Huayu: From charlatan to great entertainer

Chapter 527 The Korean Wave Collapsed, and Little Liu Gave Birth! (Bonus Chapter for R-Ge)
Lu Kuan, who plays Chiang Ching-kuo, stands in front of the window of the Shanghai Police Bureau office in a smart Zhongshan suit, with an unlit cigarette between his fingers.

He surveyed the chaos below with a cold gaze.

Off-camera, extras were playing citizens looting supplies, with shoving and crying sounds rising and falling.

Feng Xiaogang, who plays Du Yuesheng, walks slowly into the scene with a cane, the hem of his long gown swaying slightly with each step.

He stopped three steps behind Chiang Ching-kuo, took off his top hat, and smiled humbly but with a hidden sharpness: "Mr. Chiang, the rule in Shanghai has always been 'harmony brings wealth'."

Boss Lu didn't turn around, his voice as cold as ice: "Mr. Du, the rule that the National Government is about to establish is called 'using severe punishments in chaotic times'."

He slowly turned around, crushing the cigarette in his palm. "The evidence of your son Du Weiping hoarding gauze is already on the police department's desk."

Du Yuesheng's lips twitched almost imperceptibly, and his knuckles slowly tightened at the dragon head of his cane, revealing the veins beneath.

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze behind his glasses like the flicking of a viper's tongue: "Mr. Jiang, my son is young and impetuous. If he has offended you, I am willing to apologize on his behalf. However..."

He suddenly lowered his voice, adopting a soft, Shanghai-style tone, "It's better to keep this gauze in the Du family's warehouse than to let it rot in the secret warehouses of those 'patriotic businessmen.' The Kong family's Yangzi Company still has three thousand tons of cotton yarn piled up there."

At this crucial moment, the reporters held their breath and focused intently.

The previous parts were very well done, and Huang Jianxin, Han Shanping and others were watching the monitor, eagerly anticipating the next scene of conflict and confrontation.

Lu Kuan, who plays Chiang Ching-kuo, suddenly has a sharp, knife-like gaze. There are no signs of him smashing a cup or crushing a cigarette in a fit of rage. He simply takes a step forward in his shiny leather shoes.

"Is Mr. Du instructing the Republic of China government on how to do things?" His voice was extremely low, yet every word was clear and forceful, like a steel whip dipped in salt water lashing against everyone's eardrums.

Do I need to spell out all the good deeds you've done?

Chiang Kai-shek still needed the Green Gang, led by Du Yuesheng, to maintain stability in the underworld outside the imperial court, so he didn't reveal his true intentions to the Emperor.

But his determination to reform forced this future successor, who had endured hardship and training during the Soviet era, to take drastic measures.

Watching from behind the monitor, Huang Jianxin secretly admired the performance. In just five minutes of screen time, the actors' actions and expressions were perfectly executed, reflecting the characters' personalities.

It's a pity that this time it wasn't "The Founding of a Republic" that they filmed, so there weren't many suitable roles available. Otherwise, casting him as one of the many revolutionary martyrs would have better highlighted the film's themes and the depth of its characters.

The onlookers were amused, but the actors playing opposite each other had a much harder time.

Feng Xiaogang's pupils contracted sharply. He should have replied with "This old man dares not," but the oppressive gaze from the other man's eyes made his throat tighten.

It seems that Lu Kuan, this powerful figure, penetrated the character of Chiang Ching-kuo, directly instilling fear in him.

This is due to his meticulous research and perfect portrayal of the character, as well as the shadow cast by the suppression he has suffered from competitors at Huayi over the years.

"Cut! Director Feng, let's do one more take." Huang Jianxin felt a little regretful. Chiang Ching-kuo had performed perfectly in the previous scene, but unfortunately, the other actor was too slow in responding to his lines.

However, since Xiao Gangpao is a big name in the industry and there are so many reporters watching today, his words were relatively mild.

"It's no wonder Xiao Gang couldn't keep up with the role when he played the second generation with the same aura of the first generation, haha." Old Han joked cheerfully. He felt sorry for Huang Jianxin, but he didn't care about Huang Jianxin. In fact, it made today's news more sensational.

Feng Xiaogang grinned broadly, not forgetting to flatter his superior: "You really can't blame me. Director Lu's aura is too much. He's exactly like the 'eyes filled with ice and face covered with frost' described in history books. I, 'Du,' felt a chill down my spine!"

The crowd gave a token laugh and applause, and after a few takes, the filming of this scene ended, marking the official wrap-up of Lu Kuan's cameo appearance in "The Founding of a Republic".

In fact, Huang Jianxin gave him significantly more screen time compared to the previous work.

Last time, the film depicted the confrontation between Chiang Ching-kuo and corrupt officials from the four major families. Today's film serves as a warning and a deterrent to powerful figures like Du Yuesheng, highlighting the arduous journey of Chiang Ching-kuo's anti-corruption campaign.

At a deeper level, the fact that the Kuomintang, as a regime that rose to power by relying on the Jiang-Zhe financial clique and comprador bourgeoisie, was inherently class-based and therefore incapable of truly implementing anti-corruption actions that would touch upon vested interest groups is a deeper issue.

Therefore, the so-called "anti-corruption campaign" of Prince Chiang Ching-kuo, played by Lu Kuan, is nothing more than a performance of the redistribution of power within the corrupt ruling class, highlighting the theme of "The Founding of a Republic" from the opposite perspective.

This was an addition and enhancement of the character's scenes, made by Huang Jianxin and Han Shanping after they communicated and acknowledged Lu Kuan's acting skills. The addition was in line with the theme.

"Great! That was wonderful!" Han Shanping led the onlookers and guests in applause, and then allowed reporters to take photos. Du Yuesheng's descendants then came forward to interact and take photos with him.

However, unlike in the previous life, this time Du Yuesheng's daughter, Du Meiru, did not ask her 60-year-old son to call Feng Xiaogang "Grandpa".

She felt that the actor who played Du Yuesheng did not capture the temperament of his father, a prominent figure in the underworld, and was too obsequious at first.

