Entertainment mogul: Starting his business with the internet

Chapter 388 Cutting the Trouble with a Quick Sword

"Damn it, since you're so heartless, don't blame me for being ruthless too!"

Jiang Zhiqiang was furious and angrily smashed his phone on the ground, his eyes flashing with cold light.

After some internal struggle, I decided to kneel before Tengda. However, the most urgent task is to investigate the matter of spreading rumors about Liu Shishi and find out who is behind it.

At this moment, a five-star hotel in Xingcheng.

Yang Mi, the protagonist who has been overwhelmed by a deluge of negative news, is on the phone with her agent, Zeng Jia.

"Honey, how did the recording of Happy Camp go?"

"It's alright," Yang Mi replied listlessly, but a hint of unease flashed across her face when she recalled the goat that had been licking her feet so enthusiastically during the recording of the show.

Noticing Yang Mi's low spirits, Zeng Jia quickly comforted her: "Mi Mi, don't take those rumors on the internet to heart. The company will handle it for you."

"Thank you, Sister Jia." Yang Mi looked listless and dispirited; the negative rumors circulating online had clearly had a significant impact on her.

“Mimi, you need to learn to adjust your mindset. Think about it, even Liu Shishi gets attacked, which shows that these things are unavoidable for popular celebrities.”

Yang Mi forced a smile, feeling slightly better, but her gossipy nature ignited immediately: "Sister Jia, do you think Shishi really can't have children?"

She had read the exposé post about Liu Shishi, which was very well-reasoned.

The whistleblower claims that Liu Shishi was injured while filming, resulting in her infertility. She needs long-term, careful recuperation, otherwise she will suffer serious long-term consequences.

It's worth noting that Song Ci is worth hundreds of billions, and at 25 this year, she's not young. Liu Shishi and Song Ci have been together for many years; she should have already produced an heir for the Song family.

Moreover, even if the couple is young and doesn't want to have children yet, their in-laws will urge them, since Song Ci is the only son of the Song family, and for any wealthy family, continuing the family line is of paramount importance.

The post was written with great seriousness, making Yang Mi somewhat skeptical.

Zeng Jia pondered for a moment and said, "Logically speaking, wealthy families value offspring the most. Even if a couple has a very good relationship, they should still have a child. After all, having a child ensures their security in their later years. The Song family has hundreds of billions in assets, so they definitely want an heir!"

"Could it be that Shishi really can't..." Yang Mi exclaimed, "What if, I mean, what if this is true? Will President Song take a mistress? After all, his hundreds of billions in assets can't be left without an heir, can they?"

Zeng Jia immediately interrupted, "Don't speculate! This isn't your business. Let's wait and see how things develop!"

"Well, I was just saying it offhand. Anyway, it has nothing to do with me." Although Yang Mi said this, she couldn't help but let her mind wander, and a certain thought kept lingering in her mind.

"Keep a low profile lately. If you hadn't been the first to speak up for Zhao Wenzhuo, you wouldn't have been targeted."

Yang Mi pursed her lips, somewhat unconvinced; things have their pros and cons. She was the first to step forward, which earned her a lot of popularity.

I just didn't expect the Hong Kong entertainment circle to be so unethical and ruthless, relentlessly smearing her, saying she had plastic surgery, breast augmentation, and used to be a delinquent.

Zeng Jia sighed softly: "These scandals will definitely seriously affect your public image! I've been thinking, if you can handle the pressure online, why don't you just go for the 'black-and-red' route?"

"Black and red?" Yang Mi frowned slightly.

Zeng Jia explained simply: "When facing negative public opinion, it means actively turning controversy into attention to maintain traffic."

Yang Mi fell silent. Although her agent spoke lightly and only said a few words, she understood that once she embarked on this path, it would mean being accompanied by controversy and negative news from then on.

"Sister Jia, turning malicious attacks into traffic benefits is not so easy."

"Of course!" Zeng Jia said seriously. "It's not easy for celebrities to become famous and stay famous for a long time!"
The "black-and-red" strategy (a strategy that involves both public and private appeal) demands exceptional operational capabilities from the team, requiring precise public opinion guidance, capital allocation, and effective persona reshaping—all are indispensable.

Yang Mi smiled bitterly: "I'm being bombarded with accusations right now, is this the only path I can choose?"

"It depends on your choice. And this is not a path that anyone can take. The artist himself needs to have mental resilience and the art of self-deprecation, and the team needs to know how to manage public opinion and maintain the initiative in public opinion."

"Let's do it!" Yang Mi gritted her teeth. If she wasn't ruthless with herself, how could she quickly turn her life around and build her business?

Zeng Jia shook his head: "You're tired today. This isn't urgent. Let's think it over carefully. Once you've made up your mind, there's no turning back."

