The Entertainment Industry in Turmoil: Young Actresses All Want to Rise to the Top

"Mr. Shen, something's happened!"

Shen Mo's phone was still lit up, and he hadn't had time to open the private kitchen location sent by Li Yitong on the screen.

Accompanied by the rapid sound of high heels hitting the ground and a gasp, Lin Wei pushed open the door and placed an iPad on the desk in front of him.

The top trending topics on Weibo instantly caught his eye.

#Daughter of Liu Haocun, a defaulter#

#Liu Haocun, the paralyzed girl#

#Liu Hao uses human blood to make steamed buns#

Shen Mo's pupils suddenly contracted, and he instantly sat up straight and picked up the iPad.

The first post on the trending topics was accompanied by a full range of pictures: photos of Liu Haocun's mother from her old dance training class, a screenshot of a court summons, and a blurry picture of a girl in a wheelchair from behind.

The comments section has been reduced to ruins.

[Her mother harmed others, and she enjoyed the benefits; this is called profiting from human suffering!]

[The daughter of a debtor who defaulted on a loan should get out of the entertainment industry!]

Every step she took was on someone else's wheelchair!

Shen Mo's fingers hovered over the screen, his knuckles turning white.

A few seconds later, he looked up, his voice unusually calm.

"Notify Yang Tianzhen to assemble in the conference room."

Lin Wei nodded, then turned and ran.

He remembered the girl who had been crying uncontrollably in the practice room years ago, the compensation agreement he had drafted himself, and the words he had uttered.

"Once you sign, this matter is over."

Turn the page?

He sneered. It seemed that some people didn't want this matter to be put behind them.

-----------------

The afterglow of the setting sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the "Ode to Joy" film set, casting a warm glow on the shared apartment on the 22nd floor.

Liu Haocun lay on the sofa in the rest room, squinting at the warm golden light outside the window.

She had just finished her cameo role as Jin Qinqin, who came to find Fang Duoduo. The scene of the two children reuniting in "A Little Reunion" was filmed in one take.

"Cunzi, want to have dinner together tonight?"

Tian Xiwei was still wearing the plaid shirt Fang Duoduo wore in the play. She pounced on her and hugged her neck, rubbing her fluffy head against her face.

"There's a hot pot restaurant nearby, and Mengyan said it's really delicious."

Liu Haocun laughed and tried to dodge, "Okay, okay, get up first, you're too heavy."

Bai Lu, who was touching up her makeup across from her, heard this and replied without looking up, "Can you two be a little more mindful of your image? You're female celebrities, after all."

"What female celebrity?"

Tian Xiwei rolled her eyes. "I'm at most a female celebrity, and the kind with a really bad temper."

Li Qin walked over carrying a thermos, adding casually, "So you do know that."

The four of them burst into laughter.

Looking at them, Liu Haocun felt a warmth in his heart.

That's how it is when you're filming; being with familiar people makes time fly by.

Unlike when I practiced dancing at the company, I was spinning around in front of the mirror all by myself, my mind filled with the pressure of the college entrance exam next year.

Ever since her girlfriends moved out after the fire, she has really missed the lively atmosphere of living together.

Suddenly, her assistant, Li Jia, rushed over in a hurry, holding up her phone.

The moment his assistant Li Jia rushed in, Liu Haocun still had a smile on his face.

"Haocun! Something's happened—"

Li Jia held up her phone, her face flushed red, and her voice trembling.

Liu Haocun's smile froze.

She took the phone, and the bright red trending headline rushed into her eyes, word by word. She could hear her own heartbeat, thumping, thumping, growing heavier and more chaotic.

Holy crap, is this for real? This is absolutely outrageous!

[She's paralyzed, but she's doing just fine, acting in movies and appearing on variety shows. What gives her the right?]

[The daughter of a debtor who defaulted on a loan should get out of the entertainment industry!]

[I always felt something was off about her acting; turns out she's just inherently wicked!]

Of course, many of her fans also tried to defend her in the comments section.

[Cunzi was still a student at the time; this was her mother's business, what does it have to do with her?]

