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

Chapter 465 Take All
"Dang Dang Dang!"

"Come in."

Secretary Hu gently pushed open the door to the general manager's office, placed the documents in her hand on the desk, hesitated for a moment, and then said in a low voice, "President Li, Zhang Wen was just invited to Vice President Chen's office."

Li Lehua's hand, which was writing, suddenly stopped. She looked up at her secretary, her eyebrows furrowed, and asked in an icy tone, "What does Chen Mingyuan want with Zhang Wen in his office?"

"I don't know," Secretary Hu shook his head.

"How long did you stay?" Li Lehua thought for a moment and then asked.

"About half an hour." Secretary Hu recalled the scene he had just witnessed and said cautiously, "I was delivering some documents when I saw Zhang Wen coming out of Vice President Chen's office with a smile on his face. Vice President Chen personally saw him out, and the two seemed to be chatting quite warmly."

"Personally see him out?" Li Lehua's face immediately darkened, and his anger flared up instantly.

Since Chen Mingyuan was parachuted into Tianxi Media as vice president three months ago, he has been restless, openly and secretly vying for power with her, and has also tried to win over some middle managers in the company. Now he has approached Zhang Wen, simply to strengthen his own power and oppose her.

But Zhang Wen is just an ordinary employee in the training department. Even if he made Tang Yi and Future Girl popular, he doesn't have any real power. What is Chen Mingyuan trying to gain by winning him over?

Is it to disgust her?

"Mr. Li, do you think... Vice President Chen and Zhang Wen might be plotting against you?" Secretary Hu whispered.

Everyone in the company knows that President Li and Zhang Wen don't get along. President Li even suppressed Zhang Wen and Future Girls at the Golden Melody Awards. Chen Mingyuan was sent into the company by the board of directors to restrain President Li. The fact that these two are getting close inevitably makes people think.

"Targeting me? Just the two of them?" Li Lehua snorted coldly and said disdainfully, "Zhang Wen can only write a few songs. I can fire him if I want. As for Chen Mingyuan, although he is the vice president, he has a shallow foundation in the company. He's still too green to fight me."

Despite saying that, she was still a little unsure.

Don't underestimate that guy surnamed Zhang just because he's an ordinary employee. He's incredibly cunning and knows how to leverage power and create hype. If the other side gets any leverage over him, he'll be in serious trouble, if not dead.

Li Lehua couldn't help but start to recall what she had been doing recently. She hadn't paid any attention to that Zhang guy for a week, and even when Feng Xinghai, the vice president of iQiyi Video, contacted her, she didn't agree.

Based on past encounters, as long as she doesn't take the initiative, her opponent won't provoke her. But that Chen Mingyuan…

He appears gentle, but in reality, he is cunning and ruthless; he is a true wolf in sheep's clothing.

Previously, in order to win over middle management, they promised promotions and raises, as well as preferential treatment in resources, which tempted many people. Now, they are so enthusiastic towards that Zhang, even personally seeing him off, which must mean they have promised him a lot of benefits. After all, that Zhang is no pushover.

"Mr. Li..." Secretary Hu asked in a low voice when she saw that her boss hadn't spoken for a while, "Should I go and find out what Vice President Chen and Zhang Wen talked about?"

Li Lehua thought for a moment, then said, "No need to inquire. To avoid alerting them, just have someone keep a close eye on Chen Mingyuan and Zhang Wen and pay attention to their movements."

"Yes." Secretary Hu nodded, then left the office with the signed document.

Li Lehua got up and went to the French windows. Looking at the snow scene outside, her brows furrowed into a deep frown.

During this period, his prestige in the company plummeted, all thanks to that Zhang guy. Now that Zhang is with Chen Mingyuan, it's obvious that it's all to target her.

"Dang Dang Dang!"

Just then, there was another knock on the door.

Li Lehua returned to her desk and sat down, saying calmly, "Come in."

"Card!"

The door opened, and this time it was Deputy General Manager Liu Haiyang who entered.

Liu Haiyang strode up to Li Lehua and said with a worried expression, "President Li, Vice President Chen invited Zhang Wen to his office, and the two talked for half an hour. Are you aware of this?"

"Yes, I know. What's wrong?" Li Lehua asked casually, without showing any concern.

“President Li, I heard that Zhang Wen and Vice President Chen had a very pleasant conversation. If Zhang Wen sides with Vice President Chen, it won’t be a good thing for you,” Liu Haiyang said.

