Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 628 Tearing Onions
"Running Man" adopts the shooting model of Korean variety shows, shooting two episodes at a time, taking three days, with the first and third days of filming and a rest day in between.

The first episode of Wuzhen was filmed from 8 pm to 3 am. Although it was tiring, everyone was very excited.

Variety shows are all about having fun, and they're much easier to record than regular films and television shows.

As the final scenes of "Running Man" in Wuzhen were successfully filmed in the morning light, the bustling water town finally returned to its usual tranquility.

The next day, Zhang Chen made a special reservation at a well-regarded local restaurant—a Jiangnan cuisine restaurant hidden deep in an alley, built by the water. Its wooden doors and windows exuded a rustic charm, and outside the window were swaying awning boats and twinkling lanterns, creating a wonderful atmosphere.

He chose this location to host the banquet primarily to express his gratitude to Cheng Long.

Cheng Long hasn't been on a show like this in years, and he even recorded it all night long. Putting aside the money, Zhang Chen will definitely express his gratitude.

After being seated, the waiter served Wuzhen specialties such as braised duck, steamed white fish, and crab roe tofu. The two chatted about movies over warm Shaoxing wine.

When will filming begin for the new movie?

"Probably around January next year."

With Mission: Impossible 4 and Inception being filmed back-to-back, involving location shooting in multiple countries and requiring extensive pre-production work, and with Pacific Rim 2 set to be released in December, which is Zhang Chen's most important project this year, requiring him to participate in the entire promotional process, filming would mean that Zhang Chen would be away from the set for a long time if filming started before then, which is certainly not what the producers want.

After a few rounds of drinks, the conversation casually turned to personal travel, and Cheng Long remarked, "My friend at Bombardier informed me the other day that Lao Zhao's Challenger 850 is due for delivery in the next couple of days."

Zhang Chen's eyes lit up: "So fast? Does that mean ours will be soon too?"

Cheng Long nodded upon hearing this: "Ours will have to wait a while longer, but it won't be long. Yours will be delivered next month, and mine the month after that."

Old Zhao bought a Bombardier, so delivery will be faster; the two of them bought Gulfstream, so delivery will be slower.

The two chatted for a while longer before the dinner ended. Cheng Long was very busy and had to catch a flight the next morning, so the two only had a brief meal.

That night, lying in the hotel, Zhang Chen thought about how Zhao Benshan must be very happy to have gotten his hands on an airplane.

I need to call and congratulate them!
Zhang Chen took out his phone, but when he looked at the time, it was quite late. He didn't know if Lao Zhao was asleep, so he sent a message: "Teacher Zhao, are you asleep?"

To everyone's surprise, Zhao Benshan called immediately.

"Hey Zhang, I was just hesitating whether to call you or not when your message came through~"

"Did Teacher Zhao need something from me?"

"Hey, it's all about the Spring Festival Gala. That skit script you gave me is really giving me a tough problem!"

"What's wrong?"

"Our script for 'Not Short of Money' was such a success last year. Everyone knows you write great scripts. I heard you wrote another one this year, and everyone's scrambling to get on it. There's even been some conflict between the apprentices. Ugh, it's giving me a headache. I'm worried about who gets on it and who doesn't. I'm the master, I have to be fair to everyone..."

When Zhang Chen heard about this, he realized it was a family matter and it wasn't appropriate for an outsider like him to interfere.

But Old Zhao said, "You wrote the script, so why don't you decide on the casting? You're the author, so you must know each character best..."

Zhang Chen immediately refused: "That's not appropriate~"

"What's inappropriate about it? If I say it's appropriate, then it's appropriate. You decided it, so they can't blame me. Don't forget, you were the one who decided on Wen Song last year!"

Zhang Chen choked.

"It's settled then~"

Zhang Chen reluctantly replied, "Okay, I'll give it a try."

On the spot, Zhang Chen started racking his brains, and the people from Benshan Media flashed through his mind like a slideshow.

"You'll play the historian, I'll play Grand Commandant Gao, and you can help me think of the rest of the cast."

Zhao Benshan is indeed a responsible mentor. In the drama "Summer of Prison Break", Gao Taiwei is not the main character. Zhao took the initiative to take on this role, which is equivalent to giving the most hilarious roles to his apprentices.