Just as they were about to end the call, Zeng Jia remembered something and said in a serious tone, "Mimi, break up with Liu Kaiwei!"

He lacks responsibility and won't help your career. Being with him will only drag you down.

I don't expect you to marry into a wealthy family like Liu Shishi, but at least find someone who can help your career, right?

"I've decided to break up with him." Yang Mi's voice was low, as if she had been completely drained of energy.

"Really?!" Zeng Jia was surprised and somewhat astonished. She wondered to herself, "I tried so hard to persuade Yang Mi to break up with Liu Kaiwei, but she was unwilling. How come she suddenly changed her mind?"

Yang Mi said wearily, "His vision and understanding are too poor, completely different from my ideas. This time, with the entertainment industry in both places at odds, he didn't even have the courage to support his girlfriend. I'm so disappointed in him."

"It should have been done sooner rather than later. It's better to end it quickly than to suffer for a long time. It's good to see him for who he really is! It's getting late, don't overthink it, get some rest."

The noisy day is finally over!
The following morning, at the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney, Australia.

Inside the presidential suite, Liu Shishi stretched and woke up from a sweet dream.

Yesterday, on Valentine's Day, she and her husband flew to Sydney to enjoy a romantic concert at the Opera House and spent a wonderful time together.

I picked up my phone and was immediately stunned to see a bunch of missed calls. I quickly called them back.

"Hey, Sister K, what happened?" Sister K's voice was still light and cheerful, completely unaware that things had turned upside down back home.

"My little darling, you finally answered the phone! Where are you now?"

“I’m in Sydney listening to opera. I’ll be joining the production team at the end of the month, so my husband and I came out to relax for a few days.”

Cai Yinong suddenly realized why he couldn't contact her yesterday. Sydney time is three hours ahead of Beijing time, and it was already early morning in Australia when the incident happened last night, so she must have been resting.

"Shishi, something terrible has happened. Last night..."

As Sister K recounted the whole story, Liu Shishi's expression grew increasingly grim. She instantly flew into a rage, her chest heaving violently, and shouted angrily, "Heartless! These trolls deserve to die!"

After venting her anger, Liu Shishi asked coldly, "Have you found out who's behind this?"

"not yet!"

"This is none of your business, Sister K. I'm going back to China today to investigate this matter thoroughly and make those people pay the price."

"Who should pay the price?" Song Ci, who had just finished washing up, returned to the bedroom and was taken aback when he saw his wife's ashen face.

"I'm hanging up, Sister K!" Liu Shishi ended the call, took a deep breath to calm herself, and then her eyes reddened, on the verge of tears: "Yi Yi, someone is cursing me."

"Why are you crying, baby?" Song Ci tenderly pulled his wife into his arms, gently stroking her back and soothingly asking, "Tell me what happened?"

In her husband's warm embrace, Liu Shishi tearfully recounted what had happened, her voice growing more and more sorrowful as she spoke, tears streaming down her face. "Alright, alright, don't cry," Song Ci kissed away the tears on his wife's face. "Let's go back to China now."

Although Song Ci appeared expressionless and extremely calm, anyone familiar with him would know that the richest man was furious to the extreme.

"Mmm!" After venting her emotions through crying, Liu Shishi felt much better and suddenly whispered shyly, "Yiyi, let's have a child."

"Silly girl, you won't be able to wear a beautiful wedding dress if you're pregnant." Song Ci chuckled and wiped away the tears from his wife's eyes. "Let's wait until after the wedding. Don't let those gossips affect you."

"Alright!" Liu Shishi nodded obediently, temporarily suppressing her desire to bear children for Song Ci.

"Go wash up, and we'll head back to China once you're all packed."

"Right away." Liu Shishi picked up her phone and opened Weibo.

This matter is ultimately related to the Hong Kong entertainment circle, and she decided to call on her fans to launch a "holy war" to let a million lions fight for her justice.

The flight from Sydney to Beijing takes 11 hours. During this time, Liu Shishi and fans of Song Dynasty poetry have joined forces to launch a massive "clean-up campaign" on the internet.

The fans vowed to seek justice for their idols, and they cursed those Hong Kong celebrities until they became withdrawn and quit the internet.

Some Hong Kong celebrity fans refused to back down and tried to fight back, but they were quickly overwhelmed by a wave of criticism, and even their personal information was dug up and posted online.

Weibo, Tieba, Tianya and other platforms instantly became battlefields for fans, and the entire entertainment industry was shocked by this unprecedented "fan war".

President's Office, Donghai Tangren Film & Television.

Assistant Lin Xia reported anxiously, "President Cai, Sister Shi's fans have completely lost control! Someone is constantly sowing discord, and the internet is in complete chaos. If this continues, the authorities might have to intervene."

Cai Yi-nong's expression turned serious: "We must find a way to appease the fans!"

