Rebirth of the Fashion King

It was indeed a lawyer's letter. Chanel's official Chinese website updated an announcement at 3 PM.

Statement Regarding Recent False Information Circulating Online

The main text consists of a few sentences:

"Recently, some internet users have spread false information about our designer, Mr. Li Xun, on social media. This information has damaged Mr. Li Xun's reputation and our company's brand image. We have commissioned a law firm to collect evidence of the false information and will pursue legal action in accordance with the law."

Signed: Chanel (China) Co., Ltd.

The discussion under the post hadn't stopped when new information surfaced.

"Wait, who is his mentor at Central Saint Martins?"

Louise Wilson, Head of the Fashion Program at Central Saint Martins MA.

"Louis Wilson, McQueen's mentor, John Galliano's mentor, and one of the key figures at San Martin."

Meanwhile, another post was also rapidly gaining traction.

The poster was a reporter from Xinlang Entertainment. The title was: "Exclusive: Zhou Xun's Chanel endorsement may fall through, Huayi Brothers suspected of internal accountability."

The content is short:

This afternoon, a reporter called Chanel's China brand public relations department to inquire about the Li Xun incident, which has been widely discussed online.

The other party declined to comment.

On the same day, an unnamed insider from the artist management department of Huayi Media revealed that the company had launched an internal investigation into its recent public relations activities.

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Zhou Xun's team has not yet responded. Industry insiders analyze that Zhou Xun has been in talks to become a Chanel brand ambassador since 2007, and this incident, stemming from the company's public relations actions, could significantly impact the negotiation process.

The comments section began to diverge.

"Poor Mr. Zhou."

"Are Xun Ge's fans here? Your enemy isn't Liu Yifei, it's your own company's PR department."

"Huayi's actions are really baffling. In order to smear others, they've even dragged down their own artists' endorsements."

"If I were Brother Xun, I'd be smashing things in the office by now."

Yi County, 4 PM.

Zhou Xun did not smash anything.

She was wearing Nanzi's costume, standing at the edge of the set, waiting for the lighting crew to re-set the lights. The director wasn't satisfied with the scene they had just filmed and said they had to do it again. She had been waiting for twenty minutes.

Huang was standing next to her, his phone screen lit up, displaying the full text of Chanel's statement from its official Chinese website.

I've finished reading Zhou Xun's article.

Has Wang Jing contacted Paris?

"Mr. Wang has already arranged for her to fly," Brother Huang said, putting his phone away. "She'll arrive in Paris as early as tonight."

"It's no use," Zhou Xun said.

Brother Huang looked at her.

"The statement has been issued, the lawyer's letter has been sent, but this guy named Li Xun hasn't said a single word from beginning to end." Zhou Xun brushed a stray hair from his forehead.

Do you think he cares about an apology?

"Then what does he care about?"

Zhou Xun did not answer this question.

"Even if Wang Jing goes to Paris, she won't see him. If it were me, I wouldn't see him either. I would hold a grudge too. Besides, he has a trump card up his sleeve, and we don't have any equal chips."

"So what are you planning to do?" Brother Huang asked.

Zhou Xun remained silent for a moment.

"I need his contact information."

"I'll give it a try, but—"

"It's not the kind of roundabout contact that Wang Jing uses through a PR company. It's direct, private contact," Zhou Xun said. "If needed, I'll call him myself."

Brother Huang was stunned for a moment.

Zhou Xun never initiates contact with others on a personal level. In all her years in the industry, all her relationships with other artists have been work-related and have never involved personal feelings. This is the first time she has taken the initiative to contact someone.

Do you think he'll answer your call?

"No," Zhou Xun smiled. "But at least he'll read the text messages, and that's enough."

She saw the stagehand waving at her.

"They're here."

She lifted her heavy skirt and walked towards the center of the camera.

……

Paris.

Liu Xiaoli and Liu Yifei were surprised by the sudden shift in public opinion; this was the fastest retreat of anti-fans in the past two years.

Hua Yi, this monkey who jumps around like a monkey, reacted as if he had seen a tiger after seeing Li Xun's identity, embodying the trait of bullying the weak and fearing the strong.