She was overshadowed by her co-star.

After the morning's filming concluded, following the schedule of a press open day modeled after the TV series "The Sky of History," the lead actors Lu Kuan, Feng Xiaogang, Zhang Guoli, Fan Bingbing, and Han Shanping, among others, gave brief interviews.

These individuals were also the main actors in portraying the "family-state conflict" within the Chiang family.

China Film News reporter: "Bingbing, this is your second time working with director Lu Kuan. What are your impressions?"

The leading actress was inexplicably a little nervous today, but her performative personality allowed her to quickly regain her composure in front of the camera.

She understands the importance of effective interviews: "Last time, in 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,' Li Ming and I had a passionate scene. This time, I'm playing Chiang Ching-kuo's mother, so I'm still a bit unaccustomed to it."

Everyone burst into laughter. Among the female stars in the Chinese entertainment industry, only she could be so unrestrained. Such jokes are usually more appropriate for men to make. Bingbing is increasingly showing the temperament of a high-ranking CEO.

"Overall, I am very happy. On the one hand, I was able to contribute to this film that is a tribute to our motherland. On the other hand, I benefited a lot from working with so many excellent colleagues, such as Teacher Guoli, Director Lu Kuan, and Director Xiao Gang. Thank you."

Following that, Zhang Guoli, Feng Xiaogang, Han Shanping, and others were interviewed. These are all seasoned veterans, so they naturally gave passionate and insightful speeches, interspersed with some interesting anecdotes from the filming process, leaving it to the reporters to elaborate on.

Many promotional articles were written in this way.

However, the atmosphere at the scene became somewhat strange from the moment Lu Kuan began answering questions. A commotion arose from the reporters' area in the back, and many staff members, including the production assistants, were whispering among themselves.

It wasn't until the reporter from *Bigstar* magazine, who had just been pressing Bingbing for details about her relationship with Boss Lu, boldly probed:
"Director Lu, what is your opinion on the Jang Ja-yeon incident from South Korea that just came into the news from the internet two hours ago?"

Han Shanping interrupted him with a look of displeasure: "Let's ask some questions related to the film. Is it really worth bringing up a piece of gossip from an overseas website?"

Xiaopingtou really didn't know Jang Ja-yeon. The suicide of this South Korean actress, who had gained some popularity for her role in "Boys Over Flowers," is considered a historic event in the history of scandals in South Korea.

Seemingly to prove that he wasn't just gossiping or making insinuations, the bespectacled reporter, noticing the unusual expressions on the actors' faces, explained:

“We know that Director Lu has always supported Chinese culture and the internationalization of Chinese films, but in recent years, especially with the recent collaboration between Tencent, Hunan TV, and a Korean group and pop star, a lot of cultural viewpoint clashes have been sparked online…”

He was afraid that Han Shanping would interrupt him again, so he spoke very quickly: "This Zhang Ziyan is the villainous supporting character in the Hunan TV drama 'Boys Over Flowers,' which is currently airing. She has a certain level of popularity in South Korea and China, but she committed suicide in March."

"Following the previous incident, several major South Korean television stations have once again released hundreds of pages of handwritten documents, including previously released information, detailing her provision of over 100 instances of escort and sexual services to 31 South Korean political, business, and media figures. The scale of this revelation has alarmed the Seoul local government..."

"That's about enough." Boss Lu picked up the microphone on the stage and interrupted Han Shanping before he could speak, "This reporter, don't bring up news you see while surfing the internet, especially since it has nothing to do with this film."

Even if something happens in a neighboring country, it's not appropriate to announce it publicly in such a setting. Won't netizens draw parallels and make connections?
The online spread of such news is already the limit of public opinion; before the ban on Korean entertainment is implemented, such news cannot be brought to the forefront.

The reporter persisted: "Director Lu, but this is related to the ongoing debate on the Chinese internet about whether the Chinese wave or the Korean wave is better. If such scandals are commonplace in South Korea, can we say that the Korean wave is rotten to the core...?"

"The so-called Korean Wave and Chinese Wave—" Lu Kuan thought for a moment and decided to give a final answer, mainly to correct the bias in the reporter's words and suppress the incident at the level of Korean entertainment.

"The so-called Korean Wave and Chinese Wave are essentially different development paths of the cultural industry. The systematic operation of the Korean entertainment industry is indeed worth learning from, but the core of cultural products always lies in the output of values. We are more concerned with how to use Chinese stories to convey common human emotions."

"As for the scandal you mentioned, that's an individual and industry ethics issue. Let everyone have their own opinion; I won't make a judgment."

He didn't make any judgments, but simply showed the truth he had uncovered to these die-hard fans through CJ Entertainment, letting them judge for themselves.

Director Huang Jianxin, holding a microphone, interrupted the other media outlets that were frantically clamoring because of the news:

"Dear media friends, Director Lu, Teacher Zhang Guoli, Director Xiaogang, and Bingbing will need to shoot a few more scenes after dinner, so time is not very abundant."

"This concludes today's interview session. Thank you to all the reporters and guests for your participation."

Reporters and media outlets have been bombarded with a barrage of information in a short period of time. Clearly, the renewed uproar over the "Jang Ja-yeon incident" is not a natural escalation of online sentiment.

Why did this trend happen precisely when the Korean wave was at its peak and rampant in China, giving solo stans a chance to backstab and providing ammunition for Chinese wave supporters?

The rise of the Korean wave is the culmination of years of hard work, and a product of the combined efforts of Tencent and Hunan/Taiwan, two official and private capital entities. So who has the power and motivation to carry out this kind of "indirect decapitation" operation against them?
Among those present were veteran reporters who had covered the "money shortage" incident involving Jang Nara's father a few years ago, and at that moment, they felt that the method was somewhat inexplicably familiar.

However, due to the deep involvement of South Korean television stations and the profound fermentation of the systemic scandal, this time the public opinion wave is much more magnificent, far exceeding the previous superficial attempt at the "money-making" argument.

