Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 302 My Brother's Wish
After smashing her phone and venting her anger, Xu Jinglei forced herself to calm down. At this point, pursuing Tong Dawei and Song Ning would be pointless.

Now that public opinion has shifted and is developing in a direction unfavorable to us, the most urgent task is to quickly find a way to extricate ourselves from the vortex of public opinion.

The study was dimly lit, and Xu Jinglei sat at her computer desk, staring intently at the screen, lost in thought.

My fingers rested lightly on the keyboard, but hesitated to make a move, my mind racing as I pondered how to write this crucial Weibo post.

I glanced at the post I had just made not long ago and secretly rejoiced. Luckily, I had kept a backup plan. At least I could openly clarify things for Liu Shishi and still have room for maneuver.

After much deliberation, I slowly typed out a few words.

Xu Jinglei v: In view of the fact that some malicious people on the Internet are deliberately stirring up trouble between me and Shishi, and trying to sow discord.

I must reiterate that the so-called "slapping" was merely a scene requirement for filming, a point I already explained in my previous blog post.

Shishi is a wonderful girl, and I'm always grateful that she could make a cameo appearance in the film. @LiuShishi sincerely thanks my sister for her support.

The statement issued by the other female protagonist in the highly publicized "slap incident" immediately attracted the attention of many night owl netizens.

"Upon reviewing this, it seems that some people have indeed over-interpreted it. Xu Jinglei, as the one who was attacked, didn't even take it seriously, yet netizens are trying to defend her. They're just meddling in other people's business."

"I think this is just a farce staged for movie promotion and hype, deliberately designed to attract attention."

"Xu Jinglei's two clarifications on Weibo show that she is indeed grateful to Liu Shishi. Originally, it was a very meaningful event for the two Du Lala versions from the TV series and the movie to appear together. However, some people with ulterior motives stirred up trouble and made everyone unhappy."

Most netizens who are unaware of the truth often lack a firm stance and independent judgment, and are easily swayed by the crowd.

Xu Jinglei's second statement did have some effect, successfully reversing the increasingly unfavorable comments she had been making.

However, things in this world are rarely as one wishes, and there are always exceptions. Among the many comments, one comment from a prominent verified user stood out.

Wang Sicong v: You're being so hypocritical and completely avoiding the important issues! Xu Cairen, as the director, don't pretend you don't know how that ambiguous video got leaked.

If you had explained the details earlier, things wouldn't have come to this. Now, seeing Tong Dawei and Song Ning step forward, pretending to be close sisters with Liu Shishi, they're treating everyone like fools.

Xu Jinglei was initially pleased with herself for being so smug as she saw that netizens were already confused by her heartfelt remarks. However, when a big V (influencer) came out to stir things up, she was furious and gritted her teeth.

I angrily clicked on Wang Sicong's Weibo profile to see where this hothead came from.

"Chairman of Pusi Investment Co., Ltd., Director of Kidswant Children's Products Co., Ltd., Director of Wanda Industrial Investment Co., Ltd..."

The string of dazzling titles—chairman or director—slightly surprised Xu Jinglei. What worried her most was that the other party was actually a director of Wanda Group, and her movie was still showing in their theaters.

In 2010, when domestic cinema chains were ranked by box office revenue and market share, Tengda Southern Cinema Line remained firmly in first place, while Wanda Cinema Line and Huaying Xingmei ranked second and third, respectively.

As a director of Wanda Group, the second largest cinema chain, he is someone no one in the entertainment industry dares to underestimate.

Xu Jinglei's face flushed red and then turned pale, and she secretly lamented that she was having a really bad year.

She also secretly resented Wang Sicong for being a busybody, since she had no past grudges or recent conflicts with him, so why was he so merciless in his criticism?

Since becoming famous, Xu Jinglei has been surrounded by flattery and has powerful figures in Beijing's elite circles as her backers. Her life has been smooth sailing, but the more she thinks about it, the angrier she gets. Suddenly, she loses her temper and wants to leave a message to retaliate.

However, upon further reflection, he realized that he knew nothing about the other party's background and was already in trouble, so it was best to be cautious. Therefore, he decided to find out where the other party came from first.

As one of the "Four Dan and Two Bing" (a group of four top actresses in China), and a leading female star in the entertainment industry, Xu Jinglei is usually adept at social maneuvering and has a wide network of connections. With just a few phone calls, she quickly figured out Wang Sicong's identity.

"Turns out he's just a rich kid who relies on his family's wealth, using his usual titles to intimidate people. He's really just meddling in other people's business because he's bored."

At this moment, Xu Jinglei's spoiled temper could no longer be suppressed, and she immediately left a message retorting: "Young Master Wang, you go find your dad, I'll do my work, let's all go our separate ways." @王思葱v
On the other side, Wang Sicong, young and impetuous, was naturally unwilling to back down in the face of blatant mockery, and immediately retorted: "Everyone knows what kind of work you do, so stop pretending to be a saint."

