"To be honest, Tianchen isn't enough to secure Director Chen's role. It's reasonable to suspect that the big shot Gu Zhong is involved with is much higher in rank than Tianchen's boss, so Tianchen is forced to carry him. In the end, it's still a case of being kept."
The last point is somewhat relevant, but the speculation about the relationship between Lingyan and Gu Zhong is wrong.
The continuous stream of articles smearing Gu Zhong for several days had already annoyed most netizens. After some evidence was released and a few influential figures were hired to stir up trouble, these people did not hesitate to side with Gu Zhong.
Even though some people still harbor malicious speculations, the situation is much better than before when the whole internet was mocking them.
In this circle, as long as most people believe it, Gu Zhong will no longer fall into the same terrible situation as before.
As for those keyboard warriors who post offensive comments, a lawyer's letter is enough to shut them up. Lingyan doesn't mind sending them a few more to keep the internet clean.
Zhang Kaiwu has been working as an online troll for several years. With his sharp writing skills, sophistry, and a group of followers, he has established cooperative relationships with many talent agencies.
Once the press release is issued, he can turn fake water into something real and yin water into something yang online, almost without fail.
"Boss!"
A man in a black shirt rushed in from outside and shouted loudly before even entering the room.
"What's wrong? Damn it! Why are you all in such a panic!"
Zhang Kaiwu impatiently stopped typing and took a big gulp of water from the enamel mug next to him.
This matter is not easy to handle. A few days ago, a sudden and unexpected wave of online trolls brought the whole incident to a low point. With his keen professional intuition, he determined that someone was stirring up trouble.
Within two days, the other side released solid evidence and, together with Tianchen, issued a statement and a lawyer's letter warning him. The backlash from netizens was beyond his expectations; his team could no longer control the online sentiment.
"Lawyer's letter..."
The man in the black shirt stammered as he handed the white envelope to Zhang Kaiwu.
He snatched the envelope, opened it, glanced at it, and then slammed his hand on the table in anger.
"Damn it! Are you serious?!"
After hearing lawyer's letters so many times, nobody takes them seriously anymore. Online, everyone operates under anonymity, and few people have the time or money to trace them.
Who knew that some people would actually be so stubborn as to investigate each one and send lawyer's letters?
He doesn't know what will happen to him now; he's really bitten off more than he can chew this time.
He pulled open the drawer under the wooden table, took out an old-fashioned text messaging phone, opened the only contact in the phone, and sent a message.
"Mr. Xia, you can't continue this job!"
--------------------
Author's Note:
A little more today, we'll stop tomorrow!
//Unfamiliar with business warfare, relying entirely on fabrication
Chapter 36 Agent and Movie Queen (Part 8)
============================
In the spacious room with its modern design, there is a set of high-end horizontal striped solid wood tables and cabinets. On the table, the screen of a business mobile phone lights up, and a message pops up.
Slender fingers, painted with nutmeg red nail polish, casually swiped away the message.
"Mr. Xia, what do you think of this project?"
A man's humble, ingratiating voice came from beside her.
"Very good, we'll do as you say."
This voice, languid yet full of charm, makes the listener wonder what kind of person it belongs to.
Having resolved the discordant voices online, Lingyan has been in a pretty good mood these past few days.
Director Chen has officially notified us that Gu Zhong has been cast as the female lead in the new drama, and we've arranged to sign the contract next week.
Thinking that we hadn't properly celebrated Gu Zhong's brilliant performance at his audition a few days ago, we should at least have a celebration banquet after landing a big production.
Lingyan then suggested taking her to the revolving restaurant on the top floor of Xintan tonight—something Gu Zhong had been wanting to do for a long time.
The saying "enemies meet on a narrow road" is perfectly exemplified in the case of Gu Zhong and Ge Tan; they can run into each other even when they're just going out for a casual meal.
In the days that have been making headlines online about the alleged sugar daddy scandal, Ge Tan, as the person most in the know, actually knew what almost happened that night.
But there was no trace of remorse on his face, as if what he had done was nothing out of the ordinary, and he could still casually try to get on Gu Zhong's good side. It was hard to tell when this person had developed such a thick skin.
"Ah Chong, how have you been lately?"
“Ge Tan, we’re not familiar with each other, it’s better to keep our distance.”
Even going to the restroom can be a hassle. Gu Zhong looked at the person in front of him and moved a meter away.
Even though this restaurant is known for protecting privacy, Gu Zhong had just gone through a scandal and didn't want to be subjected to those infuriatingly vulgar words again, so he consciously learned to avoid suspicion.
"It can't be that bad, can it? Ah Chong..."
Ge Tan put on a loving expression and took another step toward her.
"stop!"
Gu Zhong stumbled backward until he was almost pressed against the wall. He pointed at Ge Tan with a fierce expression.
"Ah Chong... let me explain! I really had no choice but to do that back then... Sister Lin forced me to have no other option... Besides, everyone in this industry does it this way, it's not a big deal!"
An unnatural flush rose on Ge Tan's face, her words became quite intense, and her eyes held a hint of madness. She moved closer to Gu Zhong, her tall frame trapping her in a corner.
