Chapter 310: Liu Yifei's Choice

Xinyuan South Road, Chaoyang District, Beiping, Huayi Headquarters Building.

Wang Dajun and Wang Xiaolei watched the visiting Lu Tianmin and his son in silence, smoking cigarette after cigarette in their office.

"Uncle Lu? Don't just smoke, have some tea to moisten your throat; it's really dry out today!"

Wang Xiaolei secretly laughed to himself watching the father and son who looked like they were mourning their parents; he was very glad he hadn't listened to their instigation back then, otherwise, once that person returned to the country, it would be another storm of blood and gore.

If there were truly a chance to topple Lu Kuan, the two brothers would pounce and tear into him without hesitation.

But this time, it was hard to say it was a good opportunity.

"Knock, knock!"

The secretary reported: "President Wang, Mr. Gexi has arrived."

Lu Chuan immediately stood up with joy to invite him in, as if he had seen his second father.

Gexi Xiong wore gold-rimmed glasses, was not tall, and his hair was still combed in an orderly, meticulous fashion.

"The two President Wangs, nice to meet you!"

One does not strike a smiling face, and Wang Dajun also knew full well what this was about.

He just didn't quite understand if this Japanese man was not right in the head; it was one thing to take a fancy to Lu Chuan, but why target Lu Kuan so relentlessly?

Did Lu Kuan screw this Japanese man's sister or something...

The secretary closed the door and walked away, and he got straight to the point.

"Gentlemen, I know that you have always had grievances with Director Lu Kuan..."

Wang Xiaolei hurriedly interrupted: "No! No! That's not the case at all!"

"Our two companies are currently collaborating on a TV series; our relationship is very good!"

Gexi Xiong said helplessly: "Please let me finish, sir."

"I have a good opportunity to introduce to Huayi and the two President Wangs."

"You two must have heard of News Corporation and MySpace, right?"

Wang Dajun and Xiaolei looked at each other; they had crossed paths with Deng Wendi at the Bazaar Charity Night, but they didn't know what this had to do with Lu Kuan.

On the night the charity event ended, Deng Wendi had been a sycophant to no avail and parted on bad terms with Boss Lu in the parking lot.

Wu Kebo was cunning; for this joint action against Lu Kuan, he forbade any actors and directors from Cheng Tian from participating, but he had been advising Gexi Xiong from behind the scenes.

He understood the domestic entertainment industry, and Gexi Xiong had money and international connections.

The Gexi family were core figures of far-right commercial groups in Japan like JR Tokai and Takasu, and their main public image was that of scum groups that denied history, including the "Society for the Dissemination of Historical Fact."

Funded by behind-the-scenes consortiums, they intervened in certain historical issues in the international community.

And Japan was the first stop for MySpace to enter the Asian market, making it easy to pull strings.

"Murdoch of News Corporation has always been committed to developing the domestic market in your country; sending his Chinese-American wife Deng Wendi to serve as the Asia-Pacific President of MySpace this year is a signal."

"I heard that Huayi is looking for overseas investors; I wonder if you are interested in bringing in News Corporation, which has the backing of the Big Six?"

In 2006, there were only share ratio restrictions for foreign investment in domestic film companies; in the later years of 2004, TOM Online and Yahoo China, both with foreign capital backgrounds, had invested in Huayi.

Wang Dajun pondered: "What kind of cooperation method?"

"By investing in Huayi through a joint venture company, plus the Zhonghua Heng Film and Television Company you previously invested in, Huayi will have two tentacles reaching into Hollywood."

The brothers looked at each other, quite tempted.

In the joint venture company that Zhou Jun had previously brokered, Warner's resources had already contacted buyers in advance for Xiao Gangpao's "The Banquet" this year.

If they had one more ship to go overseas, or even restored their cooperative relationship with Columbia through Gexi Xiong, it would be a wonderful thing!

Wang Xiaolei hesitated: "We still hold to our consistent principle of not participating in any non-commercial competition."

"That is fine." Gexi Xiong pondered: "As long as you provide enough shares, I think Ms. Deng Wendi will approve of this cooperation."

Shares were not a problem; at least the 7% held by Zhou Jun was still in escrow, and besides having to distribute some to Bingbing, who had performed outstandingly this year, they could take out some more for the deal.

