Chapter 809

This blackness came with terrifying force.

It swept through almost overnight, leveling everything in its path.

So-called rational observers all declared, "Anyone who reaches Wen Shengming's position must be dirty."

For a time, social media was flooded with denunciations of Wen Shengming.

"How many people have joined forces to pull this off? Such a massive uproar," Chen Ziyan couldn't help but remark, even though she was no stranger to the scene.

Lu Yanhe shook his head. "Most film companies probably joined in—sending Wen Teacher a warning."

Chen Ziyan: "Obviously fake. It's about something from twenty years ago. Why bring it up now, of all times?"

"No evidence, yet they still found a witness," Lu Yanhe sneered.

Chen Ziyan asked: "Are you going to join this fight?"

"I won't join. If I do, I'll just stoke the fire further."

As for these internet trolls—Lu Yanhe had long understood them well. He had once followed a film critic who, back then, he genuinely thought wrote brilliantly—his movie reviews were sharp and insightful. But at the time, his account wasn't popular (yes, he was a he, not a she), with barely any followers.

Later, for reasons unknown, every single one of his film reviews suddenly shifted to analyzing themes and character logic from a female (victim) perspective.

Every single one.

His reviews began sparking controversy, and his traffic kept growing.

Lu Yanhe just felt… not disappointed, exactly, just utterly meaningless.

So, in this public opinion arena, Lu Yanhe never considered stepping forward to speak for Wen Shengming. First, his standing up would have zero positive effect. Second, there's not a single concrete piece of evidence—no matter how fierce these blackeners are now, it's just a storm that will pass, and time will bury it.

Compared to that, Lu Yanhe now places greater faith in the power of conspiracy theories in public opinion.

And a conspiracy theory means offering no positive response at all—but instead, a flood of "insiders," including marketing accounts that always pose as entertainment industry insiders, solemnly claim that Wen Shengming is being targeted on such a massive scale because he did something that angered the current film industry's interest groups, and they've united to destroy him.

What exactly did he do?

Which interest groups did he offend?

All left vague.

The vaguer it is, the more curiosity it stirs.

This vagueness serves two purposes: one, to provoke doubt and stimulate discussion; two, to warn those behind the scenes—if they keep going, we won't let it go unpunished.

Lu Yanhe didn't publicly stand up for Wen Shengming, yet he made no effort to hide the traces of his use of marketing accounts to spread conspiracy theories.

It's clear: although he won't charge into battle for Wen Shengming on social media, he stands firmly by his side, backing him completely.

The trailer for Storm Calmer No. 1 arrived as scheduled, unaffected in the slightest.

Online, there emerged a flood of voices calling for a boycott of Storm Calmer No. 1.

In response, Long Yan proposed that, during the promotional period, they no longer include Wen Shengming.

Lu Yanhe immediately declared that if Wen Shengming was forced to withdraw, he wouldn't participate either.

"He's becoming more arrogant by the day. Wen Shengming pulled this stunt, and now the entire industry is boycotting him. Storm Calmer No. 1's release is imminent, and promotion is already suffering—yet Lu Yanhe still threatens us without any regard for facts. Anyway, if Storm Calmer No. 1 loses money, it's not his money on the line."

Huang Tai complained angrily.

She glared at Huang Zhongjing.

"If you hadn't been so accommodating to Lu Yanhe—"

"Would he have compromised?" Huang Zhongjing retorted.

Huang Tai fell silent, unable to answer.

Of course not.

Lu Yanhe has no reason whatsoever to compromise with them.

"Even if Storm Calmer No. 1 loses every penny, it won't touch Lu Yanhe at all. Do you dare stop collaborating with him from now on? Are you still going to make Firebrand Part 3? Are you still going to rely on him for Firebrand's overseas box office?" Huang Zhongjing countered.

Huang Tai was speechless.

Huang Zhongjing added: "Why does Lu Yanhe dare openly declare his support for Wen Shengming? Because he's made it clear—he doesn't depend on China's film circle for his livelihood. Even if you blacklist him, it's useless. The authorities still need him as a benchmark; Chinese cinema still needs him as a banner. How can you still not see the situation?"

Huang Tai was left speechless by the rebuke, yet still resentful.

