Chapter 238 What Should Be Done?

In Li Zhenzhen's words, there was no other candidate besides Meng Li.

Lu Yanhe and the others were taken aback when they heard that Meng Li was also leaving.

Li Zhibai immediately said, "She can go her way, I'll go mine."

"Wait a minute, don't rush," Lu Yanhe said.

Li Zhibai looked at him with a puzzled expression.

He didn't expect Lu Yanhe to stop him from leaving at this time.

It's mainly his temper. Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang both know this, and they rarely go against him when he gets angry.

Lu Yanhe said to Li Zhenzhen, "Sister Zhenzhen, why don't you go check on Mengli first? Li Zhibai won't be leaving for the time being, so you can handle things there first."

Li Zhenzhen showed gratitude and nodded to them. Finally, she said to Li Zhibai, "Zhibai, please don't rush to leave. Let's talk things out. Our show is starting to film on the first day. If you leave and she leaves, we won't be able to continue filming."

She gave Li Zhibai a serious look.

Lu Yanhe knew that Li Zhenzhen's last words must have softened Li Zhibai's heart.

That's just how Li Zhibai is. If you try to be tough with him, he'll be tougher. But if you try to be gentle with him, he'll have far fewer options.

As soon as Li Zhenzhen left, Lu Yanhe turned to look at Li Zhibai.

“This afternoon, the conflict between you and Meng Li was laid bare. Everyone knows about it. If you leave now, not only will the people recording the show not say anything, but what will the audience think when the show airs? Will they think you left because you were upset?” Lu Yanhe advised. “You signed a contract with the production team. If you breach the contract and withdraw at the last minute, you may not be afraid of losing money at the time, but your reputation cannot be salvaged. Are you afraid?”

Li Zhibai took a deep breath and looked at Lu Yanhe with impatience.

Li Zhibai always says that he can just quit the entertainment industry if things get really bad, but if he really had no attachment to this place, he would have quit long ago. Why is he still here now?

Li Zhibai definitely likes being an entertainer. Despite his constant bickering and mutual dislike with Zhou Ping'an, he still stayed in this place years later.

If he didn't truly love it, given Li Zhibai's family background, he wouldn't need to endure working in this industry.

Therefore, although Li Zhibai was impatient with what Lu Yanhe said, he still listened to it.

Yan Liang also tried to persuade Li Zhibai, saying, "Xiao Lu is right. If you leave now, we know you didn't want to record the show with Meng Li. But people who don't know about this will think that you were kicked out by Meng Li. Can you accept that?"

Li Zhibai immediately glared at him and said, "What right does she have to drive me away?"

“That’s it,” Yan Liang said. “You don’t want others to see you this way, so how are you going to leave?”

With the combined efforts of Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang, Li Zhibai was finally calmed down.

-

On the other side, Meng Li glared angrily at the several program crew members who were blocking her way, and flew into a rage.

"Why are you blocking my way? Are you interfering with my personal freedom? Get out of my way, get out of my way!" she shouted angrily, stomping her foot.

When Li Zhenzhen rushed over, this was the scene she saw.

Chaos erupted.

"Miss Meng, I'm here. What can I do for you?" Li Zhenzhen took a deep breath, gave a few staff members a look, and signaled them to leave and go outside.

Li Zhenzhen walked up to Meng Li, lowered her voice, and said, "Miss Meng, shall we sit down and talk?"

Meng Li glanced at Li Zhenzhen, then turned her head away. "We have nothing to say. Agreeing to come and record this lousy show of yours is the decision I regret the most this year."

"Why do you say that?" Li Zhenzhen asked gently. "Is it because you and Li Zhibai had a conflict before? If so, we can talk it out and see if we can resolve it."

"Director, this is a matter between Li Zhibai and me. What makes you think you can resolve this conflict?" Meng Li glanced at Li Zhenzhen impatiently and said, "If I had known that Li Zhibai was on your show, I definitely wouldn't have participated."

A thousand alpacas galloped through Li Zhenzhen's heart.

Forget about the other guests, you already knew the entire lineup before signing the contract!