After all, a partner like News Corporation was something one could only hope for, not seek out.

Wang Dajun, however, remained cautious: "Mr. Gexi is not doing charity; you are pulling strings for us, what do you get out of it?"

"Hehe, don't worry about that; just wait and watch the show."

He actually wanted the actors and artists from Cheng Tian and Huayi to cooperate in this final struggle and denounce that young director together.

It was just that, looking at it now, this group of "many strong" clearly did not dare to face him head-on.

With the cooperation with Gexi Xiong, Huayi was merely distancing itself on the surface.

The two brothers would be more than happy to see Gexi Xiong trip that person up, as long as the fire at the city gate didn't spread to the fish in the moat.

Gexi Xiong's gaze couldn't help but sweep over the gratified-looking Lu Tianmin and his son, thinking to himself that only such greedy fools could be driven at will.

——

California, News Corporation Headquarters in Santa Monica.

Deng Wendi hung up the phone and frowned as she looked at a few photos.

During the process of trying to acquire MyTube, she had conducted a comprehensive investigation and study of Lu Kuan, and because of the powerful public opinion energy of News Corporation behind her, she had obtained these photos.

This was taken inadvertently by an American paparazzi at the Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles in February of last year, before the Oscar ceremony. [Chapter 258]

In the unique hotel swimming pool, a pair of young Chinese faces were "frolicking in the water."

The girl's skin was like congealed fat, her profile was delicate and cute, her wet long hair clung to her slender neck, and her fair, lotus-root-like arms were wrapped around the man; her expression could not be seen clearly in the photo.

The man looked at her with a smile, born with a handsome appearance.

His sword-like eyebrows slanted into his temples, standing proud like an old pine, exuding a sharp, heroic spirit; his nose was like a hanging gall, high and straight, just like a towering mountain peak.

It was just that this photo, which had been taken out of context, had fallen into the hands of Deng Wendi, who had failed to lick MyTube, and there was much that could be made of it.

Standing in front of Murdoch's office, Deng Wendi tightened her lace-lined shirt, making her pair of perky breasts even more prominent.

"Knock, knock!"

"Please come in."

Naturally, she did not need a secretary to make an appointment; she walked naturally to the desk of the old white man Murdoch, her round buttocks making intimate contact with the wooden tabletop, and a pair of black-silk-clad long legs crossed in front of her husband.

Deng Wendi, who was 175cm tall, had always been good at using her advantages; even though she had already given birth to two daughters for him, these occasional displays of flirtatiousness were essential.

He fell for this routine.

Murdoch placed his large hand on his wife's jade leg: "I regret the loss of MyTube; the figures of Google's market value growth should have appeared on MySpace."

"It is my fault."

Deng Wendi said sternly: "In North America, I met with him three times, and even followed him back to the country, and at a charity gala, I gave him enough face."

"It is a pity that he seems to have no interest in being friends with us."

Murdoch laughed: "America is not short of such young people; this Lu is very interesting, Eisner still talks to me about him often."

Eisner was the Disney tyrant who had failed to plot against "The Exotic" and ended up losing 12 million dollars instead.

That precise sniping in 2003 was a routine that the Hollywood Big Six used repeatedly, harvesting countless foolish money from Germany to Japan.

He never expected to stumble over a young Chinese man who was just starting out.

Deng Wendi had always been known for being decisive and sharp, which was also the reason she was able to attract Murdoch while working at Star TV.

"Honey, I have a new plan that needs your help."

"Hmm?"

"An opportunity to enter the Chinese film market."

"Tell me about it."

Murdoch took off his glasses; the 74-year-old News Corporation president looked at his wife, who was nearly 40 years his junior.

His blurred eyes seemed unable to penetrate her lace bodice, and he could only knead the soft flesh on her leg with his rough, large hand.

Deng Wendi was already used to his hand-job, and she went on to explain her thoughts.

"The film industry in mainland China has developed rapidly in the past two years; the compound growth rate of the number of screens over three years has reached as high as 30%, and the film box office is expected to approach 400 million US dollars in 2005; this figure was only 110 million US dollars in 2001."

