Huayu 2021: Isn’t he in the technology field?

Chapter 193 The Casting Controversy, You're Not Lying to Me, Are You?

The following afternoon, the cicadas' chirping, accompanied by the heatwave, crashed into the office building at the end of August. Xiao Liu, an intern at a self-media company, suddenly raised his phone and yelled strangely.

"How did Wen Yongshan turn into Meng Ziyi?!"

The office area was instantly filled with the sound of mouse clicks, and the Weibo hot search "Sheep Without a Shepherd 2 cast change" was followed by the word "explosive," with the nine-grid comparison pictures from marketing accounts in the entry being particularly glaring.

The last promotional post from Wen Yongshan's studio was three days ago. Now, the official Weibo account prominently displays the name Meng Ziyi in the cast list, replacing the original name Wen Yongshan.

"It's just a game of capital."

A seasoned veteran in his forties blows open a goji berry tea.

"Look, she went to Wuwen Technology one minute, and then she was recast the next."

The newcomer, holding the documents, timidly interjected.

"But Meng Ziyi's acting skills are indeed..."

"Acting?"

The balding old fox let out a sneer.

"When has the entertainment industry ever lacked actresses with good acting skills?"

He glanced at the rookie in front of him.

"In the entertainment industry, you need connections, you know? Without powerful backers, she's nothing."

……

Similar conversations have occurred in many other places.

No one expected that Wen Yongshan would be replaced at the last minute.

At 1 p.m., the Jiangmen International Convention Center was bustling with people, and the sound of camera shutters clicking could be heard in front of the backdrop for the "Sheep Without a Shepherd 2" press conference.

An entertainment reporter suddenly raised the microphone.

"Director, why did Wen Yongshan's name disappear from the pinned post on the official Weibo account?"

An eerie silence suddenly fell over the room. Meng Ziyi, who had anticipated this, sat upright in her seat with a standard professional smile on her face.

She knew she would definitely be the center of attention today.

The executive producer grabbed the microphone with a smile.

"This adjustment was made after comprehensive consideration of role suitability, and Ms. Meng Ziyi is a perfect fit."

Before the words were even finished, the media at the scene had already taken out their phones. They discovered that the official Weibo account for "Sheep Without a Shepherd 2" had cleared the edit history of the previously pinned cast list, and all of Wen Yongshan's related materials had disappeared. In the latest update, Meng Ziyi's name was prominently displayed in the cast list.

For a moment, the numerous media reporters looked at each other, their expressions gradually becoming excited!

Big news!

"Ms. Meng, how did you secure this role?"

"Ms. Meng, you didn't participate in the audition, nor were you on the previously announced cast list. How did you suddenly get this role?"

"Professor Meng, as far as I know, you visited Wuwen Technology a few days ago..."

In an instant, the media at the scene, like sharks smelling blood, rushed forward frantically with their long lenses and microphones.

At 2:27, "Sheep Without a Shepherd 2 cast change" surged to the top of Weibo's trending topics list.

A content creator on Bilibili (a Chinese video-sharing website) posted a comparison video.

"Wen Yongshan was posting photos of script readings on Weibo just ten days ago. This move is comparable to a Sichuan opera face-changing act!"

"A glimpse of the power of capital has been revealed to us. I've never liked Meng Ziyi; she seems so hypocritical. I wonder who she's hooked up with."

"Do we even need to guess? The only big shot she knows is Jiang Qing, right? And she just visited Wuwen Technology a few days ago. Isn't it obvious now?"

"Are Jiang Qing and Meng Ziyi really just ordinary friends? So many people are fighting tooth and nail for this role, and he just gave it to them like that?"

"Aren't Meng Ziyi and Zhou Ye on good terms? Could it be that Zhou Ye asked Jiang Qing for help?"

"What are you thinking? I think Meng Ziyi and Jiang Qing's relationship is definitely not ordinary!"

"No way! Could it be that Meng Ziyi betrayed her best friend?"

"The relationship between these three is really intriguing!"

The relationship between Jiang Qing, Meng Ziyi, and Zhou Ye immediately sparked curiosity among netizens, who were eager to know if there would be any dramatic twists and turns. Everyone's gossip-loving nature was piqued.

