Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 493 The Great Test of Humanity

In New Rochelle, New York, in an ordinary two-story building with a gray-white exterior, Zhou Jun slumped on an old sofa in the living room, his fingers nervously rubbing the neck of a whiskey bottle.

The wine was long gone, with only a few drops of amber liquid clinging to the bottle, like his crumbling life.

Three years have passed since his failure and exile overseas. (Chapters 293 and 294)
In September 2005, the opening and closing ceremony plans for the Olympic Games, submitted by the Lu Kuan team through a nationally commissioned competition, were leaked on Fox News in the United States.

The abundance of exquisite CG animations, the creative lighting of the aerial acrobatics, and the stunning water screen projection architecture amazed and saddened audiences both at home and abroad at the time.

However, Zhou Jun, who was smug about leaking information through the internet, was quickly arrested because of a recording.

Besides him, the other owner of this recording is Sun Wenwen, and the introducer is Fan Bingbing.

This leading lady, who had already become the top star of Huayi, was ostensibly helping Zhou Jun fight against Wenjie and Lu Kuan, sabotaging his grand plan to be the chief director of the Olympics, in order to divide up Wenjie and strike at the latter.

But secretly, Bingbing was being "punished" by Boss Lu.

As punishment for her audacity in placing photos at Liu Yifei's birthday party.

The time traveler at the time clearly treated everyone as pawns, so how could he tolerate her ruining his plans because of a little love affair?
But just when Bingbing thought she was being used as a pawn and was going to die with the enemy, Lu Kuan had Afei remove her voice from the recording.

Instead, they shifted all the blame onto Sun Wenwen and arranged for her to go abroad and live under an assumed name for three years, until she officially reappeared this year.

Zhou Jun, on the other hand, had completely fallen into the grave that the time traveler had dug for him.

Under the strong intervention of Liu, the chairman of the Organizing Committee, Zhou Jun, who came from a top-tier compound, was held accountable.

His charges include bribery during his tenure at Morgan Stanley, including providing backdoors for several companies to go public, and embezzlement.

The alleged leak of the Olympic Games opening and closing ceremony plans solicited by the state is a crime that can be serious or minor. It could be classified as leaking state secrets or, at the very least, as infringing on trade secrets.

Of course, his past affair with South Korean actress Jang Nara was also exposed, causing his powerful wife's family to feel ashamed and abandon him.

Because it involved the Olympics, it was indeed a matter of great importance at the time.

The separation from his wife and children was the first disaster. Subsequently, his promising father was forced to leave his original post and retire to the All-China Federation of Trade Unions.

Zhou Jun was extremely lucky to escape legal punishment, but the price was the decline of his entire family, the end of his official career, and the loss of face for the older generation.

Thus, a promising investment banking manager from Morgan Stanley's East Coast region, who was "suffering from mental illness," was "exiled overseas."

It has been three years since then.

It's been three years. Do you know how I've spent these three years?
Before December 1, 2008, Zhou Jun had never imagined that he would one day utter such an indignant, resentful, and tenacious question.

Since that year, he has fallen into an endless cycle of alcoholism, drug addiction, and promiscuity, squandering almost all of his investment immigrant assets.

His ex-wife never gave him a chance to see the children, and the children soon had a stepfather from another family formed through marriage.

His relatives and friends looked at him as if he were a sinner, and even the local Chinese residents were gossiping about when this lunatic would move away.

In particular, a middle-aged white man followed him around like a shadow, causing him trouble almost every week.

During those three years, he would occasionally hear the names of Lu Kuan and Liu Yifei.

But what Zhou Jun heard again was the chief director of the Olympics, a world-renowned director, and the owner of Netflix.

Damn it, almost all the residents in the community are Netflix users.

He could hardly ignore the Chinese Americans he loathed who constantly raved about how great Netflix's new owner was, adding a ton of Shaw Brothers kung fu movies to the $15 monthly subscription, allowing Bruce Lee fans in North America to relive the golden age of Hong Kong cinema.

The immense psychological gap and the weakened body ravaged by drugs and alcohol left him only able to numb himself with a life of drunken stupor, making it difficult for him to muster any desire for revenge.

Mr. Lu has become the richest man in China, a renowned artist received by top leaders, a representative of private film enterprises in China, and a standard-bearer of film industrialization.

What about him?