"Among the current film companies in mainland China, besides Lu Kuan's Wenjie, there are several companies with great development potential, and Huayi is one of them."

Murdoch withdrew his ravaging palm, put his glasses back on, and took the documents from her hand to flip through.

Compared to women, money was more reliable.

In fact, Murdoch was the tycoon among the Hollywood Fourth Estate giants who was most persistent about the Asian and Chinese markets.

His various measures had many similarities with Boss Lu of this life.

As early as 1993, Murdoch spent 800 million US dollars to purchase Star TV from Li Huanggua and invested in Phoenix TV, attempting to use this as a breakthrough to enter the Chinese television market.

This breakthrough in his career did not go very smoothly, but an intern at Star TV, Little Deng, successfully broke through him in bed, and the two became husband and wife a few years later.

In the later years of 2004, Murdoch tried to invite and acquire Golden Harvest through the connections of Li Huanggua, but it was eventually called off by Zou Wenhuai.

In this life, this path had been blocked by Boss Lu.

Entering 2006, Murdoch still would not give up; without obtaining broadcasting and television operation rights, he bought out the evening time slot of Qinghai TV.

He changed the station logo to bypass supervision and realized the curve-landing of some Star TV programs in the mainland, but it was called off for touching the red line, leaving behind a pile of bad debts.

Compared to the crudeness of these operations, Lu Kuan's design of a complex joint venture company through Dong Shuangqiang and Han Shanping in this life to obtain control of Travel TV seemed much smoother.

The Chinese people have their own special way of doing things, and the foreign monks still cannot find the way in.

Perhaps realizing this, in 2005, he decisively sent his wife Deng Wendi to take charge of some of MySpace's affairs in the Asia region.

He hoped that she would bring a Chinese face to help the enterprise enter this market with huge potential.

Things went against his wishes; in 2007, News Corporation tested the social media business in China and brought the interactive platform MySpace into China, but it encountered strong rivals like Facebook and Twitter, eventually ending in failure.

Compared to Murdoch, Boss Lu's control over internet public opinion and television stations in the mainland was also under the red line of supervision, trying his best to increase his Fourth Estate voice.

It was just that China has China's national conditions; he had to constantly cultivate prestige, establish industry status, and maintain international voice to ensure the ownership of the enterprise.

"An interesting attempt; this Huayi company seems to have some Red background as well?"

Deng Wendi nodded: "I attended one of their charity galas; there are many people in the mainland who welcome News Corporation."

"Especially among the entertainment companies on the mainland today, Lu Kuan holds a dominant position, and challengers will not miss any opportunity."

Murdoch looked at his Asian wife with no small amount of admiration; her sharpness, drive, and resilience were all precious entrepreneurial traits.

"Huayi is a powerful challenger to Wenjie, and since I have acquired a stake in Huayi, I want to bring them some small troubles first."

"This is the request of the intermediary, and it is also our retaliation for his contempt for the Fox Group."

"Of course, dear, you can tell Eisner about this; he will appreciate your favor for friendship."

The old white man laughed heartily; judging by the nearly 20 billion USD market value of the enterprises under his banner, the current Lu Kuan did not seem to be worth much of his attention.

Deng Wendi left, full of confidence.

From her first teacher and husband, to the male professor who helped her enter Yale, to the media tycoon Murdoch.

She did not feel there was any man she could not conquer.

The Deng Wendi of later generations even took the former Prime Minister of the United States, Blair, as a suitor, and had rumors with the Great Emperor, which led to Murdoch divorcing her.

Her personality was stubborn, unyielding, and resilient; once she set her mind on something, she would never stop until she reached her goal.

This failure to acquire Mytube deeply stung her self-esteem, and even running to the mainland could not change the mind of Boss Lu.

Acquiring a stake in Huayi and causing some trouble for the industry leader was a matter of course.

But venting some personal anger also seemed entirely reasonable.

After carefully looking at the photos in her hand again, Deng Wendi notified her secretary to contact this young Chinese beauty who had just finished filming "Exotic 2".

——

Before receiving the call from the office of the President of the Asia region of Myspace, Liu Yifei was holding an online meeting with the Twitter team.

She did not know how to describe her mood at this moment.

