Chapter 1495: Shan Zheng?

People say different things and make different choices at different times.

Huang Bo wasn't part of Future Film before, so Zhao Fusheng naturally wouldn't casually show him the script—that was basic etiquette.

But since he agreed to join Future Film, he became one of us, and being one of us meant different treatment.

As for going back on his word?

Heh, unless Huang Bo planned to quit the industry altogether.

Otherwise, he would never do that.

You see, even refusing Zhao Fusheng to his face was more appropriate than going back on his word and deceiving him.

Because the former shows you have other intentions, seeking better development.

While the latter means you, Huang Bo, are deliberately provoking Zhao Fusheng.

Provoking a boss whose net worth is hundreds of times your own—Huang Bo would have to be crazy to do that.

Huang Bo read quickly. The script for *Crazy Racer* was only over twenty thousand words, and he finished it soon. Then he looked up at Zhao Fusheng: "Chairman, do you want me to play Geng Hao?"

Clearly, if it weren't the lead role, Zhao Fusheng wouldn't have let him see the script.

Zhao Fusheng nodded: "Director Ning recommended you, saying you're right for the role. I saw *Crazy Racer* too, and I thought your Qingdao dialect was interesting. In this film, you can keep using Qingdao dialect. How about it?"

Huang Bo's Qingdao dialect was a feature of his early films, much loved by audiences, and Zhao Fusheng didn't plan to change that.

"Yeah, when I first wrote this script, I had you in mind as the prototype for Geng Hao. How about it, shall we do it again?" Ning Hao also said sincerely to Huang Bo.

He wasn't stupid. It was obvious Zhao Fusheng valued him and Huang Bo highly. Over at Future Film, although Jiang Wen was a more famous director than him, he was notorious for not playing by the rules. Winning awards was no problem, but making money was a different story.

After joining Future Film, Ning Hao had studied carefully. The profitable projects at Future Film so far weren't really Jiang Wen's films; they mainly relied on works where the big boss Zhao Fusheng personally created the script and oversaw the investment.

Even now, the entire company's development was proceeding according to Zhao Fusheng's original plan.

Under such circumstances, if he could make a few box-office hits, wouldn't that mean he could become the company's pillar?

Everyone has ambition—Ye Jing, Zhao Fusheng, and Ning Hao too.

But in Ning Hao's heart now, his ambition wasn't as big as Zhao Fusheng's. What he wanted was just to make a few box-office hits and become a major director in the country, so he could then make the kind of films he truly wanted to make.

Like *No Man's Land*!

Of course, he wouldn't tell anyone this; he could only rely on his own efforts.

Zhao Fusheng could actually sense Ning Hao's thoughts and intentions, but for him, ambition in his subordinates was a good thing. As long as he could keep it under control, it could become the driving force for the company's progress.

"I don't have a problem with it."

Huang Bo finished the script and smiled: "But I see a lot of content here that's borderline. Won't there be problems with censorship?"

Nowadays, although the Film Bureau kept clamoring for reform in the film censorship system, in fact, certain high-scale content wasn't easy to pass.

Although Ning Hao had deliberately controlled it, *Crazy Racer* still had many restricted elements.

Drugs, guns, Taiwanese gangsters, the bloody scene when Jiu Kong's wife dies, the close-up when Jiu Kong dies.

As an actor, Huang Bo knew these things would definitely cause problems during censorship.

"You don't need to worry about that."

Zhao Fusheng smiled and said: "That's the company's problem. Just focus on making the film."

That was true. As the investor, if they couldn't solve this problem, they might as well not touch the film industry.

Then he looked at Ning Hao: "So, the script is basically fine. I'll talk to Ye Jing about setting up the crew. Whatever actors you need, just say the word, and the company will negotiate their schedules."

