Ch. 1181..1190
Chapter 1181: 1180, no need to take a picture anymore
Li Li refused to agree, and she said scornfully, “Director Yu, you change your face faster than I flip through books. Just a moment ago, you were questioning whether I could compensate for your niece’s neck, and now you’re saying you want to take me out to eat. Are you always so fickle?”
Yu Zhen’s face still had a simple and honest smile, “Miss, I’m really sorry, our Xian Xian can be a bit willful sometimes, and it’s our fault. We didn’t educate her properly when she was young, so please don’t be angry.”
Li Li was very annoyed. She said, “Doesn’t she have a mouth of her own? Can you let her speak for herself?”
Yu Zhen could certainly let Yu Xian speak for herself, but knowing her temperament, she would surely start quarreling the moment she opened her mouth—which was fine if it offended others, but it was unacceptable to offend Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu.
“Our Xian Xian isn’t very good at speaking; it’s fine if you just discuss it with me,” Yu Zhen replied with a smile.
The students nearby couldn’t stand it and spoke up. They’d seen parents defend their children, but Yu Xian was already in her twenties, and still needed her uncle to speak for her in everything, which was genuinely repellent.
A female student watching from the sidelines said, “We all saw it just now. It was your niece who first hit someone with the tripod. This senior student was merely defending herself. Since she did something wrong, she should come out and apologize herself. What’s the point of you apologizing for her?”
Another male student said, “Besides, she was threatening just now to drive this senior student out of Capital University. I must say, you wealthy people are impressive, being able to expel a student from school for no reason. To those who are unaware, one would think your niece is a princess, and we all have to follow her orders.”
Seeing that the bystanders were all speaking up for Li Li, Yu Zhen simply gave Yu Xian a small reprimand, “Xian Xian, hurry up and apologize to this fellow student. You were wrong today; you can’t do things like this in the future.”
Tan Rou felt her head ache at these words. Couldn’t Yu Zhen just let her speak for herself? Moreover, based on what Yu Zhen said, he didn’t seem to want to blame Yu Xian at all.
“What happened?” Tao Zheng and Meng Xiao finally arrived.
Meng Xiao had gone to touch up her makeup while Tao Zheng was tweaking new equipment. When they returned, they discovered the chief director was missing. They asked the crew nearby and found out that Yu Zhen had come here, so they hurried over.
Although Yu Zhen was the chief director of the TV drama, Tao Zheng was the investor, so he didn’t dare to offend Tao Zheng, “Chief Tao, it went like this: my niece Xian Xian had a bit of conflict with this young lady while filming. I’ve already lectured Xian Xian, and she knows her mistake. But the young lady refuses to forgive her, and I’m troubling you to say a few words on my behalf.”
Tao Zheng smiled when he saw Li Li, “Ah, Li Li, it has been a long time since I’ve seen you.”
Li Li also responded with a smile, “Brother Tao Zheng, indeed, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, let’s have a meal together someday.”
Tao Zheng nodded and said a couple more things before turning his attention to Yu Xian, “What happened just now?”
Yu Zhen was about to speak for Yu Xian when he was stopped by a look from Tao Zheng. Tao Zheng said, “Doesn’t she have a mouth? I want her to speak for herself.”
Yu Zhen’s eyelids twitched but he did not intervene any further, “Good, let her speak for herself.”
Then he gave Yu Xian a look, signaling her to speak carefully and not to say anything rash.
But Yu Xian was still furious and naturally spun the story to her own advantage. Yu Zhen, anxiously on the sidelines and repeatedly signaling to Yu Xian to stop talking, but she kept on complaining about Li Li and the other students, as if she didn’t see his gestures at all.
Tao Zheng listened patiently to what she had to say, then responded with a cold laugh, “Since filming is such a hassle for you, you may as well not do it anymore.”
Yu Xian was startled before realizing what Tao Zheng meant, “What did you say? You dare to tell me not to act in films, and why should I listen to you?”
Then she turned to Yu Zhen and clung to his arm coquettishly, “Uncle, help me. He’s bullying me, you have to teach him a lesson!”
Chapter 1182: 1181 dragging down
Yu Xian’s mind seemed inadequate, as she rushed in front of Tao Zheng, pointing at his nose and said, “What are you even? Just an assistant director, at most. My uncle is the head director; if he wants me in a movie, I’ll be in a movie!”
For the first time, Yu Zhen felt his niece was incredibly foolish. Having been in the circle for so long, why hadn’t she paid attention to the people within it? There were many in the circle with powerful backgrounds, and they were not to be trifled with, among which Tao Zheng was one of the most untouchable.
“What nonsensical things are you saying?” Yu Zhen came hastily to stop Yu Xian, “Don’t talk nonsense, this is Chief Tao from Star Way Entertainment, you should quickly apologize to him.”
Yu Xian refused to apologize, she clamored, “So what about Star Way Entertainment? Could it possibly be richer than my dad?”
