Actor: Thank you.

At the banquet hosted by the crosstalk troupe, everyone continued eating and drinking.

Zhang Yuan listened as Teacher Guo angrily berated the people at the TV station, especially the leader.

Ultimately, this incident stemmed from the other party abusing their power for personal gain, using their authority to settle personal scores.

This behavior is quite dangerous, not only causing a significant crisis for Teacher Guo, but also posing a hidden danger to himself.

Because this kind of thing is easy for others to find fault with, if your background isn't strong enough, it could be used by your rivals as leverage when you're trying to get promoted in the future.

A certain great man of short stature once said that patience means being able to think things through and endure.

Only by doing these two things can you keep climbing higher.

The other party's actions this time clearly violated this rule.

It's one thing to retaliate in secret, but to do it openly and brazenly through the media is utterly unscrupulous.

But the result is that they made a big splash, only to make a complete fool of themselves.

It's rare for a TV station to clarify that it reported "fake news."

Zhang Yuan didn't know how other professions viewed things.

But in the film and television industry, his peers only saw a brief report on his scandal on television, and then his career faded away.

What the hell!

Who exactly does this kid know?

They actually forced the TV station to admit their mistake.

Everyone thinks so.

There was panic, curiosity, and joy.

Of course, many people also called him to inquire.

Because in the eyes of any of their peers, this is the story of David and Gloria.

David is the famous sculpture by Michelangelo. The story is about David, a shepherd boy, who hit the Philistine giant Gloria with a stone thrown by his slingshot.

According to the Dead Sea Scrolls, Goliath was 2.06 meters tall.

The text records Masora's height as 2.9 meters.

Regardless, given the conditions thousands of years ago, he was a giant.

He was struck dead by a stone by a shepherd boy, who then cut off his head.

Compared to the giant that is the television station, Zhang Yuan is just a shepherd boy.

Don't be fooled by his current business ventures. Even someone of Jack Ma's stature wouldn't easily provoke the head of a provincial television station; it's too much trouble.

Of course, his colleagues were curious about this.

Zhang Yuan didn't think there was anything good about it; on the contrary, he found it troublesome.

How can I explain this?

The more I say, the more mistakes I make. If I say anything pretentious and people from Da Tian Tian's side find out, they'll easily pick a fight with me.

Therefore, we can only keep a low profile.

When asked about this matter, they all gave the same answer: they knew nothing about it.

I don’t know?

Who knows what happened?

Perhaps the other party had a change of heart and realized that it was wrong to slander me.

His friends reacted in unison to his answer.

I don't believe you for a second; you're a cunning and wicked little devil.

He even had a change of heart...

They simply won't admit it.

Others speculated that he might have latched onto some new powerful figure, but they wouldn't tell us. So we went around making connections and digging deeper.

Let them be, Zhang Yuan couldn't be bothered with it.

At the dinner table, he and Brother Qian drank a few more glasses.

Then I found Xiao Yue and Fatty Sun, their new partners, and had a drink with them.

He then pulled Xiao Yue aside for a private chat.

"Now that Jinzi has gone independent, he has taken another group of people with him."

"If the crosstalk club reopens in the future, there will be far fewer talented people of the apprentice generation in the team."

You need to work harder.

"I will try my best..." Xiao Yue replied somewhat guiltily.

Fatty Sun, who was standing nearby, quickly nudged him.

Are you really that stupid or just pretending?

Didn't you catch the hidden meaning in Zhang Yuan's words?
The Crown Prince is often ill; you should encourage him.

Yue Yunpeng is, after all, a farmer's son. Like Baoqiang, even if he has been shrewd and worldly-wise, he still has a simple and honest side at heart.

Besides, he wasn't that cunning at the moment, and he wasn't particularly noticeable in the group.

Cao Yunjing, He Yunwei, and others were present.

It is said that gold always shines, but in fact, if you cover it with a cloth, and the cloth is thick enough, not only gold, but even a strong flashlight will not shine.

But once the cloth is removed, things are different.

Although it involves "speaking, learning, teasing, and singing in a lowly manner," it is clever and audiences like it.

"Anyway, just keep trying." Zhang Yuan patted him on the shoulder, not caring whether he understood or not.

Fatty Sun comes from a prestigious family and is quick-witted; that makes sense.

This is intended to promote you!

Zhang Yuan turned around and went to talk to Teacher Guo about this.

