Chapter 40: Those who invested money (not really) If the answer is the same, then that's fine...

I don't know what got into Mr. Zhao, he's acting unusually crazy today.

Huang Shan couldn't control him at all, and the people around were just watching the show without offering any help. After almost half a bottle of whiskey was poured into Xiao Zhao's stomach, she finally snatched the bottle away.

"Are you out of your mind? What are you doing here blocking my way?" Zhao Zhixun was already short-tempered, and now that he was drunk, he was too lazy to move. He just stretched his arms out on the back of the sofa, leaned back, and tried to talk his way out of things, but his tone was clearly displeased. If he was pushed any further, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Huang Shan had been hesitant to mention Xiao Tang's name because of the presence of outsiders, but now that she saw he was truly angry, she felt a lump in her throat and couldn't speak for a long time.

Zhao Zhixun was feeling the effects of the alcohol when a minor celebrity next to him leaned in and gently pressed his brow with her fingertips. A faint scent of gardenia wafted through the air. Zhao Zhixun's brow relaxed slightly, but he still didn't open his eyes. "If you don't want to talk, then get lost. Don't stand in my way."

Huang Shan is a top agent in the industry. Before taking over Xiao Tang's agency, she had managed four or five famous actors. Who in the company didn't give her some face? Zhao Zhixun is the first person to disregard her like this.

"Don't you know your boss's temper? If you don't leave now, you'll be waiting to resign?" A blue-haired man with blond hair, dressed in a very punk and unconventional style, was watching the show from a distance. He was holding a glass of red wine in one hand, swirling it gently, and suppressing a laugh. He even offered the glass to her as a gesture of goodwill.

In a moment of impulsiveness, she grabbed the remote control on the table and turned off the music in the private room, then casually switched the dim bar lights to bright overhead lighting.

The overhead light shone directly into Zhao Zhixun's eyes. Although it was gentle, it still made him squint. His anger, which had been irritating for no reason, intensified. He flung away the hand of the minor celebrity next to him and stood up, intending to slap him.

Huang Shan took a step back and swung the bag in her arms, which collided with Zhao Zhixun's wrist.

Zhao Zhixun had never suffered a loss since childhood. Even when he caused the biggest trouble in the world, his father never dared to really fight him, only thinking of sending him abroad to avoid the storm. This blow made his wrist numb, the stinging pain accompanied by trembling, and he was completely stunned.

Taking advantage of this brief lull, Huang Shan quickly cleared the area.

The blue-haired man was the most cooperative. Before leaving, he patted Zhao Zhixun on the shoulder, telling him to tone it down so that things wouldn't get out of hand.

Huang Shan looked at him a few more times before recognizing him as the second-generation heir of the Ji family, just like Little Zhao, and indeed not much better.

Only the two of them remained in the private room. Zhao Zhi looked down at his still trembling left hand. Huang Shan had used a lot of force, hitting the nerve endings right where he was stuck, and his entire arm was still numb.

He gripped his left wrist with his right hand and moved it around. There was no longer the anger that had surged within him, nor any impatience; only a terrifying calm.

He looked up and casually uttered, "Don't think that just because you slept with my dad, you have the right to tell me what to do."

*

As Zhu Qingzhi's car entered the Xisha parking lot, she saw a black minivan parked at the entrance. A woman wrapped in a snow-white fur coat hurriedly got out of the car and rushed inside.

Zhu Qingzhi knew that it was Xiao Tang.

Just then, Dani messaged me on my phone, asking where I was and reminding me to be careful and avoid people.

Fine snowflakes fell like sand onto the windshield, and dappled sunlight filtered into the car, flickering and fading.

Zhu Qingzhi suddenly felt that it was quite boring.

When Xiao Tang entered the industry, he was young and ambitious. Over the years, he had always regarded her as a rival and wanted to be superior to her in every way, but she never paid any attention to him.

Firstly, anyone who is young and has such resources when they first enter the industry will inevitably be a little arrogant, and she is no exception.

Secondly, Xiao Tang has never won in matters that she truly cares about.

