Chapter 10: CH 010

TL: Moonlit

The police’s announcement completely reversed the situation.

“Wasn’t it said that Rang Xing accepts anyone who comes? He was actually drugged and reported to the police… He’s a celebrity, and with this incident blowing up, does he still want to continue in the industry?”

“Forget about everything else, the fact that he dared to report to the police and expose this matter makes him a real man.”

“Indeed, good-looking people, regardless of gender, always attract some scum. All you beautiful people must protect yourselves.”

“… Although it’s not right to say this, I’m somewhat relieved. It’s a good thing that it was Rang Xing, a man with the ability to fight back. If it were a girl, she would have been in danger long ago…”

“I told you the hot search from last night was a bit tricky. It was clear from the photos that he and another person were carried into an ambulance, but everyone confidently claimed he was a victim of exploitation. It’s like they were hiding under the bed watching a live broadcast at that time.”

“These marketing accounts have no shame. They will go to any lengths for popularity. Clearly, he was the victim, yet they twisted Rang Xing into being the one exploited… It’s disgusting.”

Rang Xing scrolled through the comments one by one and found the first marketing account that defamed him based on the screenshots of audience discussions.

In that message, the marketing account wrote: “A well-known influencer and a famous director were sent to the hospital together, suspected of going too far. The industry is truly chaotic. I wonder if the influencer got the roles he wanted.”

The malice towards Rang Xing was overflowing from every word.

Rang Xing thought for a moment and asked Lin Hanchuan, who was beside him, “Can I post an update…”

Lin Hanchuan, who was instructing his subordinates with his phone, looked up at him and said, “You can. Whatever I say holds true.”

Rang Xing was taken aback and remembered the sentence Lin Hanchuan said when they first met: “As long as my artist doesn’t engage in illegal or immoral acts, I will handle any problem for him.”

Lin Hanchuan was as good as his word.

Rang Xing smiled and no longer hesitated. He directly reposted the marketing account’s post with a message: “Be prepared to receive a lawyer’s letter.”

Shortly after sending the message, when he refreshed the page, he found that the marketing account had already deleted the Weibo post.

Rang Xing burst into laughter, feeling happy. Being criticized by netizens and viewers could be comforted with the thought that they were just strangers, but these marketing accounts… they were like a group of monsters feeding off public figures.

To be able to make them back down this time! Although Rang Xing was just bluffing, he didn’t have the time or energy to go to court, scaring the other party was enough for him to feel satisfied.

Lin Hanchuan looked at Rang Xing, who was joyous like a child. His face was pure and bright, completely different from the Rang Xing he met for the first time, who was tense and trapped like a desperate wolf.

His gaze softened slightly, but when Lin Hanchuan lowered his head and looked at his phone again, it turned icy: Send lawyer’s letters to those marketing accounts.

In the next second, after he sent that message, all the marketing accounts involved in this incident received lawyer’s letters.

In most cases, lawyer’s letters were just a warning tool and generally wouldn’t result in actually taking the marketing accounts to court. However, this time, the lawyer’s letters bore the stamp of the most famous law firm in the country, Starlight Entertainment, and they came with great force.

The onlookers felt a sense of justice being served and expressed their support.

“It’s about time these marketing accounts were dealt with. They dare to exploit any trending topics and fabricate fake news.”

“Serves those unscrupulous media right!”

“Hope these marketing accounts will be shut down.”

“Cheering for Starlight Entertainment!”

These dozens of lawyer’s letters were just the beginning. Starlight Entertainment then issued an announcement that clearly explained the sequence of events, including the original male lead of «Sword Immortal» fleeing, Rang Xing stepping in, and the director’s malicious intentions.

It wasn’t just a textual message; they also attached electronic versions of the contracts of the original male lead of «Sword Immortal», director Qiao Qingsheng, and Rang Xing himself. They even included the police’s case filing confirmation.

The ironclad evidence left no room for doubt, and no one questioned the matter anymore. Netizens exploded with outrage.

“This announcement is truly amazing! It has a timeline and all kinds of evidence. We don’t need to search for evidence ourselves anymore.”

“So, the garbage director is Qiao Qingsheng? I’ve never heard of that name. Clearly, he’s up to no good.”

“He shouldn’t get away with it even if it takes ten or twenty years!”

“Qiao Qingsheng should be driven out of the entertainment industry!”

Subsequently, several other minor celebrities stepped forward one after another, accusing Qiao Qingsheng of his wrongdoing. Qiao Qingsheng was completely rejected and despised by the audience, and people within the industry also distanced themselves from him, expressing their disdain and contempt for him.

Qiao Qingsheng was finished. He had no place left in the entertainment industry.

The matter didn’t end there. Some silent victims were inspired and bravely opened up about their wounds, seeking justice for their past selves. These individuals included both men and women, internet celebrities, and ordinary people… Everyone gained courage from Rang Xing.

This incident dominated the internet for several days, becoming widely known to almost everyone, regardless of age or gender. Rang Xing’s public image underwent a transformation from various negative messages to positive ones.

Brave, beating the rapist to a pulp and sending him to the hospital, fearless in the face of power… Perhaps some people didn’t know him, but anyone who knew about this incident couldn’t help but say that as a celebrity, his willingness to stand up was already extraordinary. The impact he brought was particularly far-reaching, at least for a long time, the entertainment industry would be much cleaner.

Of course, there were some strange comments.

“If you didn’t seduce him, how could he have raped you?”

“It’s just that they couldn’t agree on the price. Who knew it would send the benefactor to prison? So malicious.”

“I think Qiao Qingsheng is just a scapegoat. There must be someone else behind him.”

