Who said this top flow is crazy! This top flow is awesome!

Chapter 423 The Misfortune of the Pliers

Shi Jinwei's studio was "closed".

Her studio was previously jointly funded by Taiyang and herself, with Taiyang holding 51% of the shares and Shi Jinwei holding 49%.

It doesn't matter if they're dismissed, because Shi Jinwei's career is going very well right now, and she has a very high profile. So she can easily reorganize a brand new team. Even without this incident, she doesn't plan to keep the original team, because they are basically all "traitors."

But behind the "withdrawal" of the team, Taiyang was making a statement to the industry, outlining a series of countermeasures.

For example, with Shi Jinwei's current contract, if Taiyang really made up his mind, most of the work she was currently involved in would have to be suspended. However, doing so would also cost Taiyang a lot of money.

They didn't want to make such a lose-lose decision, but Shi Jinwei's team had already completely broken ties with them, so it seemed that no matter what they did, the matter couldn't be resolved peacefully.

The first thing Taiyang did was to reach out to many of its well-connected capital firms and circles within the industry.

As we all know, the entertainment industry is all about networking, whether it's the early Beijing elites, the later coal mine owners, or the current internet giants.

In short, there is no limit to the number of artists who don't mingle in the entertainment industry. Not everyone is Ikeno. Ikeno's fate is that he didn't mingle in the industry, but if his name wasn't Ikeno... he might have been finished eight hundred times over.

Shi Jinwei is very popular now, but she is definitely not "Nan Chiye".

"This matter is actually very simple. We've seen many artists like this before, so we don't need to spoil her too much."

The first to respond to Taiyang were the bigwigs in the Beijing circle who had always disliked those who were on good terms with Chi Ye.

However, all capital is driven by profit. The fact that Ikeno has remained silent for so long confirms everyone's previous speculations.

They wouldn't waste their efforts on something pointless, just acting impulsively to mess with Shi Jinwei. Director Lu made it quite clear: "After we give her a warning, we'll take 20% of her studio's new management contracts."

With a 20% share and Shi Jinwei's current traffic, she's guaranteed to make a profit in the Beijing entertainment circle.

Can you really gain 20% of the profits just by participating a little? No, you'd have to go all out, but they don't care, because if they don't participate, they won't even get the 20% they have now.

In fact, even with a 20% stake, Taiyang was hesitant and reluctant to give it up.

"Twenty percent? That's too much, Director Lu, and a few other executives. Shi Jinwei's commercial value is currently very high. We used to only have 51% of her shares, and you're giving us another twenty percent..."

"Old Gao, we're not strangers. To be honest, who would do something like this for free? Shi Jinwei isn't some nobody. She's a top star in Asia right now. We're not going to help you for nothing."

One Beijing-based investor bluntly stated: "Here's the thing: if you're unwilling to let go, then continue your fight with her. But she'll definitely find other investors to help her, because she's only broken ties with you; she's still on good terms with other investors."

"Anyone can make money if they want to. If you can't win a lawsuit, then go ahead and fight it."

Mr. Gao frowned as he listened, inwardly cursing the bastards in the Beijing circle. No wonder they were eliminated; they were just taking advantage of every opportunity... Well, if it were him, he might have done the same.

This is one of the reasons why they have never wanted to completely break ties with Shi Jinwei.

Shi Jinwei is not like Chi Ye back then. She has already grown to a certain level. Although in the eyes of many people, this seems to be no different, they obviously have not been able to control everything to this extent.

"There's one more thing I need to remind you of."

Director Lu kindly reminded him, "Chi Ye is now a source of capital. Do you think he might be tempted to do something?"

Upon hearing this, General Manager Gao fell into deep thought.

"I'll go back and think about it."

"Alright, make a decision as soon as possible. Right now, Shi Jinwei is a piece of fat meat, and quite a few people are eyeing her. If you delay any longer, it may be too late."

"I see."

……

Mr. Gao left with a heart full of disappointment and heartache. He understood, but given his position, it was very difficult for him to make a sacrifice; 20% was simply too much.

One percent is worth considering.

However, once they returned to the company, the senior management gradually cleared their minds and stopped being in a hurry.

Because he suddenly realized that it wasn't just them who were "anxious" about this matter. Shi Jin was slightly anxious, but the capital circle and other groups that saw the opportunity and were waiting to share the spoils were even more anxious.