This hunter, who once barely qualified to covet the World Empire, ultimately became the most insignificant pawn in the game of time travelers.

It can only wriggle around like a pathetic maggot, disgustingly.

But why would he suddenly think of calling Wang Xiaolei today to confront this past event that haunts his midnight dreams?
Because he saw Sun Wenwen on TV!
A woman he thought had been abandoned and had already perished with him!

Linda Sun, an American of Chinese descent, attended a forum on "Technology Companies and Economic Recovery" on CNN's business channel as the vice president of Twitter.

When Zhou Jun's muddled eyes followed the camera and saw Obama, who had just won the election, shaking hands with a face he would never forget, he almost couldn't control himself and smashed the TV screen with the whiskey bottle in his hand.

Clearly, Twitter was one of the key internet tools that enabled Obama's successful campaign, and he was also happy to exchange pleasantries with this business representative from another ethnic group.

But in Zhou Jun's mind, this was almost a nightmare!
Why! ?

Lu Kuan and Liu Yifei are one thing, but how come you, a female secretary in the company, can climb up the ladder by stepping on me?

Could they even gain an even more prestigious status and position than before?
Look at yourself again?
The remaining shards of television glass reflected his distorted face, with sunken eyes, prominent cheekbones, and once meticulously groomed sideburns now gray and messy.

Alcohol and drugs eroded his body; at over forty years old, his skin was as loose as an old man's.

In the still image on TV, Sun Wenwen was wearing a well-tailored dark blue suit, her hair neatly styled in a bun at the back of her head.

She leaned slightly forward to shake hands with Guan Hai, the Patek Philippe on her wrist gleaming coldly under the spotlight. The woman who once wasn't even worthy of her knowing her name now exuded the composure of the elite class in every gesture.

Even today, news has spread in China that Bingbing betrayed Huayi.

In that instant, Zhou Jun understood everything!

Sun Wenwen did not go to jail in the country for breaking the law like I did!

Fan Bingbing was far from an innocent middleman; she knew nothing about the truth of what happened back then.

This was her explanation when introducing Sun Wenwen, and she also strongly advised herself to be more discerning in distinguishing between truth and falsehood.

Lu Kuan used a double act, one real and one fake, to convince himself to jump into the abyss without hesitation.

Fan Bingbing and Sun Wenwen are both pawns of that person.

Huayi and Twitter are Lu Kuan's rewards for their loyalty!
"Xiao Lei, long time no see, do you still remember me? Hehe..."

Hearing the chilling tone coming from Zhou Jun's overseas phone call, Wang Xiaolei, on the streets of Beiping, got into his car and told the driver to leave. His fear hadn't lessened in the slightest, and he cautiously probed:

"Jun... Brother Jun? Are you doing well in America?"

"Great, it couldn't be better, but it's not quite human anymore." Zhou Jun's voice was almost devoid of emotion and sounded extremely rough.

Wang Xiaolei couldn't help but recall his own spirited and ambitious self from back then.

His brother, who was a soldier, grew up in a compound where he and his brother would always cower and retreat when they went to fight.

How can yellow be compared to pure red?

Zhou Jun coughed twice, feeling a bit craving: "Xiao Lei, I saw the news about Fan Bingbing. I'm planning to go back to China, but I need to discuss a business deal with you first."

"Business?"

"Huayi is going public, and I want the returns from my original 7% equity stake."

Three years have passed, and this second-generation rich kid is already heavily in debt due to his extravagant spending and decadence. He needs money to buy things that make him happy.

Wang Xiaolei remained silent. Even though he didn't know that the person opposite him was a poisonous insect, he could tell that there would be more to come.

Otherwise, who would make such a naive request?

Zhou Jun let out two sticky, dry coughs, his knuckles tapping unconsciously on the telephone receiver, as if playing some kind of frenzied rhythm.

He suddenly chuckled softly, his voice thick with phlegm: "Tell Fan Bingbing that I have a recording of her and Sun Wenwen deceiving me and making me leak the Olympic plan."

"What?" Wang Xiaolei was also learning about the secret for the first time, and he could hardly believe it!
"Ahem... That's right, Fan Bingbing and Sun Wenwen are both his pawns. He's been plotting against Huayi for at least three years."

Zhou Jun suddenly felt a sense of satisfaction at being able to tell Wang Xiaolei this devastating news.