For many die-hard fans living in a K-pop fantasy, this series of revelations, which started with Jang Ja-yeon, shattered their illusions about their idols.

As Boss Lu and his entourage calmly left, a commotion instantly broke out at the scene. Several reporters carrying cameras tried to push forward, but were politely but firmly stopped by the event staff outside the cordon.

"Director Lu! Will the systemic scandals involving Korean entertainment companies affect the competition between Wenjie, Tencent, and Hunan TV?" a reporter from Entertainment Weekly shouted, holding the microphone high above his head.

The bespectacled man from "Bigstar" magazine, with commendable professionalism, still struggled to push his way forward: "Mr. Lu, South Korea is still firmly trying to apply for UNESCO World Heritage status for our traditional culture. Do you think we should outright reject these dregs of the Korean Wave? Will you make a suggestion to the broadcasting authorities?"

Before leaving, Boss Lu glanced at him with a smile.

Such matters should be handled subtly and gradually. Now is not the time for overt intervention or full-scale confrontation. Culture should always serve the interests of the wise.

Old Han greeted Huang Jianxin, Zhang Guoli, and the others, then looked at Lu Kuan and said with a smile, "There's a pretty authentic Sichuan restaurant nearby. Let's eat quickly, and after you finish filming those two shots this afternoon, you should head back."

Mr. Lu, without any politeness, replied: "Alright, since the leaders are so considerate of the people, then we won't stand on ceremony."

Bingbing complained, "They just don't really care about female audiences. Sichuan cuisine is too unfriendly to actresses."

The reporters' clamor about the Korean Wave, Tencent Video, and scandals still lingered in their ears. As they walked out, joking around, their eyes swept over Lu Kuan, whose face remained indifferent, and they couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

They were all industry insiders. At the time, the outside world was unaware of Jang Nara's situation, but the scandal battle between Huayi and Wenjie was not a secret to them.

Clearly, Jang Ja-yeon was just the beginning.

This scandal, which has just begun to emerge and is rapidly escalating, is aimed at uprooting Tencent, which has been using the Korean wave to get infinitely closer to "The Farm of the World," and Hunan TV, which has made a fortune from the Korean wave in the past two years!

Such methods are far more ruthless than those of Chiang Ching-kuo, who constantly hindered him.

While the crew was taking a lunch break and eating separately, the "Jang Ja-yeon incident," which had been rapidly escalating due to recent online debates about the Korean Wave versus the Chinese Wave, offered mainland netizens a more profound glimpse into the diverse lives of people in the Korean entertainment industry.

Netizens traced the source and found that the "Jang Ja-yeon suicide" incident was originally exposed in March, causing a sensation in South Korea, but it had very little circulation in mainland China.

This actress was transformed into a "sex resource for a South Korean chaebol" by her agency boss, Kim Sung-hoon, and was forced to undergo sterilization to satisfy his service needs, and was injected with drugs for a long time to maintain his "working status".

After the company was raided by the South Korean police, it was discovered that the first floor was a den of iniquity where powerful figures indulged in debauchery.

In the previous life, this scandal did not have much follow-up. The South Korean prosecution only charged Kim Seung-hoon with violence (not sexual exploitation) on the grounds that the "only witness was dead." He was eventually ordered to pay 2400 million won in compensation, about 13 yuan, and released on probation.

It wasn't until later, after Moon Jae-in came to power in 2017, that he sought to highlight the differences between himself and the conservative government, cultivate a reformist image of "daring to fight corruption," and win public support.
In addition, the "Burning Sun" scandal in South Korea at the time triggered protests by 60 people, which led to the proposal to retry the "Jang Ja-yeon case".

At other times, Moon Jae-in might still have some influence, but not in 2017.

The chaebols involved in the Jang Ja-yeon case include Shin Kyuk-ho and his son Shin Dong-bin of the Lotte Group.

That same year, Lotte officially sold its 148 million square meter land at the Seongju Golf Course as a site for the deployment of THAAD.

Given the strategic demands of their American "father," how many of Wen Zaiying's men would dare to continue investigating?

So the case was hastily closed.

This is not only a political self-rescue under public pressure, but also a strategic lever to dismantle the privileged system of chaebols, and a collective outpouring of South Korean society's grievances against class injustice.

Although the outcome failed to achieve judicial justice, it became a cultural symbol of the anti-chaebol movement in South Korea and spurred subsequent reforms such as the Goo Hara Law.

But in this life, the development of the Jang Ja-yeon incident is completely different.

Driven by a behind-the-scenes force that "colluded" with CJ Entertainment in exchange for Marvel movie shares, South Korean media, whose voices had been suppressed for the first time in March, suddenly became loud again.

Firstly, it's about interests; secondly, South Korean media outlets are part of various conglomerates, and many of them are at odds with the Lotte Group.

Small temples have great demons, shallow ponds have many turtles; the fierce infighting among South Korean conglomerates is no less intense than the political turmoil.

For Mr. Lu, without his intervention or comment, the Jang Ja-yeon incident, as the trigger, will provide mainland audiences and netizens with a profound revelation of the neighboring country's "entertainment extravaganza."

At a time when it is not appropriate to launch a full-scale crackdown on the Korean wave, subtly guiding the audience by directly labeling Koreans is the most direct form of cultural struggle.

It aligns with Wenjie's own interests, fits the strategic layout of the cultural front, and can also cause trouble for the idiot Lotte Group.

In China today, only Mr. Lu, whose influence extends all over the world, has this capability.

There are no chaebols in China, but in the entertainment and film industries, those who control the upstream and downstream, major domestic and international channels, and domestic media power are chaebols.

At the same time, he was also an academic tyrant who was preparing to exert influence through the Pan-Asian Film Academy and the Beiping Film Festival.

This is an ongoing process.

So, starting from the 8th, SBS, KBS and MBC, which were under the influence and control of CJ Entertainment and had previously reported on the incident, suddenly revived the story, presented more evidence, and gave the audience an in-depth analysis of the Jang Ja-yeon incident.

