Chapter 9
Su Ning naturally wouldn't greet anyone at this time; it wasn't the right time.
He looked around, taking in everyone in the office, and did not forget to push back at Shen Huai: "That's not right. I'm 22 years old, not a child anymore. If an adult does something wrong, they can't just pretend they are ignorant. They have to bear the consequences, otherwise they are helping the evil."
"Teacher Shen, are you right?"
The words were human words, but they sounded strange when they came out of Su Ning's mouth.
The most important thing is that he actually called Shen Huai "Teacher Shen". He was so polite and distant that he called him reluctantly in the show, and even his reply meant to talk back.
The people here looked at him in an even more strange way, even someone as cold as Shen Mingzheng looked up at him.
It was the first time that Shen Huai heard Su Ning speak to him like this. He didn't respond for a moment, and then he heard Su Ning speak again: "This matter was caused by me, and it has affected the company and the program team. I am really sorry. But I thought about it yesterday, and now I just feel that apologizing is useless. I still have to think about how to solve it."
The assistant director of the Idol Star Map program sat opposite Su Hongda. He had been stern all the time, and showed no sign of softening his expression after hearing this. He snorted coldly and said, "You know that, too."
Just saying a few soft words was not enough to appease the now resentful production team, so Su Ning continued: "So, for today's press conference, I think..."
But just as he was about to get to the point, he was interrupted by Shen Huai.
The moment of shock was only for a moment, Shen Huai took over the conversation again and said with a smile: "Don't worry, Xiao Ning, we have already arranged the press conference on how to solve this problem. Your attitude now is very good. When the time comes, apologize sincerely, and everyone will definitely forgive you, President Su, don't you agree?"
Su Hongda seemed to trust Shen Huai very much. He nodded and glared at Su Ning again: "Children are not allowed to interrupt when adults are talking. Go and read your manuscript again. If you have any questions, ask Xiao Yao. If you say a word wrong at the press conference, I will punish you when I get home!"
Su Ning: "...Who is the child?"
He wanted to speak again, but in this situation, he didn't have the chance to speak.
Even if he apologized right away, this group of people had formed a stereotype of Su Ning being a waste, and Shen Huai was still fanning the flames, so no one was on his side.
Su Hongda was already talking to the production team like a serious chairman. His attitude changed quickly, and he turned around and said seriously, "If Xiao Ning really withdraws from the competition now, it will not be good for the program, so I have to trouble you to think of a way to minimize the impact of this matter."
He is right.
The schedule of this season of Idol Star Chart has reached the stage where the top 20 are competing for the debut position. If someone is suddenly missing at this time, it will have a significant impact on the arrangement of the program.
This is a superficial matter, but in fact the biggest impact is that Guangying Entertainment is one of the largest investors in the program, and the higher-ups cannot make the decision to kick Su Ning out.
Because this matter is so difficult, the chief director of the program group was supposed to come over to discuss it today, but he was really dissatisfied and sent an assistant director out. It was enough that he was very impatient with the cooperation of Guangying Entertainment and Su Ning. If Mr. Shen from the investor side had not agreed to come over to help, the assistant director who was in a dilemma would have wanted to resign immediately.
"Boss Su, I know what you mean. I will certainly try my best to cooperate with today's press conference," the assistant director frowned, "but to be honest, if something like this happens, if Su Ning doesn't withdraw from the competition, I may not be able to ensure that he will be included in the debut group."
There were no outsiders here, and the program selection manager who came with the assistant director also explained: "It's true. It was possible in previous years, but this year the higher-ups are keeping a close eye on it. They have strictly investigated things like audience voting. The current system has dedicated people watching it, and no one can really change it. Now vote manipulation is a regulatory red line. If it goes wrong, the entire program will fail."
Idol Star Chart is a program that relies purely on audience and fan votes as the selection criteria. Although there are still a few fans who are willing to throw their brains away to whitewash Su Ning on the hot search, it cannot change the fact that most fans have run away.