The fact that they filed a lawsuit and then withdrew it means the matter has been resolved through negotiation. Don't spread rumors!

But such voices had no effect and were drowned out by a barrage of doubts.

[A negotiated solution? Would that solution allow the girl to stand up again?]

[Unable to afford compensation for someone paralyzed in bed, yet able to afford to study at the Beijing Dance Academy in the capital—that's truly impressive!]

That's her mother, and she calls that no big deal? Can she really let go of her family of origin?

[Fans, stop defending it. The way you're trying to defend it is disgusting.]

Liu Haocun's fingers trembled slightly.

I knew this day would come, but it still hurts when it actually arrives.

Tian Xiwei noticed her unusual behavior and leaned closer. She slowly read out the trending search terms, her voice getting softer and softer until she fell silent.

Liu Haocun's eyes began to sting, and tears welled up unexpectedly, splashing onto the phone screen and blurring the words "Daughter of a deadbeat should get out of the entertainment industry" into a blurry mess.

Tian Xiwei's brows furrowed into a tight knot.

She knew all the details of the matter all too well. When Liu Haocun cried so hard he couldn't breathe, she was at a loss and didn't know how to comfort him.

"What kind of garbage is this comment section?!"

Bai Lu and Li Lin also came over. Just as they saw the text on the screen, they noticed Tian Xiwei's fingers flying around as she took out her phone. Bai Lu grabbed Tian Xiwei's hand.

What are you doing?

"Post it on Weibo!" Tian Xiwei gritted her teeth, her eyes blazing with fury.

What are you doing?

"Post it on Weibo!" Tian Xiwei gritted her teeth, her eyes blazing with fury.

"These people spout nonsense without knowing anything; I need to make this clear!"

"Explain what?"

Li Qin's voice was calm, yet it possessed a calming power.

"You think the online attacks aren't focused enough?"

Tian Xi was slightly taken aback, her grip on her phone loosened, but she was still unwilling to give up and clicked into the comments section, scrolling down one by one.

Her little mouth pursed higher and higher, and she occasionally let out a muffled groan of resentment.

Li Lin reached out and took Liu Haocun's phone, pulled her into his arms, and gently patted her back.

Liu Haocun's shoulders were trembling, and his suppressed sobs were muffled inside Li Qin's clothes.

"Okay, okay, I'm not watching anymore."

Li Qin raised her eyes and gave Bai Lu, who was sitting to Tian Xiwei's left, a raised eyebrow.

Bai Lu reacted instantly, picked up her phone and dialed Shen Mo's number. The call was answered as soon as it rang.

"Brother Mo!"

Bai Lu lowered her voice and said quickly, "Cunzi is in trouble! The trending topics are all about her!"

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.

"I know," Shen Mo's voice was steady. "I'm handling it on my end."

Bai Lu let out a long sigh of relief, and her tense shoulders slumped.

"That's good……"

"It's nothing serious," Shen Mo said. "This was bound to explode sooner or later, and we were prepared. Cunzi is making a cameo appearance for you guys today, right?"

"Um."

"Keep an eye on her. Don't let her look at her phone, don't let her overthink things. Tell her—"

Shen Mo paused for a moment, then said, "Leave this to me. Make her trust me."

Bai Lu glanced at Liu Haocun, who was curled up in Li Lin's arms, and nodded vigorously: "Okay."

After hanging up the phone, she relayed Shen Mo's words.

Tian Xi's eyes lit up, and she secretly breathed a sigh of relief. But seeing the increasing number of negative comments on the trending topics, that nameless anger rose up again, making her restless.

She secretly hid her phone to the side and started typing.

-----------------

The atmosphere in the conference room of Mohen Pictures was extremely tense.

Yang Tianzhen, Lin Wei, and everyone from the public relations department sat around the conference table, the cold light from the computer screens reflecting on their faces.

"Public opinion escalated too quickly."

Lin Wei swiped the mouse, speaking very quickly.

"From the first breaking news to now, in less than an hour, we've occupied five of the top ten trending topics. This definitely didn't happen naturally; someone is pushing it."

Yang Tianzhen leaned back in her chair, her fingers tapping lightly on the table.

