After the divorce, I started to transfer

After saying goodbye to Guo Mengyao, Chen Feng drove home.

Halfway there, a cell phone rang urgently. It was Zhang Jingwen calling.

After waiting for a while, when the light turned red, Chen Feng stopped the car and answered the call using his Bluetooth headset.

"Is there something you need?" Chen Feng asked calmly. He knew that Zhang Jingwen usually wouldn't call him directly unless it was something urgent.

"Boss, are you available to take this call now?" Zhang Jingwen's voice sounded quite cautious, and she made sure to confirm first.

"Yes, that's convenient. Go ahead and tell me. I'm driving alone right now, and there's no one around."

"That's good." Zhang Jingwen seemed relieved, then cut to the chase without further ado, "It's like this, remember the female reporter we met yesterday when we were touring East Lake? She wanted to conduct a random interview with us, but we refused. However, she had a cameraman with her, who recorded our intimate moments by the lake. About half an hour ago, an unknown number contacted me and sent me that video, implying that they wanted hush money. Otherwise, they would sell the video to the media."

Chen Feng frowned slightly, but he wasn't too surprised by this kind of incident. His voice remained calm as he asked, "How much hush money do they want?"

"They're demanding payment in Bitcoin worth one million. They're being very cautious; the phone number they used to contact me is definitely not under my real name, and the video was only sent to the email address I specified. Of course, if we report it to the police, there might be a chance they'll catch them, but that would also very likely expose the video of us together. What do you think, should we accept their demands?"

A million dollars is nothing to her now; she can easily come up with it.

In fact, according to her agent Wang Yue'e's analysis, the other party's asking price isn't even considered excessive in the industry's extortion market. After all, given Zhang Jingwen's current soaring popularity, even if the other party were to ask for an exorbitant three or four million, it wouldn't be unreasonable.

The other party likely had reservations, since Zhang Jingwen in the video was wearing a mask and sunglasses, almost fully disguised. Although they probably recognized her, if she denied it, the footage couldn't serve as conclusive evidence. Therefore, their demand for "only" one million yuan in hush money seemed more like a test.

In theory, Zhang Jingwen could have completely ignored it and waited for the other party to get angry and leak the video to the media. After all, her face wasn't clearly visible, and even her ears were perfectly covered by her long hair, making any effective feature comparison impossible.

At that point, all she needs to do is deny it, and even if there's a lot of talk outside, it will all just be baseless speculation.

However, the price to pay for this was that Chen Feng's identity—this mysterious boyfriend suspected to be Zhang Jingwen—would be completely exposed to the public eye. After all, he wasn't wearing any disguise at the time.

"We absolutely cannot agree to this." Chen Feng's tone was resolute, without the slightest hesitation. "This is a matter of principle. Compromising with extortion will only open Pandora's box. Even if they keep their word this time and delete the video after taking the money, there's no guarantee they won't do it again next time. Besides, what if they go back on their word? Wouldn't we be left to be slaughtered like fools? Don't worry about this, leave it to me."

Zhang Jingwen was also inclined to reject the blackmail. She had always trusted Chen Feng's abilities, and upon hearing his words, she immediately asked, "So what do you plan to do?"

Chen Feng chuckled, seemingly finding it no problem at all: "This is actually quite easy to handle. Yesterday, the female reporter showed me her press card. I still remember her name, Li Meiqing, from the provincial TV station. We just need to follow the trail to find her. This video wasn't leaked by her, but by the cameraman, or perhaps it was a conspiracy between the two of them."

"But what if they deny it to the death?" Zhang Jingwen asked with some concern.

Chen Feng smiled and reassured them, "First, keep all the call logs and video evidence. I'll have someone 'communicate' with them and put some pressure on them. If they still won't listen, then we'll call the police and arrest them for extortion. This is a clear criminal case; they can't escape."

"What if the video is accidentally leaked?" Zhang Jingwen was still worried, after all, it concerned her public image.

Chen Feng seemed unconcerned: "You were wearing a hat, mask, and sunglasses, so well covered up that no one could recognize you. I think that's why they chose to blackmail you first to test the waters. As long as you don't admit that the person in the video is you, no one can confirm it, and it won't have any substantial impact on your reputation."

"And what about you? You clearly showed your face in the video."

