This actor has something

Chapter 349 Some things are clear as soon as you ask.

Some things are immediately clear.

Han Shanping only mentioned it briefly, and then never mentioned Xu Jinglei's name again. He Daqi didn't press him for details, as if they had just chatted casually.

The two then tacitly changed the subject and started talking about fishing.

The main questions were from He Daqi and Han Shanping.

The person asking this question is completely clueless, and the person teaching it is only half-baked.

Just think about it. Han Shanping doesn't usually have the time to study fishing. He mostly learns techniques from what he hears when he's out discussing business. The key is that his skill level is enough to teach He Daqi, since He Daqi has only fished a few times.

He's a novice but a big fan of fishing, especially since his fishing experience has been quite bumpy. He's fished in the sea, in rivers, and now in indoor ponds. He's only had a few experiences and has tried so many different environments. It's already quite clever of him to be able to get the hang of it.

The bait on the hook was sucked clean by the clever fish in the pond. When He Daqi lifted the fishing rod and pinched the bait on the hook, he suddenly saw a row of blue things at the bottom edge of the pond below him. They were probably startled by his lifting action and quickly moved to another spot, slithering sideways.

"Hey! There are crabs in this pond! I didn't even notice them before!"

"Haha, there's a restaurant behind this fishing spot that specializes in river delicacies. We came at the wrong time. If you come in the fall, the crabs in this pond are so fat they can barely move. When you break them open, they're full of roe. I've eaten here twice in the fall, and they were so fresh I almost bit my tongue off. Plus, the chef here is really good. Once you've eaten here, you'll want to go back for more."

Han Shanping wasn't exaggerating when he said the chef here was good; otherwise, he wouldn't have had the brilliant idea of ​​using fishing as an excuse to invite He Daqi out, and this fishing spot would have been his first thought.

However, saying that he only came twice in the fall is pure nonsense. Han Shanping came at least twenty times last fall, specifically to eat the plump and juicy river crabs. Especially when paired with a sip of white wine, the taste was unforgettable until the next day. So much so that when the regional manager of China Film Group came to discuss work with Han Shanping, this was the first place he chose. Han Shanping really enjoyed the crabs in this pond.

He Daqi was a seasoned foodie, and upon hearing this, he swallowed hard: "Now that you mention it, I must try the food here today."

"Haha, I guarantee you'll be reluctant to leave and want to come back tomorrow." Han Shanping laughed and replied. After saying that, he changed the subject and asked about the main purpose of meeting He Daqi today: "By the way, Daqi, you said on the phone before that there's a second part to Crazy Stone. Can you tell me more about it? Is the script out? Or did you write it?"

"Yes, I wrote it. It's roughly finished, but it still needs some polishing. It's unlikely that we can film it this year. The 'After the Flowers Bloom, All Flowers Wither' project is too time-consuming. It will take several months to finish filming and post-production. Ning Hao will basically not have time to work on Crazy Stone 2 after finishing this project this year."

"Have you ever thought about changing the director?"

"This kind of subject matter is better suited to Ning Hao's style. Changing directors would just not give it the same feel. I wrote the script based on Ning Hao's shooting habits. If someone else were to shoot it, it would be more troublesome to revise the script. It's better to wait until Ning Hao has time."

It's all just a lie. All of the above excuses are just He Daqi making up. The script is still in the film library waiting for him to dig it out. There's no sign of it yet. What's the point of changing directors? He Daqi isn't in a hurry. He'll wait until Ning Hao finishes filming "My Flowers Bloom and Hundred Flowers Kill" before he talks about it. Then he'll dig out the script and ask Ning Hao. If he wants to film it, he can film it; if he doesn't want to film it, he can give it to someone else. Right now, He Daqi is too lazy to dig out the script. He just wants to enjoy the New Year.

Han Shanping pondered for a moment and realized that it was indeed impossible to get the project done ahead of schedule, so he continued to ask, "How much funding do you estimate the second part of Crazy Stone will need?"

"Twenty million is the most we can afford. There aren't any big special effects. Even this is considering Ning Hao's doubled director fee and the increase in actors' salaries. Especially since the second film naturally has a large fan base, we can save a lot on marketing and distribution. I estimate that if we include marketing and distribution, the final cost will be about the same as the first film."

If He Daqi said that, Han Shanping would be in a bad mood. It was clearly a good project, but unfortunately, he would have to wait a year.

