How can you ascend to heaven when you are a star?

Chapter 416 Raise an army to prosecute!

The call connected quickly, and Zhang Wen's voice was like the cold wind in the dead of winter, carrying an undisguised chill as he launched his attack on Liu Haiyang.

"Mr. Liu, it's me. Shouldn't you give me a reasonable explanation regarding the online accusations and boycotts against the production team?"

Liu Haiyang, who was troubled about how to reply to Han Xiaohua, felt a sudden pang of anxiety upon hearing Zhang Wen's voice.

This person is not only the screenwriter of the TV series, but also an investor and investor representative.

If a director quits, you can find another one, but if an investor quits, the production will really have to stop.

Considering that the boss was just certain that Teacher Zhang wouldn't withdraw his investment, I wonder if the boss would still hold the same opinion if he heard Teacher Zhang's tone now.

Ugh!
Liu Haiyang sighed inwardly.

He clearly knew nothing, yet he had to clean up the mess for his boss and Song Haoran. What a terrible thing to do.

"Teacher Zhang, please calm down. It's about what happened online..."

Liu Haiyang's Adam's apple bobbed twice, but before he could finish speaking, he was ruthlessly interrupted by the other end of the phone.

"cool down?"

Zhang Wen's voice suddenly rose, and he said angrily, "The internet is full of accusations that the production team is protecting the bullies, and many netizens are even threatening to boycott the TV series 'Perfect Days.' Now, even if the TV series is finished, it probably won't sell. How am I supposed to calm down? How am I supposed to calm down my investor, Mr. Wu? Tell me!"

He spoke as if he were scolding his grandson, showing no regard for the other person as his superior.

Bai Lu, standing to the side, was dumbfounded, his eyes filled with disbelief.

That's awesome!

How dare you speak to the company's vice president like that?
Does this mean they're not planning to stay at the company?
In contrast, Gao Yue appeared more composed.

My boyfriend is not only a training instructor at Tianxi Media, but also an investor in TV dramas.

Who are investors?
Investors are the big spenders.

Now the investor's money is going down the drain, all because of the company's poor decision-making and mismanagement. Even the general manager, let alone the vice president, has to listen obediently and bear it.

If you make a mistake, admit it; if you get hit, stand firm.

A bead of sweat rolled down Liu Haiyang's forehead, and his once straight back had bent at some point.

"Teacher Zhang, the company is handling it, and I will definitely give you a satisfactory answer when the time comes." Liu Haiyang's voice trembled slightly.

He didn't know what his boss was planning to do, so he could only resort to a "delaying tactic" to make the other party wait.

"Is it being processed?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Wen's voice exploded like a lit firecracker.

"When the news broke online that Song Haoran was bullying staff, I was waiting for the company to take action. But what happened? Not only did it fail to quell the anger of netizens, it also dragged the entire production crew into the mess. Now the whole internet is saying that our production crew is of bad character and is protecting the bully. Even Bai Lu and Director Han have been implicated."

He paused, took a few deep breaths, and continued, "Do you think you can get away with this by not responding? Let me tell you, Mr. Wu has already said that if this matter is not resolved properly, not only will the investment be withdrawn, but the company will also be held accountable. Furthermore, due to your company's unprofessional performance in this matter, I have decided to cancel the investment."

Liu Haiyang was shocked. Although he had expected it, when the other party said those words, he still felt as bitter as if he had swallowed a bitter pill.

Are they really going to cancel the investment?
In this way, wouldn't the company's investment of 30 million be wasted?
“Teacher Zhang, this is the script you wrote, and Bai Lu is the female lead. You can’t not vote for it! If you don’t vote for it, this TV series will be ruined!” Liu Haiyang stood up from the table and chair in a hurry.

This is a TV series project he's in charge of. If it can't be broadcast, he'll be held accountable by the company, which might affect his bonus and profit sharing this year.

The high tuition fees for my child studying abroad, plus the living expenses for my mistresses, are enough to give me a headache just thinking about it.

"So what? Are you suggesting I knowingly jump into a trap? Do you think my money grows on trees?" Zhang Wen said coldly, his dissatisfaction almost overflowing.
"Teacher Zhang, please don't rush to make a decision. Can you give me one night? If things don't calm down by tomorrow morning, I promise I won't stop you from withdrawing your investment or doing anything else, okay?" Liu Haiyang lowered his stance and his tone was almost pleading.

"Mr. Liu, it's not that I'm not giving you face. We've known each other for so long, and I think we have a pretty good relationship. When you said you didn't have enough funds, I took out the money without thinking. It was all because of you."

At this point, Zhang Wen sighed deeply and said disappointedly, "The drama 'Perfect Days' was originally aiming to be the biggest hit of the year. It had a big investment, a big director, and a leading lady. Now, it's become a pariah before it's even finished filming. What kind of mess have you guys made?"

