Chapter 1026: A Pleasant Conversation

Every so-called successful person has a past that is inevitably unsavory.

That's probably just reality.

No matter the circle, whether it's the film industry or the financial world, it's all the same.

Even Zhao Fusheng himself has some history he'd rather not have known.

It's just that since his rebirth, he has always maintained his bottom line, refraining from doing anything illegal or giving others leverage against him.

Wong Jing is actually not a bad person. Though he's a bit greedy and loves money, unlike those Hong Kong artists who curse the mainland while going there to make a fortune, he truly knows his place.

So Zhao Fusheng was still willing to talk with him.

They ate at a cha chaan teng near the film studio. The food wasn't expensive but had a distinct character, and Zhao Fusheng enjoyed it quite a bit.

The conversation during the meal went well, naturally revolving around the film industry. Most of the time, Wong Jing talked while Zhao Fusheng listened, occasionally interjecting with remarks that always hit the mark.

"You know, when I was filming 'God of Gamblers,' I never imagined the outcome," Wong Jing said with a smile. "Back then, who would have thought that Fat Gor's slicked-back hair would become such a hit?"

"It's a legend of an era," Zhao Fusheng commented appropriately.

"Yeah, gambling films existed before, but 'God of Gamblers' set a standard that no one could surpass," Wong Jing said leisurely.

The peak of his career was probably when he worked with Stephen Chow and Chow Yun-fat.

Most people in the world understand that to survive, you have to maximize your strengths.

Wong Jing excelled at slapstick, so he took it to the extreme in his films.

Though, as many believe, it might be vulgar and unrefined.

But regardless, his box office was guaranteed, and investors got high returns.

In other words, investing in Wong Jing's films might not earn critical acclaim, but it would never lose money. Such a director is undoubtedly the favorite of all moneyed backers.

Compared to Wong Kar-wai, who takes time and loses money with his sunglasses, and Hou Hsiao-hsien, who is serious about losing money for art, Wong Jing might lag far behind in reputation, but in investors' eyes, his status is far higher than those two great directors.

After all, investing in Wong Jing's films is almost a hundred percent safe from loss. As for investing in those two, not to mention the shooting time and cycle, even they themselves have no fucking clue how the box office will turn out after release.

"Mr. Zhao, if I'm not mistaken, you're in investment, right?" After a few rounds of drinks, feeling he had hit it off with Zhao Fusheng, Wong Jing spoke with a smile.

Zhao Fusheng smiled. He didn't dislike such a direct approach; after all, there were too many hypocrites in the world, and few could hide from him. He actually appreciated Wong Jing's straightforwardness.

"I'm involved in many industries; investment is just one of them."

With a light smile, Zhao Fusheng looked at Wong Jing and said, "If you don't believe me, ask Brother Cong. He should know."

Lam Tze-chung, who had been playing the role of a pleasant presence at the meal, nodded and said, "Yes, I've heard that Mr. Zhao is not only a screenwriter but also an advertising planner. They say he holds a high position at Future Films."

He didn't know much, just that.

But that was enough.

Wong Jing sat there, silent for a long time.

It wasn't that he was inexperienced, but Zhao Fusheng's identity was too complicated.

So complicated that Wong Jing felt he couldn't get a handle on the guy's background. After all, having one or two identities was already impressive, but this guy had a whole bunch of titles.

"Um, Mr. Zhao, what exactly do you do?" After a long pause, Wong Jing hesitated but still voiced his confusion.

"Me?" Zhao Fusheng smiled faintly. "I'm a businessman."

A businessman?

Wong Jing was taken aback, then suddenly laughed as well.

Actually, what he feared most was Zhao Fusheng claiming to have connections in the mainland. That would be very troublesome for Fatty Wong, since his future goal was to make money in the mainland. If Zhao Fusheng were really from an official family, it would be hard to refuse any request.

A powerful dragon cannot suppress a local snake. Though he had some connections in Hong Kong, in the mainland he would be nothing; even a department head or bureau chief could make his life miserable.

Fortunately, this guy was just a businessman.

Since he was a businessman, they could talk business.

Wong Jing knew well that in the eyes of any businessman, he was worth investing in.

