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

Less than two hours after the public outcry began, Mohen Media's official Weibo account posted an announcement.

Thank you for your attention to Liu Haocun, an artist under Mohen Media.

The announcement detailed the incident at Liu Haocun's mother's dance class, emphasizing that she was taken to the hospital immediately and that initial expenses were covered.

Meanwhile, during the subsequent period of being sued, the Liu family actively raised funds and eventually reached a settlement.

The treatment and compensation costs were paid in full at that time, so the other party withdrew the lawsuit.

During this period, Liu Haocun had already signed a contract with Mohen Media. The company would cover her expenses for studying and living in Beijing, and there was no situation where her family spent money on her education but did not compensate her.

Finally, it is emphasized that everyone knows that the damage to the girl caused by the accident cannot be changed with money, but Liu Haocun is trying her best to make amends. Every few months, she visits the injured girl to comfort her wounded body and mind, and gives the girl's parents extra compensation.

Below the announcement, nine pictures are lined up: the application to withdraw the lawsuit, the compensation agreement, the settlement agreement, the compensation transfer record, multiple flight tickets for Liu Haocun to and from his hometown, the transfer record of Liu Haocun to the girl's father, and several photos of Liu Haocun and the girl.

Each one is so clear that you can read the content, signature, and date.

So that's how it is... Those marketing accounts are really good at making things up.

[I knew it! Haocun isn't a bad person!]

With such complete evidence, what more can be said?

[Timely medical attention, advance payment of expenses, loan repayments, and subsequent compensation... objectively speaking, they've actually done a very good job!]

[She comes from a small family in Northeast China, not some wealthy family. It would take them a while to raise over a million yuan in cash! Aren't those people spreading rumors brainless?]

[Haocun is really something! He was signed by Mohen and is studying in the capital without spending his family's money. It's too much to say that others are profiting from others' misfortune; he's still a minor!]

I estimate that a large portion of the compensation funds must have come from Mohen, otherwise, where would they have gotten such easy money?

[That girl is smiling so happily. Cunzi visits her every year. What do you call profiting from tragedy? This is called human kindness.]

I was wrong, I was too impulsive when I yelled...

[If apologies were enough, what would we need the police for? Anyway, I'm not trusting these marketing accounts anymore.]

Wait, so who hired those people who were cursing Cunzi?

……

Within minutes of the announcement being released, more than 20 mainstream media outlets and entertainment marketing accounts simultaneously reposted it, and the hashtag #LiuHaocunTruth# rose to the top three.

The troll accounts that were stirring up trouble in the comments section began to appear isolated and helpless.

"Hao Cun's situation has basically stabilized."

Lin Wei stared at the data on the screen. "The percentage of negative comments has dropped from 82% to 37%, and it's still decreasing."

Yang Tianzhen, however, did not laugh.

She frowned more and more as she watched another topic on the trending list rise rapidly.

#Tian Xiwei angrily confronts netizens# - It has already climbed to second place.

#Tian Xiwei lacks manners# - Sixth.

#Tianxiwei80#——Ninth.

"Switching tactics so quickly..."

Yang Tianzhen murmured, "Haocun's matter is probably just a trigger; Tian Xiwei is what they really want to detonate."

Of course, Wang Zhonglei didn't expect that he could take down Mohen in one fell swoop just because of Liu Haocun.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Wang Zhonglei might choose to linger with Mohen for a few more days at this juncture, even if it means taking a bite out of him.

However, Tian Xiwei has now given him an excellent entry point, so he decisively chose to leave only a small number of online trolls to lead the discussion on Liu Haocun's side, and then switch all his firepower to attack.

[Leaving aside Liu Haocun for now, Tian Xiwei definitely has problems!]

Can someone with such low moral character even make it in the entertainment industry?

[Rude, vulgar, and foul-mouthed—how can someone like that be allowed into the entertainment industry!]

[Won't this negatively influence the entertainment industry?]

Moreover, the comments criticizing her began to be associated with "Ink Marks".

Is this the quality of InkStain? Not a single one of them is any good!