Yu Zhen really wanted to slap Yu Xian’s face, but he raised his hand and then put it down again, “Xian Xian, shut your mouth. The people here aren’t to be offended by you, even if your dad came, he wouldn’t dare to talk like this.”
Yu Xian still looked impatient, as if she didn’t know what fear was. She always believed that as long as her dad and uncle were there, all problems could be solved.
“Uncle, I haven’t done anything, why are you blaming me?” Yu Xian said in dissatisfaction, “And I’m the one who got hurt the most, shouldn’t you be comforting me instead?”
“You really have been spoiled rotten by your parents!” Yu Zhen finally couldn’t hold back and lashed out at Yu Xian, pointing at her, “You go back to the nanny van to reflect and get out of here!”
Yu Xian was stunned. It took about half a minute before she realized what her uncle had just said. Then, with red eyes, she said, “Uncle, you actually yelled at me for these strangers, which is really too much!”
As she rubbed her eyes, she looked toward her uncle. When she was little, as soon as she cried, her uncle would come to coax her, and even after growing up, her uncle wouldn’t just watch her cry.
But this time, Yu Zhen didn’t go over to comfort her. Instead, he looked at Yu Xian with a disappointed gaze that made her heart tremble.
“Uncle, what’s wrong?” Yu Xian went over to grab Yu Zhen’s arm, gently shook it a few times, and asked with great sadness, “Don’t you like Xian Xian anymore?”
Yu Zhen and his wife had no children, and they liked girls very much, so they treated their sister’s child as their own, especially doting on Yu Xian.
The young Yu Xian indeed was very lively and cute. As she grew older, her bad habits became more and more numerous, and she would often throw tantrums. As soon as someone did something not to her liking, she would immediately lose her temper.
Yu Zhen had watched Yu Xian grow up, and even when Yu Xian went abroad, he didn’t lessen his care for her, nearly every month flying with his wife to visit Yu Xian.
Although Yu Xian’s behavior disappointed Yu Zhen, she was, after all, the child he had watched grow up, and he was still very biased in favor of her. So, when Yu Xian wanted to enter the entertainment industry, he had paved the way for her.
But Yu Xian was too disappointing. Not only did she quarrel with directors and actors, she also didn’t spare the cleaning workers. She’d frequently be seen arguing with cleaners on set over trivial matters.
“Hmph,” Tan Rou sneered, “Director Yu, if you still wish to have a career in this industry, you’d better keep your distance from your niece. She’s not someone fit for the entertainment world. One day, if she offends the wrong person, I’m sure she’ll drag you down with her.”
Tan Rou’s intention was for Yu Zhen not to bring Yu Xian into the industry, indicating she wasn’t cut out for it. Moreover, Yu Zhen’s reputation wasn’t insignificant, as long as he kept clear of scandals, he could stay in the industry for life. But if he insisted on Yu Xian remaining in the entertainment industry, he would surely be affected by her in the future.
Yu Zhen detected a different implication in Tan Rou’s words; he felt she was threatening him. If he didn’t make his stance clear, there was a high chance he wouldn’t be able to survive in the industry any longer.
“Alright, I will consider Miss Rou’s suggestion,” Yu Zhen pondered then said, “If there’s nothing else, we’ll be leaving now.”
Yu Xian said, “Uncle, I’m not leaving. She hasn’t apologized to me yet.”
Chapter 1183: 1182 Disgusting
“Huh, the thoughts of a great director are indeed simple, aren’t they? Your niece has caused so much trouble here, and even wants to resort to violence. Do you think she can just leave so easily?” Li Li sneered, “Mr. Director, if your niece doesn’t apologize to us, we are not going to let her go today.”
Yu Xian is a public figure, and if the incident that took place here today becomes known online, it will definitely affect her future career. Moreover, Yu Xian isn’t very famous in the entertainment industry, she’s not particularly attractive, and her abilities are lacking. If it weren’t for having a good father and a good uncle, Yu Xian would have been kicked out of the entertainment circle long ago.
But if Yu Xian caused serious negative publicity, even with her father and uncle’s intervention, they wouldn’t be able to save her.
In recent years, public opinion about celebrities has become increasingly strict, especially concerning conflicts between celebrities and scholars. Some people say that celebrities earn far too much, while those who sincerely contribute to the country don’t receive good treatment. When compared, the finger is often pointed at celebrities.
Yu Zhen didn’t speak; he was considering how to get this young woman not to pursue Yu Xian’s responsibility.
Seeing that he was silent, Li Li turned to leave, “There are so many people here; they can all testify for me. I think our classmates must have taken a lot of photos and videos, right? In a moment, I would appreciate it if you guys could send them to me. I’ll make a little video for Miss Yu to help her gain even more fame.”
Yu Xian actually thought Li Li was going to edit a video for her, and naively asked, “Are you my fan?”
Li Li stopped in her tracks, staring at Yu Xian in disbelief, “Why would you think I’d be your fan?” If Li Li were Yu Xian’s fan, then she must be crazy.