"I think Xie Guangkun would be a good fit for the role of Song Jiang."

Zhang Chen didn't know the other person's name, only that he remembered Xie Guangkun from the TV series "Country Love".

"Oh, Jianjun? He's good. He has solid acting skills. He should have no problem playing Song Jiang."

The actor who plays Xie Guangkun is Tang Jianjun.

"Er Gou is the main character, and I think Song Xiaobao could play him. He has a natural comedic talent and can add a lot of laughs to the skit."

Yang Shulin is suitable to play Shi Qian. He is agile and he can definitely capture Shi Qian's cleverness.

Wen Song plays Wu Song. Through the movie version of "My Own Swordsman", he has already established the image of a martial arts master, making it easier for the audience to empathize with his portrayal of Wu Song.

And the jailer? Let Wang Xiaoli play him; his humorous style will make him stand out as a jailer.

Zhao Benshan listened and nodded, "Yes, your arrangement is quite reasonable. Each person's role is quite fitting to their characteristics."

Zhang Chen's selection plan covered almost all of his most famous apprentices.

What he didn't know was that Zhang Chen had something else he didn't say. Actually, Zhang Chen initially wanted to recommend Shen Teng for the role of Er Gou, but after thinking about it, he felt it wasn't suitable.

Shen Teng is from Happy Twist, but this project belongs to Benshan Media. Their styles don't match at all, and putting them together rashly might lead to a mismatch.

Zhao Benshan's worries were resolved by Zhang Chen's two sentences, and he was in a great mood. Suddenly, he remembered: "Oh dear, look at my memory, you called me so late, is there something urgent?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I had dinner with Jackie Chan tonight, and we were just chatting. He said your Bombardier is about to be delivered."

Haha, yeah~

Zhao Benshan's tone on the other end of the phone was much lighter: "It's all arranged, the delivery will be at Shenyang Airport tomorrow. Are you coming? If you are, let's have a good drink together~"

"I'm not going. Yours has been delivered, but mine won't be delivered for another month or so. I'd just be jealous if I went..."

"Haha, then I'll enjoy it first, bro~"

The two were joking around on the phone when Zhang Chen suddenly remembered something—the heated debate on "domestic celebrities buying private jets".

It seems that Lao Zhao was the first person in China to buy a private jet, which caused quite a stir at the time, with various criticisms of celebrities' excessively luxurious lifestyles.

"Teacher Zhao, I suddenly remembered something and I must tell you."

Zhang Chen's tone turned serious, "Although buying a private jet is a personal matter, no one in China has done it before, and it might attract criticism. I think we should try to keep a low profile."

"Hey, do you need to tell me this? If I didn't even understand this principle, wouldn't I have wasted my life?"

Zhao Benshan laughed heartily, then sighed, "But you really are observant. That's true. With the internet so developed these days, even the smallest things can be blown out of proportion. Don't worry, I'll definitely keep a low profile about this private jet. I'm not the kind of person who likes to make a fuss..."

"I can rest assured that."

I thought this matter was over, but I didn't expect that Old Zhao couldn't escape it in the end.

A few days later, while Zhang Chen was reviewing the filming schedule, his assistant suddenly knocked on the door and came in: "Boss, take a look at the trending topics~"

Zhang Chen turned on his computer, and the top trending topic on Weibo was "Zhao Benshan's private jet".

Following that was a bright red "Explosive" character, and Zhang Chen couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

It's a blessing, not a curse, but it's a curse that cannot be avoided.

Zhao Benshan may not show off, but that doesn't mean his apprentices won't.

Someone took a picture of the plane and posted it on Weibo, which caused a huge uproar.

Clicking into the trending search terms reveals an already heated discussion.

In the comments section, various opinions mingled together, like a pot of boiling water.

Some people say, "How much money does this cost? Celebrities make money so easily. Ordinary people can't earn this much in a lifetime, but they can buy an airplane as a toy."

Some people questioned: "If you're so rich, why don't you donate to children in mountainous areas? Do you know how many people in our country still don't have enough to eat or wear?"

A few supporters argued, "It's their own money; they can buy whatever they want. What's it to them?"

But as soon as he said that, he was bombarded with rebuttals: "Shouldn't you consider the social impact of the money you earn? Aren't you afraid of setting a bad example by being so ostentatious?"

