Chapter 178: One-Sided Scolding

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In 1994, director Li Li directed a comedy film called The Destroyer.

Among them, the senior brother of Duan Shui Liu uttered a timeless saying that countless netizens still quote as a meme decades later.

"I'm not targeting anyone specifically—I'm saying all of you here are garbage."

Cheng Chen didn't know if Wang Sanri could understand the implication behind this statement.

Regardless of whether Cheng Chen was actually implying Wang Sanri, Wang Sanri did nothing in response to Zhang Weijian's on-set assault today.

He truly did nothing.

Perhaps in Wang Sanri's view, action scenes merely seek realism.

Or perhaps it was a habitual arrogance toward Mainland actors from Gang Sheng.

Regardless, Wang Sanri failed to intervene in time.

To Cheng Chen, this was a tacit endorsement.

Seeing Cheng Chen standing in the center of the set, arguing firmly,

the Mainland actors stood behind him, forming a standoff against the Gang Sheng and Taiwan crew members behind Zhang Weijian.

Wang Sanri's fat cheeks now darkened slightly.

But the expression vanished instantly, and he said sternly:

"This matter ends here. No one should harbor resentment—let's continue shooting the next scene!"

He intended to bury it quietly.

Both sides wore expressions of resentment, but Wang Sanri ignored them and continued:

"All departments, prepare for the next scene!"

With the director's order, everyone reluctantly returned to their posts.

Perhaps due to what had just happened, many were unable to focus on work.

The entire morning, a dialogue scene was shot terribly.

"Cut! That's a wrap!"

Wang Sanri said, expressionless.

After this scene ended, the news of the assault spread rapidly through the entire crew.

Even Wang Sanri's direct orders couldn't quell everyone's burning curiosity.

There is no wall that doesn't have cracks.

The "Little Fish and Flower" on-set assault incident spread immediately.

In fact, conflicts and tensions among film crews were common—neither huge nor trivial.

But this incident involved Cheng Chen and touched on the tension between Gang Sheng and Mainland actors.

The media could no longer sit still—they immediately surrounded the "Little Fish" crew, blocking every exit.

At the same time, a flood of headlines flooded the market.

"Conflict between Mainland Heavenly King and Gang Sheng young actor—what do you think?"

"Fists fly—this drama is already a hit before airing! Cheng Chen says his opponent is no match!"

"Unacceptable! How dare the Mainland Heavenly King assault a 'guest'?"

"If we can't guarantee personal safety, who will dare come to Mainland to film?"

"Using filming as an excuse to strike? Cheng Chen stands up for Mainland actors—no wonder he's the Mainland Heavenly King!"

…

Most Mainland media sided with Cheng Chen, but a few outlets fiercely condemned his actions.

This incident escalated further, following Zhao Junqi's assault on a pregnant woman and the conflicts on the sets of The Thousand Changes 2 and Ten Facing Ambush.

The entertainment circle added another brawl incident.

Brawling itself isn't honorable; initially, the media sided with Cheng Chen.

But after Zhang Weijian mentioned the incident during a later interview, public opinion flipped completely.

"Cheng Chen played my younger brother Hua Wuque in the drama—he's not nearly as terrifying as people claim.

That action scene simply demanded strong emotional intensity from the actors, so I went a bit harder.

But I absolutely didn't injure any actor—I've starred in many period martial arts films, and I can guarantee that.

Cheng Chen probably misunderstood me, blocked my motion, and that's why we later argued.

Look, he shoved me—see how the bruise has just scabbed over? I have to say, his strength is quite impressive, hahaha.

Sigh, what can I say? I'm older, and we're filming in the Mainland. There's an old saying, right?

When you're under someone else's roof, you must bow your head. Of course, he's still a kid, young and impulsive—he's probably better at singing.

As for acting… his room for growth is still quite large."

After Zhang Weijian's interview aired, it immediately caused a huge uproar in the entertainment circle.

"I knew it—how could an experienced actor like Zhang Weijian act without restraint?"

"Ah, you've praised Cheng Chen too highly over the years—he's gotten arrogant!"

"Singer is singer—don't pretend to be an actor. Just sing properly, won't you?"

"Gang Sheng actors are truly professional; compared to us Mainlanders, anyone can become an actor here!"

"From this incident alone, we Mainlanders still have a long way to go to catch up with Gang Sheng's film industry!"

