Huayu started as a substitute director

Chapter 734 Entertainment Industry Uprising

Upon hearing the principal's words, the audience erupted in cheers and laughter.

And there was applause from people who had been coerced by Su Mang. They were forced to kneel if they didn't donate money. Is this how you force someone?

It's just because the principal was too outspoken, publicly saying that the purpose of holding this meeting was to buy a luxury house. Of course, it's not impossible, otherwise why would Su Mang work so hard?

Su Mang was speechless for a moment after being silenced by the principal's words. His face darkened and he looked down at the audience for help.

But there's nothing we can do to the principal right now.

If someone insists on going on stage to speak, what can they do? Unless they get security to drag the principal out, which might work for an ordinary person, but for the principal, the impact would be enormous.

The principal's identity is that of the chairman of the Chang'e and Yutu lunar exploration program, one of the top ten outstanding economic figures, and a promising young person!
"Tonight's party is very special. It's the most decadent party I've ever seen. Maybe it's because I, the principal, don't go out much, participate in few activities, and have limited experience, but tonight has really opened my eyes."

Fang Hong's voice had a resounding strength as he continued, "Then I'll reveal some more inside information to everyone, though I can't guarantee it's true. Who won the bid for the sandalwood Guanyin statue?"

A dark-skinned, somewhat short and unattractive man raised his hand, looking like a mine owner.

"This thing was overstated to cost 4.8 million, but the actual cost was only 300,000 to 500,000, and the tax deduction was 2.9 million," Fang Hong blurted out.

Those present looked at each other in disbelief. These wealthy people were really good at playing the game. They turned something worth hundreds of thousands into millions in one go, and also gained a good reputation.

Look at me, I've donated millions of dollars worth of stuff, how charitable I am! But actually, I'm the one who made a profit.

The mine owner's face darkened. He said he would inspect the goods later, and if they weren't worth the price, he would return them, since he hadn't paid yet.

The mine owner was rather unruly and didn't care about anything else.

Apart from those who donated car fleets, which were considered legitimate donations with little room for maneuver, most of the other donations were more or less shady.

"If I heard correctly, a bank manager bought the autographed baseball cap from the 'Silly Deer' for 280 million. I don't believe a baseball cap is worth that much. Does he have anything to do with it?" Fang Hong said with a meaningful smile.

That's really possible. A hat worth millions? Even a fool would know there's something fishy going on.

“Principal, you’ve gone too far. You’ve said everything you should and shouldn’t have said. Isn’t that enough?” A man in a silver suit and leather shoes stood up at the head table and looked directly at him.

Seeing this person stand up, everyone present couldn't help but tense up; the principal had met a tough opponent.

"I'm sorry, Chairman, but I have to expose everything here today, otherwise I won't feel at ease. People keep saying I don't donate. How can you expect me to donate? You're giving money to others to buy them mansions and earrings."

And I couldn't do anything about it. Isn't it ironic that you donate money but have no right to supervise it, Mr. Cao?

Fang Hong looked in the direction of Lao Cao.

Old Cao certainly knew about these things; aside from disasters, he usually donated most of his money to schools.

"You don't have to donate money, no one is forcing you, it's completely voluntary, but you're talking nonsense and spreading rumors here, what are you trying to do?" the chairman pointed.

"I don't want to do anything. I just want to tell you, and people in the fashion industry, and people in the entertainment industry, that we are not people you can control."

"Oh...you're short of money, so you're targeting us in the entertainment industry, using charity as an excuse to bully us. If we donate, you give us some nice press releases; if we don't, you release press releases to criticize us. What's the meaning of this? Do you think I'm a school principal, or that I'm a weightlifting champion? You're not here!" Fang Hong pointed to himself, showing no sign of backing down.

Some people in the audience couldn't help but laugh. Originally, the "weightlifting champion" was just a joke they made, but they didn't expect the principal to take it seriously.

Liu Tianxian also sighed, thinking, "This person really does take on everything himself."

"Who's bullying your entertainment industry? You must have a persecution complex." A wealthy woman stood up. She was the wife of the chairman of the fashion group, named Wang Xiuping.

The chairman didn't come; that person isn't in good health.

Wang Xiuping finally understood that the principal was there to cause trouble.

"No bullying?" Fang Hong's gaze swept over the celebrities and actresses.

The celebrities exchanged glances, and just as they hesitated, Liu Yifei stood up without hesitation and said, "I don't know why, but people say that because I'm a high-profile celebrity, I have to pay 200 million to take a picture on stage."

