Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 440 A Shocking Secret! (Bonus chapter for Alliance Leader An Feng)
"Hello, my name is Zhao Liying. We've met before."

Upon hearing this, Afei paused slightly and subconsciously took a half step back to create some distance. Seeing that the round-faced girl in front of him had thin arms and legs and didn't seem to be aggressive, he took off his sunglasses.

"Hello, I'm at work, sorry."

"Hey! Wait a minute!" Zhao Liying reached out and grabbed his arm, but he immediately shook her off. He then explained sheepishly, "We really have met before, have you forgotten?"

This isn't a cliché at all; Zhao Liying and A Fei had indeed met before, not just once at Huayi Art Theatre that morning.

"Back in 05, when we were filming 'Tangshan' on the earthquake-stricken street, I was that female extra who had a mental breakdown. You helped me move props, do you remember?" (Chapter 279)
Ah Fei stared at her blankly for a moment, but he didn't lie: "I remember."

Zhao Liying's eyes lit up, a playful smile appeared on her lips, and she leaned forward slightly with her hands behind her back: "You're honest."

Her voice was clear and cheerful, and she took the opportunity to strike up a conversation: "You came with Miss Liu, right? I just saw her inside, she was the center of attention."

"Hmm." Afei was already feeling a little uncomfortable.

He wasn't immune to talking to women; people close to Lu Kuan, such as Liu Yifei, Liu Xiaoli, Zhang Chunru, and Mei Yanfang, would occasionally joke with him.

However, he was still quite uncomfortable with this round-faced girl whose eyes and eyebrows were smiling like crescent moons, staring at him so intently.

Zhao Liying was also secretly observing him, trying to find out more information from the somewhat reserved and dull Afei, and more information about his true relationship with Lu Kuan and Liu Yifei.

This is important!

Obviously, even the most powerful person would not tolerate their subordinates kicking a prominent Huayi vice president so badly that he screamed and went into shock.

Moreover, they escaped unscathed in the end, and the people from Huayi didn't even have the courage to reprimand or stop them again.

Zhao Liying witnessed the whole thing that morning, including when Afei turned around and looked at her questioningly, and Liu Yifei nodded to signal him to take out the "talisman".

Could this be an ordinary bodyguard?
Even so, he has been serving Boss Lu since the beginning of his career. After so many years, he must have become a trusted confidant, right?

Let's return to the man's designer suit and obviously expensive mechanical watch.

Even though she couldn't quite recognize the brand, no matter how you looked at it, he must be playing an important role alongside Wen Jie, Lu Kuan, and Liu Yifei.

Xiao Zhao wanted to try and see if he could use this opportunity to leave Huayi.

It wasn't that she had any worries about the future of Huayi, but rather that she couldn't see a glimmer of hope for Huayi, whether it was good or bad.

"Can we exchange numbers? I'd like to treat you to a meal sometime."

Ah Fei instinctively refused: "No need, helping out on set... it's just a small favor, it's part of my job."

"Yes, yes!" Zhao Liying was not about to let such an opportunity slip by. Seeing that the tips of his ears were slightly red, she became even more excited, stood on tiptoe, and took out her phone from her pocket.

"Just use my phone to call yourself, hurry up, I'm in a rush to get back to the performance."

Afei hesitated for a moment, but the girl in front of him was too innocent, catching this naive young man off guard.

Zhao Liying reacted quickly, taking advantage of Afei's hesitation, she suddenly reached out to grab his phone, but her fingers were caught the moment they touched it!

"Ouch! That hurts!" Zhao Liying felt her wrist bones suddenly gripped by a force like an iron clamp.

Afei instinctively squeezed her cold, fair wrist, then instinctively released it: "I'm sorry."

Then you see the girl crouching on the ground in pain, with fine beads of sweat visibly seeping from her forehead.

"I... I just wanted to use your phone to dial a number... ugh..."

Zhao Liying appeared pained, but inwardly she was overjoyed.

I thought that even if we couldn't see each other often, we could still keep in touch by text or phone, and we could be friends, right?

But now being accidentally injured has become an unexpected blessing. It's better to use mistakes than to work hard, and it's better to make him feel sorry for himself!

Zhao Liying bit her lower lip, her eyes slightly red, but she didn't deliberately raise her injured wrist into A Fei's line of sight. Instead, she rolled up her sleeves.

Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, and her voice carried just the right amount of breathiness: "Never mind, I'll go now."

This is somewhat different from actresses like Jiang Yiyan, who are overly effeminate. She is a girl who has struggled her way up from humble beginnings, possessing a unique kind of cunning.

There's no right or wrong here. No one would pass up an opportunity to change their life; who doesn't want to improve?
This was the most convenient path Zhao Liying could see, because countless people in the entertainment industry would be scrambling to get a ride on it, and there were always benefactors she might encounter along the way.

Zhao Liying stood up, her hair brushing against Afei's shoulder as she leaned forward, the faint scent of jasmine shampoo instantly filling his nostrils.

The latter showed no pity whatsoever; instead, he took a slight step back, causing the round-faced girl to sigh inwardly and want to leave with a pained expression.

It's not that Ah Fei is cold-blooded, nor that he's indifferent to women; it's just that he's seen too many temptresses around Boss Lu over the years.

