Glasses clinked and toasts were raised in celebration around the table. Everyone in the entertainment industry was sharp as a tack. Director Han was curious why Zhou You had come to visit the set—partly out of curiosity, partly out of unease. After all, this was real money being invested, worth at least a house in Beijing, if nothing else.
Wang Baoqiang raised his glass and stood up. "President Zhou, I toast you. We're practically fellow townsmen, our hometowns are pretty close. Hope you'll look out for me in the future." He downed it in one gulp.
"Brother Qiang, we're family here, no need for formalities. I'll drink this one, but just this one—I can't hold my liquor," Zhou You said, knowing his own limits. Getting too drunk and blacking out would be bad; if he accidentally said something he shouldn't, it would only cause trouble.
As the wine flowed and spirits warmed, it was the perfect time to bond.
Zhou You knew his own abilities and where his strengths lay. His reputation wasn't established yet, so at most he could dabble in low-budget films. For big investments, first he lacked the capital, second he lacked the connections and resources. Many things weren't just about money—they were about networks and complementary channels.
The entertainment circle was actually quite small. Get to know a few people, and you could basically connect with anyone.
Director Han Jie started talking about his heartbreaking experiences raising funds for films and couldn't help drinking a few more glasses.
"President Zhou, you don't know how hard it is to make art films now. The market doesn't watch them, so there's no box office, no profit, no investment. Investors aren't stupid. When an art film wins awards, the director and actors benefit the most; the investors get nothing. It's a vicious cycle. Tough," he said, grabbing Zhou You's hand as he spoke.
Zhou You couldn't help it and quietly pulled his hand free, instead supporting Director Han by the arm.
"If there's anything, just say the word. If I can handle it, I won't hesitate," Han Jie said, getting emotional.
"You're too kind, Director. To the entertainment circle, I'm just an outsider with some interest. I mainly like documentaries, but I'm also curious about some low-budget productions that suit someone like me. Are there any small-budget films you're looking to make recently?"
Wang Baoqiang chimed in at this point.
"There are plenty. Just from what I know, there are a lot. I get invited to auditions all the time. I'll sort them out and show them to President Zhou."
"That's right. This circle has no shortage of directors, just investors. President Zhou, you'll need a sharp eye," Han Jie said slowly and sincerely.
"Of course. Nobody's money grows on trees. For now, I just want to dip my toes in. See, I don't even have a producer or anything—pure investment, hands-off. So I can only be a small investor, tagging along to get a feel for it," Zhou You said honestly, not afraid of being scammed. If he hadn't seen it or had no impression of it, he absolutely wouldn't invest.
Then Zhou You thought, what if Han Jie came to him for investment later? What good projects were coming up that he had no memory of? As for Wang Baoqiang, forget it—when he became a director himself, investing would definitely mean losses, and he hadn't even built a reputation yet. He'd deal with it when the time came.
The only female lead, Tan Zhuo, sat quietly, occasionally chiming in. Though she was the lead actress in the show, she didn't have many standout moments. Real fame was still years away.
Thinking about this, Zhou You suddenly laughed.
"We've got fate on our side. I'm an amateur investor, Baoqiang and Miss Tan aren't professional actors either, and Director Han is half-professional, having studied it."
"Come on, let's have a drink together. It's fate that a bunch of outsiders can gather here."
Zhou You's words brought everyone closer. Those who had been a bit reserved thought about it—they'd all made it into this circle on their own merits, so they weren't doing too badly.
Besides, nobody should laugh at anyone else. They were all rough-and-tumble types, so they might as well enjoy themselves together.
They weren't expecting to make much money; it was mainly about having fun. If they could have fun together, great; if not, so be it. There were plenty of fun things in the world, and this was just one of them.
That evening, Zhou You stayed at a hotel in town, planning to leave the next day. There wasn't much to see around here—it was too cold. Plus, university was about to start, and he needed to go back to class.
To be fair, Wang Baoqiang was a straightforward guy. He shared a lot of inside stories about the entertainment industry with Zhou You, especially how many investors had lost everything, warning him to be careful.
Zhou You had some things he wanted to say but held back. It wasn't wise to speak too deeply with someone he didn't know well yet. He'd wait until the timing was right, since for now, everyone seemed to be getting along just fine.
Zhou You didn't have grand ambitions. Just living a simple billionaire's life would be enough. Any more money wouldn't really be his, and having too much would make him a target—too much trouble.
In the northeast, going outside took courage. Stepping from a warm room into the freezing snow was brutal, especially for someone like Zhou You who hated the cold. He wished he could stay cooped up indoors 24/7.
But there was no choice—his plane ticket was booked, and the crew arranged a car to take him to the airport.
The whole way was a blizzard. This kind of weather was nice to look at, but living in it long-term was unbearable.
Back in the days of the Chuang Guandong migration, lots of Shandong people couldn't make a living and had no choice but to head to the sparsely populated northeast to scrape by. Later, when living conditions improved, everyone flocked to Chengdu, Kunming, Dali, and Hainan.
Only those who wanted to coast along, tempted by Hegang's cheap housing, bought apartments there. Most of them fled after one winter. Half the year was winter, and you couldn't go anywhere. The annual heating bill almost matched the price of the house.
People dreamed of a place facing the sea with spring blossoms.
Nobody dreamed of a frozen wasteland.
Arriving in Luzhou, he took a taxi straight home from the airport.
Unlike him, who had stayed home past the Lantern Festival, most people were back at work by the seventh or eighth day of the new year. His swimming pool, being a service industry, opened early like hotels.
For now, it was just Wang Ping and Wang Fangfang handling everything—managers, coaches, and operators all in one. They'd only expand in the summer when business picked up. This industry could barely afford full-time coaches.
Some small pools didn't even bother hiring lifeguards.
Almost every year, there were accidents at swimming pools. Indoor ones had lower risks, but that didn't mean no risk at all.
"Fangfang, I'm back. Let me treat you and Wang Ping to lunch at the guesthouse," Zhou You said. As the major shareholder, he still needed to have a post-New Year meal together.
After the New Year, Zhou You noticed Wang Ping had gotten paler. It seemed soaking in water every day really did lighten the skin.
Wang Ping was full of energy now, walking with a spring in his step. Working for himself was a whole different ballgame from working for someone else. He wasn't just getting a salary anymore—he had dividends and commissions too.
Of course, there was pressure. He'd invested over a hundred thousand of his own money, but he wasn't too stressed about it.
Later, he heard from Wang Fangfang that Zhou You had plenty of other projects, which eased his mind even more. With a big boss backing things up, how bad could the losses get?
Please read through to the latest chapter. Thank you. The story gets even better from here.