Starlight Entertainment followed through, sending lawyer’s letters to every single one of them, be it marketing accounts or ordinary people. In a matter of days, court summons were sent to their homes multiple times, and as a result, those snarky comments completely disappeared.

“Qiao Qingsheng will be sentenced to five years,” the lawyer closed the file and said with certainty, “His impact has been particularly severe, so he will be heavily punished.”

Only five years… Lin Hanchuan felt somewhat dissatisfied, but according to the legal provisions, this was already the maximum punishment. After some thought, he said, “Let him experience these five years as if they were an eternity.”

“I know some people in prison; I can arrange for them to take care of him,” the lawyer pushed up his glasses and emphasized the word “take care” with extra weight.

“I will increase the lawyer’s fee by fifty percent on top of the original amount,” Lin Hanchuan returned the favor and said.

The two exchanged a smile, both satisfied with the arrangement.

After the lawyer left, the secretary brought documents to Lin Hanchuan again. “CEO Yan, due to our support for Rang Xing, we have attracted many artists who want to join our company, including some well-known stars…”

Starlight Entertainment was still in its early stages, facing two major difficulties: lacking solid works and notable artists.

This unexpected turn of events had attracted many artists, ensuring that at least they wouldn’t have to look for outsiders to cast the male lead in their films. The secretary couldn’t hide the upward curve of her mouth.

Despite the secretary’s excitement, Lin Hanchuan remained calm. He asked, “Have we found a new director for «Sword Immortal»?”

The secretary’s joy immediately dampened. “The producer is still screening candidates.”

The production had been halted for several days, resulting in losses of millions. Lin Hanchuan tapped on the table, contemplating. Just then, a person walked in. “Are you still in need of a director?”

“Director Zhou,” Lin Hanchuan stood up to greet him.

After signing the contract with Zhou Xishan a few days ago, the incident involving Rang Xing occurred, and Lin Hanchuan hadn’t had a chance to discuss the film with Zhou Xishan yet. Unexpectedly, he had personally come to their doorstep.

Zhou Xishan didn’t come for the film, though. He heard that Starlight Entertainment was still lacking a director for their TV drama, so he directly said, “I have a disciple who has only worked on web dramas before. If you find him suitable, you can have him direct.”

Even though he was his own disciple, Zhou Xishan didn’t mean to take advantage or pressure them. He awkwardly explained, “The web dramas were just for him to practice. The quality isn’t great, but he is highly talented in shot composition and color grading.”

Web dramas? The secretary’s eyebrows twitched upon hearing those two words.

“Let me see his works,” Lin Hanchuan said.

The secretary froze.

As Zhou Xishan had said, his disciple had only worked on two web dramas. One was a silly romantic comedy, and the other was a domestic horror film. Both received mediocre reviews.

After fast-forwarding through his disciple’s “masterpieces” on the computer, Lin Hanchuan fell silent. Neither the secretary nor Zhou Xishan spoke, and the air grew quiet.

“Bring him on set tomorrow. Can he handle it?” After considering for a while, Lin Hanchuan raised his head and said.

“He can!” Zhou Xishan was overjoyed. He hadn’t had high expectations to begin with. Although his disciple had talent, he lacked an impressive portfolio. He had only come to Starlight Entertainment because they were struggling to find someone, so he came to recommend his disciple as a trial.

Regardless of whether it succeeds or not, he had no objections. He didn’t expect it to actually happen.

The two of them made the decision easily, but the secretary felt a momentary blackout: The most important project of the company was actually entrusted to a web drama director whose average rating didn’t even pass six points? Was the boss joking?!

“You’ve got some guts,” Zhou Xishan laughed heartily, patting Lin Hanchuan’s shoulder. “I already know about the situation in your company these days. You’re a person of integrity and loyalty, not giving up on your employees. That employee of yours also has guts, not bad!”

Zhou Xishan asked, “Has the male lead for my film been decided?”

“As the director, the casting is up to you. Choose the cast with the concept of serving the film through their roles.” Lin Hanchuan and Zhou Xishan exchanged a glance, and he smiled. “Of course, if you want to choose Rang Xing, I have no objections either.”

One could even say that he would be pleased to see it happen.

Once the director was found, it didn’t take long for the «Sword Immortal» production crew to resume work.

In the neighboring «Jiu Ge» production crew, Qiu Hongguang didn’t expect things to develop like this. He had been in constant competition with Rang Xing, always coming out victorious. This was the first time he had encountered obstacles from Rang Xing.

Brother Lou… Qiu Hongguang felt jealous in his heart. If it weren’t for Brother Lou, Rang Xing wouldn’t have been able to rise again.

This time, Rang Xing not only crawled out of the mud but also had all his past dirt washed away. He became a clean and likable star again. The fabricated negative rumors that were deliberately spread completely disappeared under the swift actions of Starlight Entertainment’s public relations department.

Qiu Hongguang’s previously elaborate schemes were ineffective against Rang Xing. Even he himself became a laughingstock among netizens.

Bootlicker, gold digger, opportunist, hypocrite… It seemed that all the online bullying terms he had used against Rang Xing had now turned against him.

Qiu Hongguang had an inexplicable feeling that he and Rang Xing had switched roles.

Everything he currently possessed relied on the Yan family. Now that Yan Weilou turned his gaze toward Rang Xing, he no longer had the advantage. He would become the one constantly suppressed, with Rang Xing stepping on his head.

Qiu Hongguang clenched his fists, taking a deep breath to calm his racing heart. “It’s impossible. Starlight Entertainment is just a small company. How could it compare to the Yan family?”

Qiu Hongguang muttered to himself but couldn’t suppress the panic in his heart. “I still have Uncle Yan and Aunt Yan. They like me so much…”