In the early days, Shangya had high hopes for her, but she proved herself capable and was able to secure many resources on her own. Over time, she was left to her own devices.

Xiao Tang was heavily promoted by Mingyuan and debuted under the banner of "Red and White Beauties." It goes without saying that they wanted to use her to compete with Zhu Qingzhi. Thinking deeper, it was Mingyuan and Shangya vying for the top spot.

Because of this, Shangya became tight on her resources and did some work. However, after she repeatedly disobeyed orders and even hit investors on the head with a wine glass a few times, Shangya chose other promising talents to replace her.

Although Miao Zi's fame wasn't that great yet, at least there was a backup plan, and Xiao Tang finally won the casting for "Jia Ren".

Winning just this once is enough to give her a hard time.

This incident made her realize how difficult it is for someone without connections to navigate the industry. Unfounded rumors can destroy a person, even if they've already reached a high enough position, so connections and support are crucial.

This is also why she left Shangya and chose Chaoxing; what she valued was the power of the actual person in charge of Chaoxing.

How much better is she compared to Xiao Tang? Isn't it all just a game of capital?

The temperature inside the car gradually dropped, a cold wind swept through, and the pine and cypress trees stood tall. The Xisha sign, black with gold paint, stood out against the backdrop of the pines and cypresses. So, what role was Wen Qi playing beside her at this moment?

Zhu Qingzhi suddenly pressed down on Wen Qi's hand, which was trying to unbuckle his seatbelt: "You designed this?"

The warm sweat on her palms was like rain desperately needed in parched ruins; the moment it fell, it was enough to ignite an undercurrent of restlessness.

Wen Qi knew that Zhu Qingzhi wanted to ask more than just this one question, but now was not a good time to reveal everything.

“Public opinion is currently unfavorable to you. If this drags on any longer, you will miss the best time for public relations.” He raised his eyes, suppressing the surging undercurrent in his heart. “Mingyuan is adding fuel to the fire, trying to make it burn even brighter. It’s not that they don’t know that these things are aimed at Xiao Tang.”

"On the contrary, they know that Xiao Tang's reputation will be ruined, so they can only try to minimize the impact. The best way is to drag you down with them and attribute everything to you."

Zhu Qingzhi understood everything Wen Qi said.

"If the revelations stop here, then you will have to bear all the consequences. You will once again become a stepping stone for her to climb higher."

Once again… her heart suddenly trembled, and the hand covering Wen Qi's hand tightened abruptly. Her dark eyelashes were obscured, making it impossible to see her expression.

The light snowflakes gradually turned into heavy snow pellets, pattering against the windshield like a rainy day.

Wen Qi didn't speak again, giving her enough time to choose.

Today she was wearing a light beige cashmere sweater, loose and oversized, which made her look even thinner. The ends of her hair were curled up and twisted, with a few strands inadvertently sticking to his arm. Like her voice, it was easy to make people lose their minds and become infatuated.

"So Xiao Tang's backer is just a small-time CEO Zhao?" Clear eyes looked over, but not innocently. "Just him alone?"

Wen Qi understood what Zhu Qingzhi meant.

She's actually quite clever; she understands that Zhao Zhixun, a playboy abandoned by a wealthy family, doesn't have that much power.

Chairman Zhao has three sons, none of whom are particularly outstanding in terms of ability. However, Chairman Zhao's illegitimate son, Zhao Shiyan, is different. His appearance and abilities are obvious to all. In recent years, the Zhao family has been in turmoil because Zhao Shiyan and Chairman Zhao's eldest son are competing for power.

Chairman Zhao has remained tight-lipped, but the incident Zhao Zhixun caused two years ago has become the perfect opportunity for Zhao Shiyan to launch his attack.

After Zhao Zhixun was sent abroad by Chairman Zhao, Zhao Shiyan took over his affairs at Zhao's Entertainment. Step by step, he rose to the position of CEO, with Mingyuan under his supervision. However, whether Chairman Zhao authorized this move remains to be investigated.

“What I mean is, Xiao Tang doesn’t seem to be his favorite one.” So, Zhao Zhixun is probably just a cover.

