Chapter 1240 Brewing

"Fusheng, I feel like something's going to happen this time." Ye Jing sat in the car and suddenly said to Zhao Fusheng.

He had a premonition of doom, feeling that the incident of Xie Tingfeng and Zhang Weijian beating someone might become a fuse.

Zhao Fusheng nodded but said nothing.

No one knew better than him that this seemingly trivial incident, just an internal conflict in the "The Legendary Twins" crew, was actually caused by the long-standing accumulation of contradictions between the Hong Kong production team and the mainland entertainment circle.

As for Wang Bochao, in Zhao Fusheng's view, he was just an opportunity. After all, this guy must have had some issues; otherwise, why would Xie Tingfeng and Zhang Weijian have taught him a lesson for no reason?

But the key point was that even if Wang Bochao had problems, it wasn't up to two Hong Kong people to teach him a lesson.

"How about I go ask around?" Ye Jing thought for a moment and said to Zhao Fusheng, "Can we use the movie 'Kung Fu Hustle' to make some moves?"

Zhao Fusheng looked up at him but said nothing.

Feeling nervous under Zhao Fusheng's gaze, Ye Jing hesitated but didn't speak. He felt that what he had just said might be problematic, but he didn't know where he was wrong, feeling lost and at a loss.

"If you had continued with what you just said, even at the risk of breaking off relations, I would have made you leave the company. If you're going to run a film and television company with that mindset, I'm really worried about the future development of Future Film."

"What do you mean? Explain clearly." Ye Jing was startled, seeing the serious expression on Zhao Fusheng's face, and quickly realized that Zhao Fusheng wasn't joking.

"We can be despicable, we can be shameless, that's fine, because human nature is like that. The biggest difference between humans and beasts is that humans can use various means to achieve their goals. Survival of the fittest, the law of the jungle, the strong devouring the weak—that's the law of the jungle. Beasts can do that, but humans cannot. Being human, even if we can't benefit the whole world, at least we must follow certain principles. A person without bottom lines and principles is a very terrifying person."

Zhao Fusheng looked at Ye Jing and said word by word, "I can tell you clearly that in the near future, there will definitely be a massive campaign within the circle targeting the Hong Kong production team, but this matter has nothing to do with us."

Ye Jing was taken aback and immediately understood Zhao Fusheng's meaning.

Clearly, Zhao Fusheng had no interest in this dog-eat-dog behavior.

"Brother Ye, you need to understand that Future Film is a subsidiary of Future Group. The scale of Future Group and my personal capabilities determine that the ceiling of this enterprise is not limited to film and television production. So sometimes, when you look at things, you need to take a longer view."

Zhao Fusheng looked at Ye Jing and said earnestly, "To be honest, although the Hong Kong production team does need to be taught a lesson now, this kind of infighting within our circle is actually meaningless, because once we face a strong external enemy, this kind of resistance is ineffective."

This was a fact only Zhao Fusheng knew. When the era of Hollywood blockbusters arrived, the entire domestic film market couldn't be solved simply by boycotting the Hong Kong production team.

Without exaggeration, that would be the real test for mainland filmmakers.

Of course, this didn't mean Zhao Fusheng planned to stay out of this alliance. After all, being in the mainland entertainment circle, if Future Film didn't participate, it would be seen as an outlier and would definitely be ostracized.

That's why he made a big show of taking people to the hotel where the "The Legendary Twins" crew was staying, even forcing Xie Tingfeng and Zhang Weijian to apologize to Yu Feihong.

I've been so tough; you can't say I have no stance, right?

That was the posture Zhao Fusheng was putting on now.

As for the petition or whatever, Zhao Fusheng couldn't be bothered to sign it. He would just have Ye Jing sign on behalf of Future Film casually.

Ye Jing was silent for a long time after hearing Zhao Fusheng's words.

He wasn't stupid; he could tell that Zhao Fusheng's mind wasn't really on the film and television circle.

Thinking about it carefully, it was normal. As one of the company's top executives, Ye Jing was naturally clear about Future Group's current development plan. Obviously, Zhao Fusheng intended to build a comprehensive and diversified enterprise. Film and television were part of the cultural layout, but Zhao Fusheng couldn't abandon other businesses entirely for the sake of film and television.

Simply put, the development of Future Film must be based on the premise of not harming the overall interests of the entire company.

If, because of this incident, they were labeled as excluding Hong Kong and Macau enterprises, that would clearly be a result Zhao Fusheng didn't want to see.

Ye Jing, thinking he understood Zhao Fusheng, looked up and said, "In that case, we won't participate in this matter?"

