Chapter 1350: The Drinker's Heart Is Not in the Cup

To be honest, talking about ideals with a businessman, or a businessman talking about ideals with others, is a very boring thing.

Because businessmen pursue profit; ideals have nothing to do with them. No matter how eloquently they speak, the ultimate goal is always to make money.

So after hearing Wang Zhongjun's words, Zhao Fusheng's first reaction was that this guy was trying to fool him.

Because in general, that's the tone entrepreneurs use when they're pitching to venture capital managers.

In his previous life, Zhao Fusheng had done this many times.

Of course, although he had been an entrepreneur several times and secured a few investments, he ultimately failed every time.

And now, Wang Zhongjun wasn't exactly starting a business; after all, his Huayi Brothers was already a well-established and renowned enterprise in the private film and television sector.

The only problem was that Huayi Brothers faced relatively fierce competition.

In the original timeline, the key to Huayi's rapid rise was not only capital support but also the entire Beijing circle's film and television resources. Now, with the emergence of Future Film, that situation had been disrupted.

Simply put, Huayi, which could have gotten eighty percent support, only got thirty percent.

Thus, the problem arose.

What should Huayi do to rise?

After careful consideration, Wang Zhongjun ultimately decided that he should talk to Zhao Fusheng.

"I know your goals aren't limited to the entertainment industry," Wang Zhongjun said, looking at Zhao Fusheng without beating around the bush, speaking very seriously.

Zhao Fusheng laughed: "I didn't expect you, President Wang, to understand me so well."

He had to admit that Wang Zhongjun's success in both his past and present lives was no accident; at the very least, his observational skills were far superior to most people's.

Although Zhao Fusheng wanted to deny it, he had to admit that Wang Zhongjun was right—he indeed had no intention of developing in the entertainment industry.

Or, to be more precise, for Zhao Fusheng, Future Film was just one part of his pan-entertainment company's layout. The core of the entire Future Group could not be a film company.

The reason was simple: staking the entire company's lifeline on one or a few movies or TV shows was not Zhao Fusheng's style.

Moreover, as a reborn person, he had many cards to play; he didn't need to rely on the film and television industry, which wasn't the most profitable, to make money.

Instead of waiting for blockbuster movies or TV shows to explode, it was better to buy more Amazon stock.

"Chairman Zhao, if I may be blunt, your company has never focused on Future Film. So I'm thinking, if you don't mind, could we consider a comprehensive cooperation?" Wang Zhongjun said sincerely, looking at Zhao Fusheng.

In his view, Future Film was a subsidiary of the Future Group, and according to Zhao Fusheng's usual approach, his principle for subsidiaries was to be self-financing.

In other words, as long as Future Film could make money, Zhao Fusheng wouldn't mind cooperating with anyone.

So, in Wang Zhongjun's eyes, this was an opportunity—a chance for Huayi Brothers to rise.

Zhao Fusheng smiled slightly, noncommittal to Wang Zhongjun's words.

In fact, as soon as Wang Zhongjun spoke his first sentence, Zhao Fusheng understood his intention: he was planning to play the game of vertical and horizontal alliances.

But the problem was, Zhao Fusheng was not Director Han Sanping.

In the original timeline, Director Han Sanping strongly supported Huayi, but after Huayi rose, conflicts erupted between them, leading to Teacher Cui's so-called exposure of hidden rules.

Ha, the entertainment industry's hidden rules had been around for years; did Teacher Cui really not know?

Or perhaps, he knew when he needed to know, and didn't know when he didn't need to.

Some things cannot be delved into too deeply.

Because everyone has a label. Once that label is confirmed or torn off, we see a person's true face.

Sometimes those who appear sanctimonious and righteous are actually hypocrites engaged in vile acts. Even young actors who seem like academic stars may not even know about CNKI.

Sometimes, being overly meticulous is not a good habit, because the more you dig, the more you uncover the truth of many things. But knowing the truth isn't necessarily a happy thing.

"Chairman Zhao, if you don't mind, I'd like to ask you to introduce me to Mr. Tan," Wang Zhongjun said with a smile when he saw Zhao Fusheng wasn't speaking.

Mr. Tan?

Zhao Fusheng was startled, then realized that Wang Zhongjun was referring to Tan Kaixuan.

Frowning, Zhao Fusheng said, "What do you mean? Tan Kaixuan's business doesn't seem to have anything to do with Huayi Brothers, does it?"

As soon as he said it, he realized he was wrong.

Tan Kaixuan indeed wasn't involved in the film and television circle, but the problem was, he had money.

