I am a historical film director in the entertainment industry.

He shoved the translator aside and stormed up to Cheng Sheng, pointing his finger at Cheng Sheng's nose. His face contorted with rage, he launched into a frenzied tirade, spewing profanities and displaying extreme agitation.

Cheng Sheng couldn't understand his dialect, but he could see that the man's face was full of hostility and his words were harsh. He couldn't help but pick at his ear and looked at the translator indifferently: "What is he saying?"

The translator looked hesitant, caught in a dilemma, and dared not relay the truth.

Seeing this, Cheng Sheng already knew what was going on and waved his hand to interrupt: "No need to explain, I can guess what he's saying, he's cursing me."

The translator nodded slowly, acquiescing.

Before Cheng Sheng could even get angry, the bloated demon beside him couldn't contain his rage any longer and immediately cursed, "You damn Indian, watch your mouth! Don't you want to leave here in peace?"

On set, everyone was instantly enraged when they saw the Indian actor arrogantly and angrily berate Cheng Sheng in public, displaying a domineering and unreasonable attitude.

Nearly a hundred crew members stepped forward and surrounded him, their eyes cold and their aura intimidating.

A silent standoff is far more oppressive than shouting.

Everyone's stance was clear—any further provocation would be met with harsh treatment on the spot.

The Indian actor, who had been arrogant and ferocious just moments before, turned pale instantly and became completely timid.

He was just a third-rate local actor, powerless and without influence. In front of him was a professional film crew of over a hundred people. If a fight broke out, he wouldn't even have a chance to fight back.

Fear instantly overwhelmed his anger, and he dared not act recklessly anymore. He hurriedly pushed aside the nearest crew member in front of him and fled in a disheveled and panicked manner, not even daring to turn back and shout.

Watching his hasty retreat, the translator gave a helpless, bitter smile.

This is a real problem. The original actors have completely fallen out, and if they want to wrap up the final scenes, they have to find replacements.

Cheng Sheng remained calm and composed, and immediately announced in a deep voice: "Let's call it a day for now. Everyone return to the hotel to rest. We'll resume filming once we find a suitable replacement actor."

Although the crew members were somewhat helpless, no one dared to say a word. They silently put down their equipment, packed their belongings, and lined up to return to the hotel.

Liu Dehua walked to Cheng Sheng's side, his brows furrowed, his tone full of worry: "Xiao Cheng, you must be extra careful. We are now in a foreign country, and the situation is complicated. That actor was humiliated in public and left in a sorry state. He must be extremely resentful and will most likely seek revenge in secret."

"Don't worry, Brother Hua, it's nothing." Cheng Sheng said calmly, his tone full of disdain: "She's just a third-rate Indian actor with no resources or background. Even if she harbors resentment, she doesn't have the ability to cause any trouble."

He knew all too well the nature of the people here: typical bullies who prey on the weak and fear the strong, all bark and no bite.

The more you back down and compromise, the more the other party will take advantage of you and push you further; but once you take a firm stance and refuse to give an inch, they will instantly become completely cowardly and will not have the slightest bit of arrogance left.

“I know he can’t cause a big stir, but what I fear most is his ability to create a media frenzy.” Liu Dehua remained worried and patiently reminded him: “If he turns around and runs to the media to distort the truth and slander the crew, it will only create more trouble for him.”

Cheng Sheng was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.

He was not afraid of fighting, conflict, or personal retaliation, but the smear campaign and malicious rumors were indeed the loopholes he had just overlooked.

However, he quickly put it at ease and said calmly, "Don't worry, it's not a big problem. Our crew has acted uprightly and honestly, and we have done everything reasonably and with evidence. We have not done anything excessive and we have no leverage for him to smear us. Even if he deliberately spreads rumors and slanders us, we can clarify them one by one. I know what I'm doing."

Seeing that Cheng Sheng was well-thought-out and confident, Liu Dehua finally felt relieved and, without saying anything more, returned to the hotel with his assistant. The crowd on set gradually dispersed, leaving only a few staff members to clean up the mess.

Cheng Sheng stood there for a moment, pondering deeply, then turned and called out to Da Tiantian, who had already changed into casual clothes and was preparing to return home.

"When we get back, you'll stay with Sister Li. Until we completely leave Guli, neither of you are allowed to leave the hotel without permission," Cheng Sheng said seriously, giving his earnest instructions.

Zeng Li stayed up all night to rest and stayed at the hotel today, instead of coming to the film set.

Although the current situation seems stable, unrest has suddenly arisen in a foreign land, and people's hearts are unpredictable. He has to be cautious and, in particular, protect the people around him.

"I understand, Brother Sheng." Da Tiantian nodded obediently, without any objection, and firmly remembered the instructions.

Cheng Sheng's concerns were by no means superfluous.

On the other side, the Indian actors, who had fled the set in a disheveled state, were filled with humiliation and anger and had no intention of letting the matter rest.

He immediately contacted local street gangs, intending to pay people to surround the film crew and retaliate against Cheng Sheng. He even harbored malicious intentions, planning to kidnap the actresses from the film crew and sell them for profit in order to vent his anger.

But to his utter surprise, the price he offered failed to sway the local gang, and he was decisively rejected.

Having been involved in local gangs for many years, they are adept at assessing situations and weighing pros and cons; each one is incredibly shrewd.

The film crew of Zheng He's fleet, led by Cheng Sheng, set sail from China and filmed along the way. The entire process was followed and reported by media at home and abroad, generating a lot of buzz and attracting much attention for every move they made.

Meanwhile, the production team collaborated extensively with local authorities throughout the overseas filming process, earning their recognition and support.

If the film crew is provoked or its members are kidnapped, and the matter escalates, the local government will not tolerate it in order to maintain Kori's international image and diplomatic relations. They will most likely take strong measures against the perpetrators and gangs.

More importantly, the Chinese escort ships followed the convoy throughout the entire journey, and the ships were staffed with active-duty military personnel, which was a powerful deterrent.

No matter how arrogant local gangs are, they are still underground forces and dare not confront regular troops head-on; doing so would be tantamount to courting death.

The fee offered by this third-rate actor was negligible compared to the enormous risks involved, and no one was willing to take the risk.

With no way to retaliate, the actor's resentment grew stronger.

Since physical retaliation was not an option, he decided to ruin the production team through public opinion.

He immediately contacted several local media reporters, distorting the truth and exaggerating the facts, turning normal artistic discussions and historical stances into Cheng Sheng discriminating against India and belittling Indian actors, and even fabricating lies, claiming that he was surrounded and beaten by crew members.

To increase credibility, he even forged a false injury certificate to gain sympathy and generate buzz.

The media often excels at making a mountain out of a molehill and exaggerating minor issues; the more conflicts and controversies there are, the higher the media attention becomes.

What started as a minor artistic disagreement on set escalated into a transnational discrimination controversy thanks to the deliberate sensationalism and hype by the media. (End of Chapter)