She clenched her lips.

"Don't be fooled by all the online cries for boycott—this film's core audience still eagerly awaits it, untouched by Wen Shengming's scandals," Huang Zhongjing said. "Already, a voice has emerged online defending Wen Shengming. Do you really think a few baseless accusations can crush a national-level actor like him? Even those behind the attacks don't truly believe it—they're just riding the current wave of momentum, so Wen Shengming is staying silent, avoiding the storm. The people paying to smear him can't afford to burn money day after day."

Huang Tai: "Storm Calmer No. 1 shouldn't have been made in the first place. Long Yan has so many other projects—we don't need to rely only on projects involving Lu Yanhe to make money."

"I see now that keeping you out of projects involving Lu Yanhe was the right decision," Huang Zhongjing said. "You've completely lost your reason."

Huang Tai shouted angrily: "I just don't like him—so what? I've worked my whole life—don't I even have this much power?"

Huang Zhongjing said: "Fine. Go now, to the board members, and repeat exactly what you just said to their faces. See if you have that power."

Huang Tai's face turned pale.

"What do you mean?"

"My meaning is simple: if you can't see the situation, let the board members teach you what the situation really is," Huang Zhongjing said. "The situation is this: you don't have the power to dislike Lu Yanhe. Neither do I. Even if you hate him so much your heart bleeds, you must swallow your teeth whole and stay silent—lest you frighten him."

Huang Tai: "…."

And on social media.

Aside from having his Agent respond with a single phrase—"nonsense"—Wen Shengming made no further reply.

But the two women who stepped forward to accuse Wen Shengming kept releasing one detail after another, telling stories about their psychological trauma over the years.

One long essay followed another, demanding Wen Shengming come out and respond.

Many rallied behind them.

Meanwhile, some of Wen Shengming's fans demanded evidence from them; their supporters retorted, "Sexual harassment is always hard to prove!" and "You're enabling and covering up crime!"

But as Huang Zhongjing said:

The blackeners' campaign requires someone to foot the bill.

Money can't burn forever.

This is also why, many times, it seems the person involved does not respond, only to reply after several days. Because they are clearly being blackened by others, naturally letting the money burn for a while, until it can no longer withstand the burning, only then can they fight with real guns and real sticks.

Five days after the incident, when the heat of this matter could no longer be sustained, Wen Shengming finally posted a long article.

First, he laid out the timeline; subsequently, it was his response to these two women.

Denial.

Then, he countered them, asking why, after such an incident occurred back then, for so many years they never raised related accusations, and suddenly, twenty years later today, they wanted him to prove his own innocence?

At the end of the article, Wen Shengming wrote:

These past few days, I have racked my brains, trying to find some information from back then to prove I did not do these things, but searching and searching, I could not find any evidence. In fact, how could I search? How could I prove something I did not do? I think I can only choose to call the police, let the police investigate the truth of that year clearly. If they really suffered sexual harassment back then, whether it was chat records like text messages or letters, or even just the record of reporting to the police at the time, even if there really was a misunderstanding, at least there would be a record. I do not know if the two parties involved would be willing to go with me to report to the police? Cooperate with the police to investigate out all the information that can be investigated out regarding this matter?

Wen Shengming's response made this matter return to the public eye.

One of the women also responded quickly, saying, really laughable, no evidence? The incident back then had crew members as witnesses.

Wen Shengming replied directly: That is very good, then I invite this crew member to go to the police station together, how about that?

She replied: Are you threatening me? It is because I was afraid of your power that for these twenty years I did not dare to speak out, did not dare to stand up and tell the truth.

Wen Shengming: I said go to the police station, you think this is a threat? What are you afraid of? Afraid I will openly bribe the police, or afraid your lies will be exposed and shattered?

The woman did not respond again. After about twelve hours, she posted another short essay, saying her heart was racing, she could not sleep, she took several sleeping pills before falling into a daze and sleeping for a few hours. She is very afraid now, very nervous, she regrets it, she is just an ordinary person, she has no power to contend with Wen Shengming.

"Mm, as long as she sues Wen Shengming, we will bear all the costs for her, including finding a lawyer and so on."

