Huayu: Starting from joining the mainstream entertainment industry in 96

Chapter 70, Section 69: The Tragedy of the Sucker
Wednesday, July 31, 1996, evening.

The summer dusk in Beijing still retains the heat of the day, but the skyline has been dyed a brilliant orange-red.

In the residential buildings around Beitaipingzhuang, the aroma of dinner begins to waft from every household, mingling with the sounds of television programs and children's noise, creating a typical scene of everyday life in the city.

In the kitchen of Feng Xiaogang's residence.

Xu Fan was wearing an apron and preparing scrambled eggs with tomatoes in a pan.

The roar of the range hood drowned out the news broadcast coming from the living room TV.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead, and she seemed somewhat absent-minded.

Ever since she received that phone call about Wang Sheng's new film as the female lead, she's been feeling incredibly anxious.

On the one hand, she longed for that seemingly tempting opportunity, but on the other hand, she was torn about how to bring it up with Feng Xiaogang, who was in a slump and in a bad mood.

Just as I was hesitating, my cell phone, which was on the coffee table in the living room, suddenly rang, the ringtone sharp and piercing.

Xu Fan wiped his hands and quickly walked out of the kitchen.

I picked up my phone and glanced at it; it was a call from a well-informed person at the Beijing Film Studio.

"Hello, sis?" Xu Fan answered the phone, his tone tinged with doubt.

"Hello, is this Fanzi?"

“It’s me, sister, please tell me.”

"Oh, I've finally found you. I have something to tell you, but don't be alarmed." The other person lowered their voice even further, as if afraid of being overheard: "I just heard about it myself. It's said that your resume was thrown in the trash by that Mr. Wang Sheng!"

"what?!"

Xu Fan felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head, instantly chilling him to the bone. His fingers, gripping the phone, tightened sharply, his knuckles turning white.

She blurted out almost without thinking, her voice trembling, "Throw...throw it in the trash? Why? Sis, who told you that? Is the information accurate?"

Her mind went blank, overwhelmed by a mixture of immense loss and unbelievable humiliation.

Although she hadn't yet been confirmed for the role, being rejected so directly and even insultingly was something she had never expected.

"Oh dear, the source is quite reliable. It says that the cleaning staff who clean the main building of Beijing Film Studio saw it in the trash can with their own eyes. It happened the day before yesterday afternoon."

The cleaning lady let it slip while chatting with someone, and it quickly spread... Now quite a few people in the industry know about it.

The other person's tone was sympathetic, yet also a bit gossipy and excited: "Fanzi, when did you offend that President Wang? Otherwise, it doesn't make sense!"
With your current fame and background at the Beijing People's Art Theatre, even if your resume wasn't a good fit, it shouldn't have come to this...

The other person's words were like a needle, piercing Xu Fan's most sensitive and uneasy nerves.

Offend Wang Sheng?

Xu Fan and Wang Sheng have absolutely no connection, so how could she possibly offend Wang Sheng, who is currently very influential and powerful in Beijing's social circles?

The only possibility is that it lies with Feng Xiaogang!

Xu Fan suddenly remembered that not long ago, she accompanied the depressed Feng Xiaogang to a small gathering of people in the industry.

That day, Feng Xiaogang drank a bit too much, and somehow the conversation turned to the suddenly rising Wang Sheng and Shengying Media.

There was a mid-level manager from the Beijing Film Studio present at the table at the time.

Fueled by alcohol, Feng Xiaogang, seemingly disapproving of Wang Sheng's unconventional approach to acquiring vast resources and influence, made some sarcastic remarks, such as "Even the most elaborate wedding video is still just a video," "Achievements built on factory resources don't count as real skills," and "Young people who are too flamboyant are prone to making mistakes."

At the time, Xu Fan was quietly tugging at his sleeve, signaling him to say less, but Feng Xiaogang was venting his frustrations under the influence of alcohol and completely ignored him. Now, thinking back, the expression on the face of that middle-level manager from Beijing Film Studio at the dinner table was rather subtle.

Given Wang Sheng's absolute influence at the Beijing Film Studio, it would be perfectly logical for that person to go back and embellish Feng Xiaogang's complaints and pass them on to Wang Sheng!

"Was it your Mr. Feng...? Did he say something unpleasant to President Wang some time ago, perhaps in some setting?" The voice on the other end of the phone asked cautiously, which confirmed Xu Fan's guess.

Xu Fan's heart sank completely, overwhelmed by an indescribable sense of grievance, anger, and panic.

She invested so much in this relationship with Feng Xiaogang, even sacrificing her own opportunities for independent development to some extent, and was willing to accompany him through this difficult low period.