Karl Lagerfeld's name truly carries weight in the fashion and entertainment industries.

Li Xun's office.

When Virginie Viard pushed the door open and came in, Li Xun was flipping through a file in a pile of fabric samples.

"Still looking?" Virginie leaned against the door frame.

"I found a suitable wool-cashmere blend for the next autumn/winter season. I bought it when I went to London last time, but I can't remember where I put it."

Virginia watched him flip through the pages for three minutes.

"Your phone has been vibrating the whole time," she said.

Li Xun finally straightened up from the pile of fabric and picked up his phone from the table.

Twenty missed calls, seventeen from unknown numbers. Six text messages, and over 99 unread emails in my inbox.

He placed his phone screen-down on the table.

"Not going to watch?"

"I'm not watching anymore." Li Xun sat down. "I've said everything I needed to say."

Virginia sat down opposite him. "Karl asked me to tell you something. He said you owe him a dress."

Li Xun paused for a moment, then laughed.

When he went to the Empress Dowager's office, he interrupted her while she was painting a dress. In such a situation, not being scolded was considered a sign of the other party's good temper.

Now Virginia has come to deliver a message.

This way of expressing himself is very much like the Empress Dowager. He doesn't really want Li Xun to return the dress; he's saying: this trivial matter is over, let's get back to work.

"Yeah, I owe him a hammer," Li Xun joked.

Virginia stood up. "Also, the public relations department asked if you want to issue a statement in your personal capacity; they can help you draft it."

"No need, it's just a monkey jumping around, there's no need for me to issue a statement personally."

Virginia didn't say why; she nodded and turned to leave.

Li Xun shook his head.

In reality, Huayi in 2009 stood at an unprecedented and unparalleled peak in China's private film and television industry. It was not just a company, but a comprehensive entertainment empire that could influence the landscape of China's entertainment industry.

From a cinematic perspective

"If You Are the One" (released at the end of 08 and concluded in early 09): It ultimately grossed 3.25 million yuan, setting a record for Chinese-language films at the time, and Feng Xiaogang's comedies reached their peak of popularity.

"The Message" (released during the National Day holiday): Box office of 2.25 million yuan. It was not only a commercial success, but was also hailed as a "milestone in Chinese spy films".

The scenes between Zhou Xun and Li Bing, as well as the torture scenes, sparked months of social discussion and brought recognition to Huayi Brothers' "film industrialization" standards.

In 2009, the total box office revenue of films in mainland China reached 62.06 billion yuan, and Huayi Brothers easily earned over 10 billion yuan in box office revenue for the year.

In other words, for every 6 yuan worth of movie tickets sold nationwide, 1 yuan belongs to Huayi Brothers. This percentage is extremely astonishing for a private company.

The most outrageous thing is the lineup of stars under his wing.

At the time, Huayi was like a "galactic fleet" in the entertainment industry, with a lineup of artists so luxurious that it monopolized the resources of top-tier domestic stars.

First, there was the competition for the title of "Huayi's No. 1 Actress": a comprehensive contest between Zhou Xun, Li Bing, and Fan Bing (although they have left, their relationship is still close). In particular, "The Message" brought the debate over who would be the "No. 1 Actress" for Zhou Xun and Li Bing to a climax, becoming the hottest entertainment topic of the year.

The male cast includes Huang Xiaoming, Zhang Hanyu, Su Youpeng, Deng Chao, Wang Baoqiang, Duan Yihong, and others, featuring both top idols and accomplished actors, covering almost all types of audiences.

In the music sector, artists such as Zhang Liangying, Shang Wenjie, Yu Quan, and Yang Kun are also under Huayi Music, achieving synergy between film and music.

In short: if you turn on the TV, go to the cinema, or flip through a magazine, it's hard not to see Hua Yi's artists.

This is probably why they don't back down when they're Black. They're used to being bosses, so their employees might feel superior. They think, "What kind of person do you think you are, daring to fight against our behemoth, Huayi?"

If Huayi really had signed Xiao Liu in 2008, my goodness, Li Xun probably would have dared...