Chapter 105 ( 15 )

Jenny sighed, hesitatingly saying, “But, you know? That silly girl is hopelessly in love with you.”

Song Haowen was dumbfounded, unable to say a word. He could never have imagined that the goddess, who was so high above, would fall in love with him, an ordinary village boy.

For a moment, he didn’t know whether to be happy or shocked, feeling uncertain about how to handle this revelation.

Jenny’s beautiful eyes suddenly welled up with tears. In the glow of the streetlight, her tears sparkled like glistening pearls.

“Do you know how difficult it is to become a female celebrity where we come from? Apart from outstanding looks and exceptional talent, one also needs significant financial resources or connections.

If she were born into a wealthy or influential family, becoming a star wouldn’t be a problem. She would have been in the spotlight since birth, and as long as she wished, there would be people eager to propel her to stardom.

However, for more ordinary girls, the journey to success is incredibly arduous and challenging to describe. From a young age, they have to endure harsh artistic training. As adults, they often have to rely on underworld figures or connection with influential people.

They might become mistresses or secret lovers, as without such powerful backing, it’s difficult to gain recognition. In the end, many girls succumb to the harsh reality. They become pawns for producers, directors, male stars, or entertainment company bosses, and some might even end up as gifts for those with influence.

Behind their apparent celebrity glamour, they are just playthings for these powerful figures, either overtly or covertly. Some female artists have poor mental resilience and may suffer a breakdown or choose suicide.”

Song Haowen was stunned by these words, unable to comprehend. In his previous life, he often heard about unfortunate incidents involving female artists in Japan, South Korea, and the Greater China region.

He didn’t take it too seriously and usually dismissed it with a laugh. However, hearing it now from Jenny, it sent shivers down his spine, making it difficult to accept. After hesitating for a while, he finally gathered the courage to ask, “So, Miss Zhong is also struggling with this?”

Jenny, with a pained expression, said, “She doesn’t want to go down that path. With her excellence, hard work, and a bit of luck, she has relied solely on her personal strength to reach her current position. Over the years, countless scumbags have tried to possess her, including underworld bosses, gambling kings, and millionaires, using various forms of coercion, temptation, and even threats of kidnapping or murder.

Yet, none of these could make her yield. She is hailed as the girl with the most integrity, no scandals, the pure and sunny image. She has earned the respect and admiration of the public and her peers.”

Song Haowen, reflecting on this information, couldn’t help but admire the courage within Zhong Lizhi, someone he always considered delicate.

Jenny sighed again, explaining, “However, this time, she’s going to be defeated by love.”

Song Haowen was shocked, asking, “What happened?”

“Because, Satou Ichirou is threatening to withdraw his investment. Either she complies with him, or he withdraws the funding.”

“That damn beast! If we stop filming now, won’t the hundreds of thousands he invested in the pre-production go down the drain?”

“For Satou Ichirou, this money is just a drop in the bucket, and he won’t care much. Besides, this money belongs to the investment company he represents, not directly from his pocket. But for the crew, withdrawing the investment is a disaster. Everyone has been working tirelessly for months, and it would all be in vain.”

“What about additional funds? Can’t your Hong Kong entertainment company provide them?”

“Our entertainment company only takes a share of the profits and refuses to take any risks. If they want to invest, it’s better to beg on the streets.”

“Huh? What kind of people are these? Can’t you seek investors from mainland China? I think Chinese investors shouldn’t be afraid of offending those foreign companies.”

Jenny looked at Song Haowen as if he were an alien. “You’re a native of Huaxia, don’t you know the situation in the mainland? There are too many state-owned enterprises, and getting them to invest involves numerous layers of approval. Trying to involve them is a significant challenge. As for finding private investors, in a city as large as Beijing, how many are there with hundreds of thousands? How many are there with tens of thousands? Millionaires? Even if there are a few, would they risk investing their entire assets in a high-risk movie?”

Song Haowen thought to himself that he, at least, knew two millionaires in Beijing – himself and Tian Nana. However, Nana’s money was stored in her parents’ bank account, and they wouldn’t even dare to invest in real estate, let alone put all their money into a film.

As for himself, if he didn’t know about the huge success of “Shaolin Temple” in his previous life, he wouldn’t even consider investing in a movie right now. Investing in such matters was too complicated, and he couldn’t make a decision all at once.

“So, the most urgent issue should be for the director and the entertainment company. What does it have to do with Miss Zhong? She hasn’t invested any funds. If this movie isn’t made, she can easily find another one to act in. With her qualifications, she won’t have trouble finding a new lead role, right?”