Having invested nearly 2.8 million USD in total, she had almost exhausted all the income from her endorsements and acting fees during this period.

Because of the completion of "Exotic 2", the final payment would be deposited into her account soon...

But that dog of a man was dunning her for debt! Damn him!

In those two years, she had earned him an estimated 200 million or more from ringtones, acting fees, endorsements, and various derivatives! And now he was dunning her for debt!

In the video conference, Dorsey was excitedly reporting the latest operational information.

"Crystal, your strategy is correct. The traffic-driving effect of 'Twilight' is too good, and our topic popularity is considered quite high among all online platforms."

"But Stephanie hasn't tweeted for several days, and many readers are waiting to interact with the author. Look..."

This was because she had been forcibly made exclusive by a certain unscrupulous businessman and was not allowed to cooperate with Twitter.

Liu Yifei found it inconvenient to tell him this news for the time being, and said in a deep voice: "I will handle it. You estimate the cost of the additional bandwidth."

"About... 1 million USD or so. Also, our servers need to be upgraded. Too many image uploads are causing lag, which greatly affects the user experience."

Liu Yifei was on the verge of tears; she really had nothing left, and she couldn't exactly go and sponge off her mother, could she?

After finishing the good news, Dorsey reported a piece of bad news: "Crystal, the Weibo of that director from your country is also said to be growing extremely fast in user numbers recently."

"One week's growth almost caught up to our month's worth of new users. We have to think of a way."

"Alright, I know! You hurry up and communicate with the architect to solve the UI issues and lag problems raised by clients as appropriate."

Liu Yifei left the computer desk and fell straight back onto the bed.

One doesn't know the cost of firewood and rice until one manages a household; she asked herself if she had already done her best, but problems still emerged one after another.

Some of these problems could be solved with money, but the problem was she didn't have any, so she could only seek financing and sell herself.

There were other problems that could not be solved with money, such as celebrity resource issues, or the "malicious competition" from the Weibo that had just gone online recently.

Thinking of a certain annoying face, Liu Yifei put on her shoes and was about to go out to find the dog.

Suddenly, her phone rang; it was an unfamiliar number.

"Hello?"

"Mm, this is she."

"What? Okay, that's fine."

Liu Yifei hung up the phone, puzzled, and turned back to the room to open the computer.

"Wendi Deng Murdoch? News Corporation? Myspace?"

A Chinese face came into view. Was it her?

Liu Yifei remembered at the Rosewood Hotel in downtown Vancouver, she and Liu Xiao walked out of the elevator and brushed past this woman whose Chinese name was Deng Wendi.

What did she want with her?

The answer was revealed quite quickly; two days later, at the News Corporation headquarters on Sixth Avenue in Manhattan, New York City.

Deng Wendi specifically chose this place for the meeting, wanting to hold up the golden signboard of News Corporation.

She used the bustling, expensive streetscape of Manhattan Avenue to shock this Chinese girl.

Liu Yifei and her female bodyguard Mia got out of the car on Fifth Avenue and walked from east to west along the street, passing landmark buildings such as the Time-Life Building and the AXA Building.

She had lived on Long Island for a few years, but she was not very familiar with this north-south avenue, which could be called a world-class commercial center, so she took the opportunity to walk and admire it today.

Arriving at News Corporation at the agreed time, Deng Wendi's female secretary led them into the headquarters reception with a professional smile.

"Hello, Crystal, welcome to News Corporation."

"Just call me Wendi."

Deng Wendi rarely showed a smile and gave Liu Yifei an intimate cheek kiss.

Liu Yifei secretly observed the woman in front of her; standing nearly 1.8 meters tall in high heels, with side-swept curly hair, she had a very imposing aura.

"Thank you, it's an honor to be invited."

Liu Yifei was also wearing a professional woman's suit today, standing gracefully in the lobby of News Corporation, her demeanor elegant and appropriate.

Deng Wendi nodded secretly; when she was eighteen, she was still a disheveled country girl, unlike her, who had already seen the most prosperous corner of the world.

"Crystal, I know you are curious about my invitation."

"If you are interested, I can take you on a tour of News Corporation first."