What good people could possibly be among the artists trained by Shen Mo?

No wonder they all ended up together; birds of a feather flock together.

[Can a company like this really produce good works? We will resolutely boycott them from now on!]

……

"These comments have gone from attacking her for being rude to attacking her for fighting, calling her an '80s girl' and a delinquent."

"How could everything have been exposed at the same time if we hadn't prepared in advance?"

"A fight?" Yang Tianzhen frowned. "What's going on?"

Lin Wei clicked on a marketing account's exposé, which clearly stated:

[Exclusive Scoop] Photos of Tian Xiwei (80) taking on 3 opponents at the scene have been released!

The accompanying photos are several blurry old pictures, showing Tian Xiwei and three girls rolling on the ground, but the photos only show the moment she throws a punch to fight back, and the angle is so tricky that it seems like a deliberate attempt to smear her image.

"Some people said she used to fight and bully others. Four or five so-called 'parties involved' came forward, and they spoke with reason and evidence. Some of them even produced photos of Tian Xiwei fighting."

Yang Tianzhen looked at the photo, her eyes turning cold.

"One against three? That's a joke!"

Do you know the specifics?

Lin Wei shook her head. "You'll have to ask her yourself."

"No need to ask her." Shen Mo pushed open the door and entered. "You guys contact this person; I just spoke with him."

Shen Mo handed over a phone. He hadn't expected that the head of the teaching department he had found when he helped Tian Xiwei solve her problem at the entrance of Tongzhong High School would actually come in handy now.

Lin Wei took the phone, her eyes questioning, "What's this?"

"Contact the dean of students at Tian Xiwei's previous junior high school, and then find Tian Xiwei's former homeroom teacher or classmate."

"The fight is probably true, but it's definitely not 80. Let's dig deeper into the reasons behind it."

After saying that, Shen Mo turned and went out the door, but he suddenly stopped and turned back when he reached the door.

"Remember one point! Tian Xiwei is not born in the 80s."

Yang Tianzhen and Lin Wei exchanged a glance, watched Shen Mo's departing figure, and nodded at the same time.

After the door closed, Lin Wei sighed.

"That technique is very professional."

Lin Wei handed the phone number to a public relations employee and asked him to contact the person. Then she turned to look at Yang Tianzhen.

"A couple of days ago, they stirred up some dirt on Meng Ziyi and the character Qiu Ya, which made us relax and let our guard down."

"Now we're trying to deflect our attention by shifting public opinion from Liu Haocun to Tian Xiwei."

"Are they going to target all of Inkhen's artists one by one?"

"Not only that." Yang Tianzhen leaned back in her chair, a shrewd glint in her eyes.

"Have you noticed that every time, they start by dropping one bombshell, and then just when we're about to clarify, they immediately shift their focus to the next one?"

"Even if we can handle it, it will leave a lasting impression on the public."

Why do the artists under the "Ink Trace" label always seem to have problems?

Lin Wei's expression changed. "So their goal isn't to ruin a particular artist, but rather..."

"It's about ruining the InkStain brand."

Yang Tianzhen stood up. "I think that since the opponent has attacked three times in a row, they can't possibly give up halfway. They must have a backup plan!"

"If it were me, it would be better to cut off one finger than to injure all ten."

"Instead of attacking the artists under your management, attack the company boss."

"From now on, monitor all public opinion involving General Manager Shen and General Manager Li 24 hours a day. Once any signs are detected, suppress them at all costs."

After listening to Yang Tianzhen's words, Lin Wei remained silent for a few seconds, then nodded.

"This scheme was quite ingenious."

Yang Tianzhen looked at her. "You can still laugh?"

"Why aren't you smiling? These are all minor matters; nothing irreversible has happened yet."

Lin Wei stood up. "Let's go, let's go talk to President Shen about the possibility you mentioned earlier."

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

The other staff members on set had already finished get off work and left, and only the lounge was still lit up.

"The company has issued an announcement!"

Bai Lu suddenly jumped up from the sofa excitedly.

Everyone's attention was drawn to it, and they immediately took out their phones.

