Chapter 127: Apologize and Kowtow
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Of course, these were not the only trending topics concerning Su Chen on Weibo.
For instance, the People’s Daily published an article on Weibo titled “Make Respect for Virtue and Art a Conscious Choice,” which attracted widespread public attention.
A succession of scandals involving entertainment celebrities and their harmful influence on society had made people increasingly aware of how precious artists of both moral integrity and artistic excellence truly were.
This time, the People’s Daily singled out Su Chen for praise. Perhaps he did not have as much traffic as some of today’s internet celebrities and stars, but his conduct as an entertainer was something that those who cared only about popularity while neglecting their work and character ought to learn from.
The People’s Daily even posted a video of Su Chen treating the sick and saving lives, giving him an exceptionally high evaluation.
Of course, praise was inevitably accompanied by exposure. The People’s Daily also specifically listed several recent entertainers who had violated moral standards, among them Wang Qi and Zheng Huayu.
The article focused mainly on the chaos caused by young male idols such as Wang Qi in fan circles. They relied on their fans to amass money without limits, manipulated public opinion to steer and psychologically control their followers, and used them to achieve a series of personal aims.
Such behavior was condemned in the strongest terms, with an explicit statement that legislation would be introduced to rectify it.
Apart from Wang Qi, Zheng Huayu was also held up as a typical example, chiefly because of the views he had expressed on the program Star of Tomorrow—views so outrageous that they had shattered every decent moral standard.
The People’s Daily described Zheng Huayu’s remarks as “garbage opinions” that could only spread negativity throughout society.
As a public figure with an enormous following, Zheng Huayu’s words had gone beyond mere irresponsibility. They amounted to inciting crime and encouraging unhealthy social tendencies.
Several industry experts interviewed by reporters stated that celebrities and entertainers, as public figures, possessed strong public responsibilities. They needed to be held to standards of both moral integrity and artistic excellence, while entertainers who had broken the law or seriously violated ethical standards should be strictly restricted from returning to the stage or appearing on various online platforms.
At the same time, standards needed to be clarified and refined, with legally defined criteria for identifying disgraced entertainers. The duration and scope of any ban should be determined according to the severity of their violations, so as to balance and safeguard the public interest.
Finally, the People’s Daily reiterated that celebrity worship required rationality, and that the distorted chaos of fan culture had to be rectified.
This article, “Make Respect for Virtue and Art a Conscious Choice,” had given the incident its definitive characterization. It affirmed Su Chen while delivering Zheng Huayu a devastating blow.
Meanwhile, Xu Fangyuan had barely slept all night. Ever since learning that the truth about Su Chen’s affair had turned against her, she had been grinding her teeth in fury, wishing she could find Su Chen that very night and bite him to death.
That was not the only reason. The department supervisor at Bright Star Entertainment who had helped Xu Fangyuan release the video slandering Su Chen had also spent nearly the entire night cursing her on WeChat.
“Xu Fangyuan, are you out of your mind?! You didn’t even verify whether the video was genuine before sending it to me and asking me to smear someone else?!”
“Do you have any idea what the crime of spreading rumors is?! As soon as Su Chen finds evidence, he can sue us and win without fail! If you want to get yourself killed, don’t drag me down with you!”
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“I’m telling you, the board has already found out about this. I may be fired as an example to others, but don’t think you’re going to walk away unscathed!”
“Transfer five million to me immediately, or even if I go to prison for spreading rumors, I’ll make sure you come with me! You’ve done plenty of disgusting things over the years. Spending a few years behind bars with me won’t be difficult!”
…
Xu Fangyuan’s eyes were bloodshot as she stared at the WeChat messages. She forcibly suppressed the urge to smash her phone.
It was not that she could not afford to replace it. She needed to placate the other man—and transfer money to him.
Xu Fangyuan had already tried calling the paparazzo who had fed her the false information, but after more than a dozen calls, every one of them had met with a busy signal. She understood at once that the paparazzo had blocked her.
With all hope of luck gone, Xu Fangyuan knew that the supervisor had not been bluffing. She bore the primary responsibility for inciting the fabrication and dissemination of rumors.
But there was no way she could produce five million all at once. After repeatedly soothing the supervisor, she first transferred one million to him, calming him down.
She also promised that if the police really came to arrest him, she would compensate him at a rate of one million per year.
In the end, through Xu Fangyuan’s promises and threats, the matter was barely settled.
She had temporarily sealed the legal trouble with money, but the problems within the company remained.
After all, why would the publicity department have targeted Su Chen for no reason? Moreover, everyone in the department knew that Xu Fangyuan had ordered them to release videos exposing Su Chen’s supposed scandals.
This was no longer something money could cover up.
Just as Xu Fangyuan was considering how to resolve the problem, Zhang Yong, manager of Bright Star Entertainment’s affairs department, called her.
“Xu Fangyuan! Do you have any idea what you’re doing?! Do you think owning a few company shares gives you the right to act above the law?!”
“Right now—immediately—use those damn eyes of yours and take a good look at the article the People’s Daily posted on Weibo!”
“Yes… Yes, Mr. Zhang.”
Xu Fangyuan was powerless to argue. She could only obey Zhang Yong and open Weibo.
Apart from an overwhelming sense of helplessness, she also felt a faint stir of panic.
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Why was Zhang Yong telling her to look at Weibo now? Could someone have discovered that she had incited the whole affair?!
No one needed to point it out. At a single glance, Xu Fangyuan saw the number-one trending topic on Weibo: the People’s Daily’s post titled “Make Respect for Virtue and Art a Conscious Choice.”
By the time she hurriedly finished reading it, her entire body was trembling.
Xu Fangyuan felt both terror and relief.
She was terrified that the matter had truly reached the higher authorities and brought consequences down upon them. But she was relieved that the People’s Daily had not investigated the rumor-spreading any further.
That realization allowed Xu Fangyuan to breathe a huge sigh of relief.
Hearing her heavy breathing, Zhang Yong let out another cold laugh before speaking.
“Heh. Xu Fangyuan, I’m telling you—the supervisor has already been fired. And because he misused company resources and endangered the company’s interests, he is about to face a lawsuit from the company.”
“Furthermore, the board has taken notice of your involvement as well. I imagine you don’t want to become a commercial criminal, do you?”
Zhang Yong’s words sent a chill through Xu Fangyuan. She hurriedly said, “No, no, of course not! Mr. Zhang, I know I was wrong!”
Zhang Yong snorted coldly and continued, “But given the profits you’ve created for the company over the years, the board is willing to give you a chance.”
Hearing this, Xu Fangyuan felt like a drowning person who had suddenly spotted a piece of driftwood. She desperately wanted to seize it.
“Please tell me what to do, Mr. Zhang. I can certainly manage it!” Her voice was filled with humility.
At that moment, humility was beside the point. If resolving the matter required Xu Fangyuan to kneel before the company and kowtow, she would willingly do that too.
Only then did Zhang Yong say blandly, “Your fabrication of rumors and dissemination of black material may be a secret to the public, but within the industry, it is hardly explosive news. Su Chen will find out sooner or later.”
“So the board wants you to go and apologize to Su Chen. Even if you have to kneel and kowtow to him, you must not let him report Bright Star Entertainment.”
“Otherwise, the company will have no choice but to abandon you completely. Do you understand?”
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