Yu Xian said very proudly, “Because I’m excellent. There are so many people who like me, it doesn’t matter if you’re not one of them. So, there’s no need to be shy.” She was as if she’d just discovered something exciting, and said with great enthusiasm, “I’ve got it, you must be my fan, otherwise, you wouldn’t come up to talk to me. You must like me so much that you can’t bear to directly ask for my autograph. That’s why you’re trying to get my attention this way, aren’t you?”
Li Li was about to be sickened by Yu Xian; a person can be a little narcissistic, but they absolutely shouldn’t be blindly overconfident. Yu Xian’s words made Li Li’s head throb and her stomach churn.
She made a gesture as if covering her mouth, then said, “Don’t disgust me — I haven’t eaten dinner yet, and if I listen to you any more, I might lose my appetite completely.”
Others also felt disgusted; some people are so ordinary yet they think the whole world should revolve around them, as if the earth wouldn’t turn without them.
Tan Rou’s eyelids twitched as she listened to Yu Xian’s words and said, “Big brother, we must thoroughly check an actor’s background before casting them in the future. We can’t let just anybody in.”
Tao Zheng nodded and said, “Mhm, I understand.”
Yu Zhen, upon hearing Tao Zheng’s words, instantly asked, “Chief Tao, can we just let this matter go? We haven’t finished filming our drama yet, and it’s almost evening — it’s the perfect time to shoot a scene under the moonlight.”
Tao Zheng also wanted to seize the good timing for evening shooting; otherwise, he wouldn’t have waited so long. However, it seemed that they might need to make some adjustments to the next shoot.
Director Yu, I’m really sorry, but I know you’re very capable. With our production being a small budget one, we probably don’t need such an excellent talent like you,” Tao Zheng said with a smile. “Besides, it’s a bit cold right now, and since most of our filming is outdoors, for the sake of your health, it would be best if you rested for a while and came back to film when the weather is warmer.”
Tao Zheng spoke a bit euphemistically. On the surface, he suggested that Yu Zhen’s capability was so high and the weather so cold that their crew wasn’t suited for him, but he was actually asking Yu Zhen to leave the crew, to go wherever he pleased.
Yu Zhen, of course, understood what Tao Zheng meant. He was someone who cared a lot about face, and how could he accept being dismissed in front of so many people by Tao Zheng?
“Chief Tao, we’ve only been shooting for a few days, and you want to replace the director?” Yu Zhen the blamed Tao Zheng, “Randomly changing directors isn’t good for a TV series, you know.”
Chapter 1184: 1183 Storm
“Are you threatening me?” Tao Zheng was amused by his attempt, “There’s more than one director in the entertainment industry who can shoot campus idol dramas, and even without a director, this show can still go on.”
Yu Zhen said, “Chief Tao, I’ve been promoting you online for so long, now your TV series has gained popularity, yet you’re thinking of replacing me. Aren’t you being a bit too heartless?”
“Ha, are you really not aware of why you’re being asked to leave?” Tao Zheng glanced at Yu Xian and said, “When we were casting, I told you that I must be the one to choose all the roles, but you insisted on adding your niece. I also told you your niece could join, but she would have to meet my requirements. Has your niece done so?”
Yu Zhen pressed his lips together, “We’ve only been shooting for a few days, no one can predict what will happen later. My niece might not necessarily fail to carry out the shooting.”
Tao Zheng said, “Sorry, I’m the investor, and this time I don’t want your niece to take part in our TV series anymore. Please, take her and leave with her.”
If today Yu Zhen had just taken his niece and left amicably, Tao Zheng might consider working with him on other TV series in the future, but judging by Yu Zhen’s attitude, that seems unlikely now.
“Uncle, I don’t want to leave!” Yu Xian yelled, “The male lead in this TV series is my idol He Feng. I must stay here.”
“Slap—” No one expected that the very person who had been so protective of his niece would now slap her.
Yu Xian was also stunned. Her uncle had never laid a hand on her in her life. Today, he had slapped her in front of so many people. In the entertainment industry, face is everything. If today’s incident became known, how could she ever establish herself in the industry?
“Uncle, you actually hit me for these people!” Yu Xian cried, holding her cheek, “I’m going to tell dad and mom.”
Yu Zhen was also furious, he scolded Yu Xian, “Go tell your parents, then. It’s because they spoiled you that you turned out like this. You can’t do anything and cause trouble all day long. Do you know how much trouble you’ve caused me? Get lost, go home, and never show up in front of me again.”
Angered, Yu Xian glared fiercely at the people around her, then ran crying back to her nanny van.
After Yu Xian left, Yu Zhen again asked Tao Zheng, “Chief Tao, are you satisfied with the situation now?”
Tao Zheng really didn’t expect him to hit Yu Xian, because Yu Zhen normally had a good reputation, known to be someone who cared for the younger generation and was very fond of his niece, even going as far as to solve problems she caused.
“It’s not a matter of whether I’m satisfied or not. It depends on whether you fit our crew,” Tao Zheng still stood by his point, “When you first came here, you didn’t resolve the situation properly but instead drew a crowd of onlookers. This is not conducive to our filming.”