In other words, if Huayi Brothers wanted to expand, they would need money, and the investment fund represented by Tan Kaixuan was undoubtedly a good choice.

Especially with himself acting as a bridge.

Thinking this, Zhao Fusheng shook his head: "I won't get involved in this. He's right here; you can ask him yourself. If he's interested, he'll invest naturally."

Although he and Tan Kaixuan were very close friends, Zhao Fusheng wouldn't easily make any decisions for Tan Kaixuan, because this was business.

No matter how good the friendship, when money is involved, one must be cautious.

Even if the other party didn't mind, he had to be careful; otherwise, at a critical moment, friends could easily become enemies.

Zhao Fusheng didn't have many friends, and he didn't want to lose Tan Kaixuan over this.

Many people like to say that those who understand don't need explanations, but this is not an era where good wine needs no bush. No matter what the matter, whether with friends or family, it's better to lay things out on the table.

"Really?" Wang Zhongjun looked at Zhao Fusheng skeptically, clearly not quite believing him.

Zhao Fusheng frowned: "President Wang, just say it directly—what exactly do you want?"

He felt a bit baffled. Although this matter had nothing to do with him, why was Wang Zhongjun being so cautious?

Was this guy putting on a show in front of him?

Wang Zhongjun smiled bitterly and said helplessly, "Chairman Zhao, I have no other intention. It's just that Mr. Tan is your friend. If he's interested in investing in the film and television circle, Future Film would undoubtedly be his first choice. So I wanted to get your consent before approaching him."

Zhao Fusheng was stunned for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing.

To be honest, Wang Zhongjun's last few words surprised Zhao Fusheng; he hadn't expected them at all.

So that was it—this guy was actually wary of him.

Thinking about it carefully, it made sense. To outsiders, Tan Kaixuan was his close friend. Tan Kaixuan currently held a large amount of capital and, because he was pessimistic about the U.S. stock market, had been staying in China for the past six months or so.

In other words, his investment of several hundred million U.S. dollars had yet to be finalized, which made many domestic companies eager.

But given the relationship between Zhao Fusheng and Tan Kaixuan, everyone knew that if Tan Kaixuan were to choose a domestic company to invest in, Zhao Fusheng's company would undoubtedly be the first choice.

That's why Wang Zhongjun had specifically come to Zhao Fusheng, hoping he would act as the intermediary.

After all, with Zhao Fusheng's relationship with Tan Kaixuan, it might give him an edge.

Things in this world are complicated. Some people act hastily without careful consideration, and because they haven't thought things through, they end up at a loss, making mistakes and even gaining a reputation for recklessness.

Not only do they fail to accomplish their goals, but they also embarrass themselves.

So Wang Zhongjun had proactively contacted Zhao Fusheng through Jiang Wen, with the simple aim of clarifying things with Zhao Fusheng and gaining his help.

In Wang Zhongjun's view, this wasn't shameful; yielding to a powerful opponent was also a way of fighting.

Zhao Fusheng didn't mind, and in fact, he was quite satisfied with Wang Zhongjun's behavior.

After all, the man had given him plenty of face.

Sometimes people live for face; some would rather eat chaff and swallow their pride behind closed doors to appear glamorous in public. Others would rather grind their teeth and swallow their pain than tell others about their suffering. That's the way it is.

"I am me, and he is he," Zhao Fusheng said calmly, looking at Wang Zhongjun. "I've known Tan Kaixuan since college. He's always been discerning and opinionated. I can introduce you and help you get acquainted, but whether you can convince him to invest in Huayi Brothers depends on your own ability."

This was the truth. Tan Kaixuan seemed easygoing, but in reality, he was full of ideas and very stubborn. Once he made up his mind, he wouldn't easily change it.

In his previous life, Zhao Fusheng had advised him countless times not to be too rigid, because what is too rigid easily breaks.

And what happened?

Tan Kaixuan let Zhao Fusheng's words go in one ear and out the other, never taking them to heart. Then things went wrong, and he ultimately met a tragic end.

In this life, it was the same. If Zhao Fusheng hadn't repeatedly planted the seed of invincibility in Tan Kaixuan's mind through his successful experiences, Tan Kaixuan probably would never have believed Zhao Fusheng's judgment that the U.S. subprime market was about to collapse.

There was no helping it; having been smooth sailing all along, he was no longer accustomed to listening to others' opinions. This was probably a psychological journey that everyone who succeeds in entrepreneurship must go through.

Hearing Zhao Fusheng's words, Wang Zhongjun's face showed a relieved expression. He knew that he seemed to have taken another step closer to success.