Huayu: Hard fight against Zhang Weiping at the beginning

Chapter 658 Harvey's Collapse
In the conference room at Paramount Pictures headquarters, the camps at either end of the mahogany table were clearly divided.

On the left, the executives, led by CEO Brad Gray, looked solemn. On the right, Tom Cruise stood tall, sunlight streaming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, outlining the profile of his face, his eyes filled with unwavering determination.

"Tom Cruise, we have to face reality."

Brad Gray pushed a thick media report to the center of the table: "The alliance led by Fox and Universal has pressured the three distributors, saying that if we insist on using Zhang Chen, the overseas screenings of Mission: Impossible 4 will be reduced by 30%. What's worse, there are rumors in the industry that 'working with Zhang Chen will inevitably lead to suppression,' and investors have begun to waver."

The marketing director immediately chimed in, his voice tinged with anxiety: "Our audience survey last week showed that 27% of respondents said they would hesitate to watch the film because of Zhang Chen's negative news. This number is still rising, and we can't risk the future of the entire IP."

Upon hearing this, Tom Cruise clenched his fist tightly. He stood up, walked to the French windows, gazed at the outline of the Hollywood Hills outside, and said in a deep voice:
"Adventure? The real adventure is bowing down to hegemony."

Have you forgotten why the Mission: Impossible series was able to reach its fourth installment?
It's because we are constantly pushing boundaries and searching for creators who can bring fresh blood.

Zhang Chen's Pacific Rim series proved his mastery of large-scale scenes. More importantly, his vision of a spy universe is absolutely a grand idea. With the support of this spy universe, Mission: Impossible 4 will reach unimaginable heights...

Tom Cruise has also wavered these past few days. He has reviewed the entire script more than once, and the more he reads it, the more he appreciates the brilliance of the spy universe. He has a feeling that Mission: Impossible 4 will become a milestone for the entire series.

"But now he's Hollywood's 'troublemaker'!"

One vice president couldn't help but retort, "Harvey Weinstein publicly mocked him, and Fox and Universal joined forces to smear him. We don't need to get involved."

"Troublemaker?"

Tom Cruise turned around, his sharp gaze sweeping over the crowd. "No, he's the first person to dare say 'no' to the darkness."

Do you think those rumors about Harvey are baseless? It's just that no one dares to stand up and say it.

Zhang Chen has courage, and even more so, talent. I'd stake my career on it; he can make Mission: Impossible 4 the best in the series.

The meeting room fell into dead silence, with only the faint sound of air blowing from the air conditioner vents.

Negotiations reached a stalemate. Paramount, citing project risks, wanted to terminate its cooperation with Zhang Chen, but Tom Cruise clearly didn't share that view.

It's virtually impossible to persuade him.

Brad Gray rubbed his temples, ultimately choosing Tom Cruise over the investors. He sighed, "Give me three days. I need to talk to the investors again. But Tom, you have to understand, if we decide to continue, we might face pressure from the entire Hollywood."

That evening, Tom Cruise dialed Zhang Chen's number directly from his private phone.

At that moment, Zhang Chen was checking the evidence list in his hotel room in Beijing when his phone vibrated. He saw the caller ID and a long-lost smile appeared on his lips.

"Zhang, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting."

Tom Cruise's voice came through the receiver, as steady as ever, "Paramount is a bit hesitant, but don't worry, I've already argued with the board. No one but you can direct Mission: Impossible 4."

Zhang Chen walked to the window with his phone in hand. Below, the streets were filled with the festive atmosphere of the Lunar New Year, and red lanterns swayed in the cold wind.

"Tom, thank you. I know it's hard, but I assure you, you will never regret this decision."

"I believe you."

Tom Cruise chuckled. "Don't let those rumors bother you. Focus on your plans. If you need anything from me, just let me know."

After hanging up the phone, Zhang Chen looked down at the folder spread out on the table. Inside were all the evidence Miller had collected over the past two years—photos, recordings, victim testimonies, every page shrouded in darkness.

He took a deep breath and circled February 13th in red on the calendar.

February 14th is Valentine's Day, but that's not important. What's important is that it's also the Chinese New Year, the first day of the new year.

Zhang Chen decided to settle his feud with Harvey in the old year, making New Year's Eve the day he tolled the death knell for Harvey Weinstein.

Time flies, and it's already the night of February 13th.

