Chapter 1246: Prelude to a Major Event

Wang Jing was very frustrated.

Right now, he wished he could kick Zhang Weijian to death.

The reason was simple: that bastard Zhang Weijian had somehow given an interview at some point, in which he actually said, 'This person has no morals. Not worth mentioning. We were just putting on a show, and he still called the police. If he lives to be a hundred, he'll still be news.'

And now, those words were blatantly published in the newspaper.

It was like a powder keg had been ignited. The domestic media exploded, and online opinions once again tilted in favor of Wang Bochao.

Even some fans who had been defending Zhang Weijian and Xie Tingfeng now chose to shut up.

There was no way around it—this kind of thing couldn't be whitewashed.

"Tell that bastard Zhang Weijian to shut the hell up!" Wang Jing grabbed the newspaper in a rage.

Just then, his phone rang again.

"What now?"

Wang Jing said irritably.

"Brother Jing, a foreigner came this morning, said he was here to visit Wang Bochao." On the other end of the line, the assistant Wang Jing had sent to monitor the hospital reported.

Wang Jing frowned, his anger flaring up, and he cursed, "Are you brain-dead? You're telling me about a foreigner visiting a patient? Have you lost your mind?"

"But, but he said he's from the Hollywood Screen Actors Guild." The man, scolded by Wang Jing, hurriedly blurted out the information he had gathered.

Hearing this, Wang Jing's body stiffened, and a sense of foreboding surged within him.

…

…

Wang Jing's premonition was, of course, correct.

The news that the Hollywood Screen Actors Guild had sent someone to visit Wang Bochao quickly reached the domestic media.

Suddenly, the whole affair seemed to take on a different level of significance.

This was Hollywood, the so-called center of world cinema. Even a third-tier Hollywood actor visiting China was considered a big deal, let alone the Screen Actors Guild, which was a proper union with considerable influence, unlike the loose associations in China.

Good heavens, the domestic media were like they'd been injected with adrenaline.

Some outlets even went all out, traveling across the ocean to interview high-ranking officials of the Hollywood Screen Actors Guild in the United States.

As luck would have it, they actually succeeded.

"Such a thing has never happened in the United States; it's a major scandal. Two young actors showing no respect for their elders, defying the law, and damaging the image of the acting profession through highly unethical behavior. Their actions will be recorded by the Hollywood Screen Actors Guild to warn their future collaborators."

"Fight scenes worldwide follow a unified rule: life comes first. It's truly shocking that a respected director would have such an attitude toward human care. Wang Jing's remarks are a second injury to Wang Bochao; he must apologize, no exceptions!"

"The Hong Kong entertainment industry is very united, pulling each other up in Hollywood. Many Hong Kong stars are my friends. But if they protect young people like Xie Tingfeng at the expense of justice, that unity is not unity—it's forming cliques for petty gains. If this had happened with big-name actors like Jiang Wen or Chen Daoming, would they have dared to act this way? If Wang Jing and others refuse to apologize, we have the right to report this to the American actors' union. In the future, when they go abroad to make films or participate in productions, Hollywood will be very cautious and refuse to cooperate with them!"

What the hell!

That was the sentiment of the "The Legendary Siblings" crew and the domestic media at that moment.

Both sides were puzzled: why had the Americans, who usually enjoyed laughing at China's expense, suddenly become so keen on upholding justice?

Moreover, the incident had been cooling down, but now it had reignited and become the top hot topic in the domestic entertainment industry.

This time, neither the "The Legendary Siblings" crew nor Emperor Entertainment could sit still.

"What's going on? Why are Hollywood people getting involved?" Yang Shoucheng called Wang Jing directly. "A-Jing, didn't I tell you to handle this properly?"

"I don't know either, Mr. Yang. The main problem now is that we're on the defensive; the public's attention is all on us." Wang Jing wiped his sweat as he spoke to Yang Shoucheng.

At this point, he knew very well that this matter couldn't be suppressed. With such high visibility, trying to twist the facts would be nothing but wishful thinking.

Ultimately, the best course of action now was to play it cool and try to change the subject.

"Alright, issue a gag order to the crew. No one is to give any more interviews. We'll let this die down, and apologize later."

Yang Shoucheng, true to his reputation as an entertainment mogul, made the best possible decision despite the unfavorable situation. "Remember, we can apologize, but we must never grovel."

"Rest assured, Mr. Yang, I understand." Wang Jing kept apologizing, but he knew in his heart that, more likely than not, a scapegoat would have to be offered up.

With the strategy decided, the next steps were simple. Hong Kong had plenty of experience in spinning news, given that its entertainment industry was more developed than the mainland's. As for the artists, they were never a consideration.

Soon, a flood of messages appeared online, all claiming to be insider leaks. The content was invariably about Wang Bochao's bad character—how he threw his weight around on set, harassed female staff, and how Zhang Weijian and Xie Tingfeng, young and hot-blooded, had stepped in to teach him a lesson.

If such rumors had been few, they might have been ignored. But with both the internet and media reporting them, they quickly swayed some people's opinions. At the very least, fans of Zhang and Xie readily accepted this version, and public opinion shifted once again.

"A-Jian, Tingfeng, this matter is basically settled. In a few days, you two go to the hospital and apologize to that Wang guy—just go through the motions, understand?"

In the hotel where the "The Legendary Siblings" crew was staying, Wang Jing said seriously to Xie Tingfeng and Zhang Weijian. "I don't know what those mainlanders are up to, but Mr. Yang is right—we can't afford to lose the mainland market over this."

Zhang Weijian and Xie Tingfeng exchanged glances. The latter still looked indignant, but the former understood Wang Jing's meaning and quickly nodded. "Don't worry, Director, we'll apologize."

He was smart enough to grasp Wang Jing's intent. Besides, unlike Xie Tingfeng, who had deep connections, he didn't have a big company like Emperor Entertainment backing him. His best bet was to stick close to Wang Jing.

Wang Jing nodded in satisfaction. At this point, everything seemed to be going according to his and Yang Shoucheng's plan.

…

…

Meanwhile, Zhao Fusheng was drinking tea.

That's right—he had recently taken a liking to tea drinking, or rather, people kept inviting him out for tea.

"I say, President Wang, are you really just inviting me for tea today?" Zhao Fusheng looked with interest at Wang Zhonglei sitting across from him, smiling. "If that's the case, I've had enough tea and have things to do, so I'll be on my way."

He didn't believe for a second that Wang Zhonglei would invite him for tea without a reason.

One doesn't visit the Temple of the Three Treasures without a reason; the guy wouldn't come looking for him for nothing.

Wang Zhonglei gave a wry smile and looked helplessly at Zhao Fusheng. "Can't you, just once, not be so clever?"

Zhao Fusheng shrugged. "These days, you can't be too foolish. Foolish people are easily deceived."

Wang Zhonglei sighed and nodded. "That makes sense. But seriously, I don't believe you can't see what's happening now."

Zhao Fusheng was taken aback, then frowned. He glanced at Wang Zhonglei and said flatly, "Is this Huayi's idea, or the consensus of all of you?"

Wang Zhonglei smiled. "It's everyone's idea, of course."

At that moment, Zhao Fusheng let out a long breath. Though this riddle was rather dull, he had to admit that he had finally found his chance to enter the game.

The real show could now begin.