Unlike other celebrity guests, Meng Li debuted early, has the highest status among these young people, and has a high profile due to her personality. Therefore, Li Zhenzhen and Chen Biqiu made an exception and let Meng Li know the list of celebrities who would be participating in the show. She insisted on knowing who she would be recording the show with before she would come; otherwise, she would absolutely not come.

To win her over, Chen Biqiu and Li Zhenzhen even went to great lengths to persuade her. Now, she has indeed lived up to expectations, displaying a distinct personality and causing a lot of trouble. However, it seems that things are going beyond that, and she's almost ruining the show. If Meng Li and Li Zhibai really quit the show on the first day of filming, then the show can be declared dead in advance.

Li Zhenzhen took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down and not be angered by Meng Li's attitude. She should just do what she had to do.

She said to Meng Li, "Ms. Meng, in this world, there is no conflict that cannot be resolved. You and Li Zhibai even collaborated on a drama called 'Accompany You to the End of the World,' didn't you? We're all in the entertainment industry, and we'll run into each other all the time. Besides, I personally think that you two are definitely not at the point where you can't even get along, right? Otherwise, you would have just quit and left when you first met this morning."

Meng Li looked at Li Zhenzhen with a strange expression and said, "You are really interesting. Do you think I have to tear off my mask as soon as I meet Li Zhibai to be considered to be really at odds? Let me make it clear to you directly: for this show, it's either Li Zhibai or I leave. I will absolutely not stay here to record this show with him. You make the decision yourself."

After Meng Li finished speaking, she waved her hand and said to Li Zhenzhen, "Alright, you don't need to stay here and say anything more to me. I've said everything I need to say. If you can't solve this problem, I will definitely leave. There's no use in you forcing me to stay here. Don't worry about the penalty for breach of contract, I will definitely pay it."

Li Zhenzhen has dealt with quite a few celebrities, and there are quite a few celebrities with strong personalities and tempers, but she has never met anyone as difficult as Meng Li.

She found that she couldn't communicate normally with Mengli. No matter what you said to her, she was immersed in her own world and logic. Once what you said didn't suit her, she would think that there was something wrong with you.

Seeing the resolute expression on Meng Li's face, Li Zhenzhen figured that nothing she said would make a difference, so she left without saying anything more.

-

What does "Mengli" mean?

As soon as he returned to the workroom, Chen Biqiu asked her.

Li Zhenzhen briefly explained the situation, and Chen Biqiu immediately smiled and said, "Meng Li is pretending to leave, but Li Zhibai really wants to leave."

Li Zhenzhen looked puzzled and asked, "Why?"

Chen Biqiu said, “You need to learn to listen to these people and see which of their words they really mean. Look, Li Zhibai said he was leaving, but did he discuss any conditions with you? He just packed his suitcase and prepared to leave without saying a word or causing any trouble. But look at Mengli, she made a big fuss, letting everyone know she was leaving, and in the end she even said, ‘Either Li Zhibai leaves, or she leaves.’ She really was making demands of you.”

As soon as Chen Biqiu said that, Li Zhenzhen immediately understood what he meant.

Thinking about it again, it really is true.

Li Zhenzhen frowned and said, "Why is Meng Li doing this? I don't understand. Does she just want to force Li Zhibai away?"

"It would be great if she were forced to leave, but even if she wasn't, it would still solidify her position on the show and determine who is the top performer between her and Li Zhibai," Chen Biqiu said. "The two most popular people on our show are the two of them. With old grudges and new competition, it's not hard to understand why she went crazy like this."

Li Zhenzhen asked, "Then what should we do?"

“Li Xia is on her way. I’ll have her agent talk to her later,” Chen Biqiu said. “Don’t expect to communicate rationally with these young celebrities who became famous at a young age. To put it bluntly, they’ve been brainwashed by their companies and teams. In their world, the whole world revolves around them. They’re typical examples of people who haven’t experienced the harsh realities of life. Just talk to their teams. Let the teams handle the artist’s issues.”

Li Zhenzhen asked, "What if the team can't handle it?"

