"Hey, do you think I want this? If I stayed at home, there would be no peace and quiet..."
Ouyang Jun explained to Zhuang Rui with a sense of frustration that, before holidays, all those who couldn't find a way to curry favor with the old man would try to get in touch with Ouyang Jun through connections, and even after moving to a new house, they hadn't had a moment of peace.
During the Spring Festival, it's not appropriate to give others a bad attitude when they come to pay their respects. As a result, Xu Qing couldn't get any rest either. Coincidentally, there were a few actors from Ouyang Jun's entertainment company who were going to perform on the Spring Festival Gala. The couple decided to come and watch the fun.
"What are you doing here, kid? Looking at pretty girls? You've got one with you, haven't you?"
Seeing his wife chatting so enthusiastically with Miao Feifei, Ouyang Jun quietly nudged Zhuang Rui and said, "I'll take you to the changing room later, wow, there are so many beautiful women there, they don't even try to hide themselves while changing..."
"You...you, who are you...?"
Zhuang Rui was both amused and exasperated by Ouyang Jun's words. This older brother was almost forty, yet he still had such a playful spirit. Perhaps it was because Xu Qing was pregnant that he had been holding back for so long.
"Xiao Rui, don't let him mess around. He won't teach you anything good..."
Xu Qing knew her husband's nature well; one look at his wicked smile told her that Ouyang Jun was up to no good.
"By the way, Xiao Rui, what are you and Fei Fei doing here?"
After chatting and laughing for a while, Xu Qing asked the two of them. She knew that Zhuang Rui had nothing to do with the entertainment industry. He usually stayed at Ouyang Jun's club and was rarely seen going out.
"Hi, I was dragged here as a guest, it's one of those live treasure appraisal events I attended in Jinan last time..."
Zhuang Rui explained to Xu Qing with some helplessness, leaving the two of them dumbfounded. It turned out that this little cousin was no ordinary person. If this CCTV program aired, he would definitely be known as an expert.
Ouyang Jun laughed and said, "You're quite the troublemaker, aren't you? Your sister-in-law and I will go support you. Which studio is it in? Come on, let's go check it out..."
"Xiao Zhuang, what are you doing here? Hurry up and go over there. The program hasn't started filming yet, you can chat with others first. Young people should be more humble..."
Before Ouyang Jun could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a voice that spoke in a lecturing tone, causing everyone present to frown.
"What's your surname? Hu, right? Just come and call me when it's time. Go do whatever you need to do. I don't need you to teach me how to be a decent person..."
Zhuang Rui glanced at Director Hu, didn't even stand up, and casually waved his hand as if shooing away a fly, leaving Hu Ming standing aside. Moreover, Hu Ming's voice had been a bit loud, attracting the attention of many people.
Those who respect others will always be respected. This Director Hu is taking himself too seriously. However, Zhuang Rui didn't take him seriously at all. If it weren't for Fatty Jin's sake, Zhuang Rui would have left long ago.
Hu Ming didn't come specifically to find Zhuang Rui. He was just passing by on his way to the restroom when he saw Zhuang Rui chatting and laughing with several men and women. A surge of lust rose within him.
Because this kid was late, not only was the filming studio taken over by someone else, but the woman he wanted to get close to also had feelings for him. This made Director Hu very jealous, which is why the scene of him reprimanding Zhuang Rui just happened.
"You...you just leave because you don't want to do the show, you have no discipline at all..."
Hu Ming was humiliated by Zhuang Rui's disdain. He knew there were many people in the industry watching, and he had no choice but to use his directorial authority.
However, Hu Ming didn't consider that Zhuang Rui wasn't a CCTV employee, and organizational discipline had no binding force on him whatsoever.
"Alright, I'm not doing that show anymore. You can leave now. Stop bothering me like a fly..."
Zhuang Rui was getting annoyed by this person. He wasn't a giant panda; he didn't have the habit of attracting attention.
"Xiao Rui, you're doing his show? This guy isn't very good, he doesn't take you seriously at all, and he calls himself an expert?"
Ouyang Jun looked at Zhuang Rui with schadenfreude and burst into laughter. It was a rare treat to see his little cousin suffer such a setback.
What do you do?
Hu Ming was at a loss with Zhuang Rui, and after being ridiculed by Ouyang Jun, he was so angry that the veins on his forehead were bulging. If it weren't for Zhuang Rui's tall and strong appearance, he would have been tempted to teach Zhuang Rui a lesson.
Ouyang Jun didn't have Zhuang Rui's good temper. Without even raising his eyelids, he replied directly, "Who do you think you are? You're not qualified to ask what I do..."
"Alright, you're not welcome here. You can leave now..."
Xu Qing, watching from the side, frowned. She knew Ouyang Jun's temper; if she angered him, he might really beat this person up in public. So, without waiting for Director Hu to speak, she directly told him to leave.