Yu Zhen frowned, when he came over, he didn’t apologize to the young girl right away and had said some threatening words, probably the girl was still holding a grudge against him. Had he known she was connected to the Zhuang and Tao families, he would have been more courteous to her.
Regardless of what Yu Zhen said, Tao Zheng simply refused to relent, insisting that Yu Zhen leave his crew and stating that they would never work together again.
In the end, Yu Zhen also lost his temper, declaring he would never again work with any artist from Star Way Entertainment. Regarding this, Tao Zheng wasn’t worried at all; there were plenty of talented directors in the entertainment industry, and even without Yu Zhen, they could still make the series. At worst, they could invite Liang Lu over to direct. It was said she had a new movie coming out soon and her fame had grown quite a bit.
With the troublemaker gone, onlookers also started dispersing, discussing the recent events. Some people mentioned they’d already uploaded the video online, predicting it would cause quite a stir.
Sure enough, Yu Zhen and Yu Xian were the subjects of most discussions, but Tao Zheng’s TV series didn’t come out unscathed either; after all, Yu Xian had been one of the cast members, and her actions had an impact on the crew, this time a negative one.
Tao Zheng had no choice but to spend money to mitigate the negative fallout.
Chapter 1185: 1184 Withdrawal of investment
The online discussion became more and more heated, as if someone were deliberately fanning the flames.
Netizen A said, “What is the background of this TV series? It can actually be filmed inside Capital University. I’ve never been to Capital University in my whole life, so if it’s filmed, I’ll get to see what the most prestigious higher education institution in the country looks like.”
Netizen B said, “Don’t get your hopes up. Since both the directors and actors have all been changed, it’s questionable whether this film can ever be completed. I’ve said it before, never let Yu Xian act; she’s nothing but trouble, causing problems in every TV series she’s in.”
Netizen C said, “This crew isn’t any good either. I heard their staff was even hitting people. Plus, my friend who studies at Capital University told me that they couldn’t even enter the cafeteria the other night because it was so packed. In my opinion, Capital University is a place for studying, not for these vanity-stricken celebrities. Do they even know how many points are needed to get into Capital University?”
The words of Netizen C resonated with many friends, most of whom were university students, including some from Capital University.
Student A said, “I’m a student at Capital University. That evening, I was starving and wanted to eat at the cafeteria, but ended up being stuck at the entrance for an hour. I nearly fainted from hunger.”
Student B said, “Celebrities should not be allowed into places of learning. Capital University is a sacred place in my heart, and it should not be tainted by these culturally illiterate celebrities. Can’t the Education Bureau manage this situation? I don’t want to see any celebrities on campus.”
The issue quickly escalated as many students voiced their strong demand that TV shows and movies must not be filmed at universities. It was the first time Tao Zheng’s PR team encountered such a situation and was at a loss over how to handle it.
College students are regarded as the pillars of the nation, and their requests often have a significant impact online. Given such a demand, the Education Bureau could no longer ignore the situation.
Capital Education Bureau immediately issued a statement, strongly criticizing the chaos caused and demanding that no schools in Capital shall be used as filming locations henceforth to avoid disturbing the normal lives of students.
Upon seeing the notification, Tao Zheng was so upset his heart ached. He had made extensive preparations and invested a significant amount of money for this shoot. If the filming could not continue, all his preparations would go to waste.
If it had been only Capital University denying access, he would not have been this angry, but the Education Bureau had already issued a policy, strongly condemning the practice of film crews entering universities and had made specific demands. Thus, they would not be able to return for filming anytime soon.
The ones who had caused all this trouble were Yu Zhen and Yu Xian, and Tao Zheng couldn’t let them get away with it.
When Yu Zhen saw the notification issued by the Education Bureau, he was quite pleased. Tao Zheng was just too young. If he hadn’t stirred things up, the Education Bureau might not have even known. By the time they finished shooting the campus scenes, even if the Education Bureau issued the notification, it wouldn’t affect their subsequent filming.
“I have other productions to work on even without this one,” Yu Zhen proudly muttered to himself, “People looking for me to direct are as numerous as hairs on an ox. I can’t even count them all. If it hadn’t been for your older brother’s sake, do you think I would have agreed to direct your drama?”
Yu Zhen laughed at Tao Zheng’s foolishness and was worried about the future of Star Way Entertainment. By the end, he was even considering persuading his brother-in-law to buy out Star Way Entertainment, given Tao Zheng’s poor management.
While he was still fantasizing about being the boss, his assistant rushed in, panic-stricken, “Director Yu, something terrible has happened!”
Yu Zhen asked very calmly, “What’s the problem now? Are there more attacks on me online? Just have someone delete them. Don’t bother me with this kind of stuff.”
The assistant urgently said, “No, it’s something very important – actually, several very important things.”
Yu Zhen said, “Just get to the point.”
The assistant played a voicemail for Yu Zhen, “Director Yu, your online reputation hasn’t been good over the past few days. I’ve been thinking, maybe we shouldn’t go ahead with our new show. What if I can’t recoup my investment? So I’ve decided to pull the funding.”