Zhao Fusheng was a bit puzzled, glanced at Ye Jing, and said, "Let things take their course. Wang Jing brought people to apologize, and we accept it. As for other matters, others will handle them; it has nothing to do with us."

After thinking for a moment, he continued, "But what I said before still stands. It's best if Zhang Weijian and Xie Tingfeng don't appear on the cooperation list of any Future Group company. Preferably, our partners shouldn't cooperate with them either; otherwise, I doubt their sincerity and judgment."

Ye Jing was dumbfounded, looked at Zhao Fusheng, and finally nodded.

He finally understood why he felt something was off—because from start to finish, Zhao Fusheng hadn't retracted what he said earlier.

A real man's words are like spilled water; if he says a ban, then it must be a ban.

As for how long the ban would last, that depended on Zhao Fusheng's mood.

To him, whether it was Zhang Weijian or Xie Tingfeng, it was all the same. He wasn't their father, so he had no obligation to help their elders discipline their children.

If a child doesn't behave, a little hardship will do.

……

……

Wang Jing acted quickly. After Zhao Fusheng returned home, Ye Jing called in the evening to say that Wang Jing had taken Xie Tingfeng and Zhang Weijian to the hospital to apologize to Yu Feihong.

"Let it be. For now, we won't make any moves." Zhao Fusheng thought for a moment and said to Ye Jing.

Ye Jing naturally understood Zhao Fusheng's intention—just sit on the mountaintop and watch the tigers fight. He nodded in agreement.

And in fact, as Zhao Fusheng had predicted, the incident quickly escalated.

"Exclusive: 'The Legendary Twins' Crew Reveals: Little Fish Beats Jiang Biehe!"

"Wang Bochao Seriously Injured, Allegedly Bedridden"

"Xie Tingfeng Takes Action Himself, Zhang Weijian Cruelly Beats the Old"

"Yu Feihong Injured on Set, Zhang Weijian and Xie Tingfeng Apologize at Hospital"

As Zhao Fusheng had expected, domestic media began covering the incident. Although the number was small, the media, without interviewing the parties involved, started a meticulous 'investigation' based on clues. Of course, the main focus was on Xie Tingfeng, Zhang Weijian, and Wang Bochao; Yu Feihong's injury received less attention.

However, online discussions were livelier than the media. Since major portals had opened entertainment sections, the comment sections became battlefields. Some supported Wang Bochao, others supported Xie Tingfeng and Zhang Weijian. In short, everyone seemed to be trying to appear more innocent, firmly pinning the villain label on their opponents.

"You guessed right."

Ye Jing called Zhao Fusheng: "Feihong told me about the fight on set, but the media didn't report it. Even Wang Bochao didn't mention it in interviews."

Zhao Fusheng chuckled: "Simple. Someone told Wang Bochao not to talk, and Wang Jing must have instructed the crew from the production side. After all, this incident is so bad that if it were exposed, how could the rest of them continue? Would the drama still sell?"

Ye Jing was silent, having to admit Zhao Fusheng was right.

Any film and television investment company makes films to make money. With such an incident, the production side's first reaction is naturally to smooth things over.

If he, Ye Jing, were the boss, he would make the same decision. As for who was wronged, that didn't matter in the face of profit.

Thus, the beating incident involving Zhang Weijian and Xie Tingfeng entered the public eye with a somewhat shabby start. Apart from fans making a fuss, it mostly provided gossip fodder for netizens.

Of course, this had nothing to do with Zhao Fusheng. He specifically reminded Ye Jing that no further action was needed on this matter.

Although the current situation was somewhat different from what Zhao Fusheng had expected, he knew that everything needed an opportunity, a铺垫. Simply put, patience was required.

In Zhao Fusheng's view, neither the investors nor the crew would back down to an actor like Wang Bochao.

They apologized to Yu Feihong because they knew they couldn't afford to offend him, a billionaire who had personally stepped in. But Wang Bochao, in the eyes of the investors, was just an ordinary actor.

Hong Kong people have always been like this. In the past, facing British oppression, they were used to being ruled and loved infighting. Facing fellow countrymen with black hair and yellow skin, they would turn up their noses, constantly saying 'mainland boy' or 'country cousin,' but when facing the British, they would kneel and lick their boots.

Even today, despite the handover, these Hong Kong filmmakers still like to put on a superior attitude toward the mainland. Zhao Fusheng didn't believe that this time they would realize they were wrong and choose to compromise.

Sometimes, when people get used to confusing right and wrong, it naturally becomes a habit.