But the result?

Just because of a few thoughtless drunken words, he ruined an important opportunity that she might have gotten, and made her suffer such humiliation in the industry for no reason!
"I...I don't know...Sister, thank you for telling me, I'll hang up now." Xu Fan said in a trembling voice, and without waiting for the other party's response, he pressed the hang-up button.

She stood there, lost and dejected, her phone slipping from her hand and falling to the old carpeted floor with a dull thud.

She was completely unaware of the sizzling sound and burning smell coming from the kitchen as the soup in the pot boiled away.

"What's wrong? Whose call was that? It's burnt!" Feng Xiaogang probably smelled something burning and poked his head out of the study, frowning as he asked.

He looked somewhat haggard, and his beard was unkempt, clearly indicating that he had been suffering from creative block and project stagnation recently.

Xu Fan whirled around, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at Feng Xiaogang, his chest heaving. All the pent-up grievances and anger finally erupted: "What's wrong? You still have the nerve to ask what's wrong! Feng Xiaogang! It's all your fault! It's all because of your foul mouth!"

Feng Xiaogang was stunned by the sudden accusation. After a moment of hesitation, his tone became sharp: "What's wrong with me? What did I do to offend you? We're just having a meal, what's wrong with you!"

"Am I crazy?" Xu Fan trembled with anger, tears welling in his eyes. "Wang Sheng! That Wang Sheng from Shengying Media! He threw my resume in the trash!"
"Just because you were drinking and talking nonsense outside, you offended him! Now everyone in Beijing's social circles knows! My resume, which I, Xu Fan, submitted, was thrown away like trash! How am I supposed to hold my head up in this industry after this?!"

Upon hearing the name "Wang Sheng," Feng Xiaogang's face instantly turned extremely ugly.

He certainly remembered his drunken slip of the tongue, but he never expected the consequences to be so severe, to strike so directly at Xu Fan.

He opened his mouth, wanting to explain something, but seeing Xu Fan's heartbroken and resentful expression, he was speechless for a moment.

A mix of guilt, annoyance, and shame at being exposed made him stubbornly insist, "What nonsense are you spouting! Who said I offended him? What is Wang Sheng anyway! Just a little brat who hasn't even grown his first hair, relying on flattery..."

Feng Xiaogang was purely jealous of how well Wang Sheng flattered him.

"you shut up!"

Xu Fan interrupted him with a scream, tears finally streaming down her face: "You're still being stubborn even now! Feng Xiaogang, I was truly blind! What did I follow you for? Did I follow you because your project failed and you're idle at home? Did I follow you because you talk nonsense and offend people when you're drunk? Now look what's happened, you've blocked my path! Who is Wang Sheng now? He's practically running half the Beijing Film Studio! He doesn't even need to say a word, how many people below him would voluntarily do things for him? If I offend him, will I still have any film resources in Beijing?!"

She became increasingly agitated as she spoke, her pent-up anxiety and fear for the future finally erupting: "Do you know how important that role was to me? The lead actress in a Lunar New Year drama starring Zhao Benshan and Guo Da! This might have been my best chance ever! And now it's all over! All because of your troublemaking mouth!"

Feng Xiaogang's face turned pale and then red as he was scolded, especially when Xu Fan mentioned words like "the project failed" and "being idle at home," which hit him where it hurt.

Enraged, he slammed his fist on the table: "Enough! Xu Fan! Stop complaining! So what if you're the female lead in a lousy TV series? Without Wang Sheng, do you think I, Feng Xiaogang, can't promote you? Wait until I calm down..."

"Wait for you? Can I afford to wait?" Xu Fan smiled sadly, forcefully wiping away the tears on his face, his eyes becoming resolute. "Feng Xiaogang, I've had enough! I can't tie my future to your sinking ship anymore!"

After saying that, she stopped looking at Feng Xiaogang's face, which was contorted with anger and frustration, turned around and rushed into the bedroom. She haphazardly pulled out a few pieces of her own clothing from the closet and stuffed them into a travel bag.

"What are you doing? Where are you going?" Feng Xiaogang chased after him to the bedroom door, his voice filled with panic.

Xu Fan zipped up his travel bag, picked it up, and headed for the door. As he passed Feng Xiaogang, he paused for a moment but didn't turn around. He simply said coldly, "I'm going to stay at my friend's place for a few days. Feng Xiaogang, let's both calm down."

With a loud bang, the door was slammed shut.

In the empty room, only Feng Xiaogang remained standing there, his face ashen and his fists clenched.

(End of this chapter)