Actor: Thank you.

The next day, afternoon.

The crew of "Ip Man 2," located in Songjiang Film City in Shanghai, had no choice but to hold an impromptu press conference.

The key lies in the word "having no other choice".

Because of what happened yesterday, it quickly became a hot topic in the news and online!
Paparazzi are fast, but they can't outrun netizens' eyes.

This is still considered good; in the future era of short video live streaming, it will become even faster.

After all, everyone is the director of their own life.

The crew was in complete chaos yesterday, and Zhang Yuan didn't have time to think about it.

It's not easy to keep the crew stable.

I'm still suppressing my anger!
If it weren't for Sammo Hung having to film and direct, none of his rebellious underlings would have escaped!
However, considering the bigger picture, we can only suppress our temper for the time being.

Moreover, Sammo Hung also sent the two underlings he had beaten home to recuperate, which was tantamount to kicking them out of the crew, and also gave him, the investor, some face.

His idea was to at least get the film done first.

After the matter is completed, we'll see how to handle the situation.

We should keep a low profile for now.

But as the lines in "Ming Dynasty 1566" say.

"Some things may not weigh four ounces on the scale, but once you do, they can weigh a ton!"

The news media are the ones who love to "step on the scale" the most.

It wasn't really a coincidence, really. With so many people and eyes on set, anything that happened was bound to be seen and magnified.

This time, the news didn't come from the film set, but rather from when Huang Xiaoming and Yang Tianbao were photographed at the hospital.

Xiao Ming had a large black eye, and the two of them had distinctive features, so they were spotted at a glance.

You say that it's hard to diagnose internal diseases like pneumonia or enteritis, but if you get punched in the face, anyone can see it.

Then the reporters got really excited!
Then they came to the film set for an interview, and a bunch of random things came up in the questions.

Before visiting the patient in the hospital, Zhang Yuan instructed the assistant director and on-site producer of the film crew, and also asked Brother Long to greet them one by one.

All staff members are prohibited from leaking any information about the production team or giving interviews.

If someone is found to have leaked or spread rumors privately... well, that's a different story. It's not as simple as just being fired.

But if the crew doesn't say anything, what business is it of yours what the extras and people from other groups around them are like?
They may not even know the truth; if they don't know, they can just make it up.

Many people fabricate various versions of their stories in order to get interviews and show off their "connections" in front of the media.

On the contrary, no one knows the true nature of the matter.

"Mr. Zhang Yuan, has a fight broken out on the film set?"

"No, how could that be possible?"

Facing dozens of microphones, Zhang Yuan calmly answered.

He arranged the press conference.

Instead of letting people speculate, it's better to give an official answer.

Whether the audience believes it or not is one thing, but an official answer is necessary.

"There are rumors that you injured Huang Xiaoming. Is there some kind of conflict between you?"

"Xiaoming and I are friends. We often ate together on set and acted together every day."

Why should I hit him?

"Moreover, I never use my fists in real life; I only use them when filming or performing."

"So you beat him up during an action scene?"

Zhang Yuan: …

The reporter's reading comprehension skills seem a bit too strong.

"Of course not, it was just an accidental injury."

"Because 'Ip Man' is an action movie, with a lot of fight scenes."

"The action scenes in Ip Man 2 are even more spectacular than those in the first film."

"Injuries are inevitable when filming action scenes."

"Not only Brother Xiaoming, but Brother Hong Jinbao was also injured and is receiving treatment in the hospital."

"I also have injuries, but they are not obvious."

“Not only in this movie, but I almost always get injured during the filming of any movie with action scenes, but I never talk about these things to the media.”

"Just like Brother Chenlong, who is an action superstar, he gets injured every day, but he doesn't make a fuss about every little scratch."

Zhang Yuan had only one goal: to vehemently deny that a fight had occurred on set.

All problems were reduced to on-set accidents, or even minor accidents.

He could say that without even greeting Huang Xiaoming and Hong Jinbao.

Since neither side would come forward to deny his statement, both of them were in the wrong.

What Zhang Yuan is doing now perfectly aligns with the "announcement law".

What is officially denied is generally the truth.

This is a common tactic used by Western media: those who come forward to clarify are the ones who tell the truth.

"Did Wong Siu-ming and Sammo Hung have a fight, which is why they were both injured?"

Seeing that the reporter was about to "solve the case," Zhang Yuan quickly steered the conversation back on track.

"Brother Xiaoming is a very upright and respectful actor who is the best person I have ever met in terms of character."