"From what I've heard, Xiao Yue has made great progress recently."

"When our team reopens in the future, we'll give him more opportunities."

"Yes." Teacher Guo glanced at him and nodded with her lips pursed.

It's often said that Yue Yunpeng was promoted by Guo Degang after his senior brother's rebellion, but that's not actually the case.

First of all, even if it's a forced promotion, why not promote someone else?
You need to have something to offer before you'll get the chance to be praised.

Secondly, Xiao Yue has already taken the lead in a special performance.

It wasn't a large-scale commercial performance, but a special show in a small theater.

At the beginning of the year, there was an earthquake in Qinghai. Deyuan Society held a charity performance to raise funds, and he had a special performance. Brother Qian even gave him a gig.

According to Brother Qian's private remarks, Xiao Yue is quite good; he's considered to have graduated.

The term "graduating" means being able to perform a show on your own and sell tickets, not just being a side act for others to earn a living.

So when Zhang Yuan brought it up, Teacher Guo readily agreed.

"Uncle-Master, I respect you."

Just after finishing his conversation with Teacher Guo, the short and tall senior brother He Yunwei came to his side with a smile, carrying a wine glass.

"Okay." Zhang Yuan also picked up his cup, and asked casually at the same time.

"Where is your partner, Teacher Li Jing?"

"Maybe something's wrong at home." The kid didn't hesitate at all and just made up a lie.

"Oh, that's a pity, we should all get together."

Zhang Yuanxin thought that Li Jing had become increasingly rare lately, and had very little contact with the group.

After the two drank together, the young man squinted his eyes with delight and squatted down beside him.

"Uncle-Master, I'm actually working very hard too."

"I know everything that Jinzi knows."

"I can also take on the responsibility."

After saying that, he glanced at Cao Yunjing, who was drunk and dazed, not far away.

Hehe... Zhang Yuan chuckled softly.

When this guy saw that I helped Jinzi get independent, he also got the idea.

Do you also want to "rebel"?
But in this group, you can only rebel if I agree to it.

This kid saw through it, so he came here specifically to give a hint.

Seeing his fawning smile, Zhang Yuan leaned close to his ear.

His lips barely moved for a few seconds before his expression changed drastically.

He could lie without batting an eye just now, but now his expression is completely stiff.

Because Zhang Yuan told him.

Last Wednesday.

"You spent an afternoon chatting with Director Zhang from Beijing TV at a hot pot restaurant in Dongzhimen."

"You're discussing starting a new program, similar to your mentor's previous 'Starry Night Storytelling'."

"The other party promised to give you 5 yuan per period, but required you to sign a one-year contract."

"But you demand 10 per period, and you want to sign a three-year contract with at least 30 periods per year."

"So we haven't reached an agreement yet."

Zhang Yuan reported the time, place, and people involved one by one.

He even recounted the content and specific details of their discussion.

Do you want me to help you "rebel," or have you been planning to rebel all along and are just using my name as a pretext?
Trying to outsmart me?
Cao Yunjing is just a hothead; this guy is the real sly and wicked one.

Jinzi is the kind of person who has a bad temper and sometimes questionable character, but is quite straightforward.

This kind of person is easy to control and unlikely to do anything underhanded behind your back.

But this senior brother is different; he's a complete two-faced person.

With that kind of looks, he wouldn't even need makeup to play a traitor; he'd be a perfect match inside and out.

Like Cao Yunjing, he was dissatisfied with his income after his team grew.

Well... Deyuan Society has an annual turnover of tens of millions, but its most profitable apprentice only makes around 10 a year...

Anyone would have objections.

Both of these capable individuals want to establish their own independent factions.

But He Yun had committed many acts of adultery, and he didn't say anything.

Not only did he not show it, but he also constantly expressed his loyalty while contacting his master's "enemy".

That wasn't all; they even secretly encouraged Jinzi to "rebel."

Using others as stepping stones, trying to cross the river by feeling one's way across.

Zhang Yuan wouldn't use someone like that; they have no value to him.

His words now sounded like the whispers of a demon, terrifying the boy so much that his face changed color and a cold sweat broke out on his back.

Are you wondering if I'm the only one who knows about these things, or if your master knows about them too?

"If he doesn't know, should I tell him?" Zhang Yuan continued to whisper with a chuckle.

That smile seemed quite cruel to the other person.