“They’ve all signed contracts. If they can’t handle it, then we should just follow the contract,” Chen Biqiu said. “If they really don’t cooperate, then they can withdraw from the show. We can always find someone else.”

According to Chen Biqiu, it seems that it doesn't matter if Meng Li really wants to leave.

Li Zhenzhen said, "But if Meng Li leaves, will we have to find other celebrities to be guests at the last minute?"

"Why not?" Chen Biqiu said, "Then, we'll have a topic for the first episode: Meng Li has a conflict with Li Zhibai and leaves the show. Just those few words will make the show a hit."

Li Zhenzhen looked like she wanted to say something but hesitated.

“Zhenzhen, didn’t you want to make a show that truly focuses on young people living together and socializing? Arguments and conflicts are also a form of social interaction. For other variety shows, these are scenes and shots that are hard to come by. You’ve encountered them on the very first day, so don’t let them go to waste.” Chen Biqiu actually said this directly.

This is very much in line with Chen Biqiu's style.

Li Zhenzhen fell silent for a while before saying, "In this way, the show will be all about arguing and fighting from the very first episode."

Chen Biqiu countered, "Why not?"

Li Zhenzhen looked at Chen Biqiu in surprise and said, "But this is not the kind of program I want to make."

“No program can be made exactly as initially planned. Too many unpredictable things can happen during the recording process, and you are well aware of this,” Chen Biqiu said. “Zhenzhen, I know you are an idealist, and I admire that quality in you. However, the program has already started filming, and it’s not easy to get the artists’ schedules together. The daily expenses are also considerable. Even if the budget for a variety show is low, a single filming session still requires tens of millions of yuan. This is not the time for you to hesitate and not make a decision. You are now the director of this program, and you are responsible for everyone.”

-

You are responsible for everyone.

These words pressed down like a mountain, silencing all of Li Zhenzhen's thoughts.

That's what responsibility is all about. You may think you have power, but in reality, you also bear responsibility.

-

Zhou Pingan and Li Xia arrived one after the other, and unexpectedly, Chen Ziyan also appeared.

Lu Yanhe was completely surprised to see Chen Ziyan.

Li Zhenzhen also asked Lu Yanhe if he had invited Chen Ziyan over, and Lu Yanhe shook his head and said no.

As soon as the agents arrived, they went next door to have a meeting with Chen Biqiu and Li Zhenzhen.

Even though Li Zhibai and Meng Li caused such a big fuss, the show still has to be filmed; otherwise, it would be a waste of time.

Except for Mengli, who refused to let the photographer continue following her, everyone else continued filming normally.

People inevitably talked about it, but they didn't expect that even at this point, the photographer was still following them and filming them.

Even in areas where the photographer isn't present, there are fixed cameras.

Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang stayed by Li Zhibai's side the whole time.

Peng Zhixing sent a message to Lu Yanhe, asking: How is Li Zhibai doing now? I heard that he and Meng Li are both making a fuss about leaving. Can we still continue recording?

When Lu Yanhe saw the message from Peng Zhixing, he said to Li Zhibai, "Brother Bai, you are a responsible person. Even if you want to leave this show, at least finish this recording first. What do you think? It's not easy for everyone to put their time together. If you just leave like this, even if you pay the penalty for breach of contract, it won't make up for the production team's losses."

Li Zhibai was getting impatient and said, "Go ahead and film, as long as I don't have to film with Meng Li, I'll finish filming this episode before I leave."

Sure enough, Li Zhibai is still the same Li Zhibai with a sharp tongue but a soft heart.

The staff members watching the filming of Li Zhibai's room in the work area breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing their conversation.

At least one has been stabilized for now.

Chen Biqiu and Li Zhenzhen went to a meeting with their agents, while Zheng and Song were in charge of the work area.

Some people inevitably worry and ask, "What will happen to us if Li Zhibai and Meng Li really leave the show? Will the show still be able to continue filming?"

Zheng and Song immediately said, "Why can't we continue filming? Even if Li Zhibai and Meng Li leave, we still have Lu Yanhe and Song Linxin. They are both top-tier celebrities now. Besides, if Li Zhibai and Meng Li leave, we can just find other artists. As long as the show is good and has exciting moments, we won't have to worry about not having an audience."