Even worse, some dug up some of Zhao Benshan's previous remarks and attacked him out of context, saying that he was "inconsistent in his words and deeds" and "hypocritical".

In addition to netizens, various media outlets also followed up with reports.

Some media outlets simply stated objectively the fact that Zhao Benshan purchased a private jet, as well as the approximate price and intended use of the private jet.

Some media outlets began to delve into the story behind the scenes, analyzing the pros and cons of celebrities buying private jets, but their words revealed criticism of Zhao Benshan's "excessive extravagance."

Some gossip media outlets went even further, fabricating baseless rumors that Zhao Benshan bought a private jet to "show off his status" and "act like a big shot," even comparing him to other celebrities and implying that he was "vain."

For a time, print media, television media, and online media were all discussing Zhao Benshan's purchase of a private jet, with a barrage of voices that made it hard to breathe.

In fact, Zhao Benshan was not the first person in China to buy a private jet.

Prior to this, some entrepreneurs and wealthy individuals had already purchased private jets for business travel or personal trips.

But when those people bought private jets, it didn't cause such a sensation or receive so much criticism.

Zhao Benshan was thrust into the spotlight simply because he is a celebrity and a popular sketch comedy actor.

Some people say, "Precisely because he is a public figure, he should pay more attention to his words and actions and act more discreetly. By doing this, he is showing no consideration for the public's feelings."

Some people felt it was unfair: "Why is it that when entrepreneurs buy private jets, no one says anything, but when celebrities buy them, so many people criticize them? Isn't this a double standard?"

Regardless of the circumstances, Zhao Benshan has been drawn into this public opinion storm and is finding it difficult to extricate himself. Just as the public opinion was escalating, Wang Sicong suddenly posted a Weibo post, directly targeting Zhao Benshan.

The Weibo post was explosive: "Zhao Benshan is a show-off farmer. No matter how much money he has, he'll always be a farmer. He bought the plane just to show off..."

This Weibo post immediately caused an even bigger sensation.

Who is Wang Sicong? He is the son of Wanda Group's chairman and a well-known Weibo influencer, famous for his bold and outspoken remarks.

Generally speaking, influential figures on Weibo are usually cautious in their words and actions, especially when it comes to celebrities in the entertainment industry. They are even less likely to make offensive remarks for fear of getting into trouble.

But Wang Sicong is different. As a top influencer, he is not only wealthy but also known for his outspokenness. This time, he became a powerful artilleryman, directly attacking Zhao Benshan.

In response to this situation, many people have proposed the explanation framework of "being rich and willful," believing that Wang Sicong dares to criticize others so recklessly because he is rich and powerful.

But upon closer examination, being willful and enjoying attacking people in the entertainment industry are two different things. Wang Sicong has criticized many celebrities in the entertainment industry before, but mostly because those celebrities did have some controversial behaviors.

This time, his criticism of Zhao Benshan was more of a condescending mockery, which made many people uncomfortable.

Some people say, "Wang Sicong himself is also very flamboyant, so why is he criticizing others?"

Some people think, "He just wants to attract attention and increase his popularity by criticizing celebrities."

Regardless of how people view it, Wang Sicong's Weibo post undoubtedly added fuel to the fire of Zhao Benshan's public opinion storm, making his situation even more difficult.

After Principal Wang made those remarks, many netizens left comments expressing their dissatisfaction. It was indeed inappropriate to use "farmer" as a derogatory term. Principal Wang has not made any other related comments since then.

To be honest, rather than saying that Principal Wang was belittling the image of "farmers," it would be more accurate to say that he was implying that Zhao Benshan was "rustic" and like a nouveau riche.

In fact, since his debut, Zhao Benshan has never adopted a fashionable style. Whether it's sketches or TV dramas, he is always full of rural charm, making him seem very approachable.

The reason for this controversy is probably because of the private jet he purchased.

There is indeed some conflict between his private jet and the image he presents in the public eye, but image is image after all, and playing an ordinary role does not mean that he should live an ordinary life.

He can decide how to use the money he earns through his own efforts.

……

Zhao Benshan sat on the leather sofa in his studio, holding a teacup in his hand, but showed no intention of drinking it—the tea in the cup had long since gone cold, just like his mood at that moment.

