Chapter 119 Jealousy [VIP]
Chapter Summary: This means denying it to the death.
After returning to her hotel room from the film set, Mu Zhi, who had been quiet all along, finally spoke.
"It's not appropriate for me to come forward and respond to clarify; someone else can."
She recalled a conversation where Zhang Mengyu approached her for a role, mentioning that she had decided to transition into acting before participating in the "Chasing the Light" talent show. Zhang Mengyu, however, claimed on the new program "Their Stars and Seas" that she was pressured by her manager into acting because she felt being an idol had no future.
He said to Ji Binghe, "Before the Five Flowers farewell concert, Zhang Mengyu changed her manager."
So, if Zhang Mengyu lies in the new program, using her former agent to play the victim and shift blame, is the former agent willing to take the blame?
Ji Binghe's eyes lit up: "I'll find a way to contact Zhang Mengyu's former agent right away."
I had just picked up my phone when it rang.
Just as I was about to instinctively hang up the phone to deal with the important matter at hand, I realized I needed to.
Caller ID: Luke.
The boss's special assistant rarely contacts Ji Binghe by phone unless it's something important.
Ji Binghe answered the phone.
The call lasted less than two minutes, and it was mostly Luke on the other end of the line talking.
Ji Binghe listened in silence, then said, "Okay, I understand."
After ending the call, Ji Binghe's previously gloomy face brightened as if the sun had come out after the rain; her tightly furrowed brows relaxed, and a smile appeared in her eyes.
I briefly recounted what Luke had said on the phone.
"Ruke just called and told me two things. First, Zhang Mengyu has terminated her contract with Xingyao Entertainment and signed with Zhongxing Media, but it hasn't been officially announced yet; Lin Xuan is in contact with Zhongxing Media, and it should be soon too."
"Secondly, Zhang Mengyu's former agent has relevant evidence and will soon post on Weibo to prove that Zhang Mengyu is lying. We are waiting for the show to begin."
Mu Zhi: I see. No wonder Zhang Mengyu and Lin Xuan were sticking together. It turns out He Junzhi was behind it all.
Upon hearing this, Minmin breathed a sigh of relief and exclaimed happily, "That's great! Sister Zhizhi just mentioned Zhang Mengyu's former agent and didn't have time to contact her, but the boss's special assistant brought us good news. Isn't this like divine intervention?"
Mu Zhi: "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind."
It can also be called "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth".
After my last conversation with the boss, He Zhiyue, I learned that his ambitions go beyond simply making Lanxing Media bigger and stronger; the power struggles within a wealthy family are all about give and take.
Having learned a lesson from He Junzhi's poaching of Mao Hongjun, the top star from Lanxing Media, and his continued attempts to poach artists from Lanxing's roster, the boss is unlikely to fall into a passive position again.
They must have hired someone to keep an eye on He Junzhi and Zhongxing Media's movements, waiting for an opportunity to settle scores. Having learned that Zhongxing Media had signed Zhang Mengyu, they're thinking of starting with the signed artist and giving them a taste of their own medicine.
After He Junzhi made his move, He Zhiyue also played her hand.
After talking to Luke, Ji Binghe figured out the key point and, listening to Mu Zhi's words, knew that Mu Zhi had also guessed it.
She admired Mu Zhi even more. She was single-mindedly focused on acting, yet she was also quite familiar with the "schemes and tricks" of the entertainment industry, as if she had experienced them all. Having experienced so much, she could quickly find solutions.
Even without the boss's foresight, tonight's troubles could have been easily resolved.
I logged back onto Weibo, just a few minutes ago.
A new trending topic has appeared on the entertainment list: #Zhou Jingzhu's comment: Stop spreading rumors#.
Clicking in, I saw Zhou Jingzhu leaving a comment in the comment section of a popular Weibo post with the hashtag #Muzhi#.
The marketing account's post included the line: "[#Lin Xuan and Zhang Mengyu seem to be talking about the same person#, someone nominated Mu Zhi?!]"
Zhou Jingzhu commented: This has nothing to do with Mu Zhi. Mu Zhi didn't offend anyone. What are you trying to mislead? Stop spreading rumors.
