After rebirth, I became a great master

Chapter 404 Framing
Zhou Haoran had a bad feeling and asked, "Was it like this when you came? Do you know what happened?"

“Hmm…” Hong Zhenru looked around mysteriously. “When I came here, I overheard people from other program teams talking in the elevator. Apparently, the TV station called and criticized the recent episodes. Apparently, there was some kind of ‘misleading guidance.’ They also said that our program, which used to mediate civil disputes, is now using a bunch of fake actors to deceive the audience.”

"Ah!"

Zhou Haoran wasn't surprised; what was bound to happen had happened.

Hong Zhenru whispered, "The production team has received so many tip-off calls lately, and our workplace has also received tip-off letters. I reckon the higher-ups must have received the reports too. Haoran, it seems like things have gotten really big."

Zhou Haoran said in a deep voice: "Those who do many unrighteous deeds will surely perish!"

"Brother Haoran, what should we do?"

Hong Jin-jin, a young woman who just graduated from university this year, looked worried.

Zhou Haoran laughed and asked, "Which shows did you participate in?"

“No.” Hong Zhenru’s face hardened. “They asked me to do it, but I didn’t. Editor-in-Chief Lin even criticized me, saying I wasn’t ambitious.”

"It's alright, let's see how things go first."

Zhou Haoran narrowed his eyes and looked in the direction of the office in the distance.

He's a little worried about Hu Xiaochen now.

As the head of the second production team, she was inevitably heavily involved in the production of fabricated programs. Now that the higher authorities are investigating, she may be implicated.

Just then, the office door opened and Hu Xiaochen came out.

She maintained her consistently cold demeanor.

With her chin slightly raised, she exudes a powerful aura.

The hallway was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

At that moment, everyone in the hallway, including Zhou Haoran, heard Editor-in-Chief Lin's voice coming from the office: "If you remember anything, report it to the leadership immediately!"

Hong Zhenru shuddered upon hearing this.

The words seemed familiar.

I've heard this in many movies and TV shows, like what police officers often say to informants or criminal suspects.

All eyes were on Hu Xiaochen.

Her expression was calm, and she didn't say a word as she walked straight to the elevator. Zhou Haoran went over and pressed the elevator button for her. Hu Xiaochen gave him a cold, meaningful glance.

"Sister Zhang Ming has gone inside!"

Hong Zhenru tugged at Zhou Haoran.

Then, the female director Zhang Ming was called in.

She didn't stay inside as long as Hu Xiaochen. She came out in about ten minutes, and the boss didn't say a word. You could tell that a sense of relief was on her face as she left the office.

Her colleagues in the office dared not provoke Hu Xiaochen.

But Zhang Ming was different; he went to ask everyone what was going on.

Zhang Ming waved his hands repeatedly, looking downcast and seemingly unwilling to say anything.

"Sister Zhang Ming!"

Zhou Haoran and Hong Zhenru went over.

Zhang Ming looked at the two of them with a troubled expression.

Zhou Haoran understood, pulled Hong Zhenru along, and they got into the elevator together. Seeing that there were other people in the elevator, they didn't say a word. The three of them, each lost in their own thoughts, walked out of the building and went to the coffee shop in the courtyard.

Sitting in the coffee shop, each of us has an iced latte.

Three cups cost 45 yuan.

The female director, Zhang Ming, spoke first, "Did Editor-in-Chief Lin call you two?"

"No."

Hong Zhenru shook her head.

Zhou Haoran asked, "What news? My show aired its fourth episode yesterday, so I came to check the ratings report."

"Oh, I see. Then it should be fine." Zhang Ming breathed a sigh of relief. "That's true. You've only been working on the 'abandoned baby girl' series lately and haven't been involved in anything else."

“How could nothing be wrong?” Hong Zhenru felt that she was being perfunctory. “Teacher Zhang Ming, the atmosphere is so serious, something must have happened.”

Zhang Ming paused for a moment, then said in a low voice, "This morning, the director held an emergency meeting, which was attended by all the channel leaders. The higher-ups gave our program a severe reprimand..."

"I know, I've heard about it. Is there anything I don't know?"

Hong Zhenru was very anxious.

Female director Zhang Ming said, "I don't know much either. It seems that all the tapes that were put into storage yesterday have been returned. The programs recorded in the past few days can't be broadcast. If there really are no programs, 'Family Matters' might have to be suspended for rectification in the next few days!"

Hong Zhenru asked, "What did they ask you?"

Zhang Ming hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "Director Zhang has a list, I estimate there are more than ten episodes, and they all seem to have problems. He asked me if I had participated in any of these episodes. Of course I did, many of our topics were canceled, and they all went to make these melodramatic dramas."

"anything else?"

Hong Zhenru pressed for an answer.

Zhang Mingdao said, "They just asked me questions... like taking a statement, and I even had to sign it. They asked me which episode I worked on and how I came up with the topic. I said it was assigned by the team, and they asked me who assigned it. I said it was the producer."

"Oh...huh?"

Hong Zhenru opened her eyes wide and immediately realized that something was wrong.

Zhou Haoran's expression also changed slightly. "Who sent you?"

Hong Zhenru exclaimed, "It was Editor-in-Chief Lin who sent them! Teacher Tang is in the capital for further studies and hasn't returned yet!"

Zhang Ming said helplessly, "Indeed, it was Editor-in-Chief Lin who told me the specific topics. But when Editor-in-Chief Lin assigned me the task, she clearly stated that it was Producer Teacher Tang who asked everyone to do this batch of topics."

