Chapter 0379: The Actor

During this period around the millennium, countless entrepreneurs were racing against time. In his previous life, Zhao Fusheng hadn't felt it, but now, through bits of information he had gathered, he could truly sense that everyone was in an era of tumultuous change.

No matter how Jiang Wen denied it, the domestic cultural and entertainment market was rapidly developing. The most obvious example was the influx of various kinds of capital, and the cost of producing a movie or TV series was gradually increasing.

But rising costs did not dampen the enthusiasm of businessmen wanting to invest, showing just how much profit there was.

The world hustles and bustles, all for profit.

As businessmen, few would engage in a losing venture.

Of course, that didn't include the patriotic businessmen of the war era; they truly devoted themselves out of patriotism. But as times changed, they never expected that their devotion would become an investment, yielding high returns.

The most obvious examples were Mr. Huo and Mr. He, who were known as red capitalists in Hong Kong and Macau. If not for their solid strength, they would have been dealt with by the British Hong Kong government and the Portuguese Macau authorities long ago.

But after they weathered the toughest times, their prestige grew even greater on the foundation of their own strength.

Many times, a person truly masters wealth only when they no longer need to change their lifestyle with money.

Simply put, when one has earned enough money and no longer worries about making more, instead turning to pursue spiritual pleasure and satisfaction, only then is one truly successful.

Zhao Fusheng obviously didn't have that capital yet. At best, he had the opportunity to earn more money, but it was still full of uncertainty. So most of the time, Zhao Fusheng was cautious, trying not to make mistakes, lest his carelessness ruin the hard-won opportunity.

After fobbing Jiang Wen off with a TV script that still existed only in his mind, successfully piquing his curiosity, Zhao Fusheng stopped talking. No matter how Jiang Wen probed, Zhao Fusheng simply wouldn't say.

After a hundred attempts at probing yielded nothing, poor Teacher Jiang Wen had no choice but to agree to Zhao Fusheng's terms: in a couple of years, he would take time to direct a TV series for him, and if convenient, he would also have to play the lead.

“Well, actually, by then you might have to help raise the investment too.” Zhao Fusheng blinked, saying to Jiang Wen before boarding the train.

At that moment, Jiang Wen looked at Zhao Fusheng's back and felt a strong urge to kick the guy off the train platform. He was just too infuriating.

But there was no help for it; the guy was simply impossible to pin down. Jiang Wen always felt that Zhao Fusheng wasn't really in his twenties at all—he was like a slick, slippery old hand in his forties or fifties.

But if he let him go just like that, wouldn't he have been played for a fool for nothing?

With that thought, a strange smile crept onto Jiang Wen's face. Silently apologizing to a certain good friend of his, he called out, “Xiao Zhao, wait a moment.”

Zhao Fusheng was startled and turned around in surprise, looking at Jiang Wen. “What's up?”

Then he laughed. “I told you, I really can't give you that script now. It's just an idea in my head, not yet formed...”

Actually, he needed to go back and carefully recall the fragments he had seen, and even look up some materials.

Of course, he couldn't let Jiang Wen know that. Besides, Zhao Fusheng felt that although Jiang Wen was mentally prepared for the film *Devils on the Doorstep* to be banned, he still wasn't quite in the state Zhao Fusheng wanted him to be in before experiencing a thorough blow.

In short, Old Jiang still needed to be tempered and suppressed a bit more.

“It's not about the script; it's something else.” Jiang Wen hesitated, then said to Zhao Fusheng.

Zhao Fusheng frowned. From start to finish, he hadn't noticed anything troubling Jiang Wen, but now Jiang Wen's expression clearly told him there was something he hadn't said.

But regardless, Zhao Fusheng knew that since Jiang Wen had called him back, he must have something to say. Otherwise, why would he call him?

“What's wrong? If you have something to say, just say it.” Zhao Fusheng looked at Jiang Wen seriously.

Although Jiang Wen had a bit of an artist's bad temper, overall he was decent. Not a close friend, but at least a good one.

“It's not me; it's Feihong...” Jiang Wen hesitated, speaking to Zhao Fusheng.

Zhao Fusheng was stunned. He never expected Jiang Wen to bring up not his own affairs, but Yu Feihong's.

“Fei Jie, what's wrong with her?” Zhao Fusheng asked curiously. Although he hadn't called Yu Feihong recently, he hadn't heard of any problems. After all, he occasionally checked online news, and though entertainment news was scarce at the time, there was still some.

“Don't even mention it. She's been in a bad mood lately. Friends say she might be depressed.” Jiang Wen said gravely.

Depressed?

Zhao Fusheng was shocked, looking at Jiang Wen in disbelief. “Old Jiang, don't joke. How could she...”

Before he could finish, Zhao Fusheng stopped himself, realizing that Yu Feihong really might be depressed. In fact, if she had depression, it might have something to do with him.

After all, the reason Yu Feihong had given up acting and teaching at the film academy to focus on investigating the issue of comfort women in China was largely because of him.

Seeing Zhao Fusheng's expression, Jiang Wen's face grew even sadder. “I heard she often locks herself in her room and cries. I don't have time to go back and see her. When I call, she says she's fine.”

“Wait, you mean you knew about this all along?” Zhao Fusheng caught the loophole in Jiang Wen's words.

“Yeah, I wanted to tell you when you came, but Feihong told me not to, so I didn't.” Jiang Wen blinked, saying without changing his expression.

This guy really was a Best Actor winner; he could lie without batting an eye.

Although fabricating a lie required more lies to make the first one flawless, and no matter how perfect the lie, it would eventually be seen through.

But the problem was, for Jiang Wen, as long as he could trick Zhao Fusheng into going to Beijing, the rest had nothing to do with him. As for whether Zhao Fusheng would fly into a rage and come after him, that was a problem for later. First, he'd get his revenge!