This statement was directed at the marketing account, and some netizens interpreted it as a dig at Lin Xuan and Zhang Mengyu.
Zhou Jingzhu stepped forward to criticize the marketing accounts and support Mu Zhi, joining the "battle," which attracted even more netizens to watch and discuss the matter...
Actually, this is the best time for Zhang Mengyu and Lin Xuan to step forward and respond to clarify the situation.
Perhaps seeing that there was no movement from Muzhi Studio.
Thinking he should let things play out a bit longer, he didn't immediately step forward and post on Weibo.
They really won't shed tears until they see the coffin.
Minmin exclaimed excitedly, "Zhang Mengyu's former agent posted on Weibo!"
Zhang Mengyu's former agent posted a long Weibo post titled "[Zhang Mengyu should stop lying]".
The short essay begins by introducing the relationship with Zhang Mengyu, her former agent, whom she had worked with for four years before parting ways in mid-June of last year.
Then, getting straight to the point, he said that before participating in "Chasing the Light Girl," Zhang Mengyu was aiming to become famous again and act in movies, wanting to make a lot of money in the entertainment industry and become a big star.
The claims of "for my dream" and "music and the stage are my life" are all lies to deceive fans.
The agent said that after Zhang Mengyu debuted as part of the group, he advised her to focus on being an idol and cherish the hard-won opportunity. He suggested that she could consider acting later, since so many fans wanted to see her perform and hear her sing.
Zhang Mengyu didn't listen and told her agent to hurry up and find her scripts. She wanted scripts that were both exciting and paid well, and that had a good character. She couldn't figure out her own position.
During the time that the agent was managing Zhang Mengyu, she filmed three dramas, two of which were broadcast but both flopped without making a splash. Her fans blindly praised her acting skills and indulged in self-congratulation.
Zhang Mengyu believes that her agent's professional skills are lacking, that they can't find good scripts for her, and that the publicity work is inadequate, listing more than a dozen problems with her agent's work.
Then, the two ended their partnership.
"I know you long for an agent with film and television resources to help you. We've had frequent conflicts and I'm tired of it all. I'm willing to part ways amicably and hope you have a better future."
But after we ended our collaboration, you told the fan club and partners that I had held you back, and you called me trash behind my back.
You always think it's someone else's problem, and that you're never at fault. If I hadn't stood up against everyone else to fully support you, and even paid out of my own pocket to promote you during the competition, you probably would have already left the industry and become an ordinary person, and you might not even have made it into the group. Zhang Mengyu, you have no heart..."
In closing, the agent stated that he had promised Zhang Mengyu that he would not speak ill of her after the end of their collaboration, and that Zhang Mengyu had taken advantage of this promise to smear him recklessly in the new program.
But Zhang Mengyu has already gone to great lengths to destroy me. For nearly a year, I have been subjected to all sorts of insults and curses from Zhang Mengyu's fans who are unaware of the truth. Why should I continue to play the saint? I decided to stand up and expose Zhang Mengyu's despicable true colors.
The last sentence: "In my next Weibo post, I will release audio evidence to prove that Zhang Mengyu is lying."
She then posted a second Weibo post with the caption: Zhang Mengyu is a habitual liar.
The video is a total of 3 minutes long, consisting of two audio recordings, each labeled with the specific date and location.
The first segment is a conversation between Zhang Mengyu and her manager before she participated in "Chasing the Light Girls," in which she said that if she could debut as part of a group and become famous, she would go into acting. The second segment is after she joined the group, when she again told her manager that she wanted to act and asked her manager to quickly find her a script.
This completely refutes Zhang Mengyu's lie in the interview on the program "Their Stars and Seas," and proves that her agent did not manipulate her.
On the contrary, after the group was formed, they became impatient and arrogant towards their manager.
Ji Binghe had already prepared in advance before Zhang Mengyu's former agent spoke out.
As soon as they made their statement, it immediately became a trending topic.
The number one trending topic on the entertainment list is #ZhangMengyu'sFormerAgentVoice#, followed by the word #Explosive#.
The third most searched topic on the entertainment news list is #ZhangMengyu is a habitual liar#.
Zhang Mengyu's former agent also posted a third Weibo post, responding to whether the things Zhang Mengyu mentioned in the interview were true.
