He fiercely criticized the Manchu scholar clique and the twelve emperors of the Qing Dynasty.

The hero, holding a water cup, paused mid-air, his gaze piercing through the white mist to land on Zhao Shuyao's composed face.

Zhao Shuyao didn't urge him. He leaned back slightly against the back of the cracked leather sofa and keenly noticed the slightly tightened muscle lines at the hero's jaw.

A clue quickly formed in my mind: "Guanzhong Gunshots" tells the core revolutionary history of overthrowing the Manchu feudal rule, and the entertainment circle in Yanjing was the stronghold of some remnants of the old regime and cultural compradors.

The hero gently placed the water glass on the table.

"Zhao, isn't this obvious?" The swordsman forced a bitter, utterly helpless smile. "Anyone who's ever filmed this kind of subject matter can hardly find a place to work with them anymore."

Zhao Shuyao, with clear eyes, nodded, signaling him to continue.

The hero sighed, his gaze seemingly lost in memories: "After this drama aired, a group of people in the industry organized a very private gathering. There were quite a few people attending, mostly prominent figures in the industry, including someone you just mentioned online a couple of days ago."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Shuyao immediately recalled the recent media battle: someone who had a grudge against him online, belonged to the Beijing circle, and acted like a cultured person. These three conditions combined to conjure up an extremely slick and unpleasant image.

"Fatty Gao?" Zhao Shuyao raised an eyebrow slightly, his tone carrying a hint of smugness characteristic of intellectuals. "Is that the guy who's always praising the Qing Dynasty to the skies?"

The hero nodded approvingly, leaning forward slightly: "It's him. Although he's not exactly a core figure in this capital game, you should know that the main setting of that drama was Guanzhong, so he was naturally present at that event."

Gu Nanxi, who had been listening quietly, paused slightly in the paper cup in her hand. She turned her head, a look of disbelief flashing across her beautiful face. Coming from a family in Jiangnan, she felt a physical discomfort at this kind of underhanded power struggle.

"Great hero," Gu Nanxi spoke, her voice clear and crisp, "you mean, just because you acted in a drama that respects historical accuracy, they not only want to blacklist you, but also organize a special campaign to denounce you? In today's society governed by law, do these people in the industry still have so many outdated customs and bad habits?"

Seeing Gu Nanxi's surprised expression, Zhao Shuyao chuckled softly. His laughter was clear and resonant, carrying a touch of deconstructed and absurd humor.

"Comrade Nanxi, you're overestimating these people's modern civilization." Zhao Shuyao turned around to face Gu Nanxi, pointed a finger in the air, and said, "You think they're modern just because they're wearing suits and ties? In their minds, that invisible braid is combed very smoothly."

Zhao Shuyao turned his gaze back to the hero: "Hero, if I'm not mistaken, this so-called private gathering is not just about having a drink and giving a few warnings, is it?"

"In their unspoken rules, if you want to get resources from them or gain their forgiveness, you usually have to offer a pledge of allegiance, right?"

The hero looked at Zhao Shuyao with a great shock in his eyes. He had never expected that a graduate student who was still studying could see through these secret and sordid matters so clearly.

"Zhao, you understand things better than I thought." The hero's voice deepened. "That's right. People who attend those kinds of gatherings, if they want to be accepted back by them, not only have to bow their heads and admit their mistakes in public."

"Some people are even required to kneel before their ancestral shrines on certain occasions and swear allegiance to their clique of interests."

Gu Nanxi's eyes widened slightly, and the warm water in the paper cup sloshed.

"Kneeling and pledging allegiance?" Gu Nanxi's voice carried an undisguised sense of absurdity. "Is this a selection of bondservant slaves?"

"Isn't that just being a lackey?" Zhao Shuyao crossed his hands on his knees, the mocking smile on his lips deepening. "And this is only a part of it. Those higher-level capital bureaus won't be satisfied with just having you kowtow."

"They will make you do things that will completely ruin your reputation once exposed, leaving behind videos or photos as leverage. Only when your life and death are in their hands will they give you a few leading roles in movies."

Zhao Shuyao turned to look at the hero: "Hero, how did those people treat you back then? Did they also offer you a cup of tea and make you kneel down to confess your sins?"

The hero closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, his eyes were full of determination.

"I wouldn't say I had to kneel, but my manner was pretty much like it." The hero shook his head, his voice dry. "They sat there high and mighty, demanding that I publicly apologize for taking the role in this drama. Not only that, they also gave me another script."

"That script glorifies those historical executioners throughout. They said that as long as I obediently make this film, the past will be over."

The hero paused for a moment, then straightened his back.

"How could I possibly accept such conditions?" The hero spread his hands, his tone frank. "I've played heroes before, even if it was just a role. I would never do something like betraying my roots for a few stinking dollars. So I threw the script back on the table right then and there and left."

"Later, the two sides naturally broke up completely. They cut off my resources, and I gradually became the marginalized person I am now, unable to even pay off my debts."

Zhao Shuyao listened quietly, without showing any superficial sympathy, but nodded in agreement.