Why can't we just split Ning Hao in half and use him?

Watching the fish swimming around in the water, Han Shanping felt a little emo.

He Daqi was also looking at the fish in the pond, but his mind wasn't on the Crazy Stone 2 that he had just been boasting about; instead, he was thinking about another issue.

How did Xu Jinglei manage to get her connections with Han Shanping?
To be honest, the complicated and tangled relationships among the people in the arts and culture circles of Beijing have always been quite baffling to He Daqi.

"Daqi? It really is you!"

A gentle, surprised voice sounded beside He Daqi.

He Daqi turned his attention away from the fishing float, glanced to the side, and stood up gracefully: "Li... Boss, you're fishing too?"

Unexpectedly, Han Shanping made the same move as He Daqi and even said the same words, making He Daqi think that his words had an echo.

Uncle Li smiled and nodded to He Daqi, then turned to Han Shanping: "What a coincidence, Lao Han, you're here too. I was so focused on Daqi that I didn't notice you. Hahaha, who would have thought you two would be fishing together?"

"Sir, do you know Daqi?"

"Yes, I presented him with the award for outstanding literary and artistic worker the year before last. I thought he was a very energetic young man, so I chatted with him a bit more after the award ceremony, and that's how we got to know each other."

Han Shanping felt a little uneasy upon hearing this. Had they gotten to know each other after chatting for a few more minutes? I report to them every few days, so why did they recognize He Daqi first and then me?
He kept these thoughts to himself, not asking them aloud. Han Shanping wore a simple, honest smile and worked quickly, tidying up the fishing spot next to him in no time. "Please sit here, sir. I really didn't expect you to come here to fish. I've been to this place many times, but I've never run into you before."

"I've been busy and never had time to go fishing. I heard this place was good before the Lunar New Year, and the river delicacies were also well-prepared. I've been wanting to come and see it for a while, but I've only managed to come and experience it now."

Uncle Li didn't sit at the fishing spot that Han Shanping had prepared. Instead, he sat down next to He Daqi, took some fresh bait from He Daqi as if they were old friends, put it on the hook, and cast the line.

Seeing this, Han Shanping was even less inclined to believe what Uncle Li had just said about getting to know each other after chatting for a few minutes.

For a moment, the three fell into an eerie silence.

Uncle Li smiled and focused on fishing without saying a word, Han Shanping was thinking about how to start a conversation, while He Daqi was lost in thought, swinging his fishing rod.

After a moment, Uncle Li suddenly spoke up and asked Han Shanping, "Old Han, guess how I found out about this place?"

"Um...didn't you just say you heard it from someone else?" "Yes, I heard it from someone else. They said they often see people from China Film Group coming here for meals, every few days. I guess this place must be pretty good, otherwise you wouldn't like it so much."

Han Shanping suddenly felt that the air conditioning in the fishing spot was a bit too hot, and he felt sweating profusely. He chuckled awkwardly and replied, "Boss, everyone just wants to have fun and enjoy some fresh food, that's why we come here so often..."

"I believe you. I went to check it out in the back just now. The prices of the dishes here aren't high, and the drinks are at normal prices, which is why I told you about it. China Film Group is doing quite well now, but you should also be careful. After all, I've heard it from others, and others have probably heard it too, don't you think?"

"Yes, yes, leader, we will definitely pay attention in the future." Han Shanping wiped his sweat and nodded repeatedly.

Uncle Li smiled but didn't respond. Instead, he turned to He Daqi and said, "Daqi, it's a good day we've run into each other. I have something to talk to you about. I'm just taking a break to relax. I have other things to do this afternoon. Why don't you have lunch with me?"

He Daqi was slightly taken aback. It was almost eleven o'clock. Hearing what Uncle Li said, he had only taken a short time to fish for an hour to have some fun. It was quite a coincidence that he ran into him during that hour.

Before He Daqi could say anything, Han Shanping suddenly stood up: "Boss, I suddenly remembered that I have other things to deal with. You and Daqi stay here for now, I have to go back."

"You're pretty busy too. Okay, go ahead and get busy."

Uncle Li's lips curled up slightly as he stood up and patted Han Shanping's arm. His smile was much more amiable than before, as if he was very satisfied that Han Shanping could understand what he was saying.

