Chapter 354: The Emperor's Golden Mouth and Jade Words

"Oh, what a coincidence, I actually do understand."

Hong Kong, True Light Girls' College, Digital Creative Arts Center.

A group of teenage girls sat around a radio listening to a rebroadcast of "Entertainment All-Stars," hearing Zhou Yi and Chen Shulan's question-and-answer session.

"The pursuit of culture is the biggest reason I was able to leave my hometown, so I usually advise my student fans to study hard.

"Many fan friends who have already graduated or stopped schooling early need not give up on themselves; the world has more than just schools where one can learn culture. After entering society, this great university called society can also temper every one of us, allowing us to learn many things.

"So I have always emphasized that chasing stars is only temporary, even if it is chasing me. As long as you live your own life well without causing trouble for others' lives, that is enough..."

Zhou Yi's heartfelt exhortation to study left the students listening to the radio stunned.

"Not causing trouble for others' lives, can I understand that as you talking about Ai Dajin?"

"No, in my eyes he doesn't even count as trouble; he can't cause me any impact."

Though clearly words that could be called arrogant, coming from Zhou Yi's mouth they sounded exceptionally casual.

"Hong Kong media speculate that he is doing this to ride the heat of your newly released album for his upcoming film 'My Heart Soars'; do you agree with this viewpoint?"

"Of course I agree; he came for exactly that point."

"Then do you have any words you want to say to him? Regarding his behavior."

"I wish him in advance that after this film is finished, it won't be able to be screened."

Seemingly amused, Zhou Yi generously sent Ai Dajin a blessing, and the girls sitting around the radio were all amused by this remark.

Zhou Yi might have some misunderstanding about blessings.

However, for them, this might just be Zhou Yi's most ordinary harsh remark.

But a few people couldn't help but feel a tightening in their hearts—

What does this mean?

A public threat?

Zhou Yi, someone mixed up in the music circle... surely he doesn't have this capability, right?

"That's not right; it is said that the male lead cast for this 'My Heart Soars' is Chen Daoming; wasn't his relationship with Zhou Yi quite good before?"

"Is there a possibility that this was decided before the incident happened?"

"..."

Chen Daoming, who had joined forces with Zhou Yi earlier by taking advantage of the Zhou Yun-fat incident, immediately sparked some heated discussion in Hong Kong and on the mainland after rumors spread that he was the male lead of Ai Dajin's film.

Some Zhou Yi fans were even rolling up their sleeves, ready to start cursing Chen Daoming for being ungrateful.

Then, unexpectedly, on the evening of the 15th, someone photographed Chen Daoming entering a hospital—still being supported into a wheelchair.

"What did you say? Swelling and discomfort in the adductor muscles of both legs?"

Having finished today's radio promotion activities, Zhou Yi's expression became somewhat strange upon hearing Qian Jiang's report: "Are you sure?"

"Anyway, that's what's circulating in the circle; he probably doesn't want to wade into muddy waters on this matter."

Qian Jiang saw through this old fox's calculations at a glance.

"As a notable figure in the mainland entertainment circle, Chen Daoming himself would not act in such a film. The reason he agreed to Ai Dajin's film this time was solely because of his face. But between his face and your face, I think Chen Daoming should be able to distinguish the big trump from the small one."

As Ai Dajin's personal second film, the production team of 'My Heart Soars' was genuinely luxurious—

The same production team as Zhang Yimou's 'Hero'; even Zhang Zhenyan, the production director who has followed Old Mou for many years, came over to help, and the female lead is Li Xiaolu, who looks promising no matter how you look at her.

These were all teams Ai Dajin assembled by calling people and using his face.

"Interesting; he must have already signed a contract with Ai Dajin. If he doesn't act, does that mean he has to pay compensation?" Zhou Yi rubbed his chin with interest and crossed his legs.

He wasn't such an unreasonable person; the spirit of contracts still had to be respected, especially since Ai Dajin hadn't exploded before.

Why did Chen Daoming put on an attitude of fearing to avoid him?

Finding an excuse about adductor muscles, insisting on paying compensation just to leave?

……………………………………

"Nonsense! If we don't leave now, it will be too late."

The Imperial Capital, Chen Daoming's home.

