Chapter 2117: Calling to Account

Zuckerberg had always been clear about the changes in his relationship with Zhao Fusheng.

Or rather, the development of the entire matter could not have happened without his own behind-the-scenes maneuvering.

The reason was simple: Zuckerberg knew that he and Zhao Fusheng would eventually face conflicts of interest.

Wealth stirs the heart; those not of our kind are bound to have different intentions.

Every reason indicated that Zhao Fusheng and he were destined to go their separate ways.

But Zuckerberg hadn't expected that, even at this point, Zhao Fusheng would still trust him and stand by his side.

Even though he was now a cold-blooded businessman, he was still somewhat moved.

Little did he know, Zhao Fusheng was just putting on a show.

Or to put it more clearly, Zhao Fusheng's current posture was deliberately displayed for Zuckerberg to see.

Life is like a play; everyone is acting.

For Zhao Fusheng, Facebook was just a business. He didn't have the kind of ideas Zuckerberg had, thinking about how to do this or that. Zhao Fusheng's thinking was simple: the higher Facebook's market value, the more he earned.

As for when to sell his Facebook shares, that depended on when he needed to.

Or rather, from the very beginning, Zhao Fusheng never intended to hold these Facebook shares long-term; he was just waiting for the company to go public.

So, facing Zuckerberg, Zhao Fusheng could naturally speak those words just now.

As for whether Zuckerberg believed him, that didn't matter.

Besides, a well-developed company was indeed beneficial for both Zhao Fusheng and Zuckerberg.

Zhao, thank you for your reminder.

After a long while, Zuckerberg looked at Zhao Fusheng and said slowly.

Clearly, Zhao Fusheng's words had moved him.

The two chatted for a while longer, and Zhao Fusheng again expressed his full support for Zuckerberg before they parted.

Chairman, will you really support him fully?

Only after Zuckerberg's figure disappeared did Liu Yiming ask Zhao Fusheng with some surprise.

What, you find it unbelievable?

Zhao Fusheng smiled and asked casually.

Liu Yiming nodded: Yes, that guy is clearly problematic.

He had done some research on Zuckerberg before.

In Liu Yiming's view, the guy was now a complete businessman; trusting him was pure fantasy.

Zhao Fusheng chuckled lightly, neither confirming nor denying Liu Yiming's words.

What Liu Yiming could think of, he had also thought of.

But in business, unless it involved matters of principle, most of the time you didn't need to consider what kind of person the other party was, only whether it aligned with your own interests.

Just like now, for Zhao Fusheng, what kind of person Zuckerberg was no longer mattered. What mattered was that Zuckerberg and his Facebook could bring huge benefits to Zhao Fusheng.

Although this was very realistic, it was precisely the logical thinking a businessman should have.

It might be somewhat cold-blooded, but it was absolutely correct.

……

……

Zhao Fusheng was not interested in how Zuckerberg would integrate Facebook after he returned, nor did he intend to find out.

For him, it was just an episode.

He had many places to go and many people to see next; in Zhao Fusheng's own words, he treated it as a round-the-world trip.

"To Los Angeles."

Zhao Fusheng instructed Liu Yiming.

Liu Yiming naturally had no objections, and the group rushed to Los Angeles without stopping.

Having arrived in Los Angeles, they naturally had to go to Hollywood.

And Zhao Fusheng's destination was none other than Marvel.

"Zhao, why are you here?"

Looking at Zhao Fusheng, both Kevin Feige and Shawn Levy were completely surprised; they never expected Zhao Fusheng to suddenly appear in the United States.

After all, the guy was always elusive, making it impossible to guess his whereabouts.

This time, he came without notice—could there be a new decision?

"Nothing much, I'm just passing through."

Zhao Fusheng looked calm and said with a smile, "Maybe someone can explain to me why the global box office of 'The Incredible Hulk' is so dismal."

"Well..."

Both Shawn Levy and Kevin Feige were dumbfounded.

Although they had mentally prepared themselves, being confronted by Zhao Fusheng still made them quite embarrassed.

After all, at the beginning of that movie, everyone at Marvel was full of confidence, as if the film could create a miracle for Marvel movies, but in the end...

The box office was so dismal that it was beyond words.

Zhao Fusheng hadn't pursued this matter before, which Kevin Feige and Shawn Levy found strange. Now that Zhao Fusheng had suddenly appeared and was so assertive, they finally realized that this boss was not to be trifled with.

"Zhao, I think this is a misunderstanding."

Kevin Feige finally stepped forward and explained to Zhao Fusheng, "I think I can explain."

Zhao Fusheng smiled: "Alright, I'm listening. Go ahead."

"I admit that 'The Incredible Hulk' did have some problems. The box office failure proves that we indeed need to improve our strategy, but I think the issue is not with the film itself, but with the choice of superheroes," Kevin Feige said confidently to Zhao Fusheng.

In fact, even Zhao Fusheng had to admit that Kevin Feige wasn't wrong.

Although superhero movies are heavily hyped, they still fall under the popcorn category; few people watch them a second time thinking they have deep meaning.

Moreover, in recent years, DC's Superman movies have also had poor box office. In other words, Americans or the world at large have entered a period of aesthetic fatigue with invincible heroes like Hulk and Superman.

And more importantly, 'The Incredible Hulk' made the same fatal mistake as 'Hulk': Louis Leterrier, like Ang Lee, is not a true big director in Hollywood. Big directors have the power to decide the final cut and special effects.

Other directors can only watch their films get cut up chaotically without any recourse, ultimately leading to predictable box office failure.

Of course, even knowing this, Zhao Fusheng would not let Kevin Feige off the hook.

What is a boss?

A boss is someone who, if he's unhappy with you, can find ten thousand excuses to knock you down.

And as a subordinate, besides sitting there obediently and taking the reprimand, there's no other choice.

Of course, if you don't want to work anymore, you can throw your badge in the boss's face and tell him you're done.

But the question is, how many people dare to do that?

Moreover, Kevin Feige had already suffered this loss before, being thoroughly reprimanded by Zhao Fusheng at the board meeting and nearly kicked out of Marvel.

So at this moment, he naturally wouldn't play the role of preferring death to surrender.

When it comes to life, it's okay to back down when necessary; there's no shame in it.

Everyone has their moments of defeat.