If he knew that Wang Xiaolei had been humiliated by having his leg broken, he would probably be even happier.

“You told Fan Bingbing that I had a recording. With her support, you should be able to keep ownership of the company, right?”

"Yes! Yes!" Wang Xiaolei blurted out excitedly, his face flushed as he exclaimed at the fleeting opportunity.

"Brother Jun, you really..."

"Don't ask, it has nothing to do with you. Just tell Fan Bingbing that." Zhou Jun's left eye twitched a few times, feeling an unbearable itch all over his body, like ants crawling on his skin.

“Tell Fan Bingbing that I have no intention of leaving since I returned to China. If she doesn’t let go, she can wait to die with me. I will go to jail with her.”

"I'm already a useless person. I guess I'm the one who's profiting from her glamorous life as a female celebrity, cough cough..."

Wang Xiaolei said excitedly, "Brother Jun, as long as you can intimidate her and make her change her mind, even if it means she abstains, we'll definitely give you all your shares!"

Wang Xiaolei was shrewd enough to start recording early, planning to export and edit it later.

The telephone line crackled with static, and Zhou Jun's right fingernails dug deeply into his thigh, tiny beads of blood seeping from beneath the purplish-blue skin.

The pain briefly brought his cloudy eyes back to focus, but the next second they were gripped by an even more violent tremor.

The wrist bone exposed at the cuff protruded like a knife, covered with purple scabs formed from needle holes, resembling hollowed-out tree bark.

Wang Xiaolei listened to the static on the phone: "Brother Jun, what's wrong?"

"No...it's okay. I've become addicted to drugs, Xiao Lei. You can trust me, you can trust a drug addict who will stop at nothing for pleasure."

"And I'm going to bankrupt Lu Kuan's plan, ahahaha!" He suddenly laughed shrilly, his laughter carrying the high-frequency vibrato characteristic of drug withdrawal, like scratching glass with fingernails.

Wang Xiaolei felt tormented and confused as he listened, and unconsciously moved the microphone further away, almost able to conjure up a withered and emaciated image in his mind.

Two cloudy eyeballs were embedded in deep-set eye sockets, and the corners of his mouth twitched nervously, like a mad dog that might pounce and bite at any moment.

Fortunately, I haven't...

Consumed by hatred, Wang Xiaolei, upon hearing Zhou Jun mention Lu Kuan's name, suddenly had a sudden inspiration and tentatively asked, "Brother Jun, you probably don't know that Lu Kuan and Liu Yifei are married, right? And they have a child."

"It's been about three or four months now."

"The two of them are very happy now. They just finished filming a romance movie together."

His words ended abruptly there.

However, in this situation, this seemingly neutral description only served to further provoke Zhou Jun, whose life was miserable and who was separated from his wife and children.

In addition, the drug withdrawal was acting up, and cold sweat trickled into Zhou Jun's eyes.

He jerked his head back, the back of his head slamming against the wall, but he seemed not to feel any pain, instead letting out a satisfied hum from his nose.

"Xiao Lei, you're not a good person, hahaha... You want me to deal with them, right?"

The sound of a glass bottle falling to the ground could be heard in the background. Zhou Jun suddenly lowered his voice, his breath creating a damp mist on the microphone: "That's right, I'm an American citizen, and I'm mentally ill. I'm not responsible for murder!"

"On the day you held the extraordinary general meeting of shareholders, Lu Kuan and Liu Yifei, who was heavily pregnant, were walking at the foot of the Fenglian Building when I was driving carelessly... whoosh! I didn't notice and just crashed into them!"

"Officer! I couldn't stop! I didn't mean to, I'm mentally ill, hahaha!"

Zhou Jun's voice, which had sounded like that of a madman, suddenly rose to a high pitch, sounding no different from that of a mentally ill person to Wang Xiaolei: "Tell me! Wang Xiaolei! How much money can you and Wang Dajun give me...?"

Wang Xiaolei's fingers trembled suddenly, and he almost dropped his phone.

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and a layer of cold sweat instantly seeped out of his back, the shirt lining his suit sticking stickily to his skin.

Even in his wildest dreams, he never imagined he'd be discussing this topic with anyone, but...

We're talking about that person's life or death, aren't we? Is there another chance, where I'll also have the right to decide his life or death?
Even if it's just an attempt?

"Brother Jun..." His voice was strained, as if someone was choking him.

