Wan Ke flung his phone furiously.
It struck the opposite wall with a bang, instantly shattering into pieces.
Both of his movies were already in preparation, especially the one scheduled to start filming next week—all the facilities, props, and costumes were ready. If he was forced to halt production now, the losses would be incalculable!
In the span of an afternoon, all investors pulled out of Wan Ke’s studio, business partners unilaterally cancelled their collaborations, and the actors, who’d previously agreed to take part, all used scheduling conflicts as an excuse to back out...
But that wasn’t the end of it. With the disaster that he was currently embroiled in, no star dared to sign onto his films, which meant he’d find it impossible to cast any actors.
What it meant to be a director who couldn’t find actors was something Wan Ke understood all too well as his face turned ghostly pale, and he collapsed to the floor.
It was all over, all of it was over.
He was acutely aware of the terrifying pressure of public opinion, being in this industry.
Xu Jiayang and Xia Weibao—weren’t they crushed by public opinion back in the day?
Xu Jiayang had Leng Yan’s support and then encountered Xia Weibao, which allowed him to make a comeback after four years. But him, would he have a chance to make a return?
In the Hongtu Office, Xia Weibao munched on spicy sticks with gusto.
"Tsk tsk, heard that Wan Ke got blacklisted, investors are pulling out, actors are turning against him, and he’s got to cover all the money he sank in himself. That’s rough."
Xia Shi looked up. "A director who can’t start shooting is done for."
Leng Yan snorted, "Serves him right!"
Xia Weibao raised an eyebrow. "Director Xu, congratulations, you’ve finally cleared your name, everything will surely go smoothly for you from now on."
Xu Jiayang glanced at her silently.
He once had a good friendship with Wan Ke and Chu Ying, but now it had come to this, a whirlwind of emotions swirling within him.
"A big event calls for celebration, I’m treating everyone tonight!"
Finally showing some generosity, Leng Yan swung his arm in a grand gesture, displaying a bit of that domineering CEO air.
Back when he was so stingy, trying every means to cut down on pay—it was almost embarrassing to admit he was the boss of their company. Shameful!
Xia Weibao’s eyes held a grudging look. "Boss, when I was clearing my name, you didn’t care at all, but now that Director Xu is in the clear, you’re so willing to treat. Is the preferential treatment really that obvious?"
Leng Yan gave her a sidelong glance and sneered, "Xu Jiayang and I have been close friends since childhood. Who are you in comparison? As an employee, you should be working hard to make money for the company, not always trying to swindle your boss or his company, Starshine. Understand?"
It’s just a Starshine, is there really a need to hold such a long grudge?
She suddenly let out a dry laugh, casually fanning herself with her hand, "If I’m not mistaken, someone once made a bet with me—if I could successfully clear my name, they would have to run a lap around the Imperial City with their pants off. I wonder if that offer still stand, hmm?"
Leng Yan looked at her disdainfully, without thinking, "You must be out of your mind if you think someone would be idiotic enough to make such a bet with you."
He turned his head away, unable to watch.
He’d told the kid not to be so impulsive back then, and now here it was, instant karma.
And considering Xia Weibao hadn’t mentioned a word about it, she probably wanted to let it go. And yet, this fool just couldn’t help but provoke her into settling old scores.
Leng Yan was not Xia Shi’s client when he made that pledge, so she didn’t know about the bet. But now, upon hearing it, she was suddenly intrigued.