Within minutes of that Weibo post being published, it was forwarded over 10,000 times.

In the comments section, the sentiment is visibly shifting.

Looking at those comments, she suddenly felt a sense of relief, but more than that, she felt a complex emotion that was hard to describe.

Seeing those photos, she suddenly understood why Shen Mo had asked her to visit the girl regularly and why Li Jia had accompanied her.

It turns out, it wasn't just to comfort the other person, nor was it just to ease my own guilt.

It is also so that one day, when the truth is maliciously distorted, I can stand up and say "that's not how it is" for her.

She suddenly looked up at Li Yitong, who was holding Tian Xiwei, and then instantly changed direction, inadvertently making eye contact with Li Lin, who was holding her.

Li Qin didn't speak, but gently patted her back, a gentle smile curving her lips.

Liu Haocun's cheeks flushed slightly as he lowered his head and continued scrolling through the comments.

In fact, she still saw a lot of doubts and indignant comments.

Although Liu Haocun's situation was caused by her family, it ultimately ruined someone's life!

Doesn't she feel any remorse at all? And she acts so happy acting in TV shows, movies, and variety shows.

The point these materials from Inkmark are really trying to make is this: money can solve everything, even if someone else is crippled!

[A little girl's life has been ruined just like that!]

……

Suddenly, a message popped up at the top of my phone; it was another message from Mohen Media.

Has the announcement regarding the public opinion response triggered by Tian Xiwei been released?

She clicked on it out of curiosity, but was suddenly stunned.

Mohen Media reposted a video posted by a personal Weibo account.

The girl in the video looked very familiar to her; in fact, she would fly over to see her every few months.

The girl, dressed in beautiful clothes, sat in a wheelchair with a bright smile on her face, waving and greeting the video.

Her fingers froze on the screen, and her heart skipped a beat.

Hi everyone, thank you so much for your concern!

"Sister Haocun is a very good person!"

"She often comes to see me, shares the joys and pains of practicing dance, tells me interesting stories about celebrities she meets in the entertainment industry, and brings me the blessings they record for me."

"Actually, it's not necessary at all. It's not her fault, nor is it entirely her mother's fault. My own lack of practice is also part of the reason."

Liu Haocun's eyes began to redden.

"Every time she comes to see me, she reads 'The Shura Field of Chinese Entertainment: Young Actresses All Want to Climb to the Top,' enjoying her reading time. She always has a smile on her face; I guess she's trying to make me happy."

"Several times when she left, I actually saw her secretly, and she almost couldn't hold back her tears."

The girl in the video lowered her head, sniffed, and then raised her head again, her eyes crinkling with laughter.

"Dad said that every time my sister left, she would transfer tens of thousands of yuan to him, saying it was a token of her affection. Dad felt very guilty and said he knew he shouldn't accept it, but he accepted it for my sake."

"My sister said she'll keep coming until the day she can't walk anymore, unless I stop wanting to come."

"But how could I possibly dislike having an older sister like that?"

The girl's voice suddenly became tearful, but she still tried to smile, tears welling up in her eyes.

"After all, she said she would work harder to dance and act in better TV movies, and share all the honors with me."

"Thank you, Sister Haocun!"

The video ends.

The screen went black.

Liu Haocun stared blankly at the small black cube, tears streaming down his face like broken beads.

One drop, two drops, three drops...

On the phone screen, the comments that were just scrolling had blurred into a blurry, watery mess.

She recalled the first time she saw that girl; she was lying in a hospital bed, her face as pale as a sheet of paper, her eyes so empty that it was hard to look directly at her.

She recalled the girl's parents' gray hair, red-rimmed eyes, and furious words.

She remembered hiding in the hospital corridor, covering her mouth and afraid to make a sound, her shoulders trembling like a leaf.

She remembered Shen Mo pushing the contract in front of her and saying, "Sign it, and this matter will be over."

She recalled that every time she went to see the girl, she had to prepare herself mentally for several days in advance, and then she would cry her eyes out on the plane back.

