"So, Mr. Song, what do you think about this matter—"
After much back and forth between Liu Rulan and Song Yuanqi, Liu Rulan finally asked cautiously.
"well."
Song Yuanqi remained silent for a long time before finally sighing across from him.
"This era changes so fast," Song Yuanqi remarked. "Since the old trends are outdated, then as you said, let's switch to something new."
The most fundamental reason is that Su Shengxi no longer has that much "value".
On the other hand, although Xiao He is taking the route of villainous actor and has not yet proven his value as a leading actor, his current momentum is actually quite rapid.
Moreover, this is a young actor with good acting skills, who naturally attracts attention and popularity, doesn't fight for top billing, and is willing to play supporting roles.
Xiao He will only become a hot commodity for more directors in the future.
Considering the relationship between Linghui Studio and their Jiaxing Entertainment... Song Yuanqi weighed the options in his mind and surprisingly gave up on Su Shengxi so easily.
Or rather, he had already made up his mind, but just wanted to see Liu Rulan's attitude.
Clearly, Song Yuanqi was very satisfied with Liu Rulan's performance.
People are replaced when they're no longer useful; they were all promoted by the people who promoted them anyway, so making money is more important.
With Song Yuanqi's casual remark, Su Shengxi's future as a star was essentially over—he had been abandoned by capital.
After Liu Rulan hung up the phone, Xiao He walked over from the corridor, looking worried.
"How is the situation?"
"It was easier than I expected." Liu Rulan shrugged. "That old bastard Song Yuanqi is very cunning. He clearly wanted to give up on Su Shengxi, but he insisted on using us as a raft."
Su Shengxi probably didn't expect that letting his fans "conquer" everywhere would result in offending his own boss.
Perhaps it was all karma—back then, he was highly praised by his fans and helped him debut. Later, with the support of his fans, he successfully went solo to Jiaxing Entertainment and, under Liu Rulan's guidance, rose to the top.
But as time went by, the person who was once so grateful to his fans for his past has forgotten where he came from and is no longer sincere or grateful.
In the end, he was betrayed by his fans and became a discarded pawn abandoned by capital.
It was the fans that made them, and it was the fans that ruined them, but they can't blame anyone else. Those who forget their original intentions first are destined to suffer the consequences.
“Su Shengxi is about to be abandoned by the capital,” Liu Rulan said. “Judging from Song Yuanqi’s words, he is preparing to sideline him.”
Xiao He raised an eyebrow: "Is Jiaxing Entertainment really willing to do this? So decisively?"
“Su Shengxi’s fans have offended not only Jiaxing Entertainment, but also several other investors, who are all close business partners. Jiaxing was never likely to protect Su Shengxi in the first place,” Liu Rulan said. “Business people hate people who give them food and then smash the bowl.”
If this matter only involves the conflict between Xiao He and Su Shengxi, then those people would absolutely not care.
But the problem lies in the fact that Su Shengxi's fans made a foolish move by directly attacking "Shining Star," which is a fundamental issue of principle.
Those capitalists don't care whether Su Shengxi instigated this or not; they'll only remember that it was Su Shengxi's fans who did it, so naturally, everything will be blamed on Su Shengxi.
Moreover, Su Shengxi has been embroiled in numerous controversies recently, and has long lost his former glory as a top star. On the other hand, several newcomers promoted by Jiaxing Entertainment have seen their resources take off and their data soar. In comparison, Su Shengxi is no longer Jiaxing Entertainment's "unique" product.
Xiao He was still quite annoyed: "So what? After this incident dies down, he'll still be able to come out and keep jumping around. I'm really annoyed with him. I might as well release a bunch of dirt on him before that happens and let him collapse into ruins."
Liu Rulan glanced at Xiao He sideways: "Do you think I don't want to? If Su Shengxi collapses into ruins, then Cangxing Shanyao will inevitably be affected. This work is the result of many people's hard work. Can you just say you don't want it?"
Although "Shining Stars" has finished airing, it's still making money. Song Yuanqi was willing to back down because of the pressure from "Shining Stars" and other investors! If they were to delay everyone's money-making and viewership gains because of Su Shengxi, it would be a huge loss, and that old guy Song Yuanqi might even turn his attention to them!
"And don't underestimate their 'give up'. Sometimes, compared to legal scandals and official bans, the ruthlessness of capital is what truly drives people to despair." Liu Rulan looked at Xiao He meaningfully.
"Even if they are banned from all official platforms, as long as they have capital and people willing to continue to support them, they can still be resurrected in neighboring countries or even go to the West to places beyond our official control, and continue to fleece the masses."
"However, the ruthlessness of capital is like a swift and decisive cut, leaving you no chance to make a comeback. Moreover, almost no capital is willing to take over Su Shengxi's mess now."
Liu Rulan crossed her arms and looked at Xiao He seriously: "Actually, Su Shengxi's current situation ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ is the best outcome for many of us. He has been sidelined by capital, and his future path is basically blocked. His previous works will not be affected. Once this storm passes, Su Shengxi will gradually fade from people's sight and will no longer be remembered. This is also a kind of torture for him."
Having mentored Su Shengxi for so long, she has a certain understanding of him. To say that she wants to turn Su Shengxi into a lawbreaker is not an option. Although Su Shengxi is not a good person, he is timid, and with Liu Rulan keeping a close eye on him, the most he can do is skirt the edge of the law.
Even if Su Shengxi's scandals are exposed, it will at most be a moral condemnation and will not involve legal issues. If you really want to get him involved, you can only start with his tax payment, but that will inevitably involve Jiaxing Entertainment. Song Yuanqi will definitely fight them to the death, so it's not worth it.
So no matter what we do, this is the best option right now.
The soft blockade by capital, though low-key, is deadly.
"All right......"
Xiao He regretfully crossed out his idea of exposing Su Shengxi's dirty secrets.
What Liu Rulan said makes a lot of sense.
Liu Rulan seemed to have sensed Xiao He's thoughts and coughed lightly: "I've already said all this, so you don't need to worry about this. Besides, I haven't told you this yet because I was afraid you'd have too high expectations, so let me just say it now. A work like 'Shining Stars' is actually very suitable for competing for awards, and your performance as Meng Zetian has a lot of potential in terms of both acting skills and popularity. So 'Shining Stars' must not be affected under any circumstances, understand?"
The plot of "Shining Stars" is intricately linked, and each character plays a crucial role and has significant value. Let alone cutting out Bai Mingchuan's scenes, even reducing a few of his scenes would cause the post-production of "Shining Stars" to collapse—because it's simply impossible to cut them.
"I understand, I understand." Xiao He awkwardly touched his nose, suspecting that Liu Rulan had mind-reading abilities.
"But Sister Liu, do I have a chance to win an award for the role of Meng Zetian?"
Xiao He was somewhat suspicious.
The character Meng Zetian's identity is far too complex and sensitive, especially given the fierce online debate about him being maliciously whitewashed. If he can win awards with this role, then...
To be honest, it's quite risky. If he were a judge, he would definitely avoid this choice.
Liu Rulan patted Xiao He on the shoulder and said with a laugh, "I was just saying, did you really become so smitten?"
Xiao He: "..."
These tonics are a scam! He actually believed them!