Chen Ziyan instructed over the phone.

"Why help her fight Wen Shengming? Heh, you are mistaken. For a liar, what she fears most is someone believing her lies. However, believing her lies is the fact, forcing her to sue. Does she dare to sue? Does she have any evidence to support her?"

Chen Ziyan hung up the phone, shook her head at Lu Qingzhen, and said: "Now we shall see if that woman will have the thick face to play dead."

Several organizations left comments in the comment section, expressing willingness to help her find a lawyer, bear various costs, and support her to sue to the end.

After this, Chen Ziyan directly bought a trending search for this matter, creating an atmosphere where the entire internet supported this woman suing Wen Shengming.

Under these circumstances, this woman fell silent again for twenty-four hours.

Her silence at this moment appeared especially glaring.

Why?

Why, when so many people stood up to strongly support her and rally for her, did she vanish without a trace?

"Riding a tiger is hard to dismount; she can only play dead," Chen Ziyan said.

That night, Wen Shengming's Agent hosted, inviting Chen Ziyan, Lu Yanhe, and Lu Qingzhen to dinner, expressing gratitude for the help they provided recently.

Wen Shengming and his Lady, Yuan Zixing, were together.

Wen Shengming's Agent was named Chen Keqiu.

He was about the same age as Wen Shengming, both nearly sixty years old.

Originally, when Wen Shengming debuted, the concept of stars and Agents had not yet risen in China.

Chen Keqiu was a small stagehand on a film crew.

He was bullied by others and lost his job. Wen Shengming was also a newcomer at the time and could not stand up for him, but he asked him if he wanted to work with him in the future.

The so-called working together actually meant serving as Wen Shengming's assistant, doing whatever work was needed.

Chen Keqiu also worked with great satisfaction.

Later, whether Wen Shengming was at a film studio or signed to which company, Chen Keqiu followed by his side.

Naturally, Chen Keqiu became Wen Shengming's Agent.

The friendship between the two was almost a lifetime.

The greatest benefit of Chen Keqiu serving as Wen Shengming's Agent was sufficient trust, and he would not backstab Wen Shengming, but there were drawbacks too. He was not from a professional Agent background, always following by Wen Shengming's side. It could be said that when China's entertainment circle entered the channel of rapid commercial development, Wen Shengming already held a very high status; those offensive and defensive tactics were not needed on him, so Chen Keqiu's "arsenal" was insufficient.

Chen Keqiu also knew this point; he raised his glass and said: "For so many years, I have never encountered this kind of situation. Fortunately, Ziyan and Qingzhen, you are experienced, and thus you quickly cut through the chaos to pull Teacher Wen out of this mud."

Chen Ziyan said: "Teacher Wen has been innocent and clean all his life; how could he be slandered by these petty people? Yan He and we could not possibly allow this matter to happen."

Yuan Zixing: "Truly thank you. I was extremely anxious at home, yet did not know what to do. I wanted to go before the lens to tell everyone that Teacher Wen is not that kind of person. Fortunately, Qingzhen stopped me; otherwise, perhaps it would have made the situation even more severe."

Lu Qingzhen said: "We grew up under attacks from all kinds of dirty tactics, so we understand a little more. Their goal is actually to warn Teacher Wen, to make Teacher Wen dare not propose things like before. So, they create something out of nothing, fabricate out of thin air; they do not really intend to nail this rotten hat firmly on Teacher Wen's head, purely just wanting to make Teacher Wen uncomfortable. Actually, even if we did not respond this way, given enough time, what the facts truly are would eventually be revealed. Our method just makes the revelation happen a bit faster."

"Now the public opinion online has tilted towards Teacher Wen being retaliated against by an interest group in the industry for some matter," Lu Yanhe said. "Next, under such circumstances, they will also hesitate to strike the rat for fear of breaking the vessel; behind the scenes, there probably will not be any major moves again."

Wen Shengming lifted his wine glass.

"Thank you."

Lu Yanhe: "Teacher Wen, no need to be polite with me. In the past, you spoke up for me many times, helped me confront people; I know all of that."

Yuan Zixing said with a smile: "Since filming Storm Calmer No. 1 with you, his attention towards you has been greater than towards his own son."