This stunned everyone present. Liu Tianxian was truly courageous, not pretending at all, and directly revealing the inside story.

Although they all knew about this rule, if it were actually revealed, it would be like tearing off the fig leaf covering up the current situation.

I admire her, but she's someone else's wife, so naturally I support her husband.

"I think there are many people who have suffered the same treatment as me. I'm not saying that everyone should do anything, I just want to say that we can't sell our self-respect for the sake of a cover or a press release. We also have dignity." Liu Tianxian is about to revolt.

However, there were indeed those who responded. Zhang Ziyi stood up and said, "They've been bullied! Su Mang told me personally that if I don't donate 200 million, I'll lose my job!"

She'd been annoyed with Su Mang for a long time; she'd even urged her to hurry up on the red carpet before—so pragmatic.

Actually, their feud had been going on for a long time. Last year, when Zhang Ziyi and Wang Feng got married, she didn't invite Su Mang.

The two used to have a good relationship, but it has deteriorated significantly in recent years.

Seeing Zhang Ziyi stand up, the onlookers were quite surprised. It seems that Zhang Ziyi is about to break off relations with Basha.

Some people at the scene were quite tempted to stand up but were too afraid to do so. They could only look at each other, trying to persuade the other person to stand up.

Even with the principal's backing, and Liu Tianxian's rebellion, they wouldn't dare to defy the fashion industry.

After all, they can genuinely assess their endorsement levels, shape their image, and elevate their status.

Then Zhang Shaohan also stood up, but she didn't say anything. She just stood up to show her support, with a belly full of resentment that she had nowhere to vent.

She donated 70 yuan and was still cyberbullied. How could she not feel resentful? She just felt that she didn't donate enough.

"Don't be afraid. My principal said today that anyone who has been bullied can speak up about their grievances. I want to see if their fashion industry can function without my entertainment industry," Fang Hong encouraged them.

Zhang Shaohan is very brave; he dares to fight back even though he's not from the local area. It just shows that most people in the entertainment industry are used to being bullied and are like sheep, afraid to take any action.

But she remained silent, just standing there, a silent protest.

Seeing someone take the lead, Lin Xinru, Jiang Xin, and Zhou Xun stood up one after another amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd.

"I just don't understand. I donated 100 million, but the press releases won't let me use the word 'charity.' What, do you own a charity?" Young Master Zhou said with a hint of sarcasm.

Actually, she was unhappy because Su Mang had previously mocked her in an interview, saying she was only 1.5 meters tall and relied entirely on photoshopping to appear taller. Seeing the celebrities stand up one by one, Su Mang's eyes gleamed maliciously; she had already written it down in her notebook, so these people could forget about ever appearing in Dengfeng again.

The chairman's wife also watched coldly, her face twisted as she said to those around her, "These bitches dare to resist. Blacklist them all, especially Liu Tianxian, blacklist her completely."

"Yes, Mr. Wang." The president nodded.

A fashion group's blacklisting of a celebrity can truly erase that celebrity's value. They have collaborations with almost all top international brands in high-end cosmetics, jewelry, and luxury cars.

It also has many top stylists and photographers on its side, and these top figures in the industry would not work for artists who have been blacklisted.

Furthermore, they also have a media matrix, controlling well-known fashion magazines such as "Cosmopolitan," "Harper's Bazaar," and "Esquire."

They also have their own apps, websites, social media, etc., forming a comprehensive media coverage.

This is also why many celebrities dare not resist and can only endure it. They are not like the principal, who is not involved in the fashion industry. The principal is a man who does not accept advertisements or shoot magazines.

However, they need fashion ads and magazines to maintain their exposure and enhance their value.

Seeing that many celebrities were very bold, it was surprising that Yao Dazui also stood up.

"Doesn't this person have a grudge against the principal? Why would he support the principal?"

"It's estimated that a few years ago, during her divorce battle with her ex-husband, Basha widely reposted news about Tang Yifei accusing Yao Dazui, saying that his image had collapsed."

"No wonder!"

If we don't count Liu Yifei, we now have three top actresses: Zhang Ziyi, Yao Chen, and Zhou Xun.

Following them, Ni Ni, Little Yellow Duck, Xia Jie, Tang Wei, and Zhang Yuqi, several young actresses, also stood up one after another.

Little Yellow Duck was criticized by Su Mang for having low emotional intelligence, who said he ignored his seniors when accepting an award.