After Han Shanping left, Uncle Li sat down and continued holding his fishing rod, pondering how to chat with He Daqi.

The young people he usually met were clerks assigned by the organization. They were indeed composed, but lacked the vitality of youth. Now that he had to make things clear with He Daqi, he suddenly realized that he was not quite sure how to handle the situation.

"Da Qi..."

"Yes, Uncle Li, please speak." He Daqi now looked honest and upright, sitting very straight.

“A large part of my work involves promotion, and I often hear people mention your Yabo.com. It has indeed done very well in the past two years, ranking first among community websites for two consecutive years. However, some of the opinions expressed by the influential figures on the site are somewhat biased. Have you noticed that? Also…”

Uncle Li turned to He Daqi and continued:
"Wang Rui is the person in charge of Yabo.com, right? Many people know what he wants. You haven't started to bring in other investors yet. Once Yabo.com grows bigger, will you start raising funds in rounds? At that time, Wang Rui will disappear from Yabo.com, right? I believe you have definitely disclosed everything to each other during the cooperation. So, what do you plan to do with Yabo.com?"

He Daqi frowned slightly, not in a hurry to answer, his brain racing, trying to figure out exactly what Uncle Li was trying to say.

After a long pause, he replied somewhat uncertainly, "Uncle, actually we've invited many departments to join Yabo.com, and we've been very strict in managing biased opinions. As for Wang Rui..."

At this point, He Daqi hesitated. Wang Rui actually only wanted an admission ticket. He Daqi didn't know if Uncle Li really knew or was just saying it casually, so he didn't know how to respond.

"Daqi, fishing is all about calmness and composure. Why? To keep yourself steady so you don't make mistakes that cause the fish to get away. Many things in life require a steady approach."
Being cautious doesn't mean becoming mediocre or hiding your true feelings; it means preparing in advance and considering things more carefully. This has both advantages and disadvantages, and it's especially important in China.
In China, only a handful of organizations are so meticulous about these things. They might be hesitant to offer help or become your partners when you need them most, fearing this and that.

But once you've expanded your business, and they try to help you again, you won't even glance at them. It's sometimes wise to look back. Being cautious might mean missing opportunities, but it won't lead to complete failure.

He Daqi suddenly realized.

Isn't this exactly the ideal outcome Wang Rui described back then—a smooth landing?

However, He Daqi did not expect that this opportunity would be given by Uncle Li.

“I understand,” He Daqi said cheerfully.

Uncle Li chuckled lightly, not expecting He Daqi to understand so easily.

The two then stopped chatting and focused their energy on their fishing endeavors.

Not long after, He Daqi suddenly stood up, laughing loudly as he lifted the rod: "Got it! Got it!"

The sunlight streaming through the window reflected in the fishpond made He Daqi's hearty smile even brighter.

Uncle Li smiled as he watched He Daqi's happy expression, but sighed inwardly.

There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world. What Uncle Li said to He Daqi when they first met wasn't just empty talk.

"I feel like I've seen this young man somewhere before. Do I look familiar with him?"

At the time, He Bing didn't pay attention to those words, and neither did He Daqi, because they couldn't imagine what Uncle Li was feeling when he said them.

He Bing had previously told He Daqi that Uncle Li used to take special care of him, and he thought it was because they had been neighbors since childhood, but he didn't know the real reason.

To be honest, Uncle Li was several years older than He Bing and belonged to the same generation as He Daqi's father. Back then, several people of the same age in the courtyard would hang out together all the time, and Uncle Li and He Daqi's father were the leaders of the group.

In particular, when He Daqi's parents got married, Uncle Li was the best man. When He Daqi was born, Uncle Li even joked with his parents that he wanted to adopt He Daqi as his godson.

Unfortunately, the past is too painful to recall. Later, He Daqi's parents died at the same time due to an accident at the machinery factory, and this past event was gradually forgotten. At that time, He Bing was just a young boy and could not understand the friendship between his older brother and the neighbor's brother. When he was bullied, Uncle Li stood up for him a few times, and he simply thought that it was because of the old neighbor's help.

At this moment, looking at the familiar smile on He Daqi's face, Uncle Li vaguely recalled his own youthful days.

“Brother He, so many years have passed. Your son is now grown up and has a family. Back then, he was just a little dumpling. When we drank together, he would cry and make a fuss. Now, he laughs just like you.”

(End of this chapter)