The huntress's intention was simple: she attempted to use the scene of one of the world's largest media groups to intimidate her.

Mia waited at the front desk, and Deng Wendi took Liu Yifei to wander through various departments.

"This is the headquarters of the newspaper division. We are the world's largest English-language newspaper publisher, distributing 175 different newspapers globally, including the UK's 'The Times' and 'The Sun', Australia's 'The Australian', the US's 'New York Post', and so on."

"This is the television division. Fox has the fourth-largest commercial broadcasting network in the United States, second only to ABC, CBS, and NBC."

She paused, using her height advantage to look down at the young girl: "For your next movie, you are welcome to do promotions on Fox's media."

"Okay, thank you."

Liu Yifei secretly slandered in her heart; she had seen this kind of posturing, using someone else's power to intimidate others, countless times from the washing machine.

No matter how great News Corporation is, what does it have to do with you, Deng Wendi?

Even if he died or divorced, you wouldn't get a penny. American workplace rules are different from those in the country; employees don't care that you are a leader's wife. Such a title might have some conveniences in some aspects.

But in world-class media enterprises, the power order still operates according to the rank of the position.

Liu Yifei did not hold optimistic hopes for the upcoming communication.

Obviously, if it were a legitimate purpose, there would be no need to use the power of News Corporation to pressure her between the lines.

"Alright, this might be the most familiar place for you, Crystal."

"Look at these posters on the wall, 'Titanic', 'Star Wars'; these are all top IPs of Fox."

"By the way, 'Titanic' should still be the box office history champion in your mainland, right?"

Liu Yifei smiled gently: "No, it hasn't been for two years."

"Oh? Then I remembered wrong, sorry."

Deng Wendi was indifferent, ended the brief tour of fox-borrowing-tiger's-might, and took the Chinese girl back to her office.

The lines on the huntress's face seemed to soften when she smiled: "Yifei, how about we talk in Chinese?"

Liu Yifei smiled: "As you wish."

She was very calm in her heart; from the pressure of using her height advantage upon meeting, to the demonstration of taking her on a tour of News Corporation, until now, attempting to use her native language to close the distance.

Isn't it all just the same old tricks that the washing machine used to death...

For example, swindling the overseas copyright fee for "Hero" from Harvey at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival, or the threat to her during the last negotiation in Vancouver.

And that steak candlelight dinner where she invited her at the end, wasn't it just an attempt to close the distance and then slowly plot for Twitter?

The ignorant are fearless, but for Liu Yifei, who had already seen how this world operates, these character motivations, which could be captured with a little thought, made her quite adept today.

Although News Corporation was Deng Wendi's home field, she also had her own home field.

This came from her years of wits-battling with Boss Lu, her immersion, and the increase in her life experience.

Deng Wendi got straight to the point: "Yifei, as a woman, I sympathize with you."

"I'm sorry, I've seen the video of your birthday party last August, and I admire your courage."

Since coming to North America, Liu Yifei hadn't heard anyone mention this sad past for a long time.

Liu Yifei's heart sank, but for only a moment, she looked at Deng Wendi with a flowery smile: "Thank you, that's nothing."

Deng Wendi felt she had seen through the fragility she was struggling to support, and pressed her advantage by taking those pool photos out of the envelope.

"Yifei, look at these, confirm, is this you?"

Liu Yifei took the photos in confusion, and for a moment, her heart was shaken!

Of course, she remembered every bit of being with that person; in an instant, all the warm memories lingered in her heart like a movie.

Before the Oscars in February 2004, playing in the pool with the washing machine, then spraining her foot wearing high heels at the Oscars, and he took her to Chinatown to eat Little Sheep...

Deng Wendi looked at her dark and unclear expression, feeling that she had already planned everything: "Yifei? Is it you?"

"It is me, Ms. Deng. What do you want to say, what do you want to do?"

"Yifei, this Director Lu Kuan is now our common enemy."

Liu Yifei suddenly raised her head, looking Deng Wendi up and down in disbelief.

To tell the truth, her first reaction was whether this woman had also been played by a washing machine...

And that was why she was so ashamed and angry.

However, judging by her appearance, that dog of a man who boasted of having professional aesthetic appreciation would surely not deign to taste her.