Wang Xiaolei subconsciously looked around, pressed the lock button again, and his heavy breathing gradually fogged up the car windows in the cold winter.

On the other end of the phone, Zhou Jun's hoarse voice hissed like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, drilling into Wang Xiaolei's eardrums.

His fingers unconsciously gripped the steering wheel, a scrap of leather seeping into his fingernails, but he was completely unaware.

Two mentally ill patients who "reaped what they sowed" and suffered severe psychological trauma at the hands of the time traveler;

Two souls crushed by fate reached a tacit understanding on the verge of madness.
-
Rose Garden, in the Central Villa District of Shunyi District, Beijing.

A black Mercedes-Benz S600 slowly drove through the ornate iron gate, with a Range Rover escorting it from the front and rear. The windows were covered with dark privacy film, and the cold profiles of the bodyguards inside could be vaguely seen.

The bodyguards were not specifically hired for this "armed uprising".

It seems that she has lacked a sense of security for a long time.

Bingbing leaned lazily against the leather seat of the Mercedes-Benz S600, her long legs crossed, the collar of her cashmere coat slightly open, revealing her delicate collarbone.

Her skin glowed like pearls under the soft lights inside the car; her face, freshly treated, was radiant and smooth, and her red lips were as luscious as roses.

The leading lady is now only looking forward to the day she appears at Huayi's extraordinary shareholders' meeting, anticipating the two dogs, one big and one small, looking at her with resentment but helpless expressions.

She has never forgotten the humiliation and resentment she felt when she joined Huayi Qi, was suppressed, banished to the Hong Kong entertainment circle, and fabricated scandals herself.

Of course, she also wanted to show that person her most heroic, beautiful, and fierce side.

This has nothing to do with whether he is married or has children, and nothing to do with whether his eyes still hold any lingering affection for me, whether spiritual or physical.

It's just an instinct ingrained in our bones.

The neon lights outside the car window swept across her profile, outlining her perfect jawline. Thick eyelashes cast shadows on her eyelids, and the corners of her eyes were slightly upturned, giving her a sharp and alluring look.

The phone in the handbag suddenly rang, and Bingbing hung up without even looking at it.

Since the news broke at noon today, she has hung up at least a hundred phone calls, and it didn't stop until the evening.

"Sister Bingbing." The assistant in the front row suddenly turned around and looked at the leading lady in horror.

Bingbing closed her eyes and leaned back in the seat: "Go ahead. If they still want to interview you, just refuse. You can interview me freely after the shareholders' meeting."

"No, it's Wang Xiaolei's information."

The leading lady's lips curled into a faint, cold smile, her eyes still closed: "What are you talking about?"

The assistant, a young woman from Qingdao, said timidly, "Only a few words were sent: September 2005, Zhou Jun, Sun Wenwen, recording."

Fan Bingbing's originally relaxed eyebrows suddenly trembled, and her eyeballs rolled violently under her tightly closed eyelids.

Her fingers, painted with nude nail polish, dug sharply into the leather seat, leaving five crescent-shaped dents in the Italian calfskin.

Three years have passed, and she had almost forgotten about it.

The car's warm air conditioning seemed to have lost its effect, and goosebumps instantly rose on her porcelain-white skin, like a piece of blue and white porcelain licked by a venomous snake's tongue.

Bingbing immediately wanted to call Lu Kuan, but after hesitating for a few seconds, she decided to listen to what Wang Xiaolei had to say first.

An hour later, the latter stepped into the Rose Garden Villa, but the warmth that greeted him could not dispel the chill in his bones.

Wang Xiaolei stood in the entryway, his leather shoes making a crisp sound on the marble floor, his gaze fixed on the slender figure in the center of the living room.

Fan Bingbing stood with her back to him in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, a slender cigarette between her fingers. Her silhouette was slightly blurred in the swirling smoke under the light. The bodyguards stood guard outside, maintaining a safe distance, unable to hear their employers' private conversation.

"Bingbing, you're really great." Wang Xiaolei's voice sounded like it was being squeezed out from between his teeth, each word wrapped in ice shards.

The leading lady showed no fear, her smile equally cold as she looked at the former CEO Wang: "If you're just spouting nonsense, you can leave now."

Wang Xiaolei raised an eyebrow: "Trying to stay calm, huh? Aren't you at all concerned about Zhou Jun and his recording?"

