Chapter 973 A Salted Fish Turns Over? Keep Lying Down!

Lu Yanhe nodded, agreeing with what Chen Ziyan said.

He certainly didn't want to see Ma Zhiyuan's fortunes turn around.

This person is of poor character, uses insidious methods, and has no principles whatsoever.

If Ma Zhiyuan really makes a comeback, not to mention Li Yuefeng, he, Li Zhibai, and Yan Liang will probably be drawn into all sorts of disputes.

Some celebrities can take the fan base and traffic to the extreme, to the point that they can create chaos and disorder in everything.

"But we don't know what Li Yuefeng is planning to do."

"What else can we do but release dirt on him? No matter what, we can't let Ma Zhiyuan clear his name. That's the most important thing," Chen Ziyan said. "Although being infamous is still fame, it can never become mainstream or be respectable, especially in our country. That's still very important."

Lu Yanhe nodded.

"Ma Zhiyuan certainly has a lot of dirt on him."

Chen Ziyan: "I've collected quite a few, and I'm just waiting to send them out."

Lu Yanhe was very surprised and asked, "Are you going to participate too?"

"Not for now, we'll see how things go," Chen Ziyan said. "If Li Yuefeng isn't his match, then I'll definitely have to step in."

Lu Yanhe nodded.

"Speaking of which, Ma Zhiyuan is showing signs of a comeback. Zhou Ping'an is really lucky. His luck is unparalleled among agents." Chen Ziyan's tone was full of envy. "He has never lost a popular artist under his management."

Lu Yanhe: "...He probably saved the world in his past life."

Chen Ziyan: "It might really be true, otherwise I can't understand why he's so lucky as an agent."

"It's probably some kind of mystical theory, but is he still personally acting as his agent?"

"Those like me definitely won't be involved in the specifics anymore, but they'll still keep track of the general direction, especially the popular artists he's been promoting, like Meng Li and Cheng Hai. He'll definitely be in charge of those, as they're part of Shijin Entertainment's KPIs."

"That's true. By the way, has Lang Xia already gone there? And is he now under Zhou Ping'an's command?"

"Yes." Chen Ziyan nodded. "He Yingzi has indeed retired from the entertainment industry. She's no longer doing it."

"Such a dynamic and energetic manager, and he just left the entertainment industry like that?"

"I have a health problem," Chen Ziyan said with a helpless expression.

Despite having been rivals for many years, Lu Yanhe saw a hint of melancholy on Chen Ziyan's face at this moment.

-

Li Yuefeng acted swiftly and decisively.

Just as Ma Zhiyuan was seeing his popularity soar due to the movie "Scumbag", some of his past scandals immediately surfaced online.

He's accused of being arrogant, bullying teammates, and humiliating his assistant. Most importantly, he hasn't even visited his child once, merely fulfilling his parental obligations by providing living expenses.

Zhou Ping'an was truly surprised that Ma Zhiyuan could suddenly reappear.

Although many people online seem to be criticizing him for playing himself—

Zhou Ping'an had analyzed that those comments that seemed to criticize his natural acting actually acknowledged the quality of his performance.

Some people even said that only Ma Zhiyuan could play this role.

He certainly has the qualities to be a scumbag.

Zhou Ping'an was stunned when he saw this conclusion.

Is this even possible?

However, this argument still garnered a lot of likes and support—

Similarly, many people also criticize it as having distorted values.

However, besides being subject to moral judgment, what else does someone's moral compass have to do with whether their values ​​are right or wrong?

Having worked in this industry for so many years, Zhou Ping'an knew very well that Ma Zhiyuan was truly about to turn his life around.

Just then, the scandal arrived as expected.

-

"You should know who's behind this, right?" Zhou Ping'an asked, looking at Ma Zhiyuan.

"Is Lu Yanhe there?" Ma Zhiyuan asked in return.

“He’s definitely not in a hurry to make a move now, but I can tell you directly that he will,” Zhou Ping’an said. “He won’t just watch you turn things around. Back then, your relationship with him was so strained. Moreover, you not only had a bad relationship with him, but you also clashed with Li Zhibai and Yan Liang, right?”

Ma Zhiyuan smiled sarcastically.

"Does this mean that if I offended those guys, I can no longer work in the entertainment industry?"

Zhou Ping'an: "If they want to do that, I can assure you, you will find it impossible to move an inch."

Ma Zhiyuan continued to sneer, but said nothing more.

Threatening words didn't work.

Zhou Ping'an had long since stopped buying into it.

