Chapter 1656: Two Bored Men

"Are you bored?"

"Yeah."

"Then how about we go visit the set?"

"Visit the set?"

"Yeah, visit the set. You go see Zhou Yun, and I'll go see Fan Baobao."

Jiang Wen said to Zhao Fusheng with a straight face.

Blinking, Zhao Fusheng confirmed he hadn't misheard, looking bewildered.

"What, you don't want to go?"

Jiang Wen asked Zhao Fusheng with a grin.

When he arrived, Zhao Fusheng was at home looking over documents. Using the excuse of having something to discuss, Jiang Wen dragged him out of the house.

"Going is fine, but why is it that I go see Zhou Yun and you go see Fan Baobao?"

Zhao Fusheng asked, puzzled.

Hearing this, Jiang Wen shrugged: "Simple, because Zhou Yun won't let me visit the set."

Alright...

Zhao Fusheng immediately fell silent, because Fan Baobao wouldn't let him visit the set either.

The two of them were actually fellow sufferers.

"Going or not?"

Jiang Wen asked Zhao Fusheng.

Zhao Fusheng shook his head: "Not going. If we go, we'll both end up getting an earful."

Thinking about his wife's temper, Jiang Wen sighed. Just as Zhao Fusheng said, whether it was Zhou Yun or Fan Baobao, if they knew he and Zhao Fusheng were visiting the set, they definitely wouldn't be pleased.

"Do you know anything about that play?"

Zhao Fusheng asked casually.

"A little." Jiang Wen nodded: "I heard it's a crew put together by a professor from their school. They're just there to show support. Apparently, the pay is pitifully low."

"What's the point then?"

Zhao Fusheng said speechlessly: "Hardly any pay, and they still go to shoot. Are they crazy?"

"They're itching to act." Jiang Wen explained: "You know, it's been a long time since they've acted."

Hearing this, Zhao Fusheng could understand. In short, those who studied performance all have an itch to act. For them, staying at home without acting is really boring, even if they spend their days taking care of the kids.

"What do you think, should I invest in a play for them?"

Zhao Fusheng stirred his coffee with a spoon and suddenly said.

Make a play?

Jiang Wen was taken aback, then shook his head: "Is that necessary? Anyway, they don't have the time. I think we should wait a couple of years. When I shoot 'Bullet' later, I'll have them make cameo appearances."

He paused, looking at Zhao Fusheng: "Speaking of which, when do you think is the right time to shoot?"

The script for "Let the Bullets Fly" had been finished long ago by him and Zhao Fusheng, but it had been shelved without being filmed. Zhao Fusheng's reason was simple: the current environment was bad, and good movies couldn't achieve high box office returns; it simply wasn't worth it.

Jiang Wen deeply agreed with this. After all, as an insider, he had a clear understanding of China's current film market.

The Chinese film market was still in a developmental stage. To truly become a qualified market, it still needed time.

And obviously, Zhao Fusheng didn't want "Let the Bullets Fly" to be wasted.

"Wait another two years."

Facing Jiang Wen's confusion, Zhao Fusheng replied calmly: "When a box office of over a hundred million is no longer news, then we can invest in shooting that film."

Box office over a hundred million?

Jiang Wen was stunned, then his expression turned interesting. He really hadn't expected Zhao Fusheng to have such ambition.

After all, even today, a box office over a hundred million in the Chinese film circle was proof of a hit. If a director or actor had a film with over a hundred million at the box office, it meant they had gained market recognition. Yet in Zhao Fusheng's words, this was merely proof of market development.

But he had to admit that Zhao Fusheng was right.

If any random film could gross over a hundred million, it would not only mean the maturity of the Chinese film market but also that the country's economic development had reached a decent level. People were increasingly valuing spiritual entertainment and hoping to see good movies in theaters.

At that time, the better the film quality, the higher the returns for investors.

Of course, Old Jiang didn't know that with the development of the internet, even if a film's quality was slightly lacking, as long as the promotion was done well, it could still rake in box office revenue.

Marketing had become an important factor in a film's box office performance.

But that was later. For now, it was still too early.

Regardless, since Zhao Fusheng had said so, Jiang Wen wouldn't ask further.

He knew well that with his good friend's personality, if there was a chance to make money, he definitely wouldn't miss it.

That was the difference between Zhao Fusheng and himself.

Jiang Wen was a filmmaker, while Zhao Fusheng was a businessman.

When a filmmaker makes a film, they consider their own ideas more. A businessman has only one thought: whether it can make money.

In other words, if a film couldn't make money, Zhao Fusheng would most likely not invest.

Both Zhao Fusheng and Jiang Wen knew this clearly.

...

...

"I heard you almost went to visit the set?"

When Fan Baobao came back in the evening, she asked Zhao Fusheng with a teasing look.

Zhao Fusheng, who had been bored to death chatting with Jiang Wen all afternoon, was startled. He looked at Fan Baobao: "How did you know?"

Fan Baobao raised her phone: "Zhou Yun told me."

"Alright."

Zhao Fusheng nodded helplessly: "Old Jiang definitely said I was the one who wanted to drag him along, and he absolutely refused to go, right?"

"Haha, exactly right."

Fan Baobao laughed: "You really know him well."

"Come on."

Zhao Fusheng shook his head: "I knew it. That guy definitely shifted the blame to me."

"You two are a pair of bad friends."

Fan Baobao said irritably: "If you want to visit the set, I'll say this first: don't make a big scene, got it?"

She also knew that Zhao Fusheng meant well for her.

Zhao Fusheng nodded: "We'll see. If nothing comes up, I won't go. You know, if I go, there will definitely be reporters interviewing."

"Dream on."

Fan Baobao was utterly speechless at her husband's narcissistic hobby.

"What, am I wrong?" Zhao Fusheng smiled.

"Come on, you're not a star. Do you think those entertainment reporters know you? Besides, which reporter in the circle doesn't know about our marriage? Do you think they'd dare to report on you?" Fan Baobao said helplessly to Zhao Fusheng.

She was telling the truth.

Although the news of Fan Baobao's marriage and childbirth hadn't appeared in the press, all major entertainment media knew she had married a wealthy man.

But the internet wasn't so developed back then, and entertainment news wasn't that abundant, so it hadn't spread.

Of course, it also had to do with her having few works in recent years.

Since "Lurk," Fan Baobao had basically released no new works, so naturally, she didn't have much attention.

For an actor, no attention means no fame.

Audiences have short memories. If an actor, especially a young one, has no representative works, they might be forgotten in a few years.

Moreover, as Fan Baobao said, if Jiang Wen and Zhao Fusheng went to visit the set together, the focus would definitely be on Jiang Wen. Even if someone caught Zhao Fusheng on camera, they probably wouldn't pay him any attention.

Furthermore, if a photo of Zhao Fusheng ended up in an entertainment magazine, the Future Group would definitely take action.

That was inevitable, because Zhao Fusheng deliberately kept a low profile, and the group had always been very attentive to such news.

"We'll see."

Zhao Fusheng smiled and said to Fan Baobao: "But seriously, if you want to act, I'll have the company keep an eye out. What do you think?"

"Let's wait until our daughter is a bit older."

Hearing Zhao Fusheng's suggestion, Fan Baobao thought for a long time, then finally shook her head.

Although she loved acting, she was first and foremost a mother. She couldn't bear to leave her precious daughter.