At the Spring Festival Gala, Zhang Chen and Zhao Benshan's team were waiting backstage. As a pillar of the Spring Festival Gala, Uncle Benshan's performances are usually scheduled for the later part of the show.

The clock on the wall pointed to 10:50 p.m., and the production assistant announced that "The Summer of Prison Break" was about to start.

Zhao Benshan patted Zhang Chen on the shoulder: "Don't be nervous, just act like you usually rehearse."

Zhang Chen nodded, but he couldn't help feeling nervous.

The pressure of live streaming is something you can't truly understand until you experience it yourself.

……

At the Kempinski Hotel, Zhang Chen's team members were on high alert in the hotel's conference room, each with a computer in front of them, displaying the Twitter backend and public opinion monitoring system on their screens.

洛杉矶与BJ的时差是14个小时，2月13日的23点，就是洛杉矶时间的上午9点。

"All evidence has been backed up, and Twitter's backend functions have been verified; everything is normal," a technician reported.

"Julie and the relevant victims have been identified, there are no changes, and everyone has expressed their support and is ready to respond at any time," the public relations representative added.

Zhong Lifang nodded and sat down in the main seat.

Today, it was nominally Zhang Chen who publicly launched the attack on Twitter, but it was Zhong Lifang who actually carried it out.

Time ticked by, and when it reached 23 p.m., Zhong Lifang took a deep breath and officially gave the order to begin.

The team began their operation: Zhang Chen's Twitter account posted an article, and other accounts started retweeting it. This tweet, destined to shake the world, instantly appeared on the screens of tens of millions of users worldwide.

Some say that Harvey was thanked more at the Oscars than God himself, suggesting that to many, he was God.

I investigated this person and discovered that he was not God, but rather the devil.

In the 90s, Harvey repeatedly lured female employees to hotel rooms under the guise of work, offering to help them "scrub their backs".

Some female employees resolutely refused, while others, out of respect for Harvey's position, joined him in reciting "Goose, goose, goose."

1991: Harvey extended an invitation to Jessica Haynes, the female lead of Shaun of the Dead, to work together, but asked her to audition in a bikini at the last minute. After she refused, the collaboration fell through.

1997: Miramax won its first Academy Award for Best Picture for "The English Patient"; Harvey used the Oscar as leverage to pressure Rose McGowan, the lead actress of "Grindhouse", and later paid her $10 in settlement.

1998: Harvey made unreasonable demands on lead actress Ashley Judd while filming "Indecent Assassination"; sexually assaulted 21-year-old Elsa Argento, whose attempts to seek justice were unsuccessful; invited Angelina Jolie to experience "traditional massage" but was refused, and Jolie stated that she would no longer work with him.

1999: Miramax's "Shakespeare in Love" beat "Saving Private Ryan" to win 7 Academy Awards, further expanding Harvey's influence.

2003: A female journalist wrote an article exposing Harvey's sexual harassment, but Harvey paid her way out of the project, and the journalist was fired.

2006: During the Cannes Film Festival, Harvey lured German model Emma Loman to his room with the promise of a film role, sexually assaulted her, failed to deliver on his promise, forcibly bought the film rights to her upcoming role, and kicked her out of the production team.

2007: Harvey made indecent gestures toward host Lauren Shiva during a television interview, and continued to do so in public after being rejected by her.

2010: Harvey boasted that he would use his connections at the Oscars to ensure that the Eastern director Zhang Chen won no Oscars.

A Hollywood bigwig committed so many crimes over a period of 20 years and still got away scot-free. Is this the free and beautiful America we know?
Some people say he can control everything, but I don't believe anyone can control everything.

There's a Chinese saying: "What goes around comes around." No one can cover up the truth; even a black hole will eventually backfire. What goes around comes around!

At 9 a.m. in Los Angeles, it is the peak time for commuters to work and students to check social media before class.

Many people haven't even gotten into work mode yet; they're just habitually opening Twitter to kill time, and then they're wide-eyed with surprise.

melon!
Shocking big melon!

Initially, the tweet circulated only among Zhang Chen's fans, but five minutes later, Scott Fondes, a senior reporter for The Hollywood Reporter, retweeted it first, adding the caption "This could be the biggest scoop in Hollywood history."

A stone stirred up a thousand waves.

The North American entertainment industry was instantly in an uproar, with actors, directors, and producers all sharing and commenting.

Independent director Guillermo del Toro, who had previously worked with Harvey, commented directly, "Someone should have spoken up a long time ago."