Ma Zhiyuan pondered for a moment and said, "By the way, weren't you in contact with a spin-off project of 'The Seventeenth Floor' in Beijing and Taiwan?"

Zhou Ping'an's eyelids twitched, and he said directly, "Don't even think about that project. Jingtai is different from other companies; they would never cast you as the lead actor."

"It all depends on human effort."

“I can’t do it. If you can, then you do it,” Zhou Ping’an said. “Don’t think that just because you’ve managed to get Yu Jiang on your side once, you can get everyone on your side. Yu Jiang is the easiest person to get on your side because she’s the only one with projects. You just need to get her on your side.”

Ma Zhiyuan: "If you can get away with it once, you can do it a second time. I'm curious, does Lu Yanhe know about what you did to him back then? Even if he does know, how much does he know? I really doubt what he knows, otherwise, why would he still be able to cooperate with you now?"

Zhou Ping'an's heart skipped a beat, but he remained outwardly calm.

“Because Lu Yanhe is smarter than you. He knows what common interests are and he also knows not to make permanent enemies,” Zhou Ping’an said. “To be honest, if you were even a little smarter, with your abilities, luck, and fan base, you wouldn’t have taken so long to recover after the incident. Your career plummeted, which is not only due to timing and luck, but also because of what you deserved.”

Ma Zhiyuan rolled his eyes in front of Zhou Ping'an.

"What's the point of all this talk? If I didn't act this way, would I still have the opportunity to film 'Scandal'? Would I still have the chance to sit here and tell you what happened next? You would have abandoned me long ago."

Zhou Ping'an: "I chose you over Li Zhibai, and he left in a huff. Now you're saying I abandoned you? Ask yourself honestly, were you blacklisted or what? After the incident, you became like a powder keg, completely out of control. I wanted to give you some space and temper your temper, but you only got worse, complaining and blaming everyone else. In the end, you drove away all your collaborators, and you still think you're so great?"

Ma Zhiyuan: "What's the point of saying all this now? Can't you say something useful?"

"Don't even think about spin-offs of 'The Seventeen Floors,' and the shows broadcast on Beijing and Taiwan won't use an actor with your past and controversies," Zhou Ping'an said. "And don't even think about Linghe's shows either; Lu Yanhe will never let you appear in them. So, your choices are very limited. For now, honestly sign the contract for 'Scumbag 2' with Yu Jiang. Rather than trying to raise your price now, I suggest you use the conditions of agreeing to act in it to exchange for a lead role contract in another of Yu Jiang's works. Right now, job opportunities are much more important to you than job pay."

Ma Zhiyuan asked, "Have we been cooperating with Yu Jiang all along?"

"Are there any other good projects coming your way? Normally, 'The Scumbag' has become a box office hit, and you've generated so much buzz, so you should have some good projects coming your way by now. But you know yourself that although more projects are coming your way, the overall quality is worrying, and they're all playing scumbag roles. It's obvious they're trying to replicate the success of 'The Scumbag.' So, do you think you should take them? Or are you saying, OK, I'll take them all for you, the more the merrier?"

Zhou Ping'an had an attitude of "do whatever you want".

Ma Zhiyuan: "...Aren't there also derivative works of 'The Seventeenth Floor' on overseas streaming platforms?"

"The copyright is held by Beijing and Taiwan."

"Then why were Lu Yanhe and his team able to obtain the production rights for the spin-off film?"

“Because he has an excellent relationship with the deputy director of Beijing-Taiwan Railway Station, even if he falls out with Beijing-Taiwan Railway Station, it will not affect the exchange of resources brought about by his personal relationship,” Zhou Ping’an said. “A platform is a platform, and an individual is an individual. The fact that you would ask such a question shows that you do not understand why Lu Yanhe would cooperate with me.”

"Do you have a personal relationship with him?"

“He and I are individuals, and platforms are platforms. Linghe and Shijin have a partnership, so my personal grudges with him don’t matter.”

Ma Zhiyuan: "..."

He rolled his eyes again and said, "You've said everything."

Zhou Ping'an: "Now, getting back to the point, what's your opinion on these attacks and accusations?"

"How can I look at it? I'll just have to stand at attention and take the beating. It's all true, there's solid evidence, how can I deny it?" Ma Zhiyuan said.

This answer made Zhou Ping'an look at Ma Zhiyuan with new respect.

Zhou Pingan asked, "Are you planning to issue a statement?"

Ma Zhiyuan: "I'll start a live stream and apologize on the spot."

Zhou Ping'an was shocked.

Ma Zhiyuan said, "Shouldn't that be enough?"

