Chapter 521: More Revelations! Huaxing Takes the Blame! An Huaiguo Comes to Modu!
by cnwebnovelsChapter 521: More Revelations! Huaxing Takes the Blame! An Huaiguo Comes to Modu!
Morning Mist?
If Wu Chen had given his real name, Shang Yunlu would certainly have been completely at a loss. But the name Morning Mist was now known nationwide.
“You’re Morning Mist?! You—” Shang Yunlu nearly lost his voice.
Naturally, he thought of An Menglan, Huaxing Group, and the rest. From his perspective, they were all on the same side, part of the same faction.
“Come to Modu. We’ll meet and talk,” Wu Chen repeated with a smile, then hung up.
There was nothing more to say. He was certain Shang Yunlu would come to Modu to meet him in person.
Shang Yunlu was currently in the capital.
This was the first time Wu Chen had used such a direct, seemingly reckless method: threatening someone over the phone from a great distance and making the other person come to him.
In truth, opportunities to achieve that result without anything going wrong were rare.
Extremely rare, in fact!
Human nature was unpredictable, and people could change. When threatened, people thought not only of protecting themselves, but also of how to threaten their opponent in return, how to strike back. Some would even become desperate enough to do something reckless!
Shang Yunlu was no ordinary man.
As a middle-to-senior-level figure at a giant like Hezhong Media, with many years in the industry, he naturally had an extensive network of connections.
He was also worth a considerable amount, certainly more than a hundred million yuan.
There was a great deal of money to be made in entertainment media, especially for someone controlling publicity and distribution. Wu Chen was convinced that if anyone else threatened Shang Yunlu in the same way, it would end badly!
Yet he was equally certain that Shang Yunlu would immediately bow to him.
Shang Yunlu himself would not dare cause any trouble!
Morning Mist’s true identity remained a secret online, and a significant one at that. Wu Chen had called Shang Yunlu from his own cell phone.
With his connections, Shang Yunlu could quickly uncover Wu Chen’s real identity and family circumstances.
That was extremely disadvantageous to Wu Chen!
If the information got out, Ding Ruilong would turn his attention to him. Countless reporters and paparazzi would also start watching him, making it much harder to keep a low profile.
But Shang Yunlu would never dare reveal anything!
Nor would he dare turn around and threaten Wu Chen.
And he certainly would not lash out in desperation. He had yet to hear Wu Chen’s terms or learn his ultimate objective. There was no reason to go that far.
A risky move!
Shang Yunlu paced back and forth by the window for a long time, fear closing in around him.
How did Morning Mist know all that? Had Peng Wei told him? Was this Peng Wei’s doing?!
If so, Shang Yunlu knew he had no room to resist!
Once the matter came to light…
Knowing Guan Hongrun as he did, Shang Yunlu was certain Guan would not only have him sent to prison. Bai Nawei, too… Guan might well have her committed to a psychiatric hospital!
Guan Hongrun had done such a thing before!
A young woman who had only just entered the industry had been coerced into sleeping with Guan Hongrun. He had then arranged for her to entertain important guests. Unable to bear it, she tried to expose him. In the end, every trace of her online was erased, and she was sent to a psychiatric hospital!
After weighing the matter over and over, Shang Yunlu finally looked at his phone again and called Peng Wei.
The call connected quickly.
“Hello, Boss Peng.” Shang Yunlu’s greeting was hoarse.
“Well, Boss Shang! What brings this call today—” Peng Wei began.
The two had known each other for years. But Peng Wei could deal directly with Hezhong Media’s highest executives. He and Shang Yunlu were merely acquaintances who had occasionally cooperated on publicity and promotion.
As for personal friendship, there was none!
And now that Peng Wei had broken with Hezhong Media, they were effectively enemies!
“Boss Peng, please go easy on me. I’m just a small player. Whatever you want, say it. If I can do it, I certainly—” Shang Yunlu began.
Naturally, Peng Wei was completely bewildered!
“You… what do you mean? Boss Shang, have you misunderstood something? Where did you hear this?” Peng Wei adopted a half-amused, half-dissembling tone.
He genuinely had no idea what Shang Yunlu was talking about, yet managed to sound as though he was pretending not to know!
“Wasn’t it you who had someone call me?” Shang Yunlu asked.
“Me? When? You’ve got the wrong idea, ha!” Peng Wei replied.
“Isn’t Morning Mist one of your people?” Sensing something was wrong, Shang Yunlu asked directly.