After retweeting the post, Grant Heslov, the producer of "Argo," remained silent for a long time, leaving only an "angry" emoji. "My God, I'd heard about the Jessica Hines thing, but I didn't realize there was so much more!"

"Harvey always throws a 'PR dinner' before the Oscars, and it turns out it's so dirty inside?"

"Zhang Chen is too audacious. Isn't he afraid of being killed by Harvey's legal team?"

The reaction from ordinary people was even more intense.

The top ten trending topics on Twitter were quickly dominated by "#HarveyWeinstein", "#ZhangChenReveals", and "#HollywoodScandal", with related topics garnering over 5 million views within an hour.

Some were shocked by Harvey's double life, some were outraged by capital's cover-up of evil, and others questioned the veracity of the news.

Just as public opinion was wavering, German model Emma Loman suddenly updated her Twitter account.

She posted her invitation to the 2006 Cannes Film Festival and her hotel check-in record, writing: "Every word Zhang Chen said is true. That night, he tricked me into going to his room with the promise of 'working with Quentin Tarantino,' and I will never forget what happened afterward. I tried to sue him, but his lawyer threatened me, saying, 'If you keep making trouble, I'll make sure you can't stay in Europe.' Now, I don't want to stay silent anymore."

Following suit, American television host Lauren Shivan also spoke out: "I still have psychological trauma from that 2007 interview. He suddenly hugged me backstage and said, 'Let me see if you're as hot as you are on camera.' After I pushed him away, he still made vulgar gestures to the camera before the live broadcast. At the time, the station said, 'Put it in for the sake of ratings,' but now I want to say, I've had enough!"

The two individuals' testimonies instantly dispelled any doubts. Anger erupted on Twitter like a volcano, and the hashtag #HarveyGetOutOfHollywood quickly rose to the top of the trending topics.

Meanwhile, Harvey Weinstein was still fast asleep in his Beverly Hills mansion.

His personal assistant, Anna, rushed into the bedroom, her voice trembling as she cried out, "Boss! Something's happened! Zhang Chen has leaked the news on Twitter!"

Harvey sprang out of bed, groggily grabbing the phone.

When he saw the tweet, his face instantly went from flushed to deathly pale, and he slammed his phone onto the carpet.

"Impossible... How dare he..." he muttered to himself, cold sweat streaming down his forehead.

Ten minutes later, Harvey's PR team held an emergency video conference.

"Immediately issue a statement saying that this is a lie maliciously fabricated by Zhang Chen out of resentment over his Oscar nomination!"

Harvey roared into the camera, "Contact all the media outlets we work with and suppress this news! Also, have our legal team prepare a lawsuit against him for defamation!"

Soon after, The Weinstein Company issued a statement on its official Twitter account: "Mr. Zhang Chen's remarks are completely untrue and are a malicious defamation of Mr. Weinstein. We will take all legal measures to protect our rights and reserve the right to pursue his criminal liability."

However, this statement not only failed to quell public opinion but also fueled even greater anger. Netizens flooded the comments section with messages such as, "Feeling guilty? Jumping out so quickly?" and "Go ahead and sue us, we're waiting to see the evidence!"

Zhong Lifang watched Harvey's team's clumsy performance and a cold smile curled at the corner of her mouth.

He gestured to the CTO and pressed send for the second tweet. This time, the attachment was a noise-reduced audio recording.

“Listen to this, this is the Harvey Weinstein you’ve been ‘defaming’.”

In the recording, Harvey's arrogant and domineering voice is clearly audible, carrying a chilling threat: "Even if you take me to court, I can make sure you disappear from Hollywood forever! Who do you think you are? Just a nobody actor. I can make sure you never get another role with a flick of my finger. Be smart, take the money and shut up, or you'll regret it!"

This recording was like a bombshell, completely igniting public opinion.

Those who had previously tried to defend Harvey fell silent instantly, and more people began sharing what they knew about Harvey's "dirt."

On the streets of Los Angeles, some people even spontaneously organized protests, holding "#MeToo" signs and demanding severe punishment for Harvey.

Angelina Jolie, far away in Paris, was sitting on a sofa in her hotel room, watching the situation unfold.

Her fingertips trembled slightly when she heard the recording.

She recalled that when she was filming "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" in 2004, Harvey would barge into her dressing room under the guise of visiting the set and say with a smile, "I have a family-inherited massage technique that can help you relieve filming fatigue."