There must be someone behind this.

"I felt something was off about the smear campaign against Meng Ziyi a few days ago. Why would they spend so much money to smear a newcomer who's just starting out? Their real intentions are not what they seem."

Lin Wei frowned: "The Beijing elite circle?"

"pretty close."

Yang Tianzhen sneered, "Huayi is just a representative of the Beijing circle. The company may have collapsed, but the people in the Beijing circle are still around."

"Huayi was dismantled by us, and several works by the Beijing Film Circle flopped silently."

"Feng Xiaogang finally managed to put together a film called 'Mr. Six,' and he's been promoting it everywhere."

"As a result, they were repeatedly crushed by our 'Detective Chinatown,' 'Brother Quick,' and 'Goodbye,' in their shoes. If you were in their shoes, wouldn't you be furious?"

Lin Wei pulled up several pictures from the exposé page.

"The key question is, how did they get this information? Not many people know about Liu Haocun's family affairs."

"I've arranged for people to investigate," Yang Tianzhen said. "But no matter who leaked it, the most important thing now is how to deal with it."

Lin Wei opened a folder.

"These are the materials that General Manager Shen personally handled three years ago. They include the compensation agreement, bank transfer records, an apology letter from Liu Haocun's mother, a settlement agreement, and the other party's application to withdraw the lawsuit."

"And this..."

She opened another folder, which contained dozens of photos.

In the photo, Liu Haocun is sitting in a wheelchair, laughing with a girl.

Some were in hospital wards, and some were in the gardens of rehabilitation centers.

"Liu Haocun visits her every few months, and these photos were taken when her assistant, Li Jia, accompanies her there."

"Each time she visited, she would give some extra money to the other party's parents, saying it was to buy nutritional supplements for the girl. Li Jia kept a record of all the transfer records."

Yang Tianzhen turned the pages one by one, his brows gradually relaxing.

"It was President Shen who sent her, wasn't it?"

Lin Wei nodded: "Yes. She was only in her final year of junior high school at the time, how could she have thought of these things?"

A member of the public relations department raised his hand: "President Yang, I have a concern. If we release these things, they will most likely be seen as a publicity stunt. People will say we're trying to use money to settle everything."

Yang Tianzhen was silent for a few seconds, then exchanged a glance with Lin Wei.

"Indeed. Money can solve legal problems, but it can't solve people's hearts."

Lin Wei tapped her fingers lightly on the table: "I have an idea..."

-----------------

It was completely dark at 7 p.m.

Yang Tianzhen and Lin Wei stood in front of Shen Mo's desk, reporting on the plans discussed in the meeting.

Shen Mo glanced at the time on his phone.

"We should expedite the release of announcements and evidence from all parties to define the nature of this incident."

"Contact mainstream media and marketing accounts to cover everything in one go. Don't let other topics distract from the main focus."

"Also," he paused, "be careful of the people behind you; they might have a backup plan tonight."

Lin Wei nodded: "I'll contact the media right away and prepare press releases and materials."

The press release focused on three aspects.

Shen Mo's voice was deep and extremely serious.

"First, to clarify the facts: compensation has been paid and the two parties have reached a settlement."

"Second, separation of responsibility: Liu Haocun was a minor at the time, and this matter has nothing to do with her."

Lin Wei quickly took notes, then tentatively asked, "Should we have Liu Haocun post a message on Weibo later?"

Shen Mo looked at her: "Let's proceed according to your plan and contact them first."

Lin Wei nodded.

Shen Mo turned to Yang Tianzhen: "Tianzhen, go contact Weibo and suppress the hype. We can't let them add fuel to the fire so easily."

Before he could finish speaking, the door was pushed open.

Rebecca burst in, her face clearly anxious: "Tian Xiwei posted on Weibo!"

The three of them pulled out their phones almost simultaneously.

The special notification pushed by Weibo was from Tian Xiwei, who had just posted a Weibo message.

Please don't believe the rumors, Haocun deserves your love!

Shen Mo breathed a sigh of relief.

That's it?

Fortunately.

Rebecca rushed over impatiently: "Mr. Shen, look at the comments section!"