“Morning Mist?” Peng Wei was visibly taken aback. Of course he remembered Wu Chen’s instructions, but he had never expected this to involve someone inside Hezhong Media like Shang Yunlu.
“Ha!” Peng Wei laughed again. “Looks like you’ve really misunderstood, Boss Shang. Morning Mist isn’t one of my people.”
“He isn’t? Then he…”
“You’ve got it backward. I’m one of his people. He’s my boss.”
“What?!!”
Shang Yunlu was plainly stunned!
Even if someone told him An Menglan was Peng Wei’s current boss, he would have doubted it. Cooperation and a superior-subordinate relationship were two different things.
Hezhong Media had never been Peng Wei’s boss, either. They had only cooperated!
Not even An Menglan would qualify.
But Morning Mist, that young and mysterious singer, was Peng Wei’s boss?!
“I didn’t expect the boss to choose you, either…” Peng Wei said with a smile. “So? What did he say?”
“He… he wants me to come to Modu in the next couple of days and meet him face-to-face,” Shang Yunlu said.
“Then come. Confirm which flight you’re taking and I’ll pick you up at the airport,” Peng Wei replied casually, utterly relaxed.
Since Wu Chen was handling this personally, Peng Wei felt no pressure whatsoever!
“Then…” Shang Yunlu’s breathing grew uneven and heavy as he considered his words. After a moment, he asked cautiously, “Boss Peng, about my affairs… how much do you actually know?”
“Your affairs?” Peng Wei echoed, then chuckled softly. “Which one are you asking about, Boss Shang? Taking kickbacks? Embezzling company funds? Or… Bai Nawei?”
Shang Yunlu’s heart gave a violent thump.
Peng Wei knew everything! He had investigated Shang Yunlu before!
And that was true!
But unlike what Shang Yunlu imagined, Peng Wei’s investigation had not taken place long ago. It had happened very recently!
Wu Chen had told Peng Wei to investigate a great many people!
Actually, calling it an investigation was inaccurate. It was more a matter of collecting evidence!
Wu Chen had told Peng Wei exactly who had done what, and how to obtain proof. All Peng Wei needed to do was send his people in different places into action, and everything fell into place!
There was a list.
Compared with Hezhong Media’s top executives and its most important stars, Shang Yunlu was an insignificant name on it.
At the time, Peng Wei had not understood why Wu Chen wanted to target him.
The man’s status was far too low. What use could he possibly be?
But Peng Wei had followed Wu Chen’s information anyway, assigning just one person to stake him out. That person had easily photographed Shang Yunlu meeting Bai Nawei secretly in a car.
It was that simple.
Even now, Peng Wei could not work out why Wu Chen was going after Shang Yunlu. Was the man even worth the trouble?
It didn’t matter!
All he had to do was cooperate and get things done!
Shang Yunlu fell silent. Peng Wei could practically picture his expression, the color draining from his face and returning, his fear and even despair!
“Boss Shang, actually, I think Mr. Morning Mist calling you personally and asking you to come to Modu to talk might… be a good thing for you!” Peng Wei said meaningfully.
“Huh?!” Shang Yunlu froze.
“If our boss really wanted to hurt you, he wouldn’t let you know he existed at all!” Peng Wei continued with a faint smile. “Just look at what happened to Zhou Shenglong.”
“So let me offer you a little personal advice. Come to Modu immediately. The sooner, the better. Perhaps… the outcome won’t be what you expect. It might even be the exact opposite.”
Peng Wei had volunteered this advice partly because he did not want Shang Yunlu doing anything unpredictable.
He did not think Shang Yunlu would dare, but what if he did?
Besides, Peng Wei was not simply trying to fool him.
His own relationship with Wu Chen had hardly begun on friendly terms!
The two chatted a little longer.
After hanging up, Shang Yunlu walked behind his desk and sat down wearily. He thought for a while, then picked up his desk phone, pressed a speed-dial button, and said, “Book me a flight to Modu. I need…”
Working in publicity and distribution, Shang Yunlu traveled frequently anyway.
There was nothing unusual about him suddenly deciding to go somewhere.
A trip to Modu was even less unusual.
After the call, Shang Yunlu closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair to rest.
Ring, ring…
The desk phone suddenly rang!
Shang Yunlu opened his eyes, sat upright, and snatched up the receiver. An urgent voice said, “Old Shang, get online! Check Weibo!” The caller sounded not only anxious but furious!
“Huh?!” Startled, Shang Yunlu hurriedly asked the caller to wait, trapped the receiver between his shoulder and ear, and began typing on his computer.