"You...you are Miss Xu?"
Hu Ming was so angry with Zhuang Rui that he lost his mind. Only then did he notice that one of the two women sitting next to him was Xu Qing, the top actress in the film industry. He swallowed back the words he was about to say.
In the entertainment industry, personal connections are crucial. Although Xu Qing is a very low-key person and has gradually faded out of the entertainment circle in recent years, her influence is far beyond what this up-and-coming director can match.
"Alright, then I apologize for disturbing you all..."
Hu Ming gritted his teeth, turned around and left. Although he had little interaction with Xu Qing and worked as a program director, which was not the same type of work as the film and television industry, he was unwilling to offend Xu Qing.
However, as Hu Ming turned around, his eyes revealed undisguised anger, and his teeth were clenched so tightly they were practically grinding together!
He couldn't afford to offend Xu Qing, but he hated Zhuang Rui and the rude Ouyang Jun to the core.
"Alright, bro, stop pretending to be an expert. Just hang out with me for a bit, and we'll go upstairs for a few drinks at noon..."
Ouyang Jun didn't take Zhuang Rui's TV show to heart. Becoming famous wasn't difficult. Ouyang Jun might not have any other skills, but in the world of culture and entertainment, there were very few people who dared to disrespect him.
Of course, that short-sighted Director Hu was completely incompetent; otherwise, he wouldn't have taken over 10 years to become a program director.
Zhuang Rui nodded and said, "Okay, since Second Brother and the others haven't returned to Beijing yet, we don't need to go anywhere. Let's go to Brother Lei's house together tonight..."
"By the way, if you want to become famous, Fourth Brother can arrange an interview for you. I doubt a popular TV show would work, you're too young, but other things are fine. I'll arrange it for you later..."
Ouyang Jun didn't know why Zhuang Rui had come, and fearing that Zhuang Rui might be unhappy if he didn't do the show, he naturally offered him some words of comfort.
"No, Fourth Brother, please have mercy! I was practically dragged into this show by others, don't make me suffer any more..."
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Rui immediately shook his head vigorously, as he had no interest in becoming a celebrity.
"Let's go stretch our legs, then we'll go upstairs to the restaurant for dinner. The CCTV chef's cooking is pretty good..."
Ouyang Jun had been sitting for a while, so he stood up to watch other people rehearse their performances.
"You're going to see women, aren't you?"
There was a hint of resentment in Xu Qing's voice.
Ouyang Jun wasn't buying it. He immediately said, "Oh my, you even noticed that? I have to say, I just saw a dancer whose legs were as thick as elephants. I really need to go check her out..."
"You're such a character... Let's go for a walk. Feifei, whose autograph do you want? I'll go get it for you..."
Xu Qing was amused by Ouyang Jun, and the group left the sofa area and wandered around to various film crews.
Reporters were strictly prohibited from taking photos during the Spring Festival Gala rehearsal, but since the camera was in Xu Qing's hand, no one stopped her. Miao Feifei and Zhuang Rui also benefited from this, taking photos with many movie stars they had only seen on TV or in movies before.
Of course, almost all the people in the group photos were male celebrities, and Ouyang Jun tried to walk towards the changing room several times, but Xu Qing pulled him back, making Ouyang Jun look depressed.
"Excuse me, sir, could you please wait a moment?"
Just as Ouyang Jun and the others finished watching the skit by the Northeast uncle and were about to change positions, Zhuang Rui, who was walking behind, was suddenly stopped by an armed policeman.
"What is it?"
Zhuang Rui was somewhat puzzled.
"I'm sorry, we have just received notification that your eligibility to participate in the Spring Festival special program has been revoked. According to regulations, you must leave the CCTV studio..."
The armed police officer saluted Zhuang Rui, but what he said made Zhuang Rui's face turn very ugly. He had been invited by the TV station, and now it was as if he was being kicked out. Zhuang Rui couldn't bear the humiliation.
Ouyang Jun, who was walking in front, heard the conversation between the two behind him. His face was so gloomy it looked like it could drip water. He turned around and asked, "Whose notification did you receive?"
"It was the folk treasure appraisal segment of the Spring Festival special program that notified us. We apologize, but please cooperate with our work..."
The armed police's duty is to cooperate with the TV station to maintain order and clear out loiterers; this matter falls under their jurisdiction.
The armed police officers on duty at the entrance ran into the hall, attracting the attention of many people. After understanding what had happened, they all looked at Zhuang Rui with sympathetic eyes.
Being cut from the show at the last minute is normal for the Spring Festival Gala; it just means the performer was unlucky.
Chapter 524 I'll Crush You (Part 1)
"That young man is really unlucky. He even changed his clothes, and they still got rejected..."
