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

Chapter 417 Statement
After Liu Haiyang left, Li Lehua picked up the phone on the table and dialed Song Haoran's number.

On the one hand, the company's decision was communicated to give the other party time to prepare; on the other hand, the other party was asked to cooperate with the company and quickly issue an apology statement on Weibo to quell the farce as soon as possible.

The microphone went dead, then rang twice before being picked up.

"Mr. Li, is there any hope?" Song Haoran's voice was filled with obvious anxiety, because he still had a slight lisp since his four front teeth had not yet been implanted.

“Yes, but you’ll have to put up with this for a while,” Li Lehua said, her fingers tapping unconsciously on the table. “The company will be releasing a statement soon, punishing you for bullying staff. You should also quickly write an apology and post it on Weibo…”

"What? An apology statement?"

Song Haoran's voice suddenly rose, directly interrupting his boss.

He just posted a clarification on Weibo this afternoon, stating that he was filming and did not bully the staff. Now he is being asked to issue an apology statement admitting to bullying the staff. Isn't this making him contradict himself?

Moreover, bullying is inherently abhorrent, and when he adds distorting the truth, concealing the facts, and deceiving the public, how will he ever be able to survive in the entertainment industry again?
"President Li, you can't do this! Otherwise, my life will be over. Everything I did was according to your instructions. You have to help me. Besides, the contract I signed with the company states that the company must protect the reputation of its artists." Song Haoran's voice trembled; this time, he was genuinely afraid.

Previously, he had Mr. Li's support, so even if he saw negative comments online, he wasn't worried. But now that even Mr. Li is going to abandon him, how can he not panic?

Upon hearing Song Haoran's words, Li Lehua immediately frowned, feeling extremely displeased.

Blame me?
"Did I tell you to flip the table?" Li Lehua asked irritably.

"..."

Song Haoran was speechless after being rebuked by these words, and his whole demeanor became sluggish.

Seeing that the other party had finally quieted down, Li Lehua said, "The company's punishment of you is actually a form of indirect protection for you, to completely end this bullying incident. Have you thought about what the consequences would be if the company didn't punish you and let public opinion fester? The more things escalate, do you think you can still turn things around?"

"But I just didn't want that guy surnamed Zhang to eat the food I bought. It's the media and netizens who took things out of context," Song Haoran said, feeling wronged.

"Nobody cares about the truth right now. What netizens want is an apology, punishment, and emotional release. What you need to do now is satisfy them."

At this point, Li Lehua's tone softened somewhat, and he began to brainwash her.

"Take a break for a while, play some games at home, or travel abroad. Once the storm passes and everyone forgets about this, the company will help you make a comeback step by step. With me here, what are you afraid of?"

"Really? Really?" A glimmer of hope appeared in Song Haoran's uneasy eyes.

“Of course,” Li Lehua said firmly.

Upon hearing this, Song Haoran immediately fell into deep thought.

He initially trusted his boss, but the boss's recent hype made him uneasy.

Previously, he was asked to go to the film set to pursue Bai Lu, which he did, but it resulted in a bullying incident; today, he was asked to post a clarification on Weibo, explaining that it was during filming, which he did, but the next moment, an extra exposed him.

Too pit!
"Mr. Li, is there no other way? Can I apologize to Teacher Zhang? I'll do anything as long as he issues a statement," Song Haoran said, placing his last hope on the person involved.

Li Lehua cursed under his breath, "What an idiot! He still can't see the situation clearly."

That guy surnamed Zhang is clearly after her now, no wonder he won't accept an apology.

"Forget about the apology. He just called and is determined to get to the bottom of this. He's very firm. Otherwise, I wouldn't have let you suffer like this." Li Lehua sighed deeply, not forgetting to stir up some hatred for Zhang Wen even at this point.

"Mr. Li, does your word not carry any weight? You are the company's boss." Song Haoran still wanted to struggle a bit, like a fish pulled ashore, always wanting to thrash around a few times.

Li Lehua thought to herself: If I speak up for you, it won't be you who suffers the loss, but Bai Lu.

“I told him, how could I not? But it was no use. He still uses his status as an investor representative to threaten me. Sooner or later I will find something on him and kick him out of the entertainment industry,” Li Lehua said bitterly.

"..."

Song Haoran paced back and forth in the room, feeling restless and confused, like a headless fly, unsure of where to go next.