"You'd better watch yourself." Zhang Yuan didn't say anything more, leaving him to guess.

The important thing is to let the other party know that you have leverage over them, so they will be more obedient.

It loses its charm if you explain it all out, and besides, you can't explain it all out anyway.

Because his source of information is related to the methods used to handle this incident, he cannot disclose it explicitly.

On the surface, the TV station will clarify that it's because the boss learned about Da Tian Tian's background.

But behind the scenes, he did other things.

As mentioned before, the other party's blatant and high-profile establishment of a nationally renowned crosstalk troupe is somewhat unusual.

There may be personal grudges, but it's best to take revenge in secret.

Making it this big makes it easy for others to find fault with it.

But that's precisely the problem!
Any strong fortress is breached from within.

The losses suffered by Deyuan Society are also my losses. I can watch it all unfold without a problem, but if I get the chance, I'll have to get my revenge.

So he asked Lao Han who he had contacted to help reconcile the situation and temporarily shut down the TV station.
Following this connection, they found a second or third-in-command at the television station.

Since he was willing to act as a peacemaker at the time, it means that he was someone who could be won over.

The question then becomes how to win this person over.

Zhang Yuan arranged for Brother Long to meet him privately at a secluded club.

"Just say what you need to say quickly. Things are tense lately, so it's not very convenient." The other person had arrived, but seemed a little impatient.

After all, his immediate superior is currently vying with people associated with Zhang Yuan, and if he were to be discovered having "secret dealings," it would be very disadvantageous.

The other party probably had a clue. Zhang Yuan sent someone to find him, just like before, to find a way to reconcile.

But this time it's different!
It's already gotten out of hand; there's no going back now.

However, the other party thought that these two brothers really did have very different personalities.

Teacher Guo is old, but he has a fiery temper.

Zhang Yuan is young, but he is more composed in his actions.

Following the boss's instructions, Brother Long took out a brown paper bag from his bag and handed it to the other party.

"What are you doing?" The other person ignored the question and leaned back.

"You are insulting me!"

Not only did he not answer, he even spoke out angrily.

The other party assumed that Zhang Yuan intended to bribe him with money, and that the bag contained cash.

Using money to bribe is the lowest and most foolish thing to do.

Would it be useful to actually take it?

In the end, it all came down to, "My ancestors were all farmers, and I never dared to spend a single penny."

Moreover, for those in power and influence, money is the most useless thing.

If a corrupt official solicits bribes in cash, he's unlikely to go far.

Not only is his vision and perspective too narrow, but he's also too arrogant, making him very vulnerable to downfall.

It's best to stay away from people like that.

Just like in Western societies, why do public intellectuals always boast that there is no corruption in North America?

Once the accounts are balanced and the laws are amended, all means of making money become legal, thus eliminating any possibility of corruption.

This is what we call institutional advantages.

But in North America, there are no cash offers; they're usually for futures, stocks, high-paying speaking engagements, honorary board positions, etc.

These things are obviously not allowed in China, and besides, Zhang Yuan is a law-abiding citizen.

How can you give money to people within the system?

This is absolutely unacceptable!

Giving money is an insult to the other person, and it will also make the other person look down on him.

If money isn't an option, how can he get the other party to help him?

Humans have seven emotions and six desires.

Just like what Wakin Chau wrote in the theme song "Hard to Recite Sutra" for "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils".

We blame ourselves for being too greedy for success and power, and we blame the beauty of all living beings on earth. We fear that good fortune will vanish in the blink of an eye, and we are obsessed with greed, anger, joy, and hatred.

Human evil thoughts are nothing more than greed, anger, and ignorance.

If you can grasp just one thing, you can achieve cooperation.

"Please open it and take a look." Brother Long placed the paper bag on the coffee table. "It's just some documents."

"document?"

After hesitating for a moment, the person opposite picked up the paper bag, opened it, and took out the contents.

To be precise, it wasn't a document, but a medical record.

"Mid-to-late stage liver cancer..." After seeing the diagnosis on the medical record, the other person rubbed their eyes hard and looked at it carefully again.

Then his eyes lit up!

"is this real?"

"Of course, I can't lie about this," Brother Long nodded in reply.

Then, following the boss's instructions, he continued.

"The 5-year survival rate for intermediate and advanced liver cancer is 15%."

"That is to say, there is an 85% probability that they will die within 5 years."

This is why Mr. Guo's "enemies" are so unscrupulous.

