Chapter 0722: Refusing Jiang Wen

Life in childhood was always carefree, protected by parents and family, the sky always blue, the sun always warm, even the birds sang cheerful songs.

But as we grow up day by day, the burden on our shoulders grows heavier, we think more, and naturally we laugh less.

Walking hurriedly through the city, we have no time to look up at the sky, no time to enjoy our own free life. Every day, what we think about is how much money we can earn today, whether today's work can be finished.

Once, Zhao Fusheng thought this was called maturity.

But now he knows that was a mistaken idea.

Everyone struggles to live, whether parents or friends, each has their own hardships. The so-called trip that you take on a whim is actually a joke. Because if you don't have enough capital, after the trip ends, what awaits you is not a cathartic release, but piles of bills.

"I still have to work hard to make money," Zhao Fusheng muttered to himself.

"What did you say?" Fan Baobao, who was eating, looked up at Zhao Fusheng and asked.

"Nothing, just thinking that if I don't work hard to make money, I'm afraid I won't be able to support you." Zhao Fusheng blinked and said with a smile.

"It's okay, I'll support you," Fan Baobao said boldly. "Sister Hua recently got me a few more ads, each one several thousand."

She was now considered a rising star in the advertising world. Although not very famous, she could still earn a few thousand yuan per ad.

For a newcomer, this was already a decent price. After all, even that fifty-billion box office actor only got a paltry five thousand yuan for his first movie, and that was as the lead.

Given Fan Baobao's current situation, if she were the female lead in a movie, she would definitely earn more than Huang Bo.

"Thank you very much," Zhao Fusheng said, too lazy to argue with her. He simply turned on the TV and watched the news.

He was recently considering whether to sign up for a business administration cram course to study. After all, some things were like a different world; Zhao Fusheng didn't think that relying solely on his past life's experiences would keep him invincible forever.

"By the way, have you read the newspaper? Lately, there have been several bag-snatching incidents in our district. Be careful when you go out to buy groceries," Fan Baobao suddenly remembered something and said to Zhao Fusheng.

Zhao Fusheng was startled for a moment, then nodded: "Got it. I'll pick you up when you get out of school in the evening."

"Okay," Fan Baobao agreed, then sighed: "Tell me, why do people have to go astray when they could live a good life? Besides, the police station too—after several incidents, I haven't seen any police patrolling around here."

Zhao Fusheng laughed, opened his mouth to say something, but ultimately didn't speak.

Actually, the reason was simple: usually, the identity of a murder victim determines social attention. For example, if a migrant worker is robbed and killed after work, it basically doesn't attract widespread social concern. But if a well-known actor is robbed and killed, it will definitely cause a social uproar, possibly even leading to a series of crackdown campaigns.

Similarly, when an ordinary person dies of illness, they just die, and no one pays attention. But if a top billionaire falls ill, it's different—he will invest huge sums in medical research or directly donate to the world's most advanced research institutes to gain priority access to cutting-edge drugs.

The cruel reality is that the interests of the底层 (lower class) only attract societal attention and drive social progress when the interests of the middle class (or special professions) or the elite are threatened.

This is a heartbreaking outcome. If the底层 understood this truth, they would pray for something to happen to the elite.

For example, if a certain diva's daughter hadn't been born with a cleft lip, she and her husband would probably never have paid attention to cleft lip babies in their lifetime.

As cruel as it is, this is the reality. As an ordinary person, what Zhao Fusheng could do was protect the people around him and keep them from such harm.

As for others, he wasn't a god, nor could he sacrifice himself for others to that extent.

…

…

Leisurely days were always short-lived. Zhao Fusheng's peaceful life didn't last long. Jiang Wen, seemingly unwilling to see Zhao Fusheng so idle, took the initiative to visit.

"Have you finished filming 'Warriors of Heaven and Earth'?" Zhao Fusheng asked Jiang Wen curiously.

If he remembered correctly, Zhou Yun had said that this guy had been holed up in the 'Warriors of Heaven and Earth' crew recently.

"I'm just a straight man. Once my scenes were done, I left," Jiang Wen said matter-of-factly.

They had discussed it before. This movie was essentially made by the investors to promote the female lead. A newcomer actress named Zhao Yan had backing, offering a price that neither Jiang Wen, the lead actor, nor director He Ping could refuse, so they had no choice but to shoot it.

Actors and directors alike need to make a living, especially since they have their own teams and companies behind them.

It was that simple. The other party paid, and Jiang Wen went to shoot. As for the quality of the film, well, why complicate simple things?

"So what do you mean?" Zhao Fusheng blinked, looking at Jiang Wen in confusion.

He didn't quite understand what Jiang Wen wanted from him.

Actually, sometimes Zhao Fusheng really wanted to tell Jiang Wen: just lie low for now, and after the five years are up, make that 'Let the Bullets Fly' well, and it will definitely shut up all those who look down on you.

But the problem was, he couldn't say it.

Sometimes the trouble of being a god was probably like this: knowing everything but unable to speak. Zhao Fusheng hadn't understood before, but now he somewhat comprehended why the gods in legends were unwilling to communicate with mortals—because of the asymmetry of information, a feeling of powerlessness.

It was like knowing something was wrong but being unable to tell the person doing it that if they did it, they would definitely fail.

So the best way was to turn a blind eye and not let it bother you.

"I'm thinking, maybe I should try to produce a movie," Jiang Wen said to Zhao Fusheng.

Frowning slightly, Zhao Fusheng immediately understood that Jiang Wen intended to use the title of producer to actually direct a film himself.

He sighed, knowing that in the end, he couldn't stop this guy.

There are always some people in the world whose purpose in life is to realize their ideals. Given the chance, they will abandon everything and pursue their convictions recklessly.

Clearly, Jiang Wen was that kind of person when it came to movies.

For Zhao Fusheng, this was awkward.

It's often said that every goodbye in this world is for the next long-awaited reunion. Whether it's love, friendship, or family, in the end, it's because we are too lonely.

Zhao Fusheng was lonelier than others because he couldn't find anyone in this world to listen to the secret buried deep in his heart. So he cherished every friend and every family member even more.

For this reason, after hearing Jiang Wen's words, Zhao Fusheng felt conflicted inside.

After all, Zhao Fusheng knew that before 'Let the Bullets Fly,' all of Jiang Wen's movies had actually lost at the box office.

Especially 'The Sun Also Rises,' which was reportedly invested in at sixty million yuan, but only grossed a meager twenty million at the box office, causing the investors to suffer horrendous losses.

"Old Jiang, think it over. If you go make a movie now, honestly, I'm not optimistic about you," Zhao Fusheng said after a moment of silence, telling Jiang Wen the truth.

Regardless, he wasn't in the habit of lying.

Jiang Wen nodded: "I know. Making a movie isn't like cooking; you can't have all the ingredients ready. Even if I prepare everything perfectly, if the audience doesn't buy it in the end, it's useless."

Zhao Fusheng didn't say anything; he knew Jiang Wen had more to say.

"But the thing is, in a lifetime, there aren't many moments when you can truly be free and do what you want. In the end, we always return to the path most people expect us to follow. If I don't seize the chance now, while I still have the drive, to make what I want to make, I'm afraid that in a few years, I'll really give in," Jiang Wen said, looking at Zhao Fusheng.

Zhao Fusheng was taken aback. At that moment, he seemed to understand why later on, Jiang Wen would make so many commercial films.

Just as he said, people ultimately have to return to reality.