Liu Haiyang gripped his phone tightly, overwhelmed by a wave of grievances and helplessness.

He clearly knew nothing and did nothing, yet he had to take the blame for the boss and Song Haoran. Wasn't he just a scapegoat?
He doesn't hate Zhang Wen now, he only hates Song Haoran. Why did he have to flip the table for no reason? I have to be very polite to Teacher Zhang. Who the hell do you think you are?

"Mr. Liu, I've said everything I needed to say. I know you're just an employee and can't make many decisions on your own. Well, let's stop here. I still have to deal with Boss Wu. Sigh!" Zhang Wen's voice was filled with helplessness as he finished speaking.

“Teacher Zhang, wait a minute.” Liu Haiyang suddenly spoke up, “Actually, I thought of a way to quell public opinion, but it would be a bit of a hardship for you, Teacher Zhang.”

"What method?" Zhang Wen pretended to be anxious, but he already had a general idea of ​​what the other party had thought of.

“Teacher Zhang, how about… you post a Weibo post clarifying that Song Haoran flipping the table wasn’t bullying? You’re the person involved. As long as you stand up and state your position, all the negative content about the company and the production team online will disappear, and everything will return to normal.” Liu Haiyang shared his idea.

Zhang Wen sneered. He knew the other party would say that. Even Li Lehua wanted to do the same thing. Otherwise, why would he send someone to find him?
However, does he seem like the kind of person who would compromise himself?
Just kidding, he was already being very merciful by not letting Song Haoran go crazy.

Let him clarify?

None of the doors!
Besides, if everything goes back to normal, how will he buy the TV series from the company?

"Mr. Liu, to be honest, when the news first broke that Song Haoran was bullying staff, I wanted to post on Weibo to clarify things for him. But before I could post it, someone from the production team, I don't know who, clarified it on the official Weibo account..."

"I thought things would end there, but then some righteous person exposed the relationship between the company, the production crew, and Song Haoran, triggering a new crisis..."

"If I post on Weibo now, netizens will definitely think that I was coerced by the company and the production team to come forward and issue a clarification. In that case, it will not only fail to solve the problem, but will also complicate the issue. What do you think?"

At the end, Zhang Wen asked Liu Haiyang a question.

Bai Lu covered her mouth and chuckled. If she wasn't going to clarify, she wasn't going to clarify. But to be able to give such a sincere and reasonable explanation, there was no one else like her.

Gao Yue had long been familiar with her boyfriend's verbal skills and was no longer surprised. She picked up a bottle of water and handed it to him to moisten his throat.

Talking nonsense is also tiring.

"..."

Liu Haiyang opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found that his throat was blocked and he couldn't make a sound.

What the other party said didn't seem to be entirely unreasonable.

The online criticism of the company and the production crew is growing louder and louder. If the victim were to post about it now, netizens might even perceive the company and the production crew as bullying their staff. "Mr. Liu, Mr. Wu called me again. I'll take this moment. We'll talk later," Zhang Wen said, hanging up the phone before giving Liu Haiyang a chance to continue.

"You want to threaten Li Lehua with withdrawal of investment? Aren't you afraid that the company will make additional investment or bring in new investors?" Gao Yue asked.

"hehe."

Zhang Wen scoffed, "I'm the screenwriter of this TV series, and Bai Lu is the female lead. With Li Lehua's narrow-mindedness and magnanimity, why would she invest more to support me and Bai Lu? Don't forget, from the very beginning, the company didn't have a good feeling about Bai Lu's transformation."

Bai Lu picked up a piece of grilled meat and handed it to Zhang Wen. After Zhang Wen ate it, he continued, "As for the new investors, so many people want to boycott this show. Which fool would jump into the fire at this time? Even if there are some who are not afraid of death, don't forget that I am still the investor representative. As long as the new investors' money is in place, I will immediately hold them accountable. Eighty million. I want to see how many investors Li Yuehua can bring in."

“But Li Lehua has been in the industry for so many years. What if she uses her connections to suppress this public opinion?” Gao Yue asked again.

"If she's looking for me, why wouldn't I be? When it comes to connections, I'm not afraid of her," Zhang Wen said confidently.

Who among those who purchase the Life Essence isn't a billionaire?

Aren't these relationships stronger than Li Lehua's?
Besides, if Li Lehua really had that ability, the news of Song Haoran's bullying wouldn't have escalated to this point.

Keep in mind that he's only making a small effort, spending a little money, writing a short article and posting it online; he hasn't even used his connections yet.

Gao Yue was slightly taken aback after hearing this, and she also thought of her boyfriend's older brothers and sisters. Li Lehua was indeed no match for those entrepreneurs.

Liu Haiyang looked at the phone after it was hung up, and without any hesitation, went straight to the general manager's office.

"Mr. Li, something's happened!"

Liu Haiyang didn't knock; he just pushed the door open and went in, causing the leaves of the money tree by the door to sway wildly in the wind.