Let alone comparing Zhao Liying to Bingbing, who is like Medusa, how does she compare to Yang Mi, who frequently created chance encounters with Lu Kuan on the set of "Curse of the Golden Flower"?
From his demeanor to his cunning, Xiao Zhao is still a step behind at this point.

Lu Kuan had done bad things before, and there was no way he could hide from people. This led to A Fei seeing all kinds of female stars posing and flirting around him all year round, and he was very familiar with the little tricks that these women usually used.

However, Zhao Liying did surprise him in one way: she didn't dwell on the bruises on her hands, but turned and left without even mentioning the number again.

"Ah Fei, go to the car and get this for me..." Suddenly, a series of "tap tap" footsteps came, accompanied by a familiar voice.

As Xiao Liu walked into the studio lobby, what greeted her eyes was a scene comparable to an idol drama, except that the male lead was too aloof and the female lead's color was a bit lacking, but she was still fresh and cute.

"what happened?"

Zhao Liying looked at the person she most wanted to get close to in surprise, and mustered up her courage to step forward: "Hello, Ms. Liu, my name is Zhao Liying."

“I had a cameo role in Tangshan before. I wanted to say hello when I saw him, but there was a little misunderstanding. It’s nothing to worry about.”

Xiao Liu raised an eyebrow, looked at A Fei with a gossipy expression, and then glanced at Zhao Liying almost imperceptibly.

Could this honest kid have picked up bad habits from the washing machine?

But this learning process takes way too long!

Afei touched his nose and stepped forward. Jun lowered his eyebrows slightly and pointed out bluntly: "I saw her at Huayi this morning."

Ok?
Liu Yifei's gentle smile faded slightly, and when she turned to look at the girl again, her gaze now held a hint of scrutiny.

Since the overwhelming scandals a few years ago, she has been through too much and understands the cruelty of struggle better than anyone else. Could this be another underhanded tactic by Huayi?

Ah Fei offered a brief explanation, but he didn't hold back at all, speaking even more harshly than a washing machine: "She just snatched my phone, and I instinctively pinched her wrist until it bruised."

Zhao Liying's face turned pale, and her fingers unconsciously tightened around the mineral water bottle, making a slight "crunching" sound from the plastic.

Her round face was tense with nervousness, her eyes wide open as if suddenly blinded by a spotlight, showing timidity and fear.

"Ms. Liu... I am an actress from Huayi, but I am only here to participate in the performance, just a sign language extra."

The girl from Langfang timidly revealed the truth, expressing her innocence as an extra.

"I have no motive," was the subtext she was trying to convey.

How could an actor like me, who has been given such resources, possibly risk everything and fight to the death with Wenjie for Huayi?

Zhao Liying is very smart, but she encountered Liu Yifei, who has spent her whole life fighting with washing machines and has also developed a lot of cunning.

Xiao Liu wasn't going to let her off so easily. She frowned slightly, ready to taunt her: "You're going to participate in the sign language performance of 'A Grateful Heart,' and now your wrist has been injured. Are you trying to turn the tables and say that we from the Wenjie community are bullying people?"

"Does Huayi think the incident this morning wasn't big enough?"

"Okay, I'll call Wang Dajun and ask him what he's really up to!"

Zhao Liying felt her breath catch in her throat. The woman in front of her was clearly wearing a simple performance outfit, but it was as if she had suddenly donned the battle robe from the Berlin red carpet.

Liu Yifei stood against the light, her eyelashes hidden sharp edges in the shadows cast by her eyelids, and even the small pearl on her earlobe gleamed coldly.

"No, Miss Liu, I..."

"Wait, there are too many people here. Come with me to the car."

Zhao Liying's back was covered in a fine sweat, and she couldn't muster the slightest thought of resistance. She followed Liu Yifei step by step toward the parking lot.

She suddenly realized she had made a fatal mistake!
Whether it was Ah Fei flirting with him or taking the initiative, he was indifferent and showed no remorse even when he pinched and hurt him.

This is the same woman described in the media's unofficial press releases as an ethereal, otherworldly beauty;

Now it seems that things are not as simple as she imagined.

Which female celebrity could calmly stand still and not dodge when a mad dog like Wang Xiaolei charges at her?
Even after the latter's shinbone was broken by a bodyguard, he remained calm and composed in dealing with the perilous situation, and even had the leisure to make way for the enemy who was screaming in pain and going into shock in the elevator.

Looking back now, Zhao Liying, who witnessed the whole thing that morning, only feels that what Liu Yifei saw at the time was just a scene that needed to be reshot on set.

It's not fair to blame her for lacking judgment; after all, the most important people she'd ever met were the likes of Wang Dajun, Wang Xiaolei, and Feng Xiaogang, with the exception of the airline leaders who visited the school when she was in the flight attendant program.

The ambitious Xiao Zhao thought he could take this opportunity to become a familiar face, get a phone number, and strengthen his connection, which would be another avenue for him to explore further.

It would be even better if we could get in touch with Afei, the bodyguard who is clearly one of Boss Lu's insiders.
But now it seems that they may have shot themselves in the foot.

