Chapter 496: Cautious Response

Time flies, and it is already late April.

In the early morning light, the dressing room of the Donghai crew of "See You Tomorrow" was filled with the scent of hairspray and foundation, mixed with a faint hint of coffee aroma.

Zhao Liying sat in front of a large dressing mirror, the fatigue in her eyes was particularly obvious under the light.

Filming until late at night for several days made her fall asleep almost as soon as she touched the pillow, and the fatigue from the non-stop work was clearly written on her face.

Stylist A Zheng carefully took care of her long hair, his fingertips moving deftly, and the hair wrapped around the curling iron emitted a subtle heat.

Taking advantage of this rare quiet, Zhao Liying picked up her phone and opened Weibo.

Because she worked overtime on filming yesterday, she missed the release of the 2013 Forbes China Celebrity List. Only now did she take the time to take a closer look.

Ah Zheng caught a glimpse of the list from the corner of his eye, and without stopping his hands, he said with a smile, "Congratulations, Teacher Zhao, you're on the list!"

Zhao Liying was delighted when she heard this, and her fatigue was greatly alleviated by this sudden joy. She was the 78th on the list, with an annual income of 26 million.

Being on the list is like a shining medal, bringing a sense of accomplishment of being recognized by authority, indicating that she has firmly established herself at the top of the industry and her status has been different since then.

As Ah Zheng combed his long hair, he praised, "Our crew is really amazing!

Director Han Han, Professor Qiao Zhengyu, and Professor Hu Ge are all on the list! One crew took up four spots, that's impressive!

Zhao Liying smiled and nodded, her gaze returning to the screen.

The top of the list is Liu Shishi, with an income of 207 million; the second is Fan Bingbing, with 110 million; and the third is Zhou Jielun, with 104.2 million.

His eyes paused on the name of the First Sister, and he asked in confusion, "Huh? It seems that Master Liu's income is much lower than last year?"

The assistant immediately came over to explain, "Sister, Forbes changed its algorithm this year. It excluded investment income and company profits, and only counted labor remuneration such as film remuneration, endorsements, and commercial performances."

"I see."

"Senior Sister Shi has no commercial performances. Apart from the 10 million yuan salary for the film "Silent Shorthand", all her other income comes from endorsements from top brands."

Zhao Liying was filled with envy when she heard this. Being a global spokesperson for high-end luxury goods not only means income, but also a symbol of fashion status and global influence. It is the peak that every actor aspires to climb.

Scrolling down further, we see Yang Mi in eighth place, with an income of 53.7 million. The 85 flower camp occupies a prominent position on the celebrity list this year.

By the time her hair and makeup were done, it was already daylight and the clamor of the set was clearly audible. Zhao Liying stood up, stretched her stiff neck, and walked towards the set in a good mood.

Outside the studio, Hu Ge saw the visitor and teased with a smile, "Oh, Ms. Forbes is here? Congratulations."

Qiao Zhengyu agreed: "Yes, Liying, this time we have to treat you. You are the only lady in our crew who made the list. This is a great occasion."

Zhao Liying's cheeks flushed slightly at the amusement, and she laughed and retorted, "Both of you are ranked higher than me, so if you want to treat someone, you should do it first. I'm just at the bottom of the list at best."

The atmosphere was relaxed as a few people chatted and laughed.

Just as we were about to start filming, the assistant came running over in a panic, his face pale and his voice trembling: "Sister Ying! This is bad! Something terrible has happened!"

Zhao Liying's heart sank: "What's wrong? Tell me slowly."

The assistant gasped, "There's an earthquake in the southwest! It's just been reported on the news. It's serious, a major disaster!"

As soon as the word "catastrophe" came out, the dark memories of 2008 came flooding back, making everyone look solemn.

Zhao Liying took the phone, her fingertips cold. Hu Ge and Qiao Zhengyu also gathered around, their eyes fixed on the screen.

The once colorful hot search page is now a solemn gray, and the bold headlines are shocking.

Brief news reports and blurry pictures of the scene conveyed the ruins and life-and-death crises thousands of miles away.

The lightness and joy that had just come from being on the list were overwhelmed by a huge sense of sadness and powerlessness, which weighed heavily on everyone's heart.

A sad atmosphere permeated the set for a moment, and everyone suppressed their shock and grief, realizing that this was not the time to indulge in emotions.

Zhao Liying took a deep breath and looked at Qiao Zhengyu, the most experienced person present: "Brother, what should we do?"

Her thoughts drifted back to 2008, when she was just an unknown little actress. Faced with the disaster, she had the will but not the strength.

But it is completely different now. As a top actress, her every move is magnified infinitely under the spotlight.

At special moments, the words and deeds of celebrities are not only personal behaviors, but are also regarded as social indicators.

Good intentions may be misinterpreted, slowness may be criticized, and any slight mistake may be pushed to the forefront of public opinion and become the target of public criticism.

Qiao Zhengyu calmed himself down and said in a low voice, "Stay calm, don't act on your own, and follow the company's arrangements."