"After Zhang Mengyu joined the group, she had no private contact with that artist. After seeing that the other person become famous, her next drama was already arranged, and she was going to play the female lead."
She thought the show was good, so she asked me to contact the production team and exaggerate her relationship with that actress in an attempt to get the role by building rapport. However, the director politely declined, saying that she was not suitable for the role.
Undeterred, she went to the actress, without telling her that she had been rejected during her audition, and asked her to help her get the role...
Zhang Mengyu said that after Zhang Mengyu returned, she complained to her about that artist, who only agreed to help her get an audition opportunity, saying that he did not have the authority to decide who would play the role, and that the casting was decided by the production team and the director.
"They were already being incredibly kind by helping her get an audition, but Zhang Mengyu completely lost her temper and kept going crazy, cursing at that female artist."
Now she's going on TV to distort the facts and smear others, saying they mocked her for being 'unworthy'? That's fabricated, it didn't happen. A liar like her never tells the truth; her persona is all fake…”
The three Weibo posts by her former agent made Zhang Mengyu the focus of discussion among netizens.
Zhang Mengyu quickly responded on Weibo.
He first explained that he was filming on set and had just finished filming when he saw the news online.
He then explained that the artist he mentioned in the interview was not Mu Zhi, and that he had never auditioned for "The Edge of the Blade." He was unaware that the misinterpretation would cause trouble for others, and apologized to Mu Zhi.
Finally, he claimed that the recording released by his former manager was edited and fabricated, that all the accusations against him were untrue, and that he had not deceived his fans...
Zhang Mengyu's studio issued a statement saying they would sue her former agent, and Zhang Mengyu forwarded the statement from her studio.
This means to deny it to the death.
Zhang Mengyu's shamelessness is astonishing!
With the audio evidence laid bare, it's not like Zhang Mengyu can simply claim it was edited and fabricated and expect netizens to blindly believe her. Public opinion online has already reversed.
"The statement issued by Zhang Mengyu's studio didn't even have an official seal. It's so perfunctory. Who are they trying to scare?"
"The recording is really conclusive. Even at this point, Zhang Mengyu is still lying. She really is a habitual liar."
"It's a favor if someone helps you, it's their right not to. If that actress is really Mu Zhi, that's so tragic. She just became famous after 'The Bell Ringer' aired. How could she have the authority to let Zhang Mengyu play the third female lead? Zhang Mengyu is shameless."
"The actress playing the third female lead in 'The Edge of the Blade' has played the second female lead in a high-rated spy drama. She's beautiful and has good acting skills. Zhang Mengyu, an idol who hasn't acted much, where does she get the confidence to take this role? I laughed."
"Although the former manager recorded the conversation years ago and has kept it until now, which is terrifying, Zhang Mengyu is even more terrifying. She spreads rumors about others, distorts the truth, and doesn't utter a single word of truth."
......
These comments were considered relatively friendly; Zhang Mengyu's Weibo comment section was mostly filled with Mu Zhi's fans hurling insults.
Seeing that things were not going well, Lin Xuan posted a clarification on Weibo a few minutes earlier than Zhang Mengyu.
He clarified that the person he was referring to was not Mu Zhi, and that the two hadn't been in contact for a long time. He even posted a photo of himself watching Mu Zhi's drama "The Edge of the Blade," saying that he had watched Mu Zhi's drama at the end of last year. After all, they had worked at the same company and appeared on the same program, and he admired Mu Zhi.
Those who linked her interview with Mu Zhi are accused of being trolls, deliberately trying to smear her and Mu Zhi. What are their true intentions? May the world of trolls have more sunshine.
Mu Zhi's fans: Ha, she completely shifted the blame. This statement is utterly ridiculous.
It's obvious to everyone that these are two noobs ganging up to stir up trouble and smear their idol!
However, compared to the two, Zhang Mengyu is indeed more hateful and has attracted more criticism.
After this wave of gossip, netizens have expressed sympathy for Mu Zhi:
She was inexplicably used and attacked online all night, only to have the two parties involved say, "I wasn't talking about her," and "It's all the netizens' fault for making wild guesses." Mu Zhichun is such a victim.