The backend data shows that Su Ning’s support rate has dropped significantly and he has fallen out of the top seven debut positions.
Because of his poor ability, he has been hovering around the debut position for a long time. When the incident happened last night, his fan club quickly packed up and left, and even the money that fans had raised for voting in the finals was returned. It was a decisive move, and the refund issue was even on the hot search. Even though there are votes that have been cast before and cannot be withdrawn, there is really no hope for his debut under the current circumstances.
After these words came out, Su Hongda's face froze, and he didn't say anything for a long time. Then he said resolutely: "No, Su Ning must debut."
He said this with a particularly insistent tone, and it sounded like his partiality was so strong that he couldn't tell right from wrong.
The production team hesitated again: "But Su Ning's current reputation..."
"Reputation is not the point." Su Hongda waved his hand and glanced at Su Ning, "We can talk about these things after we become famous."
The people in the program team looked at each other, and the scene froze. At this time, a small shareholder sitting on the side suddenly said in a low voice: "Actually, we do have a solution."
Su Hongda caught his voice and immediately turned to look at him and asked, "What do you think?"
The man looked very hesitant and still spoke hesitantly, "There is room for maneuver regarding the number of votes, but this method... I don't know whether I should say it or not."
He got stuck here again, as if he was in a particularly difficult situation.
"It's okay, you say," Su Hongda urged, "At this time, no matter what method, as long as it can help, it's fine."
After receiving his affirmation, the person looked at the expressions of the program staff and continued, "Although we can't interfere backstage, if the company is willing to put in real votes, no one will say anything wrong even if the investigation is strict. However, to do this, I may need a lot of votes to support it."
"But as long as Xiao Ning debuts, even if she's the last one in the debut group, this can't be considered a loss, right? The negative information can be washed away later."
Su Hongda was stunned, as if he was really starting to think about it.
Fan votes can be obtained by ordering sponsor products to obtain exclusive points on the video platform for voting, and exclusive points can also be purchased directly. Talent shows have always been paid for with real money, so as long as you have enough money, you can indeed continue to vote.
But looking at Su Ning's current reputation, this amount of money would have to be at least eight figures to successfully repair the sky, and it is hard to say how much it would start with. Even a nouveau riche like the Su family would have to weigh this expenditure.
The assistant director of the program team and the selection manager next to him looked at each other strangely, then glanced at Shen Mingzheng and stopped talking.
I have just reminded them, but they just won't listen. What can I do? It is better to shut up.
Su Ning listened to this conversation, frowning more and more deeply, and then he said: "The company must not touch this matter of buying tickets on a large scale. This is a mistake again and again. Once it is discovered..."
He intuitively felt that the ticket purchase was probably the trigger for the acquisition of Guangying Entertainment in the original plot. Otherwise, a rich second-generation with a poor reputation would not be able to ruin such a huge family business.
Moreover, Su Ning discovered many problems in the company along the way. Su Hongda had a bad temper and was self-willed, the company's members were not united and even somewhat lax. The company that his parents had worked so hard to leave behind was already showing signs of impending crisis.
But Su Hongda became impatient when he heard him speak, and didn't listen to what he said seriously. He waved his hand and said, "Shut up. If you hadn't caused trouble, would this have happened?"
He was full of momentum, but Su Ning was not afraid of it. He frowned and wanted to speak again, but still failed.
Shen Huai came over at this time, patted Su Ning on the shoulder like a brother, and said: "Xiao Ning, you don't understand the company's affairs, so don't interfere too much now. Let's go, I'll take you out to sit for a while, and we should prepare for the press conference first."
Every word he spoke was gentle, but it was obvious that he had the final say in this office, while Su Ning, the legitimate successor, did not, so no one thought it was wrong for him to interrupt others every time.
After a few rounds of discussion, Su Ning also understood that he couldn't explain the situation with just a few words, so he just asked, "When does the press conference start?"