Liu Yifei felt a bit amused by her own subconscious reaction and reined in her emotions: "Enemy? I wouldn't go that far; he and I are just strangers now."

Liu Yifei took a deep breath, her delicate nose twitching slightly, her long eyelashes lowered to avoid letting the other woman see her true emotions clearly.

She stroked the photo in her hand, her mind racing.

Someone wanted to target him?

She was naturally aware of the open letter on the mainland internet, and she also knew that this was no obstacle at all for Lu Kuan.

How did Deng Wendi, who was far away in North America, get involved in this?

Deng Wendi smiled with disdain; she looked down most on young girls who still held innocent expectations for relationships.

To her, everything about a woman was just a tool, including her body and emotions.

"This Director Lu Kuan rejected News Corporation's kind offer to acquire Mytube and sold it to our competitor instead."

"His arrogance and rudeness made both me and Murdoch feel uncomfortable, so I found you, and this photo in your hand."

Liu Yifei looked up at her: "I said, I have nothing to do with him."

Deng Wendi was losing patience and did not want to waste any more words on this girl who had just turned eighteen, so she directly issued a threat.

"To be honest, this photo will definitely spread across the entire internet, from the United States to China, to every region where it can cause him negative impact."

"You seem to have been under eighteen when you took this photo, right?"

"In China, his behavior seems to be very disgraceful, and it will seriously affect his reputation and prestige."

Confident in her thirty years of life, Deng Wendi stood up gracefully, supporting the table with both hands, and looked at Liu Yifei with a condescending air.

"Yifei, I don't care what your relationship actually was when you were photographed like this."

"Cooperate with me, and you are the victim; you will receive the victim's compensation! I need you to stand up and accuse him!"

"Accuse this devil of a director who has a human face but the heart of a beast, accuse him of using various means to lure and molest you when you were under eighteen!"

When she looked up again, Liu Yifei's face was already deathly pale.

She had figured it all out.

Who exactly had Lu Kuan offended that an open letter wasn't enough, and they had to use such a vicious method to drive him to his death?

Wasn't this move by Deng Wendi just a copy of the Michael Jackson child molestation case from three years ago?

The two child molestation scandals in 1993 and 2003 had completely destroyed this king of rock, both in terms of extreme physical and mental pain and a devastating blow to his career.

The film *Tangshan Earthquake* was almost out of theaters, so it clearly wasn't about competing with *The Promise*.

That's it!

The Olympics? The massacre film?

This was to completely splash him with indelible dirty water; a beastly director suspected of molesting an underage girl—let alone whether he would be selected for the position of deputy director of the Olympic Games.

I'm afraid his future career would be subject to constant boycotts and abuse.

A director with such a serious moral stain would likely not have much credibility in the eyes of the audience for any historical films he might make, right?

The young girl was extremely shocked, her fair palms sweating with tension, and for a moment she felt her throat tighten, inexplicably feeling a bit parched.

She had been unconsciously drawn into a grand conspiracy, and the target of the attack happened to be that person.

"What if I don't participate?"

Deng Wendi spread her hands: "I believe you aren't brainless, Yifei; you even know to go to the University of Chicago Booth School of Business to improve yourself."

"Just for this point, I admire you."

"Do you know, in my second year in North America, I tried every possible way to get into Yale; we... are very much alike."

She looked at the seemingly timid girl, who was staring at her with wide, phoenix eyes in hesitation, and decided to add a little persuasion after the big stick.

Deng Wendi pulled her chair over, attempting to counsel her like a caring older sister.

"Yifei, let me teach you a truth: everyone in this world, especially men, is unreliable."

"A woman must have her own career, her own means, and her own determination!"

"This photo is destined to be posted all over the internet; if you don't cooperate, you will just be one of the sacrifices."

"I come from China, so of course I know the country's harsh demands for the purity and perfection of a woman's body and mind. As a star who debuted with a pure, jade-maiden image, are you willing to be destroyed like this?"

"Besides, even if you don't cooperate, Lu Kuan will still bear the infamy."

"But!"

Deng Wendi changed the subject: "Let me tell you what you will get if you cooperate."

"First, the friendship of News Corporation and Fox is your best gift. You already have some popularity in North America, and I will fight for a lead role in a Hollywood movie for you."