She remembered the first time the girl called her "sister," she was stunned for a long time, then made an excuse to go to the toilet and squatted in the bathroom for ten minutes.

Those emotions she suppressed in her heart, those guiltes she never dared to tell anyone, those questions she repeatedly questioned herself on countless sleepless nights.

"Why should I still be able to laugh? Why should I still be able to dance? Why should I still be able to act?"

At this moment, I was gently and tenderly shattered by the words of the girl in the video.

"Thanks."

She opened her mouth, but her throat felt like it was blocked by something, and she couldn't make a sound.

Only tears continued to flow.

Li Lin reached out and pulled her into his arms.

Liu Haocun buried his face in her shoulder and finally burst into tears.

It wasn't a breakdown, it wasn't despair, it was a cry that had been suppressed for too long and was finally released.

It was as if someone had finally helped her unload the heavy burden she had carried for years.

At this moment, she finally felt completely at peace.

Li Qin didn't say anything, but gently patted her back, once, once.

No one spoke in the lounge.

Bai Lu's eyes reddened, and she turned her head away, pretending to look at her phone.

Li Yitong tightened her grip on Tian Xiwei's hand and blinked hard.

The large Tian Xiwei lay in Li Yitong's arms, watching Liu Haocun cry like that, but the corners of her mouth slowly turned up in a smile.

Her eyes were red, and the tip of her nose was red too. Her smile looked silly and ugly, but she just couldn't help it.

Cunzi finally cried, which is a good thing.

"Laugh! You actually know how to laugh!"

Bai Lu slapped her on the bottom, her voice thick with a nasal tone, "Why are you laughing when someone's crying like that!"

Tian Xiwei shrank into Li Yitong's arms after being patted, her lips pouting.

"Can't I... I'm happy?!"

"What's there to be happy about! Do you even know you're still trending on social media?!"

"I don't care."

Tian Xiwei buried her face in Li Yitong's arms and said in a muffled voice, "It's good that Cunzi is alright."

She knew she had acted impulsively, but she really couldn't control herself.

Li Yitong looked down at the fluffy head in her arms and reached out to ruffle its hair.

Bai Lu sighed deeply as she looked at her pathetic state.

"If you hadn't gotten involved, wouldn't the problem be solved now?"

"Little Tian'er."

"Um?"

"If you act impulsively again, I'll tie you up."

Tian Xi raised her head slightly, her eyes wide open, filled with grievance.

"Sister Tong! I'm already in such a miserable state, and you still..."

"What's so tragic about it?"

Li Yitong poked her forehead, "You're miserable, you deserve to be miserable."

"Your brother Mo is still out there cleaning up your mess, and you're just sitting here grinning like an idiot."

Tian Xiwei pouted even more, but her eyes began to redden again.

"Then... is Brother Mo angry with me?"

Looking into her eyes, which were as red as a rabbit's, Li Yitong's anger suddenly dissipated.

"I dare not..."

"Don't dare? Weren't you quite bold when you were swearing?"

"That's different!"

"Why is it different?"

Tian Xiwei buried her face back in Li Yitong's arms, "I'm afraid he'll scold me..."

Li Yitong was amused and annoyed. "You're afraid he'll scold you? If you're afraid he'll scold you, why did you post it?"

"I...I just couldn't help it..."

Bai Lu rolled her eyes.

"Couldn't help it? You couldn't help it, you couldn't help but curse everyone!"

"The criticism is so strong it's dominating the trending topics!"

Tian Xiwei didn't speak, but buried her face even deeper.

Li Yitong and Bai Lu exchanged a glance, both seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes.

"Never mind." Li Yitong patted Tian Xiwei's back. "Let your brother Mo clean up your mess."

Tian Xi gave a muffled "hmm".

She secretly took out her phone, tapped on Shen Mo's WeChat profile picture, and sent a message.

"Brother Mo, I was wrong."

Shen Mo did not reply.

She stared at the chat box for a long time, then placed her phone face down on the sofa.

Li Yitong smiled slightly and reached out to pat Bai Lu's shoulder.

