Chapter 2205: The Unexpected Candidate

Zhao Fusheng really hadn't expected that Ning Hao was looking for him about asking Jiang Wen to act in a film.

But on second thought, it actually made perfect sense.

After all, Jiang Wen was indeed the best actor among all the future film and television talents.

But clearly, Old Jiang was a man of his word.

If he said he was resting, then he would rest properly.

So Ning Hao's rejection was also understandable.

Thinking of this, Zhao Fusheng chuckled and asked Ning Hao, "What, did he turn you down?"

Ning Hao nodded and smiled bitterly, "Not only did he turn me down, he did it quite bluntly."

Zhao Fusheng was not surprised; Jiang Wen was that kind of person.

To be honest, he would have been curious if Jiang Wen had actually agreed.

"So you want me to help you persuade him?"

Zhao Fusheng asked Ning Hao.

Clearly, the purpose of Ning Hao's visit was to convince Jiang Wen through him.

After all, everyone knew that he had great influence over Jiang Wen; if he spoke up, Jiang Wen might hesitate but would still likely agree.

But the question was, could Zhao Fusheng make that request?

The answer was obvious: Zhao Fusheng could not.

Jiang Wen was his friend, and precisely because of that, Zhao Fusheng could not do this.

So, he glanced at Ning Hao and directly shook his head: "Ning Hao, I'm sorry, but I can't speak on your behalf to invite Old Jiang."

"Chairman!"

Ning Hao was taken aback; he never expected Zhao Fusheng to refuse him as well.

What was going on?

Zhao Fusheng chuckled, understanding that he couldn't let Ning Hao down too much, so he said to him: "Because Old Jiang and I are friends, I can't make this request to him in my capacity as company chairman. Do you understand?"

Ning Hao remained silent.

He naturally understood the reasoning behind Zhao Fusheng's words.

To put it bluntly, the relationship between Zhao Fusheng and Jiang Wen was even closer than that between him and Zhao Fusheng.

Those two were true friends.

What is a friend?

A friend does not put a friend in a difficult position.

With Jiang Wen clearly wanting to rest, if Zhao Fusheng still used his status as future group chairman to pressure him, it would undoubtedly be putting Jiang Wen in a tough spot.

To be honest, that's not what a friend should do.

Just like Jiang Wen, who knew full well that Zhao Fusheng didn't really care about the box office results of "Let the Bullets Fly," but felt that as a friend, since Zhao Fusheng had invested money, he had to be responsible for the investment. So he went all out to promote "Let the Bullets Fly," even abandoning the pride he had upheld for years, traveling across the country for roadshows.

"Actually, you could consider someone else."

Zhao Fusheng smiled and said to Ning Hao: "What about Xu Zheng? What do you think?"

Xu Zheng?

Hearing the name, Ning Hao was first startled, then frowned. Clearly, he was somewhat surprised.

Perhaps, from start to finish, he had never considered Xu Zheng at all.

After all, although that guy was very familiar with Ning Hao, you had to admit that Xu Zheng was indeed a comedy genius, but could he really act well in a crime film?

"Not just Xu Zheng, but also Huang Bo."

Zhao Fusheng continued, "I think he's quite suitable too."

"Ah?"

Ning Hao was completely dumbfounded. If Xu Zheng was at least somewhat plausible, then suggesting Huang Bo was simply a joke.

That guy spoke with a Qingdao-accented Mandarin, a perfect mold for comedy. Asking him to act in a crime film, and not a humorous one at that—to be honest, if it weren't Zhao Fusheng saying this, but someone else, Ning Hao might have already started cursing.

Was this a suggestion?

It was a joke!

But clearly, Ning Hao had to take Zhao Fusheng's words seriously.

After all, this man was not only his boss; in Ning Hao's view, Zhao Fusheng was also one of the few filmmakers who could resonate with him.

"Think about it carefully: Xu Zheng wearing glasses and a suit, playing a refined scoundrel—that could actually work."

Zhao Fusheng said calmly, "As for Huang Bo, isn't he suitable to play a killer?"

Ning Hao didn't catch the last sentence.

The moment Zhao Fusheng mentioned Xu Zheng's image, his mind had already sunk into the plot of his own script.

A young lawyer, eagerly pursuing fame and fortune, scheming about everything, selfish and weak at heart, even insisting on changing his title from "rising lawyer" to "famous lawyer."

After successfully defending a villain, he sets off triumphantly for his new book launch, wanting to become famous, make money, and make headlines.

Then, No Man's Land strips away all his disguises.

Forcibly shaping him into a hero, a flesh-and-blood hero, and also a "human."

The dividing line between being a nobody and a hero is Erdao Liangzi.

Before going to Erdao Liangzi, he is a nobody. When proud, he looks down on others and schemes; when downcast, he begs for mercy, showing a bullying and cowardly face, just like everyone around him.

But no matter the situation, he never loses his goodness. Although he wants to destroy the evidence, that's because he thinks the thug is dead, and destroying evidence is a means of self-protection. He saves the oil smuggler A in the truck, and later, oil smuggler A saves him at Erdao Liangzi.

After going to Erdao Liangzi, he turns the boss and the buyer against each other, saves the dancer—by then he is already a hero, with goodness and wisdom more fully displayed.

The image of this character began to overlap with Xu Zheng.

Come to think of it, it really had that flavor Zhao Fusheng mentioned.

A refined scoundrel!

Especially Xu Zheng with glasses—that image seemed to carry that meaning.

"So, is it workable?"

Zhao Fusheng smiled and asked Ning Hao.

He was good at observing people's reactions. Ning Hao had been silent since he finished speaking, clearly weighing in his mind whether Xu Zheng was suitable for the role, and now his state showed he had some thoughts.

"Interesting."

Ning Hao was also honest. Hearing Zhao Fusheng's question, he looked up and nodded, "To be honest, based on your analysis, Xu Zheng is indeed suitable for this role."

That was the truth.

In the acting profession, though people are reluctant to admit it, some actors can only play one type of role.

For example, a certain actor who often plays domineering CEOs or elite professionals—whether he plays a doctor, a lawyer, or other roles, if you look closely, you'll find his characters all have the same persona.

Ask him to play a beggar or an official, and he simply can't.

That's the limitation of an actor.

In short, bragging about acting skills is just awkward. It's just that the roles he played before suited him.