First, SBS added a "program special" after rebroadcasting two episodes of "Boys Over Flowers" daily: "Celebrity or Star Slave? Deciphering the Sacrifice Chain in the Entertainment Industry".

The anchor spent seven minutes showing scanned copies of Jang Ja-yeon's handwritten manuscripts, with high-definition cameras scanning over shocking phrases such as "new clothes = new clients" and "list of 31 people forced to serve".

The translation, produced overnight by the subtitling team, appeared on the Daum forum homepage 20 minutes after the video was released, with the post title highlighted in red and bold by the administrator.

On the 9th, MBC's "PD Notebook" released even more damning evidence. The program team interviewed Jang Ja-yeon and Yoon So-yeon (pseudonym), a trainee from the same agency. The figure behind the mosaic trembled in the backlight: "Before each drinking session, the manager would give us injections... saying that staying sober is a professional ethic. Many celebrities and trainees have had this experience."

As the outcry against the "devilish management company" reached its peak among South Korean netizens, the hashtag #JangJeYeon'sSuicideLetterFullVersion# quietly circulated on Weibo in China this morning.

The nine-grid long image posted by the account "Korean Entertainment Truth Bot" compresses Korean media reports into dagger-like communication units, stabping hard at K-pop fans and proponents of anarchism.

While some Chinese netizens sympathize with Jang Ja-yeon, she is neither a Chinese citizen nor a popular idol. The focus of attention remains on the "deep dive into Korean entertainment."

The suicide note, written in heartbreaking language, vividly illustrates the rigid hierarchy and unequal relationship between entertainment companies, trainee actors, and conglomerates in the neighboring country.

Based on Zhang Ziyan's statement, it can be simply inferred that everyone can be called a toilet, without exception.

Since there are no female stars in South Korea who can become famous without the help of major entertainment agencies, what can you offer in exchange?
Such things happen in many countries, but they are especially prevalent in South Korea.

Zhuo Wei, who was on a mission, wouldn't miss such an exciting event; he wrote in his blog post:

Putting everything else aside, we in this industry are actually quite envious of our South Korean counterparts; they seem to have eye-catching news stories to dig up every single moment.

Jang Ja-yeon's suicide happened in March, but after SBS reported it, the public outcry was suppressed, and it didn't spread widely in mainland China.

Recently, major television stations have begun to vie for coverage of the case because the suspect Jang Ja-yeon's manager, Kim Sung-hoon, was only charged with violence, and the father and son of the Mou-tian Group involved in the case.

In South Korea, the entertainment industry is essentially a human talent show. From the moment trainees sign "slave contracts," the girls are branded with commodity codes.

On the surface, talent agencies create stars, but behind the scenes they operate like "human logistics," pricing their products according to bust size and alcohol tolerance, and plastic surgeons work on the assembly line to transform them—more efficient than a pig farm.

Korean wave fans, don't rush to scold me. I'm talking about a portion, but definitely not a small portion. Just take a look at the scandals over the years.

When you see a cockroach, it means there's already a nest of them in the shadows.

……

Zhuo Wei was already an unofficial member of the organization in his early years. In 2004, when he was fighting against Xiao Liu's criminal activities, he was the one who stabbed Song Dazui in the back.

He may not be of much use in other areas, but netizens who enjoy reading entertainment gossip will not miss the trending news, which is quite credible.

The last sentence, in particular, is a common trope in later generations, and its application in the Jang Ja-yeon case is incredibly damaging.

While K-pop fans are resolutely resisting the ridicule from the entire internet, they can't help but wonder if their favorite female or even male celebrities have long since become toilets for chaebols.

A pinned post on Diba reads:
Keep feeding Tencent and contributing to Hunan TV's ratings, you K-pop fans!

All the money you spent on chart rankings has become poison in their veins!
The Korean entertainment industry is rotten to the core: chaebols control the remote, talent agencies act as pimps, artists are treated like animals, and the judiciary acts as security guards.

You mean the Blue House? That's the property management office of the chaebols!

The post caused a huge uproar, receiving thousands of replies in a short period of time, but it was blocked and deleted thanks to the timely intervention of Tencent and Hunan TV.

However, the pinned post on Diba and Zhuo Wei's "cockroach theory" still circulated widely on Weibo because it is the fairest public opinion forum. No matter who you criticize, the post will not be deleted, including the Weibo owner himself.

This has stood the test of history over the years; otherwise, how could the name "washing machine" have been passed down?
As long as it doesn't involve pornography, gambling, drugs, politics, or rumors, Weibo is a great platform where you can speak your mind.

This massive exposé of Korean entertainment, which began in South Korea and swept across the mainland internet two days later on the morning of the 10th, achieved remarkable results.

The pinned post, the cockroach story, and Jang Ja-yeon's suicide note spread like wildfire on Tieba, forums, and Weibo, where Korean pop fans gather.

Despite Tencent and Hunan TV's emergency public relations efforts to delete posts and control comments, the phrase "the toilet of a chaebol" has already taken root in people's minds and become a mark on the hearts of countless fans who have left the fandom.

In K-pop fan forums such as "TVXQ Bar", "Fairy Alliance", and "Girls' Generation Bar", the originally uniform "Oppa is the best" and "Oppa fighting" were flooded with angry questions and disappointed farewell posts.

But the majority still stubbornly resist.

Leaving aside normal fans, these "fans who want to hate their idols but not their country" are already mentally unstable, and a significant portion of them are excellent sources of future feminist ideas.

Gao Xiaosong and Luo Taijun, who previously supported the Korean Wave, have had their past remarks dug up by netizens and subjected to fierce ridicule:

"So this is what Gao Xiaosong meant by the advanced system and craftsmanship of South Korean entertainers, right? The craftsmen who built Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum? They were just killed?"

"Does Luo Taijun still boast about the fairness of the South Korean judicial system? Even witness Yoon Ji-oh in the Jang Ja-yeon case mysteriously disappeared! Is there anything more arrogant than this?"

