Chapter 38

Chapter 38

For most people, the endpoint they spend their entire lives striving for might just be a carefully considered gift from others.

There will always be those who are born at the finish line, living off the legacy of their parents' achievements.

Leaf Mingzhao looked at the newly signed brokerage contract and share transfer agreement, knowing full well that these were the benefits brought by his status as an adopted son of the Ye family.

Across from him, Chairman Qi was equally beaming, showing no sign of reluctance or resentment over the low-price share transfer. Clearly, he had achieved his goal as well.

A week later, the long-silent *Jiangshan Strategy* cast, after four and a half months since their initial announcement, released another role reveal tweet: "Master strategist, commanding victories from afar, @Ye Mingzhao as Zhuge Jin, the Pavilion Master."

Below was a costume photo of Xiao Zhuge. The white-robed strategist, with a feather fan and silk headscarf, tall and upright, exuding an indescribable elegance and charm.

Fans of the original novel and gamers, who had been waiting for months, rushed to the tweet and were instantly thrilled at the sight of the costume photo—

"Ahhhhhh... This is the Zhuge I've always imagined! Can anyone relate?"

"Wuwuwu, it's like the 2D character from the game has stepped into real life!"

"I hope it's not just a photoshopped image!"

"Wow! The actor playing Xiao Zhuge is actually Ye Mingzhao! The adopted son of the Ye family business, and the male lead of *Prince of Beggars*."

"The one who sued his own mother?!"

"Come to think of it, in the game, Xiao Zhuge was also abandoned as a child, then taken in by Pavilion Master Zhuge Ye as his disciple. He only turned to the dark side after discovering his true origins... Is Ye Mingzhao playing a role that mirrors his own life story?"

"Ahhhhhh... Spoilers, please don't!"

"Despite his troubled fate, the actor chosen for Xiao Zhuge is very satisfying to me. To be honest, Ye Mingzhao's appearance and presence are on a whole different level compared to the previous two actors. Is this the difference between a true powerhouse and a mere celebrity?"

"So envious of the players and fans of *Jiangshan Strategy*, they actually found such an outstanding actor to play Xiao Zhuge. Unlike *Imperial Heart*, where a bunch of overacting actors turned a great villainous mastermind into a weak and foolish character."

"Some people are really too much! Can we stop sucking up to the spoiled son of a capitalist? Someone who sued their own mother—do you really think he's a good person? Isn't it concerning that someone with questionable morals might set a bad example for kids?"

"Is the commenter Ruan Cuimei herself? Please speak up with your main account."

"+1"

"+10086"

The gossiping netizens buzzed, gathering below the official Weibo of *Jiangshan Strategy*. With the discussion heat that Ye Mingzhao naturally brought, the crowd steered the conversation off-topic. They began to wonder about the court date for Ruan Cuimei's abandonment case and whether the trial would be streamed live. If so, could they watch the trial proceedings online?

"I wonder if Ye Mingzhao will attend the trial himself?"

For those who love drama, the scene of mother and son facing off in court was certainly something to look forward to.

Some even took the opportunity to share bizarre trial stories they had heard, and many legal bloggers took the chance to do some legal education...

Amidst the internet users' off-topic discussions, the hashtag #Ye Mingzhao as Xiao Zhuge# quietly climbed the trending list.

The PR department of Starjoy Media and the *Jiangshan Strategy* cast, who had been monitoring online public opinion, laughed heartily at the rapidly rising heat. Taking advantage of the momentum, the official Starjoy Media Weibo account posted a welcome message for @Ye Mingzhao joining as a shareholder.

Netizens and media reporters, seeing this tweet trending, were confused.

Ten minutes later, the topics #Starjoy Media Shareholder Change# and #Ye Mingzhao Joins Starjoy Media# rapidly topped the trending lists across various platforms.

"Am I seeing this right? Ye Mingzhao has actually joined Starjoy Media?"

"I didn't understand. Is Ye Mingzhao a signed actor with Starjoy Media or a shareholder?"

"Isn't it possible to be both an actor and a shareholder?"

"Wait, by signing and investing in Starjoy Media at this time, does it mean that Starjoy Media has allied with the Ye family business? I remember that Zhou's film company poached Junjie Zhu, who played Xiao Zhuge in *Jiangshan Strategy*, for *Prince Transformation*. Could this be considered another kind of power play?"

Of course!

Chairman Qi looked at the flood of online discussions with great satisfaction. Although it was a week late, he had finally managed to capitalize on this wave of attention!

He had endured for so long, waiting for this very opportunity.

"I'm not trying to prove how great Starjoy Media is. I'm telling Zhou Yueze that even an honest man isn't easy to bully!"

Qi Yue said with conviction, boldly making a statement about allying with the Ye family.

At the same time, Zhou Yueze naturally noticed the trending topic of Ye Mingzhao investing in Starjoy Media.

He quickly realized the threat this alliance posed to Zhou's film company. The incident with Chu Qingyi must not happen again!

"We absolutely cannot allow this—"

Before Zhou Yueze could finish, his phone rang suddenly.

