Chapter 577: Chapter 577 Mysterious Text Message
Director Feng wore a blue director’s hat, radiating energy, with a beaming smile. A strand of graying goatee behind his smile lent him an air of weathered experience.
Dongfang Bai was young and handsome, with a certain boyish innocence in his speech and demeanor.
Gu Xinyan did not sit in a wheelchair. After entering the auditorium with Xu Xiangbei, she walked briskly to her seat, her face radiating a confident smile.
Seeing the fresh and beautiful lead actress make her entrance, the reporters in the room couldn’t help but stir, simultaneously revealing appreciative gazes as they raised their cameras and digital devices, snapping away fervently at Gu Xinyan.
Seeing Gu Xinyan’s noble demeanor, radiant appearance, and composed steps, Director Feng’s eyes were filled with admiration. He smiled and asked, "Have you memorized your lines?"
Thinking it was lines from "Immortal Spirit Chronicles," Gu Xinyan was slightly taken aback. Wasn’t her scene set to start filming three days later? She believed she could memorize the lines with a quick study session, but she wasn’t familiar with them yet.
Seeing Director Feng and Dongfang Bai both grinning, she then realized that the lines Director Feng referred to were the few pages of documents Dongfang Bai had given her yesterday.
Gu Xinyan understood the cue, smiled, and nodded, "Thank you, Director Feng, for your concern. I’ve memorized them all."
Director Feng laughed heartily, "This press conference is also a performance, and a key one at that. If we perform well, it’s great publicity for our new movie, even more effective than advertising."
Gu Xinyan smiled sweetly and replied succinctly, "I understand. I’ll complete the task as promised."
Dongfang Bai courteously pulled out a chair for Gu Xinyan, his handsome face adorned with a smile, "Sister Xin Yan, please sit. That’s the lead actress’s chair reserved for you."
"Xiao Bai, have you all been here long?"
"I just arrived."
"When does the press conference start?"
"It starts promptly at 9."
"Is President Huang coming too?"
"President Huang isn’t coming, just a few of us from the crew."
After sitting down, Gu Xinyan scanned the reporters below with a smile, nodding and greeting those in the front row who gazed at her with admiration.
She finally spotted Xu Xiangbei and Ouyang Jiahui in the last row.
Seeing Gu Xinyan look their way, Ouyang Jiahui gave her a thumbs-up, indicating that she looked elegant and was sure to make a strong impression.
Xu Xiangbei winked and blew a kiss, almost causing Gu Xinyan to burst out laughing. Because Director Feng was sitting beside her, and so many reporters were below, every move she made would draw attention, so Gu Xinyan suppressed her laughter, trying not to laugh out loud.
Gu Xinyan felt a little excited inside. In an hour, entertainment news headlines on major media outlets and websites across the country would feature videos and photos of her becoming the lead actress in "Immortal Spirit Chronicles."
Although the role was already determined and disclosed to the public, formal promotion hadn’t started yet. As Director Feng mentioned, the formal press conference today was a major event.
Since the filming of the movie "Sword Rain Chivalrous Record" began until the premiere, Gu Xinyan had participated in many press conferences, facing various reporters’ tough questions and challenges. She had matured a lot and was no longer the fledgling girl who got nervous in front of cameras and flustered when faced with difficult questions.
Director Feng checked the time. It was time for the designated start of the press conference. He exchanged glances with Dongfang Bai, Gu Xinyan, and the crew, then spoke in his deep and resonant voice, "Friends from the press, please quiet down. Our press conference is starting now."
Just as the press conference was about to start, the cell phones of the journalists in the room suddenly chimed with a cascade of text message alerts. The reporters quickly took out their phones to check, and the previously quiet auditorium became filled with chatter.
For some unknown reason, Gu Xinyan suddenly had a bad premonition because after the journalists read the texts, their eyes turned toward her.
Gu Xinyan felt a chill rise from her back, and her palms started to sweat. Her face maintained a calm smile, but inside, she was filled with unease.
She glanced toward Xu Xiangbei and Ouyang Jiahui. Ouyang Jiahui apparently also received the text message, as her expression turned serious, and her gaze towards Gu Xinyan became a bit chaotic.
Meanwhile, Xu Xiangbei’s face was grim, unable to conceal the anger in his eyes. She knew Xu Xiangbei was suppressing his rage, and the news that could anger him must be bad news.
Gu Xinyan quietly warned herself to stay calm and composed, no matter what situation arises.
Seeing the reporters below whispering among themselves, as if some unexpected event had occurred, Director Feng noticed the signs and sensed a repressive atmosphere in the air, as if an invisible bomb was hidden, ready to explode and leave him in shambles.
Despite sensing this, Director Feng didn’t stop speaking. He followed the procedure outlined in the documents from yesterday, explaining the news about the new movie "Immortal Spirit Chronicles" to the reporters.
Director Feng’s voice was full of vigor. He turned up the microphone volume to its maximum to suppress the reporters’ murmurs, and the auditorium quickly fell silent again.
However, Director Feng’s expression worsened.
From the strange and tricky expressions of the reporters, he sensed that although they were quiet, it was just an illusion, like lawyers sitting on overwhelming evidence, preparing for a more terrifying counterattack.
When it came time for the reporters to ask questions, Director Feng hesitated briefly. These reporters were familiar with such sessions and knew it was time for questions, their expressions eager and ready.
Cold sweat began to appear on Director Feng’s forehead. He hesitated for a moment but ultimately announced, "Next is our Q&A session. Reporters, feel free to ask anything you need, but time is limited. I can only give everyone half an hour."
Journalists raised their hands eagerly. Director Feng deliberately chose Zhou Yunlai from Earth Sea News, with whom he had a good relationship, expecting that Zhou Yunlai wouldn’t intentionally make things difficult for him.
Director Feng’s experience really helped him. Zhou Yunlai’s questions were about certain aspects of the new movie "Immortal Spirit Chronicles" and weren’t sensitive, allowing Director Feng to breathe a sigh of relief.
But it seemed the pending storm was inevitable.
As Zhou Yunlai’s questions concluded and before he could fully sit down, a young reporter next to him snatched the microphone from his hand. Without waiting for Director Feng’s permission, he stood up suddenly.
The young reporter’s face shone with a mix of pride and excitement.
He knew that the question he was about to pose was a heavy nuclear bomb to the team, yet he threw it mercilessly. His speech was as rapid as a Gatling gun, his voice loud and clear, like a thunderclap echoing in the auditorium.
"Miss Gu, I heard that your father is a murderer and your mother abandoned you and your sister when you were very young, leaving home and disappearing without a trace for twenty years. Is this true?"
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