Jiang Qing had just secured an endorsement deal for Zhou Ye with JD Supermarket, and then immediately got Meng Ziyi the lead role in "Sheep Without a Shepherd 2." It's hard not to suspect the relationship between the three of them.

It's worth noting that, from a certain perspective, the role of the female lead in "Sheep Without a Shepherd 2" is no less valuable than that of a spokesperson for JD.com Supermarket.

The first "Sheep Without a Shepherd" film was a critical and commercial success, winning both box office success and critical acclaim.

If the sequel can maintain the box office success of the previous film, even as a supporting actress, Meng Ziyi will have achieved something, which is equivalent to opening the door to the film industry.

It's worth noting that very few of the actresses born in 95 have made it into the film industry.

Let alone the actresses born in 95, even those actresses born in 85 who were quite popular have repeatedly failed in their attempts to break into the film industry.

And now, Meng Ziyi has suddenly burst onto the scene as the lead actress in a film project that countless actresses covet. Who would have thought?
Not to mention the general public, even many actresses in the industry gritted their teeth after seeing the trending topic.

Why should she?

Just because you know that General Manager Jiang?
What does she have?

Does she look like a green tea bitch?
Is she as good-looking as her mother?
Are they as long as my legs?
Are they as big as my breasts?
Is life better with me around?
Jiang Qing's judgment is terrible!

The main problem is that I haven't had the chance to get involved, otherwise this role would be mine!
The female celebrities were heartbroken, feeling that the leading role they had so easily obtained had slipped through their fingers.

In the end, Liu Yifei and Dilraba were the ones who regretted it the most. They both had the opportunity to get to know Jiang Qing better at the Tencent investment conference.

Who would have thought that Jiang Qing wouldn't attend the party that evening? If I had known this, I would have gone with Jiang Qing even if I had canceled the party!
I once had the opportunity to play the female lead in "Sheep Without a Shepherd 2", but I failed to cherish it!
Really served!

"Wow, Meng Ziyi is amazing!"

"Sister Meng is awesome!"

"Having connections makes all the difference; taking someone else's role is as easy as drinking water."

"So now there are no good works. It's all like this, whoever has a background can get a good role. How can we produce high-quality works?"

"This is a rich heiress in the entertainment industry. She can get any role she wants just by talking—oh no, maybe by moving her legs (evil grin)."

"Let me see what the royalty of the entertainment industry looks like."

……

Thousands of new posts flooded into Meng Ziyi's Weibo supertopic instantly. Some people paired photos of Meng Ziyi making coffee with interns at Wuwen Technology with classic lines from the movie "Sheep Without a Shepherd".

"Some children are children, and some are the children of capitalists."

The irony is off the charts.

Meng Ziyi's fans were not to be outdone and quickly began to argue with these suddenly appearing posts, with the two sides locked in a fierce battle.

The controversy that began with the casting change continues to spread, and no one believes the producer's explanation that it was simply because Meng Ziyi's image was a better fit.

What about when we're three-year-olds?

The fans of the "Yi Jian Qing Xin" couple were overjoyed, but the fans of the "Jiang Zhou Yu Huo" couple couldn't stand it and accused Meng Ziyi of betraying her best friend and seducing Jiang Qing. The two sides immediately started fighting.

Public opinion is still spreading.

Meanwhile, Wuwen Technology.

Jiang Qing stared at the scrolling public opinion monitoring data on the computer screen, her knuckles unconsciously tapping the desktop.

Outside the office's glass wall, several interns hurried past carrying coffee, whispering among themselves about "Sheep Without a Shepherd 2" and "President Jiang has made his move."

He hadn't expected that a supporting actress could cause such a big reaction; it seemed the film and television industry was more complicated than he had thought.

His phone vibrated on the corner of the table. He glanced at the caller ID, picked up the phone, and casually pressed the answer button. A video of Zhou Ye's small face with an ancient hairstyle instantly appeared.

"Jiang Qing!"

The girl has a dab of sunscreen on her nose, with the iconic red walls of Hengdian World Studios in the background.

"Did you see the trending topics? It's about Sister Meng."

"This look isn't very nice?"

Jiang Qing propped her phone up in front of the monitor and casually snapped a screenshot of her stunned expression. Zhou Ye's brow furrowed.

"Is this the point?"

She leaned closer to the camera and lowered her voice.

Did you help with the casting change in "Sheep Without a Shepherd 2"?