"About an hour later, there are still a few media who haven't arrived yet," Shen Huai glanced at his watch, his expression became gentler, "Xiao Ning, if you have any other questions, let's talk about it outside."
The press conference was indeed almost over, and the deputy director of the program team didn't want to talk to Su Hongda, the reckless man, anymore, so he turned around and talked to Shen Mingzheng, his tone and expression clearly showing respect.
"Mr. Shen, today's press conference is more important. We'll have to trouble you with the media we've approached..."
Su Ning just heard these few words.
It was obvious that Shen Mingzheng did not appear at this occasion just to make a cameo appearance.
Apart from Light and Shadow Entertainment, the largest investor in Idol Star Chart is actually Shen’s Pictures. Previously, I thought it was led by Shen Huai, after all, he was standing in front of the stage as a mentor. Now seeing him making such a fuss and not caring about the show at all, it shouldn’t be him.
It is this Shen Mingzheng who seems to be the truly authoritative investor representing Shen’s Pictures.
Although he didn't speak, the assistant director looked at him frequently when he spoke, which was enough to show that Shen Mingzheng had a lot of say in the program. If you think in this way, it is understandable why Shen Mingzheng helped me last night and was so cold to me. Given the original owner's situation of causing trouble, it is understandable that he was disliked.
When closing the door, Su Ning glanced at Su Hongda, who was sitting there discussing his ticket purchase with several shareholders.
Su Ningke didn't think that Su Hongda devoted all his energy and even spent all his money for his rebellious nephew's dream. The relationship between them was not that deep.
Su Ning carefully digested the original owner's memories last night. At most, he matched some of the people in the company, and many details are still to be confirmed.
Others would not take Su Ning's questions seriously, but Shen Huai would.
At least, on the surface.
After he went out, he said to Shen Huai: "Brother Shen Huai, I'm a little nervous. Can you help me check the manuscript? I also have a few questions I want to ask you."
Shen Huai said: "Of course."
He looked at Su Ning with his eyes downcast, who seemed a little pitiful and helpless. He felt that this person had returned to his previous easy-to-control self. Maybe the backtalk when he first came in was just because he was in a bad mood.
Su Ning said: "Then let's find a quieter place."
When the two of them walked to the small compartment next to them, as soon as they entered, before Shen Huai could speak, he heard the sound of the lock being locked, and then saw Su Ning leaning against the door, saying: "Tell me the truth, what are you planning?"
Shen Huai was stunned: "What?"
As soon as he turned around, he saw Su Ning staring at him. Through his gold-rimmed glasses, the look in his eyes was obviously oppressive.
Only then did he realize that Su Ning had grown to be as tall as him without him noticing.
"Let's not talk about the hot searches last night. Just now they were talking about buying tickets. Why didn't you stop them? This is a taboo in the circle. Su Hongda doesn't understand. Shen Huai, don't you understand it either?"
Su Ning pointed out all of this immediately.
But Shen Huai was not so easily bluffed. He was stunned for a moment, then quickly reacted, still maintaining a gentle look on the surface.
"So that's how it is. Xiao Ning has misunderstood me and Uncle Su. You only know one side of the story."
He sighed, "Uncle Su has been in business for so many years, and the shareholders have so many years of experience. They are not fools. Xiaoning, you are still young and don't understand the difficulties the company has faced this year. These are just helpless moves."
"How would I know if you don't tell me?" Su Ning asked, "Is there anything about the company that I can't listen to?"
He still had a cold face, but Shen Huai just thought he was throwing a tantrum again, and still coaxed him: "If Xiao Ning wants to know, I will explain it to you."
Some things within Guangying Entertainment Company were not secrets, and many people knew about them, but Shen Huai did understand them more thoroughly. Looking at his expression, he explained everything to him in a few words.
After Su Ning's father passed away due to illness last year, the passing of the CEO who had been in charge of Guangying Entertainment for nearly 20 years has had a more than satisfactory impact on the company.