Ah Fei followed silently behind her, the sound of his leather shoes on the cement floor as regular as the ticking of a second hand.

The parking lot held the Berlin Film Festival Best Actress's new nanny car, a 08 Alphard second generation, while the Maybach was left for Mr. Lu to use for commuting.

It wasn't until the car door closed that Zhao Liying felt like she was imprisoned in a cage.

Ah Fei stood outside the car door on her side, blocking others from peeping and blocking her way out.

Actually, she was overthinking it.

Xiao Liu didn't have time to deal with these things anyway. He had just gone to accept the surrender in the morning, and in the afternoon a Huayi actress was suspected of trying to extort money from him. He had to get to the bottom of everything she said.

"You said it was an accident, right?"

Liu Yifei sat in the leather chair opposite her, her fingertips lightly tapping the armrest, the rhythm slow but like a gavel in court, striking her taut nerves one by one.

Sunlight filtered through the privacy-protected car windows, casting a hazy golden hue on Liu Yifei's profile, which only made the scrutiny in her eyes appear even sharper.

In the eyes of the anxious Xiao Zhao, it wasn't an aggressive edge, but rather a nonchalant sense of oppression unique to those who had long held positions of power.

Even more frightening to her than the aggressive Wang Xiaolei was.

Zhao Liying helped Xiao Liu skip the interrogation process and chose to reveal her true thoughts:

“Ms. Liu, I just wanted to find an opportunity to get closer to you and have some interaction because I have too few opportunities at Huayi. After witnessing the power of Wenjie this morning, I wanted to find an opportunity to interact with you.”

“I’m not trying to play the victim or deliberately creating a chance encounter. I was indeed chosen to be a sign language interpreter.”

"Does your wrist still hurt?" Liu Yifei suddenly leaned over, took out some ice water from the car refrigerator, and handed it to her, indicating that she should apply it to her wrist.

Her movements were as graceful as if she were arranging flowers, but with her head down and her expression timid, one could clearly see the very faint calluses on the edges of her neatly trimmed nails and the inside of her palms.

Zhao Liying knew that these could not have been left by labor, but could only be traces of years of exercise.

Feeling a little relieved, she raised her wrist to indicate, "It doesn't hurt anymore. It was just a tiny misunderstanding. I should get ready to go back to the performance..."

Liu Yifei glanced at her watch, realizing she didn't have much time to probe her, so she cut to the chase: "You have to convince me, otherwise another scandal will be thrown at you."

"Tolerating employees assaulting Huayi's vice president and artists, this topic is enough to cause a lot of trouble if it gets blown out of control."

Zhao Liying was so anxious that sweat was pouring down her forehead: "Miss Liu, but I really... I..."

Liu Yifei looked at her without saying a word, without even frowning, but with her eyelashes slightly lowered and her fingertips gently tapping on her knees.

Xiao Zhao, who lacked all the advantages of timing, location, and personal connections, found that even her breathing was chasing the rhythm of her fingers. When the cold air from the air conditioner swept across the back of her neck, a sharp pain shot through her taut spine.

She suddenly hardened her heart, looked up and stared directly at Liu Yifei: "If you don't believe me, I..."

"I can terminate my contract with Huayi Brothers right now! I'll quit acting and become your assistant!"

Grassroots celebrities often possess a kind of open-mindedness and ruthlessness. They grow wildly like weeds in the cracks of the industry, and are used to testing the edge of the knife with their own flesh.

Resources are seized by force, opportunities are won by gambling, and dignity can be crushed as a bargaining chip when necessary.

Xiao Liu looked at her statement expressionlessly, and at that moment he thought of his several encounters with Bingbing.

Objectively speaking, a woman as privileged as her has never experienced the hardship of struggling to grow greenery from concrete.

She spent all the difficult years of her life in the first twenty years in a love-hate relationship with Lu Kuan. It was an exploration and tribulation of the spiritual world from the outside in.

However, Liu Yifei has not suffered too much unnecessary hardship in her acting career. On the contrary, thanks to Boss Lu's guidance and her own tenacious character, she has always been on the right track.

Bingbing and Xiao Zhao are actresses with similar characteristics. These types of people usually have extraordinary observation and learning abilities, and can quickly analyze the hidden power map in the environment and accurately identify key figures.

Even when faced with setbacks, they turn failures into resources for improving their strategies, demonstrating remarkable psychological resilience.

This trait enables them to maintain their evolutionary capacity in harsh competitive environments.

Therefore, Liu Yifei still doesn't have much ill will towards Bingbing, as long as Bingbing doesn't try to interfere with her feelings.

She did not use her privileged background and privileged upbringing to stand on a moral high ground and criticize these slightly extreme ambitious people in the entertainment industry.

Everyone needs to survive first.

Faced with Zhao Liying, who was on the verge of tears, Xiao Liu felt a little soft-hearted, but he had no choice but to continue to dig deeper and confirm that today's suspected staged accident was just an accident.

She didn't want to just enjoy the spotlight; she also wanted to do her best to help her boyfriend solve his problems.

"What you've said doesn't clear your name, it's far from enough. Wouldn't it be better for you to be my assistant and tip me off?"

Zhao Liying's fingertips dug tightly into her palms, her nails carving crescent-shaped white marks on her skin.

