Xiao He finally agreed to make a cameo appearance in the play.
Just as Sister Liu said, this can be considered an investment in advance. If the movie generates more buzz later on, he might not have had such a good opportunity to get the role.
Now that I can act in one of these shows in advance, at least I can get some recognition.
After confirming the casting, Liu Rulan immediately began to help Xiao He make contacts and preparations.
After Liu Rulan left, Xiao He did not forget about Xu Youyou's situation. He promptly turned on his computer and began investigating Xu Youyou's current boyfriend.
This supposedly super-rich and womanizing tycoon is named Chen Cong, 41 years old this year. His family used to be in the real estate business. He is usually very extravagant and often flaunts his luxury cars and mansions online, making him somewhat famous in mainland China.
Rumors circulated online that this guy had been married once before, but there was very little information about the woman. It was Hong Kong media paparazzi who discovered the changes in Chen Cong's assets and uncovered this matter. Later, Chen Cong also took the initiative to confess and announced that he had a son and a daughter.
Based on the timeline at that time, those two kids would be almost in junior high school now.
Upon seeing this, Xiao He took a deep breath.
No wonder Xu Youyou's fans were so upset. Sister Liu didn't even tell him that this guy is divorced and has two kids!
However, thanks to this news, Xiao He noticed that Chen Cong's ex-wife was not a simple character either.
His ex-wife was also a businesswoman, and she ran a pharmaceutical company. She currently operates several pharmaceutical companies overseas. Since divorcing Chen Cong, she immigrated to other countries and has never returned.
Selling medicine?
Xiao He frowned and decided to investigate further.
However, Xiao He soon sensed a resistance.
This resistance comes from foreign forces and seems to be closely watched by another eye.
Filled with curiosity, Xiao He went to investigate, only to be terrified and quickly slip away.
Wow, there's a national team here.
I'm outta here!
So it seems the authorities are investigating this woman!
Xiao He immediately turned to continue investigating Chen Cong, and unsurprisingly discovered that Chen Cong's father was the investor in Feng Zhengyang's first film, and that Chen Cong had also invested in Feng Zhengyang's new drama.
However, compared to that, Chen Cong's other investment was more numerous and eye-catching, so many people did not notice it.
The company that invested more, named "Kemingen," is a pharmaceutical company under Chen Cong's name. It has only recently emerged and has attracted much attention and admiration from people in the industry.
Their company has recently been selling some "health products," the most eye-catching of which is a "supplementary liquid" that is supposedly imported from abroad and consumed by young people in neighboring and Western countries for healthy weight loss.
To put it bluntly, it's a weight-loss drug.
It's a blatant money-grabbing scheme.
Besides these weight loss drugs, there are also things like skin whitening injections, anti-baldness lotion, and breast enhancement pills, but they are all just disguised with a new name and are essentially the same thing in a different guise.
When Xiao He saw these things, he thought he had stumbled into some kind of large-scale pyramid scheme.
Putting aside whether these things are actually useful or not, just thinking about Chen Cong and the others' purpose in coming to the inland area, it's clear that what they have in their hands is definitely fake.
Moreover, these people are quite clever. They did not expand their customer base on a large scale. At first, they targeted people in the industry and only sold offline to internet celebrities and stars. They did not even target the fan base of these people. Of course, Xiao He thought it was probably because they had not had time to develop it yet. Otherwise, they would not have missed such a good opportunity to harvest the fan base!
Xu Youyou occupies a very crucial position in this!
She usually handles the recruitment and promotion, introducing more peers to buy these products offline. With her guarantee and the inherent aura of high-end foreign products, this business has been doing quite well since the beginning of this year...
Xiao He sighed and rubbed his forehead.
Seriously, does anyone actually believe this?
It seems quite a few people believe it; making money in the Chinese entertainment industry is really easy—not just from fans, but also from these celebrities.
This stuff is definitely not safe! Especially medicines, you really can't just take them randomly. Some things are addictive, and once you come into contact with them, it could really have lifelong effects.
These people are usually quite clever and shrewd, treating their fans like韭菜 (a metaphor for easily exploited people), but now that it's their turn to be韭菜, they're all happily helping to count the money.
However, since we're all involved, we can't be too critical of anything.
But why hasn't the operation been closed yet...?