The Su family is a typical nouveau riche, more specifically a coal boss. Su Ning's father, Su Honghui, was highly educated and capable. After graduation, he did not work hard in the family business, but instead devoted himself to the entertainment industry, where he made great achievements. Unfortunately, he died too early due to poor health.
The coal mining industry of the Su family was not doing well, and Su Hongda retired a few years ago. Although he had a bad temper, he was experienced in business management. After weighing the pros and cons, the old Mr. Su handed over a small portion of shares and management rights of the company to his younger brother on his sickbed.
But people are much more complicated than coal.
Guangying Entertainment is an old company. It was not founded by Mr. Su at first, but he acquired and expanded it bit by bit. There are more than a dozen shareholders, and Mr. Su does not hold half of the shares, only about 40%. According to the will, Su Ning has 30%, and Su Hongda has the remaining 10%.
When Mr. Su was around, the difference in shares had little impact, and the other major shareholders all obeyed his lead.
But things changed after he died.
Although Su Hongda had some management experience and was able to temporarily win over people's hearts and ensure operations, he knew nothing about the entertainment industry. Not long after he took office, he lost money on several projects.
Then the shareholders below started to become active. They have openly argued at the shareholders' meeting this year, kept making a fuss about the loss of money, and even united to try to seize power and usurp the throne. If there were not a few old men who still remembered the old times and stood on their side, the position of chairman of Guangying Entertainment would have to be replaced.
Su Hongda couldn't stand this.
The entertainment industry is a place where hot money gathers. He has long coveted his brother's fame, status and wealth. Moreover, Guangying Entertainment has a wealth of copyrights and has independently filmed and produced many popular dramas and movies. The annual income from the continuous copyright income alone is very considerable. It has always been a cash cow that can generate income regardless of drought or flood.
In his eyes, the previous times of losing money were all accidents, and there would always be a way to make it back on track.
Amid the situation of random investments by outsiders and internal strife within the company, the only hope is an unfinished project left by the old president - artist management.
The original Guangying Entertainment was a pure film and television production and investment company that did not sign many artists. However, the old president Su was far-sighted. He established a department before his death and had begun training new talents. He also negotiated the poaching of several celebrities and even the company's trainee system. After Su Hongda took over, he only had to pay money.
This was the only project where he didn't lose money.
Even because a few third-tier stars who had just been signed suddenly became a little famous and made a small profit, this department became Su Hongda's current life-saving straw.
He also signed several trainees and young actors, preparing to promote the currently popular singing and dancing idol drama boy and girl groups, and carefully cultivate stars pushed by light and shadow from the ground up.
Li Chu signed in at this time.
You know what, maybe he gained some experience from losing money, or maybe it was luck, because Su Ning, the young master, was clamoring to make his debut, and he voted for the fourth season of the talent show Idol Star Map, which had average popularity in the first three seasons. Unexpectedly, it became a hit.
The show became a hit and Su Ning also became famous.
Even though the original owner is being scolded like this now, when the show first started and he was not exposed in the first few episodes, he was firmly in first place, all thanks to this face.
In this circle, good looks are capital. At that time, Su Hongda was reluctant to buy a real hot search for his useless nephew, but Su Ning was able to dominate social media with the label of "god-like face" just by an audition photo. Later, Su Hongda seemed justified to ask the program team for more resources as an investor.
However, his high spirits did not last long. Everything was going well, the talent show had already selected the top 20 contestants, and the finals were about to begin. Su Ning's debut was the final step, but things failed at this moment.
“…The company has even arranged the follow-up resources for your debut group, all tailored for you,” Shen Huai sighed, “Xiao Ning, if this doesn’t work, all these things will go to waste.”
"Uncle Su would rather buy the tickets than insist on sending you to debut. It's all for the sake of the company and this family. You must not get angry over his angry words."
"Listen to him, okay? A lot of people out there are scolding you, but they're just taking advantage of the situation and are jealous of you. Don't take it to heart."
Su Ning: ...
This doesn't sound like human language.
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