"Hmph, just a low-level employee, what kind of trouble can he cause?" Li Lehua maintained his disdainful attitude, avoiding losing face in front of his subordinates.

Upon hearing this, Liu Haiyang immediately said, "President Li, you can't think like that. Zhang Wen is now the company's top musician. He has a knack for training trainees and holds a high position in the hearts of singers and trainees. If Zhang Wen really sides with Chen Mingyuan, it may lead a large number of people to side with Chen Mingyuan."

Upon hearing this, Li Lehua was taken aback at first, and then her expression turned serious.

She really didn't expect that the man surnamed Zhang would have such a great influence now. She had only regarded him as a low-level employee who could write songs, but she forgot that he had the ability to 'create stars'.

Tang Yi rose from an unknown trainee to a super newcomer in the music industry thanks to this person's songs. Future Girls sold over 125 million albums thanks to this person's songs. Even pop diva Jiang Li won three Golden Melody Awards with this person's songs, reaching another peak in her career.

It's no exaggeration to say that this person has the ability to make a newcomer famous with just one song.

Not to mention Tianxi Media, you probably can't find another one like him in the entire entertainment industry. Which singer or trainee wouldn't cherish such a top-notch musician?
If this kid really sides with Chen Mingyuan, he could rally many people to his side if he raises his voice.

Seeing his boss's conflicted expression, Liu Haiyang hesitated for a moment before gritting his teeth and reminding him, "President Li, Chen Mingyuan came to the company to seize power from you. If Zhang Wen is also involved, many artists will side with him. Once the company's management gets out of control and affects the company's revenue, the board of directors will inevitably force you to leave the company."

Li Lehua's face grew increasingly grim, and he finally abandoned his usual nonchalant expression, no longer even bothering to pretend.

It was then that she realized things seemed to be far more serious than she had imagined.

"Do you have any ideas?" Li Lehua asked his capable assistant.

"Keep Zhang Wen calm," Liu Haiyang said without hesitation. "We can't let him completely side with Chen Mingyuan."

Upon hearing this, Li Lehua was immediately enraged and said irritably, "How can we reconcile? I suppressed him before because of the contract, and he definitely holds a grudge against me. Going to him now to smooth things over is just asking for trouble."

“President Li, you don’t need to go in person.” Liu Haiyang had already made up his mind and said slowly, “Zhang Wen and I have worked together before when we were filming a TV series, so we are quite familiar with each other. If I go and talk to him, and if Chen Mingyuan is really trying to win him over, he will only promise some resources, plus a promotion and a raise. We can give those too, and we can give even more. I don’t believe Zhang Wen will not be tempted.”

When Li Lehua heard that she was to give that Zhang a benefit, her brows immediately furrowed. She felt a pang of reluctance; wasn't this tantamount to making her bow down to that Zhang?

"Why should we promote him, give him a raise, and provide him with resources? He schemed against the company, does that count as merit?" Li Lehua said unhappily.

"President Li, this is a strategy." Liu Haiyang said anxiously, his tone becoming more serious. "Think about it, if we can keep Zhang Wen in check, it's like having this top musician in our hands. Even if Chen Mingyuan has a lot of resources, he won't be able to cause any trouble. If he can't produce outstanding results in a long time, will the board of directors still value him? Will they still interfere with your management?"

Li Lehua fell silent.

Liu Haiyang's words hit her sore spot. She could disregard Zhang Wen, but she couldn't disregard Zhang Wen, who could write songs.

If Zhang Wen writes songs for the artists Chen Mingyuan supports, and those artists become famous, wouldn't Chen Mingyuan achieve success? Once the board members see this, they will definitely continue to rely on Chen Mingyuan, further weakening her power.

Seeing that President Li was silent, Liu Haiyang knew that the other party was wavering, so he continued to persuade him: "President Li, don't worry, I won't mention you. I'll just say that I want to ease the tension myself, and it has nothing to do with you. If Zhang Wen doesn't appreciate it, we'll think of another way. If he does appreciate it, then we'll have cut off one of Chen Mingyuan's arms. Why not?"

Li Lehua's fingers tapped unconsciously on the desk, her inner struggle written all over her face. On one hand, she couldn't lower herself to win over that Zhang guy, and on the other hand, she was worried about losing power.