He soon learned what had happened.
Peng Wei had struck again!
Just moments earlier, Peng Wei had posted another explosive revelation on Weibo! There was no telling how much Weibo had paid this time to persuade him to release his news there first again.
A scandal involving renowned director Chen Haiying, who had coerced actresses into sexual relationships!
Chen Haiying was a contracted screenwriter and director with Hezhong Media, as well as a highly respected major director in China. As an insider, Shang Yunlu knew Chen Haiying had a particular habit!
He loved taking photographs and videos! He had even used videos in which he himself never appeared to threaten certain people!
Peng Wei had posted a video directly online!
Naturally, the indecent images had been pixelated.
At one point Chen Haiying looked toward the camera, proving that no one had secretly filmed him. He had made the recording himself, keeping it for his own enjoyment!
Logically, a video like that should have been stored on Chen Haiying’s laptop. If it was on a USB drive that he did not carry with him, it should have been in his home safe.
How had Peng Wei gotten hold of it?!
This was serious!
Zhou Shenglong had merely been ruined publicly. His scandal did not involve a crime!
Chen Haiying, on the other hand, might well end up behind bars!
The top trending topic on Weibo that day had originally still been Xu Weilai’s scandal. But after Peng Wei struck again, marketing accounts and media outlets rapidly reposted the news, pushing Xu Weilai’s scandal down the rankings!
Chen Haiying’s scandal took the number-one spot!
Zhou Shenglong’s scandal was still in the top ten.
A little after four in the afternoon, at the Modu Administration for Industry and Commerce.
A convoy of luxury cars waited outside. In front of the row of expensive vehicles stood a blue Lamborghini with Donghai license plates.
Wu Chen, dressed in a suit, was the first to emerge from the administration building. He straightened his jacket, looked around, then descended the steps and walked to the Lamborghini. He opened the door and got in.
Next came Zhuang Xiaodie, accompanied by a lawyer and an assistant. They left the building and got into a car at the back of the convoy.
That car drove away first. Zhuang Xiaodie had to return to the company.
Finally, another group emerged from the administration building.
Men and women in suits—bodyguards, assistants, and others—surrounded a mysterious woman wearing a sun hat, sunglasses, and a scarf.
The woman was none other than An Menglan, the superstar known as the Great Demon King!
After lunch with Wu Chen, Zhuang Xiaodie had returned to the company. At two in the afternoon, Wu Chen had called her, and shortly after three she had come to the administration building to meet him and An Menglan.
The three had just done something momentous!
An Menglan had transferred fifty percent of her company, Menghua Music, to Zhuang Xiaodie for the symbolic price of one yuan!
With the recent success of An Menglan’s new album and Morning Mist’s meteoric rise, the company’s valuation had climbed even higher!
A conservative estimate would put that fifty-percent stake at two billion yuan!
Three billion would not be unreasonable, either!
Wu Chen had no desire to hold the shares himself. Too many people would take notice of him. So he had An Menglan transfer them directly to Zhuang Xiaodie as an individual!
An Menglan had previously described the arrangement to Song Bing over the phone as Wu Chen contributing his expertise in exchange for equity. That was only a way of putting it. Menghua Music was privately held, and An Menglan owned one hundred percent of it. She could transfer her shares however she pleased!
The equity transfer had been handled in a separate office inside the administration building.
There was no alternative.
If a superstar like An Menglan conducted business in the main hall, she would cause a sensation and draw a crowd. Reporters would soon hear about it and pack the entrance!
Inside the Lamborghini.
Wu Chen scrolled through his phone, tapping occasionally as he chatted with people.
An Menglan opened the passenger door, climbed in, closed it, and fastened her seat belt. She glanced outside to make sure no one nearby was looking into the car before removing her sunglasses and mask.
She took off her scarf as well. In the middle of summer, it was rather warm.
Wu Chen turned to study her, a subtle look in his eyes.
He simply found the workings of a woman’s heart fascinating!
He had known he would obtain half of Menghua Music. He had settled every aspect of the arrangement, and acquiring the shares was one of the main reasons for this trip to Modu.
But he had only arrived in Modu at noon. When he visited Menghua Music that afternoon, they had still been talking about Xu Weilai’s death and An Menglan’s father, An Huaiguo. He had not even tried to steer the conversation toward equity.
An Menglan had brought it up herself!
Inside the car.
An Menglan seemed preoccupied after getting in and said nothing.
Wu Chen started the engine.