"I'm just an ordinary person. So what if someone recognizes me as the boss of Fengmang Films? I'm single now, so I'm not afraid of being exposed. A little bit of gossip is actually normal."

“But I am a contracted artist with your company. Once your identity is exposed, I think many people will still naturally believe that the woman in the video is me.”

Chen Feng, growing impatient with her continued rambling, said, "So what exactly do you mean? Are you going to accept their blackmail and obediently give them a million? Have you considered what would happen if they took the money and still released the video, or used it to repeatedly blackmail you?"

Sensing the displeasure in Chen Feng's tone, Zhang Jingwen became a little nervous and quickly explained, "I... I was just worried it would have a bad influence on you..."

Chen Feng thought to himself, "What are you trying to fool? Aren't you more worried about your own public image and career?"
However, he suppressed his emotions and softened his tone to comfort him, "Don't worry, this is most likely the work of that reporter and cameraman. They are definitely involved. As long as we keep a close eye on and put pressure on these two, the video will not be leaked. Let's leave it at that for now. I'll find someone to help handle it."

After saying that, Chen Feng hung up the phone decisively.

Zhang Jingwen stared blankly at her phone for a moment before pouting and looking at Wang Yue'e with a sullen expression.

"You really shouldn't have said those things just now," Wang Yue'e sighed softly, shaking her head helplessly.

Zhang Jingwen retorted somewhat indignantly, "I was just stating the facts and expressing my concerns. What's wrong with that?"

Wang Yue'e pointed out incisively: "You made two mistakes. First, you shouldn't have questioned his abilities; second, you shouldn't have acted so selfishly. But just now, you did both. The fact that he didn't get angry at you on the spot is already a testament to his excellent self-control."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Jingwen's expression became even more dissatisfied: "Why is he getting angry at me? This isn't my fault."

Wang Yue'e smiled wryly and retorted, "First of all, you yourself admitted that you went to great lengths to persuade him to accompany you to East Lake. If it were a petty man, he would definitely have shifted all the blame onto you now that you've been blackmailed. Does that mean you're being wronged?"

Zhang Jingwen was speechless for a moment, and could only mutter a defense: "Who would have thought I would be so unlucky as to run into a street interview and be photographed, and then be recognized by someone afterwards?"

Wang Yue'e shook her head and continued her analysis: "So, the root of this whole thing lies with you. Secondly, after it happened, you asked him for help, and he readily agreed to help you resolve all the troubles, yet you still doubted his abilities, hesitating and worried that his mishandling would affect your personal image. You're just too concerned about your image." "In the entertainment industry, especially for female celebrities who have reached A-list fame, which one doesn't have some so-called 'black history'? If you're as pure as a pristine white lotus, it seems abnormal, so fake that no one will believe you, you know? You've been in this industry for so long, you must understand this, right? So, this incident is at most a minor inconvenience for you. Even if the video is leaked, and many people question whether the woman in the video is you, and even trace it back to Chen Feng's boss, so what? He's unmarried now, and you're single too. Even if you're really dating, it's not a huge scandal."

Zhang Jingwen whispered, "But he has a girlfriend. If this video is exposed, many people will definitely say that I am a third party who interfered in his marriage."

Wang Yue'e scoffed and said dismissively, "Aren't there plenty of female celebrities in the entertainment industry who become mistresses? Even if he's already married, let alone just having a girlfriend, what can you do if you're the other woman? Of course, it's best if it's not made public. So, even if the video is leaked, as long as you insist that the person in it isn't you, no one can do anything about it. After all, you were so well-covered up at the time, no one can produce 100% evidence to confirm that it was you."

"But this will definitely have a negative impact on my personal image."

"As I just said, once you're in this industry, you can't possibly portray yourself as a flawless moral exemplar. Anyone with a brain knows that the entertainment industry is a big melting pot; you can't be completely pure in it. Look at those top stars, every single one of them—do you think any of them are truly clean? No tax evasion, no extramarital affairs, no cheating, no diva-like behavior, no arrogance, and all of them are honest, trustworthy, and keep their promises?"

In short, there are no morally perfect people or flawless idols in the entertainment industry. A little controversy actually makes you seem more down-to-earth, more real, and more talked about; otherwise, you'd just seem fake. So, as a celebrity in the entertainment industry, as long as you don't break the law, or at least don't get caught red-handed, you're fine. The moral bottom line in this industry is far lower than you imagine.