After a long internal struggle, her desire for control of the company and her thirst for power ultimately triumphed over her grudge against Zhang Wen. She took a deep breath, looked up at Liu Haiyang, and said, "Okay, then we'll do it your way. But remember, don't lower yourself too much. If he dares to push his luck, then let's just forget about it."

In her view, even when trying to win someone over, one must maintain dignity.

Liu Haiyang thought to himself: What time is it? The enemy has already reached our doorstep. What's the use of keeping that pitiful self-esteem?

Despite his thoughts, he said aloud, "Don't worry, I know my limits and I definitely won't let you lose face. I'll go find Zhang Wen now and try to settle this matter as soon as possible."

After saying that, he turned and left quickly, and the office returned to silence.

Li Lehua leaned back in her chair, staring blankly at the ceiling, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

She never imagined that one day she would need to appease an employee who was opposing her in order to retain her power.

Come to think of it, isn't it all thanks to this person that she ended up in this predicament?

If this person hadn't changed the contract for the future girl, none of this would have happened. Now, there's no other way but to compromise.

Meanwhile, in the training department, Zhang Wen was asking Director Han Xiaohua about the progress of the TV series' post-production when Liu Haiyang walked in with a kind smile on his face.

Their eyes met, and Zhang Wen's breath hitched. Was this person looking for him?

"Teacher Zhang, are you busy?" Liu Haiyang stopped and asked with a smile, "Is it convenient for me to chat with you for a few minutes?"

Chatting again?

Zhang Wen smiled bitterly to himself. Did he look like a chat companion? Why did everyone want to chat with him?

After thinking it over, he nodded and said, "It's convenient, Mr. Liu, please tell me what you need."

Liu Haiyang didn't get to the point immediately, but instead smiled and said, "I heard you have a Wenqu Xingjun (God of Literature) enshrined in your training room? Can you take me to see it?"

Zhang Wen was slightly taken aback. He had been worshipping Wenqu Xingjun in the training room for several months. Why was he only thinking of going to see him now?

Meeting Vice President Chen's gaze, he quickly understood that the other party didn't want to see the God of Literature, but rather wanted to talk to him alone.

"can."

Zhang Wen stood up, put his phone in his pocket, and walked towards practice room number 9.

Since the morning rush hour was over, there was no one in the practice room, but the room was filled with a strong fragrance.

Liu Haiyang walked up to the portrait of Wenquxingjun. He knew that incense was offered by the bundle, so he picked up a bundle of incense from the side, lit it, and bowed to Wenquxingjun to show his respect and hope to get closer to him.

Zhang Wen said nothing, silently watching Vice President Liu's every move, trying to figure out what the other party was really up to.

Liu Haiyang placed the incense sticks into the incense burner, then turned to Zhang Wen and said with a smile, "Teacher Zhang, I just checked and Future Girls' new album has already surpassed 125 million copies. That's truly a cause for celebration. Among the teachers in the training department, you are definitely the most capable."

After hearing this, Zhang Wen was still very happy, even though what the other party said was true. He humbly said, "It's all thanks to Zhao Tong and the others' hard work that we have achieved what we have today."

"You're being modest. I can see your efforts, and the company can see them too. In view of your outstanding performance over the past year, I have decided to recommend you to the company for the position of Deputy Director of the Training Department. What do you think?" Liu Haiyang swung the big stick of promotion and salary increase at the young man in front of him.

Chen Mingyuan has already made his move. If he continues to make empty promises at this point, it could very well backfire.

Zhang Wen was stunned on the spot after hearing this.

what's the situation?
Chen Mingyuan had just promised to promote him, and Liu Haiyang wanted to appoint him as deputy director as well. Sure enough, apart from Li Lehua, everyone could see his value.

But isn't there something fishy going on here?

Moreover, as far as he knew, Chen Mingyuan was Li Lehua's man, and Li Lehua regarded him as a thorn in his side. Chen Mingyuan, as a confidant, naturally knew this as well. So why was he appointed as the deputy director? Did Li Lehua know about this?
"Mr. Liu, this...this is too sudden." Zhang Wen deliberately feigned surprise and pursed his lips as he said, "I've only been with the company for less than a year. What will the other teachers think of this sudden promotion?"

His words seemed to express concern for his colleague's opinion, but in reality, he wanted to know what the other party's true intentions were.