As soon as she finished speaking, Zhao Liying's cell phone rang rapidly. The name of her agent Ge Maoliang appeared on the screen. She quickly answered the call and subconsciously turned on the hands-free mode.

Ge Maoliang spoke very quickly, suppressing his nervousness: "Liying, is Zhengyu with you?"

"Yes, Mr. Ge, I'm here." Qiao Zhengyu immediately leaned over and responded.

Ge Maoliang cut to the chase, his instructions clear: "This is an emergency. The two of you, immediately ask for leave from the crew and be sure to take the next flight back to the company."

"Okay," they both said in unison, without the slightest hesitation. The call came in hastily, and ended abruptly, leaving no room for further questions. The situation was urgent.

Zhao Liying and Qiao Zhengyu looked at each other and were about to find the director to explain the situation, but they saw that Han Han had arrived here without them knowing when.

"I've approved the leave! Due to special circumstances, the crew has suspended filming for a few days."

Seeing this, Hu Ge, who was standing by, immediately stepped forward and said earnestly, "Director, I need to go back to the company too."

George Han nodded in understanding and waved his hand: “Go, go ahead. Be safe on the road and keep in touch.”

Meanwhile, in Reykjavik, Iceland.

It was a little after eleven o'clock in the evening local time, and outside the window was the unique tranquility of the polar regions and the lingering glow of the aurora.

Song Ci and Liu Shishi, who were on their honeymoon, had just finished a day of sightseeing and were about to fall asleep in each other's arms when Song Ci's cell phone suddenly rang on the bedside table, breaking the silence of the night.

Liu Shishi was awakened by the ringing sound. She glanced at the screen and gently nudged her husband: "Yiyi, it's Sister Jing calling. It must be something urgent so late."

As the group's chief operating officer, Wang Jing would never disturb the chairman who was on his honeymoon at this time unless it was extremely urgent.

Song Ci instantly woke up, a sense of foreboding flashed through his mind, and he immediately swiped the answer button: "Sister Jing?"

Wang Jing's voice on the other end of the line was unusually calm, but her speed betrayed the gravity of the situation. "Mr. Song, I'm sorry to bother you so late at night. There's been a sudden domestic emergency, an earthquake in the southwest, and the damage is severe. Public opinion has exploded."

Song Ci frowned, all sleepiness disappeared, and his mood instantly became extremely heavy: "I know.

The group immediately launched an emergency response. Our top priority is to control public opinion and direct positive attention. I will return to China immediately."

Seeing her husband's expression change suddenly after answering the phone, Liu Shishi immediately stood up and asked with concern, "What's wrong, husband? What happened?"

Song Ci put down the phone, sighed heavily, briefly explained the disaster, and then held his wife's hand.

"With something like this happening back home, our honeymoon had to end early. We immediately left for China, traveling light, and had our assistant pack and ship all our belongings."

After saying that, he immediately picked up his phone and called his assistant: "Apply for a flight route immediately, coordinate with Icelandic and domestic air traffic control, and prepare the plane as quickly as possible. Shishi and I will go to the airport immediately. Yes, return home."

Liu Shishi was also concerned about the country. Without any hesitation, she nodded silently, immediately stood up and began to pack the necessary documents and simple luggage.

In Peking, Tengda Culture, an emergency meeting is underway. President Liu Rong sits in the main seat with a serious expression.

Vice Presidents Liu Zhijun, Wang Qiang, Artist Director Ge Maoliang and other core management personnel were on the left and right.

"Boss Ge, has the notice been issued? All artists must speak with one voice and act in unison."

Ge Maoliang quickly replied, "Boss Liu, we've already sent an urgent notice. Yang Zi is in the US and won't be able to return for a while."

The others have received instructions and are returning to the company as quickly as possible to stand by."

"This is an extraordinary period, and it's imperative," Liu Rong emphasized, then swept his gaze across the room, "Company owners are prohibited from expressing their personal opinions on any platform, and are prohibited from taking any actions on their own, especially regarding donations.

This time the situation is completely different from the past. The public has always had high expectations and strict demands on celebrities, believing that celebrities should bear more social responsibilities due to their high incomes."

He paused and emphasized, "No matter how much a star donates, it's all a gesture of love. But it just so happened that yesterday, the Forbes China Celebrity List was just released, and the whole society was buzzing about the stars' astonishing income figures.

In the face of a devastating disaster, celebrities' donations will undoubtedly be magnified and interpreted with skepticism. If they donate too little, they'll be criticized; if they donate too much, it'll be difficult to handle.

The 'comparative' behavior of some extreme fans, or the inherent negative views of some netizens towards celebrities, will make this public opinion extremely complicated."

"Mr. Liu is right," Wang Qiang agreed, a worried look on his face. "Now public opinion is not only concerned about whether celebrities donated, but also about who they donated to and how they donated.

The key is whether the money is actually used for disaster relief!