Why the rush?
The reasoning is simple. It was Director Lu who reminded him that if they were slow to act, someone else would definitely approach Shi Jinwei. Of course, the probability of this depends on whether they are willing to share this opportunity with everyone.

As long as you're willing to take a loss, you can attract enough circles and capital. Once these people get together, the matter is basically settled.

Those who weren't recruited wouldn't risk offending most of the big names in the entertainment industry to snatch chestnuts from the fire.

In addition, he personally felt that, purely from the perspective of interests, he could delay for a while longer. As for the possibility that Shi Jinwei would "run away" during this delay... no way.

The Beijing elite circle, including everyone who wants a piece of the pie, will all get involved; they won't let the game end before the spoils even arrive.

Shi Jinwei is now like a fat rabbit being targeted by a large group of hunters. Unless she can find a backer with a lower price and better terms, she can only wait to be devoured.

This is similar to Zhao Xiaohua, who had a heated falling out with her former company. In the end, she was able to terminate her contract, but the price she paid was that she was essentially sold to a platform. Other big names of the same level have a great deal of autonomy, while she is the only one who is constantly being exploited.

Is this considered a victory?

In Gao Zong’s mind at this moment, if Shi Jinwei were willing to sell herself, then this whole thing wouldn’t have happened—since she was selling herself anyway, she could get more benefits in Taiyang, and they had been cooperating for many years, so why go to other places?
Therefore, they don't need to rush, otherwise they are more likely to make mistakes.

The current focus is on public opinion, but Taiyang's contracts are all legal and compliant. They have temporarily suspended Shi Jinwei's work, and no one can say anything about it. This is different from the relationship between Yue Na and Chi Ye back then.

If we can get through this period, we will eventually reap good results.

It's just that a lot of the previous profits might be forcibly taken away...

Damn it, Shi Jinwei! It's the same thing as her logo, why did she have to do this? Now look what's happened, nobody's making any money!

……

"Weiwei, are you alright?"

On the third day, Sister Shang, who always loved following gossip, called Shi Jinwei. She had also been following the story and had called Shi Jinwei as soon as it happened, but she hung up before the other party could answer...

As for why... of course, it's because Sister Shang knows that she usually leaves a "not-so-good" impression on people, and she's afraid that if she makes this call, Shi Jinwei will misunderstand that she wants to watch the show.

So it took two more days before she finally called back.

On the other end of the phone, Sister Pliers' voice sounded different than usual, slightly tired, as she softly said, "I'm alright."

After saying that, she didn't know what else to say. In short, she felt terrible, a little depressed and helpless.

Because she hadn't expected that capital could be so "united," several top companies had contacted her in the past few days, indicating that they could help her or provide her with a way out, but the demands they made were increasingly harsh.

On rainy days, umbrella vendors will raise the price of umbrellas. When this happens, everyone's first reaction is to think about how much profit they can make for themselves.

This is easy to understand. After all, we were not related before, so why should I help you for free?
After several days of setbacks and being suspended from work and her team, Shi Jinwei felt like she was trapped in a net. No one was in a hurry; Taiyang was silent, and the others were silent as well, as if they were waiting for the moment to completely "divide and conquer" her. Shang Youshu didn't usually pay much attention to these things, but she had debuted much earlier than Shi Jinwei. To put it bluntly, she understood the nature of capital in the industry much better, so she seemed to empathize with Shi Jinwei's current situation.

She paused for a moment before offering her suggestion: "If you need money... tell me."

"...Thank you, You Shu."

"Weiwei, we're best friends, don't say that."

When she's serious, Sister Shang is quite serious. She knows that given her current situation, it's difficult for her to help Shi Jinwei in other ways, except when it comes to money... She has indeed saved up quite a bit of money over the years.

At this moment, Sister Pliers was also feeling rather complicated. Everyone knew that she and Shang Youshu had a good relationship and had always called each other best friends. But in fact, how many fake sisterhoods are there in the entertainment industry?

The latter is the more common phenomenon. People like Sister Shang rarely behave this way. It's hard to see such behavior unless something happens. Now, Shi Jinwei has seen it.

The two chatted on the phone for a while longer, and both tacitly avoided mentioning Ikeno's name.