"So that's how it is." Zhao Shuyao tapped his knuckles lightly on his knee, making a soft sound. "It seems their methods are quite consistent; this mechanism of exchanging benefits works very well."

Seeing Zhao Shuyao's nonchalant attitude, the hero felt a surge of anxiety. He had witnessed too many talented young people in the industry being crushed by this force, and he didn't want to see this young man with a grand vision and an open mind follow in his footsteps.

"Zhao, their power far exceeds your imagination." The hero leaned forward, pressing his hands firmly on the table, his tone filled with the genuine concern of an older brother.

"Frankly, it's not a good idea for you to go head-to-head with them online right now. You're just starting out. You should at least wait until you achieve greater success and have enough resources to protect yourself before considering it."

Zhao Shuyao could sense the pure goodwill in the hero's words, so he sat up straight and met the hero's gaze with a peaceful expression.

"I understand your good intentions, sir," Zhao Shuyao said calmly. "Having studied history for so many years, I've mentally analyzed the possible retaliatory methods they might use, whether it's open smear campaigns or covert resource blockades. Isn't this current online press release just their appetizer?"

The hero shook his head repeatedly, his worry undiminished.

"Zhao Shuyao, you treat this as an appetizer? That's because the truly powerful people haven't yet laid a deadly hand on you." The hero's voice was low, carrying a hint of warning.

"Take the founder of the Tianyin Foundation, who you're currently arguing with, for example. Do you think she's just a singer? The network of interests behind her is so vast it could cover half the sky."

The hero pushed the water glass next to him to make room.

"You probably listen to music sometimes," the hero said, his gaze fixed on Zhao Shuyao. "Do you remember those Tibetan songs that swept the nation a few years ago? Think back, who were the original singers of those songs?"

Zhao Shuyao's nerves twitched slightly. As a reborn person with a vast memory bank from his previous life, these dark sides of the entertainment industry were already in his information reserves.

"Of course I know," Zhao Shuyao replied without hesitation. "The original singers of those songs are someone else, a very talented singer. As for this 'Queen of Heavenly Sound,' she just used the resources at her disposal to cover those songs, or rather, she forcibly turned those works into her own label. None of them are her original songs."

"You see, you know very well what's going on." The hero tapped the table, his expression growing increasingly grave. "But if you search online now, how many reports are there about the real original singer? The media is collectively silent, as if that person never existed."

The hero paused, glanced at the half-open window beside him, and only after confirming that no one was in the corridor did he turn back, speaking even softer.

"If it's just a matter of censoring reports, that falls under the category of business competition." The expert's tone turned chilling as he said this. "But the original singer later suffered a series of car accidents. One could be considered an accident, but a series of accidents... don't you think that would send shivers down your spine?"

Gu Nanxi, sitting next to him, caught her breath when she heard the words "series of car accidents," and her back straightened involuntarily. For her, who was used to business logic, this kind of underhanded tactic involving personal safety had crossed the bottom line of the rule of law.

After listening, Zhao Shuyao did not show any fear. He simply lowered his head slightly and looked at his clasped hands. The information that the master had given meant that when capital faced damage to its core interests, it was very likely to resort to physical means.

But now it's 2016, and the Skynet surveillance system has become increasingly sophisticated, making this method increasingly expensive.

Zhao Shuyao slowly raised his head, his face showing no panic, but rather an extremely calm smile.

"Great sir." Zhao Shuyao's lips curled into a slight smile, his cultured humor on full display. "So, according to you, I should probably buy a helmet before I go back to school this time?"

The hero was stunned for a moment. The tense and oppressive atmosphere was instantly shattered by Zhao Shuyao's completely irreverent teasing remark.

"Zhao, I'm serious!" The hero was getting a little anxious.

"I'm serious." Zhao Shuyao put away his joking expression, but his calm and composed aura still firmly occupied every corner of the office. "Great hero, I know you mean well, you're afraid I'll suffer a loss, but you've forgotten what I do."

Zhao Shuyao pointed to his temple: "My mind is filled with five thousand years of history. When it comes to scheming and plotting, and to the disregard for human life, the dramas in the Qing Dynasty where people even killed their own brothers to fight for power and profit are far superior to the methods of capitalism today."

Zhao Shuyao rested his hands on his knees, his posture upright like a pine tree.

"If they think they can scare away someone who controls the core of public opinion with a few tricks, then they are seriously underestimating the laws of this era." Zhao Shuyao's gaze was sharp and penetrating.

"Don't underestimate them, that's true; but don't overestimate them either, because they don't deserve those two words at all."

Gu Nanxi looked at Zhao Shuyao sitting next to her, and in that instant, she felt that this person had a powerful force that could dispel all the gloom.

Zhao Shuyao stood up and straightened the hem of his jacket.

"We've bothered you for so long today, now that things are settled, Nanxi and I should head to the airport," Zhao Shuyao said calmly, concluding the conversation.

The hero also stood up, sighed, and knew he couldn't persuade this arrogant young man. He could only step forward and hold his hand tightly: "Have a safe journey and be careful in everything."

When I walked out of the hospital, it was already afternoon. The sky over Yanjing was somewhat gloomy, and the chill in the wind was even stronger than when I arrived.