Shen Mo opened the comments, and then his brows slowly furrowed, becoming deeper and deeper.

[Comment: What's so appealing about the daughter of a deadbeat debtor?]

[Tian Xiwei: Her mother is not a deadbeat! This matter was resolved a long time ago, and the compensation was paid long ago!]

[Comment: Sister! Why are you defending the daughter of a deadbeat?]

[Tian Xiwei: Sister, why did you believe that?! Did you even check it before you believed it?!]

[Comment: Wow, even the big star Tian is personally stepping in to whitewash this? How much did he get paid?]

[Tian Xiwei: What am I defending? I'm just stating the facts! You guys don't even bother to investigate before blindly following the trend and attacking me. Can't you use your brains?!]

[Comment: She's panicking! What high standards she has! No wonder she's friends with Liu Haocun!]

[Tian Xiwei: What's wrong with my manners? I'm proud to be friends with Haocun! She deserves it!]

[Comment: Hilarious! With this kind of character, he dares to be a public figure? No wonder he was able to fight back in Tongling High School; it's just his nature.]

[Tian Xiwei: What's wrong with my Tongzhong High School? Spreading rumors doesn't cost anything, does it?!]

[Comment: Tian Xiwei, do you think you're incredibly righteous and awesome?]

[Tian Xiwei: What business is it of yours whether I'm righteous or not? I don't care if you spread rumors, but spreading rumors about Cunzi is unacceptable! She's a million times better than you keyboard warriors who just hide behind your keyboards and spew nonsense!]

[Comment: Oh my gosh, the popular young actress is swearing! Come and see!]

[Tian Xiwei: Using civilized language is a waste of breath when dealing with people like you! If you're so capable, step forward and let's talk face to face!]

[Comment: As expected of someone from a wealthy family, all they know is how to use their fists.]

[Tian Xiwei: Me, hit you? You dare? You're just a maggot hiding behind an internet cable! I know a hundred times more about Cunzi's situation than you do; you know nothing and yet you spout nonsense!]

[Comment: Your daughter is such a good person, why didn't she stop her mother from harming others? Why did she drag her feet on paying compensation for so long? Why is she only now coming out to play the victim?]

[Tian Xiwei: Are you kidding me?! Do you think raising compensation doesn't take time?! You don't know anything and yet you spout nonsense. Do you think being illiterate is something to be proud of?!]

[Comment: Hahahaha, Tian Xiwei has broken down and started making personal attacks. Is this the kind of artist Mohen produces? Is this the kind of person Shen Mo mentored?]

[Tian Xiwei: Stop dragging Mo Ge into this! Mo Ge is a million times better than all of you scum! You're just jealous! You're just envious! You can't stand seeing others do well!]

[Comment: Oh? Shen Mo is so nice, then why doesn't he say anything?]

[Tian Xiwei: Bullshit! Brother Mo is a million times busier than you maggots!]

[Comment: Oh my god, is Shen Mo your god? I'm so scared!]

[Tian Xiwei: Get out!!!]

[Comment: Tian Xiwei, someone like you only deserves to be friends with the daughter of a deadbeat. From top to bottom, there's not a single good person in your Mohen group!]

[Tian Xiwei: Say that again, you son of a bitch?! You bunch of bastards and cyberbullies will get your comeuppance sooner or later!!!]

……

Shen Mo closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Yang Tianzhen and Lin Wei exchanged a glance, then looked at Shen Mo with a questioning look in their eyes.

Shen Mo opened his eyes and rubbed his temples.

"Contact Tian Xiwei's agent immediately and confiscate her phone!"

"Delete this post immediately! Right now!"

His voice was calm, but if you looked closely, you could see the veins throbbing on his temples.

This little tyrannosaurus from Sichuan and Chongqing couldn't resist and started arguing with netizens online, just like in his previous life, although his motives were different.

This time, however, she wasn't attacking just anyone—she was attacking the entire internet.

Shen Mo gazed out the window at the deep night, whispering softly, his voice so low that only he could hear it.

"You better not let me find out who it is!"

Update released! Readers have all gone to check it out!