"Yes, but this young man is quite young. Judging from his clothes, he must be a crosstalk performer, right?"
"Hey, ask Teacher Jiang. There's no one in the crosstalk world he doesn't know. Teacher Jiang, is this young man from a crosstalk show?"
"No, we're not in this line of work. We're probably performing something else..."
The entertainment industry is a gossipy place, and the fact that an actor was eliminated can attract a lot of attention. Some people with excessive curiosity are even inquiring about Zhuang Rui's background.
Although Zhuang Rui is standing with Xu Qing and others, no one thinks they are friends. How could a big star be friends with an unknown nobody?
"Sir, I'm so sorry, please change out of your performance costume and leave here..."
Although the armed police officer was polite, what he said made Zhuang Rui extremely embarrassed. Without even asking, Zhuang Rui could tell that this was definitely something that director Hu had done behind the scenes.
Hu Ming, who was hiding in the crowd, was feeling incredibly pleased. As the director, he had the right to decide the composition of his filming crew. Losing a jade expert was no big deal; it was just a matter of reducing the number of experts from five to four. The world would keep turning no matter who left.
Furthermore, Hu Ming's reason was perfectly legitimate: the report was an hour late, and he used that as a reason to get approval from the station as soon as he applied. For CCTV, which has always held a monopoly and is used to doing things its own way, eliminating a few actors and experts is no big deal at all.
It must be said that Hu Ming is very good at using others' strengths against him. He has not wasted his time in the past 10 years. With CCTV backing him up, even a big star like Xu can't do anything to him. Hu Ming makes a living from news, and he really doesn't take entertainment stars seriously.
"Okay, I won't make things difficult for you..."
Although he was angry, Zhuang Rui didn't want to argue here and make a fool of himself in front of others. He turned around and headed towards the changing room.
"Brother, wait a minute. Everyone in CCTV is fired today, and you're not leaving either!"
Ouyang Jun, with a gloomy face, grabbed Zhuang Rui and said something incredibly arrogant that offended everyone in the hall.
As soon as he said that, all the murmurs immediately stopped, and everyone's attention turned to Ouyang Jun. They wanted to see who this arrogant person was.
Ouyang Jun was so angry he felt like his lungs were about to explode. Even when the old man on Yuquan Mountain was lying on his deathbed, no one dared to embarrass the Ouyang family like this.
This wasn't just making things difficult for Zhuang Rui; it was slapping the face of the Ouyang family. If Zhuang Rui really left in such a disgraceful manner, then if word got out, it would only be said that the Ouyang family lacked responsibility and was overly cautious. They would probably attract even more people to step on them.
Ouyang Jun wasn't stupid. He naturally knew that this was just something that junior director had done, but others wouldn't think that way. Anyway, many people in the upper echelons knew that Zhuang Rui was Ouyang Gang's grandson, which was a slap in the face to the Ouyang family.
Moreover, in a sense, CCTV is still the traditional territory of the Ouyang family. Although CCTV is a vice-ministerial level unit, the Ministry of Culture can still guide it. Being humiliated on his own turf is even more unacceptable to Ouyang Jun.
"Who is this guy? Why is he talking so arrogantly?"
"Yeah, causing trouble at CCTV is just asking for trouble..."
"Don't talk nonsense, or you'll get into trouble..."
Amidst the shock, the onlookers began to whisper among themselves. Among those who were eliminated from the CCTV Spring Festival Gala, some were secretly wiping away tears, while others were indignant, but none of them uttered any outrageous remarks, unless they never wanted to appear on CCTV again.
The bald actor who sold lamb skewers and was once very popular in the 1980s was blacklisted for more than 10 years because of a lawsuit with CCTV. Now he has contracted a barren mountain to farm and is doing very poorly. So even though the person who just spoke seemed to be a friend of the big star Xu, the onlookers did not have a high opinion of Ouyang Jun and Zhuang Rui.
Director Hu, nestled in the crowd, felt a surge of cool, refreshing energy, like he'd just had a drink. The man who'd spoken to him earlier had been so arrogant, practically begging him to leave. Now he was going to try and drive away everyone from CCTV. He'd see how this ended.
Hu Ming knew more about CCTV's power than most people; they were extremely protective of their own. He wasn't afraid of being held accountable by that guy surnamed Zhuang, since he was in the right anyway.
Even if the other person had some influence, he was probably just a rich guy. Which person who came to CCTV didn't have money? Hu Ming didn't take Ouyang Jun seriously.
Those who shared Hu Ming's thoughts were either newcomers to the entertainment industry or journalists who weren't familiar with the industry's higher-ups. A few well-known figures in the industry recognized Ouyang Jun at a glance and were now quietly retreating from the crowd, afraid that Ouyang Jun would see them and take his anger out on them.