Chapter 0878: A Clever Scheme

"It seems you really don't understand this circle." Jiang Wen said with a strange expression to Zhao Fusheng.

Zhao Fusheng didn't speak, just silently looked at Jiang Wen, because he knew very well that Jiang Wen must have more to say.

"I told you that gossip purely to pass the time. It's fine if you write it into a script, but there's no need to register the copyright. Just keep it for yourself." Jiang Wen organized his words and slowly said to Zhao Fusheng.

"What do you mean?" Zhao Fusheng frowned, not understanding Jiang Wen's point.

Jiang Wen chuckled: "The meaning is simple: when you are strong enough to ignore Ma Dajun, strong enough that even if he knows you're satirizing him, he wouldn't dare do anything, then you can bring it out."

He paused, then smiled: "Or else, wait until he offends you, and you have the moral high ground, then bring it out."

Zhao Fusheng was dumbfounded, never expecting Jiang Wen to give him such advice.

Seeing Zhao Fusheng's expression, Jiang Wen laughed and casually asked: "Do you know why many celebrity couples in the entertainment industry often part ways?"

Zhao Fusheng was taken aback and shook his head: "No."

Jiang Wen sighed and slowly said: "The reason is simple: because they are often apart. They know where their other half is and what they're doing, but they themselves are also busy. Busy here and there, they find that their feelings have faded, so they naturally choose to separate."

As he spoke, he pointed to himself: "Take me, for example. I'm the most obvious case."

Zhao Fusheng frowned: "What does that have to do with me?"

"You're lucky. Fan Baobao is a girl who would rather suffer herself than see you sad. And you are a man who is wholeheartedly determined to make her happier." Jiang Wen shrugged and smiled.

"So?"

Zhao Fusheng looked at Jiang Wen, waiting for his conclusion.

Jiang Wen smiled slightly: "So you should be good to each other, cherish each other, and not let useless things disturb your feelings for each other."

Ah?

Hearing this, Zhao Fusheng couldn't help but laugh. There was no way around it—Jiang Wen suddenly turning into a relationship expert was truly amusing.

Jiang Wen seemed to know that his words were somewhat out of place, shook his head, and simply changed the subject: "Anyway, don't register this script. Later, bring it back to me. If anyone asks, say it was developed by you and me together."

"Aren't you afraid of Ma Dajun?" Zhao Fusheng asked curiously.

Jiang Wen smiled proudly: "If it were just you, he might pull some tricks. But with me involved, he'll have to weigh his own importance."

He paused, then sneered, "What's more, I've always cursed him whenever I felt like it."

Zhao Fusheng paused for a moment, then realized that Ma Dajun and Jiang Wen still had a hierarchy in the Beijing circle.

To put it bluntly, their social circles were largely the same; those who knew Ma Dajun were generally familiar with Jiang Wen, including the Wang brothers of Huayi.

In this situation, even if Ma Dajun was dissatisfied that the script was said to be co-created by Jiang Wen and Zhao Fusheng, he had to grit his teeth and accept it. The reason was simple: he knew that Jiang Wen had always held a grudge against him over the matter involving his senior sister.

If Zhao Fusheng wrote a script alluding to Ma Dajun, it would be a provocation. But if Jiang Wen got involved, the nature of the matter changed; it could only be seen as Jiang Wen standing up for his friend. Since Ma Dajun dared to be a scumbag, he had to be prepared to be despised by his ex-wife's relatives and friends.

The reason scumbags are hated is not because they sleep with many women, but because they sleep with them and then give them hope, making them fantasize and dream about the future.

To put it bluntly, if a man who toys with bodies is a beast, then a man who toys with feelings is unforgivable—a social scum, the worst of the worst.

As for the film itself, Jiang Wen didn't think there was a problem. Zhao Fusheng had just told him the content of the script for "Cell Phone." In Jiang Wen's view, if this film were made, it might actually be a box office hit.

Of course, Old Jiang was never particularly interested in commercial films. He made films first to satisfy his own desires, then considered box office and audience—this had never changed.

So he didn't really like Zhao Fusheng's commercialized writing style.

But even so, Jiang Wen had to admit that Zhao Fusheng's script for "Cell Phone" was very interesting. If it were filmed and released, it would surely spark huge controversy.

And for a film, controversy is the least feared thing. As long as public opinion is guided, it turns out to be a good thing.

"Just wait. In two more years, when I can direct a film myself, we'll make this script together," Jiang Wen said, smoking a cigarette to Zhao Fusheng.

Zhao Fusheng was speechless. He actually understood what Jiang Wen meant. If "Cell Phone" were made, it would probably be like some later celebrities—black but popular.

Well, to put it elegantly: as many people hate you, so many love you.

Simply put, it attracts public attention through being cursed, thereby achieving promotional goals.

This applies to celebrities and films alike. Controversy is not to be feared, because the more controversial, the greater the market recognition. Like "Us and Them," from the exposure of box office manipulation to the end, positive publicity sold nostalgia, negative publicity increased exposure. In short, it made everyone with time to watch a movie know about it.

With a total box office of 1.3 billion, whether controversy or praise, it all faded away.

Investors got the box office, actors got their pay, directors gained fame and cashed in on so-called nostalgia. That's the film circle, that's the entertainment circle.

The ones truly fooled were, of course, the audience.

But that had nothing to do with Zhao Fusheng. Since Jiang Wen had given the best solution, he had no other objections. As Old Jiang said, Zhao Fusheng was still an outsider to the film and entertainment circles. Many things were just assumptions. Now that someone gave the correct explanation, he was happy to follow.

A successful person must learn to respect and heed useful advice anytime, anywhere. Worse than knowing nothing is half-knowing and pretending to be an expert.

Zhao Fusheng deeply understood this.