She took a deep breath, swallowed a mouthful of rusty-tasting saliva, guessing that her lip must have been bitten raw.

"I... I know something, but I'm not sure if it's related to the Questioning Realm."

"Tell me what you have to say." Liu Yifei's heart skipped a beat. She hadn't expected that she would actually get some useful information out of her. However, she couldn't believe her too easily and had to see what she had to say.

Zhao Liying's voice was extremely low, as if squeezed out from between her teeth, and trembled slightly:
"On the day of the eighth anniversary celebration of Wenjie, Huayi also mobilized its core artists to issue additional shares. I was there that day."

"It just so happens... I just so happened to overhear Fan Bingbing telling Wang Dajun that you secretly contacted Yang Mi and asked her to hold shares on your behalf." (Chapter 428)
shock!
Xiao Liu was terrified and quickly calculated in his mind to determine whether Zhao Liying's words were true or false.

Her expression remained calm, as if she were listening to some trivial gossip.

"You're lying. If it's a mobilization for the share issuance of Huayi's core shareholders' artists, what gives you the right to go?"

Zhao Liying was speechless. Faced with the aggressive questioning from the once gentle and charming "Fairy Sister," her expression showed pain for a moment before she resolutely peeled back the layers of her wounds.

"I... I was summoned by Boss Wang. He asked me to stay and keep him company tonight."

"I heard from the sisters at Huayi that the brothers have a peculiar habit: they don't like... they don't like playing with girls who aren't feeling anything. So I started drinking heavily during the meal."

Tears welled up in Zhao Liying's pretty face, as if she were recalling the horror of that night: "Wang Dajun thought I was drunk. He answered Fan Bingbing's call, and was about to hang up impatiently, but after she said those words, he quickly covered the receiver and walked away..."

"Miss Liu! Believe me, no girl would joke about something like this!"

Xiao Liu knew this might have touched a raw nerve, but now, to investigate the truth of the matter, including the veracity of Fan Bingbing's actions, she couldn't afford to be sentimental.

"Okay, let's assume you're telling the truth for now. I'll ask you a few questions."

Zhao Liying nodded vigorously, tears falling like beads from a broken string.

Based on the information she had gathered about Lu Kuan's strategy for winning over Huayi and the key figures involved, Liu Yifei began to analyze whether there were any loopholes in Zhao Liying's words.

"Since you said you drank alcohol during the meal, what were the attitudes of Li Binbin, Yang Mi, and others towards the share issuance?"

This is a cleverly asked question. If the respondent is smart enough, they can also find clues in Xiao Liu's question.

Therefore, Liu Yifei removed Zhou Xun and Fan Bingbing, and added Li Binbin as a decoy to ask Zhao Liying and the others about their performance on set, in order to confuse her and make counter-inferences.

However, Zhao Liying didn't seem to be as smart as she thought. She frowned and recalled everything in detail: "Li Binbin didn't say much throughout the whole process, and he didn't sit at the main table."

"I only remember that Yang Mi was the first to express her support for the additional share issuance, and then Sister Bingbing was very unhappy and challenged her to drink. Zhou Xun seemed to be echoing her."

Liu Yifei questioned, "Why do you remember it so clearly?"

“I was also at the main table. Wang Dajun asked me to raise a glass to them to ease the atmosphere.”

Xiao Liu maintained her cold and aloof demeanor, but inwardly she thought that at least her words made sense.

She had already learned of her boyfriend's entire plan and knew that Wenjie's listing was intended to put pressure on Huayi, forcing them to continue issuing new shares, so as to drag Ma Yun, Deng Wendi, and others into a deeper mess.

Fan Bingbing and Zhou Xun were instructed by Lu Kuan to propose a betting agreement to ensure that the undercover agent's shareholding would not be diluted, but Yang Mi continued to hold the shares in accordance with her instructions.

This way, they could prevent Bingbing from harboring resentment and turning against them because of her marriage to Lu Kuan, and on the other hand, they could prevent the celebrities from appearing too united, thus arousing the suspicion of the Wang brothers.

Everything Zhao Liying described basically fits the logic of how things unfolded.

That makes things complicated.

What is Fan Bingbing planning to do?!

She saw through Yang Mi's disguise;

Or perhaps they feel disgusted because Yang Mi is their close friend;
Or is it to suppress her in order to maintain his position as the top female artist at Huayi?
This is the ideal situation, because at least Boss Lu's true intentions were not exposed.

But before considering victory, she was already worried about defeat, and she couldn't help but speculate about the rising stars with the utmost malice.

Did they completely betray each other because of their union, choosing to inform on the two kings or selectively inform on each other?

For example, they might just single out Bingbing and put on a show of "blind spot" at Huayi.

Just like the internal power struggles between the Kuomintang's Central Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (CBIS) and Military Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (MBIS), they maintained their purity and continued to win the trust of their undercover targets by denouncing their brother units.

In other words, Bingbing gained support by exposing Yang Mi's collusion with her, ensuring that she held the full amount or even more of the shares.

Because she needs leverage!

A bargaining chip to threaten Lu Kuan!
She couldn't tell whether Bingbing was black or white.

