Chapter 2153: A Little Thought

In many things, there is a gap between dreams and reality.

Just like before becoming an idol, Song Qian never imagined that in Korea, the status of idols would be so low.

Soon, a black van pulled up.

Stepping out of the car were none other than Song Qian and Choi Seol-ri’s favorite big star, Won Bin.

And the other person was a familiar face to Zhao Fusheng, top Korean director Bong Joon-ho.

“President Zhao, long time no see.”

Bong Joon-ho came up to Zhao Fusheng and bowed in greeting.

Zhao Fusheng smiled and nodded: “Hello, Director Bong.”

As he spoke, he looked at Won Bin: “Hello, Mr. Won Bin.”

“Hello.”

Won Bin quickly bowed. On the way over, Bong Joon-ho had already introduced Zhao Fusheng’s identity to him.

Not to mention anything else, just being a shareholder of CJ Group and the behind-the-scenes boss of Han Star Investment was enough for Won Bin to treat him with respect.

After all, he was just an actor. In the eyes of ordinary people, he might be lofty and mysterious, but in front of a chaebol like Zhao Fusheng, he was nothing.

Of course, throughout the whole process, Choi Seol-ri helped with communication.

Her Chinese was now quite good, and she could serve as a translator.

Zhao Fusheng smiled and said to Bong Joon-ho: “It’s like this: Miss Song is my friend, and she’s about to debut as an idol. I’d like to ask Director Bong to help shoot an MV. Is that possible?”

“Ah?”

Upon hearing the translation, Bong Joon-ho was momentarily stunned, then without a moment’s hesitation, immediately nodded: “No problem.”

He wasn’t stupid.

Status and identity depend on who you compare with.

Compared to ordinary people, he might be considered a big shot.

But in front of Zhao Fusheng, what was he?

Wasn’t CJ Group’s director Lee Mi-jin formidable?

Wasn’t she also dealt with miserably by Zhao Fusheng?

So Bong Joon-ho never even thought of refusing; otherwise, he wouldn’t have put down the film he was shooting and dragged Won Bin over.

Zhao Fusheng nodded in satisfaction: “Then thank you, Director Bong.”

As he spoke, he looked at Won Bin: “If it’s convenient, could Mr. Won Bin also make a cameo appearance?”

“Ah, no problem for me.”

Won Bin naturally nodded in agreement.

Although he was somewhat taciturn, that didn’t mean he was stupid.

Won Bin knew very well whose requests could be refused and whose could not.

In Korea, hierarchy is strict; subordinates cannot refuse the requests of superiors.

Moreover, Zhao Fusheng’s status was such that it couldn’t be described merely as a superior.

While they were talking, Lee Soo-man and the others had quieted down.

Of course, the one who was quiet was Kim Byung-ok.

The moment he saw Bong Joon-ho and Won Bin, Kim Byung-ok was dumbfounded.

“Director Kim, to be honest, it’s not that our SM Company wants to replace you, but that a more suitable candidate has appeared.”

Lee Soo-man said to Kim Byung-ok with a smile: “That gentleman’s request is something few in Korea can refuse.”

Then he lowered his voice, speaking only loud enough for Kim Byung-ok to hear: “Even Mr. Lee Kun-hee wouldn’t oppose him on this matter.”

These words immediately stunned Kim Byung-ok!

Who is Lee Kun-hee?

The underground emperor of the Korean economy!

A fearsome figure who had led Samsung for decades.

As a Korean, one might not know who the president is, but one would certainly know what Samsung means.

Moreover, as a director, Kim Byung-ok knew even better what Lee Kun-hee represented.

Someone even Lee Kun-hee wouldn’t want to offend—who the hell was this guy?

Clearly, Lee Soo-man wasn’t going to explain.

In Lee Soo-man’s view, stopping Kim Byung-ok and giving him an explanation was already protecting him.

That was Zhao Fusheng!

“Is that Director Bong Joon-ho? Is that Won Bin?”

Kim Byung-ok’s voice trembled slightly as he asked Lee Soo-man.

He couldn’t believe that was the famous Korean film director Bong Joon-ho.

Although Bong Joon-ho wasn’t among the most authoritative figures yet, his background was excellent.

His teacher was Jang Hoon, and Jang Hoon’s teacher was Kang Je-gyu. This connection gave Bong Joon-ho immense networking power in the film industry.

Moreover, Bong Joon-ho came from independent films, and many filmmakers were willing to follow him.

Even top actors like Song Kang-ho and Choi Min-sik were willing to collaborate with him.