…

Such remarks circulated across forums and blogs.

Many condemned Cheng Chen's unprofessionalism, and some even called for him to leave the entertainment industry.

Cheng Chen's personal blog comment section was flooded with countless accusations and curses.

As mentioned earlier, an incident like a film crew member striking someone could be either minor or major.

If it had happened to an ordinary person, or if it had been a dispute between Mainland actors.

Public opinion might not have turned so overwhelmingly against him.

But it was disastrous because he clashed with a Gang Sheng actor.

As everyone knows, the public still holds a certain idolizing aura toward Gang Sheng actors.

Mainland people feel their own kind are inferior to Gang Sheng people, believing those who come to film are here to guide and help us.

For many Mainlanders, veteran Gang Sheng stars were almost like gods.

Added to this was Zhang Weijian's account, which appeared to downplay the incident as trivial and carefree, yet was secretly as pure and deceitful as a white lotus.

It seemed to show understanding toward Cheng Chen, but in truth laid traps everywhere, directly igniting public anger.

Most of those leaving comments on Cheng Chen's blog were Zhang Weijian's fans.

Some others resented Cheng Chen for drawing too much attention and maliciously suppressed him.

But regardless of their motives, Cheng Chen's image suffered an unprecedented blow.

The cast of Little Fish and Flower still remained silent on the matter.

Cheng Chen's side also stayed stubbornly silent, enduring the public's fury.

Meanwhile, media outlets from Gang Sheng and Tai Sheng, who had previously maintained a wait-and-see stance, now joined the campaign against Cheng Chen.

Suddenly, people across the three regions almost all knew that a "Beating Heavenly King" had emerged from the Mainland.

……

"Are you hurt?"

Yan Danchen called Cheng Chen immediately.

He didn't ask about how the incident happened or why, only worried simply about Cheng Chen's safety.

Hearing Yan Danchen's urgent voice, Cheng Chen felt deeply warmed:

"Don't worry, don't believe the wild rumors—I'm fine."

"Good, I'll take a few days off and come see you."

"No need, I'll handle this myself. Focus on your filming."

"Alright then… if anything happens, tell me ahead of time!"

"Got it!"

……

"I've read all the online public opinion—should we call the police?"

This was Gao Yuanyuan's call.

"I'm fine, sis, don't worry—I can handle it."

"Good. If anything comes up, I'll come over right away."

"Understood. Take care of yourself over there too."

……

"Teacher Cheng, are you alright?"

Cheng Chen was somewhat surprised to receive the call from Da Qingyi.

Since their last meeting, they had only exchanged text messages—this was the first phone call.

It seemed his character hadn't sunk so low that no one cared when trouble struck.

"Thank you for your concern, Li Jie. I'm doing alright."

"Good."

……

"I heard you got into a fight? You little brat, you've grown wings now! You've even learned to hit people!"

This was Cheng Mingliang's call.

"Dad, how did you find out about this?"

Cheng Chen asked helplessly.

"You're on TV now—beating people is something to be proud of? You're a star now, are you? Did you eat too much and get bored?"

Cheng Mingliang scolded over the phone.

Their home used to have only an antenna, able to receive only a few local channels like Anhui Satellite TV and CCTV-1.

Later, Uncle Cheng Mingguang somehow got a "satellite receiver"—commonly called a "little dish."

Their TV suddenly gained access to hundreds of channels.

One of the entertainment programs became the family's favorite to watch.

The reason was that it showed entertainment news; influenced by Cheng Chen, the family used this channel to keep up with the entertainment world.

Naturally, they learned of Cheng Chen's beating incident through it.

"Dad, don't believe what those people say—entertainment shows aren't reliable."

Cheng Chen said helplessly.

There was silence on the other end, then:

"I don't care if it's true or false—take care of yourself. Don't seek trouble, but don't fear it either. Mom and I aren't with you—take good care of yourself."

Hearing his father's words, Cheng Chen's nose grew slightly numb with emotion.

Since leaving home, he hadn't heard his father say anything so warm in a long time.

But before Cheng Chen could savor it long, his father's voice snapped again:

I haven't even asked you yet—what's going on with that song?

A prose poem written by my father? I struggle to write essays, let alone prose?

And "my old mother left this world last year"—when did your mom pass away? How come I never knew?