"You are you! I am me! You want to rot in the mud, but I just want to act properly! Get out of my way!"
Gu Zhong raised his hand to push him away, but he couldn't budge the strong man.
"Stop pretending! What kind of good stuff are you? Even CEO Li from Tianchen went to great lengths to fawn over you, you must have slept with some big boss, right? Let me guess, CEO Wang from Xingguang? He's got a thing for young, innocent girls like you..."
With a cold laugh, Ge Tan didn't believe it. He reached out and grabbed Gu Zhong's hands with one hand, and used the other hand to peel off her collar. He pressed his whole body down, disregarding that they were in the corridor, intending to commit an indecent act.
Gu Zhong struggled fiercely, but due to the vast difference in strength, her resistance seemed so insignificant.
At that moment, a hand reached out from behind Ge Tan, grabbed his short hair, and kicked him hard in the groin.
Ge Tan let out a scream and was then thrown backward.
Her soft arms gently pulled Gu Zhong behind her thin yet strong back, her tender inquiry filled with concern.
"Are you alright, Gu Xiaozhong?"
Looking up, Gu Zhong saw his manager appear as if by divine intervention. Feeling wronged, he buried his face in Ling Yan's fragrant embrace, despite her being half a head taller than him.
Ling Yan patted the frightened little rabbit's back reassuringly, then turned her cold gaze to Ge Tan, who was lying on the ground, clutching his lower body and unable to move.
"Ge Tan, it seems you haven't learned your lesson yet..."
Upon hearing this, Ge Tan, covered in cold sweat, narrowed his eyes. Ignoring the pain, he quickly crawled to her and kowtowed repeatedly, like a dog wagging its tail and begging for mercy.
"Sister Ling! I was drunk just now! Please be magnanimous and don't hold a grudge against someone as insignificant as me!"
"Take care of yourself..."
Ling Yan didn't even bother to give Gu Zhong a second glance, and walked past him with her arm around him.
“…Sister Yan…”
After returning to the private room and calming his mind, Gu Zhong reluctantly released Ling Yan.
The sudden loss of the warm embrace left Lingyan feeling a pang of reluctance, and she felt a void in her heart.
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
"It's nothing, I just wanted to call you..."
Gu Zhong nestled into the chair, rested his chin on his knees, and tilted his head to look at her.
The neon lights of the city's skyscrapers swirled outside the window, their flickering light falling on her eyes and brows, reflecting a sense of dependence and trust.
"Every time, it's you who saves me. It's a bit like a movie I've seen..."
"What?"
Lingyan stared intently at the child in front of her.
“There was a peerless hero riding on auspicious clouds of seven colors…” Gu Zhong said slowly, then suddenly stopped.
"Then what?"
Lingyan's heart skipped a beat, her thoughts were stirred, and she was extremely eager to hear the second half of what the other woman was saying.
"...She can always appear anytime, anywhere, just by calling out to her..."
His eyes flickered, and Gu Zhong was surprised by his own thoughts. He forcibly suppressed the words that were about to come out of his mouth and fluently uttered the second half of the made-up sentence.
"..." A sense of loss rose, but it was expected. Ling Yan no longer had the same anxious and uncertain mindset as in her previous life, and she made a joke.
"Then I'll have to take even better care of you, otherwise I won't be worthy of being the peerless hero you speak of."
"Sister Yan, you'd better keep a close eye on things!"
With a sly wink, Gu Zhong stretched out her long arms and legs and sat down properly in the chair.
Looking at the table full of delicious food, my mouth watered.
Seeing her gluttonous appearance, Lingyan knew she had recovered and picked up her utensils.
"Little glutton, eat up..."
This restaurant specializes in Cantonese dim sum, and the flavors are absolutely authentic. Enjoying a cup of fine tea while savoring delicious food and dim sum from the highest point of Xintan, overlooking the entire city, is truly a delightful experience.
The crystal shrimp dumplings in the steamer are all translucent and exquisite, with the finest fresh shrimp meat fully wrapped in a thin dough. The chef's skillful handling ensures that the shrimp meat retains its chewiness.
One bite and the juicy burst of flavor fills your mouth, making you want to savor every bite.
The steaming water chestnut cake is still warm. Cut off a piece and enjoy it with refreshing flower tea. It's soft, smooth, and chewy, with a sweet but not greasy taste.
A bowl of congee, garnished with a touch of cilantro, is stirred with a ladle, bringing together fish slices, jellyfish strips, and tender white rice grains, capturing the full flavor of the Haihe River.
Red rice noodle rolls are especially delicious. Shrimp, eggs, and minced pork tenderloin are mixed together, the filling is placed inside a yellow sieve skin, rolled up, and deep-fried until golden brown. Then, they are carefully wrapped in steamed red rice batter.
When you put it in your mouth, the soft and sticky red rice blends with the crisp skin, complemented by specially prepared fillings, making it an unforgettable experience.
After eating and drinking to its heart's content, Gu Zhong squinted his eyes contentedly, relaxed his limbs, and looked like a lazy cat, while also cuddling with his owner.