Chapter 1018: A Request by Indirection Is Better Than by Direct Confrontation

Only the ox gets tired from plowing; the field is never worn out.

The ancients were quite clever, and the principles they summed up are full of wisdom.

At the very least, Zhao Fusheng was convinced.

The topic of reasserting husbandly authority—ahem—let's drop it here.

“Are you sure you can work with Zhou Xingxing over in Hong Kong?” Fan Baobao lay in Zhao Fusheng's arms, her cheeks slightly flushed, gently tracing circles on his chest with her finger as she asked softly.

Zhao Fusheng chuckled. At moments like this, a man always enters a sage-like state, his thoughts becoming clearer. That was exactly how he felt now.

“Actually, it's not that complicated,” Zhao Fusheng replied.

He knew Fan Baobao was worried about him. After all, she was aware of the industry's earlier “blacklisting” of Future Films, so naturally she cared.

After a moment's thought, Zhao Fusheng patiently explained to Fan Baobao: “I had someone reach out to Zhou Xingxing. He understands my intentions now. The only issues left are the script and the compensation.”

“Script and compensation?” Fan Baobao was startled; she hadn't expected the talks to have gotten so detailed.

Zhao Fusheng smiled. He couldn't very well explain to Fan Baobao that Zhou Xingxing himself had been planning to enter the mainland market but had lacked the right opportunity.

After all, Zhou Xingxing was an extremely sensitive person, and when it came to films, he was particularly picky. Basically, if the script was too bad, he definitely wouldn't take it.

Of course, compensation was also a factor. A big name like Zhou Xingxing would certainly demand a share of the profits. But if the offer was too high and the film underperformed at the box office, it would be a big problem.

So actually, Zhou Xingxing himself was in an awkward position, stuck somewhere in the middle.

Zhao Fusheng extending an olive branch at this moment was undoubtedly timely.

Of course, given Zhou Xingxing's personality, this was only possible because of the introduction by their mutual acquaintance Zhang Guorong. If it had been someone else, he might have simply ignored them, just like he did with Bai Jie before.

So, sometimes whether something succeeds depends on many factors. It might not be a lack of preparation, but simply the need for the right timing.

“If you get the chance, would you like to play a role in this film?” Zhao Fusheng smiled and asked Fan Baobao.

Fan Baobao was taken aback. The thought of appearing in a Zhou Xingxing film flashed through her mind, but after a moment's hesitation, she shook her head and said, “Better not. He's so demanding, and my acting skills... I think I'd better pass.”

Clearly, she was afraid that her poor performance would mess up Zhao Fusheng's plans.

Fan Baobao understood very well how important this film was. The fact that Zhao Fusheng would rather seek out Zhou Xingxing than use his connections to find domestic actors and directors showed how dire the situation was.

At a time like this, if she added to the trouble, she would be really inconsiderate.

So in Fan Baobao's view, she should sit this one out. Let Zhou Xingxing choose a more skilled actor—that would be better for the film overall.

Zhao Fusheng was a bit surprised. In his memory, Fan Baobao had always been eager for opportunities to work with big-name actors, but this time she was backing out.

He was sharp enough to figure out what was worrying her after a moment's thought. With a light laugh, Zhao Fusheng said, “You're worried your acting isn't good enough to carry the role, aren't you?”

Given their relationship, Fan Baobao didn't need to hide anything. She nodded honestly and said, “Yeah, I'm mainly worried that my skills aren't up to par. And with your connections, would the director dare to yell at me or not?”

That was her true feeling. In several films she'd been in because of Zhao Fusheng, the directors had been helpless with her. Even someone as strict as Jiang Wen, who would yell at others like scolding a grandson, could only speak gently to her.

Only when filming *Seventeen Years* on a bicycle did Wang Xiaoshuai really push her. That guy was a completely different person on set—nothing like his usual gentle and refined self. He was harsh and critical, and when angry, he'd keep calling for retakes. Fan Baobao experienced it firsthand and felt at the time that it was good to have Zhao Fusheng.

But precisely because of that, Fan Baobao felt less confident about Zhao Fusheng's idea.

It couldn't be helped. Though she hadn't been at the People's Art Theatre long—almost a year—she was increasingly aware of the huge gap between herself and true acting talents.

It was like a student who always ranked first in an ordinary school, thinking they were a genius. Then one day they transfer to a top-tier high school.

