Chapter 0974: Much Ado About Nothing

It is inevitable that no one can make everyone like them.

After all, even Renminbi cannot make everyone love it, let alone a living person.

This was a truth Zhao Fusheng had long understood, but Jiang Wen had never been able to see through.

He always hoped his films could be understood by everyone, but forgot that for many people, they don't need to understand others' thoughts; they only care about their own reasoning.

For example, such people only measure things by their own moral standards of good and evil. What aligns with their views is correct; what doesn't is wrong.

Whether it complies with the law is beyond their consideration.

They are capable of doing things like pleading for a murderer, because in their sense of right and wrong, people only kill when pushed to the brink.

But they forget that regardless of the reason, killing itself is wrong.

Just as the poor often emphasize the rich's lack of benevolence, so in many stories, landlords are always greedy and shameless. But the question is, does being poor make one a good person?

The baseness and greed of human nature do not distinguish between rich and poor.

Among the poor, there are still despicable villains who kick someone when they're down; among the rich, there are also good people who care about the world and show compassion.

This issue is rarely raised because, in the general environment, most people believe the poor deserve the care of society, and disadvantaged groups should naturally be looked after.

But before the law, isn't everyone equal?

Why should a young person be punished for a staged accident while an elderly person can walk away unscathed?

Sometimes, Zhao Fusheng couldn't understand, and neither could Jiang Wen, because society was increasingly developing in a distorted direction.

"You always have so many grand principles."

After a long silence, Jiang Wen suddenly spoke, smiling at Zhao Fusheng.

Clearly, he had taken in what Zhao Fusheng had just said.

Zhao Fusheng smiled: "Exactly. Since those who dislike you are unlikely to change their minds, why bother with them? Just focus on making your own films. Those who like you will always support you; those who don't, no matter what you say, it's useless, even if you deliberately try to please them."

He meant it. In Zhao Fusheng's view, people who try to be nice to those who dislike them, hoping for good words, while taking those who like them for granted because they like them, seem clever but are actually quite foolish.

People who can't clearly distinguish love and hate can never truly have friends.

Jiang Wen seemed thoughtful; Zhao Fusheng's words clearly resonated with him.

That's how he made films—always hoping more people could understand. But over the years, those who understood him remained the same, and those who didn't still didn't.

"Alright, I won't waste words with you. I need to go home." Seeing Jiang Wen lost in thought, Zhao Fusheng didn't feel like saying more and decisively ended the conversation.

After parting with Jiang Wen, Zhao Fusheng took a car home. Fan Baobao had been getting off work early lately. After dinner, they liked to stroll on the campus of the Central Academy of Drama, which had become a regular part of Zhao Fusheng's life.

As for what Jiang Wen would decide or choose, Zhao Fusheng felt it didn't really matter.

When a person succeeds, the dazzling halo around them is enough to cover up everything about their past, including how they succeeded. Even a casual remark can be taken as a golden saying.

Jiang Wen was now on the path to success. In Zhao Fusheng's view, he thought too much and worried too much.

He hoped his words could give him some inspiration and help him understand what to do in the future.

……

……

After dinner, Zhao Fusheng and Fan Baobao went for a walk as usual, with Zhang Qian and Yang Panpan following at a distance.

"I heard that the petition you guys organized is quite something?" Fan Baobao linked arms with Zhao Fusheng as they strolled through the campus. The autumn wind brushed her cheeks, lifting a few strands of hair.

Zhao Fusheng nodded: "It's not about whether it's impressive or not; it's that these people genuinely want to change the current state of Chinese cinema."

"Change the current state?" Fan Baobao was startled, somewhat surprised.

Zhao Fusheng smiled and didn't continue.

He couldn't tell Fan Baobao that these people were idealists, whose original intention was to allow better development for Chinese independent films and to make filmmakers in the industry more pure.

But no one expected that ten years later, most of them would have to compromise with capital and grovel to the market and capital.

The entertainment industry, like a monster, devours everyone who enters it.

"You always like to say half of what you mean." Fan Baobao had been waiting for Zhao Fusheng to give her an answer, but he played silent, so she glared at him in dissatisfaction.

Zhao Fusheng laughed: "It's not that I say half; even if I told you, you wouldn't understand."

"How do you know I won't understand if you don't tell me?" Fan Baobao clearly didn't agree with his statement.

"Oh really? Then tell me, what do you think of the film classification they advocate?" Zhao Fusheng looked at her with a half-smile.

"Huh?"

Fan Baobao was stunned. As a newcomer actress who had just debuted, how could she know what film classification was? She looked utterly confused, then saw the smile on Zhao Fusheng's face and got annoyed. Without a word, she grabbed his back and started pounding him.

"Making fun of me, huh! Making fun of me!" As she pounded, she said angrily.

Zhao Fusheng didn't say anything, just laughed.

After a while, Ms. Fan calmed down and took his hand, asking, "So tell me, is this classification good or bad?"

Zhao Fusheng shook his head: "It's just armchair strategizing. For one thing, it involves too many issues, including ideological aspects. Lao Jiang and the others have good intentions, and the higher-ups also want to make changes, but achieving what they demand is too difficult. In the end, compromises will have to be made on all sides."

He had another thought he didn't voice: that any demand or administrative order would inevitably change unconsciously in the context of the film market.

In other words, when the entire film market becomes restless, how many of these people can still hold on to their original intentions?