“But the entertainment company and the director both know that the reason for breaking the contract is entirely because Miss Zhong refused to compromise. They may not say it directly, but they surely hold a grudge. Miss Zhong’s future in the entertainment industry will undoubtedly be difficult, and she might even be sidelined by the company,” explained Jenny.

“This is unbelievable! These heartless people! For their own selfish interests, they’re willing to let others sacrifice. Can they really do such immoral things? I used to be grateful to them, considering them as benefactors and friends!” Song Haowen exclaimed in anger.

Jenny said, “If it were just pressure from these aspects, given Miss Zhong’s personality, how could she possibly yield? However, she later thought that if this movie stops filming, the scenes she shot with you would be lost. She told me she likes you; you are the first boy she ever liked. Even though there might not be a future for you two, she wants to keep those scenes as a lifelong memory. Moreover, she said she knows you value this movie greatly, and if it stops filming, it will be a significant blow to you. She wants to do some work for you…”

“What’s the result of their discussion now?”

“They agreed to meet tonight…” Jenny hesitated before speaking.

“Tonight? Where? In a pub or in each other’s rooms? Why didn’t you go with her? Tell me, is Miss Zhong out of her mind? What if the other party strongly disagrees and insists on having her? Why can’t she resist? I’m telling you, if she’s wronged because of this, I will feel guilty for a lifetime. I’d rather choose this movie to fail than allow anyone to sacrifice themselves for me.” Song Haowen completely lost his temper, gripping Jenny’s shoulders tightly and shaking her vigorously. “Tell me quickly, where is she? I’m going to find her right now.”

“This…” Jenny hesitated, her face showing pain. “Let go first; it hurts. In his room… It might be too late already…”

“Nonsense, stupid girl, idiot!” Song Haowen suddenly pounded his chest and stomped his feet, attracting onlookers. They weren’t sure if he was going mad. “Regardless, take me to her immediately. I must put a stop to this absurdity!” He hailed a taxi approaching, pulled Jenny inside, and quickly gave the address for the cab to rush to.

All the crew members, including producers and executives, stayed at the same international hotel, where Song Haowen had also stayed for two nights, making him somewhat familiar with the place.

Twenty minutes later, he and Jenny arrived at Zhong Lizhi’s room. Not finding her there, they immediately went upstairs to the presidential suite where Satou Ichiro stayed.

Jenny looked at Song Haowen, who nodded, and she went over to gently knock on the door. After waiting for a while, Satou Ichiro, dressed in pajamas with a cigar in his mouth, angrily opened the door upon seeing Jenny and Song Haowen.

Clearly surprised, before he could say anything, Jenny quickly rushed past him into the room and went into the bedroom. There, she found Zhong Lizhi sitting on the sofa, head lowered.

There were pastries, red wine, and beverages on the glass coffee table in front of her. She showed no reaction to Jenny’s arrival. Jenny felt a big heartache, lightly patting her on the shoulder. Zhong Lizhi seemed to wake up from a dream, her face instantly turning pale as she quickly stood up.

“Ah, why are you here?”

“I’ve come to take you away.” Jenny stepped forward, embracing her.

“He’s still unwilling to change, insisting that I…” Zhong Lizhi said, tears streaming down her face.

“You agreed?” Jenny asked with concern.

“No… but I’m afraid the movie…” Zhong Lizhi’s face turned pale, devoid of color.

“Good that you didn’t agree! My dear Miss, don’t think too much. You’ve done your best for the company; there’s no need to sacrifice your integrity. If that brute refuses to continue investing, let him be.” After saying this, Jenny grabbed Zhong Lizhi and started to leave.

Zhong Lizhi initially felt a bit unwilling, but as soon as she saw Song Haowen waiting outside, her face turned crimson, and she was practically dragged out of the room by Jenny.

Seeing Song Haowen, Satou Ichiro already knew that today’s plan had failed. When Zhong Lizhi was pulled away, he didn’t say much. He just gave Song Haowen a cold smile, closed the door with a loud “click,” and that was the end of it.

Song Haowen originally wanted to deliver a punch, but considering the consequences, he held back. He followed them as they left. Upon reaching their room, Zhong Lizhi unexpectedly closed the door, not allowing Song Haowen to enter.

He stood outside for over half an hour, not daring to knock loudly to avoid disturbing the other crew members. Seeing that they never intended to open the door, he reluctantly returned to the room that had been arranged for him by the crew, lay on the soft and warm bed, tossed and turned, and spent the night sleeplessly.

Early the next morning, Satou Ichiro left the crew, leaving behind a female assistant. He told Wang Bolong that he wouldn’t invest in the movie anymore unless Miss Zhong met his demands; otherwise, everything was off the table. The hundreds of thousands spent before were considered wasted, and he wouldn’t inquire about the future of the production.

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