Chapter 1890: Happy Cooperation

Before meeting Zhao Fusheng, no one had expected that this man would be someone without the slightest hint of condescension.

Including Ge Ye, he hadn't dealt with Zhao Fusheng for a long time.

Although Zhao Fusheng had a good reputation in the circle, in many people's eyes, he was no longer part of the entertainment industry.

There was no helping it—with tens of billions in assets, it really wasn't appropriate to regard him as an insider.

More often than not, people were accustomed to seeing Ye Jing as Zhao Fusheng's spokesperson.

Even many within the Future Group felt that the chairman was too mysterious, rarely appearing in the company and only interacting with top management.

So when Zhao Fusheng said it was he who had come up with the idea for Jiang Wen, both Fa Ge and his wife, as well as Ge Ye, were stunned.

“Mr. Zhao, are you joking?”

Fa Ge's voice was a bit distorted as he stared at Zhao Fusheng in surprise.

He truly hadn't expected that Zhao Fusheng, a dignified group chairman, would use such a method to recruit actors.

“Of course I'm not joking.”

Zhao Fusheng smiled calmly and said, “Fa Ge, aside from you two, how many people in the circle do you think are worth my personally planning an invitation?”

As it turned out, when people of different statuses say the same thing, it is perceived differently by others.

Take this very statement just now.

When Jiang Wen said the same thing, both Fa Ge and Ge Ye, despite their surprise, felt somewhat displeased inside.

After all, what Jiang Wen did, in a sense, was treating the two of them like monkeys.

Though Fa Ge hadn't read much, he understood the story of “three in the morning, four in the evening.”

But conversely, the moment Zhao Fusheng uttered that sentence, Fa Ge, his wife, and even Ge Ye felt a surge of pride.

Exactly!

Who was Zhao Fusheng?

He was a bona fide super-rich man.

Even in Hong Kong, those who could oppose him would have to be tycoons like Li Ka-shing or Tan Yongtong.

Knowing their own standing, Ge Ye aside, Fa Ge and his wife were well aware of the status of entertainers in Hong Kong.

Even if he was Chow Yun-fat, renowned in Hong Kong, he was still looked down upon.

In life, wasn't face the most important thing?

Now, Zhao Fusheng had given them plenty of face; what more could they ask for?

“This, this…”

Fa Ge looked at Zhao Fusheng, truly moved beyond words.

He was an old-school actor; though not well-educated, he deeply understood the principle of respecting teachers and elders. Back then, because his mother disliked his lover, he parted with the woman he deeply loved.

Although Zhao Fusheng and he weren't at the point of “a scholar dies for his bosom friend,” Fa Ge could see that Zhao Fusheng genuinely respected him and wanted him to star in this film.

Face, after all, is something you give to me, and I give to you.

Simply put, Zhao Fusheng's words made Ge Ye and Fa Ge feel honored. Even if this got out, others wouldn't think them foolish; instead, they would consider it a testament to their ability to make a big shot like Zhao Fusheng lower himself to invite them.

“I really didn't expect it to be you.”

Ge You sat there and, after a long while, said to Zhao Fusheng, “Seriously, with this, rest assured, I'll give this film my absolute all.”

What a great honor!

A billionaire personally planning and inviting him to star in his film, and even hosting a dinner to apologize—Ge You felt that if he didn't perform well, he wouldn't be worthy of the pay.

Isn't that how life works?

Fa Ge also nodded repeatedly: “Mr. Zhao, for you to think so highly of me, I am unworthy, truly unworthy.”

Zhao Fusheng laughed and waved his hand: “I should be the one saying sorry. This script was something Old Jiang and I worked out many years ago, but back then, the domestic film market wasn't mature enough, so we didn't dare to propose filming it. Now, at last, we can fulfill our wish.”

Jiang Wen also nodded: “Yeah, at that time I was still filming 'Devils on the Doorstep.' He came to my set, and the two of us studied it in the room all night.”

At that time, he and Zhao Fusheng were not particularly close friends; now looking back, he was filled with emotion.