However, it is certain that she is preparing to attack herself and her agent Yang Mi at Huayi.

First, it would allow her to further strengthen her own resources; second, it would weaken Liu Yifei's control over the situation.

If everything unfolds according to Fan Bingbing's plan, she will be able to continue increasing her stake in Huayi Brothers, both as the female lead in "If You Are the One" and shoulder the crucial role of the alliance between Ali, Huayi Brothers, and Wendy Deng, and also have a significant impact on Boss Lu's ultimate success.

She can choose to defect or wait for a better offer, using her available resources to gain more leverage!

Liu Yifei leans towards the latter, because even the most impulsive and "love turned to hate" person cannot help but see the huge disadvantages that Huayi currently faces.

unless...

Unless Bingbing completely abandons her utilitarian principles like she did before, just for the sake of her pride!
It's a fight to the death! Success or death!

It's like recklessly stabbing a washing machine at your birthday party.

Since confirming their relationship, Bingbing has confronted Xiao Liu twice, once in Brooklyn, USA, and once after the fashion magazine "Harper's Bazaar" in Beijing.

Liu Yifei knew very well that she would never give up, even though her most recent attempt to seduce him in Shanghai had failed.

She quickly went through all the possibilities, but based on the current situation, she still couldn't make a judgment.

She hadn't even received any information from Yang Mi yet, after all, the Wenjie Celebration had only been over for two weeks, and in between were disasters and the battle between Wenjie and Huayi.

At this moment, Xiao Liu couldn't help but feel a bit parched. The hidden threads behind this were intricate and complex, with the equity war intertwined with personal emotions of love and hate, making it quite a headache.

It has to be said that, given Liu Yifei's current level of knowledge and experience, the only ones who can cause her trouble are the established actresses who have been fighting in the Chinese entertainment industry for seven or eight years.

She turned to Zhao Liying, whose eyes were brimming with tears, and chose to verify the truth of her words in her own way:
"This car has a dashcam. Everything you just said was recorded. Have you seen 'The Warlords'? This is it."

"Since you've said all that, you probably don't plan to stay at Huayi for long. But don't do anything for now. I'll help you terminate your contract when you leave."

Xiao Zhao seemed to have anticipated this outcome. Just as he was about to nod in agreement, a tissue was shoved into his hand. He looked up, bewildered, at the smiling celestial being.

Liu Yifei gently persuaded, "You know Jang Nara, right? She was very popular in mainland China a few years ago."

"In the industry, everyone is expected to go their own way. The company really doesn't have anyone like you, the round-faced girl-next-door type."

"If you come to Wenjie in the future and the facts are really as you say, let Yang Siwei help you plan your development path. With your hard work, you won't have a bad future."

Zhao Liying considered a dangerous possibility and stammered, "Miss Liu, you want me to stay because you want to..."

Liu Yifei waved her hand to interrupt her: "You don't need to do anything, and I'm not asking you to use your looks to get information. Just focus on being a contracted artist and pretend that today's events never happened."

"Including when you come to Wenjie in the future, no one will force you to do things you don't want to do. The only requirement is to be diligent and hardworking, create value for the company, and achieve a win-win situation."

Looking at the calm and composed demeanor of this top female star in the Chinese entertainment industry, from the moment she met her, to when she got into the car and inquired about the secret, and even after learning the inside story, Zhao Liying couldn't help but admire her once again, comparing it to the turbulent emotions she herself had experienced.

If anyone still considers her an ethereal, otherworldly fairy, they are sorely mistaken.

At least for Zhao Liying herself, she had confessed everything she could in the past half hour, but had not learned any information from the other party. The carrot and stick approach had left her with no intention of resisting.

In the end, Zhao Liying chose to actively leave what she considered a dilapidated ship, Huayi, and get closer to Liu Yifei, thus achieving her goal through different means.

They came into the sights of influential people.

In a rigidly hierarchical system, those who break through from the bottom often need to undergo a process of cognitive reconstruction.

Their initial imagination of how power works is full of idealism, until they witness firsthand the effortless control of those in power, and then they realize the real rules of the game.

This cognitive shock may foster a more pragmatic ambition, or it may morph into unscrupulous opportunism and a gambler's mentality.

Xiao Zhao and Bingbing are now almost at a crossroads of fate once again. The former has made his own choice, or rather, he has no choice but to make it under the pressure of Liu Yifei.

But what about Bingbing?

Liu Yifei could not have predicted it.

She walked into the studio with a heavy heart, the word "rational person" that Lu Kuan had mentioned coming to mind.

A rational person refers to an individual who, in economic activities, pursues the maximization of his or her own interests and conducts rational analysis and decision-making on various situations.

Within the cold, logical framework of economics, the "rational man" assumption strips away the interference of emotions and morality, simplifying decision-making into a mathematical problem of interest game.

The former Boss Lu was a purely rational person. He regarded Rebirth as a game and a sandbox for capital plunder. He calculated the marginal benefits of each step precisely and even turned interpersonal relationships into bargaining chips for resource exchange.

However, Liu Yifei's appearance tore apart this utilitarian shell, and emotional ties became an unquantifiable variable in his decision-making function, forcing him to accept "irrational" compromises and risks.

But what about Bingbing?

