Chapter 57

Chapter 57

Facts have proven that although the professional ethics and responsibilities of a certain private investigator are somewhat questionable, when it comes to his professional skills, Dagger's work capabilities are still trustworthy.

The compressed file that Chu Hengyi sent to Ye Mingzhao not only included evidence of Zhao Chengfu using his position to coerce female performers but also contained records of internal project violations, falsified accounts, tax evasion, and other illegal activities within Zhou's Film Company.

Ye Mingzhao directly sent all the evidence to the relevant departments.

A few days later, the news of Zhou's Film Company being investigated and the shareholder Zhao Chengfu being criminally detained suddenly topped the hot search. For a time, the public was buzzing with shock and outrage.

That same evening, the Xinhai City Public Security Bureau released a blue and white case announcement, officially publicizing the conclusive evidence of the criminal case against shareholder Zhao Chengfu of Zhou's Film Company.

At the same time, the hashtag #Liu Rumei Sues Zhao Chengfu# once again topped the trending list.

"Oh my gosh! It’s true that Liu Rumei accused Zhao Chengfu of drugging and forcing her! Did you see the police announcement? Zhao Chengfu has been criminally detained."

"Liu Rumei is so heartbreaking! She was bullied so badly and still had to endure malicious rumors. It's not easy being a female celebrity."

"So why did so many people spread the narrative that Liu Rumei and Zhao Chengfu had consensual relations? They even said Liu Rumei slept with Zhao Chengfu for resources?"

"Zhao Chengfu is truly disgusting for using his position to coerce a female star and then slandering her to confuse public opinion!"

"He's so skilled at slandering; this definitely isn't the first time he's done this. I wonder how many other victims there have been."

"Zhao Chengfu is a shareholder of Zhou's Film Company, and the company has been investigated too. These people are truly birds of a feather."

"Finally, Liu Rumei has been cleared of all accusations. There were so many people online who cursed her for being promiscuous. Shouldn't we apologize to Liu Rumei?"

"Liu Rumei is truly strong at her core. To withstand such immense pressure and negative public opinion and insist on seeking justice for herself. By suing Zhao Chengfu, isn't she also benefiting other female artists in the industry? If Zhao Chengfu had been allowed to continue his rampant behavior, who knows how many other female celebrities would have fallen victim."

"She’s incredibly brave! As a public figure, she dared to take such a bold stand to defend her rights. Liu Rumei is truly our idol!"

"Liu Rumei, I'm sorry, I misunderstood you!"

"Sorry +1, I was misled by public opinion and once said that people in the entertainment industry have chaotic private lives. I didn't expect the truth to be like this..."

In an instant, countless netizens flocked to Liu Rumei's personal studio account to apologize and express remorse. Within just one evening, Liu Rumei's Weibo post about suing Zhao Chengfu received over 100,000 apology comments.

The hashtag #NetizensApologizeToLiuRumei#, with the collective effort of apologetic fans, was also pushed to the top of the trending list. Soon, marketing accounts and self-media platforms jumped on the trend, creating videos that even surprised Liu Rumei and her management team.

*

"Thank you, Mr. Ye, for your help."

Xinhai City

In a private coffee shop with excellent privacy, on the second floor in a private room

Liu Rumei, visibly emotional and with red eyes, thanked Ye Mingzhao, "Without your help, I might never have been able to clear my name, let alone bring that scumbag Zhao Chengfu to justice."

Ye Mingzhao smiled slightly, "You helped me, and I’m helping you clean up the mess. We’re both sticking to the terms of our agreement. You don’t need to thank me."

"It's different," Liu Rumei shook her head but didn't explain what was different. She only looked at Ye Mingzhao with her big, watery eyes, filled with affection.

Ye Mingzhao seemed unaware and pushed a contract towards Liu Rumei.

Liu Rumei was somewhat puzzled, "What is this?"

"Starjoy Media is about to produce a Westward Journey movie. If you're willing, you'll be the female lead."

Liu Rumei immediately understood that this was Ye Mingzhao's "reward" for her.

This also means that once she chooses to accept this "mission reward," her collaboration with Ye Mingzhao will be completely over.

As Ye Mingzhao said, she helps him with tasks, and he helps her with the aftermath, offering her a resource that she absolutely cannot refuse as a reward.

It's a completely mutual exploitation.

For some reason, realizing this made Liu Rumei feel a brief moment of chest tightness and shortness of breath.

But soon, Liu Rumei dissipated this insignificant emotion.

She was very clear that with her status, age, and profession, there was absolutely no chance for her to become the daughter-in-law of the wealthy Ye family—not even a slim possibility.

And the goal she had fought for over the years was obviously not to marry into a rich family and become a trophy wife who relied on someone else's favor.

Hero saving the beauty is the most romantic thing for any girl. But Liu Rumei was twenty-seven; she was no longer a little girl.

She had enough clear understanding and enough self-control. She knew that infatuation was just a fleeting moment, and attraction is fleeting.

After tonight, she would still be the charming and radiant big star Liu Rumei.