The two engaged in a fierce verbal battle, each sentence sharper and more merciless than the last, much to the delight of onlookers.

"666, who is this Wang Sicong? She's going to bash Xu Jinglei to death!"

"The story has gone off track. We were talking about Liu Shishi and Xu Jinglei before, and now Wang Sicong has suddenly appeared out of nowhere."

"Haha, Wang Sicong really doesn't hold back when it comes to talking, he dares to say anything, but I like it, please reveal more."

"We found out. Wang Sicong is the only son of Mr. Wang of Wanda Group, a super rich second generation. No wonder he's so brave."

The quiet of the night was interrupted by a sudden ringing of the telephone. Xu Jinglei quickly got up to answer the phone.

"Jinglei, why aren't you answering my phone?"

"Brother Shuo, my phone is broken."

Wang Shuo didn't dwell on the issue and went straight to the point: "Don't get entangled with Wang Sicong online. He's just a spoiled brat."

You're a big celebrity and a public figure. It's disgraceful of you to argue with him online. Let's leave this at that. Handle it discreetly; the buzz will die down in a few days. Don't create any more trouble.

Xu Jinglei took a deep breath to calm herself down: "Okay, Brother Shuo. But I'm fine with it, I'm just worried that Wang Sicong will keep bothering me, I don't know what's wrong with him."

"Just pretend you didn't see him, ignore him. If no one pays attention to him, he can't keep up his solo act."

Xu Jinglei nodded: "Okay. Just consider it as being bitten by a dog."

Wang Shuo gave a wry smile: "Go to bed early, why bother with all this commotion?"

Wang Shuo's phone call dampened Xu Jinglei's spirits. She recalled that at last year's Bazaar Charity Gala, she and several leading actresses had agreed that she would take the lead and the others would follow closely behind, working together to suppress the four younger actresses.

But now that she's taken action, what happened to the promised support and assistance? As a result, the other leading actresses haven't said a word online, leaving her isolated and helpless.

Xu, the big star, suddenly felt helpless and regretted his rash action against Liu Shishi.

Feeling dejected, I returned to my study, too lazy to look at what Wang Sicong had said on the screen. Frustrated, I simply shut down the computer and prepared to rest.

Xu Jinglei, exhausted from a long day, went back to her room to rest. Meanwhile, Wang Sicong, on the other hand, was even more enthusiastic and energetic.

Wang Dashao waited for a long time but Xu Jinglei didn't reply. Seeing that she had given up, he suddenly felt a strange sensation, as if he was enjoying the feeling of being the center of attention online. Glancing at his followers, which had quickly grown to over 30, Wang Dashao felt smug and a sense of satisfaction welled up inside him. He couldn't wait to find someone to share his joy.

After searching through my contacts, I spotted a number, my eyes lit up, and I excitedly dialed it.

At this moment, in the presidential suite of the Johannesburg Royal Palace Hotel, Liu Shishi and Song Ci are enjoying a lavish dinner served by the hotel staff.

The exquisite tableware was neatly arranged, and the table was laden with various delicious dishes. The candlelight flickered, creating a warm and romantic atmosphere.

When Liu Shishi saw the caller ID on her phone, she was slightly taken aback, then answered, "Hello, Si Cong."

"Senior Sister, did you see my post on Weibo where I confronted Xu Jinglei?" Wang Dashao's first question was to share his "victory."

"Sicong, my husband and I are in South Africa. We haven't been checking Weibo much this afternoon. By the way, how did you end up talking to Xu Jinglei?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Sicong immediately realized, "You guys are really not being fair! Why didn't you invite me to watch the World Cup with you!"

Liu Shishi chuckled softly, and seeing her husband's gesture, she reached out and switched to speakerphone: "My husband wants to talk to you."

While cutting her steak, Song Ci joked, "Si Cong, Shi Shi and I have had some alone time together. Do you want to be a third wheel?"

Wang Sicong was sullen and muttered, "You guys have a ton of bodyguards and assistants around you, you don't need me to be a third wheel."

Ms. Liu picked up the conversation: "Don't be upset, I'll definitely invite you next time I go abroad. We weren't finished talking earlier, what happened between you and Xu Jinglei?"

Mentioning this, Wang Dashao perked up and vividly recounted how he had recently confronted the famous Xu and exposed her schemes in front of netizens.

"She must be so angry she's stomping her feet."

"Well said!" Liu Shishi greatly praised Wang Dashao's behavior, and then said indignantly, "Xu Jinglei is also inexplicable. We usually keep to ourselves, why would she scheme against me?"

Song Ci saw it clearly: "In the end, it's just a struggle for interests. Seeing how fast this young actress is developing, the established actresses are naturally trying to suppress her because they're afraid of losing their share."