The biggest impact will definitely be on Tencent's paid in-game items and Hunan TV's "In the Mood for Love." However, deep-rooted problems don't arise overnight, and the poison of the Korean wave accumulated over the years will need to be gradually dispelled.

As competitors of Wenjie, while Tencent and Hunan TV were conducting initial public relations efforts and then frantically trying to devise countermeasures—

Another, relatively friendly competitor was also watching the situation from the sidelines with great interest, discussing this major event.
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Yangsong Town, located outside the Huairou Film and Television Base, has a restaurant belt stretching for hundreds of meters along both sides of the main road. Although it is not as large as Hengdian's "Wansheng Street", it has formed a unique industrial ecosystem.

Sichuan and Hunan restaurants stand side by side with the Old Beiping Copper Pot Restaurant, Lanzhou Ramen is next to a Hong Kong-style tea restaurant, and outside several fast food restaurants with signs that read "Special Meal Supply for Film Crews," you can always see extras squatting on the curb eating their meals.

In one of the private rooms of a small Jiangxi restaurant,

Wang Sicong was picking at the chili peppers in the boiled fish with the tip of his chopsticks, chatting and laughing with Feng Xiaogang across from him about the media storm that morning.

Little Cannon flattered, "Little Wang, do you think this Boss Ma has the courage to rebel against his mother and just join us?"

"How could that be? Little Ma is much smarter than Old Ma."

Today, the young master of Wanda Group wore a trendy T-shirt with the word "Rich" printed on it, and the Chrome Hearts necklace around his neck swayed as he picked up food.

Wang Sicong laughed and said, "I originally wanted to talk to you about the release date of '1942,' but this commotion has distracted me, and I've lost interest in the conversation, haha!"

Because of the success of "Assembly" and "If You Are the One," Feng Xiaogang confidently requested that "1942" be released during the Lunar New Year holiday, just like "The Sky of History" and "Tangshan" had done before. Compared to conflicting with the festive atmosphere, he valued the viewership of the Lunar New Year holiday more, especially the explosive growth of the 2009 Lunar New Year holiday, which was even more enviable.

Xiao Gangpao was unwilling to talk about his schedule, so he naturally steered the conversation toward the Korean wave and Boss Lu: "Today I acted opposite this guy, and to be honest, his acting was really good. It was kind of scary when he was looking at you like that."

Wang Sicong took a sip of his drink after the spicy food: "Ugh! Money emboldens heroes. Sometimes I think my dad is pretty scary too. Lu Kuan is even richer than him."

Fearing that Feng Xiaogang was too timid, he said gently, "Don't worry too much, eat more vegetables."

“As long as they don’t really bully us, Wanda will just focus on making movies and earning money and won’t get involved in these things. My father thinks the same way.”

As he spoke, he even warmly rearranged the dishes for Little Cannon.

The latter was diagnosed with vitiligo in 2006 and has not fully recovered yet. He only took two symbolic bites before putting down his chopsticks.

He cursed the rich kid in his heart for being brainless, inviting him to a Jiangxi restaurant where he could only eat mild food because spicy food irritates the gastrointestinal tract and may induce oxidative stress, damaging the function of melanocytes.

“Young Master Wang, you have a broad perspective,” Feng Xiaogang probed. “Let’s just do our own business. You can’t compete with people like this, so why bother?”

"Let's see how Tencent and Hunan TV will clean up this mess! The news all came from South Korea. I don't know how Lu Kuan managed to pull so many 'good stuff' out of the Koreans."

Wang Sicong knew that he was being tricked into revealing information, and that the trick was a bit of a provocation. Was the guy taking advantage of his young age and easy to fool?

"Director Feng, please don't call me 'Little Wang,' just call me Little Wang—" The second-generation rich kid misspoke, and was about to speak when he choked on the chili peppers. He then coughed violently, almost coughing up his internal organs.

Feng Xiaogang thought to himself that he deserved it, and handed over the tea with a smile: "I'm not going to take that lying down, hehe."

Wang Sicong gulped down several mouthfuls of herbal tea, his face still flushed: "Whenever you call me 'Little Boss Wang,' I immediately think of that unlucky bastard Huayi. It's just too unlucky."

"Just call me Si Cong, don't be so formal. We'll be comrades in the same trench in the future."

"Okay, then." Feng Xiaogang chuckled, thinking to himself that this guy was still a bit naive when it came to winning people over and dealing with people.

Inviting a vitiligo patient to Jiangxi cuisine one minute, and then going on and on about how to address them the next—that's really putting the cart before the horse.

Wang Sicong remained oblivious, or rather, even if he noticed, he didn't care: "Going back to the previous topic, the reason why Lu Kuan has a certain influence in Japan, South Korea, Europe and the United States is mainly because he has bound several other companies together with interests."

"They are all capitalist countries. Take Lee Mi-jung from South Korea, for example. She doesn't care about the Korean wave or anything like that. Her vision and the ceiling of her interests are at most limited to her Lee family."

CJ Entertainment's parent company is the South Korean CJ Group, founded by Lee Maeng-hee, who is the brother of Lee Kun-hee of Samsung. Lee Mi-jung is Lee Kun-hee's niece.

Before 1993, CJ and Samsung were one company, but they later operated separately.

So even if CJ's Lee Mi-jung's collaboration with Mr. Loh this time on Marvel movie shares might cause some conflict with Lotte Group, the latter wouldn't make her wary in the slightest.

I'm Samsung Lee, CJ Lee, who the hell are you?

As for the potential negative impact on other South Korean entertainment companies, that was not even within the scope of consideration for CJ Entertainment, which was determined to break into Hollywood.

Feng Xiaogang hadn't fully grasped the inside story before, after all, the previous Jang Nara incident paled in comparison to this one.

He remarked with emotion, "Our ancestors were right: relying on foreign powers to enhance one's own importance. That's exactly how Lu Kuan is doing now."

“His allies are all over the outside world. If Chinese cultural media companies want to go out, they have to rely on his channels and be mindful of his mood.”

“The key is that the people at China Film Group in China are also his friends. Even if those hungry wolves in Hollywood want to come in and hunt for food, they still can't get past him.”