On the scattered newspapers in front of him, headlines such as "Zhao Benshan flaunts his wealth with a private jet" and "Farmer's background forgets his roots" were particularly glaring. He took a deep breath, took the phone camera handed to him by his assistant, and sighed deeply.

"Fellow villagers, friends who follow me, today I want to say something from the bottom of my heart."

He's preparing to record a video to clarify things for himself; his daughter even taught him how to do it.

His Northeastern accent came through the camera, sounding a bit hoarse: "I didn't buy this plane to show off; it was purely because of work pressure."

Look, in the past six months I've traveled to more than twenty cities, taking my apprentices to the grassroots level and performing skits. Each time I'm accompanied by bodyguards, assistants, and my apprentices, at least a dozen people.

Previously, when flying with commercial airlines, checking in and dropping off luggage would take up half a day, and when there were busy schedules, missing flights was a common occurrence.

Once in Shenzhen, our group of fifteen had to be split into several shifts to reach our destination, which was incredibly inconvenient.

Later, when all else failed, I finally considered buying a plane, hoping to improve travel efficiency and not delay bringing joy to everyone.

As he spoke, he asked his daughter to turn the camera towards the whiteboard behind her—which was covered with schedules for the past three months:

March 12th, from Shenyang to Xi'an, 13 people in the group, performance for the benefit of the people at 7 pm~
On April 5th, Beijing (BJ) traveled to Kunming with 15 people. They visited a rural area at 10:4 AM.
A group photo with local staff was also attached.

Unfortunately, this heartfelt explanation was seen as "sophistry" by the media.

The next day, the front pages of major media outlets still carried prejudice:

Zhao Benshan tried to elicit sympathy on Weibo, claiming that buying the airplane was part of his job; netizens commented: "The excuse is too far-fetched."

"A private jet is needed for a group of 15 people? A 'necessity' that's hard for ordinary workers to understand."

Some media outlets even captured a clip of him wiping his sweat, adding headlines like "Arrogant tone, trying to cover up the fact that he was flaunting his wealth," and the comments section was filled with insults like "He forgot his roots as a farmer" and "He got cocky after making money."

Zhao Benshan tightened his grip on the newspaper, then slammed it down on the coffee table. He leaned back on the sofa, closed his eyes, and even his breathing was weary.

Just then, his phone rang, and the words "Zhang Chen" on the screen eased his tense nerves slightly.

"Teacher Zhao, please don't get too upset and harm your health!"

Zhang Chen's voice came through the receiver, carrying obvious concern.

Zhao Benshan was silent for a few seconds, his voice hoarse like sandpaper rubbing: "These netizens, I've shown them my itinerary and group photos, but they still don't believe me."

Now it's not just me getting insulted, even my apprentices' social media accounts are being attacked. Wensong told me yesterday that people at his daughter's school are gossiping about him.

His tone was full of dejection, lacking the energy and spirit he used to have on the Spring Festival Gala stage.

“Teacher Zhao, I just spoke with Brother Cheng Long this morning. The plane was bought by the three of us together, so there’s no reason for you to shoulder this responsibility alone.”

I've discussed it with Jackie Chan, and we'll post a clarification on Weibo now. Also... we need to give a proper talking to certain people.

Less than ten minutes after hanging up the phone, Zhang Chen and Cheng Long's Weibo accounts were simultaneously flooded with comments.

Cheng Long posted a photo of a plane ticket on his Weibo account: "Last year, when I was chatting with Benshan and Zhang Chen about the difficulties of traveling, the three of us discussed it and decided to each buy a private jet."

Benshan's plane was delivered first, but I didn't expect it to cause so many misunderstandings. Buying a plane is to improve work efficiency, which is common in the industry, and there's no need to make a big deal out of it.

Zhang Chen's Weibo post, besides including his plane payment receipt, also included a provocative message: "I want to say to Mr. Wang, firstly, buying a plane is a personal freedom. It's my own money, I didn't steal or rob, and I didn't eat your rice. It's none of your business to worry about it!"

Secondly, seeing people looking down on farmers, I'd like to ask, what does "looking down on farmers" even mean? Who do you think you are, pointing fingers at others like that…

Wow, Zhang Chen is really going head-to-head with Wang Sicong!
Wang Sicong's immense fame on Weibo stems not only from his extravagant spending but also from his status as the son of Wanda Group's chairman.