I'm saying, you write songs, fine—but why the hell curse your own mother?!

Hearing this, Cheng Chen laughed and sighed at the same time.

"Dad, that's just lyrics—it doesn't have to be real experience…"

……

For several days, Cheng Chen's phone never stopped ringing.

Old friends called to check on him; Cheng Chen comforted each one in turn.

"Boss Cheng, what do you think of this version?"

At Xinghuo Entertainment, Ning Hao's desk was left for Cheng Chen.

After sitting down, Cheng Chen watched Ning Hao's edited video once, nodded in satisfaction, and said:

"Post…"

That night, Huaxia Blog suddenly posted a link with no text at all, published by the ID "The Light of Righteousness."

Some bored users clicked the link…

Instantly, the post without any description was pinned and viewed by countless netizens.

Even the post title read "Hot Hot Hot—Featured!"

Clicking the link redirected users directly to a video site.

The video's opening shots were blurry and shaky.

Then they saw Cheng Chen and Zhang Weijian, portraying Hua Wuque and Xiao Yu Er, "beating up" Wang Baoqiang.

The shaky camera showed this was covert footage, yet the image steadily sharpened as it progressed.

Zhang Weijian clenched his fists and relentlessly punched Wang Baoqiang's face, while Cheng Chen kept blocking…

"Who threw the first punch? There are five or six machines recording nearby—we can just replay it if needed…"

"This is filming—are you even filming? You're hitting the actor like you mean to kill him…"

"The crew discriminates against Mainland actors—we've suffered unfair treatment on set.

Some people took Mainland investment, yet now look down on Mainland actors.

What's the difference between wanting to be a prostitute and wanting to keep a virtuous reputation…"

The entire video was short, yet it clearly captured the full story behind the "using filming to assault" incident.

Cheng Chen's words were recorded word for word.

This video was like a bomb dropped into a calm lake—immediately sparking a massive uproar.

Everyone frantically reposted and saved the video.

Cheng Chen's fans, who had been viciously slandered earlier, now launched furious retaliatory strikes.

That night became a carnival because of this video.

All entertainment media workers worked overtime, frantically typing on their computers at home or in the office.

Cheng Chen, enjoying the chaos, immediately reposted the blog post on his personal blog with the caption:

"Pictures and truth."

……

"Shocking reversal! The real victim was Cheng Chen!"

"This 'unjust case' has finally been rectified—not everything can be claimed by just a mouth. Do you have video proof?"

"We should apologize to him. As media workers, it was my failure—I wrongly accused a good man!"

"Zhang Weijian, get out of the Mainland!"

Notices poured out overnight, all titled "Clearing Cheng Chen's Name."

They didn't want to humiliate themselves, but the incident was too big, too dramatic.

Who could have expected such a video to leak online? This was a shocking reversal.

Just as Cheng Chen said: "Pictures and truth."

Seeing the media's frantic attempts to "whitewash" him, Cheng Chen gave a cold smile.

The same people who had kicked him when he was down were now crying out for his justice.

For traffic, for attention, these people would do anything.

Cheng Chen found several media outlets that had attacked him hardest, and reposted their reports on his blog.

He then updated another blog post with the title:

"When an avalanche comes, no snowflake is innocent!"

"Done. Sent!"

Pressing Enter, Cheng Chen felt a quiet thrill inside.

This video was bought from a fan on set.

That fan, desperate to meet him, had disguised themselves as an extra to infiltrate the crew.

Coincidentally, the fan arrived just as Cheng Chen was about to film the "assault" scene.

Perhaps to secretly film his idol—or to sell the footage to journalists.

Such covert filming of productions has always been rampant despite bans.

Many crews, while still shooting, constantly leak footage to the outside.

On one hand, crews deliberately create buzz by staging scenes.

There's also the kind where media sneaks into the film crew to secretly film, then posts it online.

When Cheng Chen had just arrived at the set, he noticed this secretly-filming fan, except at the time he didn't know the other party was secretly filming.

It wasn't until after the assault incident that this fan took the initiative to contact Cheng Chen.

【The fan】 said that he couldn't stand by and watch Gang Sheng actors bullying people, and wanted to give the video to Cheng Chen to expose it.

After Cheng Chen saw the video, he immediately paid to buy it, and instructed the other party not to leak this matter.

On a day when the situation was escalating further and further, he only now planned to release the video...