Even if a celebrity donates money, if the charity that receives it makes any mistakes later, the public's anger is likely to be transferred to the celebrity who donated the money."

Liu Rong sighed softly, "If I donate too little, I'll definitely be criticized for being rich and unkind; but if I donate too much, far exceeding the industry standard, it will inevitably seem high-profile and offend the entire industry."

After a brief thought, he turned his gaze to the Financial Director: "Director Zhao, the company's attitude must be made clear immediately.

Go do it immediately. In the name of 'Tengda Culture', urgently mobilize 20 million in cash and donate it. Hurry!

Director Zhao hesitated slightly and asked, "Boss Liu, do you mean that our subsidiary should act independently and separate the donation from the group?"

Liu Rong nodded affirmatively: "I have discussed this with COO Wang, this is her idea.

We are in the special industry of entertainment, which is more sensitive. We must show a positive attitude at the first opportunity and not fall into a passive position in public opinion.

The group's donation rules are decided by senior management, and that's another matter. Our donation represents the attitude of 'Tengda Culture.'"

Director Zhao pressed for a key detail: "Mr. Liu, who will the 20 million be donated to? Will it be donated directly to the group's charitable foundation?"

Liu Rong immediately shook his head and rejected it, saying, "No. Mr. Wang specifically instructed us that although the group has its own foundation, its operations are also very standardized.

But the subsidiary's money, especially the huge donations during such sensitive times, is best donated "outside".

Give priority to official charitable organizations with the strongest credibility, such as the China Charity Federation or the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation.

We must avoid any suspicion of misleading others and must not give the outside world the wrong impression of transferring funds from one hand to the other or of internal circulation of funds."

"I understand! I'll do it right away." Director Zhao immediately understood the deep meaning, stood up and quickly left the meeting room to carry out the instructions.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was solemn. After discussing the company's principal donation, Liu Rong paused for a moment before continuing to make arrangements.

"Boss Liu, you must immediately organize personnel to procure a batch of tents, sleeping bags, drinking water, instant foods, and other emergency supplies.

Sending them directly to the disaster area is the most practical thing we can do right now, and it's more useful than just cash."

Liu Zhijun responded in a deep voice: "Understood!"

"Mr. Wang, please take the lead immediately and issue a statement in the name of the company. The content must be sincere and concise, expressing our deep condolences to the victims and our concern and support for the people in the disaster area.

It also clearly lists all the aid measures that have just been agreed upon. It also includes the company's donation amount, as well as the details and destination of this batch of emergency supplies."

Wang Qiang quickly wrote down the key points in his notebook. He looked up and quickly responded, "Don't worry, Mr. Liu. I'll send you the draft statement as soon as it's ready."

After several of the most urgent matters were arranged, the tense atmosphere in the conference room eased slightly.

Liu Rong breathed a sigh of relief and was about to adjourn the meeting when the screen of his cell phone on the conference table suddenly vibrated weakly and rapidly several times.

He quickly picked it up to check, his brows slightly furrowed at first, then relaxed, and with a quick swipe of his fingers, he forwarded the important information he had just received to several core executives present at the meeting.

Almost at the same time, the cell phone in Artist Director Ge Maoliang's pocket also buzzed.

When he took it out and looked at it, he found that the sender was President Liu Rong.

The news content is the donation situation announced by several top stars in the entertainment industry:

Chenglong: 10 million

Zhao Benshan and Benshan Media: 5 million

Jay Chou: 2 million

…

The list is not long, but it contains a lot of information.

The amounts range from hundreds of thousands to tens of millions, but a clear unspoken rule emerges on the screen: status, fame, and ranking on the Forbes celebrity list are almost directly linked to the amount of donation.

This is obviously much higher than the "market price" of similar events in previous years. It seems that colleagues in the circle, especially those top stars who are in the limelight and worth a lot of money, are secretly weighing it.

We are particularly concerned about the surging public opinion caused by this disaster. No one wants to be put on the fire of being "rich and unkind" at this moment.

Liu Rong looked past his phone and towards Ge Maoliang: "Boss Ge, do two things right away.

First, order all artists to forward the official authoritative rescue information and prayer Weibo on Weibo. They must speak out.

But please be careful not to release any unverified on-site news."

"Understood. Public opinion control is the top priority. I will issue unified guidelines immediately."

"Secondly, regarding individual donations. Yang Zi has already donated 500,000 yuan in his personal name immediately. His attitude is very good and the amount is appropriate. Don't make any further moves.

All other artists will receive two million each. Please be polite and donate quickly. After donating, please submit the receipts to you for collection."

Ge Maoliang understood that 2 million was a first-tier price, and he immediately agreed: "Okay, Mr. Liu. I will contact each one of them as soon as the meeting is over to confirm."

Liu Rong looked around the conference room and saw no more objections. He waved his hand decisively, "If there's nothing else, let's adjourn the meeting. Everyone should do their jobs well, maintain communication, and make way for disaster relief."

(End of this chapter)