“How could someone like that possibly have a dispute with Mr. Hung Kam-po?”

"Contrary to what you said, Brother Sammo Hung often guided Brother Ming on action scenes on set, so he was practically a mentor to him."

Zhang Yuan once again demonstrated the art of language; what he said was "limited truth."

What's exported is all true, just incomplete.

"So how is Huang Xiaoming doing now?"

"There is a little bruising on my face, which will take one or two weeks to heal, but there are no other major problems."

"Have you seen his girlfriend? I heard that his girlfriend came to visit the set."

"You should ask Brother Xiaoming about this yourselves; I won't presume to do it for you."

"Today I will only answer questions related to the film crew."

Reporters repeatedly brought up the assault incident, trying to dig out some shocking conflict from his words to create a big news story.

Years ago, when chatting with Liu Xiaoli and her daughter, Liu Xiaoli couldn't understand why, despite her sincere answers to reporters' questions, the reporters would always deliberately misinterpret her and her daughter's meaning.

Later I gradually understood that people also need to eat.

Spreading rumors and twisting facts are just how they make a living.

All you can do is be yourself, keep a calm mindset, and try to minimize contact with the media unless absolutely necessary.

Zhang Yuan had no other choice but to hold a press conference.

It took several hours to finish, and even after the area was cleared, many reporters were still secretly taking pictures nearby with their cameras and microphones.

He could only ask director Yip Wai-sing to organize a "staff meeting" to reiterate the importance of being careful and avoiding any further mishaps.

Hong Jinbao returned from the hospital as promised, sitting in the electric wheelchair prepared for him, the kind that can move on its own.

After getting off the bus, I was followed by a bunch of reporters taking pictures, and I almost got angry and started yelling at them.

Yang Tianbao was ordered to leave last night; the troublemaker could no longer stay, to prevent further complications.

At least let Sammo Hung not see it.

After finishing my work, I sat down on a chair in the rest area to catch my breath.

Mickey Rourke sauntered over to his side, carrying a cup of coffee.

"So, all of this was caused by a chair?"

Seeing the film crew in disarray and then suddenly stopping production, the older brother asked the translator for information and roughly understood what had happened.

“Yes, you may not understand our Chinese culture…” Zhang Yuan tried to explain it to him as usual.

But the older man waved his hand. "No, although I don't know much about Chinese culture, I do know people."

“In North America, some big stars’ things will cause a stir if a minor actor or other artist gets their hands on them.”

"They may not really cherish these things; they're just venting their frustrations."

"Furthermore, they believe they deserve preferential treatment and should be above everyone else."

"Otherwise, the fame and wealth you hold will lose their meaning."

“I understand, because I’ve been through those times too,” Mickey Rourke said after taking a sip of his coffee. “But during those disillusioned years, I learned how to get along with others and with the world.”

"Some people are just spoiled."

Zhang Yuan looked around and saw that none of Hong Jinbao's men were there.

Otherwise, if my older brother hears me say this, he'll get upset... Sigh, am I spoiling him too?

Hung Kam-po's way of doing things is similar to that of an ancient general.

He's protective of his subordinates and feeds them, but he also has a bad temper and demands absolute obedience, even blind obedience, from them.

Therefore, his subordinates were a group of arrogant and fierce soldiers that only he could control.

The foreigner has a point. His seniority makes everyone treat him with respect, which has indeed contributed to his and his subordinates' arrogance.

This situation is particularly common among the older generation, because in the past, when times were tough, people had to stick together to gain greater benefits.

As for Yang Tianbao... he also fits the definition of being spoiled; he started acting arrogantly after Huang Xiaoming came along.

"Anyway, as long as things can be resolved, that's good." The foreigner said in a rough voice, looking completely indifferent.

What do I care about your internal strife among the Chinese?

"I hope it's really resolved." Zhang Yuan still looked worried.

Yesterday, when Fan Bingbing was about to hang up the phone, she told him that she had overlooked one factor.

The "side" she was referring to was not the media she had just dealt with.

The media is powerful and can indeed put pressure on you, but it's not fatal.

Since I haven't made any fundamental mistakes, it's best to downplay it.

On the other hand, it might actually be free data for a movie.

Even negative publicity is still publicity, so what he's worried about isn't the media.

After making some adjustments, they continued filming, but couldn't help feeling worried.

The next morning, before work began, the arrival of one person made his worries a reality.

A man with a buzz cut and black round-framed glasses arrived at the film set.

This person is Zong Shuai, the head of the second brokerage studio at Huayi Film & Television.

