The internet was abuzz with news about Chu Xin Culture indirectly taking over Hei Li Entertainment.
Despite sincere testimonies from former Hei Li employees, many online trolls continued to stir up controversy, with some conspiracy theorists even suggesting a connection between the Hei Li incident and Chu Xin Culture.
However, speculation remained speculation, and without concrete evidence, most people adopted a detached, "wait-and-see" attitude.
Only those closely associated with Chu Xin Culture were genuinely interested in uncovering the truth.
He Nian knew that Quan Jiu was Nine, and Nine was the boss of Chu Xin Culture, as Quan Jiu had not concealed this fact when discussing cooperation with him.
Therefore, upon seeing the news about Chu Xin Culture, he was not only shocked but also felt a twinge of concern. Hei Li Entertainment was mired in negative publicity, and it was inevitable that some would use the situation to cause trouble for anyone brazenly taking over former Hei Li personnel.
His male and female leads were both from Chu Xin Culture, and he couldn't afford for anything to happen to them. Thus, he immediately called Quan Jiu to confirm the severity of the situation.
Fortunately, Quan Jiu assured him over the phone that the company would not be implicated.
He Nian finally breathed a sigh of relief. For some reason, he just felt that the young junior would not falter.
Although Liu Teng didn't know that Nine, who provided the script, was Quan Jiu, he knew that the scriptwriter was the boss of Chu Xin Culture. After the news broke today, he indirectly learned that Quan Jiu was Nine.
He held his phone and exclaimed, "Old He, do you think she has a natural talent for trending searches? Ever since Nine appeared, any incident that caused widespread public attention has been related to her. What's more, she's not even a celebrity or an idol. Judging by this trend, will our crew also frequently appear on the trending list from now on?"
After all, the "Floating Life" crew was constantly on the trending list back then, and the project almost fell through. But what was the outcome? Everyone thought it was over, yet they made a high-profile comeback.
And the collaboration with Wang Can also led to plagiarism accusations. Everyone thought her reputation was ruined, but then there was another reversal, which implicated a director and a screenwriter.
Recalling this, Liu Teng became curious. "What is Kang Li doing now? I heard that although Zhao Zhen got divorced, she's still active in this circle, but Kang Li has retired."
He Nian sneered dismissively. "He's morally corrupt. He actually helped his mistress steal scripts. Who would dare cooperate with such a person? He had to retire and live on air. Now he's investing in the catering business."
Liu Teng gloated, "With his taste, he'll definitely lose his pants." After all, Zhao Zhen was really something else.
...
On the other end, Zhao Ziwen was equally intrigued.
Although Chu Xin Culture wasn't involved when he collaborated with Quan Jiu, he had John. He had known for a long time that Nine's Chinese name was Quan Jiu, so when the news broke, he immediately connected the two.
"She's only been back in the country for three months, yet she's rapidly built her own business empire, successively collaborating with Wang Can, me, and He Nian, establishing an entertainment company, and even possessing so many commercially valuable artists and agents. She's a rose with thorns. I admit I underestimated her."
Wei Lan's eyelids twitched, and she asked with a smile, "Why do you say that?"
"They say that whoever profits the most behind an event is its manipulator. Everyone knows the Hei Li incident happened very suddenly, without any warning, as if it fell from the sky.
But if you look at it from the perspective of profit, Chu Xin Culture is the biggest beneficiary of this incident."
Wei Lan was truly shocked this time. "Are you suspecting that she's the manipulator behind the Hei Li incident? How is that possible? She's just... a screenwriter, and only twenty-seven years old."
"That's why I say she's a rose with thorns." Zhao Ziwen narrowed his charming peach blossom eyes, rubbing his chin. "Haven't you noticed? Everyone and everything related to her ultimately ends up in a miserable state.
Looking back earlier, Zhang Yan and Tian Gang – one was arrested, and the other completely retired from the industry. Zhao Zhen and Kang Li – one retired, and the other divorced and became a disreputable screenwriter. And Jin Xue is still in a lawsuit with Tian Yu, burdened with over 400 million yuan in debt."
Hearing this, Wei Lan felt goosebumps all over her body. She stammered, "Everyone who offended her has no good end."
Zhao Ziwen shook his head. "You can't say that. It should be said that anyone who provokes her has no good end. The problems these people had existed for more than a day or two. They could have continued to live freely for a while longer, but they provoked that rose, which is why they met such a tragic fate."
Wei Lan's heart trembled with fear, and she instinctively clenched her fist, saying playfully, "A rose with thorns is prickly, you have to be careful."
Zhao Ziwen smiled and said nothing.
Wei Lan thought for a moment and then asked doubtfully, "But Hei Li didn't offend her, did they? What grievances could she have with Hei Li?"
Zhao Ziwen's gaze fell on the update from Chu Xin Culture, his eyes full of interest. "Although it seems like there were no grievances, there was a conflict of interest.
It's certain that Bai Lin and Meng Long played a crucial role in Chu Xin Culture signing so many former Hei Li artists, agents, and employees.
Among these two, Bai Lin was even more critical. Bai Lin suddenly announced his retirement the year before last, and then the artist he managed, Lu Lian, also ceased all activities. Everyone speculated that Lu Lian was shelved by Hei Li. In fact, this wasn't speculation, but the truth. Bai Lin retired because he couldn't let go of Lu Lian.
At that time, various entertainment companies wanted to sign Bai Lin, but none succeeded. Why? It was definitely because Bai Lin wanted to be bound with Lu Lian, which would involve huge compensation. No entertainment company would be willing to bear it, so Bai Lin retired for a year. But now he's back, and he's brought Lu Lian with him..."
Wei Lan shivered, exclaiming in shock, "You mean, in order to bring Bai Lin and Lu Lian into the company, she proactively targeted Hei Li? After Hei Li's incident, Lu Lian not only could terminate the contract smoothly but also theoretically receive compensation. She solved such a tricky problem without spending a penny."
After her shock, Wei Lan instinctively swallowed. "This woman is too terrifying. Hei Li is one of the three giants of the entertainment industry, with extensive behind-the-scenes influence. She managed to bring Hei Li down without a trace."
But then she realized, "Won't others suspect anything? She so high-profilely poached Hei Li's people, it's practically announcing it to the world."
"There's no evidence, it's just my guess," Zhao Ziwen said with a smile. "Besides, the public is unaware of the conflict between Bai Lin, Lu Lian, and Hei Li, so the truth remains unverified."
Wei Lan's heart trembled again, and she chuckled, "Then she's indeed formidable."
Zhao Ziwen gave Wei Lan a meaningful look. "So, you shouldn't offend her."
Wei Lan forced a stiff laugh. "Yes."
...
Fei Wen was still waiting for the interview notification from Chu Xin Culture. However, instead of receiving it, she saw the trending news about Chu Xin Culture, especially the celebrities, which made her envious. If she could work in such a company, perhaps she could even have a perfect encounter with a celebrity.
Moreover, the salary and benefits were good, so she didn't mind that the company was relatively new.
So, she proactively called to inquire, only to be informed that she did not pass the interview.
Fei Wen was furious. When it was still a small, struggling company, she had visited twice without complaint, and the second interview even kept her locked in a room for six hours. Yet, in the end, she didn't pass? Why?
Fei Wen couldn't understand, so she decided to go in person to ask.
But when she arrived at Guanghuan Building, she saw a crowd of reporters standing by the roadside and several security guards standing at the entrance, looking very serious.
Fei Wen guessed that she couldn't enter easily. After thinking, she took out her interview notice from that time, deliberately obscuring the date, and successfully entered the building by using the interview notice.