Most of the people he criticizes are in the entertainment industry, and Wanda Cinemas, which is backed by Wang Sicong, is one of the top five cinema chains in the country. Many celebrities have to be mindful of his attitude and dare not speak out against him.

But Zhang Chen didn't indulge him.

Star Entertainment is a high-quality content producer, and its subsidiary, Golden Harvest, ranks among the top three in the country.

Wanda poses no threat to Zhang Chen at all; on the contrary, if they become enemies, Wanda will be the one to suffer losses.

This Weibo post instantly ignited the enthusiasm of netizens. Zhang Chen is known for his outspokenness, and Wang Sicong has earned the nickname "Disciplinary Committee of the Entertainment Industry" in the past two years. The fact that these two have suddenly clashed head-on is definitely going to be a spectacular show...

A head-to-head clash between veteran and new trash talkers?

Netizens are excited and waiting to see the results.

But the expected gossip didn't come true.

Zhang Chen is not fighting alone; don't forget, he is a shareholder of Weibo.

On Weibo, a series of criticisms were directed at Wang Dashao.

Comments such as "Well said! What kind of skill is it to look down on farmers?" quickly went viral, and some netizens even dug up Wang Sicong's previous remarks "mocking farmers' aesthetics" and started the hashtag #WangSicongRespectsFarmers#.

Star Entertainment, Benshan Media, and Emperor Entertainment Group and Hong Kong forces behind Jackie Chan are all exerting their influence simultaneously.

With more and more celebrities joining forces, Benshan Media contacted authoritative media outlets such as People's Daily and Xinhua News Agency to publish reports on Zhao Benshan's team's "50 performances in rural areas" over the past year, proving with facts his original intention of "rooting himself in the grassroots".

Public opinion shifted completely within just a few hours.

Netizens who previously criticized Zhao Benshan began to apologize: "It turns out it was really for work purposes. I misunderstood Teacher Zhao before." "It's indeed inconvenient to take commercial flights when traveling with more than a dozen people for performances. I can understand why he bought a plane."

Some netizens also accused the media of taking things out of context: "The previous reports were too one-sided and just wanted to grab attention."

Meanwhile, Wang Sicong's Weibo comment section was completely flooded with hundreds of thousands of messages such as "Mind your own business" and "Apologize! What do you mean by looking down on farmers?"

At 8 p.m. that evening, Wang Sicong's personal cell phone suddenly rang—the caller ID showed it was his father.

The voice on the other end of the phone was filled with anger: "Are you bored? Why did you provoke Zhao Benshan and Zhang Chen? Does Wanda Cinemas still want to screen their company's movies? Also, you can't just say things that look down on farmers like that! Delete that Weibo post right now and behave yourself!"

Wang Sicong held his phone, his face turning pale and then flushed.

After hanging up the phone, he hesitated for a few minutes before finally opening Weibo and secretly deleting the post criticizing Zhao Benshan.

However, netizens have sharp eyes, and some had already taken screenshots. The topic of "Wang Sicong deletes his rant on Weibo" quickly became a trending topic.

The comments section was full of jokes:

"Did he get scolded by his own father?"

"Weren't you so arrogant before? Why are you backing down now?"

"Zhang Chen's rebuttal was so satisfying, even Principal Wang couldn't take it."

Looking at the news on his phone about the "reversal of public opinion," Zhao Benshan finally showed a long-lost smile.

He dialed Zhang Chen's number, his tone much more relaxed: "Xiao Zhang, thank you so much this time. You not only helped me clear things up, but you also stood up for me."

"Teacher Zhao, you're too kind!"

Zhang Chen's laughter came through the receiver, "We all earn our living through our own abilities, why should we suffer such injustice? If this happens again, we'll stand together!"

After hanging up the phone, Zhao Benshan looked at the lights of thousands of homes outside the window, picked up the cold tea on the coffee table, and drank it all in one gulp—at that moment, the weight on his heart finally lifted.

This highly publicized private jet controversy has finally come to a close thanks to Zhang Chen's angry rebuttal and the combined efforts of the three parties involved.

(End of this chapter)