Chapter 1186: 1185 trouble caused by Yu Xian
Upon hearing the situation, Yu Zhen’s previously leisurely demeanor immediately shifted. He swung his arm, hurling the cup in his hand away, “What’s going on? Why is Mr. Liu withdrawing his investment? Do you have any idea how much effort I’ve put into this film? We were about to start shooting, and now he withdraws his funding. Where am I supposed to find so much money to fill the gap?”
His new film was a big production, marking his first attempt at a new genre. For this project, Yu Zhen had pulled in a lot of investments, and his brother-in-law had invested 30%. But now, with Mr. Liu pulling out, he had to cover the 20% gap left by him, and it wasn’t certain that his brother-in-law would be willing to contribute more.
Just then, his assistant received another call, “Director Yu, it’s a call from Mr. Zhang.”
Yu Zhen said angrily, “Just take the call right here. I want to hear what they really want to say!”
Mr. Zhang started by asking how Yu Zhen was doing lately, whether the new film’s preparations were complete, and if there was still a shortfall of funds.
Yu Zhen let out a sigh of relief upon hearing his words. Judging from Mr. Zhang’s tone, he probably wasn’t calling to withdraw his investment.
“Mr. Zhang, I have indeed run into a little bit of trouble recently,” Yu Zhen said with a chuckle, “As you know, we’ve put a lot of money into this movie, and we are about to start shooting. But now, Mr. Liu has suddenly caused me a bit of trouble.” Yu Zhen laughed, “So, we’ll have to postpone for a bit.”
Mr. Zhang laughed, “Did old Liu withdraw his funding?”
Yu Zhen didn’t know how to respond. Mr. Zhang didn’t wait for his answer and continued, “You’ve been making quite the name for yourself online recently. As a big director like you, you should be making better works. So…”
Yu Zhen thought Mr. Zhang was hinting at investing more, but to his surprise, Mr. Zhang said, “So maybe it’s best not to shoot this film. After all, the funding has already diminished by so much, it wouldn’t hurt to lose a little more, right?”
Yu Zhen felt as if the world was going dark before his eyes. He hastily said, “Mr. Zhang, you can’t do this. Our film is about to start shooting. If you withdraw your investment now, where will I find someone to fill the vacancy?”
Mr. Zhang couldn’t care less about the film. There were so many new shows in the entertainment circle waiting for his investment. A casual investment in two popular shows could make his money back. But Yu Zhen’s troubles had already spread internally, with many people saying he had offended the Tao family. Even his brother-in-law couldn’t save him now.
Rumor had it his brother-in-law was also planning to withdraw his investment. If they didn’t claim their money now, it was likely that Yu Zhen wouldn’t manage to pay them back in the end.
Mr. Zhang, after a private phone call with Mr. Liu and learning that he had already withdrawn his funding, immediately called Yu Zhen.
“Old Yu, no offense, but your niece really knows how to cause you trouble,” Mr. Zhang began, “I remember that last time, it was her too, wasn’t it? Just to compete for the lead role, she actually clawed the face of the leading actress on set.”
Yu Zhen was well aware of Yu Xian’s bad temper but didn’t have a way to stop it, letting her do as she pleased.
Yu Zhen couldn’t listen anymore. Since Mr. Zhang intended to withdraw his investment, he might as well let him.
After hanging up the call, the assistant said, “Director Yu, there’s something unpleasant I want to say. I think Miss Yu Xian is not suited for the entertainment industry. She’s the reason for this mess. If she hadn’t caused trouble at the university, none of these college students would have spoken out, nor would it have attracted the attention of the Education Bureau.”
Yu Zhen, already furious, was fully aware that Yu Xian had caused the trouble, but he wasn’t willing to be criticized for his niece’s actions, especially not by his own staff.
“You’re fired,” Yu Zhen said coldly.
The assistant was taken aback and said nothing more, as he had long wanted to quit anyway. “Fine, since Director Yu has fired me, I have nothing to lose. I’ll speak my mind,” the assistant stated and flung his work badge onto Yu Zhen’s desk, leaving without looking back.
No sooner had he left than Yu Xian called, sobbing, “Uncle, what’s going on? Why has all my new work disappeared? All the crews said I’m not suitable for their films and asked me to find work elsewhere.”
Chapter 1187: 1186 consecutive bad things
Yu Zhen felt like bursting into flames the moment he heard her voice. If it weren’t for Yu Xian, he wouldn’t have lost so much investment, “What do you want from me? Go bother your dad, don’t annoy me!”
Yu Xian was very displeased with her uncle’s attitude. “Uncle, when I entered the entertainment industry, you had already promised to take good care of me. Now, I’m having problems at work, and you’re not even trying to help me out. Instead, you tell me to go to my dad who is way too busy to assist me.”
Yu Zhen retorted angrily, “Then go to your mom! She’s playing mahjong all day long. Can’t you give her something to do?”
