Clearly, he knew this question couldn’t be answered lightly, as it involved tens of millions in investment and the company’s strategy.

To be honest, if he hadn’t already started getting involved in company management, he wouldn’t even think about it.

“Say something.”

Ye Jing looked at Jiang Wen helplessly. At this moment, he needed Jiang Wen to support his idea.

After a long while, Jiang Wen looked up at Zhao Fusheng: “I think Old Ye has a point.”

“Huh?”

Zhao Fusheng was slightly taken aback. He hadn’t expected Old Jiang to side with Ye Jing. He had thought that, given Jiang Wen’s personality, he would agree with his own idea.

But unexpectedly, Jiang Wen agreed with Ye Jing.

“What, surprised?”

Jiang Wen glanced at Zhao Fusheng and said, “Actually, I originally thought we should do it ourselves and not worry about the rest. But after thinking it over, it seems unnecessary. This film is a good one. I not only want to use it to prove myself but also to let others in the industry know that if they want to make a big film, Future Film is the best choice.”

Hearing this, Zhao Fusheng was startled, then immediately understood what Jiang Wen meant.