Chapter 0756: Blind Well

"I have no money, I'm very poor, extremely poor."

Before Zhao Fusheng could speak, Li Yang opened his mouth and said, "I told you last night, all the money I have now is only enough to buy film stock. So Jiang Wen said I should ask you for help, that you have connections at Future Advertising and can help me get investment."

Although this guy was past forty, he indeed had a certain aura, with long hair and an artist's temperament. No wonder someone had voluntarily left him their phone number last night.

Zhao Fusheng sighed. He had originally intended to propose a condition, but seeing Li Yang's demeanor, he found it hard to speak up.

He had met many people in the industry, including many directors. The Sixth Generation were all schemers; even an artistic madman like Lou Ye had played tricks on him during filming.

But Li Yang was different. Zhao Fusheng could see that although he was over forty, he lacked the cunning and depth of a man his age. He had a sincerity toward film, a belief that if he trusted others and worked with a kind heart, he would surely get things done.

To be honest, Zhao Fusheng admired him, because such good people were rare.

In this world, there were too many bad people, and more and more people were turning bad. Sincere people were too few.

That was why they were worth cherishing.

"Let me take a look at the script," Zhao Fusheng said after a moment of silence to Li Yang and Jiang Wen.

Regardless of what he had promised yesterday, the three of them knew it was just a drunken joke.

Li Yang and Jiang Wen exchanged glances and nodded. Li Yang took out from his bag the script that Zhao Fusheng hadn't read yesterday.

"In 1999, a coal mine in Shanxi Province suffered an accidental collapse, killing over forty miners. The mine owner secretly buried the bodies and evaded all responsibility. This was just one of countless similar incidents in the country. According to statistics, over seven thousand coal miners die each year in work accidents, and that's only the public figures; many more deaths are covered up..."

Reading this, Zhao Fusheng frowned. Li Yang was an expert at making documentaries, and he thought this was a documentary. But as the story continued, Zhao Fusheng suddenly realized he was wrong.

"This story..."

After finishing, Zhao Fusheng was silent for a long time. He suddenly felt he didn't know how to speak, because of the story itself, because of the characters in it.

"Real events," Li Yang said calmly, understanding Zhao Fusheng's meaning. "Most of it, I collected myself. You know, someone once held a gun to my head and asked me what the hell I was trying to do, if I had a death wish..."

It sounded absurd, but Zhao Fusheng felt even more sorrowful, because he knew Li Yang had more to say.

As it turned out, Zhao Fusheng was right.

Li Yang continued, "You know, those men who go down the mines, they're really pitiful. Living or dying, to them, it's just a matter of opening or closing their eyes. I stayed there for a long time. Those people didn't think about whether they'd survive each day; they just thought about earning more money, working one more day so their kids could eat, wear clothes, and go to school..."

Zhao Fusheng was silent for a long time. He suddenly felt that compared to the man before him, he seemed somewhat insignificant.

Conscience—it's not distant, nor great. Perhaps you forget it, hide it, discard it, but there's always a moment when it makes your whole body cry out, your blood boil.

Zhao Fusheng had never thought of himself as someone important, bearing heavy burdens. But this time, he felt a fire ignited in his heart.

He knew he should do something.

Looking up, Zhao Fusheng glanced at Li Yang and slowly nodded: "On behalf of Future Advertising, I'll invest in this film."

Li Yang was stunned. He had been to so many places recently; as soon as people heard what he wanted to shoot, even those who greeted him with smiles instantly changed their expressions, politely asking him to leave, or some simply shut the door in his face.

In the end, Li Yang, at his wit's end, turned to Jiang Wen, and the first person Jiang Wen thought of was Zhao Fusheng.

As it turned out, Jiang Wen understood Zhao Fusheng well.

Looking at Zhao Fusheng, Li Yang stood up abruptly: "You, you mean it?"

Zhao Fusheng chuckled: "Director Li, Brother Li, do I look like someone who jokes around casually?"

"Ah, I..."

Li Yang rubbed his hands, unable to even speak.

Zhao Fusheng waved his hand: "But that said, I have a condition."

"Name it," Li Yang quickly said. "As long as you don't change my script, anything goes."

Zhao Fusheng shook his head: "I've written scripts too. Don't worry, I have no interest in changing your script. I just want to recommend an actor to you. See if there's a suitable role for him."

As he spoke, he pointed to Wang Qiang beside him.

Huh?

Li Yang was taken aback. He turned to look at Wang Qiang and froze.

A worn-out tracksuit, worn-out sneakers, a short crew cut, a dark face, a short stature. When he smiled, a few crooked white teeth showed.

Well, this guy looked like a street urchin. If you gave him a tin can, he could go begging on the streets.

The key was that when he grinned, his smile looked utterly rustic, completely lacking any modern vibe.

Rustic!

Country bumpkin!

A down-to-earth hick!

Seeing Li Yang silent, Zhao Fusheng glared at Wang Qiang: "What's wrong with you? Didn't I buy you new clothes? Why are you wearing this ragged stuff again?"

Ever since Wang Qiang had taken Fan Baobao as his sister, she had been really good to him, buying him lots of clothes. But he was reluctant to wear them, always preferring his old clothes. In his own words, as long as they were clean, they were still usable; throwing them away was wasteful.

Zhao Fusheng was completely speechless about this. A person's habits were deeply ingrained and not easily changed. But thinking about it, it wasn't wrong. In his previous life, Wang Qiang had earned tens of millions a year, yet he still went home to help with the harvest during the busy season. He was someone who didn't forget his roots.

"Heh, these aren't broken," Wang Qiang said with a simple smile, touching his head in explanation upon hearing Zhao Fusheng's words.

He knew who treated him well. He had been an extra at the Beijing Film Academy gate for so long, and no one had given him a second glance. Those lofty stars looked at him like a stray dog on the street. Only Fan Baobao and Zhao Fusheng treated him like a human being. Fan Baobao always bought him things, and although Zhao Fusheng often scolded him, Wang Qiang knew that every time Zhao Fusheng had dinner with directors and such friends, he would always say, 'I have a younger brother, from the countryside, who can endure hardship. See if you have a suitable extra role for him.'

Some things, though left unsaid, Wang Qiang knew in his heart.