Little Cannon shook his head sheepishly: "Hey! This Boss Lu has really figured out how to use foreign powers to bolster his own position and use Chinese influence to control foreigners."

Wang Sicong wasn't entirely comfortable with what he said.

From his father to his pants, everyone who meets him praises him. The key is that Jing Tian, ​​who has invested a lot of time in him and is thinking of bringing him under her wing for both personal and professional reasons, looks at him with...

No man could tolerate this.
From Wang Jianlin's "other people's children" to Da Tiantian's "it has to be this kind of man," perhaps Wang Sicong himself did not realize the change in his mindset.

Just like Da Mi Mi's female competition, his male competition consciousness is gradually increasing.

Instead, the two of them followed the path of Lu Kuan and Liu Yifei, engaging in hype-driven asset appreciation and a perfect match.

"That's why I've always advised my dad that we must buy assets in the US in the future," the second-generation rich kid said in a deep voice. "He has Netflix in the US, so we'll just buy movie theaters."

"The real estate industry has been booming in recent years. The financing convenience of asset-heavy companies like Wanda is unmatched by any other company, and the turnover rate is also extremely fast."

Feng Xiaogang chimed in, "That's great! Breaking Wenjie's monopoly overseas is the first step. Once we break his reliance on foreign powers, we can relax a bit more domestically. Otherwise, if he keeps playing these tricks, there's really nothing we can do!"

"Yesterday it was Ali and Huayi, today it's Tencent and Hunan TV, what about tomorrow?"

Wang Sicong nodded, then suddenly asked on a whim, "Is Lu Kuan on set this afternoon?"

"Yes, we'll wrap up filming after a few more takes."

The second-generation heir smiled and said, "Then I'll go wander around and meet him, and also get acquainted with Han Shanping."

Unlike Tencent and Hunan TV, who are currently in deep trouble, this Wanda heir is still in a relaxed state of mind. Perhaps it is because his generation has a different style of doing things. He actually wants to get closer to this "hypothetical enemy".

They're all young people; knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory.

Around 1 p.m., a black Mercedes-Benz G500 slowly stopped outside the Huairou Film and Television Base. Wang Sicong got out of the car, casually pushed his sunglasses up to his head, revealing his somewhat cynical face.

Feng Xiaogang followed behind him. The makeup artist's carefully applied foundation still clung to his vitiligo-stricken face, barely concealing the mottled skin, which was itchy from the sun.

The two chatted as they walked, but the topic still inevitably turned to this powerful figure in the Chinese entertainment industry.

Little Cannon laughed and said, "Actually, it would be better if Lu Kuan bullied the penguins a little more. Ma Huateng just likes to look around. I don't know what's the use of being so careful. This guy is not a gentleman."

"Let's wait and see. As the scale of Wenjie grows larger and larger, his development will inevitably take away other people's share. When his speed in uniting his teammates can't keep up with the decline of his supporters, countless obstacles will naturally appear in his path."

Wang Sicong squinted: "At this rate of asset appreciation and industrial expansion, I don't think that day will be far off."

“That’s right, when…” Feng Xiaogang suddenly saw Han Shanping, Lu Kuan and others at the corner, who had obviously just finished eating and returned, and had just entered the office of the film and television base.

Even from several hundred meters away, Big Mouth and Little Cannon didn't hesitate to boast and flatter: "When that day comes, we'll be able to reap the benefits too."

"So I need to get acquainted with him, so that if we ever fight, at least I'll have some decency." Wang Sicong smiled and pointed to the office. "Come on, maybe we can even become friends."

Little Cannon sneered inwardly, but on the surface he still cooperated as always. He had mastered this art of flattery back when he was hanging out with Zheng Xiaolong.

Ring ring ring!
Before he could even get going, the phone rang, and he chuckled as he spoke to Wang Sicong beside him: "Fanzi's calling, probably urging me to take my medicine."

Unfortunately, his smile lasted for less than three seconds before it abruptly ended.

"Feng Xiaogang! Have you no shame whatsoever?!"

"You can play around with women all you want, but do you have to make it public knowledge? How am I supposed to stay at the Beijing People's Art Theatre now?"

Xu Fan, speaking in a thick Beijing accent, launched into a barrage of insults, but Wang Sicong and Feng Xiaogang showed no surprise whatsoever.

They exchanged a glance, their expressions changing drastically, and simultaneously realized that their affair with a certain woman had been exposed!

Actually, this happened a few months ago, about the affair between Kuzi and Shen Xing, a beautiful host from Phoenix TV. (Chapter 527)
Unlike his previous life, Feng Xiaogang is now the top director of the newly established Wanda Pictures, and Wang Jianlin has to protect him.

So, through his connections in Shanghai, he managed to keep all parties involved under control, and the news and pictures did not escalate. Later, the news was overshadowed by the buzz surrounding Wuyue Culture's IPO.

This is for the sake of Wanda Pictures, which has just started. After all, not everyone can turn the nickname "washing machine" into a nickname like Boss Lu.

His self-imposed exile persona since his debut is something no one has been able to imitate successfully yet, especially now that he has completely rehabilitated his image with the help of his wife, Liu Yifei.

But how did Xu Fan find out?
The Beijing People's Art Theatre's first-class actor's cursing hadn't stopped: "I'm truly speechless. I've been thinking about your health every day, and this is how you repay me? You beast!"

She thought of how Liu Yifei, a young woman in her workplace, was able to keep her billionaire husband under her thumb, and she became even more furious: "If you're so capable of cheating on those sluts, why don't you pull up your pants and tie them tight? Why make me a laughingstock?"

The vitiligo patches on Feng Xiaogang's face were flushed red from emotional agitation, making them even more glaring: "Fanzi! Fanzi, listen to me!"

"I'll listen to your mother!" Actresses of Xu Fan's generation were all incredibly cool. "I'm telling you, this time I'm not done with you! Divorce!"

Wang Sicong quickly grabbed the phone: "Ms. Xu, this is Wang Sicong, Wang Sicong from Wanda."