When Li Lehua didn't hear Song Haoran's reply, his face immediately darkened, and he spoke in a more forceful tone.

“Song Haoran, bullying staff members isn’t a very serious matter. Many actors have been exposed for similar news, but in the end, they still take on roles and endorsements as usual. Just like those news reports about you meeting up with online friends, the company immediately suppressed them after they were exposed. Who remembers them afterward? The internet has no memory, and ordinary people don’t have memories either. You have to trust the company and trust me.”

Song Haoran trembled. The boss was right, but he could hear the threat in the boss's words.

If he doesn't issue a statement on Weibo, the company will immediately expose his affairs with female netizens, making his reputation even worse.

Both are equally bad, but if you follow the boss's instructions, you still have a chance to turn things around; but if you don't listen to the boss, you don't even have a chance to turn things around.

After much deliberation, he gritted his teeth and ultimately decided to listen to his boss.

"Mr. Li, I'll issue a statement right now," Song Haoran said, looking dejected.

"The statement must be handwritten, it must reflect deeply on your actions, and you must also thank the company for correcting your mistake in a timely manner, understand?" Li Lehua instructed.

"I understand." Song Haoran wanted to cry.

"Okay, hurry up, don't keep the netizens waiting." After saying this, Li Lehua hung up the phone immediately.

Song Haoran stared blankly at her phone. The moment she pressed the screen, she saw her reflection in it. She was absent-minded and numb, like a puppet on a string, only able to do what others controlled.

Suddenly, a sense of sorrow welled up in my heart.

Seeing Haoran looking dejected, the assistant felt bad for him too.

If the boss and the company abandon Haoran, what will happen to her as his assistant?
If Haoran doesn't have a job, will she also lose her job?

At this moment, He Yue also lowered her head.

night.

The topic of "Song Haoran bullying staff, Tianxi Media is an accomplice" has once again become a hot topic.

During the day, many people are at work, and we can only peek online when we're slacking off. Now that everyone is off work, we can express our thoughts online without any worries.

"I've completely turned from a fan of Song Haoran to a hater. He bullies the staff and deceives the public. I used to trust and support him so much. I spit on him!"

"Song Haoran, come out and give everyone an explanation. And Tianxi Media, why have you been playing dead?"

"Tianxi Media's actions are truly baffling. Song Haoran bullied the staff, and instead of punishing him, they're putting pressure on the production team. Aren't they accomplices? We must resolutely boycott them!"

"I'm utterly disappointed with Song Haoran and Tianxi Media, and also with the 'Perfect Days' production team. I was really looking forward to this drama, but now I wouldn't watch it even if you paid me!" "..."

Just as netizens were discussing the matter, Tianxi Media's official Weibo account posted a message.

"Statement regarding the handling of artist Song Haoran's related actions."

"Regarding the recent videos and comments circulating online alleging that actor Song Haoran bullied staff on set, our company takes this matter very seriously and immediately established a special investigation team to conduct a comprehensive verification..."

"After extensive evidence collection and investigation, it has been confirmed that Song Haoran bullied staff members on set and attempted to cover up the truth after the incident. His words and actions seriously violated professional ethics and public order and good morals, causing harm to the victims and having a negative impact on the industry atmosphere."

"In response, our company has made the following decision:"

"First, effective immediately, all of Song Haoran's performing arts activities are terminated. The company reserves the right to pursue legal action against him for any economic losses caused by his breach of contract."

"Second, Song Haoran is ordered to publish a handwritten apology letter on his personal social media platform within 24 hours, publicly apologize to the bullied staff and the public, and deeply reflect on his behavior."

"Third, the company will terminate the employment contracts of any publicity staff who use the official Weibo account of the TV series 'Perfect Days' to publish false information without authorization."

"Fourth, in response to the loopholes in artist management exposed in this incident, the company will conduct internal rectification, strengthen the training of artists' professional ethics, and will never tolerate any behavior that violates moral standards and legal regulations."

"Thank you for your supervision and attention. Our company will take concrete actions to maintain good order in the industry."

At the very bottom is the signature: Tianxi Media Co., Ltd.

The statement contained so much information that it immediately attracted numerous comments from netizens.

"Turns out Tianxi Media wasn't an accomplice; they've been investigating the truth all along. Thumbs up!"

"From the time the incident occurred to the release of the investigation results, no more than 12 hours had passed, which shows that Tianxi Media has a strong sense of responsibility."