From the perspective of a woman herself, Liu Yifei believes that Fan Bingbing, who was caught up in desires, emotions, and fears, has long since broken free from the constraints of this model.

She could actually understand the predicament and worries of the leading actress at that moment.

A distorted obsession with sharing the road ahead, a desire for Huayi's victories, and a need to prove one's self-worth.

Especially after she publicly holds 10% of Huayi's shares, will she have other ideas?
These irrational factors, like undercurrents, constantly assaulted the rational dam she had carefully constructed.

When the temptation of betrayal and the impulse of destruction intertwine, Bingbing's decision-making mechanism has long since deviated from the track of cost-benefit analysis, degenerating into a chaotic struggle between emotions and calculations.

The unpredictability of human nature is fully revealed at this moment.

When the game involves the abyss of reality, even the most ingenious calculations can be crushed by a heart consumed by self-destruction.

This is the most uncontrollable "black swan" event in the battlefield of interests.

As Xiao Liu walked towards the studio, her thoughts were undeniably heavy. Although it sounds absurd, it was true that her possessiveness of Lu Kuan could lead to an uncontrollable situation.

She knew in her heart that this was a scheme that had been laid out since 2002, and it was even more significant after Ali and Wendy Deng joined the trap, as it concerned whether Weibo and Wenjie Mall could completely catch up with and leave their competitors behind in the mainland within the next three years.

She also knew that as long as her boyfriend showed even a little kindness or lingering affection towards Fan Bingbing, she would never make another choice and would steadily help him reap the final victory.

Liu Yifei squinted to avoid the dazzling sunlight. In the distance, the steel structure of the Olympic Park was cutting the sunlight into geometric fragments of gold, much like the path she and Lu Kuan had walked over the years.

It was a winding road, but with a bright future.
-
Luo Jing: China Central Television (CCTV).

Li Ruiying: China Central Television (CCTV).

Luo Jing: This is Studio One of CCTV.

Zhu Jun: You are now watching the live broadcast of the "Dedication of Love" 2008 large-scale disaster relief fundraising event of the publicity and cultural system.

The gala began quickly, with the hosts giving a brief overview of the current situation on the front lines, followed by the donation process.

The first round of donations naturally came from top leaders who remained in Beijing;

The second round involved various units and enterprises within the broadcasting and propaganda systems. Focus Media, in its previous life, donated in this round, with CCTV contributing the most at 5000 million.

Following this were donations from actors, singers, and artists from Sichuan, as well as acts of kindness from disabled artists represented by Tai Lihua.

The gala proceeded in this tear-jerking yet inspiring atmosphere, essentially a combination of the host's announcements, donations, VCR footage, and performances.

It is worth mentioning that when the news about the fifteen skydivers was broadcast, the introduction and footage of the drone were only briefly mentioned and not described in detail.

During Li Xiaomeng's live stream, she was instructed not to focus on this new type of semi-military technology. After DJI communicated with the military, they deliberately downplayed the nature of military-civilian cooperation.

Everything is done to minimize the difficulty of introducing the relevant technologies. Although sanctions are inevitable sooner or later, they are being delayed as much as possible.

By the time DJI came into the public eye in 2016, it already had more than 5000 patents. Its core flight control system, gimbal, and image transmission technology were all self-developed and did not rely on high-end American chips (using mature 28nm and above processes).

Not to mention there's now a Chinese director who, under the guise of a global citizen, is secretly arranging the purchase of core technologies.

DJI's development speed will only be faster in this generation.

The first minor climax of the gala began with Zhu Jun recounting a touching true story with tears in his eyes:

"On the 13th, rescuers found a scene in the ruins that looked familiar to the movie 'Tangshan'."

"A mother held her child tightly beneath her body. When our doctor examined the child, there was an unsent text message on the cell phone hidden in the swaddling clothes."

"This mother, who sacrificed her own body to save her baby from death, typed out these words before she passed away—"

"My child, if you survive, always remember that I love you."

With tears in her eyes, Dong Qing said, "Let's also send a text message to this mother. If she can receive it in heaven, let's tell her that we all love her child just as much as she did!"

When the melody of "Dedication of Love" resounded in CCTV's Studio One, the whole of China seemed to hold its breath at that moment.

On stage, artists such as Pu Cunxin and Chen Daoming stood in a row, their voices converging into a warm current that penetrated the radio waves and surged into millions of tense hearts.

Liu Yifei stood at the front of the recitation formation, her fingertips trembling slightly as she enunciated each word clearly and forcefully.

That was the scent of earth brought back from the disaster area, the undried tears in the eyes of survivors, and the tiny space a mother created for her child with her own body.

Before the final round of donations, Zhu Jun connected with Zhang Quanling on the front lines. Zhang had just arrived at the disaster site from the scene of the Olympic torch relay on Mount Everest.

"Quanling, please tell us your location and the situation on the ground."

"Okay, Zhu Jun." There was a slight delay on the big screen, and the audience looked curiously at the logo of the Wolong Base behind Zhang Quanling.

"I am currently at the Wolong Giant Panda Protection Base. Now, please welcome Mr. Zhang Heming, Director and Chief Scientist of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda, to give us an update."