Lu Yanhe: "Teacher Wen told me at the wrap-up that he would keep an eye on me, so I have always been honest, disciplined, and worked hard filming."

Wen Shengming shook his head, "Sly."

"Heaven and earth are my witnesses; every word I speak is honest."

"An honest sly one." Wen Shengming smiled and pointed at Lu Yanhe, "Fortunately, this matter was resolved at this time; otherwise, if it really affected the release of the movie Storm Calmer No. 1, that would be too terrible."

Chen Keqiu said: "The impact of this matter was indeed quite large. One movie was originally looking for Teacher Wen; after this incident happened, they very euphemistically said to avoid risk, they would temporarily find someone else. Today they contacted me again, wanting to invite Teacher Wen back."

Chen Ziyan said: "Producers are all like this; there is no way."

"Yes, I understand too, so I said nothing. But, this matter still makes one feel somewhat uncomfortable. Does Teacher Wen not deserve trust at all? For so many years, what kind of person Teacher Wen is, everyone should be clear and have a number in mind."

"They may not necessarily feel Teacher Wen really did something; they just heard that many film companies in the industry joined hands to retaliate against Teacher Wen, so they cut ties early. The risks they consider are not just public opinion risks," Lu Yanhe said. "After all, generally speaking, the movie has not yet started filming; now it is only in the stage of contacting actors. They would not, because of such unconfirmed matters, impatiently make a cut."

Chen Keqiu: "Then why... did they come back today?"

Lu Yanhe asked Wen Shengming: "Teacher Wen, is something good going to happen for you next?"

Wen Shengming: "You are joking. What good thing is there? I just experienced a head full of troublesome matters."

As a result, the next day, a news spread throughout the industry.

Wen Shengming will serve as the Honorary President of the next session of the China Film Association.

"This is the recognition for Teacher Wen personally bringing the Hexi Film Festival to China."

Chen Ziyan saw it clearly at a glance.

"Finally, it has arrived."

Lu Yanhe said, "Excellent. With such an official endorsement, those messy matters likely won't stir up any waves."

"Now it's the turn of those pulling strings behind the scenes to get nervous." Chen Ziyan sneered twice. "Honorary President sounds like it holds no real power. The problem is, the China Film Association itself holds no real power either. But in reality, who would think that? Ultimately, whoever the broadcasting authorities trust holds the power of speech."

Lu Yanhe nodded.

"Teacher Wen is entirely worthy of such a position. The entire Hexi Film Festival was able to land steadily in Yuming thanks to his efforts."

"Your ultimate goal is still to have the Hexi Film Festival land completely in China and be held in China, correct?"

"Yes." Lu Yanhe nodded. "An international film festival with such international influence, we could not create even with ten or twenty years of effort. This requires the accumulation of time. Therefore, if we can place the Hexi Film Festival completely in China to be held, that would be the best possible outcome."

Chen Ziyan nodded.

"Of course, we will definitely still build our own film festival, but that is not a task for a single day." Lu Yanhe said. "Perhaps by the time I am seventy or eighty, I will be able to see such a film festival."

Chen Ziyan: "By then, you will be the anniversary tribute figure."

"I will lean on a cane, trembling as I walk the red carpet, being treated as a mascot by the young people."

"You can scold whoever you dislike. You have reached the age where one can be disrespectful to elders."

"Exactly." Lu Yanhe laughed as he spoke.

Chen Ziyan also laughed.

In June, Linghe Production's "Childhood is an Adventure in a Summer Night" was released on Children's Day.

The two lead actors were selected through a nationwide audition.

No famous directors, no famous actors.

However, apart from this film, everything released on that day was an animated film, and all were animated films aimed at very young children. Yet, during the pre-sale period, relying on adult audiences (parents in that age group), it secured over three million in pre-sale box office.

Children's Day has never been a major film release window.

Live-action children's films are even rarer.

At least, they are not mainstream.

Therefore, this film was not highly regarded by the market.

Even Linghe itself was not very optimistic about the box office performance.

The result: on the first day of release, the film achieved a box office of eighteen million.

On video platforms, many parents were posting videos of their children sharing their thoughts after watching this film.