Li Lehua was still pondering a solution, wondering if it was worth asking some big shots for help, when he heard Liu Haiyang's words. He then looked up and asked, puzzled, "What is it?"

He thought to himself: Could something more serious than what's happening right now be going to happen?

"Mr. Li, Zhang Wen said he wants to cancel his investment, and another investor, Mr. Wu, not only wants to withdraw his investment but also wants to hold the company accountable," Liu Haiyang said in a heavy tone.

He's not going to take the blame for the failed TV drama investment; whoever caused the trouble should take the fall.

Even if the other party is the boss, he has to let the boss know that this matter has nothing to do with him, so that the boss will feel embarrassed to deduct his bonus and dividends at the end of the year.

"What? How dare he!" Li Lehua frowned, her eyes filled with resentment, as if she had been betrayed.

Liu Haiyang didn't say anything, thinking to himself: Isn't this all your fault?

So what if they didn't agree to train a new group for the company? So what if they didn't agree to let the future girl group participate in commercial performances?
Putting all that aside, Mr. Zhang has written so many songs for the singers in the company. Doesn't the company get a certain percentage of the revenue from the singers?
And what about the endorsements that Teacher Zhang secured for Bai Lu? Doesn't the company also get a share of those?

All of this income adds up to a considerable sum, so why bother upsetting Teacher Zhang and getting worked up over money?

Even if someone has a strong desire for control, it depends on the person, right?
As the old saying goes: You reap what you sow.

Boss, you're to take the blame this time.

Li Lehua had a stern face. She hadn't expected that the man surnamed Zhang would actually dare to cancel the investment, showing no consideration for Bai Lu or the investors.

What an irresponsible person.

and many more!

Li Lehua suddenly remembered something and looked at Liu Haiyang, asking, "Zhang Wen just called you? He called personally?"

"Mm." Liu Haiyang nodded.

Li Lehua's face turned even uglier. He had disappeared before, and now that things had blown up, he was jumping out again to clamor for the cancellation of the investment. Wasn't this just deliberately making things difficult for her?
Li Lehua picked up the phone on the table, intending to call Zhang Wen, but hesitated after finding the number. After thinking for a moment, she asked, "What else did he say?"

“He said the company was too unprofessional in this matter, he was very disappointed, and he also said that ‘Perfect Days’ was originally aiming to be the blockbuster of the year, but now, before it was even finished filming, it has become a pariah, and he gave me a good scolding.”

Liu Haiyang recalled the contents of the phone call, and a sense of grievance welled up in his heart. "I told him that this was the script he wrote, and Bai Lu was the female lead. I advised him not to withdraw his investment, but he said that the drama had become a pit and he would not jump into it. He also said that his money did not come from thin air."

Li Lehua gritted his teeth and said coldly, "He certainly has a good plan."

“That’s right!” Liu Haiyang chimed in, “In the current situation, if he really cancels the investment, all 30 million we invested will be wasted. Why don’t you talk to him yourself?”

Li Lehua shook her head decisively without even thinking.

She was originally prepared to fight, but after listening to Liu Haiyang's words, it was clear that the man surnamed Zhang was deliberately causing trouble. Even if she wanted to reconcile, the other party would probably make exorbitant demands.

For example, shorten the contract period for Bailu.

She knew that the other party had always had this idea, and that this whole thing might be orchestrated by them, who were now waiting for her call.

“We can’t count on Zhang Wen. He’s obviously trying to take advantage of the situation. The only thing we can do now is to start with Song Haoran’s matter and give the netizens an explanation,” Li Lehua said in a deep voice.

"Mr. Li, do you mean to give up on Song Haoran?" Liu Haiyang asked. Actually, that was what he was thinking too, but he was afraid of upsetting his boss, so he hadn't dared to say it.

"Mm." Li Lehua nodded.

Bai Lu's commercial value is much higher than Song Haoran's. She would never give up Bai Lu for Song Haoran. Besides, with that Zhang guy around, Bai Lu's commercial value will only increase in the future, and the company will also get more money.

That way, we can also disgust that guy surnamed Zhang.

Thinking of this, Li Lehua looked at Liu Haiyang and said, "Notify the public relations department to immediately issue a statement, seriously deal with the matter of Song Haoran's bullying, apologize where necessary, punish where necessary, and sever all ties between the company and this matter. Just say that after learning about this matter, the company took it very seriously, quickly launched an investigation, and has now clarified the situation."

"What about the film crew?" Liu Haiyang asked.

“Push the blame onto the publicity staff, say they were Song Haoran’s fans and it was a personal matter, and that they’ve already been fired. Anyway, nobody cares who this person is,” Li Lehua said.

"Understood." Liu Haiyang nodded.

This is using a non-existent person as a scapegoat.

Anyway, as long as we don't make him take the blame, that's fine.

……

(End of this chapter)