Yu Xian could tell her uncle was upset, so she softened her approach. “Uncle, I was wrong just now. I apologize. Please, don’t be angry anymore.”
Yu Zhen still adored his niece and couldn’t bear to really lash out at her. “Xian Xian, I honestly can’t help with your new drama. There’s a bit of trouble here that I need to sort out. Why don’t you take some time off? Once you’re rested and things here are back to normal, I’ll arrange a new show for you, okay?”
Although Yu Xian was reluctant, she didn’t argue further. “Uncle, make sure you arrange it quickly, okay?”
Yu Zhen promised, “Okay, I will handle it as fast as I can.”
After hanging up the phone, Yu Zhen shouted, “Get me a cup of coffee.”
However, no one responded for a long while. His temper flared up again, and he yelled out, “Has everyone died out there? I asked for a cup of coffee, didn’t you hear me?”
After a good while, still no one replied, and he then remembered that he had fired his assistant earlier.
Yu Zhen sighed deeply, pressed his fingers against his temples, then stood up to make coffee himself. However, being accustomed to being served, he didn’t know how to make coffee and accidentally scalded his hand with the hot water, turning it bright red.
He had no choice but to go to the hospital for treatment, but the hospital was so crowded that he wasn’t seen until almost the end of the doctor’s shift.
He thought that would be the end of his troubles, but he was far too optimistic.
“Director Yu, this is my resignation letter.” An employee who had been with Yu Zhen for ten years submitted his resignation, apologizing, “My mother is ill, and she might need my care, so I must quit to look after her.”
Yu Zhen found this statement odd, “What do you mean she might need your care? I need a definite answer.”
The veteran employee immediately corrected himself, “Oh, then my mother is ill, and she needs me to take care of her, so I have to resign.”
Yu Zhen said, “If your mother is ill, you should work even harder. How else will you afford her medical bills?”
The old employee said, “It’s okay, my mom has health insurance. It’s really useful nowadays, covering seventy percent of the expenses.”
This employee had worked under Yu Zhen for ten years and was quite satisfactory. His sudden departure was definitely something Yu Zhen wanted to prevent. However, no matter what Yu Zhen said, he no longer wanted to stay.
Yu Zhen thought he genuinely wanted to leave to care for his mother, so he finally accepted his resignation.
However, a day later, two more employees resigned. This time, it was two young girls who didn’t provide any reason other than saying they were too tired and didn’t want to work there anymore.
Since they were new, Yu Zhen didn’t mind much, and he approved their resignation as soon as it was submitted.
At this point, Director Yu hadn’t yet realized the severity of the issue.
Employees left one after another, each with their own reasons. Some wanted to go back to their hometowns to develop; some to take over family businesses, but most left due to family emergencies.
As Yu Zhen saw the number of people in his company dwindling, he urgently asked the HR department to recruit more staff, but even the HR employees had left, leaving no one to help him recruit.
It seemed as though the resigning employees had agreed to leave together, and Yu Zhen couldn’t hold onto any of them.
Where did those resigning employees go?
This brings us to Liang Lu.
After graduation, Liang Lu made several web movies and dramas with substantial investments. The productions were of high quality and received great feedback, prompting her to decide to start a film and television company to expand her development.
Chapter 1188: Liang Lu’s company 1187
Liang Lu had been planning her film production company for quite some time, but with so many film companies in the Capital, like the colossal Star Way Entertainment pressing from above, it was very challenging for a new company to develop.
However, that was not a big problem. Nowadays, to do something, you only needed two things: one was to have a lot of money, and the other was to have an exceptional network.
As it happened, Liang Lu had both.
Liang Lu had a very wealthy fiancé, and although Old Master Lu hadn’t been too pleased with her in the past few years, by now, he had come to the realization that he couldn’t change his grandson’s affection for Liang Lu, so he simply stopped concerning himself with their business.
Lu Qing was already the de facto head of the Lu family, so he could use his authority to invest in Liang Lu. Although the Lu family was not as wealthy as the Tao or Zhuang families, after several years of development, they had become the wealthiest in the city. Investing one hundred million in a TV drama was no problem for them.
Besides, Liang Lu had a whole bunch of wealthy friends, like Tian Tian, Xu Yan, and Tan Rou, each readily able to invest tens of millions. Thus, her TV drama had investments amounting to hundreds of millions.
The Tao family managed the best entertainment company in the entire Capital and even the whole country, naturally providing great assistance to Liang Lu. Plus, if someone like Tao Zheng, who was so out of sync, could be the owner of a film company, why couldn’t Liang Lu?
Liang Lu had discussed the matter with Tan Rou and the others quite early on. At that time, Tao Zheng was also present, and he mentioned he would help promote Liang Lu, as well as find some reliable industry employees for her.
He had not yet settled on any candidates, but Yu Xian’s incident a few days prior had given him inspiration. Since there were no individual employees to recruit, why not poach high-paying individuals from other companies?
And the unfortunate target he chose was Yu Zhen.