Liu Haiyang had anticipated this question and immediately smiled and said, "You can rest assured about that. You made Tang Yi and Future Girls popular. The results speak for themselves. Who can argue with that? Besides, I've already discussed this idea with President Li, and she agrees."

"Oh?"

A look of surprise flashed across Zhang Wen's eyes. Li Lehua actually agreed? That's truly unbelievable.

However, this also made him wary.

Why would Li Lehua agree to promote him? Could it be that seeing the success of Future Girls' new album made him drunk and damaged his brain?

"Mr. Liu, you're not kidding me, are you? Mr. Li would agree?" Zhang Wen frowned, his face full of disbelief.

“Of course it’s true.” Liu Haiyang said seriously, “Actually, President Li has always felt guilty about the Golden Melody Awards and wants to make it up to you. In addition to the position of deputy director of the training department, you can also provide resources for Future Girls in the future, such as variety shows, large-scale galas, and fashion magazines, no problem.”

Zhang Wen felt increasingly uneasy as he listened.

Is this Li Lehua's intention?
If so, today it's not that the sun is rising in the west, it's that the sun is about to collide with the earth.

Even if you beat him to death, he wouldn't believe you.

Burning newspapers at gravesites—are you trying to fool the ghosts?

No, there must be something wrong here.

After a moment's thought, Zhang Wen quickly realized that Li Lehua and Liu Haiyang must have known that Chen Mingyuan was trying to win him over, and they felt threatened, so they tried to keep him by offering him promotions, raises, and resources.

The same tactics as Chen Mingyuan.

It seems that Li Lehua has finally regained some of his senses and has even started trying to win him over.

'interesting!'

Zhang Wen chuckled inwardly, but showed no sign of it on his face. He simply said calmly, "President Liu, President Chen has already told me about these things you mentioned."

Liu Haiyang's expression changed slightly. Just as he had guessed, Chen Mingyuan intended to win over Zhang Wen.

No, we absolutely cannot let Zhang Wen side with Chen Mingyuan.

“Teacher Zhang, what Vice President Chen said is different from what I said.” Liu Haiyang glanced back at the door and then continued, “I hope you don’t side with Vice President Chen. In terms of strength and connections, President Li and I are better, and we can bring you more and better resources.”

"Mr. Liu, what do you mean by that? Aren't we all serving the company? Why are you making a distinction between this side and that side?" Zhang Wen pretended to be confused.

Liu Haiyang was a little confused, thinking: Didn't Chen Mingyuan mention taking sides?
However, it seems there's no need to mention it; we just need to ask this young man for help.

So Liu Haiyang patiently explained, "Actually, Vice President Chen was placed in the company by other directors to restrain President Li. However, President Li has led the company for many years. How can an outsider like him shake his foundation? Just like the matter of appointing you as deputy director, if President Li does not agree, no matter how much he jumps around, it will be in vain."

His words served two purposes: firstly, to explain the relationship between Li Lehua and Chen Mingyuan, and secondly, to remind the young man to distinguish who was the king and queen.

Zhang Wen naturally understood Liu Haiyang's meaning, but the two kings together were the bomb; if there was only one, he could solve the problem with one bomb.

"Is that so?" Zhang Wen looked surprised.

“Yes, many people don’t understand the implications and have been deceived by Chen Mingyuan. Teacher Zhang, we’ve known each other for so long and worked together on set. You should know my character. Would I lie to you? I really don’t want you to be deceived by Chen Mingyuan,” Liu Haiyang said earnestly.

Zhang Wen sneered inwardly. Even if Chen Mingyuan was lying, at least he hadn't tripped him up. Although Li Lehua had the final say, he had stabbed him in the back many times.

However, since the other party had delivered the gift to his door, how could he refuse it?

Wouldn't it be better to have it both ways?

“I see.” Zhang Wen had a look of sudden realization. “No wonder Vice President Chen said he wanted to take over the training department and asked me to train more trainees. It seems he wants me to boost his grades. Don’t worry, President Liu, I will never help him with this.”

Liu Haiyang was very pleased to hear this, as he had guessed correctly once again.

Chen Mingyuan recruited Zhang Wen in order to achieve some results.

He put his hand on the young man's shoulder and said with a smile, "Teacher Zhang, don't worry, Mr. Li and I will definitely not treat you unfairly."

"Mmm." Zhang Wen nodded obediently.

……

(End of this chapter)