The internet's trending searches, which had been quiet for a while, were suddenly stirred up again by a piece of news from Wei Tao.
Nowadays, almost every statement Wei Tao made was a fatal blow, so the news quickly shot up the trending list. Due to the gravity of the incident involved, the local public security department immediately issued an announcement stating that they had intervened in the investigation.
Zhao Zhen had been beaming these past few days. Previously, due to her scandal, she wasn't even invited to the Golden Pen Summit in December. She was, after all, a screenwriter of some renown. While not as famous as the big names, she had written several highly popular dramas. These snobbish people actually disowned her identity as a screenwriter for a minor mistake.
"When my new drama airs and becomes next year's hit, you'll all have to come crawling to me."
Zhao Zhen was smug, feeling happier the more she thought about it, even finding Kang Li more agreeable.
"Let's go out for dinner tonight."
"I'll go."
Zhao Zhen frowned, "If you want to go, go. If not, then forget it. What's with your attitude?"
"I'll go." Kang Li stood up from the bed, holding his phone, his face full of disbelief.
Zhao Zhen sensed something was wrong and quickly walked over, "What's wrong?"
"Damn it, Ba Shou and Kuang Kuo have been exposed for scandals." Kang Li handed his phone to Zhao Zhen.
Zhao Zhen's heart skipped a beat, and she chuckled nervously, comforting herself, "It's normal for male celebrities to have gossip and rumors."
"Rumors and gossip? They're already under investigation." Kang Li was so angry his head was spinning, and he quickly called Yang Shuo.
Before Zhao Zhen could even look at the news, she saw him making a call and went to grab her own phone to search. As soon as she opened Weibo, she didn't even need to search; the top headline was it.
The entire internet was condemning them. Their respective agencies issued some weak clarifications, but in the face of irrefutable evidence, especially when the scoop came from Wei Tao, the "Entertainment Disciplinary Committee," no one believed them. Instead, there were waves of angry comments.
Zhao Zhen stared blankly for a moment, her hand stiffened, and the phone dropped to the floor.
This was her last hope. She had been counting on this drama to make a comeback, but her dream was shattered at this very moment.
One second she was feeling smug, and the next she felt as if heaven itself was against her.
Zhao Zhen went mad. Having lost so much, and now finally holding onto a sliver of hope, only to have it disappear again, she was on the verge of collapse.
"Why, why, why. Wei Tao deserves to die, Nine deserves to die, Ba Shou deserves to die, Kuang Kuo deserves to die, you all deserve to die, why." She lay on the ground, banging her head repeatedly, as if feeling no pain.
Kang Li was also infuriated. He kicked Zhao Zhen's waist, "Crazy woman, shut up! What are you yelling about?"
Zhao Zhen was kicked far away, lying motionlessly on the ground in despair. A large bump formed on her forehead, her eyes vacant and lifeless, as if her soul had been drained.
Kang Li could finally hear the voice on the phone clearly and asked urgently, "What's the situation now?"
Yang Shuo was also furious. Thinking of Kang Li and Zhao Zhen's affair, he vented his anger, "Are you two jinxes? You ruined yourselves, and now you're ruining my production. I must have had my head stuck in a door to collaborate with you two scoundrels."
Kang Li's temper flared instantly, "Who chose the actors? Did I choose them? If you hadn't taken a liking to Zhao Zhen's script, would you have cooperated? What does this have to do with the script? If you want to scold someone, you should scold me. You..."
Yang Shuo felt dizzy. Although he knew the outcome, the change was too rapid. One moment he was congratulating himself on filming the best drama of his life, and the next, he was facing a permanent withdrawal, all his efforts wasted, all his hard work turned into a pool of wastewater.
What kind of melodramatic soap opera was this?
...
Film Bureau. Ding Kang knocked on Ma Jie's office door, his face full of excitement.
"Old Ma, you're truly a genius. You said that drama had problems, and it really did! The actor's scandal broke out so quickly. Isn't that a bit too coincidental?"
Ma Jie was still in shock. In fact, the moment he saw the trending searches, only one person came to mind: Quan Jiu, whom he had just had lunch with.
Even Ding Kang, who was unaware of the details, found it too coincidental, let alone him. He was even certain that this matter was indeed a setup by Quan Jiu.
Upon realizing this fact, he was filled with immense admiration for the woman named Quan Jiu. With such methods, it was no wonder she could take over Heilong's employees.
She was not to be underestimated.
"I just heard it by chance, but I really didn't expect their actors to have such a major downfall. We can only say we were lucky. If the scandal had broken out during its run, that would have been truly unjust," Ma Jie said with a smile.
Ding Kang chuckled, "Chuan'er was blaming me, saying I took his spot. But just now, he came back and hugged my arm, thanking me for saving him, treating me like a living Bodhisattva. But for me, you are my living Bodhisattva."
Ma Jie remained noncommittal, thinking to himself that the real living Bodhisattva was someone else.
"By the way, you mentioned you had a director friend who was looking for a second female lead, requiring a beautiful and noble image and temperament. Is that still the case?" Ma Jie asked again.
"He's a national director, and his requirements are very high. Not only does he want a beauty, but a naturally beautiful one. He's been selecting actresses for over a month, and his crew is getting anxious," Ding Kang said.
"I do know someone, but she's not an actress. However, her image and temperament absolutely meet the requirements. I can introduce you, and you can have the director contact her, but I can't guarantee anything. It's just that the woman's image is truly exceptional, very suitable."
Upon hearing this, Ding Kang stepped forward and slung an arm around Ma Jie's shoulder, "Good brother, I'll remember this favor. If there's anything I can help you with in the future, I'll go through fire and water for you..."
"No, I can't accept that," Ma Jie joked. "But I need to ask the person concerned first. If she's unwilling, then I can't do anything."
"Okay, okay, okay, hurry up and ask her for me. She's still asking me today if I've seen anyone in the films being reviewed who meets his expectations."
Ma Jie opened Quan Jiu's chat window and sent a message: "President Quan, my colleague Ding Kang's friend, Director Guo Wen, wants to meet you. If you wish to connect, I'll forward your contact information."
Quan Jiu, who was in the middle of typing, paused slightly upon seeing the message, then immediately replied, "Okay, thank you, Manager Ma."
Guo Wen, the renowned Director Guo, was a master-level director whose status surpassed that of Wang Can and He Nian. He even possessed the uncanny ability to command half the entertainment industry. How could such a person be missed?