There was a delay in the transmission of the signal. Zhang Heming on the screen paused for a few seconds before nodding and saying, "Hello, viewers. I am pleased to report to you that all 63 giant pandas in the park are currently safe. A few have minor injuries, and one is still recovering from a fracture."

"We want to thank the people of the whole country for their concern, and we also want to thank our compatriots who were trapped together that afternoon. They worked with the park to make proper arrangements for the national treasures, including Director Lu and Yi Fei."

Zhang Quanling said, "Please help connect us with our guest, Zhu Jun."

"Okay, please have the staff hand the microphone to Yi Fei in the audience. She is also a witness to this incident and has just returned from the front lines. I'm sure she has a lot of feelings and encouragement to share with everyone."

The screen showed footage of Xiao Liu participating in child psychological counseling within Mei Yanfang's disaster relief team.

Zhu Jun wholeheartedly played the supporting role, knowing that this was an extra scene added to Xiao Liu's part of the show.

First, she did indeed experience all of this firsthand; the itinerary is authentic and can withstand scrutiny.

Secondly, it's also about the results of the donation; we need this top female star to use her popularity to promote positive energy.

Liu Yifei appeared on the television screen.

Under the spotlight, her simple dress looked exceptionally elegant and refined, with the skirt draping naturally like flower petals.

There were no elaborate jewelry decorations, only a pair of pearl earrings on her earlobes that swayed slightly with her gentle movements, like two unfallen tears.

She took the microphone, and when the camera zoomed in, you could see a small, cute mole on the tip of her nose on her face, which was free of heavy makeup, making her beauty seem more real and tangible.

Xiao Liu smiled and greeted Zhang Heming in the picture, who could be considered a comrade-in-arms: "Hello, Director Zhang."

Zhang Heming's voice was slightly hoarse as he spoke: "Hello Yifei, I would like to express my special gratitude to you and Director Lu Kuan for donating money and supplies to the base today. I was very moved to learn that Director Lu has returned to his post as the chief director of the Olympics, and that you have also been working tirelessly for disaster relief."

The main purpose of their conversation was to advocate and encourage each other. Xiao Liu's answer was concise and to the point: "This is the responsibility of every Chinese son and daughter. When the zoo reopens, I hope I can still do my part for the giant panda cause. I also hope that my compatriots will join hands to overcome the difficulties together!"

"Thank you! Thank you, Consort Yi!" Zhu Jun continued, preparing to move on to today's climax.

"Dear friends, next, please welcome the representatives from various industries who have made donations!"

At the disaster relief gala, the donation portion undoubtedly garnered the most attention and discussion.

However, the donations from leaders and various enterprises and institutions in the previous rounds could not be increased indefinitely. Each unit has its own budget, and it should spend within its means according to its own financial situation, and accept the approval and arrangements of its superiors.

But the final donations from the business community are a different story; the amount depends on the willingness of you big capitalists.

Even if it's just spending money on advertising and getting exposure, the whole country will accept it, at least they've gotten something done.

From low to high, as the song "A Grateful Heart" played, one by one, company representatives holding red signs took the stage.

Chengtian Entertainment 1000 million yuan, Anbang 1000 million yuan, BYD 1000 million yuan, Huayi Brothers 2000 million yuan, Langjiu 2130 million yuan, Luzhou Laojiao 2680 million yuan.

Zhu Jun verbally named dozens of mainland business leaders, then continued loudly: "Once again, thank you all. Finally, we would like to invite you to introduce the entrepreneurs, donors, and organizations that have donated more than 50 million yuan. They are—"

The background music became even more rousing, and the business representatives all made their entrance with solemn expressions.

Suning Chairman Zhang Jingdong donated 5000 million yuan.

"Huang Guangyu, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Gome, donated 5000 million yuan."

Zhu Jun paused for a moment, then said with a happy expression, "Dear viewers, I have some exciting news to share with you."

"To date, our gala has raised a total of NT$1.514 billion from our compatriots at the venue and watching on television! This number continues to increase!"

Amid applause, he continued reading the details on the hand cards: "Now let's invite the companies and organizations that have donated more than 100 million yuan!"

"Rizhao Steel Group, a member of the All-China Federation of Industry and Commerce, donated 100 million yuan!"

"The entire securities and futures industry nationwide has donated a total of 100 million RMB!"

"JDB Group, 100 million RMB!"

Hey!
When the representative of JDB walked onto the stage holding up a red donation plaque, thunderous applause erupted in the studio.

Viewers in front of their televisions stared wide-eyed and sat up straight on the sofa.

One hundred million yuan in 2008 was indeed an astronomical figure, especially considering it came from an unknown herbal tea company.

Online forums exploded instantly, with posts already appearing on the "Gossip Jianghu" section of Tianya Community:

"What's the background of JDB?" "This company is probably going to become famous overnight!"

Looking at the expression on the face of the JDB representative, Xiao Liu in the audience jokingly thought to himself that the uncle probably knew the final donation amount from Wenjie.

In any case, engaging in some competition in charitable endeavors is not necessarily a bad thing.

Following this, the Pengcheng Charity Federation donated 130 million yuan.

At this point, when people mention first-tier cities in China, they are still referring to "Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou".