She grabbed a makeup brush and threw it at him, yelling "Get out!" and never worked with Harvey again.

Angelina Jolie solemnly opened Twitter and typed a message that moved the world: "During the filming of 'Mr. & Mrs. Smith,' I was also harassed by Harvey. He thought that because he had power, he could trample on other people's dignity at will. But I want to say that dignity is not a commodity that can be bought and sold."

I know that I wasn't the only one harassed by him back then; Harvey's safe probably holds the nightmares of many more people.

Some of the girls were younger than me back then. They were afraid of losing their jobs, afraid of being blacklisted by the industry, so they chose to remain silent. But now, we don't need to be afraid anymore.

Stand up bravely, your voice will not be drowned out. Together, we will dispel the darkness.

Julie's statement was like lighting a fuse.

As a top Hollywood actress, her influence far exceeds that of ordinary celebrities.

Twitter servers were overwhelmed instantly, and the hashtag #MeToo tripled in popularity within ten minutes.

Just five minutes later, Rose McGowan, the lead actress in "Grindhouse," posted a blurry photo of a check for $10, with her name as the payee and "Miramax Films" as the payee.

“In 1997, this check bought my silence. But now, I’m returning it to Harvey. Money can’t buy the truth, much less justice.”

Following this, Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow published a lengthy article in The Washington Post, detailing her experiences filming Emma in 1996:
“I was only 22 years old at the time. Harvey called me to his hotel room under the pretext of discussing the script. He suddenly hugged me, and I struggled desperately to escape.”

I called my agent crying, and he told me, "Don't tell anyone, Harvey can decide your Oscar nomination." From that moment on, I trembled every time I saw him.

British actress Eva Green's mother, Marilyn Green, also revealed on Twitter: "In 2005, when Eva had just debuted, Harvey harassed her, sending her dozens of harassing messages every day. After Eva refused, he threatened to 'make sure she never gets a chance in Hollywood.' During that time, Eva lost more than ten pounds and often had nightmares."

Victims came forward one after another like dominoes, and with each additional voice, Harvey's criminal empire expanded.

From well-known actors to ordinary script supervisors, from screenwriters to models, in just two hours, a staggering 37 women publicly recounted their experiences of being harassed or assaulted by Harvey.

“In 2001, I was an intern at Miramax. He tricked me into coming to his office under the pretext of ‘organizing files’…”

"At Cannes in 2009, he promised me a small role on the condition that I accompany him to a dinner party..."

“In 2009, he took a liking to my screenplay, but he said, ‘If you want to get investment, you have to listen to me.’”

Although these experiences differ in detail, they all point to the same person—Harvey Weinstein.

Their courage has coalesced into an unstoppable force, and the #MeToo movement has swept the globe like a tsunami. Not only in Hollywood, but also in the political, business, and cultural spheres, more and more women are standing up to tell their stories.

In the hotel conference room in Beijing, Zhong Lifang looked at the constantly refreshing messages on the screen, her eyes slightly moist.

She walked to the window, gazing at the fireworks exploding in the distance, took out her phone, and sent Zhang Chen a message: "Great response, Harvey's finished~"

She knew Zhang Chen was probably performing at the moment and might not be able to see it immediately, but she just wanted to record this moment.

In North America, Miller, who was in charge of collecting all of this information, saw the tweet and felt that his two years of hard work had not been in vain. At the same time, he was also gratified to speak out for the victims.

Although he was just an employee who took the money and handed over the collected information to his employer.

He has no say in how the employer handles it.

But seeing scum like Harvey exposed still gave him a genuine sense of satisfaction.

Justice delayed is justice denied, but it's better than nothing.

At the hotel, Zhang Chen's team members hugged each other.

They felt they were not only helping their boss, but also doing something righteous. This was not just the exposure of a scandal, but an awakening of justice.

Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, Harvey Weinstein's mansion is in complete disarray.

His legal team came and went, each with a somber expression; his wife, Georgina Chapman, packed her bags, leaving only a note: "I cannot live with a devil."

Outside the window, reporters and protesters crowded the area, their flashes as bright as day.

Harvey slumped onto the sofa, a bottle of whiskey clutched in his hand, but he couldn't bring himself to drink it. He watched the victim interviews playing on television, watched his carefully built film empire crumble, and finally realized—his era was over.

(End of this chapter)