Zhou Yueze stared at his vibrating phone, feeling his eyelid twitch for some reason, his heart rate speeding up in an instant.

He furrowed his brow and answered the call.

"Mr. Zhou, something's wrong!" The PR manager's voice trembled on the other end of the line, barely able to speak clearly. "Junjie Zhu has been caught in a drug bust and is currently at the police station. Some of our company's artists were arrested with him. His agent called me, hoping the company could help suppress the scandal on social media..."

Zhou Yueze's expression changed, and he blurted out, "What are people saying online?"

The PR manager immediately responded, "We reacted quickly, and nothing has been leaked online yet."

Zhou Yueze's face turned ashen. "No matter what it takes, we have to suppress this. Wait until the drama finishes airing—"

He gave the computer screen a dark glance, and his eyes widened in shock.

The top trending topic, which had been about Ye Mingzhao joining Starjoy Media, had changed in an instant.

The six bold characters "#Junjie Zhu Detained#" now topped the trending list, followed by a big "Breaking" sign.

Zhou Yueze felt darkness cloud his vision.

*

It was midday on the weekend, and there were already plenty of online spectators. Recently, the internet had been buzzing, and idle netizens were happily spreading rumors. Unexpectedly, a bombshell hit them square on the head.

"What the hell? Junjie Zhu was arrested for a drug-related incident? Is it real or fake?"

"It's real; I've already seen the video."

"Wasn't he the second male lead in *Prince Transformation*? With something this big, can *Prince Transformation* still be broadcast?"

"Forget about broadcasting! They should cancel the release immediately!"

"If they pull the plug on the show for this reason, wouldn't the production company have to pay compensation?"

"Hahahaha... Serves the rip-off drama right. I hope the producers of *Prince Transformation* go bankrupt."

"I got chills, and suddenly remembered that Junjie Zhu played Xiao Zhuge in *Jiangshan Strategy*, right? Fortunately, Zhou's film company poached him halfway. Otherwise, it would be our *Jiangshan Strategy* crew getting pulled from broadcast now."

"Good luck!"

"Count me in!"

"Things can only get better from here."

"Don't rush to welcome good luck yet. Did anyone else notice who else was in the video with Zhu Junjie? I think I spotted XX, XX, and XXX!"

"Aren't these all signed artists of Zhou's Film Company? What's going on? Is Zhou's Film Company getting completely shut down?"

In an instant, the entire internet was buzzing.

Netizens flocked to the videos of marketing accounts to identify the people in the pictures. Fans of the identified stars flooded the official Weibo pages and studio accounts, urging them to deny the rumors.

Some even went to the official Weibo of the *Prince Transformation* production team, asking if the video was intentionally leaked by the production team to generate buzz and hype, since many of the artists who appeared in the video were actors from the *Prince Transformation* cast.

Although most people knew that as long as the publicity team hadn't suffered a stroke, they wouldn't use this method to promote the drama, many fans still held a glimmer of hope—they couldn't accept that their idols would privately gather to do drugs.

Because the incident involved several signed artists from Zhou's Film Company, the unprepared company had to rush back to work overtime as soon as the incident occurred.

But no matter how quickly they acted, they couldn't match the speed of the internet.

The relevant videos had already spread across the internet. Even though Zhou's Film Company had already contacted major platforms to remove the trending topics and videos, they couldn't stop netizens from privately spreading and discussing the matter.

Fans of the involved artists were gathering under the official accounts of Zhou's Film Company and the *Prince Transformation* cast, constantly urging them to come out with an explanation.

Over the next few days, Xinhai TV, major sponsors, and the producers of *Prince Transformation* all demanded explanations and compensation.

Top executives also called to demand that *Prince Transformation* be pulled from the schedule, stating that works by artists with a tainted record would absolutely not be allowed to be made public.

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Yueze slumped in his boss chair, drained of strength.

The cost of filming *Prince Transformation* had totaled 300 million. Since the cast started, Zhou's Film Company had already spent over 20 million on publicity for this drama. In addition, the sponsors they secured during filming and the copyright revenue sold to TV stations and platforms...

Now that the drama couldn't be aired, as the producer, Zhou's Film Company had to refund the sponsorship and copyright fees and pay breach-of-contract penalties for the delayed release. The investment costs and publicity expenses had all gone down the drain.

The total losses could reach over ten billion yuan, and Zhou Yueze felt a heavy weight in his chest. Looking at the plummeting stock prices of the company on his computer screen, he felt a lump in his throat, unable to breathe for a long time.

Hengzhou Film and Television City, *Jiangshan Strategy* cast—

Ye Mingzhao, waiting for his scene, lounged on his ornate resting chair with a tablet, watching Zhou's Film Company's stock plummet like a rollercoaster.

He didn't expect Chu Hengyi to be so patient. Despite his account nearly being wiped out, he waited until *Prince Transformation* was completed and scheduled for release before striking.

It must be said, Chu Hengyi had chosen the perfect time to strike Zhou's Film Company. Not only did he maximize their economic losses, but he also created an opportunity for Ye Mingzhao.

An opportunity to not only bring down Zhou's Film Company but also take down the entire Zhou family!