"Second, I know you have an internet company that is facing pressure and attacks from Lu Kuan's Weibo. You are competitors, aren't you?"

"I can help you find investment. If the assessment is suitable, I can even invest myself or invest in you in the name of Myspace. How about that?"

Liu Yifei looked up in a daze, her cherry mouth nimble and proper, revealing just the right amount of surprise.

With acting like this, even if that extremely harsh Director Lu were present, he probably wouldn't hesitate to praise it as not bad, right?

Deng Wendi received feedback from the micro-expressions of her negotiation target and smiled confidently: "Don't doubt News Corporation's commercial investigation capabilities; I know everything about you."

She tapped the table with her knuckles: "Otherwise, how would I have found this photo as a breakthrough?"

Liu Yifei seemed to be caught in a battle between heaven and man, her fine brows furrowed and undulating. After a long while, she stammered: "But, if the photo is released, won't my reputation be ruined too? Wuwuwu..."

The once bright and stunning girl seemed to be covered in dust in an instant, a clear tear sliding down her elegant and delicate face, seemingly worried about her career that was about to be destroyed.

"Hehehe, don't cry, Yifei, these are all small matters." Although Deng Wendi was not softened by her tear-streaked face, she still patted Liu Yifei's forearm a few times to comfort her.

"You don't need to have this worry at all."

Deng Wendi, like a female general planning strategies, stood up and paced in the office; this was her domain, her confidence.

"If you are timid, you are just a sacrifice who has become a plaything for a beastly director."

"But if you bravely stand up, you are the proudest and bravest professional woman of this era, brave enough to say no to the gender bullying encountered in your career!"

"Yifei, do you know what the feminist movement is?"

Liu Yifei opened her teary eyes, as if attracted by the novel terms in Deng Wendi's mouth.

"In 1966, Betty Friedan of the United States founded the National Organization for Women."

"In 1971, Gloria Steinem, Friedan, and others founded the National Women's Political Caucus."

"In 1976, Steinem's *Ms.* magazine made feminism the theme of its cover!"

Deng Wendi spoke as if she were an expert, as if she had transformed into a passionate female orator.

"Right up to the modern era in 1991, Anita Hill testified in Washington before the all-male, all-white Senate Judiciary Committee, accusing Clarence Thomas, who had been nominated as a Supreme Court Justice, of sexual harassment."

"In the same year, Rebecca Walker published the article 'Becoming the Third Wave' in *Ms.* magazine."

"Yifei, if you bravely stand up now to accuse this devil, as a Chinese-American girl who has just turned eighteen, your social influence and appeal will be enormous!"

"I can help you restore your American citizenship; you can completely become another feminist leader and fighter, making your voice heard on the world stage."

"An actress? I don't think that would even be your best choice; you could go into politics or business, and you would receive huge support!"

Shock!

The echo of Deng Wendi's speech seemed to drift in the office, and Liu Yifei, who was listening with her mouth agape, was truly at a loss this time.

To speak frankly, this was a crossroads in life, the two sides of the scales of fate.

On one side was the promise of a role from Fox, one of the 'Big Six', the revival of her endangered Twitter, and the beautiful prospect of having a voice for women.

On the other side was a man who made her feel heartbroken and devastated in the most beautiful years of her youth.

Moreover, what was placed before Liu Yifei was far from a free choice.

Because regardless of whether she agreed or not, Deng Wendi was going to make the photo public and hype up Lu Kuan's evil act of molesting an underage actress.

If she agreed, a bright future awaited her, or at least a glimmer of survival;

If she didn't agree, she was destined to become a sacrifice in the struggle.

From this perspective, the weight of the weights on both sides of the scales seemed obvious.

From Deng Wendi's perspective, she didn't believe that after throwing out so many conditions, threats, and realities, this girl, who was already scared to tears, would still choose wrong.

In this script-killing game with these environmental and conditional settings, if ninety-nine women were given the choice, perhaps they would all choose Deng Wendi, right?

Deng Wendi stared fixedly at Liu Yifei, whose chest was heaving with excitement, until the latter uttered in a voice as soft as a mosquito: "What do you want me to do?"