In his memory, besides Huang Bo, the old crew from *Crazy Stone* in *Crazy Racer* included Brother Shan Zheng and two actors who switched to playing cops. Huang Bo's performance was consistently good, and Shan Zheng's appearance was very beard-like, spouting a few potentially popular catchphrases. And the two unlucky cops desperate for a big case to make their mark finally, at the end, received a rice cooker full of drugs.

The freshly minted clumsy thief duo and the Taiwanese gang jointly delivered most of the film's laughs. The first clumsy thief's "Not burning, not professional" and the second's exclamation of "Awesome!" when witnessing Jiu Kong faking a murder scene were memorable.

Zhao Fusheng liked to do things perfectly. He didn't want to invest hard-earned money in a lousy film. If he was going to do it, he'd do it best.

"Okay, Chairman, rest assured."

Ning Hao was deeply moved. Since Zhao Fusheng valued his film so much, he was naturally in a good mood.

Huang Bo was also quite excited. As the lead actor, he understood what it meant when Chairman Zhao Fusheng thought so highly of Ning Hao's new film.

The three chatted for a while until Wu Sijie knocked and entered, saying Zheng Yao had called asking Zhao Fusheng to a meeting, and then they stopped.

After seeing off Huang Bo and Ning Hao, Zhao Fusheng went to Future Advertising for the meeting Zheng Yao mentioned, said a few words, and then returned to his office.

…

…

"Kid, are you too idle?"

In the afternoon, Zhao Fusheng received a call from Ye Jing.

"What's up?" Zhao Fusheng found Ye Jing's words strange and asked back: "How am I idle?"

"If you weren't idle, would you meddle in film matters?"

Ye Jing said irritably: "And next time, when you sign an actor, could you let me know in advance? Do you know how surprised I was when I heard you signed Huang Bo?"

Zhao Fusheng was immediately embarrassed. He naturally knew his behavior was indeed inappropriate, because formal corporate management wasn't a matter of shooting from the hip.

This wasn't a joke. As the chairman of a company, casually interfering in the management of subsidiary companies, and without even a heads-up, was basically the same as an ancient emperor granting official positions without the cabinet's consent.

Don't be fooled by those films where emperors casually bestow titles on people; in reality, that's all nonsense.

The emperor's edicts came in several types. Those stamped by the cabinet were called 'sacred edicts'; otherwise, they were at best 'palace orders.'

Generally, sacred edicts began with 'The Emperor proclaims' or 'The Emperor decrees.' The difference was that 'proclaims' were drafted by the Hanlin Academy, approved by the Grand Secretaries, written by imperial calligraphers, and sealed with the imperial jade seal, while 'decrees' were personally written by the emperor for recipients he favored or for important matters.

As for 'palace orders,' they were directives issued by the emperor without going through the cabinet, and ministers had the right to refuse execution.

With behavior like Zhao Fusheng's—signing someone first and then informing later—if he encountered a professional manager, that manager could simply refuse to accept Huang Bo.

What a joke! Since you, as chairman, entrusted the company to me to manage, don't meddle arbitrarily.

It was only because Zhao Fusheng and Ye Jing had a good personal relationship, and because Zhao Fusheng had always held the big picture for the development of Future Group's many subsidiaries, earning everyone's trust in his judgment, that this was acceptable. Otherwise, anyone else would never accept such behavior.

"Um, sorry about that. I really think highly of Huang Bo, so I overstepped." Zhao Fusheng thought for a moment and said sincerely to Ye Jing: "I have high hopes for a few actors from *Crazy Stone*. If possible, try to sign them, okay?"

Since the boss put it that way, Ye Jing had no choice but to nod helplessly: "Don't worry, I'll start contacting them."

He hesitated: "That Xu Shanzheng, should we sign him too?"

Clearly, as one of the big shots in the Beijing circle, he knew all about Brother Shan Zheng's affairs.

Zhao Fusheng smiled: "We can sign a film contract. Besides, we can write in the contract that the actor's personal matters must not affect the work."

Winking, Ye Jing suddenly felt that Zhao Fusheng was quite the shrewd businessman.