"Hello." Zhang Yuan did not stop the arrival of this manager from the "rival company," but instead personally greeted him.

The person Fan Bingbing was talking about was Hua Yi!

After Fan Bingbing reminded him, Zhang Yuan also sensed something was wrong.

Fan Bingbing is a former employee and knows the company and the boss's style all too well.

Sure enough, the "investigation team" arrived.

Hua Yi's agents are divided into five groups.

Luo Haiqiong's husband, Fei Ling, is the general manager and also the vice president of Huayi.

Li Xue, Li Bingbing's younger sister, is in charge of the first management team. Li Bingbing and Ren Quan, these two "buddies", are both in this team.

The new commander, Zong, is in charge of Group Two, which includes Deng Chao, Lin Xinru, and Zhang Hanyu.

Alec Su was also in this group.

The head of Group Three is Zhou Siwei, and Huang Xiaoming and Huo Siyan, his two protégés, are both in this group.

Group four consists of second-tier actresses like Dong Xuan and Liu Zi.

Finally, there was a special team, a dedicated group prepared just for Zhou Xun, to serve her alone.

So this Zong Shuai is not actually Huang Xiaoming's brokerage manager.

But upon seeing this person arrive, Zhang Yuan realized that the worst had happened.

If it's Xiaoming's manager who comes, then he's here to see him, so there shouldn't be any problem.

But the fact that this person, who was clearly not his agent, showed up created a big problem.

Because this Zong Shuai is not only the head of the second group, but also a protégé personally trained by Fei Ling, the vice president and head of brokerage business!

His personal visit indicates that the order was directly issued by the highest levels of the Huayi administration.

"If there's anything I can help you with, please don't hesitate to ask," Zhang Yuan said gently and politely as he shook hands with the other person.

"I came to see Xiaoming."

"After all, the company's leading male artist is injured, and the boss is very concerned."

"So I need to ask some questions of the crew members," he said cautiously, stating his needs.

After all, Zhang Yuan's "bad reputation" is widely known within Huayi.

In all the years the company has been established, this is the only artist who has ever climbed above the boss, and also the only artist who has ever made the boss so angry that he smashed antiques.

Before he came, Fei Ling told him to take care.

Be polite, don't try to sneak around, you won't escape his notice.

When you arrive, just say so and see his attitude.

If Zhang Yuan stops you, come back to avoid getting beaten up... or encountering something worse than a beating.
"Ask whatever you want, I hope you can come to a fair conclusion." Zhang Yuan helplessly spread his hands.

“However…” he continued.

"If you solve the problem with a pre-set goal in mind, no matter what the process is like, you will eventually circle back to that pre-set goal."

"I hope you understand whether the investigation is an end in itself or a means to an end."

He pushed up his glasses and gave a very formulaic smile.

He felt that this was a warning from Zhang Yuan.

Seeing him like this, Zhang Yuan gently shook his head.

My cautiousness and fear stem from my assumption that I am "utterly wicked."

Hua Yi was so domineering, when did she become so careful when visiting her own artists on set?
The Wang brothers had a very negative preconceived notion about me, which led them to act emotionally in their decision-making.

This sentiment extended to the "investigators" at the scene.

"Brother Long, please receive Mr. Zong. You will accompany him throughout the day."

"Take him to whoever he wants to see."

After saying that, he smiled and nodded, then left to attend to his own business.

Zong Shuai glanced at Brother Long, whose body was covered in muscles, and swallowed hard a few times.

"Don't worry," Brother Long reassured him, "My boss keeps his word."

"I'll do whatever you want, look at anything you want, and ask anything you want."

"Because if he doesn't want you to see it, you won't even be allowed to step into the film set."

"Hehehe..." Mr. Zong chuckled awkwardly, while cautiously beginning the task assigned to him by the company's senior management.

"Big Brother," Zhang Yuan said, then went directly to Hung Kam-po.

"People from Huayi have come to investigate Huang Xiaoming's injury."

"I'll go tell you," the eldest brother immediately stepped forward upon hearing this.

"No need, it doesn't really matter whether you tell me or not."

"What we need to do now is prepare for the worst," Zhang Yuan said calmly.

Having seen many storms, veteran actor Hung Kam-po understood the meaning behind his words and silently lowered his head.

Another day passed by uneventfully.

The next morning, Mr. Zong from Huayi called Zhang Yuan.

He announced in an official tone that Huang Xiaoming would be officially withdrawing from the filming of "Ip Man 2"... (End of Chapter)