Tao Zheng told Liang Lu about his idea of choosing candidates, and during a dinner party, Liang Lu learned about the incidents involving Yu Zhen and Yu Xian bullying Li Li. The two hatched a plan to poach employees from under Yu Zhen’s wing.
Poaching needed a catalyst; they certainly couldn’t just paste a hiring advertisement on Yu Zhen’s company’s door. While they were figuring out how to poach staff from Yu Zhen’s company, a former employee who had left Yu Zhen’s company approached them.
This ex-employee was previously Yu Zhen’s assistant. After being dismissed, the more he thought about it, the angrier he became, hell-bent on teaching Yu Zhen a lesson. However, before giving Yu Zhen a taste of his own medicine, he needed to secure a stable job for himself first.
It so happened that Liang Lu’s company was hiring, so he came over.
Liang Lu personally conducted the interview, and upon learning that he came from Yu Zhen’s company, an idea instantly formed in her mind.
She first offered the assistant a relatively high salary, allowing him to act as the HR manager to help her with recruitment.
The assistant had done various tasks and was familiar with what the HR Department entailed, so the new job wasn’t difficult for him.
Once he was hired, Liang Lu told him about the recruitment needs and hinted, openly and covertly, that he could check with his former colleagues regarding wages, assuring him that they would not be shortchanged.
People go out to work for money, and some employees at Yu Zhen’s company who were not doing well quickly resigned. Their lackluster performance was not necessarily due to their own lack of competence; it could also be because there were too many nepotism hires in their company, given that even their boss was there through connections.
Next were the long-time employees; to convince them to leave, it was necessary to offer them better terms.
Liang Lu was not stingy with money, and she also prepared excellent compensation for experienced staff. As a result, those longstanding employees also switched sides. As long as the treatment was good, they could work anywhere.
The new company had a young boss with abundant finances, and following her would surely lead to endless development.
For their future, employees leapt at the chance to switch companies, which led to the daily decrease of Yu Zhen’s staff, causing normal operations to become unsustainable.
While Yu Zhen toiled hard at recruiting new employees, Liang Lu’s film production company kicked off. She named it Dazzling Entertainment, wishing for the company to shine as brightly as diamonds and continue to prosper.
On the day of the ribbon-cutting, Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu brought exquisite and valuable gifts. In return, Liang Lu invited them to the premiere of her own movie.
Chapter 1189: 1188 First Movie
Liang Lu’s film could finally be played on the big screen. Although she had filmed TV dramas and movies during her university days, those were only available online.
Before she graduated, she had already started preparing for the film. She didn’t need to worry about investment; her only concern was the lack of good actors.
“Journey Through the Desert” was an experiment for Liang Lu. After returning from the desert, Liang Lu wrote down her thoughts and then hired a novice screenwriter to draft the screenplay. Once the outline was ready, Liang Lu called everyone, including Tan Rou, for a meal to seek their suggestions on her new screenplay.
Liang Lu’s new screenplay was a martial arts movie. The protagonist was a righteous female warrior who, it seemed, also mirrored Liang Lu herself.
Liang Lu’s biological parents had died, and her relatives had long since stopped caring for her. Even though she had loving grandparents, Liang Lu was sent to an orphanage.
She also had adoptive parents. Before their biological child was born, Liang Lu had been very happy. However, after the birth of their own child, they began to disdain her, and gradually, their relationship turned very strained.
After being admitted to university, Liang Lu never went back home. During her university years, Liang Lu took many part-time jobs and started filming videos. She sent the money she earned back to her adoptive parents as compensation and probably wouldn’t contact them again.
The film’s protagonist’s experience was very similar to Liang Lu’s, although the character’s parents were killed by enemies—a remnant of Liang Lu’s last positive illusion about her biological parents.
Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu attended the film viewing; the tickets were provided by Liang Lu who had specially arranged good seats for them and thoughtfully prepared popcorn and drinks.
“Have you read this screenplay?” Tan Rou asked Zhuang Liu.
Zhuang Liu replied, “I’ve read a bit of it. Last time you sent it to me, I even gave Liang Lu some feedback.”
“Hmm.” Tan Rou tasted some popcorn and whispered, “Actually, this female protagonist is written by Liang Lu based on herself, but unlike Liang Lu, she didn’t find happiness; she perished along with her enemy. Do you know why?”
Having heard Liang Lu’s story and understanding her character, Zhuang Liu said, “Perhaps the ending of the film’s protagonist is what Liang Lu originally envisioned for herself.”
Tan Rou smiled, “Zhuang Liu, you’re really clever.”
She looked at the big screen, which was showing the protagonist wildly wielding a sword in madness. Her martial arts were excellent, but she was unable to kill her enemy, so she could only swing her father’s sword in a rage to vent her dissatisfaction.
“Which part of Liang Lu’s life over the past twenty-plus years do you think this segment corresponds to?” Tan Rou asked.
Zhuang Liu thought for a moment then answered, “After the birth of Liang Lu’s adoptive parents’ child.” He analyzed, “Liang Lu used to live quite well, but after her adoptive parents had their own child, they treated her poorly. By then, Liang Lu knew she was unwelcome and, coupled with her rebellious phase, she could easily lose control of her emotions.”