"This is impossible!" Zhou Haoran felt that Zhang Ming, the female director with whom he had a good relationship and who helped him produce the "Abandoned Baby Girl" series, was talking nonsense! It was simply a frame-up against Tang Shiyi!

Hong Zhenru was also furious. "Teacher Tang would never assign such a topic. Sister Zhang Ming, did Editor-in-Chief Lin tell you this beforehand? Did she tell you to say it like this?"

The female director, Zhang Ming, groaned and couldn't speak.

"Zhenru, let's go!"

Zhou Haoran stood up, not wanting to say anything more to Zhang Ming.

"Brother Haoran, what should we do?" Hong Zhenru's face was flushed with anxiety, and her eyes were red. "This seems like a conspiracy. They're trying to frame Teacher Tang. Editor-in-Chief Lin doesn't want to take responsibility and wants Teacher Tang to take the blame. Teacher Tang is away for further studies; she won't approve these ridiculous programs!"

"Don't worry."

Zhou Haoran offered her a word of comfort.

He sent a message to Hu Xiaochen's pager, arranging to meet at another coffee shop outside.

"Brother Haoran, where are we going now?"

Hong Zhenru was somewhat bewildered.

"Wait for someone, and first get the facts straight."

Zhou Haoran took her to another coffee shop outside.

Hong Zhenru was extremely anxious.

An agonizing wait.

Upon seeing Hu Xiaochen, her expression changed slightly, and she quickly slumped onto the table. Team Leader Hu's usual aura was too strong and stern, making her somewhat intimidating.

"Brother Haoran, lower your head!" Hong Zhenru winked and gestured at him, "Team Leader Hu is coming, don't let him see us."

Zhou Haoran couldn't help but chuckle, stood up and waved, "Here I am!"

"what?"

Hong Zhenru was dumbfounded by this scene.

I was thinking to myself, "Is Brother Haoran really that amazing?"
Are you that familiar with Team Leader Hu?
Aren't you afraid of her?
Then, we saw that Team Leader Hu had actually come over.

Hong Zhenru panicked a little, quickly moved further inside, then stood up and said politely, "Team Leader Hu, you've arrived."

Hu Xiaochen glanced at her and hummed in response.

His expression was stern.

Zhou Haoran asked, "What happened?"

Hu Xiaochen said coldly, "According to the leadership, Teacher Tang will be punished."

"This is not fair!"

Hong Zhenru, being inexperienced in the ways of the world, also sensed the intrigue and machinations of workplace power struggles.

Hu Xiaochen said calmly, "The TV station said that our program was fraudulent, and that the production team had signed an agreement with the performing arts school in private. We provided the script and the school found students to act in it. We used improper means to gain ratings, which caused a bad social impact."

"Signing a contract with a performing arts school..."

Hong Zhenru thought of the handsome men and beautiful women from the past few episodes and finally understood.

So that's what happened behind the scenes!

Indeed, hiring amateurs to act is risky; poor acting skills are easily exposed, and the cost is high. Collaborating directly with schools is different. The school pays, and the students get it for free. For the students, it's also a valuable opportunity to gain experience appearing on television.

Zhou Haoran narrowed his eyes, "Editor-in-Chief Lin is trying to turn this into an industry!"

Hu Xiaochen sneered, "She messed up!"

Zhou Haoran frowned. "Where is Teacher Tang?"

"scapegoat."

Hu Xiaochen's tone was cold, defining the nature of the matter.

"How could this be?" Hong Zhenru's eyes widened in disbelief. "Editor-in-Chief Lin is a good person. How could she frame Teacher Tang?"

"Good guy?"

Hu Xiaochen curled his lips into a smile, a hint of mockery in his eyes.

Hong Zhenru said, "Editor-in-Chief Lin is a good person. Everyone in the program team says so. They've all received her help... Oh, I see! One plays the bad cop, and the other plays the good cop, is that what you mean?"

Hu Xiaochen glanced at her, "Not too stupid."

Hong Zhenru suddenly realized and said, "I finally understand. No wonder I felt that Editor-in-Chief Lin had changed recently. Because Teacher Tang went to the capital for further studies, there was no one in the program team to play the good cop, so she didn't have to play the bad cop. If you want to have authority and power, you have to be strict."

Hu Xiaochen, a big fan of Tang Shiyi, clearly showed her bias, saying, "Teacher Tang is strict, but she does it for the good of the program, so that everyone can grow. Editor-in-Chief Lin is kind and gentle, but she does it to win people over! I only just realized that she was playing workplace politics from the very beginning!"

"Then... what do we do now?"

Hong Zhenru stamped her foot anxiously.

Hu Xiaochen looked at Zhou Haoran.

Zhou Haoran asked, "What did you say when the channel's leaders came to talk to you?"

Hu Xiaochen said, "To tell you the truth."

Zhou Haoran then asked, "Didn't Lin Guiyan contact you?"

“I did contact her. She told me that all those topics were confirmed and approved by Teacher Tang. She can't lie to me; Teacher Tang would never have agreed to that. If she were here, these ridiculous shows would never have passed the review and aired!”

Hu Xiaochen is different from female director Zhang Ming.

She's not afraid of Editor-in-Chief Lin at all!
It wasn't just her who stood on the side of justice.

It's also because she has powerful backers.

(End of this chapter)