Xiao He inexplicably recalled the attack at the hotel that day, when Xu Youyou helped the assailant Shi Wei hide from the police. At that time, she had acted very strangely, as if she was hiding something from the police—
Drug sales... weight loss... drug withdrawal... addiction...
Xiao He rubbed his arms, feeling a bit creepy, and decided to stop overthinking.
But since we're already here, let's make these people suffer a bit!
So he promptly passed on the news about "Xu Youyou promoting weight loss pills within the entertainment circle" to some reporters and media outlets.
—Although it can't be of much help, it can make Xu Youyou and the others keep a low profile and not dare to continue doing business in the industry in a high-profile manner.
This also saves the "Qing Guang Ru Chu" production team from constantly using "Zang Xing Shan Yao" for promotion and engaging in comparisons, which is very annoying.
Sure enough, the news broke the next day, immediately sparking doubts and speculations from many people. After all, thanks to the government's vigorous promotion and popularization of science over the years, as well as the stark real-life cases, many people's first reaction to the mention of diet pills was suspicion and wariness.
Many fans even went to their idol's account to leave messages, telling their older brothers and sisters not to believe Xu Youyou and not to buy those random, unregulated products. They were worried that if they bought fake medicine, it would be fine if nothing happened after taking it, but they were afraid that other problems might arise.
No one can take responsibility for this!
As these public opinions arose, Xu Youyou immediately became quiet and dared not continue to criticize Yiman'er. She was busy clarifying the public opinion on her side and could not care about anything else.
"Shining Stars" has finally gotten rid of this leech.
Afterwards, Iman was so happy that she posted ten updates on her WeChat Moments.
Xiao He glanced at them in his spare time and found them somewhat amusing, but he still gave them all a thumbs up to express his stance.
...
In the following period, "Shining Stars" continued to be updated normally.
In the latest update, the charming karaoke bar owner, Qiu Rongyue, makes her official debut. Wearing a stunning red cheongsam, with a smile in her eyes, she immediately captures the attention of many people. Her mission is to openly attract Chairman Yamada's attention and delay the start of the exchange conference.
Meanwhile, Bai Mingchuan, wearing a hat and carrying a camera, entered the school under the guise of a reporter. While others were preparing for the exchange conference, he secretly met with the senior scholar, Shen, who was hiding in the school.
Meanwhile, Meng Zetian's men also obtained the name "Shen Yiwei" from a student through severe torture.
This Shen Yiwei, Teacher Shen, is the person who has recently sent numerous letters to the newspaper. He even attempted to exploit the unique environment of the concession to send letters opposing the invasion and exposing the massacres to the international community, hoping to use international public opinion to put pressure on the Japanese military.
At the same time, he was secretly gathering students, spreading his ideas and beliefs, and calling on them to unite as one to resist the enemy's brainwashing and cultural control!
This kind of person absolutely cannot be allowed to live! They must be eliminated as soon as possible!
Without any hesitation, Meng Zetian led his men directly towards the school.
So, amidst the tense atmosphere, the two groups finally met at the school...
"Mr. Shen, please come with me!"
Bai Mingchuan looked at the old man who stood as steady as a mountain at the desk, his eyes filled with pleading: "They have already started arresting students in large numbers for interrogation. It won't be long before you are discovered. If you don't leave now, it will be too late."
Mr. Shen, however, remained calm and composed, continuing to write his manuscript with an air of nonchalance: "No need, Comrade Bai, you can go now. I'm not leaving today."
Bai Mingchuan paced anxiously, "Mr. Shen, I know you're worried about your students, but you're the most important person right now! We need you!"
"The Greater East Asia Cultural Exchange Conference is coming up soon, how could I possibly miss it?"
Mr. Shen stopped writing with his pen.
"They invaded our land and tried to undermine our integrity. They put bayonets to our necks and demanded that we admire their civilization."
"The human body can endure suffering, but the human spirit cannot be extinguished!"
Mr. Shen raised his eyes, staring intently at Bai Mingchuan, his face already showing a calm and composed demeanor as if facing death: "Comrade Bai, I am very grateful to you for being willing to lend a helping hand to this old man in this time of crisis, but I am sorry, I will have to disappoint you this time."