“After you apologize, we don’t know how much people will accept it; it’s unpredictable,” Zhou Ping’an said. “So, whether it’s enough or not, I can’t answer that for you right now.”

Ma Zhiyuan said, "Your answer is the same as not answering at all."

-

Later that evening, Ma Zhiyuan held a live stream.

Lu Yanhe missed his live stream.

He didn't really pay much attention to him.

By the time Lu Yanhe noticed, clips of Ma Zhiyuan's live stream were already all over the internet, trending on two hot search lists.

During the live broadcast, Ma Zhiyuan sincerely apologized to many people in the past, frankly admitting that because he had been in a state of being praised by those around him for a long time, he became arrogant, conceited, and made many mistakes.

Even Lu Yanhe heard his own name, Li Zhibai's name, and Yan Liang's name in the live broadcast.

In Ma Zhiyuan's apology, he stated that because their group was his senior, Ma Zhiyuan, as the captain of MX at the time, always regarded them as rivals and was full of competitive spirit, which led to many offensive words and actions.

Lu Yanhe was speechless upon hearing this.

He wouldn't believe anyone that Ma Zhiyuan truly realized his mistake.

In this world, many people mistakenly believe that "what is right and what is wrong" is a natural concept. In reality, this is not the case. It's a sociological concept, just like law, which is a set of rules created by humankind. Some people, however, disregard these concepts entirely. They instinctively believe in the "law of the jungle" and "survival of the fittest," placing more faith in what they can obtain and in the principle that might makes right than in what is right and wrong.

Ma Zhiyuan was also that kind of person.

In Lu Yanhe's eyes, he was beyond saving.

Such people don't have a problem with their values; rather, their values ​​have been distorted from the very beginning.

-

Li Zhibai had already started criticizing the three people in the group chat.

He said: This disgusted me so much, I felt like throwing up my dinner. Maybe I should start a live stream and broadcast myself vomiting.

Yan Liang: I support you.

Li Zhibai: I'm truly speechless. How can there be such a shameless person in this world?

Yan Liang: My acting was so bad it cost five cents, yet everyone believed it.

Li Zhibai: The most ridiculous thing is his fans, one after another saying that he is a prodigal son who has returned home and is more precious than gold. What kind of nonsense is that?! Can't they have any intelligence at all?

Yan Liang: Stop talking. His fans even came to my comment section to apologize on his behalf and beg for my forgiveness.

Lu Yanhe also came and said: He took the apology route, but his fans helped him take the sob story route, saying that he had a very difficult time in the past few years, was suppressed by the industry, had no job opportunities, and almost became homeless.

Li Zhibai: Homeless?

Li Zhibai: What kind of international joke is this?

Li Zhibai: Are all his fans lying through their teeth?

A top celebrity like Ma Zhiyuan earns enough in a year to live comfortably for the rest of his life.

During an economic boom, the entertainment industry is awash with money.

Homeless?

What are you pretending to be, all high and mighty?

Li Zhibai: I really wish I could just start a live stream and curse that bastard.

Lu Yanhe: Forget it, it's not worth it.

Li Zhibai: I really wish someone would stand up now and point their finger at him and call him a hypocrite.

No sooner had he sent that message than Yan Liang suddenly sent him a live stream link.

It's Chen Jing from the MX group.

Chen Jing was also live-streaming.

Yan Liang said: Look quickly.

Lu Yanhe immediately clicked on it.

He wasn't very familiar with Chen Jing, but among the members of MX, only Chen Jing and Jiang Bai didn't make Lu Yanhe dislike them.

Normally, Ma Zhiyuan, Wei Zhuoran, Qu Yousong and the others always hung out together, while Chen Jing usually didn't join their group.

In the live stream room, Chen Jing had already been broadcasting for some time.

He was talking about his recent situation: "...I haven't appeared in public for a long time because I've basically been semi-retired from the entertainment industry. As a result, when Ma Zhiyuan's live broadcast clip came out, many people came to ask me. After seeing what he said, I didn't know what to say. Those painful memories came back to me. Really, no exaggeration, they came back to me."

Lu Yanhe was taken aback.

Chen Jing's choice of words was unexpected by Lu Yanhe.

Chen Jing's expression did not seem feigned.

Chen Jing said, "He apologized to so many people probably because a lot of dirt on him bullying others was exposed. But he didn't apologize to me because no one exposed it. He never felt that he had caused me indelible pain, to the point that I can no longer enjoy the stage like before. I no longer love the stage that I used to love so much."

(End of this chapter)