The printer suddenly ejected paper, and Jiang Qing got up, picked it up, and placed it on the table.

He was about to speak when he suddenly saw someone approaching from behind the girl, so he swallowed back the words he was about to say.

In the video, a stagehand approaches Zhou Ye with a notice.

"Teacher Zhou, Teacher Hou Minghao said he's waiting for you to rehearse the scene."

"immediately!"

The girl grabbed her phone and climbed into the RV; the cold air from the air conditioner made her sneeze.

"Achoo! Jiang Qing, you..."

"When Sister Meng came to Luyang to shoot an advertisement last time, she also visited my company."

Jiang Qing interrupted her, looking at the girl in the picture and starting to make up a story.

"She said she envied you for having a JD.com endorsement."

Zhou Ye paused, his hand still wiping his nose.

Memories from the past suddenly flooded back.

When Meng Ziyi last visited her on set, they went shopping together in the evening. While trying on lipsticks, Meng Ziyi suddenly pointed to the JD.com advertisement on the giant screen in the mall and sighed.

"Our Ono has really made something of himself now."

"I casually asked her how she was doing."

Jiang Qing's sipping of coffee was clearly audible.

"She said she was trying to secure film resources."

So you...

Zhou Ye clutched the tassel on the pillow in her hand, recalling the night they slept together when Meng Ziyi held her and they talked.

"I'm so envious that you have Dr. Jiang!"

The sound of papers turning over can be heard in the video.

"I happen to know someone at Wanda, so I called and mentioned it."

Zhou Ye stared at the swaying shadows of the trees on the car window, the discussions he had overheard while waiting to be performed echoing in his ears.

"I heard that President Jiang angrily replaced the lead actress for the sake of a beautiful woman!"

"Meng Ziyi was as relaxed as if she were at home at Wuwen Technology."

"Did she have something going on with President Jiang behind our female lead's back?"

……

"But."

She bit her lower lip, her brows furrowed in confusion.

"Many people are fighting tooth and nail for this role."

"is it hard?"

Jiang Qing's tone suggested they were discussing which takeout provider to choose.

"I just told my friends that Sister Meng is a very good friend of yours."

There was a sudden knock on the RV door, and the site manager came to urge them on.

"Jiang Qing."

The girl leaned closer to the camera.

"You only helped Sister Meng because of me?"

The printer produced another new document. Jiang Qing glanced at it, then smiled and asked her a question.

"if not?"

"Teacher Zhou! The director says the stand-in is ready!"

"Coming!"

Zhou Ye frantically grabbed the script, then suddenly pouted at the camera.

"Then next time."

"The chilled bayberry juice is on the second shelf of the RV's refrigerator."

Jiang Qing interrupted her.

"Don't drink the herbal tea provided by the crew; you drank it last time."

"Know it!"

Zhou Ye jumped out of the car, and the scene shook for a moment.

The August sun baked the bluestone road. She glanced around and then lowered her eyes.

"Jiang Qing!"

"Ok?"

"You'd better really be doing this for me!"

The girl made a face with panda eyes.

"Or I'll bite you next time we meet, you believe me!"

The video ends abruptly.

Jiang Qing loosened her grip on the crumpled financial report and let out a soft sigh of relief.

He found that his ability to tell lies seemed to have improved again.

Meanwhile, on the "Heart Protection" film set in Hengdian, Zhou Ye was inspecting the buckles on the wires.

The female stylist suddenly leaned closer to her and secretly glanced around.

"Teacher Zhou, about your friend trending on social media..."

"Ok?"

She tightened the waist support belt.

"Teacher Meng Ziyi."

The female stylist lowered her voice.

"I heard that she and President Jiang were behaving very intimately at Wuwen Technology."

"Nothing."

The metal buckle on the belt fell to the ground, and as Zhou Ye bent down, he saw the evasive looks from the stagehands.

"Jiang Qing and Sister Meng are very good friends. Sister Meng invited me to go with her last time, but I couldn't go because I was filming. The three of us are very good friends."

She tilted her head and grinned at the female stylist, seemingly completely unconcerned.

She only stopped smiling after the female stylist apologized and left.

Noticing the gazes sweeping over her from all sides, the girl pursed her lips.

Jiang Qing, you wouldn't lie to me.

Right?

(End of this chapter)