After watching the whole thing tonight, Minmin sighed: Before this show aired, if she had to guess who "would cause trouble," the first person she would think of was Lü E.
During the competition, Lü E targeted Mu Zhi multiple times.
After the group was formed, she auditioned for the same role as Mu Zhi. Despite Mu Zhi having the best acting skills, the role was played by Lü E and Lin Xuan.
Later, when we met again at a grand event, he didn't give me a friendly look either.
When Zhou Jingzhu officially announced her relationship, she even stepped in to ride on the wave of popularity.
She's someone who's always causing trouble, but this time she didn't get involved at all.
Perhaps because Lü E is a well-connected actress with acting opportunities, she wouldn't go crazy? Besides, Mu Zhi has now reached the top tier of stardom, and her company, Lanxing Media, is thriving.
No celebrity would dare to offend people like that.
"Zhang Mengyu has signed with Zhongxing Media, and Lin Xuan is in contact with Zhongxing Media, so are both of them acting under the orders of He... that person?"
They didn't wait until the show was almost over before pulling this stunt.
In the first episode's interview, they attacked Mu Zhi. Minmin guessed that the two of them might have finished recording the show and felt that their performance on the show would make it difficult for them to become famous.
The first episode aired tonight, and the production team put a lot of effort into marketing it, resulting in high attention. Lin Xuan and Zhang Mengyu watched the show and felt that they had little screen time and low discussion at the start, so they took a chance and came out to criticize others.
If Mu Zhi doesn't respond, or if she does respond but later clarifies that she wasn't talking about Mu Zhi, they think the matter will be over, and they'll gain attention and buzz?
Mu Zhi: "Not entirely. They are adults. They won't be easily instigated by He Junzhi to band together and criticize others. They just want to criticize."
Ji Binghe hit the nail on the head: "Out of jealousy, I suppose."
They mainly came for Mu Zhi, wanting to ruin her.
The evil in human nature: hating what you have, laughing at what you don't have, despising your poverty, and fearing your wealth.
In the entertainment industry, even people who have no resource conflicts or competitive relationships can be your shills. They are simply people who see you become famous and are so jealous that they want to bring you down.
That evening, countless industry insiders were watching the drama unfold online.
Even though it was so late, Ji Binghe still received a message from the director of the program "Their Stars and the Sea," saying that after a meeting, the program team unanimously decided that, given the negative situation that Zhang Mengyu had experienced online, they would control Zhang Mengyu's screen time starting from the next episode.
This means Zhang Mengyu's scenes will be cut, and she'll probably just be used as background scenery, to show the production team's stance...
Zhongxing Media, General Manager's Office.
After Lin Xuan posted her response on Weibo, she scrolled through the trending topics and found that Mu Zhi's fans and netizens were all focused on Zhang Mengyu and hadn't paid attention to her. There were far fewer people criticizing her, and she smiled and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
I put down my phone.
But I couldn't help but wonder if Star Media's public relations efforts this time were lacking.
Zhang Mengyu is indeed filming in a movie crew. She has a small supporting role in the new movie starring Mao Hongjun. What kind of role could she possibly have?
Tonight, I'm sure they're all glued to the internet, just like me, watching for any moves by the Muzhi team so they can take the next step and respond promptly.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Mengyu was caught off guard by her former agent's sudden appearance.
Public opinion is now overwhelmingly against Zhang Mengyu, who has been so criticized by Mu Zhi's fans and netizens that she has had to close the comment section on her Weibo account.
She couldn't help but glance at the man sitting next to her, He Junzhi. After finishing his call with Zhang Mengyu, he instructed his subordinates to handle the online issues. Lin Xuan had overheard everything and had Zhang Mengyu's studio create a statement without an official seal and post it online. Tsk.
He Junzhi noticed the gaze of the person next to him and put down his phone.
"Teacher Lin, have you made up your mind? When are you coming to Zhongxing?" He reached out and touched Lin Xuan's thigh.
[Author's Note]
Note: The greatest evil in human nature is to hate those who have it and laugh at those who don't; to despise those who are poor and fear those who are rich. I looked it up on Baidu, and this quote is from Mr. Hu Shi.
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