"Alright, alright, Xiaotian is still young! Don't blame her."

Then he nodded to Bai Lu, "You have to trust your brother Mo, he can definitely handle it."

Upon hearing Shen Mo's name and seeing the smile on Li Yitong's lips, Bai Lu instantly fell silent.

She gave a muffled "hmm," then subconsciously moved to the right, shifting closer to Li Qin.

Li Qin frowned slightly as she looked at the trending topics on her phone.

She always felt that this matter was not so simple.

Just as Cunzi's matter was clarified, Tian Xiwei's matter was brought up again.

This rhythm is so smooth.

It's like... something that was planned long ago.

She glanced at the pitch-black night outside the window and sighed softly.

Shen Mo, what are you doing?

-

Shen Mo's office.

"Liu Haocun's situation is basically under control," Lin Wei reported. "After that girl's video was released, public opinion began to completely shift; fewer people were criticizing her, and more were criticizing the marketing accounts."

"But Tian Xiwei's matter is still escalating," Yang Tianzhen said, "and it has already begun to rise to the company level."

Shen Mo nodded without saying anything.

His phone rang again; it was the same number that had alerted him.

"Mr. Shen, it's me." The voice on the other end of the phone was very low.

"Just letting you in on a heads-up, this is only the beginning. Wang Zhonglei seems pretty confident."

Shen Mo's eyes narrowed slightly. "Thank you."

After hanging up the phone, he looked at the night outside the window and remained silent for a long time. "Since that's how it is," he thought, "then don't blame me."

"What's wrong?" Yang Tianzhen asked.

Shen Mo turned his head, a faint smile curving his lips.

"It's nothing," he said. "Let's continue as planned."

He didn't tell them what the phone call was about.

But he knew that the real storm might have only just begun.

-

The film set's dressing room.

Liu Haocun leaned on Li Qin's shoulder and had already fallen asleep.

She had been crying for too long and was exhausted.

At this moment, her brows were relaxed, her breathing was even, and there were still traces of tears on her face.

Li Qin gently adjusted her position to make her more comfortable.

Tian Xiwei sat beside her, hugging her knees, staring blankly at her phone.

She stopped browsing Weibo and just stared at Shen Mo's WeChat profile picture, opening the chat window again and again, then closing it.

Why didn't Brother Mo reply to himself?

She really wanted to call and ask, but she didn't dare. She was afraid her brother Mo would scold her, she was afraid her brother Mo would get angry.

Looking at her, Li Yitong sighed softly. She stood up and pulled Bai Lu to the window.

"Yume-yan".

Bai Lu looked at Li Yitong and suddenly felt a little uneasy.

"Sister Tong..."

Li Yitong took her hand and gently squeezed it.

"Mengyan, would you like to listen to your older sister for a moment?"

Bai Lu was slightly taken aback when she saw Li Yitong's sincere expression, and then straightened up.

"Sister Tong, what is it?"

Li Yitong pursed her lips and raised a crescent moon in her eyes, "I can't stay on your set every day. Xiaotian'er will probably still need your care and attention later on."

"She's still a minor, and has spent most of her life in school. She doesn't have much social experience. You should keep an eye on her and keep a close eye on her."

"But don't be too harsh on her. With her personality, the harsher you are, the more she'll do the opposite."

Bai Lu pursed her lips and nodded vigorously.

"Sister Tong, I've got it."

Li Yitong looked at her and suddenly smiled.

Bai Lu was stunned for a moment, and her face suddenly turned a little red.

"Sister Tong, I..."

"I know," Li Yitong interrupted her, squeezing her hand again. "I know everything."

Bai Lu opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.

Li Yitong released her hand, turned around and walked back to the sofa, sitting down next to Tian Xiwei.

Tian Xi raised her head slightly, her eyes red.

"Sister Tong..."

"Um?"

"Will Brother Mo be angry?"

Li Yitong reached out and pulled her into her arms.

"Yes," she said. "He definitely will."

Tian Xiwei frowned instantly, her lips pursed.

"He'll be angry. Why didn't he protect you?"