They headed straight to a restaurant for dinner.
“Mr. Wu, have you and Miss Zhuang… signed a nominee shareholding agreement?” An Menglan suddenly asked in her rich, magnetic voice. She pressed her lips together and turned to look at him.
“No,” Wu Chen replied with a smile, glancing at her as he drove.
“Then… aren’t you afraid something might go wrong?” she asked.
She clearly could not begin to understand Wu Chen’s thinking or the level at which he operated!
He was letting his young lover hold shares worth billions of yuan… A lover was not a wife. They did not necessarily share the same interests. Who could say what might happen in the future?!
Forget lovers—even a wife might not be trusted to that extent!
How many wealthy couples had turned against each other over money, their divorce battles becoming public spectacles?
“Nothing will go wrong,” Wu Chen said with a smile, offering no further explanation.
Clearly, An Menglan’s understanding of Wu Chen was incomplete. If she knew what he had done for Wu Yurong, or how much he intended for Wu Yurong to gain, she would never have asked that question!
“You transferred fifty percent to me. Aren’t you afraid I’ll cause trouble? That I’ll break my promise, sell the shares to someone else for cash, and disappear?” Wu Chen asked her with a smile.
An Menglan pressed her lips together and fell silent, gazing at him with a distant, searching look.
The possibility had never occurred to her.
For some reason, she simply felt that Wu Chen would never do that!
Some strange feeling was at work!
Ring, ring—
An Menglan’s phone rang!
She took it from her handbag. One glance at the screen, and her expression changed dramatically.
Caller ID: Daddy!
It was her father, An Huaiguo!
This was already his third call to An Menglan that day.
The first had been at noon, after Xu Weilai jumped from the building. An Huaiguo had called An Menglan and Peng Wei separately, and both had subsequently spoken with Wu Chen.
The second call had come at around two in the afternoon.
Peng Wei had released another explosive revelation online! He was going after Hezhong Media relentlessly! Naturally, everyone regarded it as Huaxing Group striking back at Hezhong Media!
The public still did not know that Xu Weilai had jumped. They only knew Hezhong Media had targeted him!
An Huaiguo wanted the fighting to stop, but Peng Wei ignored that and kept exposing scandals!
So An Huaiguo called his daughter a second time, asking about Peng Wei, his circumstances, and who was behind him. Wu Chen had been beside her during that call.
An Menglan had told her father nothing, keeping everything carefully concealed. She had also made it clear that she supported Peng Wei. Xu Weilai was dead; the outside world did not know it yet, but she did!
Wu Chen had naturally influenced her attitude.
Father and daughter had even argued fiercely, until An Huaiguo hung up on her!
Now he was calling for the third time!
“It’s my dad…” An Menglan said without answering immediately. She turned toward Wu Chen, looking uneasy.
“Answer it,” Wu Chen said with a smile. Looking through the windshield as he drove, he added casually, “Hear what he has to say first. And don’t put pressure on yourself. If anything goes wrong, you’ve got me.”
An Menglan answered.
“Hello, Dad…” she said in Mandarin.
An Huaiguo spoke Cantonese. Wu Chen could faintly hear him, and he understood what was being said.
They exchanged only a few words. An Huaiguo had one thing to tell her: he was coming to Modu! He wanted An Menglan to arrange a meeting with Peng Wei. He intended to see Peng Wei personally!
He also mentioned that Peng Wei was no longer answering his calls.
He could not reach him!
The call ended.
“My dad’s coming to Modu to see Peng Wei in person…” An Menglan said, turning to Wu Chen. She sounded more anxious than ever. She could not understand why her father was in such a hurry, or why he attached so much importance to getting to the bottom of this immediately.
She did not know the current situation inside Huaxing Group.
She had no idea how worried An Huaiguo was about trouble engulfing the group’s entertainment and media business!
The truly frightening threat was not Hezhong Media, but the will of those above. That could easily lead to a crushing intervention from an entirely higher level!
With public opinion management and the promotion of ‘positive energy’ at stake, if the two sides kept attacking each other and exposing scandal after scandal, intervention by the highest authorities would be all but inevitable!
“He’s coming to Modu? Good,” Wu Chen said with a smile.
That was precisely the effect he wanted!
“Then what about Peng Wei…?” An Menglan asked.
“Peng Wei doesn’t need to talk to him. Once your father arrives, I’ll have a chat with him myself,” Wu Chen said, smiling.
“You?!” An Menglan exclaimed, panic flashing in her eyes.