"Bingbing, Zhou Jun is coming back."

Bingbing's eyelids twitched as she listened. She slowly turned around, a half-smile playing on her red lips: "So what? What's the point of coming back for someone who's now worse than a dog?"

Wang Xiaolei disliked her calm and aloof demeanor, as if she didn't care about Zhou Jun's threats at all. "Then why did you agree to meet?"

What to pretend?
Xiao Wang wasn't a brainless person, especially when it came to matters that required utmost caution. He decided to try to get some information out of them first: "Bingbing, regarding Huayi's matter, no matter what Lu Kuan promises you, please believe in our sincerity."

Fan Bingbing glanced at Wang Xiaolei with the look of someone looking at an idiot, feeling that it would be a waste to say another word to him.

However, he still had Zhou Jun's matter on his mind, so he could only show contempt on the surface, but he couldn't just get rid of him like that.

Wang Xiaolei suddenly pulled out his phone, turned it off in front of her, and placed it on the coffee table: "You can call security to search me, but I think Huayi might be able to offer you more options, or rather—"

"Zhou Jun is not unable to provide you with more options."

Bingbing gave him a cold look for a few seconds, then actually called in the bodyguards to search him. The way they did it was so rough that they treated the young Mr. Wang in front of them like a loser who had come to beg for peace.

"Mr. Wang." After ensuring everything was safe, Bingbing's gentle voice pierced Wang Xiaolei's eardrums with the precision of a knife.

"Stop struggling, you can't beat him. You're no match for him..." The leading lady elegantly shook her head and stuck the still-smoldering cigarette butt into the ashtray.

Bingbing stubbed out her cigarette along with the somewhat hurtful words "not worth mentioning," but the fleeting fervor and adoration for the man in her eyes only made Wang Xiaolei feel even more humiliated.

Wang Xiaolei retorted, "You won't tell me the conditions you were promised, but surely you wouldn't be allowed to replace Liu Yifei and become the mistress of the Wenjie, would you?"

"Right? Bingbing? You must have had a very frustrating year, right? Watching them get married and have children, you must have felt the same way you did when you put that photo at Liu Yifei's birthday party back then."

After learning the truth from Zhou Jun, Wang Xiaolei easily deduced Fan Bingbing's past affair with the richest man in mainland China.

Back then, her two brothers even hinted that she should offer herself to them; now, thinking about it, it's utterly ridiculous.

However, the ferocious expression and throbbing veins that Wang Xiaolei had expected did not appear after he said these words.

The ashtray between the actress's fingers landed lightly on the coffee table, making a barely audible crisp sound.

Her smile was radiant, yet it carried a chilling undertone: "If you're trying to provoke and humiliate me with these things, let me tell you, I've already cut my own heart out many times."

"Mr. Wang, don't bother trying."

This has happened many times. She has confronted Xiao Liu about it two or three times, and the most recent time left her in despair.

He was flatly rejected, but then learned that she was pregnant.

Having acted in so many movies and TV series, Fan Bingbing can hardly imagine any other role that has ever made her feel such profound despair.

The heart-wrenching scenes in those scripts are nothing compared to the excruciating pain in real life; they're merely scratching the surface.

Seeing that she was unyielding, Wang Xiaolei was secretly amazed by her tenacity, so he first clearly stated Zhou Jun's threat.

"Bingbing, why don't you switch sides? For you, Huayi will still go public, and you will still get everything you deserve."

"But if we don't cooperate, I don't know what Zhou Jun will do. By the way—"

“He’s an American citizen and mentally ill. If you’re not worried about your younger brother who’s studying in Beiping and your elderly mother, then you should be concerned about what might happen to them.”

Wang Xiaolei leaned close to Bingbing in a low voice, his eyes as sinister as a venomous snake: "The people he hates most are you and Lu Kuan! You two ruined him!"

"Are you even human, Wang Xiaolei?"

Enraged, Bingbing dug his fingers into the leather sofa armrest, his nails carving several jagged cracks into the leather.

Her pupils suddenly contracted, and the whites of her eyes became bloodshot as she glared hatefully at the shameless scoundrel in front of her.

"Lu Kuan is right. Some people are born with the belief that they can't afford to suffer a loss. Once they are wronged, it's as if the sky is about to fall."

