Chapter 1937 Persuasion

After chatting with his mother for a while and calling his father to report his safety, Zhao Fusheng handed the child to his mother and went upstairs on his own.

Why are you back so soon?

Fan Baobao was a bit surprised; she had originally thought Zhao Fusheng would stay in Xichuan for a few days.

There's a ton of stuff here, and the rescue work over there can't be completed in a day or two,” Zhao Fusheng explained to Fan Baobao.

Then he smiled: “Your performance earlier was great!”

Really?

Fan Baobao looked up, her face full of joy.

She rarely got involved in Zhao Fusheng's career, partly because she felt inadequate, and partly because she didn't want to affect him or invite criticism for turning the company into a family business.

But as a wife, who wouldn't want to help her husband?

Fan Baobao was no exception.

Deep down, she had always longed for the day when she could offer Zhao Fusheng some help.

That sense of achievement was beyond words.

Of course it's true.

Zhao Fusheng said seriously: “You did really well this time. Everyone in the company is praising you, and people outside are praising you too.”

That's good,” Fan Baobao patted her chest: “I was worried that my decision might cause you trouble.”

After all, her decision at the time had indeed been a bit too bold.

It was only because her momentum intimidated everyone, and no one wanted to engage in a battle of pride with her, that Future Group didn't end up in a dilemma.

Haha, don't overthink it.

Zhao Fusheng waved his hand: “In business, sometimes you have to adopt a 'burn your bridges' attitude; otherwise, how can you make others fear you?”

Really?

Fan Baobao had never heard such a viewpoint before; clearly, she hadn't expected it.

Zhao Fusheng smiled: “You don't understand. In business, sometimes it's all about momentum. If you make your opponent afraid, you can win. Conversely, if you fear your opponent, they won't take you seriously.”

You know, that's actually true.

Fan Baobao nodded thoughtfully, realizing that what Zhao Fusheng said made sense.

By the way, how is Chen Shijie's matter going?

Fan Baobao recalled something and asked Zhao Fusheng: “Is there really no hope at all?”

Zhao Fusheng's expression quickly darkened. He nodded and said bitterly: “The place where he was is now a pile of rubble. It's been confirmed that there are no survivors, so the search hasn't been conducted yet.”

The implication was clear.

Fan Baobao sighed, touched Zhao Fusheng's face, and looked worried.

She naturally understood what he meant.

Not searching yet, confirmed no survivors—in other words, at this critical moment of disaster relief, they would first search places where survivors might exist.

Only later would they begin clearing the site where Chen Shijie died.

I've instructed the person in charge there to notify me immediately if there's any news,” Zhao Fusheng sighed.

Just do your best, that's all.

Fan Baobao said to Zhao Fusheng.

She knew that Zhao Fusheng was in a bad mood right now, so she tried her best to comfort her husband.

At this moment, what Zhao Fusheng needed most was comfort from those close to him.

Oh, did you know that Sister Feihong went to the disaster area?

Fan Baobao suddenly remembered something and said to Zhao Fusheng.

Nonsense!

Zhao Fusheng's face changed, and his expression turned grim: “What's going on? What are Zheng Yao and Ye Jing doing? Why didn't they stop Sister Feihong?”

He regarded Yu Feihong as his own sister. Others might not know, but Zhao Fusheng was well aware of how dangerous Xichuan was right now.

Aftershocks have always been more dangerous than the main earthquake.

Aftershocks are smaller earthquakes that follow the main shock, usually occurring in the same place within the Earth. Typically, after a main shock, a series of aftershocks follow, generally weaker than the main shock. Aftershocks can last for days or even months.

To use a vivid analogy, aftershocks are like echoes of speech. Although their energy is weaker than the preceding earthquake, their cumulative force can cause buildings that have been repeatedly struck to collapse. Aftershocks occur after a major earthquake; while their energy alone may not be threatening, multiple aftershocks can still cause disasters.

Researchers studied precise data from thousands of earthquakes in Southern California between 1984 and 2002, where main shocks had magnitudes of 2–4 and aftershocks had magnitudes greater than 2, as well as main shocks of magnitude 5–6 with aftershocks greater than magnitude 3. They found that beyond 50 km from the epicenter, the number of aftershocks dropped sharply. More precisely, they found that the distance from the epicenter and the number of aftershocks decayed approximately as an exponent of -1.35. They said this implies that a steady trigger initiated the entire process, and within 50 km, the change in static pressure is almost negligible, so 'dynamic stress' is the main culprit for aftershocks. They also noted that seismic waves decay exponentially with distance.

