It was a matter of his own reputation and innocence. Cheng Baodong, when he first saw the news, immediately contacted his team to find a way to clarify the “rumors”.

“Hurry up and contact the person who broke the news, and ask him how much he wants to change his words.” Cheng Baodong was in a state of desperation. He wanted nothing more than to smash his phone, but he also couldn’t help refreshing the homepage of FlyNews.com and the major browsers frequently.

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

No matter how deplorable his personality and temper were, Cheng Baodong was the leading director of commercial films in China, and the quality of the films directed by him was very good. Especially in the past two years, he had successively shot three commercial films that broke the 500 million mark at the box office. While harvesting word-of-mouth and box office success, it also made Cheng Baodong a well-deserved leader in the Beijing entertainment circle. This was also an important reason why the Beijing Film Academy thought of Cheng Baodong first when planning to shoot a big production movie.

——Not only because Cheng Baodong was one of the few commercial film directors in the mainland entertainment circle who could direct big scenes of gun battles and explosions, but the main reason was that Cheng Baodong was the only major director graduated from Beijing Film who could control such themes.

Most people who eat melons outside the circle have heard the saying that “Beijing Film produces actors, Yan Film produces stars”. In fact, there was another saying that was as famous as this, “Beijing Films produces actors, and Yan Films produces directors”. Of course, if one insisted on quibbling, one could also add the saying “Yan Film directors like to use Beijing Film actors the most”.

In just a few sentences, while highly summarizing the training direction of the two major film and television academies, it also vividly portrayed the embarrassing situation of Beijing Film in training directors. There was once a bored netizen who drew a chart on the Internet, listing in detail the works and honors of the directors from Yan Film and the directors from Beijing Film. Among them, Yan Film’s list was full, practically including all big directors that were familiar to the masses, while Beijing Film’s list only had a mere two or three. Apart from Cheng Baodong, the most famous director, the remaining one was an actor turned director. The rest of the directors had documentary filming backgrounds. The kind that even if they had won an award in the industry, the audience had never seen or even heard of their works.

Under such circumstances, Cheng Baodong, the only one who made it big, was extremely precious. This was also an important reason why even though the Beijing Film Academy knew that Cheng Baodong and Tao Mu were at odds, they still insisted on their cooperation.

However, Beijing Film did not expect that this cooperation had not yet even started, and just a discussion meeting before the filming was held, but it could make such a big noise.

This director who graduated from Beijing Film, and to use the words of fans to describe it, as “the only big director who had broken out of the circle”, the leading figure in the Beijing circle of directors, and one of the best students in the Beijing Film directing department, soon to be entrusted with shooting a big production movie led by Beijing Film, who was awarded with many honors, but at a critical moment, was revealed that he schemed with the crew to cheat investors out of money. If this news was confirmed, not only Cheng Baodong himself, but even Beijing Film would lose face.

Cheng Baodong came from a wealthy family, and his personality already had a trace of the arrogance of the children of wealthy affluent families. The great success in recent years only fueled Cheng Baodong’s arrogance. While enjoying the limelight and praise, he also offended many people because of his temper. Before when Cheng Baodong was smooth sailing no one paid attention to him, but now that such an explosive scandal had been exposed, there was never a shortage of “insiders” in the entertainment circle who threw stones.

So in the next few days, who knew how many people made their move at the same time. Hiring the water army, bribing media reporters, they all contributed to Cheng Baodong’s gossip list. And there was more and more conclusive evidence that Cheng Baodong and the crew defrauded investors.

Cheng Baodong’s public relations team really felt the desperation of “pressing the gourd to float the ladle”. Who knew how many people their boss had offended that he would end up being kicked by everyone while he was down.

“It’s Tao Mu! That little bastard must have done it!”

With a “snap”, the latest Apple phone was smashed to the ground by the owner. Cheng Baodong gritted his teeth and said, “If it wasn’t for his hand in this, how could things have become so big?”

This was also true. As soon as the incident happened, Cheng Baodong’s team began to contact the person who broke the news, and at the same time they did PR with the major media in hopes to suppress that revelation in the shortest possible time. However, they first hit a wall with the whistleblower——the other party wouldn’t see him at all. In the final public relations with the media, while others were willing to give Cheng Baodong face, only FlyNews.com and FlyNews Entertainment ignored Cheng Baodong’s team’s request. Not only did they not help suppress the news, but they even deliberately push those news on the hot search list.

One must know that with the continuous development and growth of FlyNews.com, FlyNews Entertainment’s influence on public opinion in the domestic entertainment industry had faintly surpassed those already established media. With FlyNews.com and FlyNews Entertainment adding fuel to the fire. Although Cheng Baodong’s team had tried their best, the scandal could not be suppressed, and instead became bigger and bigger. It even attracted the attention of other investors and relevant departments.

“Even if we know that Tao Mu did it, we can’t quibble about it now. The chain of evidence that the other party broke the news with is too detailed——” Cheng Baodong’s agent just said a few words when the phone began to ring non-stop. They were all calls from investors who had worked with Cheng Baodong. They didn’t need to answer to know that the other party must have come to pursue this matter.

Cheng Baodong’s agent didn’t dare to answer the call, and even more didn’t dare to hang up. For a while, he was overwrought, and still he had to persuade Cheng Baodong not to lose his temper at this critical moment, that he should bow his head and most definitely not let the situation get worse.