The huntress was certain of her success.

Photos have no mouths; they could fabricate black material, and Lu Kuan could also quickly refute the rumors.

But Liu Yifei had one, didn't she?

And what could be more effective at morally destroying a beastly director than a pitiful girl standing in front of the camera and accusing him with tears in her eyes?

"Fox has three large television stations and many local stations in the United States."

"We will broadcast your accusation simultaneously on KTTV in Los Angeles, Fox 5 in New York, and WFLD-TV in Chicago."

"Before that, this photo will spread across the entire internet from the United States to China."

Deng Wendi suddenly gave her a weird smile: "Yifei, you won't tell him in advance, will you?"

Liu Yifei said coldly: "You're overthinking it; I'm trying to save myself now."

"That's right, this is an absolutely rational choice." Deng Wendi's tone was amiable, and as if she had remembered something, she added some more weight to the scales.

"Yifei, I also went to the Charity Bazaar gala in the mainland and sat at the main table with Lu Kuan."

"Do you know, that night there was a young girl about your age, who was also extremely beautiful and seemed to admire Lu Kuan very much."

"She spent 15 million to buy a painting from this great director, and after it ended... the two of them should have left together."

Deng Wendi looked at the barely suppressed fury on her face and feigned comfort: "He wronged you, so you destroy him; that is fair."

Liu Yifei seemed to have a heart turned to ash: "I agree to your plan, now I need to go back and rest first."

"Wait."

Deng Wendi smiled: "Don't be in such a rush to leave. Stay in New York for these two days. You can call your mother over, or give her a call to let her know you're safe."

"I will ensure your absolute safety; your female bodyguard can stay with you."

"But I am sorry, for these two days I will not give you the opportunity to contact the outside world; please understand."

Liu Yifei looked incredulous: "Are you putting me under house arrest?"

"How could that be?"

Deng Wendi stood up personally and pushed open the office door: "Yifei, you are free to stay or go."

"But if you want to cooperate with me, do as I say."

"This time, absolutely no mistakes can be tolerated."

The huntress had already rated the danger coefficient of this mainland tycoon very highly; if Liu Yifei tipped him off and let him prepare, things would be greatly discounted if they went awry.

News Corporation and Fox are strong, but in the public opinion arena, they cannot yet be called kings or overlords in North America.

What if the young director could bring out resources to trade with other giants and clear his name in advance? Just like how he recently appeared on *Larry King Live*.

If one does not realize a unilateral accusation, one cannot strike first to create a media sensation, which would be quite unseemly.

Liu Yifei’s footsteps in her high heels paused, her mind racing: "Since you don't trust me, what is there left for us to cooperate on?"

Deng Wendi sat back down at her desk gracefully, hands folded on the tabletop: "I understand girls like you best—full of emotion, prone to melancholy."

"This is also for your own good; do not leave yourself a way out."

"Once a person has a way out, they often become hesitant and indecisive."

"Also!" Deng Wendi’s expression suddenly turned vicious: "I will provide you with the script and materials for the live television broadcast in advance. If you try to play any tricks—"

"You will not only destroy yourself, but Fox will also destroy you."

In her view, this was just a female star who had been toyed with by a philandering director.

Without the chance to tip him off and pledge allegiance in advance, Lu Kuan would not owe her any favors.

And since her own terms were so generous—one step forward is an infinitely bright future, one step back is an abyss—this choice of life or death should not be difficult.

"Have your film contract ready." Liu Yifei looked at her expressionlessly: "Now, arrange a place for me to rest."

Deng Wendi clapped her hands lightly: "Good! A wise choice."

She picked up the internal phone and called for her secretary.

Liu Yifei stood in a trance before the massive floor-to-ceiling window, the figure of that person flashing before her eyes like a revolving lantern.

On the world's top media and commercial center, Sixth Avenue in Manhattan, the bustling scenes of the floating world filled her vision, leaving her with complex and unspeakable thoughts.

Reflection: The conflicts have been dense lately, mainly because the two films about the Tangshan Massacre brought out a bit too much plot; I will reduce this.

Tomorrow I will add an update to finish this plotline, and both career and romance will transition to the next stage.

(End of chapter)