Around 2013, the National Bureau of Statistics mentioned "Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen" in its housing price report, and Shenzhen was officially recognized as a first-tier city.

With representatives from several companies with annual revenues exceeding 100 million yuan taking the stage, many online and offline critics who had been misled by "Zhu Nanfang" became sour again.

These people are mainly mindless netizens who have been misled by public opinion, haters of Lu and Liu, and fans of other rival actresses and directors.

Given the immense influence of Nanfang Newspaper Group in the domestic print media industry at that time, and the fact that netizens at this time have relatively poor discernment, there are quite a few such people.

Otherwise, Boss Lu wouldn't have been so frequently idolized and deified online.

They also waited until the very end of the event before starting to post and shout—

What about the boundaries?
You talk a good game, but where are you when it really matters?

Regardless of how much Chengtian and Huayi donated, they at least set an example for the mainland cultural and media industry.

Since the disaster two weeks ago, all Wenjie has done is turn the website black and white and donate the mall's logistics fleet to be put on hold. What else?

Obviously, it has now reached the level of hundreds of millions of yuan. You asked Jie, who was still entangled in the Bank of China loan incident, so they probably can't come up with a higher donation figure now, right?

Then my online army and haters will have to be mobilized!

In the last ten minutes or so of the corporate fundraising period, another round of online arguments ensued.

Fans of the washing machine are generally moviegoers with purchasing power, plus netizens attracted by several films with patriotic themes.

A group of middle-aged men who are a bit older and not very strong in combat, who can't even win an argument with their girlfriends and wives, how can they possibly compete with a bunch of trolls who spend all night online?
It wasn't until the "Washing Machine Bar" and "Liu Yifei Bar" on Baidu exchanged information, with the two bar administrators reporting the situation and communicating through Weibo groups, that a massive influx of Liu Yifei's fans rushed into the fray to offer their support.

It's one thing to kill off road dogs in normal times, but when it really matters, we must unite against a common enemy.

If the fans of the washing machine are at the level of militia and joint defense members, then Xiao Liu's fans are battle-hardened veterans in online arguments.

Having experienced the epic online battles of public opinion surrounding Song Dazui, Jang Nara, birthday party confessions, and Fox News livestreams, they have long since developed their own set of strategies.

A major fan of Liu Yifei on Weibo quickly organized, edited, and pieced together a lot of evidence and rhetoric from various media outlets regarding their post-disaster actions. This information was then distributed to QQ groups through a well-organized system and then mobilized to launch attacks on various media platforms.

The internet environment in 08 and 09 was at the crossroads of unbridled growth and the reconstruction of order.

Netizens took pride in the "Diba Expedition" and used collective revelry like "Jia Junpeng, your mom is calling you home for dinner" to deconstruct authority.

The algorithmic cocoon has not yet fully formed, trending topics rely entirely on manual selection, a photo scandal can paralyze an entire server, and a single phrase like "very yellow and very violent" can spark a nationwide sentence-making campaign.

Organized by Xiao Liu's fans, the militia members of the washing machine began to launch an organized counterattack.

For example, the hundreds of teaching buildings that Lu Kuan donated to build two years ago have not collapsed to this day, which is a stroke of good fortune for countless compatriots.
For example, the shopping mall fleet that responded immediately after the disaster donated its vehicles. The logistics personnel gathered on a voluntary basis and were at the mercy of local authorities to coordinate their efforts.

Just when the regular army thought that Wenjie would be absent from the fundraising this time, an atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese army's position.

"Wenjie Holdings!"

"One hundred and fifty million!"

The excited words of host Zhu Jun on TV completely turned the tide of public opinion battles both online and offline, followed by thunderous applause from the entire audience, with leaders from the broadcasting system in the front row leading the way in applause.

After all, the cultural and media industry is under their jurisdiction, which is a source of pride for them.

Zhuang Xu, with a composed demeanor, stood in the center of the stage. The microphone was passed from the hands of the entrepreneurs who had made brief statements. As the "top bidder," Wenjie Holdings should have had the opportunity to speak last.

Corporate philanthropy is never driven by purely ulterior motives; organizers also need to facilitate publicity, otherwise no one will respond next time.

The Vice President of Wenjie, holding the microphone, solemnly stated: "Just as Mr. Lu of Wenjie said at the anniversary celebration in early May—"

"Our company has developed with the help of the country and the support of the people, taking advantage of the opportunities of the times."

"The world is deeply saddened by the earthquake and the suffering of our compatriots, and is also greatly encouraged by the unity of all Chinese people."

"This 150 million is not just a sum of money; it carries our concern for our compatriots in the disaster area and is also our deepest gratitude to this land."

"We firmly believe that under the strong leadership of the Party and the government, and with the mutual support of hundreds of millions of compatriots, the disaster area will surely rise from the ashes and regain its beautiful landscape!"

The audience erupted in applause as the charity gala reached its climax. After the host announced the donation figure of nearly 18 billion yuan, the gala concluded with rousing music.

It was already 10 p.m. when I finished removing my makeup and entered the parking lot.

After composing herself, Xiao Liu prepared to return to Wenyuhe Prefecture to tell her boyfriend about the secret from Zhao Liying.

(End of this chapter)