“Exactly,” Tan Rou nodded. “She was furious about her own helplessness.”
The movie lasted only one hour and forty minutes, detailing how the heroine went from a rich young lady to a vagabond, struggled to avenge her parents, and ultimately met her end alongside her enemy.
The heroine was not particularly beautiful, in fact not as attractive as Liang Lu herself, but her actions were very powerful, truly packing a punch.
After the movie ended, Liang Lu, as the director, went on stage to express her thoughts on making this film and to discuss how the character of the protagonist was created.
When people heard Liang Lu say that the movie’s heroine was based on herself, they understood why the film was so moving—it was because the director was telling her own real and emotional story.
Some girls were sobbing uncontrollably by the time the heroine died. When they realized that the protagonist represented the director herself, they were somewhat relieved, because although the story was fictional, the director was real and still very much alive.
Perhaps with this thought, they felt less sad.
Chapter 1190: 1189 movie causes trouble
This was Liang Lu’s first movie to hit the big screen, so it needed solid promotion. Tan Rou asked Tao Zheng to contact some entertainment journalists who were good at writing articles, and prepared some videos already shot for them to help promote Liang Lu online.
For a time, the buzz around Liang Lu’s movie completely overshadowed other big-budget productions. One movie that claimed to have spent five hundred million had a box office return that did not surpass Liang Lu’s film, which had cost only tens of millions to make. This infuriated the director of the other film, who arranged for people to dig up dirt on Liang Lu online with the intention of getting her movie pulled from theaters.
The most scandalous dirt about Liang Lu was her own family background, with a gambling biological father and a biological mother who had been a prostitute—secrets Liang Lu could never share with others.
However, very few people were aware of these issues, except for relatives and friends from her hometown and her adoptive parents.
In the past few days, Tan Rou had been closely following the news about Liang Lu’s new movie. Since Liang Lu claimed that Tan Rou had changed her life, Tan Rou felt a deep connection to this film.
If Liang Lu hadn’t met Tan Rou back then, if Tan Rou hadn’t taught her to study, Liang Lu would now be ruling the streets as a gang leader, perhaps already killed by a random act of violence.
Tan Rou was fond of Liang Lu, perhaps because she had known loneliness herself, so she could deeply relate to Liang Lu’s feelings. Whenever Liang Lu was set to shoot a new drama, Tan Rou was always the first to invest. She liked making money, but seeing her family and friends happy meant even more to her.
Initially, Tan Rou made money to improve her family’s living standards, investing in the stock market with Li Li to give her a happier life. Now that she was wealthy, she naturally did her utmost to help her friends, as her family no longer needed her assistance.
Tan Rou was browsing movie reviews online and would have created an automatic positive review program to post on the internet if Liang Lu hadn’t forbidden it. This program would be dedicated to generating favorable reviews for Liang Lu’s movie and boosting its ratings.
Seventy-five percent of internet users praised the movie, fifteen percent didn’t find it very appealing, while the rest considered it average.
Tan Rou specifically sought out comments that praised the movie. Many netizens had a talent for analyzing plotlines and guessing characters’ motivations. They seemed to have gleaned the psychological detail scripted for the characters as if they had actually read the screenplay.
She enjoyed reading them, and when she came across a particularly good in-depth review, she even shared it with Liang Lu.
Liang Lu was thrilled that people understood her intentions, but what excited her even more was making money. The film had made a substantial profit, recouping its costs within four days of release. If it continued to perform well, she was sure to make a fortune before it left the theaters.
Tan Rou was also glad to see Liang Lu making money but reminded her to be cautious about what was said online and to not give anyone a handle to use against her.
Liang Lu was already aware of this, so all her online comments were positive. Even if someone criticized her movie, she accepted it with grace.
As long as she avoided conflicts with netizens, there shouldn’t be any problems.
Before going to sleep that night, Liang Lu read a few more posts analyzing the movie’s plot, then went to bed satisfied.
The next morning, Liang Lu was woken up by her phone ringing. It was Tan Rou calling.
“Liang Lu, don’t panic about what’s happening online. Lu Qing is already on it, and I’ve asked him to investigate,” Tan Rou said urgently. “You should call Lu Qing right away and see what he has found out.”
Liang Lu was still half-asleep. She yawned and asked, “Tan Rou, what are you talking about? I don’t understand.”
Tan Rou asked, “Haven’t you seen the negative news about you on the internet?”
Liang Lu suddenly remembered something that happened during her first year, “Don’t tell me someone is bringing up my parents again?”
“No, it’s about your grandparents. They’ve made a video accusing you,” Tan Rou said.
“What?” Liang Lu gasped, and after a moment she asked, bewildered, “My grandparents made a video to accuse me? Why?”
“They’re calling you unfilial, saying you haven’t been home since your parents died. They also mentioned that your grandfather is sick and needs a lot of money for surgery. They asked you for the money, but you refused to give it to them,” Tan Rou explained.