They're not stupid; the matter has been brewing for three days, and there's still no movement from Chi Ye's side.

So there's no need to say anything, because if they speak first, it might put Ikeno in an even more awkward situation.

Friends won't make things difficult for each other. If Shang Youshu hadn't called, Shi Jinwei wouldn't have taken the initiative to call her either. That's the point.

So it's just right now, there's no need to bring it up specifically.

"But I still can't stop thinking about it."

In a coffee shop in the capital, Sister Shang hung her head and hung up the phone. She felt a sense of emptiness and loss, perhaps because she was too easily empathetic.

Weiwei is not a very likable girl, a fact that Shang Youshu never denies. Compared to the gentleness and understanding of other girls, Shi Jinwei's apparent loyalty is too serious in some aspects.

Take her mouth, for example. She has offended many people without realizing it, and no man would like a woman whose mouth is harder than a pair of pliers.

Judging from her way of doing things, Shi Jinwei is not very likable either. She is a bit "snobbish" and has a strong sense of personal opinion. Once she has made up her mind about something or has an impression of someone, she will stick to it until the end, unless that person does something particularly shocking that breaks the filter.

He's a bit stubborn, has a bit of wisdom but lacks common sense.

But for some reason, Shang Youshu felt a little sad. Perhaps it was because of the regret and sadness that Shi Jinwei had shown in private during the time they had been together.

Doesn't she know that some of her thoughts are delusional?

It's just that I tend to overthink things.

Shang Youshu felt that she was similar to herself, but also different. In any case, she was one of the few friends she had made in the industry, so she was willing to help her in any way she could.

"Sis, if you're really that heartbroken, just post a few things on your WeChat Moments."

Seeing his boss's worried expression, the new assistant couldn't help but suggest, "Anyway, your emotions come and go quickly."

Sister Shang: "?"

"Am I usually too gentle with you guys? You don't always talk about me like this behind my back, do you?"

She was a little angry.

The new assistant was startled and lowered his head, not daring to say another word.

To everyone's surprise, Sister Shang smiled and said, "But you're right."

She paused, then pulled out her phone and furiously posted a message on her WeChat Moments: 【Aaaaaah!! I, Shang, will never be in a relationship in my life!!】

After sending the message, her mood improved considerably. She stood up with a hum and said, "Let's go back and catch up on our shows. I haven't been enjoying any Chinese dramas lately. Let's watch some Western dramas!"

"..."

……

The crew of "The Wandering Earth".

This summer, she finished a day's "work." Well... her current job is to help Chi Ye manage the post-production. Of course, while she says she'll manage it, the old lady (referring to Chi Ye) doesn't really know how to manage anything. She's just playing around.

She also had a cameo role in the movie, and it seems like she has disappeared from the entertainment industry. No wonder Sister Honey and her team are so worried, because after her grandfather passed away, the old lady seemed to have withered away.

Aside from being around Ikeno, which makes her happy, she's not very interested in anything else. Perhaps this situation will improve after some time.

"Xiaxia, where are you going?"

Honey brought today's meal to this summer, but the old lady only glanced at it twice before getting up and walking into the inner room.

"I'm going to find Teacher Chi."

"...Take it, it'll get cold if you don't eat it."

"You guys eat first, I'm not very hungry today."

After finishing her speech this summer, she pushed open the door and saw Chi Ye and Guo Feng discussing filming in a heated and tense manner.

"Ok?"

Hearing the door open, the two turned around. Guo Feng then realized the time, raised his hand to check, stood up and said, "Anyway, President Chi, you must trust me, this filming method will definitely be fine."

"...We'll talk about it later."

Chi Ye waved his hand, Guo Feng nodded to Jin Xia, and turned to leave.

"Humph."

This summer, she squinted and walked over with her hands behind her back, her beautiful peach blossom eyes constantly scrutinizing Chi Ye.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

Chiye was surprised.

"Teacher Chi," Jin Xia suddenly asked, "Do you think I'm being too unreasonable...?"

Ikeno asked in confusion, "What's so unreasonable? What are you talking about?"

This summer, staring at him, she suddenly realized that she really loved him, for no reason other than because of this expression and these words.

"Please help Weiwei, she's really upset right now."

(End of this chapter)