Zhu Qingzhi blinked, her tone hesitant, much like a student who had the correct answer but was unsure about the derivation process.

...A barely perceptible smile froze at the corner of Wen Qi's mouth.

Okay, he didn't understand.

Zhu Qingzhi had never been involved in the business world since childhood, and she knew little about the affairs of the Beijing entertainment circle, so she couldn't understand this aspect. Her way of thinking was confined to the entertainment industry, and she liked to analyze gains and losses from an emotional perspective, but she was always circuitous and the answer was close enough.

Wen Qi gave a faint "hmm" in response, but to Zhu Qingzhi's ears, it sounded disappointing.

This feeling is similar to finishing a reading comprehension exercise and thinking your answer is perfect, but the standard answer only has the conclusion and the explanation is just a brief "omitted".

Oh well, as long as the answer is the same, it's fine.

"Also, could you wait a moment?"

Wen Qi glanced at her upon hearing this.

Zhu Qingzhi sometimes felt that she deserved to die because others were working themselves to the bone and she didn't appreciate it.

But Xiao Tang can't really collapse, at least not now!!! Unfounded rumors won't completely ruin a person, but solid evidence really can!

Her eyes darted away for a moment, then she forced herself to finish the sentence, "After all, both my family and my employer invested money in it."

If a person doesn't work for money, they'll be damned by heaven and earth!

She swallowed hard, wishing she could choke on her own saliva. How could she have acted so impulsively and followed him to Xisha?

What should we do now? What she said was indeed inappropriate, but it was his decision, made without asking her opinion, so it's his problem! She doesn't need to feel embarrassed!

Just as Zhu Qingzhi finished mentally preparing herself and the pent-up emotions in her chest dissipated, she heard him say, "I didn't ask for your opinion. I made the decision privately. If I offended you, I apologize."

...Wait, bro, you actually apologized?

Zhu Qingzhi couldn't catch her breath and went down again.

Then he suddenly asked, "Is it because of Director Xu?"

The snow grew thicker and thicker, almost completely covering the windshield. The dim, somewhat glaring light inside the carriage made people uneasy, and the temperature inside had dropped to its lowest point.

Wen Qi restarted the car, turned on the air conditioning and windshield wipers, the rhythmic noise washing away the snow, and the sunlight once again streamed in. His gaze didn't fall on her.

Zhu Qingzhi had to admit that Wen Qi really understood her thoughts; he could guess almost all the reasons she didn't say.

She was the one who persuaded Director Xu to film "The Beauty," a work he poured his heart and soul into. She didn't want it to be ruined because of Xiao Tang's negative news. But how did he know?

Wen Qi's phone screen, which was on the center console, flickered several times, but the wallpaper was still the same blurry picture of the two of them from behind.

Zhu Qingzhi's mind was a complete mess before she realized that most of her body had already passed over the center console, and she was still holding Wen Qi's hand, preventing him from unbuckling his seatbelt.

What is she doing?

She fawned over Wen Qi's phone again, then sat up straight, pretending nothing had happened.

Wen Qi didn't expose him. Actually, he could tell it was from Ji Cen even without opening the message. He usually didn't bother to read or reply to it, but just to be on the safe side, he still had to tell Ji Cen. Otherwise, given Ji Cen's personality, this matter would cause a huge uproar.

This is so damn exciting! Huang Shan and Chairman Zhao have a relationship!

[Brother Wen, where are you?!]

[Xiao Tang really came!!! Two paparazzi took pictures of her!!!]

Should I, your humble servant, give it a try?

really.

Wen Qi quickly replied, "Don't interfere," and then called Yang Luo, asking her to lock the message away and not let it get out.

Zhu Qingzhi was also sending messages to Dani, afraid of being late in reporting.

"What are you thinking about all day?! If you wait any longer, you'll be completely dragged down with you!" Dani's outburst arrived as expected. "But whatever, we've found the whistleblower."

-----------------------

Author's note: Kiyoshi [shrugs]: Damn it.

Wen Qi [resting her chin on her hand]: My question.

Dani [helplessly]: I'll do it.

Ji Cen [shut up]: I want to say something.

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