"Now the fans are like lions running wild on the grasslands, and no one can stop them except for Sister Shi herself!" Lin Xia helplessly spread her hands, having tried every method she could think of.

"Then I'll contact Shishi and ask her to post something to persuade the fans to stop."

Just as Cai Yinong and Lin Xia were frantic, the flight of the richest couple had just landed at Beijing Capital International Airport.

As soon as Song Ci stepped off the gangway, she received an unexpected yet perfectly logical phone call from Director Wang, who was in charge of Hong Kong and Macao affairs.

"Mr. Song, is now a convenient time to talk?"

"Yes, Director Wang, please go ahead."

Director Wang got straight to the point: "The recent standoff between the entertainment industries of the two places has caused quite a stir, and the higher-ups are very unhappy. They hope you can step in to quell the situation."

"I will obey the commander's orders!" Song Ci's eyes flashed with a cold light. "But what about the grievances my wife has suffered?"

"Mr. Song, the person spreading rumors about your wife is not from the entertainment industry."

"Oh!" Song Ci seemed slightly surprised, but upon further reflection, he realized it made sense. "Who could have done this?"

Director Wang paused for a moment: "It was a group of liberals in Hong Kong who stirred up trouble and deliberately created antagonism between the two places."

The authorities have been closely monitoring the situation since it first started, but they didn't expect it to escalate to this point in such a short time. Therefore, the leader hopes you will step in to quell this disturbance as soon as possible.

"I understand." Song Ci nodded. "Director Wang, do you have a detailed list of those who spread rumors about my wife?"

"some!"

Could you send me a copy?

Director Wang pondered for a moment: "Sure, even if I don't send it to you, I'm sure you can find out. However, I advise President Song to think twice before acting on some matters."

This year marks the 15th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China, and with the upcoming government assembly, the leader hopes to maintain unity and stability. Therefore, General Song must not do anything unwise that would displease the leader.

Song Ci's gaze was sharp: "Director Wang, excessive gentleness leads to weakness; a balance of firmness and flexibility is the true path. In this world, mistakes always come at a price. Please convey to the leader that I, Song, am young and impetuous, and I fear I may disappoint his expectations."

If you can't even protect your family, what's the point of making money and running a business? However, please rest assured, sir and Director Wang, I am only targeting the ringleader; I will not implicate others, nor will I affect the overall situation of unity and stability.

"President Song, I will convey your words to the leader truthfully." Director Wang sighed. "Alas, President Song, the leader and you are both graduates of Peking University. He has always favored you and protected you. Please do not let down the leader's deep affection."

After a long silence, Song Ci said, "I am deeply grateful for the leader's kindness."

After hanging up the phone, Liu Shishi shook her husband's arm and hurriedly persuaded him, "Yiyi, let it go. It's just a few rumors. It's not like I'll lose a piece of my flesh."

She overheard her husband's conversation with Director Wang the whole time. It would be a huge loss if she made her husband offend the high-ranking official over such a trivial matter.

Song Ci waved his hand to interrupt Liu Shishi, and gently kissed his wife's smooth forehead: "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I should also use some methods to let some people know that I, the richest man in Asia, am not someone to be trifled with."

"Tang Yue".

"Boss, please give your orders." The head bodyguard, Tang Yue, stood at attention, his face as cold as ice.

“I’ll send you a list. After you verify it, I’ll arrange for them to go to Africa to enjoy the diamonds there.”

"clear."

"If you can't handle it, you don't need to come back."

"Please rest assured, boss!"

Song Ci nodded and took his arm around his wife's slender waist: "Shishi, let's go home!"

At 5 p.m. on February 15, Song Ci, Asia's richest man and chairman of Tenda Technology Group, updated his Weibo status.

Song Ci v: That's all!
Subsequently, his wife, top female star Liu Shishi, deleted the Weibo post that called on fans to launch a "holy war".

Following closely behind, artists under Tengda Culture also deleted their previous Weibo posts supporting Zhao Wenzhuo.

Almost simultaneously, Hong Kong star Lai Ming and renowned director Wong Jing also deleted their posts supporting Donnie Yen on social media.

Baidu Tieba, Tianya Forum and other platforms also quickly cleaned up a large number of negative stories about celebrities in the entertainment industry.

The numerous celebrities in both regions immediately understood that the richest man had personally stepped in to resolve the matter and completely quell the storm. As a result, they all deleted their Weibo posts, and for a moment it seemed that things had returned to square one.

That evening, Zhao Wenzhuo and Zhen Zishan both issued statements apologizing for taking up public resources in their dispute, and stating that they would resolve the dispute privately.

Thus, the Zhen Zhao incident, which had caused a stir for more than ten days and affected hundreds of celebrities in both regions, finally came to an end.

(End of this chapter)