"Although it was a post-incident remedy, the speed of the response was indeed fast, much better than some companies that try to cover things up."

"It turns out that the information released by the production team was the personal action of a publicity staff member. It seems that this is another brainless fan of Song Haoran, and he deserves to be fired."

"..."

In addition to praising Tianxi Media, some netizens also raised questions in the comments.

"Could it be that they're trying to sacrifice a pawn to save the king because they see things getting out of hand?"

"Last time a celebrity got into trouble, the company did the same thing: first, they tried to keep it quiet, and if they couldn't control it, they resorted to sacrificing a pawn to save the king."

"How dare a publicity staff member post on Weibo without the person in charge's consent? The official Weibo account for 'Perfect Days' has been registered for half a year, and this is the first time something like this has happened. Are they trying to shift the blame to the publicity staff?"

Just as support and criticism were fiercely clashing, Song Haoran's official Weibo account was updated with a photo containing a handwritten apology statement.

To all netizens who are concerned about this matter, the staff I have hurt, and the general public:

"I am writing this letter of apology with immense guilt and remorse."

"Regarding the recent online exposure of my bullying of staff members on set and subsequent deception of the public, after deep reflection and self-analysis, I must face up to the serious mistakes I made and sincerely apologize to all those who were hurt."

"After the incident, instead of reflecting on and repenting in time, I tried to cover up my mistakes by taking chances. This attitude of shirking responsibility makes me even more ashamed..."

"As a public figure, I should hold myself to higher moral standards and influence others with a positive image, but I lost myself in a moment of impulse and committed despicable acts..."

"Tianxi Media gave me a serious reprimand and education immediately. The company's decision made me realize the seriousness of my mistake. This is the punishment I deserve."

"I know that an apology cannot undo the damage, but I promise to make amends with concrete actions: first, to apologize in person to the staff I hurt; second, to participate in public welfare anti-bullying activities and use my own experience to warn industry practitioners; and third, to resist any form of bullying for life and be a practitioner of respecting others."

"..."

The statement was over a thousand words long. Although it's unclear whether Song Haoran truly recognized his mistake, it was filled with sincerity.

Some netizens left comments in the comment section, such as "A good comrade is one who can admit his mistakes and correct them." "Give young people a chance to make amends." "His attitude of suspending work to reflect is quite correct." "The handwritten apology letter is very neat, and you can tell that he was very serious when he wrote it." These are obviously Song Haoran's die-hard fans.

Most netizens did not accept the apology statement.

"Heh, which person who goes to prison doesn't cry and shed tears of repentance?"

"When you bully others, don't you think about the consequences? Who are you trying to fool by playing the victim now?"

"The PR team must have put in a lot of effort, right? The wording is so precise; it's clearly written by a professional PR person."

"Is the cost of making mistakes for public figures too low? Can they be forgiven simply by apologizing? Then who will compensate for the suffering of the victims?"

"..."

Looking at the comments from netizens, Song Haoran angrily slammed his hand on the sofa. The expensive leather sofa made a dull thud, and the wound on his gums was still throbbing.

"I've already apologized, and I've stopped working. What more do you want?"

He has returned home from the dental clinic and dares not linger outside for fear of being photographed.

He Yue stood aside, not daring to speak. She knew that Haoran was in a bad mood, and anything she said would make her a target. Rather than asking for trouble, she might as well play dumb.

Anyway, as long as we keep an eye on Haoran and prevent him from posting random information online, it should be fine.

"Why? There are plenty of people in the industry who are worse than me, why are they singled out and won't let me go?"

Song Haoran recalled the cold words from President Li on the phone, and the phrases in the company's statement such as "seriously violated professional ethics" and "had a negative impact on the industry's atmosphere." Anger shot straight from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

He's just an artist who's only been in the industry for a few years. How can he influence the entire industry just because he flipped a table? When did he become so influential?

It also violates professional ethics. How many artists in this industry have professional ethics? How come he has never encountered one?
Seeing his die-hard fans desperately trying to control the comments, and the comment section being flooded with a constant stream of negative messages, he felt that things couldn't continue like this.

Since the company isn't taking any responsibility and is even making him the scapegoat, he has no choice but to save himself now.

"Xiaoyue, go contact the paparazzi and buy a big scoop to expose online," Song Haoran said through gritted teeth.

The only option now is to find an unlucky guy to share the firepower.

……

(End of this chapter)