"Wang Xiaolei, a piece of trash like you, if it weren't for your background, you wouldn't even be as good as a maggot in a sewer."

Young Master Wang seemed pleased with himself for provoking her, and curled his lip in disdain: "It was Zhou Jun, not me. When you did those things for Lu Kuan, you should have thought about the backlash."

"Go! Go now!" Bingbing suddenly stood up, the sharp pain of her knee hitting the coffee table making her unsteady.

"Wang Xiaolei, my mother and my younger brother live in the courtyard house that Lu Kuan gave us, in Zhonglangxia Hutong in Xicheng District. Tell Zhou Jun right now to go and kill them."

The leading lady casually grabbed an ashtray and smashed it at the rich second-generation heir she looked down on: "You cowards, you're used to riding men and bullying women, you only feel happy when you've trampled everyone under your feet."

"Forcing good women into prostitution! Seizing by trickery and coercion, as if the world should always revolve around you?"

Wang Xiaolei never expected her to be so fierce. He staggered back a few steps, blood gushing down his brow bone, leaving several hideous bloodstains on his pale face.

"Ha...hahaha..." A hoarse laugh rolled from his throat as his bloodied fingers nervously ripped open his tie.

"Fan Bingbing, what the hell are you pretending to be so high and mighty with me? Is that great artist you admire really any cleaner or gentler in his methods than anyone else?"

"Go and see Liu Zeyu, who keeps getting new crimes discovered in prison and will never get out!"

“Go and see Lu Chuan, Zhu Dake, and Zhou Jun, all of whom he manipulated using the same methods—”

"Do you know what kind of monster Zhou Jun is in now? He's addicted to drugs, a walking corpse, mentally unstable, and not even human!"

Wang Xiaolei's meticulously styled hair was now messily stuck to his forehead, making him look not too different from the Zhou Jun he had described:

"Let me tell you, the road is much dirtier and more ruthless than ours!"

He closed his eyes slightly, avoiding the gushing blood flowing into his eye sockets: "In this world, if there is still someone who can be treated differently by him, I don't know how long Liu Yifei can hold on, but it certainly won't be you."

“Bingbing, you need to think this through. You’ve done so many dirty things for him. If Zhou Jun exposes these things to media outlets like Nanfang, will he abandon you like a discarded pawn?”

“Sun Wenwen is in the United States. Zhou Jun has gone mad. He can only try to drag you down to get on Lu Kuan’s good side. Do you think Lu Kuan can just stand by and let this happen?”

"When such a person decides to discard a tool, they won't even blink an eye for you."

After enduring immense psychological pressure and the intense confrontation and bloodshed that had just occurred, Bingbing finally collapsed helplessly onto the sofa, as if all her strength had been drained.

She thought of him in the marriage certificate photo that Liu Yifei posted on Weibo in September, a photo that made him insanely jealous;

I thought of the leaked photos online, where he carefully pressed his head against Liu Yifei's lower abdomen;

She thought of him, who had stopped having physical intimacy with her after confirming his relationship with Liu Yifei;

The disillusionment with his identity, the collapse of his emotional values, and the complete loss of his sense of security suddenly made Bingbing's bargaining chips for survival seem incredibly vulnerable.

It's true that Bingbing is devoted to Boss Lu, but from a certain perspective, she is captivated by his ruthless methods and his unpredictable wisdom.

Being conquered from the inside out by such a strong person can give this 16-year-old actress, who has been working hard in society, a strong sense of dependence and security.

Based on this, she has a clearer understanding of Lu Kuan's Machiavellianism than anyone else.

At this moment, Bingbing was unsure whether he would be discarded like trash if his existence truly threatened Bingbing's interests, reputation, and fame, or disrupted the overall situation Bingbing saw.

Wang Xiaolei, his expression terrifying, covered his brow with a tissue. The bleeding stopped slightly, and seeing that his psychological tactics were somewhat effective, he pressed his advantage:

"Bingbing, think about yourself. Don't risk your life for others. When it comes to personal interests, people are selfish, and there's nothing shameful about that."

The actress, who had just had a beauty treatment, had smooth, jade-like skin. Her long, slender eyelashes drooped, and under the light of the crystal chandelier, a small fan-shaped shadow was cast on her cheekbone.

Bingbing had considered betrayal, but both her emotions and reason told her that it would be a dead end. She had an almost fanatical adoration for that man.