This time was no different. During the few days Zhao Fusheng was in Xichuan, Suying County experienced more than a dozen aftershocks, each around magnitude five.

Going there at such a time was undoubtedly taking a huge risk.

Zhao Fusheng hadn't felt much when he went himself, but he was genuinely worried about Yu Feihong going.

Over at the *Let the Bullets Fly* crew, Jiang Wen had originally planned to continue filming, but Zhao Fusheng forced him to return to the capital.

In Zhao Fusheng's view, money could never be earned in full, but life was only one. Not everyone, like him, had the luck to come again.

If something really happened, how would he explain it to her family?

"She wants to go herself; we can't stop her."

Fan Baobao naturally understood the bond between Zhao Fusheng and Yu Feihong, and said with a wry smile: "You know Sister's temper. When has she ever changed her mind because of someone else's opinion?"

Zhao Fusheng nodded helplessly upon hearing this.

On this point, Yu Feihong had the same personality as him—the kind that was gentle on the outside but firm within.

Once she set her mind on something, she would never easily turn back, no matter the cost.

As long as she thought it was worth it, she would strive to do it.

That was also why the two of them, though not siblings by blood, were as close as real siblings.

Because they were too alike.

Moreover, within the entire Future Group, everyone knew that Yu Feihong held a special status.

Although she was only a minor shareholder of Future Film, everyone understood her influence over Zhao Fusheng—a very detached position.

So when she made a decision, there were really few who could stop her.

"I'll give her a call."

Zhao Fusheng thought for a moment and said to Fan Baobao.

Fan Baobao nodded and went downstairs to look after the children.

Zhao Fusheng sat there, took out his phone, and dialed Yu Feihong's number.

By his calculation, Sister Feihong should have already arrived in Jincheng by now, so the call should still go through. If she had actually reached Suying County, the signal might be hard to get.

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

At that moment, Yu Feihong had indeed just arrived in Jincheng.

She was also surprised to receive Zhao Fusheng's call.

"You're back?"

Yu Feihong asked Zhao Fusheng.

"Yeah."

Zhao Fusheng nodded: "What's with us siblings, one after another? I just left, and you're going. Planning to stay there long?"

"Stop talking nonsense."

Yu Feihong was amused by his words: "I'm here to help, not to cause trouble."

"I know."

Zhao Fusheng nodded: "I know you're going to help, but can I make a suggestion?"

"Go ahead."

"First, you're going to help the victims, so what you should do is use your status as much as possible to raise urgently needed supplies." Zhao Fusheng said seriously. "Second, you're a public figure. Do what you should do. Don't personally go search for missing people—you're not as professional as them. What you should do is comfort the victims, hand out supplies, and stabilize their emotions."

It had to be said, Zhao Fusheng was quite clever. He knew that if he tried to persuade Yu Feihong to come back, she definitely wouldn't agree. So he took a step back, gave her plenty of freedom, and then reasoned with her, analyzing the situation thoroughly, ultimately convincing her to be careful.

"Okay."

After a long silence, Yu Feihong finally nodded: "Don't worry, I'll remember."

She also knew that what Zhao Fusheng said was not only for her own good but also came from his experience.

After all, according to media reports, the chairman of Future Group was one of the first civilians to organize personnel and supplies to enter the disaster area as a volunteer.

In other words, Zhao Fusheng had more say in this matter than anyone else.

"By the way, you can contact the Red Cross. If there's a chance, work together." Zhao Fusheng thought for a moment and said to Yu Feihong.

Although later generations had mixed opinions about that organization, it had to be said that in some respects, disaster relief couldn't do without the Red Cross.

"Don't worry, I know." Yu Feihong nodded.

Although she was reluctant to deal with those bureaucrats at the Red Cross, at this moment, she couldn't care too much.

As long as it could help the victims, in Yu Feihong's view, these were small matters.

Hanging up the phone, Zhao Fusheng let out a long sigh. He didn't know if Sister Feihong would heed his advice; he hoped everything would go smoothly.

With that thought, he put his phone aside and prepared to take a shower. To be honest, although he hadn't personally participated in search and rescue during those days in Xichuan, it had still been mentally draining for Zhao Fusheng.