Chapter 45: Chapter 44 But I Have No Money! Chapter 45: Chapter 44 But I Have No Money! “Alright, Director, I’ll be ready in a moment!” Wenyan was very proactive and immediately replied to Su Yang in the group chat.
‘Mom, that’s not true, Big Brother Shen and I are innocent.’
Shen Jinghe: …Why do the words “innocent” look so weird? But she’s not wrong in saying that.
‘The reason is that I previously offended a scumbag in the crew, and after I had him thrown in jail, the crew fired him. So now he hates me and the director and is pulling this despicable stunt to get back at us! Trash! You can’t even find such scum in a rubbish heap! Lowlife scoundrel!’
Shen Jinghe: …What happened to being ready in a moment? Now she’s gotten into a whole conversation. And she types so fast! Are her thumbs mutated compared to the norm?
‘Also, Big Brother Shen and I are currently having a strategy meeting with the crew, discussing our response. I’ll call you after we wrap up here, it’s not convenient at the moment.’
‘Okay, as long as you two are fine. I couldn’t get through to your phones just now and was worried something had happened to you.’
‘By the way, if the crew can’t handle it, then let’s involve the family.’
‘Alright, Mom. But I think we can handle this ourselves. Now, Big Brother Shen and I have to get back to the meeting!’
‘Go ahead, go ahead’
Wenyan did type fast; she put down her phone in no time.
As for Shen Jinghe, he had just been staring at his phone screen the whole time, showing no intention of typing.
Zhou Junye glanced at him and couldn’t help but ask, “Don’t you need to explain things to your family?”
Shen Jinghe slipped his phone back into his pocket without hesitation, “I’ve already explained.”
Zhou Junye: “??? When? I didn’t even see you touch your phone.”
Shen Jinghe, unfazed: “Then you must have seen wrong.”
“Really?” Zhou Junye was confused, but he quickly accepted the explanation.
Yes, he must have missed it.
Wenyan: [You truly are an actor, with top-notch acting skills. Respect, Shen Jinghe, 666]
Shen Jinghe glanced at Wenyan and was speechless at her comment.
Could this even be called acting? This was composure, something inherent and not something that lesser talents could envy!
–
After this brief interlude, everyone quickly began discussing their strategy.
Zhou Junye said, “I can issue a statement to clarify the camping car situation. That night, it wasn’t just you two in the car together; if we go by their logic, that two people were having car sex, then what does it make four people—group sex? It’s laughable. The crew filmed a lot of videos that night; I can release clearer ones.
“As for the landslide, it was a result of forces beyond our control. To blame our actors for such an incident only shows that some fans have lost their ability to think critically. This narrative is incorrect.
“So, Jinghe, although you are positioned as the victim in this whole PR disaster, and no one from the onset has been cursing at you—only expressing sympathy for you—it seems like it hasn’t affected you at all. But I think you should still come forward to steer public opinion. What do you think?”
“Of course, I will clarify. It’s my unequivocal responsibility.”
Zhou Junye nodded, then turned to Wenyan: “Wenyan, you are currently a newcomer, and if this issue isn’t handled well, it could be devastating for you. Your acting career could be over before it even starts.
“So my advice is to play it safe. Right now, Jinghe’s fans are the ones who have the biggest problem with you. After I and the crew release our statements, you can comment and repost, then write a brief note yourself. But stay out of Jinghe’s way; otherwise, people will say you’re riding on his coattails for attention.”
Before Wenyan had the chance to respond, Shen Jinghe interjected.
“I disagree. Since we’re clarifying, and since these allegations are baseless, why shouldn’t we interact openly and uprightly? I won’t just issue a statement; I will also tag Wenyan in it when I do.”
“In the circle, many people who stoked CP rumors ended up falling out when they were forced to clarify things. Not only did their fans tear into each other, but the parties involved also had their own private spats. These people won’t interact anymore, and there won’t be any future collaborations.”
“But it’s different for me and Wenyan. We’re colleagues in the same drama crew, and we’ll cross paths again when the movie is released. I don’t think playing dead is the best choice for her right now.”
“What about your fans?”
“If both she and I are open and straightforward, the fans naturally won’t say anything.”
Zhou Junye paused, then looked at Wenyan, “What do you think?”
After thinking carefully, Wenyan said, “I agree with Teacher Shen’s suggestion. I think as long as I can handle the interaction properly, Teacher Shen’s fans won’t feel offended. However…”
“Go on.”
“I think the most urgent and important thing is that we need to find evidence to prove that Zhang Cheng orchestrated this whole thing by himself. Once we can expose this mastermind, the direction of public opinion will shift, and we might not even need to explain; he will become the target of public anger.”
“You’re right, but exposing him will take time, and it will also require a lot of financial resources.”
Right, when she thought about the significant amount of money, Wenyan felt disgusted.
This damn Zhang Cheng, he made money by selling fake news, and now they had to spend money to expose him!
“Then let’s do that first!” Zhou Junye continued, “We’ll each release a statement, and then I’ll hint that we’re currently investigating the mastermind behind all this, to guide public opinion. By the way, Wenyan, send me your draft after you’ve written it, and I’ll take a look before you post it.”
“Sure!”
“That’ll be all for today. Someone online has already dug up our filming location, so things might get lively soon. You all go back and rest, we have to get up early for shooting tomorrow.”
The progress of the shooting couldn’t be delayed, and everyone got up and left the director’s room.
But Wenyan lingered until the very end.
Shen Jinghe noticed her hesitation and turned to glance at her.
However, Wenyan was deep in thought and didn’t notice Shen Jinghe’s gaze.
Just then, a crew member approached him, “Teacher Shen, regarding the changes to tomorrow’s notice, I’d like to hear your opinion. Do you have a moment now?”
“Yes, I do.”
“Let’s talk while we walk, then.”
“Alright.”
Shen Jinghe then left with the crew member.
At this moment, Zhou Junye also noticed Wenyan.
“Is there something else?”
Wenyan nodded, her eyes curved into crescents.
“Director, I heard you say that it might cost a great deal of money to expose Zhang Cheng, right?”
“Yes, gossip involving top celebrities is really hot, and to settle things, we have to pay a price,” the director replied.
“That’s true, and besides, Teacher Shen isn’t really affected badly by this whole situation. Instead, it’s me and you, the director, who are the real victims. So, logically, Teacher Shen doesn’t have to pay this money. But Director, I also don’t have money!!”
“You don’t have money?” Zhou Junye raised an eyebrow with a smile that wasn’t quite a smile, “Actually, this could be considered a matter for the production crew, because if our reputation is damaged, it would affect the entire movie. But in fact, if we just replace you, the production crew wouldn’t suffer any losses.”