All that could be heard on the other end of the phone was heavy breathing and a woman's sobs, which fueled Feng Xiaogang's anger.

He naturally didn't reflect on his infidelity; he was just cursing whoever framed him and brought the matter directly to Xu Fan.

Without photos and detailed information, plus his travel records in Shanghai during those days, Xu Fan would never be so certain that her husband was really cheating.

Seeing that she hadn't hung up, Wang Sicong nervously tried to smooth things over: "Teacher Xu, please listen to me. Let's not worry about whether this is true or false."

"Director Feng has just come to Wanda from Wuyue, and the filming of this year's Lunar New Year film has just begun. It is Wanda Pictures' first battle, and also Director Feng's first battle after joining the new company. We absolutely cannot afford any mistakes."

"If you continue to make a scene like this, you might just fall into the trap set by outsiders. This is clearly not something that Director Feng and Wan Da want to be comfortable with!"

Xu Fan's crying stopped for a moment. "Who are you saying is sowing discord?"

Who the hell is trying to sow discord? It's just that the pants weren't fastened properly, but Wang Sicong can't say that.

“Yes… I suspect it’s Wen Jie and Lu Kuan.” Wang Sicong remembered Boss Lu in the film crew’s office 200 meters away. He was reminded by the name Xu Fan had just mentioned in his scolding. He quickly found a target and tried to get away with it first.

"Yes, it's him. Wanda poached Director Feng from Wuyue Culture. This year was supposed to be a huge hit for 'If You Are the One,' and if Director Feng hadn't left, Wuyue's valuation and stock price would have reached new highs, so he..."

Feng Xiaogang seemed to have found his pillar of support and quickly picked up the phone: "Honey! Mr. Wang is right. Don't act rashly. I'm coming home now. Let's talk things out, okay?"

It's impossible for Xu Fan to believe his nonsense on the spot, but Wang Sicong was right about one thing—

This year is crucial for Feng Xiaogang. Missing out on the listing of Wuyue Culture was already heartbreaking for her, and with considerable household expenses, she cannot afford to fail in this Lunar New Year film season.

Many middle-aged women grit their teeth and let go of marital breakdowns and infidelity for the sake of money, family, and children; celebrities are no exception.

Wasn't that exactly what Xu Fan did in his previous life?

I'm not at a disadvantage!
Wang Sicong assured him over the phone that he would quickly clarify the spreading online rumors, before helplessly looking at Xiao Gangpao, whose expression was "bizarre".

The vitiligo patches stood out starkly against his pale face, veins bulged on his forehead, and his lips trembled slightly with anger.

The foundation, meant to conceal her skin, was soaked through with cold sweat, leaving her mottled skin resembling an overturned palette.

What was said in jest was taken seriously by the listener. Feng Xiaogang, who had been oppressed at Huayi, was furious. In his mind, the mastermind behind this incident was none other than Lu Kuan!

If you don't believe me, go and see how much the penguins and Hunan TV are suffering right now. Aren't they just making fun of each other a moment ago? And now they're in the same situation.

“Young Master Wang, you gave the penguin the idea of ​​turning it into a ranch, and coupled with my departure from Wuyue, he’s held a grudge.” Feng Xiaogang gritted his teeth and said, “What a vicious person, what a cruel heart!”

Wang Sicong frowned. He was more sober than Kuzi, who was "in this mountain." He could say that Lu Kuan was the prime suspect, but it didn't seem like his usual style.

If he was dissatisfied with Feng Xiaogang, why didn't he take action when things happened with Shen Xing, and waited until now?

"It's not necessarily true..."

"Director Feng! Where are you going?"

Wang Sicong was dialing his father's number on his phone when he looked up and saw Feng Xiaogang heading straight for the office. His intentions were obvious.

Feng Xiaogang, who had worked his way up from the 70s in Beijing's elite circles to achieve his current status, was so enraged that he was about to ruin himself and his family!
He immediately wanted to rush in and question Lu Kuan: If you want to mess with me, just do it openly and honestly. Why do you have to go and bother Fanzi?

Especially when he thought about how he had been so humble and obsequious to him today, Kuzi became even more unable to control his emotions.

The more accustomed a person is to bow their head, the more frantic their rebound will be when pushed to their limit.

Wang Sicong was terrified. He didn't even bother to call his father and rushed forward to stop Feng Xiaogang.

Even a single word of disagreement could implicate Wanda Pictures.

Just as Feng Xiaogang reached the door, a sudden drumming noise came from inside the office, as if Han Shanping, Fan Bingbing, and others were saying something.

Before he could storm in, Lu Kuan walked out from the inner room looking anxious.

The man in power walked with a pace three times faster than usual. It seemed no one had ever seen him so flustered before. His leather shoes pounded heavily on the marble floor like a series of muffled thunderclaps.

"road……"

"Make way." Boss Lu didn't say a word more, nor did he have any interest in exchanging pleasantries with Feng Xiaogang. He quickly walked towards the gate of the Huairou base.

Feng Xiaogang felt slighted once again and instinctively grabbed his arm.

The tall man whirled around the moment he was grabbed, his neck veins bulging sharply, his eyes burning with an impatient rage, and his jawline taut like a drawn blade.

"Get out of here!" Boss Lu was in a state of confusion and had no time to think about the reasons behind Feng Xiaogang's "desperate" behavior.

Feng Xiaogang was rooted to the spot by those sharp glares; the vitiligo patches on his deathly pale face were particularly glaring.

Before he could react, Lu Kuan, in a panic, kicked him in the stomach. In his haste, the kick was swift and vicious, and Feng Xiaogang felt as if his internal organs were being twisted together.

As he fell backward, Kuzi was only thankful that he hadn't eaten too much at noon because of Wang Sicong, otherwise that kick would have made him vomit on the spot.

This chance encounter and confrontation happened in the blink of an eye. Feng Xiaogang, lying on the ground, gasped for breath. Seeing Lu Kuan open the car door to leave, he was seized by a sudden urge to get up and rush over.