"The script is a good script."

Fatty had naturally read the script Jiang Wen had sent him, and upon hearing this, he said seriously to Zhao Fusheng and Jiang Wen, "I'm a straightforward person, so please don't mind."

"Please go ahead."

Jiang Wen quickly said.

He was now eager for someone to discuss the script with him, because Zhao Fusheng was so busy he had no time for him.

"Actually, I think this Huang Silang guy..."

Although Fatty wasn't usually very talkative, when it came to discussing scripts, he was quite articulate. Ge You wasn't idle either, occasionally joining in, and along with Jiang Wen, the three chatted enthusiastically.

In contrast, Zhao Fusheng calmly chatted with Fatty's wife about everyday matters.

Fatty and his wife had no children. When she heard that Zhao Fusheng already had a daughter and was about to have a second child, she quickly congratulated him.

Zhao Fusheng smiled and thanked her, and invited Fatty's wife to visit his home when convenient.

The meal lasted until midnight; if Zhao Fusheng hadn't noticed Fatty's wife was tired and suggested ending it, those three script-talkers could have gone on until morning.

"Ahem, how about this: let's find time to discuss the script thoroughly together. What do you two think?"

Jiang Wen directly proposed to Fatty and Ge You.

They were all truly skilled actors; honestly, it wasn't easy to meet opponents of equal caliber, so they truly felt like matched rivals.

Fatty and Ge You naturally nodded in agreement. Zhao Fusheng smiled and said to Fatty's wife, "Sister-in-law, how about this: when you have time, let my wife and Teacher Jiang's wife take you around?"

Since the men had business to discuss, they needed to find some entertainment for Fatty's wife; otherwise, leaving her alone wouldn't be proper.

Fatty's wife was not unreasonable; she nodded and agreed, but still urged Fatty to take care of his health, as he was no longer young and couldn't withstand such strain, even with an iron body.

Fatty agreed with a smile, and then the two of them took their leave.

Ge You, who lived nearby, was also picked up by his assistant.

Soon, only Zhao Fusheng and Jiang Wen remained.

The two looked at each other and suddenly laughed.

"So, anything you want to say?"

Zhao Fusheng looked at Jiang Wen and spoke.

"You're amazing!"

Jiang Wen nodded: "You were right after all."

Before this, Zhao Fusheng had told him and Ye Jing that no matter what happened, as long as he was brought up in the end, everything would be fine.

At the time, Ye Jing and Jiang Wen had some doubts, but now it was proven that Zhao Fusheng was absolutely right.

"The stage is set for you. I hope you won't let me down."

Zhao Fusheng looked at Jiang Wen and said slowly.

Jiang Wen nodded: "Don't worry."

He naturally understood the significance of Zhao Fusheng's words. An investment of over a hundred million, unprecedented in China, coupled with an all-star cast—Jiang Wen knew that if he failed this time, the reputation he had built over years of investment would be completely ruined.

Jiang Wen was not Wu Bai'ge or Mo Jingwang; he had no interest in screwing over his own people.

Fatty and Ge You felt honored to be valued by Zhao Fusheng, but in fact, Jiang Wen was the one who felt most honored.

The respect Zhao Fusheng gave him was incomparable to anyone else.

Even though they were good friends, entrusting him with such a big-budget film and letting him direct and star in it, Jiang Wen knew how much pressure Zhao Fusheng was under.

Taking a deep breath, Jiang Wen watched Zhao Fusheng drive away, and suddenly felt that his responsibility was heavy.

Zhao Fusheng, of course, didn't know what Jiang Wen was thinking after he left; if he did, he would definitely mock the guy.

In Zhao Fusheng's view, this was just a business deal. Maybe the investment was a bit large, but it wasn't like he couldn't afford to lose.

The biggest difference between the poor and the rich is that the poor cannot afford to fail, because they can't bear the consequences of failure, which would ruin their lives.

And the rich don't need to worry about that; even if they fail, it's okay, because they still have the chance to start over.