Xia Jie's friendship with rival magazine "VOGUE" was seen as a betrayal by Su Mang, which is also the reason for her declining career after marriage.

Ni Ni refused Basha's request to shoot a cover due to issues with billing order, and later canceled his cover shoot.

Zhang Yuqi was called a "voluptuous goddess" by Su Mang!
Anyway, there are too many. She has offended countless people. She even dared to offend people like Wendi Deng and Hong Huang. Do you think she has any intelligence?

As more and more people stood up, one here and one there, the celebrities present were quite surprised.

"It seems these little lambs have grown bolder under the principal's encouragement."

These wealthy and famous people have always treated female celebrities as playthings. The entertainment industry is dirty, but isn't it these wealthy and famous people who are the ones who are dirty?

Without their lower-body thinking and their quest to seduce women, the entertainment industry is cleaner than any other industry.

Even now, it's cleaner than any other circle, because whenever something happens, they're put under the spotlight and subjected to harsh criticism from netizens and the media.

Why do celebrities always get criticized? Because you can't criticize other circles, and you don't dare to. Any other circle is more powerful than the entertainment industry.

“My husband and I will support the principal today, but after today, I will withdraw from charity forever.” Sun Li pulled Deng Chao to his feet.

Deng Chao didn't say anything; he was rather tactful, but his actions spoke volumes.

Sun Li is heartbroken. She donated money but was still criticized as a miser and netizens said she was too stingy. She doesn't understand why she can't donate or not donate!
It's better to keep a low profile and do what you want to do.

These words silenced everyone present and displeased Su Mang and the organizers.

Then Tong Dawei and Guan Yue, a married couple, also stood up, and they were also scolded for being stingy.

Yang Mi didn't say anything, just stood up, and was scolded: "The stingiest actress!"

Basically, if you donate too much, you're entitled to it; if you donate too little, you're labeled stingy, miserly, and penny-pincher.

“I can donate any amount of money, but you can’t just say I’m busy making money because I don’t come once. That’s unreasonable. Everyone has their own things to do.” Fan Xiaopang also stood up.

She was criticized for not coming before, with the accusation: "Too busy making money!"

More and more celebrities stood up, mostly female celebrities. Male celebrities fared slightly better, without as much trouble, but some were still forced to do so. Huang Xiaoming stood up and said, "I refuse moral blackmail."

The minor celebrities also stood up one after another, silently protesting. They were forced to drink, play, and be groped here, and in the end, they still had to spend their money to buy tickets. If they didn't buy tickets, they would be dragged out.

Just now, someone who didn't buy a ticket was dragged out.

They have no star power or money, they just want to ride the wave of popularity, and they still get exploited. They are the most miserable group of people.

Seeing more and more people standing up, Su panicked, and the chairman's wife also panicked a little. One or two people were fine, but they couldn't handle too many.

"Today I want to give a thumbs up to all the celebrities who stood up here. You may be blacklisted, but I want to say that you are all great." Fang Hong gave them a thumbs up.

The principal's praise made the celebrities who stood up blush, feel excited, and feel a little hot.

This is a rebellion against fashion, a rebellion against bullying, and a refusal to moral blackmail!

Liu Tianxian was also quite excited. She had never dared to do such a thing before, but now she dared to. The reason she disliked Su Mang was that he always made her accompany him for drinks.

"Remember, we people in the entertainment industry are not lowly, and you shouldn't think of yourselves as lowly either. Why should we be put up with a price tag, played with, and exploited?"
To put it bluntly, this grand event is just using so-called poor children to give us tickets, but I really want to ask, how much of the money we donated actually reached the hands of poor children?

It's not that we don't want to donate; we're very willing to donate. Donating can bring us a good reputation, so why not? But we need to make sure our donations are worthwhile, comfortable, and that we can do it with a clear conscience.

As Fang Hong got into the swing of things, he continued, "All the celebrities and tycoons here, listen up! The entertainment industry may be low-class to you, a place for you to have fun, but it's not something you can manipulate at will. We can also choose not to play with you."

If you push them too far, they'll blacklist you regardless of fashion or media.

This last sentence shocked everyone present. It seemed the principal was about to blacklist Basha and lead a rebellion in the entire entertainment industry.

Some people looked at each other in bewilderment, while some celebrities straightened their backs and even their posture became more upright.

They have been oppressed for too long. All they want is to become famous and make some money. Not only do they have to accept being controlled, but they are also morally blackmailed. Even wearing a watch is scrutinized with a magnifying glass to see if it is indecent or illegal.

(End of this chapter)