After all, as long as he could bring returns to investors, he was a qualified commercial film director. Artistic achievements were something for art film directors to worry about.

With this understanding, the atmosphere of their conversation naturally changed. Simply put, it became much more relaxed.

Since it was business, naturally they talked about films. Wong Jing enthusiastically introduced Zhao Fusheng to the many aspects of filmmaking in Hong Kong.

Zhao Fusheng learned for the first time that making films in Hong Kong was actually quite similar to the mainland. Even location scouting involved a lot of knowledge.

For example, when looking for outdoor locations, usually the location director would first survey the terrain, choosing remote and desolate places.

Once a scenic spot matching the script was found, the director would check the surroundings to see if it could accommodate the crew of several hundred, and then use a scale frame to see if shooting was feasible.

Zhao Fusheng, who had only a vague understanding of film imagery, now realized there was so much to location scouting.

Things like what effect horizontal lines in the frame convey, what effect diagonal lines convey, what the upper and lower parts of the frame convey, and the proportions of real scenery versus distant views—all this knowledge, usually not taught, opened his eyes.

These were things passed down by predecessors. A little hint made Zhao Fusheng, who had watched countless films and TV shows, suddenly understand a lot.

For instance, in the upper part of the frame, characters are often arranged as righteous people, while the lower part becomes sinister villains.

Come to think of it, probably no one noticed that in many TV dramas years later, when a villain tortures a hero, they often look up from below at the righteous character. That's the reason.

"I never imagined there was so much to it," Zhao Fusheng said to Wong Jing with a smile.

In his heart, his evaluation of this fat mantis increased a notch.

Sure enough, he was one of Hong Kong's most successful commercial film directors. Though his style might be criticized, his fundamentals and directing skills were not lacking.

You see, as an actor, whether from 'An Actor's Preparation' or 'Theory of Camera Performance,' these professional books emphasize that actors must control their emotions, requiring divergent thinking to understand and shape the character. The basics of acting are to play along, then to play oneself, then to create a character, then to artistically refine it, and finally to elevate the character.

And a director, without a certain level of acting skill, how could he direct a good film?

Whether TV series or films, a good director should be able to demonstrate for the actors.

Even if he doesn't demonstrate, at least he should be like Wong Kar-wai, able to sculpt Best Actor and Best Actress winners.

Why are Gong Li and Maggie Cheung so praised? Because they are top actors nurtured by top directors. Simply put, they are naturally gifted. Even without acting skills, they would still be perfect vases. But when a vase is carved into blue-and-white porcelain by a master craftsman, that's impressive.

Though Wong Jing didn't have that ability, at least his talent for comedy was truly remarkable.

These days, films that satisfy the audience are truly good films.

Otherwise, even if you gather a bunch of Best Actors, the audience won't buy it.

The market determines the box office—that saying holds a lot of truth.

After the meal, Zhao Fusheng exchanged phone numbers with Wong Jing and then took his leave. Throughout, he never brought up cooperation, and Wong Jing didn't ask either.

Both were smart people. Not to mention Lam Tze-chung was present; even if he weren't, two people meeting for the first time wouldn't discuss substantive financial matters.

In many people's eyes, Wong Jing was a greedy, lecherous fat guy who made films full of crude humor.

But it was precisely such a person who always found favor with investors and thrived in the entertainment industry.

Zhao Fusheng actually admired his style.

Does an artistic, aloof style seem high-end and classy?

If a film is bad, no one is allowed to criticize? A simple 'I like it' means everyone has to share and agree?

Heh, some things lose their charm once explained.

In his later life, Zhao Fusheng saw a film called 'Milan Strategy,' which gathered one Best Actor and several popular stars. He initially didn't understand why that Best Actor would take such a lousy film to ruin the reputation of his previous 'Strategy' series.

But later, when he saw one of the investors' names, he understood.

On one hand, the fee was too tempting to refuse—after all, even a Best Actor has to support his family. On the other hand, an important reason was that the film was invested by a company founded by the director who had sculpted him from one of the Five Tigers into one of Asia's most successful actors.

Favor is unavoidable in China, and the film industry is no different.