After hearing this, Zhang Jingwen rolled her eyes and said with a hint of coquettishness, "I don't want to hear your analysis of how terrible the entertainment industry is. I want to ask how I should deal with this situation right now."

Wang Yue'e smiled and said, "Didn't Chen Feng already tell you? He will handle everything for you. All you have to do is trust him. If you can't even trust him, then who can you trust?"

Zhang Jingwen said with a bitter face, "Of course I'm willing to believe him, but I'm also afraid that if he makes a mistake and fails to handle things properly, it will affect both our reputations."

Wang Yue'e helplessly reached up to rub her forehead and sighed, "So you didn't hear a single word I said."

Zhang Jingwen immediately retorted: "Of course I listened to everything you said. You just said not to always try to portray yourself as a pure and innocent person, right? I never thought that way. I have a bad temper, and many people in the industry know that."

Wang Yue'e explained somewhat helplessly, "My main point was that now that you've risen to the ranks of a top-tier actress, a few minor scandals are a normal way to maintain popularity when necessary. You don't need to be so paranoid. Even if the news reports it, as long as there's no concrete evidence, just firmly deny it. Isn't that how all your senior actresses operate? Even if paparazzi photographed them sneaking back to their apartment complex with a man late at night, they could still deny it outright, claiming the other person was just a friend and they weren't alone together. Or they'd just make up some excuse. Compared to theirs, what's this? So, you don't need to be so nervous. Even if the video does leak out, the impact on you will be extremely limited."

Zhang Jingwen was still grappling with that point: "But ultimately, it still has an impact, doesn't it?"

Wang Yue'e rubbed her forehead again, her tone full of disappointment: "Big sister, you're already twenty-four this year. If there are no rumors about you with men, those haters and marketing accounts will start accusing you of being secretly married, and might even make baseless accusations that you're a lesbian, understand? A little bit of gossip is necessary. Like that sexual harassment incident before, didn't it unexpectedly garner a lot of sympathy for you and have a very good positive publicity effect?"

"Okay, okay, I got it. But personally, I really hope this video won't be leaked."

Seeing that she was still so stubborn, Wang Yue'e was too lazy to waste any more words.

……

At the same time, Chen Feng had already parked his car on the side of the road and made a phone call to Dong Shanming.

Now Dong Shanming is essentially his underling, and the other party is willing to be his underling and help him handle some of the more troublesome matters in Chen Feng's eyes.

Therefore, even though asking Dong Shanming for help in this matter seemed like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, Chen Feng still used him, since he was used to it.

After exchanging pleasantries with Dong Shanming, Chen Feng quickly told him what had happened.

Dong Shanming was not surprised at all by the affair between Chen Feng and Zhang Jingwen, a celebrity. He had seen this kind of thing many times before, and he himself had been much more cunning than Chen Feng.

Dong Shanming immediately took charge, saying, "Brother, don't worry, I can handle this quickly. I just had drinks with a deputy director of the Radio and Television Bureau and got to know him. I'll find his number and call him later. He'll definitely be willing to help."

Chen Feng instructed, "The first thing is to make sure we get our hands on that video and destroy it; it can't be leaked."

"Don't worry, brother. I will definitely tell that deputy director. The other party is just a reporter and a cameraman. How much courage can they have to resist the organization? Besides, this matter has already involved criminal matters. If the other party doesn't know what's good for them, we can just arrest them. Then we can dig out the video and destroy it."

"Okay, let's do it that way then. When are you going back to Xiuzhou?"

After finishing their business, Chen Feng, as the older brother, still showed some concern for his younger brother.

"I can't go back yet. Our fund has just gotten on track, but I still need to coordinate and communicate with various parties. I've been quite busy these days, but I'm enjoying it."

"You must have worked really hard. I'll treat you to a meal and a welcome-back party when you get back."

"That's great, I'll contact you when I get back."

"Okay, let me know when you're ready, and I'll come pick you up."

"Okay, by then I'll definitely have made a name for myself with the foundation, and I won't let you down."

"Yes, I believe in you. When you return with honor, your father will look at you differently."

"Haha, he's starting to see me in a different light now. I'm not some good-for-nothing playboy; if I put my mind to it, I can do a great job."

Chen Feng chatted with him for a few more minutes before ending the call. (End of Chapter)