Damn it, this is outrageous!

However, Han Shanping and Zhang Guoli, who came out upon hearing the noise, along with Wang Sicong who had chased after them, grabbed him tightly.

"Calm down!"

"Xiao Gang, what's wrong with you?"

Feng Xiaogang's vitiligo-affected face instantly swelled to a liver-colored hue, looking quite frightening:
"Let me go! Damn it! How dare this son of a bitch ruin other people's lives like this! Does he really think he can do whatever he wants in this country?!"

Fan Bingbing stood to the side, her pretty face frosty as she pointed at Feng Xiaogang's nose and scolded, "You ugly scumbag, dare to utter another word of abuse?"

Feng Xiaogang glared at the leading actress, his anger reaching a fever pitch. Back then, she was just a nobody at Huayi Brothers, groveling for resources. Now, she could be so arrogant, pointing her finger at him and cursing him like that!
As a fellow nobody, Kuzi felt nothing but resentment and grievance.

Fan Bingbing wasn't joking with him. She was wearing seven-centimeter heels, her sharp phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, and she took a fierce step forward.

It seemed that if Feng Xiaogang dared to utter another disrespectful word, she would stab this ungrateful wretch with the sharp heel of her high heel.

Han Shanping angrily retorted, "What the hell are you doing?"

Feng Xiaogang, feeling humiliated by Lu Kuan from the start, was further intimidated by the "thirty years of fortune" leading actress, and was so angry that he couldn't speak.

Wang Sicong quickly explained the situation, but omitted the part about how he and Xu Fan had deliberately framed Lu Kuan, making everyone think that it was Xiao Gangpao's own idea.

In fact it is.

After finally catching his breath, Feng Xiaogang watched as Fan Bingbing hurriedly left with her driver and assistant. Then, with a sense of shared misfortune, he looked at Han Shanping and burst into tears, his voice filled with grievance.
"President Han, back then, Zhang Heping, Gao Jun, and I made great contributions to your Lunar New Year film season. I won't say that I made the greatest contribution, but I've been very respectful to you all these years, haven't I?"

"Now Zhang Heping is doing it, Gao Jun is doing it, and you are doing it too. You're all so bound to Lu Kuan, so what are we old brothers worth?!"

Kuzi's expression and actions were full of a small person's resentment: "I hate it! I feel wronged! Mr. Han, you're being so unfair!"

In his previous life, Han Shanping had extremely close ties with the Beijing film circle. Huayi Brothers was also one of his capable assistants in the early stages. With the Beijing film circle as a backing, everyone worked together to make Chinese films thrive.

Your perspective is determined by your position, which is why Lao Han had a good relationship with Hua Yi, Yan Zi, Lu Taro, and others in his previous life. China Film Group also participated in the production of many of Hua Yi and Taro's films.

But everyone knows the situation in this life. Old Han didn't betray his class; he just changed his base.

A thriving foundation built by him, the helmsman of Chinese cinema in the halls of power, and another standard-bearer of Chinese cinema in the martial arts world, representing the most advanced cultural direction of Chinese cinema.

Han Shanping's face turned ashen from these words, and he wished he could slap the filthy man across the face. After a long while, he finally let out a long sigh.

He had to admit that Feng Xiaogang made a significant contribution to the creation of the Chinese New Year film season, and it was because of this that he accumulated enough political achievements to steadily get to where he is today.

"Xiao Gang, I have something to remind you."

"Chen Kaige offended him more badly than you, right? Back then, he even dragged his deceased father into it, begging and pleading with his uncles and elders to stand up for him, which led to that joint ban because of 'Mantou'."

Han Shanping said painstakingly, "Later, when things settled down, Lu Chuan got into trouble because of her stance. Chen Kaige felt that he had been used, so he stopped. Did you see him suffer any retaliation afterward?"

"Chen Hong asked me to intercede on her behalf, so I called Lu Kuan in front of her, and he only said one sentence—"

"There are too few good directors in China, so just focus on making good movies."

The crew-cut man got angrier and angrier: "You son of a bitch, did you get your head stuck in a door? You all think people are ignorant fools like you, who has time to care about your dirty business?"

"Just focus on making a good movie and don't get involved in any fancy stuff!"

"If you're really good at playing around with women, then play it as skillfully as others, so that even after you've taken advantage of them, the woman will still wholeheartedly protect you!"

The man with the flat-top didn't say a word, but everyone knew who he was talking about.

Han Shanping lost his patience looking at the ugly woman in front of him: "I'm unfair? If I were unfair, I shouldn't have stopped you in the first place!"

"If you delay Lu Kuan for even a second longer, you're as good as dead!"

Feng Xiaogang was somewhat alarmed by what he said, and his agitated emotions subsided a bit: "Wh...what do you mean?"

Han Shanping turned his back, too lazy to look at his tearful face. It's true what they say, people who rise from the bottom by flattering and groveling can never shake off this kind of demeanor.

Zhang Guoli said helplessly, "President Lu's wife's water broke, and he just rushed to the hospital."

Old Zhang is a very shrewd man. From the beginning of the incident, he only held onto Feng Xiaogang tightly so that the other person could see him. Only now did he speak up and explain a few words.

Kuzi shuddered at the sound, feeling a cold sweat pour down his back. The vitiligo patches on his pale face looked particularly glaring, like an old newspaper that had been splashed with bleach.

His lips trembled uncontrollably, and his Adam's apple bobbed up and down but he couldn't make a sound.

The renowned director, who had just played Du Yuesheng that morning, suddenly recalled the look in Chiang Ching-kuo's eyes during their scene together, which had left him speechless and unable to continue his lines.

However, compared to before, Lu Kuan, who had only said "get out of the way" and "get out of the way" from beginning to end, suddenly released the pressure of a superior, which truly made him tremble with fear.

Afei ran countless red lights along the way, but Huairou is at least an hour's drive from Xiehe Hospital. Lu Kuan, holding his phone, was extremely anxious in the back seat.

(End of this chapter)