She would make good use of the resources and opportunities Ye Mingzhao offered her to reach greater heights.

As for her and Ye Mingzhao...

Liu Rumei's eyes hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping short.

Ye Mingzhao noticed Liu Rumei's silence. "Is there a problem?"

"No problem." Liu Rumei shook her head and said with a smile, "Will the male lead of this movie be you, Mr. Ye?"

"I watched the currently airing *Prince of Beggars* and am very much looking forward to collaborating with an excellent actor like you," Liu Rumei said.

Rather than becoming Ye Mingzhao's real-life lover, she was more eager to become his colleague.

Ye Mingzhao shook his head. "The male lead of this movie will be played by Starjoy Media's top actor."

It was as if she had suddenly lost her balance while deeply asleep, and Liu Rumei, seeing Ye Mingzhao's unchanged gentle smile, jolted awake.

In an instant, a huge sense of loss surged up in her heart.

Ye Mingzhao said with a smile, "Don't worry. This will be Starjoy Media's biggest investment this year, and all the cast and production team will be the best."

"I didn't mean anything else." Liu Rumei forced a smile and said, "It's just that I suddenly thought about how Zhou's film company was also preparing a *Westward Journey* movie."

"It's the same project," Ye Mingzhao said, taking a sip of his coffee, "The script and production team are excellent. If the project falls through because of Zhou's film company, it would be a real shame."

So Ye Mingzhao had Qi Yue approach the production team of that *Westward Journey* movie on behalf of Starjoy Media, and they quickly reached an agreement to assemble the team.

Liu Rumei was genuinely shocked. "But isn't the production team and the copyright of the script in the hands of Zhou's film company?"

Ye Mingzhao smiled upon hearing this, calm and composed. "That's why we need to wait until after Zhou's film company goes bankrupt and liquidates. The production team will be forced to resign and then jump ship to Starjoy Media, and the copyright of the script will re-enter the market. These preparations will take about three to six months. If you're interested, you can free up your schedule now."

Liu Rumei's heart raced. After so many years in the industry, she had been working in the television drama circle—more precisely, navigating the idol drama scene. Although she had had opportunities to step into the film industry before, the roles she could get were either youth-themed or low-budget, sensationalist productions. As for big-budget, high-capital productions, she wasn't even on the list.

Now that Ye Mingzhao was willing to extend an olive branch to her, regardless of the reasons, Liu Rumei didn't want to miss this opportunity.

"I'll have my agent arrange the schedule," Liu Rumei said obediently.

Ye Mingzhao's phone vibrated suddenly. He glanced at the message notification and then said, "If there's nothing else, you can go to Starjoy Media with your agent to sign the contract. You can make any requests you have to the company."

Liu Rumei couldn't hide her excitement as she took a deep breath. "I'll go sign the contract with my agent tomorrow."

Soon after Liu Rumei left the private room wearing her sunglasses, the door opened again and a tall figure quietly entered.

Chu Hengyi looked down at the two cups of coffee on the table that had barely been touched. "After talking for so long, you didn’t even drink a sip of coffee. Isn’t that just a waste?"

Ye Mingzhao looked up at Chu Hengyi. "Did you hit your head or something?"

Chu Hengyi snorted and casually sat down opposite Ye Mingzhao. "Without me, taking down Zhou's film company and Zhao Chengfu would've been way harder!"

Not to mention the hero saving the beauty! Chu Hengyi thought sourly.

Ye Mingzhao raised an eyebrow slightly. "So, where's my reward?"

Chu Hengyi leaned forward, his expression serious. "You pushed Zhou's film company into bankruptcy instead of buying it outright because you thought their management was a mess. But you didn’t want to lose their good resources and projects. So I helped speed up the process. Shouldn’t you at least say thanks for that?"

Ye Mingzhao didn’t plan to go back on his word and asked calmly, "What do you want?"

Chu Hengyi's eyes fell on the coffee cup in front of Ye Mingzhao. He suddenly reached out, grabbed the coffee, and drank it in one go. "This coffee’s pretty pricey. You’re not drinking it, so why waste it?"

Ye Mingzhao's eyes also fell on the coffee cup. After a long while, he exhaled heavily. "Chu Hengyi, are you sick?"

Chu Hengyi leaned back on the sofa, looking smug. "What, can you cure it?"

Ye Mingzhao was speechless.

It was the first time ever that Ye Mingzhao was truly at a loss for words.

A barely noticeable glint of amusement appeared in Chu Hengyi's eyes as he watched Ye Mingzhao's cold, speechless expression. "I helped you so much, and all I drank was your leftover coffee. Do you really need to get so worked up?"

"Stop being such a stickler."

Ye Mingzhao took a deep breath, wanting to say something, but his mind went blank.

Ye Mingzhao kept replaying the scene in his head—Chu Hengyi leaning over the table to gulp down his coffee—accompanied by Chu Hengyi’s words echoing in his ears, "I only drank your leftover coffee... Stop being such a stickler..."

After a long while, Ye Mingzhao finally gathered his thoughts and coldly said, "After all this time, still no leads on Hua Rui?"