However, her methods were a bit crude and her tactics not sophisticated enough, which ironically put her in the eye of the storm.

Recalling Tangren's response that afternoon, he immediately praised, "Cai Yinong is quite quick-witted; he handled this crisis management well. The post he made using Shishi's Weibo account was also quite skillful."

Recalling Xu Jinglei's disdain for him, a rich second-generation, Wang Sicong felt resentful and took the opportunity to probe, "Brother, you're not just going to let Xu Jinglei off like this, are you?"

Liu Shishi also looked at her husband curiously, wondering how he planned to handle the situation.

Song Ci sneered, a hint of coldness flashing in her eyes: "There's no such thing as doing something wrong without paying the price. You think you can settle things by posting a couple of evasive Weibo posts? There's no such thing as a free lunch. Stop her movie tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Young Master Wang excitedly said, "Brother, it's my duty to avenge Senior Sister. This is such a small matter, you don't need to get involved, I can handle it myself."

I'm willing to be the first to go; I'll talk to my husband in a bit and get Wanda Cinemas to pull her movie from their theaters. Doesn't she think I'm some rich kid who just coasts through life and doesn't have any influence at Wanda?

Song Ci nodded slightly: "Then let's do it this way. Tomorrow I will talk to Liu Rong, the president of Southern Cinemas, and coordinate with Wanda. If someone comes forward to speak up for her later, I will step in if you can't handle it."

Wang Sicong, however, was fearless and nonchalant: "She's backed by the Beijing elite circle, right? I'm not afraid of those kids from the compound. Besides, I don't believe those people would go up against Wanda for a movie."

Song Ci glanced at the time; it was already quite late. She then instructed, "It's probably one in the morning in Beiping now. Si Cong, you should get some rest. Tomorrow, please give my regards to President Wang."

Young Master Wang replied with a smile, "I'll go to sleep in a bit. My old man is still looking forward to when you'll come to visit again."

In Beiping, the morning sun shines on this ancient city, and the hustle and bustle of the day finally comes to an end.

However, netizens are still talking about the online feud on Weibo yesterday. On various entertainment forums and social media platforms, related posts and discussions remain hot, with everyone speculating about the future of the controversy: whether it will escalate or subside.

Xu Jinglei was woken up early by the landline at home, and she secretly regretted that she shouldn't have smashed the phone in a fit of anger last night.

The big star looked impatient; she had insomnia last night and had only just managed to fall asleep.

"Hello, who is it?"

"Sis, something terrible has happened! Wanda Cinemas has pulled our movie from theaters."

Upon hearing the devastating news, Xu Jinglei was struck dumb, instantly losing all sleepiness. She frantically asked, "Tell me clearly, what exactly happened?"

"Sis, the person in charge at Wanda Cinemas said this morning that they received a notice from above to pull 'Go Lala Go!' from theaters. Wanda is one of the three major cinema chains. If they stop showing movies, we'll suffer huge losses."

Recalling her passionate argument with Wang Sicong last night, Xu Jinglei instinctively assumed that the other party was up to no good and was deliberately retaliating.

"Sis, what should we do next?"

The assistant's urging only made the superstar more irritated: "What are you shouting for? Wait for my message!"

After ending the call, Xu Jinglei was extremely anxious. She immediately dialed a number and cried out for help as soon as the call was connected: "Brother Shuo! Brother Shuo! Wanda has canceled my movie, what should I do!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Shuo felt a great headache: "Yesterday when you asked me about Wang Sicong's identity, I advised you not to act rashly. You didn't listen to me, and look what happened, their revenge came immediately."

Xu Jinglei's voice trembled with tears: "How could I tolerate him talking back to me like that! Besides, how was I supposed to know he would act so impulsively?"

Hearing the soft sobs coming from the microphone, Wang Shuo's heart softened. After all, she was his confidante, and he couldn't bear to continue blaming her.

"Okay, okay, I'll handle it. I'll find someone to talk to Mr. Wang from Wanda. Just wait for my news."

By the way, you should ask producer Zhao. After all, Huaying Film Studio is also an investor in this film, so if the film doesn't do well at the box office, it will also be a loss for Huaying.

"I understand, thank you, Brother Shuo." Xu Jinglei felt a little relieved, as if she had found her pillar of support, and hoped that Wang Shuo could resolve the matter as soon as possible.

"Sigh!" Xu Jinglei sighed softly and called producer Zhao Haicheng.

As a senior executive at Huaying Film Studio, Zhao Haicheng is highly regarded by Chairman Han Sanping and wields considerable influence within the industry.

The call connected instantly, and before she could speak, Zhao Haicheng interrupted, "Jinglei, I was just about to call you. Who did you offend? Southern Cinemas just notified me that they're suspending their movies, just like Wanda."

(End of this chapter)