In fact, many adult audiences also loved this film very much.

It does not tell a story for young children.

It tells the story of two children going on an adventure in the mountains after a power outage.

It speaks of growth, of courage, of friendship.

Because word-of-mouth spread, after Children's Day, although the daily box office dropped directly to over three million, this film stabilized its screening slots. With no new films entering the market, it slowly harvested box office revenue, even winning the daily box office champion on the fourth day of release—

Because other films had even lower box office numbers, while it defied the trend and achieved four million in box office.

Linghe entered a stage where it could produce, promote, and market normally without relying on Lu Yanhe.

Lu Yanhe was particularly happy to see Linghe able to produce such a film.

Because it was neither the suspense-crime or road-comedy genres popular on the market, nor the creative-themed material Linghe excelled at, but a childhood story that was both earnest and ordinary.

Such a film, others dare not make and find hard to make. Linghe executed it with a perfect balance of tension and relaxation, effectively controlled costs, chose the right release window, executed good word-of-mouth promotion, and achieved break-even and profit through box office results.

Throughout the entire process, Lu Yanhe participated in not a single stage.

He sent a message to Chen Yin, saying: Well done.

After "Childhood is an Adventure in a Summer Night," a foreign film responsible for promotion and distribution by Linghe was released.

It was a family ethical comedy film from Thailand, starring Cai Na. Under Shihuo's multi-pronged arrangements, it similarly achieved over fifty million in box office.

Success.

Continuous success.

Shihuo also used the promotion period of this film to secure two more brand endorsements for Cai Na, bringing in endorsement fees of over ten million.

Everything was orderly.

Cai Na's success in the China market made other actors in Thailand start thinking about signing with Shihuo.

Two actors who were top-tier in Thailand both proactively contacted Shihuo.

Chen Ziyan and Lu Qingzhen discussed it, rejected a female star with a route similar to Cai Na's, and agreed to cooperate with a male actor.

Cai Na is not as successful in Europe and America as Jiang Yuqian, but among a crowd of Thai actors, she belongs to the one with the most successful international route.

In China, her fame and popularity, under the management of these few years, are absolutely at the top-tier level.

Relying on a few works, she was already somewhat popular in Asia. Now, with stable exposure and continuous output, she even has two local endorsements in Japan.

"I told Kim Yeon-sook that I hope TVN can create a Korean drama where Cai Na can play the female lead." Chen Ziyan said with a smile. "I just don't know if Cai Na can adapt to the environment of Korean dramas. I feel Cai Na's style is completely not the type for Korean dramas."

Lu Yanhe said, "I think so too."

Chen Ziyan said, "But Cai Na's popularity in Korea has never gone up. I don't know why. She is clearly very popular in Japan."

"They all prefer that kind of exquisite, big beauty. Cai Na's neighborly style, which carries a bit of rural and simple atmosphere, is not quite the aesthetic of the Korean entertainment industry." Lu Yanhe said. "I see that the female leads in recently exploding Korean dramas basically have no neighborly feel left."

Chen Ziyan: "But if we don't build up Cai Na's popularity in Korea, it will be hard to realize the route I planned for her back then. Forget it. If we really can't open the Korean market, there's nothing we can do."

"It's fine. Later, when the drama starring Cai Na, 'Squid Game 2', airs, plus she has acted in several Hollywood films, right? After these few dramas come out, if she goes back to the Korean entertainment industry, she will definitely be welcomed." Lu Yanhe said. "They all say that foreign monks chant scriptures better. That is really because they haven't seen what Korea is like."

Chen Ziyan: "Tsk tsk. Right to the point."

Lu Yanhe: "Look at Sister Yuqian. She has never mixed in the Korean entertainment industry for a single day. Now, when she goes to Korea, her popularity is exploding. People chase your car."

"Sister Jiang Yuqian's image is originally the type Koreans like the most. Before she went to Hollywood to act, she was often rated as a goddess by Koreans because of her looks." Chen Ziyan said. "Back then, every time Jiang Yuqian went to Korea and walked a red carpet, she would definitely hit the trending searches in Korea."

"Sister Yuqian is truly... the kind of beautiful that dominates everywhere."

(End of Chapter)