I'm almost dead, why would I care about yours?
Old Han feels extremely uncomfortable whenever he hears the word "retirement," and he'll retaliate against anyone who dares to mention it.

This person is about to "retire" from life, which is even more incredible.

Why is it that when Mr. Guo simply left a TV program and changed jobs, the other party wanted to destroy him?

I'm almost dead, and you still dare to provoke me!

Zhang Yuan hadn't paid attention to it before, but after the "Warring States" production team contacted him a couple of days ago, he remembered it.

Later, when the other party passed away, Teacher Guo even wrote a satirical poem on Weibo to mock him.

Because of this incident, his enemy's confidants even went to the China Television Artists Association to file a complaint and form a coalition, demanding that the higher authorities ban Guo Degang.

If you couldn't get it sealed while you were alive, you'll definitely be unable to get it sealed now that you're dead.

As a result, very few people responded.

Who's going to stand up for that dead guy?

Thinking about this, Zhang Yuancai recalled that this person probably didn't have many years left to live.

So he contacted the eldest son of the Huo family and asked him for help.

The old man had been living at Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Beijing until his death.

If someone in the entire capital is seriously ill, they will definitely go to Peking Union Medical College Hospital for treatment.

I pulled some strings and bribed the doctor to get Brother Long to retrieve the test report.

The other party is keeping this a secret; nobody knows.

Because once it's made public, his superiors will definitely require him to immediately step down from his post and rest.

This person has only just taken office; how could he possibly give up everything he has worked so hard for over decades?

Now Zhang Yuan is letting this "swingman" within the TV station know about this.

If Zhu Biao hadn't died, the Prince of Yan would never have been able to rebel.

If Zhu Gaochi hadn't suffered from diabetes and was in poor health, Zhu Gaoxu might not have been so eager to rebel.

This medical record is just like the message Zhang Yuan was giving Xiao Yue.

The Crown Prince is often ill; you should encourage him.

As long as you can draw out the other party's greed and ambition, you can achieve cooperation.

Who wants to be the second or third in command for life?
When someone first comes in, they have to work for at least five or six years.

Who knows what the situation will be like in five or six years? If they promote their own people, it might not be their turn.

Being a peacemaker is good; you can reap benefits from both sides and get by.

That's the mindset I've always had.

Now you see this medical record.

A peacemaker?
What's the big deal?
I'm going to quell the rebellion!
The station manager is incompetent; it seems I must step in!

Information advantage is a major advantage.

While others dare not make a move, and instead flatter and bide their time, you step out and shine brightly, giving you a much greater chance of success.

"My boss said that we should cooperate often in the future."

"And he will give you two big gifts."

"The first one will arrive soon."

The first gift was given to Da Tian Tian.

Knowing about Jing Tian's background and connections would not have prompted her to issue a public clarification.

They secretly remove the news, then privately ask the person in charge to let them know. That's usually how it works.

But the person who received the medical record disagreed.

He slammed his fist on the table at the meeting, angrily denouncing the other party for disregarding industry ethics and driving the station's reporters to follow up and fabricate false accusations, which put enormous pressure on the station.

I am now speaking out for justice, and from a professional ethics perspective, I believe we must clarify the reports to set the record straight.

To avoid causing bigger trouble.

In an instant, he established his image as a great, glorious, and righteous person.

There were already many people who had objections to the other party's misuse of public resources.

We're a legitimate television station, why are we doing these despicable things all the time...

Deputy Chief Chen had the courage to set things right.

Teacher Guo's enemy was stunned and couldn't back down.

But once you've been caught red-handed, what can you say?
Only through this "double attack" from both inside and outside could the other side lose its will to fight and completely concede.

What if they stubbornly resist external pressure?
This is how the news of He Yunwei's private communication with the TV station came about.

This is called opening up a battlefield behind enemy lines.

If Teacher Guo were to confront this head-on, the worst outcome would be a lose-lose situation.

On the surface, he still maintained a "falling out" with the TV station.

Everyone saw that he almost named names and cursed people in interviews and on Weibo.

But privately, he had already reached an agreement with a senior insider.

He helped me out of my predicament, and I helped him find ways to weaken his superiors.

These things cannot be known to outsiders.

The other party wouldn't leak it, since it concerns their future.

This is what they call letting heroes investigate heroes, letting good men investigate good men... (End of Chapter)