For a variety show, this kind of thing is actually much easier to handle than for a film crew.

Film and television production teams can't arbitrarily change scripts, and actors quitting can cause significant losses. However, variety shows don't have pre-written scripts, so if a guest leaves halfway through, they can simply be replaced.

Zheng and Song were quite excited, saying, "Just think about it, with such a thing happening, a conflict between two top-tier celebrities, the leads of the recently aired drama 'Accompany You to the End of the World,' this topic and this buzz, there's no doubt that the first episode will be a hit."

"Will their team allow this segment to be broadcast?"

"The fact that you would ask such a question shows that you underestimate Teacher Chen's abilities. Why is every program that Teacher Chen makes a hit? It's because he dares to film and dares to broadcast. He absolutely refuses to yield to the unreasonable demands of the artists' teams. As long as the material can go viral, it will definitely be broadcast." Zheng He and Song said calmly, "Don't be fooled by the fact that the director is Li Zhenzhen. The actual person in charge of this program is still Teacher Chen."

-

Peng Zhixing gathered everyone in the crowd and called them downstairs to assemble.

He didn't know if Li Zhibai and Meng Li would come downstairs, but he didn't want to watch everyone be affected by this and waste time.

To Peng Zhixing's surprise, Li Zhibai actually came down with Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang.

To be precise, it was Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang who pulled him down.

"Don't try to be a loner. You were just arguing with Meng Li, not with anyone else. Why should others be affected by your situation?" Lu Yanhe said to Li Zhibai. "Speaking of which, your situation has wasted everyone's time and affected everyone's mood. You'd better apologize to everyone."

Li Zhibai stared at Lu Yanhe with an incredulous expression, never expecting him to say such a thing.

Lu Yanhe: "Don't look at me like that, Yan Liang. Tell me, what I said makes sense?"

“You’re right.” Yan Liang nodded, and said to Li Zhibai with the same firm expression, “You should apologize to everyone later.”

Li Zhibai had a look on his face that said, "Why should I?"

However, Lu Yanhe and Yan Liang were so determined that Li Zhibai could not refuse.

When Li Zhibai appeared, everyone else looked somewhat embarrassed, not knowing how to describe it.

I guess they wanted to ask but were too embarrassed to.

After Li Zhibai sat down, he shrugged awkwardly and said, "Sorry."

"N-nothing." Xiao Yun smiled, almost habitually, but the smile seemed awkward. "It's good that you and Meng Li are alright."

“Oh no, nothing’s wrong between her and me,” Li Zhibai said. “I just want to apologize to you.”

Xiao Yun's eyes widened suddenly, and he didn't know what to say.

Her eyes darted around, looking at the others, as if she wanted someone to say something to save the situation; she didn't know how to respond.

Lu Yanhe helplessly explained for Li Zhibai: "What he meant was that his and Meng Li's matter was only between the two of them and had nothing to do with us. Please don't worry, and don't let their unhappiness affect our mood. Brother Zhixing, what were we planning to do this afternoon?"

Peng Zhixing said, "My original plan was for everyone to buy some ingredients together in the afternoon, walk around the area, get familiar with the environment, and then cook dinner together in the evening."

“Sure,” Lu Yanhe nodded. “How about we set off right away?”

Peng Zhixing asked, "Your agents are all here? Aren't you going to wait for them?"

Everyone knows that Li Zhibai and Meng Li are leaving, and everyone thought that the situation was currently undecided. How could they continue recording their work?

Lu Yanhe said, "The agents are discussing their own things, we'll do ours. Well, we can't just stop recording right after we start."

Although Li Zhibai looked reluctant, he did not refuse.

So, the group of people, each with a different expression, prepared to leave.

Li Zhibai continued to drive as usual.

“The nearest supermarket is ten kilometers away,” Peng Zhixing said. “Let’s go.”

As soon as he finished speaking, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from the stairs.

Meng Li ran downstairs, her eyes red and swollen, pointing at them incredulously, and said, "Is this how you gang up on me?"

(End of this chapter)