That's a sad story...

Outclassed in every subject—math, physics, chemistry, politics, history—everything she was good at, others were better. That feeling was unbearable.

To be fair, Fan Baobao was pretty resilient. Instead of getting discouraged, she focused on improving her acting skills, which was commendable.

Someone else might have just faded away.

Zhao Fusheng was taken aback by Fan Baobao's words, then laughed.

To be honest, he often treated Fan Baobao like a child. After all, their mental ages were far apart. Many times, Zhao Fusheng thought he should pave the way for her, letting her just focus on being beautiful.

But he forgot that she had her own independent thinking.

At least now, Zhao Fusheng saw Fan Baobao in a new light. The rarest thing for a person is self-awareness.

Especially now, when Fan Baobao knew he was worth hundreds of millions, she worried about affecting his plans instead of taking advantage of his favor. That made Zhao Fusheng very gratified.

“Silly girl, don't overthink it.” Zhao Fusheng smiled, stroking Fan Baobao's hair, and said softly, “In that film, the female lead has to be made ugly—really, really ugly. Don't blame me later.”

To be honest, in the original timeline, the look of Zhang Moumou in *Kung Fu Hustle* had stunned Zhao Fusheng.

That's right—those four words:

Stunningly beautiful!

Zhou Xingxing probably had a twisted sense of humor, always making his female co-stars look ugly, from Karen Mok to Zhao Yan back in the day.

But you had to admit, that contrast made people focus more on the story instead of just staring at a pretty face.

“Uh, how ugly?”

Fan Baobao was startled by Zhao Fusheng's words. She was most proud of her looks, but from his tone, it seemed the film didn't require beauty.

“It's not about being ugly,” Zhao Fusheng explained with a smile. “The script requires the female lead not to look too pretty, and she even has to play a mute. Can you handle that?”

Fan Baobao blinked, feeling something was off. Why was Zhao Fusheng constantly emphasizing how difficult the film would be?

“So you're saying you don't think I can do it?” Fan Baobao raised an eyebrow at Zhao Fusheng.

Zhao Fusheng gave a meaningful smile and nodded slightly. “Yeah, think about it. Zhou Xingxing is famously hot-tempered on set. And since this film is so important, I definitely won't interfere. He'll be in charge. What if he yells at you? Can you take it? Plus, the female lead has to be ugly and play a mute. You love to talk—if you have no lines, won't you be miserable?”

Fan Baobao's breathing quickened.

Originally, she had refused the role to avoid causing trouble, but now she suddenly felt a urge to try.

If only to prove Zhao Fusheng wrong.

“Hmph! Don't worry, I won't come crying to you.” Fan Baobao snorted, sat up, and said to Zhao Fusheng, unconcerned about her exposed figure.

Zhao Fusheng grinned. “That's fine. I'm mainly worried about you.”

“Cut it out. You clearly think I can't do it.” Fan Baobao was no longer listening. She glared at him and said, “Just you wait—I'll make you see me in a new light!”

Zhao Fusheng shrugged. “Fine, suit yourself. But you'll have to audition, since there will be other actors competing.”

“Okay!” Fan Baobao nodded seriously, her tone resolute.

At that moment, her only thought was to prove herself through her ability.

Little did she know, as he watched her walk away from the bed, a faint, knowing smile crept onto Zhao Fusheng's lips.

“You're still a bit green to go up against me,” he thought to himself.

Three days later, Zhao Fusheng, Bai Jie, and the others boarded a flight to Hong Kong.

“Fusheng, I never thought you could get in touch with Zhou Xingxing,” Bai Jie said, still excited as they sat on the plane.

After all, this had come as a complete surprise. Just when she thought all hope was lost, a new path had opened up, and Zhao Fusheng had given her a wonderful surprise.

In fact, when she couldn't reach Zhou Xingxing and got no response, Bai Jie had even considered a backup plan: finding a second-tier director in Europe or America and investing ten to twenty million US dollars in a big-budget production.

The advantage of that approach was that it would create a huge buzz and definitely shock everyone. But the risks were equally high—if the film lost money, it would be a huge investment down the drain.

In 2004, even a ten-million-dollar investment, plus marketing costs, would amount to nearly a hundred million RMB.

Even Bai Jie couldn't bear the responsibility of such a loss.

So Zhao Fusheng's news was like music to her ears.