Such a person was brought in to shoot an MV, and for an idol girl group at that—if this got out, all of Korea would be shocked.

Not to mention Won Bin’s participation!

If Kim Byung-ok weren’t sure there were so many people around, he would have suspected he was dreaming!

But clearly, this was not a dream; it was reality.

Because it was indeed Bong Joon-ho!

It was indeed Won Bin!

“Director Kim, rest assured, if our company has another shoot in the future, I will definitely invite you again.”

Lee Soo-man said politely to Kim Byung-ok.

Zhao Fusheng could ignore Kim Byung-ok and even disregard his face, but Lee Soo-man dared not.

Not that Lee Soo-man was afraid of Kim Byung-ok—after all, in terms of personal wealth, Lee Soo-man was far richer—but he cared about SM Company’s reputation.

If this matter got out, SM Company would lose face.

Fortunately, with Zhao Fusheng here, he could bring in Bong Joon-ho, and Lee Soo-man could use this reason to persuade Kim Byung-ok.

…

…

Soon, Kim Byung-ok left with his people, and what remained was naturally SM Company’s program team.

Bong Joon-ho took over the shoot, and naturally, there was no shortage of crew; SM Company had already lent a filming crew.

A great director is a great director. He took the original script, looked it over, and changed it.

Watching them do makeup, Zhao Fusheng found a place to sit with interest, apparently intending to watch the whole thing.

“President Zhao, maybe we could wait somewhere else?”

Seeing Zhao Fusheng’s demeanor, Lee Soo-man asked cautiously.

Zhao Fusheng waved his hand: “No need, I’ll just watch here.”

“Ah?”

Lee Soo-man was taken aback, somewhat surprised.

Zhao Fusheng looked up and smiled: “I’ve never seen a shoot—I mean, a live shoot of an MV like this.”

He was telling the truth. Even in China, he had never seen this.

He had watched plenty of film shoots before, and had even been a producer for Suzhou River, but back then it was more of a hobby. Now, he was genuinely curious.

After all, Korean idol groups, especially in terms of artist training, were indeed stronger than in China.

This was something Zhao Fusheng had to admit.

Whether idols or artists, Koreans were more dedicated than their Chinese counterparts.

This might be due to the small country and fierce competition in the industry.

For example, as idols, these people had solid basic skills in singing and dancing.

As for Chinese idols...

Except for a few with genuine talent, most were just going through the motions.

Think about it: among the younger generation of idols, even the “Returned Four” dared to claim excellence in singing and dancing, even though in their EXO group, they weren’t known for those skills.

Not to mention actors’ acting skills.

Why are veteran Chinese actors so popular? Simply because they have solid acting skills and are very dedicated.

As for the younger generation of actors, those so-called traffic stars...

They have no acting skills at all!

To put it bluntly, those young actors and actresses who became famous from one or two dramas and rely on selling bromance or good looks—acting? They might as well give up.

Look at Korean actors, from old to young; new talents always emerge, and the term “acting powerhouse” never faces a generational gap in their circles.

The most criticized aspect of Chinese fangirls is that they amplify all their idols’ strengths, so much so that no one notices these idols have no shelf life.

Won Bin could stay popular for years with just a few films, and in the future, The Man from Nowhere would make him unforgettable even if he didn’t act for ten years.

But what about these Chinese traffic stars?

These people are red-hot now, desperately cashing in, singing and dancing as if they were world superstars.

But ten years later?

Some things, once said, lose their meaning.

After becoming famous from one drama, they frantically go on shows, participate in various events, and even release albums to make money—essentially, they’re draining their fans’ enthusiasm.

When times change and new traffic stars rise, these people naturally fade away.

But by then, they’ve already made enough money.

After all, China’s market is huge enough to accommodate these people.

What truly suffers is the industry itself.

The decreasing number of excellent works already proves that the entire Chinese film and entertainment industry is on a downward trend.

Because producers are increasingly obsessed with traffic and how to make quick money.

As a time traveler, Zhao Fusheng was acutely aware of this, but there was little he could do.

After all, he knew that pursuing profit was human nature, and it couldn’t be changed with just a few words.

The only thing he could do was try to make such things happen less often or introduce some variables.

“Old Ma, what do you think—if we started training trainees domestically, training them for a few years, could we achieve this effect?”

Watching Song Qian and the others dance in unison, Zhao Fusheng suddenly asked Old Ma beside him.

Old Ma was startled, then shook his head: “Chairman, I’m a rough guy, how would I know…”

Zhao Fusheng was taken aback, then smiled helplessly.