But the situation is different now. Zhou Jun's appearance has made her and Lu Kuan's interests in this matter different, which is not a simple prisoner's dilemma.

She lowered her beautiful eyes, unwilling to let Wang Xiaolei know about the fleeting struggle in her heart.

"Since everyone is selfish, why shouldn't I trust him and trust you all?" The leading lady pondered for a few seconds before raising her head, the hesitation in her eyes replaced by indifference.

"All I know is that he has been keeping his promises to me, but I don't trust your character and Zhou Jun's character."

Wang Xiaolei's smile was sinister: "Really? Then why aren't you the one living in that rumored 70,000 to 80,000 square meter manor?"

“Because that’s what I wanted, not what he gave me.” Bingbing didn’t know if she was responding to Wang Xiaolei or talking to herself.

The book "The Headless Queen" was placed on her bedside table, reminding the leading actress day after day not to do such a foolish thing again.

But human nature is complex. In this deal where the target of the sale was decided long ago, it's hard for a woman like Bingbing to be as calm and determined as a time traveler. She can't help but want to change the target and add more weight.

Seeing that she quickly calmed down again, Wang Xiaolei had no choice but to grit his teeth, turn on the phone on the coffee table, and play a recording.

"As I just said, Zhou Jun might offer you another option. I'm not lying to you, listen to this—"

The recording revealed Zhou Jun's hoarse, distorted voice, as grating as sandpaper rubbing against glass.
"That's right, I'm an American citizen, and I'm mentally ill. I can get away with murder!"

The background noise included the clinking of bottles, and his laughter suddenly escalated into a nervous shriek.
"On the day you held the extraordinary general meeting of shareholders, Lu Kuan and Liu Yifei, who was heavily pregnant, were walking at the foot of the Fenglian Building when I was driving carelessly... whoosh! I didn't notice and just crashed into them!"

Fan Bingbing's porcelain-white face instantly lost all color, and her meticulously groomed eyebrows trembled violently.

"Madmen... You're all fucking madmen."

The leading lady was truly terrified by Zhou Jun's ghostly, hateful voice. Her red lips trembled uncontrollably, like a white swan being choked.

Wang Xiaolei watched with satisfaction as she broke down her defenses. The edited recording smoothly and vividly portrayed the voice's owner's mania. The following words made Bingbing tremble involuntarily:
"Tell Bingbing that I'm already a cripple. She's such a glamorous female celebrity. It's probably a win for me if we die together, cough cough..."

"You can trust me all you want, you can trust a poisonous insect who will stop at nothing for pleasure."

. . .

"Stop! I told you to stop!"

Bingbing sprang up from the sofa, snatched the phone, smashed it against the wall, and then bounced twice on the Persian carpet before the screen shattered, finally stopping the devil's whispers.

"Bingbing." Wang Xiaolei slowly got up, walked to her side, and his voice trembled slightly.

"When I first heard it, I felt the same fear and dread as you, but think about it carefully, what does this have to do with you or me?"

His deliberately drawn-out tone echoed in the silent room, as if trying to re-inject the lingering threat from the shattered electronic debris into her eardrums, word by word.

"It's true that Zhou Jun hates you, but the one who started it all is Lu Kuan."

"If you're willing to cooperate, and this American mental patient only has one chance for revenge, who do you think he'd choose?"

"We don't even need you to vote against it, not even abstain! As long as we can successfully go public and retain control—"

“I will give Zhou Jun his original 7% equity stake! If he is gone, it will go to his parents. It will not affect you in any way.”

"Afterwards, you can cry to Lu Kuan that Zhou Jun threatened you, your mother, and your brother. What a perfect excuse!"

Knowing Bingbing's fear and admiration for Lu Kuan, he kept adding fuel to the fire in the leading actress's ear: "Lu Kuan asked you to switch sides to avoid suspicion. He has no official status and won't attend the shareholders' meeting. He's not in danger, but—"

Wang Xiaolei's bloodstained brow bone gleamed menacingly under the light, and his words made Bingbing tremble with tension and fear:
"If Lu Kuan doesn't go, Liu Yifei will definitely go! She'll be the one who gets into trouble! And the child in her womb too!"

"Bingbing, Lu Kuan used the Olympics to take down Zhou Jun, which is why he has all the glory he has now, but it was you who fought and died for him!"