Bai Mingchuan's Adam's apple bobbed as he tried to continue his persuasion: "Mr. Shen, I understand what you mean, but you also know that this is tantamount to suicide. You are the spark of culture, the spiritual leader of many. You could have led your students and many more people in resistance, instead of staying here—"
"You're wrong, child."
Mr. Shen shook his head, his gaze falling to the window, his expression tinged with melancholy: "The spark was never hidden here."
"I've lived through that era, and I've witnessed far too much along the way."
“Look, the withered tree outside the window is in autumn and winter. No matter how tenacious the leaves on the tree are, they will eventually fall to the ground and be buried in the soil to become fertilizer for spring. True hope is never on a single leaf, but is hidden in the roots under the soil and deep in the hearts of countless people.”
"A single leaf cannot represent the arrival of spring, nor can it stop the invasion of winter. All it can do is contribute its last bit of meager strength to the future of this great tree."
Mr. Shen chuckled self-deprecatingly, folded the dried letter in front of him, put it in an envelope, and handed it to Bai Mingchuan: "Child, go on, give ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) this letter to your superior, he will understand."
Bai Mingchuan hadn't expected this outcome. After a moment of silence, he reached out and took it.
Mr. Shen looked around his office one last time, picked up his pen again, wrote a final sentence on the paper on the desk, then stood up and straightened his clothes.
"Judging by the time, they should be arriving soon."
Mr. Shen glanced at his watch, straightened his back, and walked with a steady and composed gait: "I should go and greet them."
-
On the day "Shining Stars" was updated, related topics exploded.
May Mr. Shen rest in peace.
【Waaaaah, you heartless, Hidden Star Shines! Give me back Mr. Shen! Waaaaah—】
【After all that buildup, seeing how meticulously Li Shuo and Rong Yue planned, even preparing for the student council's premature leak, I thought they would definitely be able to send Mr. Shen away. But I never expected that Mr. Shen himself wouldn't want to leave!】
【The empty auditorium and the raging fire, with Mr. Shen giving a speech without notes inside, and his students and colleagues outside, as well as the enemies who set the fire... When will I be able to stop crying when I see a scene like this...】
【When I saw Mr. Shen being burned alive, I burst into tears.】
The integrity of a scholar, even if burned by raging fire, will not bend.
【I didn't cry when I saw Mr. Shen die, but when Li Shuo was ordered to investigate Mr. Shen's office and saw Mr. Shen's last words, I really couldn't hold back anymore—】
"What's this?"
Taking advantage of Li Shuo's dazed state, Meng Zetian suddenly snatched the letter from Li Shuo's hand.
The calligraphy above is vigorous and powerful, displaying the style of a master, while the content itself directly expresses the pride of a scholar.
"True character is revealed in times of adversity, and its deeds are recorded in history."
True character is revealed in times of crisis, and those who sacrifice their lives for their country will be remembered in history.
Meng Zetian looked at the words above, his eyes narrowed slightly, and he let out an extremely sarcastic and disdainful sound from his nose.
"Fine, fine, you want to go down in history, huh?"
He turned around, his voice icy: "Go, drag that guy's body out and hang it on the flagpole outside. He wants to go down in history? Fine, I'll give him a hand! Let those restless people come out and see what happens to them if they continue to resist—"
"etc--"
Li Shuo quickly stopped Meng Zetian's actions.
Meng Zetian stared at Li Shuo with a sinister look: "Oh? Section Chief Li, what do you mean by this? Could it be that you've been influenced by Shen Yiwei's 'one stroke of genius'?"
"Captain Meng, there have been enough farces today."
Li Shuo looked at Meng Zetian, unfazed by his tone, and said calmly, "Shen Yiwei is no ordinary person. This is the school where he spent many years, filled with his students and colleagues. The fact that you burned him alive in front of so many people has already served as a deterrent. If you continue to desecrate his corpse, it might provoke a backlash. Besides, reporters captured this incident on camera. Instead of continuing to torment a dead man, you should go back and explain what happened today to your superiors."
Meng Zetian's gaze remained fixed on Li Shuo's face, as if trying to discern something, while Li Shuo maintained his fake smile, revealing no flaw.
Finally, Meng Zetian withdrew his gaze, lifted his leg, and walked outside: "Destroy everything here, then call it a day—"