“The only way now is for us to bow our heads first. Find Beijing Film as an intermediary and help us make up with Tao Mu. After all, you are a big director supported by Beijing Film, and you are also the face of Beijing Film’s directing department. If something happened to you it will also bring no benefits for Beijing Film, I believe that they also don’t want anything to happen to you——”

“You mean to make me ingratiate myself to that little bastard?” Cheng Baodong raised his eyebrows angrily before his agent even finished speaking, “Impossible! I, Cheng Baodong, despise that kind of ruthless and profiteering people the most in my life. What’s more, he provoked me first this time, why should I bow my head?”

Cheng Baodong was indignant. He was already several decades old yet he could still be so naive. Cheng Baodong’s agent couldn’t help shaking his head secretly, just who spoiled him to this extent!

Cheng Baodong didn’t notice the agent’s secret complaints, and he continued to ask: “Other than Tao Mu’s FlyNews.com and FlyNews Entertainment, have you found out who else hired the water armies?”

How dare they add insult to injury at such a time. Cheng Baodong vowed that when he got back on his feet this time, he would settle accounts one by one. Those people could forget about participating in his movies in the future.

“And those who were willing to help me at this time, write them down one by one.” Cheng Baodong snorted: “I, Cheng Baodong, have clear gratitude and grievances. I will not let anyone who wants me die go. And those who stand by me, I’m not going to let them stand up for me in vain either.”

“It’s too early to say these things now.” Cheng Baodong’s agent couldn’t hold back, and said: “If this matter can’t be resolved immediately, I’m afraid we will all be in trouble!”

One must know, this was no ordinary scandal. When it came to monetary interests, even if they could calm down the media and public opinion, the investors who have worked with them before would still hold them accountable.

After being reminded by the agent, Cheng Baodong also began to regard this with importance. However, Cheng Baodong obviously didn’t seem to worry much compared to the agent’s anxiousness: “The things I did are actually one of those unspoken rules in the circle. Everyone knows it and has a tacit mutual understanding. After all, filming is already so hard, I just want everyone to earn some hard work fees, and I haven’t gone too overboard. Didn’t those investors earn more.”

“If they really mind that much, then don’t cooperate with me in the future!”

There was no reason in this world to want a horse to run without giving it grass. What’s more, a horse cannot get fat without an extra ration, a man cannot get rich without an extra income. Compared with those Hong Kong directors who come to the mainland to rake in money, even putting 6,000 yuan for a straw hat on the budget, Cheng Baodong felt that he was a saint. At least he was not so black-hearted and shameless!

“Even if it’s an unspoken rule of the industry, it’s not something that can be put out in the open.” Cheng Baodong’s agent only felt a headache.

Cheng Baodong also frowned and urged his agent: “That’s why you need to find a way to contact the person who broke the news and make him change his tune.”

Cheng Baodong had been famous for many years and cherished his reputation. Even if he really didn’t take these revelations seriously, he still didn’t want to be pointed at by those netizens. What’s more, this was Tao Mu’s conspiracy. Cheng Baodong didn’t want people like Tao Mu to laugh at his expense.

“Don’t worry too much.” When Cheng Baodong said this, he paused slightly: “At worst, I’ll go home and talk to my old man. Let him find a way to settle this matter.”

Knowing Cheng Baodong’s family background, the agent’s frowning brows slightly relaxed. He still added: “Although that is the case. But I think you should communicate with Tao Mu. Let’s sit down and have a good chat. It is good to solve any misunderstandings. After all, we will be working together in the future.”

The agent looked at Cheng Baodong’s unhappy face, and said again: “Don’t forget, there is Xiaoheng Capital and the Li family standing behind Tao Mu!”

Cheng Baodong paused. In the end, he took the agent’s words to heart. He could look down on an orphan who crawled out of the faceless crowd of extras in H Town, but he couldn’t repeatedly offend the grandson-in-law of the Li family. After all, with the power of the Li family, even the Cheng family could not steal an edge.

Seeing that although Cheng Baodong didn’t take it seriously, he remained silent and obviously acquiesced, the agent felt relieved and said, “Then I’ll call Principal Liu first. Let him come forward to host a dinner.”

Principal Liu was the principal of Beijing Film, and he was also the initiator of this big production movie. Tao Mu was still a student of Beijing Film, so it was most appropriate for him to come forward.

Cheng Baodong hesitated for a moment, and said, “Call Guo Yaning as well. Ask her to come and attend as well.”

You c an fi nd t he la te st cha pte rs at ( th e bl mu se . c o m )

Even though Cheng Baodong was arrogant, growing up in the environment that he did, he knew everything he should know. It was just that he didn’t want to use it on Tao Mu before. Now awakened by the agent’s words, Cheng Baodong was willing to bow his head due to the influence of the Li family, so he wanted to carry it out smoothly. He knew that Tao Mu and Guo Yaning had a very good personal relationship. Guo Yaning was the “Cheng Baodong Girl” he single-handedly scouted. So asking Guo Yaning to come forward to accompany him, he also hope that Tao Mu would let him go for Guo Yaning’s sake.

The agent glanced at Cheng Baodong, and Cheng Baodong said angrily, “Why are you looking at me? Since I have to bow my head, I might as well go all the way. Either way I will be losing face, would I mind how much I will lose?”

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