"Why should this glory not be shared with you, but instead with Consort Liu standing beside him, receiving the envious glances of the world?"

At this moment, in the empty and cold living room of the mansion in the Rose Garden, Wang Xiaolei and Zhou Jun, whose spirits were severely damaged and who felt that there was no hope left in their lives, joined forces to present Bingbing with an invitation from the devil.

In this invitation, she didn't need to do anything; all she had to do was be absent from the extraordinary shareholders' meeting on December 20th. Wang Xiaolei even prepared a reason for her, and afterwards, he also gave Lu Kuan an explanation.

As for Consort Liu, who was six months pregnant...

All she needs to do is close her eyes.

It's not her fault.

For Wang Xiaolei, he didn't even need Bingbing to give him a definite answer today, because this was a shady business.

As for whether she will turn around and tell Lu Kuan on her, that's beyond Wang Xiaolei's control. Everyone who is driven to the brink of death or despair inevitably makes a desperate attempt.

Furthermore, all of this was a horrific disaster caused by mentally ill Americans; what does it have to do with him? Who can vouch for him?

But would she? Would a leading actress with ambitions burning brighter than anyone else?

He only needed to throw out this poisoned bait, a bait that, if not making Bingbing's "dream come true," would at least bring her one step closer to her goal, and then turn and leave.

This is the ultimate test of humanity and ambition.

Bingbing stands on the edge of a moral precipice, with a bottomless abyss below. On one side is the disillusionment and resentment of years of obsession, and on the other is the last weak resistance of conscience.

She knew all too well that her silence at this moment was tantamount to complicity, and her absence at the appointed time would make her an accomplice, yet the whispers of desire were relentlessly gnawing at her heart.

Simply close your eyes and you can change the fate of the beheaded queen.

. . .

Without needing any immediate statement or response, Wang Xiaolei, who had planted a seed of evil, left.

The shattered ashtray glass, its fragments still lying quietly on the floor, each sharp edge reflecting eerie light and shadow.

One of the glass panes reflected Wang Xiaolei's blood-stained brow bone, and his twisted smile looked like a demon in the distorted glass.

Another fragment reflects Zhou Jun's sunken eye sockets, and the convulsions of drug withdrawal are stretched into a spasmodic silhouette within the fragment.

There was another patch, in which a delicately made-up pretty face could be vaguely seen.

Bingbing stared at the broken pieces on the floor, momentarily mesmerized:
Is that me?

Or is it a demon spying from the other side of the glass?

The entertainment industry is essentially a meticulously crafted game of capital.

When artistic value is distorted by commercial interests, and when the bottom line of humanity is breached by greed, the industry inevitably becomes a breeding ground for violence and evil.

The distorted market premium fosters ruthless competition, and beneath the glitz and glamour often lies a more naked law of the jungle.

In Hong Kong during the 90s, there were several notable incidents, including the shooting death of Jet Li's manager, Choi Chi-ming; the slapping incident involving Anita Mui and the murder of Wong Long-wai; the theft of the negatives from the film "All's Well, Ends Well"; and the case involving Lau Ka-ling's "East Weekly" magazine.

The assassination of Mao Ning in mainland China in 2000, the later murder case of Li Dabai's boyfriend, and countless other similar incidents.

As for the United States, where the air is exceptionally sweet, the bloody battles of hip-hop wars and the dark parties of Hollywood need not be mentioned.

Even Bingbing herself, a participant in this devilish game, has been rumored to have committed the feat of "burning account books," which is not surprising.
-
In Wenyuhe Prefecture, Boss Lu, who appeared to be unrelated to the matter, was having a video conference with his American counterparts, seemingly unaware of the major events involving Huayi and Bingbing.

Xiao Liu, who was resting peacefully during her pregnancy, nestled on the sofa, basking in the sun and passing the time by flipping through her usual favorite literary and inspirational books.

The girl was extremely bored. Looking at her phone, she found it funny how she had become so much rounder since filming wrapped up. She took two selfies and prepared to post them on Weibo.

Seeing that her husband was busy with work and she didn't want to disturb him, she quietly sat down at the computer. But as soon as she opened the webpage, she was surprised to find a "major piece of information".

Xiao Liu's situation was special, which is why he tentatively interrupted him:
"The road...the road is wide? Why don't you stop for a moment?"

(End of this chapter)