Chen Daoming, who still needed crutches in the hospital, was now walking with such vigor at home that his wife, Du Xian, looked strangely at the crutches her husband had brought back from the hospital.

"Ai Dajin has been used to smooth sailing for so many years; he always thinks everyone in the world revolves around him, that someone will always clean up his mess, without thinking about whether he can actually handle it himself."

Chen Daoming, whose political sense was far more sensitive than Song Ke or Ai Dajin, spoke with some dissatisfaction: "I almost got dragged into the water by him; I am at a critical moment right now."

"Is Zhou Yi someone they can touch?"

Coincidentally, at this very moment, at Liu Huan's home.

The famous musician Xiao Ke, who had previously accepted the music composition work for 'My Heart Soars' out of face, cursed after drinking a glass of wine: "To think they are people in the music circle, they really don't know how rare an external business card for the music circle is, do they?"

"Song Ke might not be unaware, but clearly he knows very little."

Liu Huan, who poured wine for Xiao Ke again, raised his cup and took a sip: "As for Ai Dajin, he simply has no sensitivity at all, or rather, the concept doesn't exist in his brain."

From the afternoon of the 13th until the evening of the 15th, except for the entertainment weekly reporting those remarks when Ai Dajin first accepted interviews, all other major traditional media channels had no intention of increasing the news exposure.

This was enough to show the attitude from above.

"Although we don't know why they are targeting Zhou Yi, we should still find reasons to withdraw; if we can go, let's go."

Xiao Ke sighed.

Early the next morning, Ai Dajin, still half-asleep, received three calls in a row—

"What? Chen Daoming pulled his groin while running for exercise?"

"What? Liu Huan and Xiao Ke drank too much last night and went to the hospital together???"

Two heavy pieces of news blew away Ai Dajin's desire to stay in bed and sleep in early in the morning.

What's going on?

Is his film crew cursed by a star of bad luck?

Even the slow-witted Ai Dajin sensed something amiss at this very moment.

Meanwhile, in a corner of the internet, Wang Xiaoyu, well-versed in the principle that "starting small and fermenting into something big" is the true way, began posting headlines like "The Worst of the Worst?! Did Ai Dajin Kill His Ex-Girlfriend?!" online...

Stirring things up all at once would be too obvious; one must first put on an act for a while.

And today, the first thing Zhou Yi saw upon waking was the sensational headlines from Hong Kong media handed to him by Qian Jiang—

"Countdown to Zhou Yi's Slaughter of Hong Kong?!"

"Who Can Defend the Last Dignity of Hong Kong's Music Scene?!"

"Please Do Not Let Hong Kong's Music Scene Follow Taiwan's Path!"

"The Emperor's Golden Utterance: The Film 'My Heart Soars' to Be Executed on a Date to Be Set!"

"..."

Those who knew it was a music competition might have thought it was a world war.

"Because you came to Hong Kong for promotion, originally only your song 'Fairy Tale' had entered the top five of the Hong Kong Radio Weekly Chart. Now, the data for other songs on the 'Lianshan' album are also rising sharply, inevitably reminding Hong Kong media of the time in 2000 when you swept through the Taiwan music charts."

Qian Jiang, who found this quite pleasing, smiled with ill intent: "Before you, no mainland singer had ever made them this nervous upon landing on the Hong Kong music charts."

In terms of music, the Hong Kong media, known for their loose lips, have always held a great sense of psychological superiority over the mainland.

Thanks to the Hong Kong people's unique habit of singing in Cantonese, even in the past, Zhou Yi never achieved the godlike feat of dominating the charts in Hong Kong like he did in Taiwan at the turn of the millennium; at most, two or three of his songs would simultaneously battle for the top spot within the top ten.

For others, this would be good news worth opening champagne for, but for Zhou Yi, it has already become a trivial, everyday occurrence.

"So afraid of me? Who is my biggest rival in Hong Kong?"

"Andy Hui, Yang Qianhua, Liu Hua, Lu Qiaoyin, Chen Huiling, Leung Wing-kei, Chen Xiaochun, and... Chen Yixun."

Qian Jiang highlighted the name Chen Yixun and handed the list to Zhou Yi—

"Among them, Chen Yixun's song 'Tomorrow' is absolutely your biggest rival in Hong Kong."

(End of Chapter)