Chapter 69: Troubles at the Banquet of Ambitions Press Conference

"Jack, I've finished the script and sent it to your email."

"Oh, okay, I'll check it right away."

"Register the copyright as soon as possible. Also, if you have the chance, help me get in touch with some Hollywood companies to see if any would be interested in collaborating. You’ll definitely get your share of the reward."

"No problem, leave it to me. I think the novel is brilliant, and I’m really looking forward to your adaptation. Wait for my good news."

"By the way, there are a few novel copyrights in the email too. Help me contact them to see if we can purchase the rights."

"No problem, wait for my good news."

After hanging up, Chen Ling reclined on the office sofa, carefully going over the entire process in his mind, checking for any possible oversights. Everything that needed to be done was finished; what happens next depends on what kind of changes this would trigger.

He was full of anticipation to see what effect the flutter of his little butterfly's wings would have across the ocean.

……

There was quite a lot of movie news in November, but the most earthshaking was undoubtedly the announcement that Zhang Yimou’s "The Thirteen Women of Jinling" was about to start casting. The moment the news broke, the entire domestic entertainment industry erupted like a pot of boiling oil—everyone was ecstatic.

A six-hundred-million investment, Zhang Yimou directing, a worldwide release, and a Hollywood superstar as the lead—this was the top resource in the industry. No one could remain unmoved.

Major companies and all the leading actresses sprang into action. For a while, the entrance of New Picture’s company was almost trampled down by eager candidates.

Watching this, Chen Ling was full of envy. Previously, even when he offered Yang Mi an audition for "Lost in Love," she stood him up. Compared to that, look at Zhang Yimou’s side: Fan Bingbing, Zhang Ziyi, Li Bingbing—just thinking about these A-list actresses made Chen Ling almost drool.

In addition, there was another piece of news that caught Chen Ling’s attention. Over in Hong Kong, the legendary "Banquet at Hongmen" held its press conference today.

For the first time, they officially announced the two leads: Yang Mi and Feng Shaofeng. This film, with an investment of over a hundred million, had long been rumored to have settled on its leads. At the time, there was talk that Yang Mi, the rumored female lead, had some issues with the "Lost in Love" production.

However, later on, neither Yang Mi nor Chen Ling Pictures responded to the media, and the matter faded away.

At the press conference, everyone was curious: why was the main cast only being announced now?

At first, the reporters' questions were polite—after all, the ones attending had all received red envelopes. But then, a well-informed reporter pointedly asked Li Rengang, seated on the stage,

"Did the movie choose Yang Mi because Liu Yifei refused twice? The first time was during early preparations, and the second was when Liu Yifei, even after finishing her new drama, still chose to decline. Was Yang Mi your backup for Liu Yifei?"

Goodness! As soon as the question was asked, Li Rengang and Yang Mi’s faces darkened. Though it appeared to belittle Yang Mi, it didn’t spare the "Banquet at Hongmen" team either.

What did that mean? Was the production team obsessed with Liu Yifei?

The reporters below lit up, barely containing their excitement.

There was no way that question would be answered, and the reporter was promptly escorted out by security.

The remaining reporters, though curious, kept quiet since they’d been paid and thought they’d dig deeper in a few days, just to justify the production’s red envelopes.

But who could have guessed the ousted reporter would act so boldly? Even before the press conference ended, he posted a lengthy exposé on Weibo.

Well-organized and thorough, it was clearly not written on a whim.

The Weibo post detailed how the "Banquet at Hongmen" team invited Liu Yifei twice, and how she declined both times—but that wasn’t the focus. The focus was on how Yang Mi ultimately secured the role.

It revealed the secret dealings: how Yang Mi, having already signed a contract with "Lost in Love," kept it from the production, and how she ultimately landed the part through Feng Shaofeng’s connections.

The post caused an uproar. There was so much to unpack: Why did Liu Yifei, with an open schedule, refuse twice? Was she not optimistic about the project or were there unacceptable conditions?

How did Yang Mi, an actress with little big-screen experience, land the lead in a hundred-million blockbuster? How much did Feng Shaofeng contribute?

Was there something unspeakable between the two? Especially since rumors about their relationship had been swirling since the filming of "Palace."

More importantly, Yang Mi unilaterally breached contract after signing, opting for a project with better prospects. Once proven, what director would dare employ her in the future?

This was clearly an attempt to destroy her career! What past grudges or feuds were at play?

By comparison, the post’s attempt to pit Liu Yifei and Yang Mi—both members of the "Four Flowers"—against each other seemed insignificant.

Nothing in the entertainment world happens without cause. If Yang Mi fell from grace, who would benefit? Figure that out, and you’d know who acted.

The biggest beneficiary would undoubtedly be Tangren. Just a few months ago, fans of "Palace" and "Scarlet Heart" were at each other’s throats.

The reporter’s exposé implicated Feng Shaofeng as well—both he and Yang Mi were leads in "Palace." If both were ruined, the yet-to-air "Palace" would suffer greatly, while Tangren’s "Scarlet Heart" would soar by default.

There was motive, means, and the method seemed familiar. For a moment, all eyes turned to Tangren.

Cai Yikang, usually undefeated in verbal battles, had now shown a ruthlessness that was chilling. Perhaps it was best to keep one’s distance from Tangren in the future.

The main target of this attack was Yang Mi, but Liu Yifei wasn’t spared either, given the long-standing feuds between their camps. The real victim was the project’s production company, completely innocent yet caught in the crossfire.

As soon as the incident broke, the press conference for "Banquet at Hongmen" ended hastily and anticlimactically. In the nanny van after leaving the venue, Yang Mi and Zeng Jia anxiously discussed countermeasures.

They had read the post several times—it was a tough situation.

The accusations about an improper relationship with Feng Shaofeng were easy to address; what film or TV series doesn’t have rumors between the leads before airing? Even if they didn’t clarify, the gossip would eventually die down. Even if they were truly together, so what? It wasn’t illegal—at worst, they’d lose a few fans.

The real issue was the contract breach and her loss of credibility. That was a cardinal sin, and if proven, the damage to her career would be incalculable.

As for the attempts to pit Yang Mi and Liu Yifei against each other, it was best ignored. Such tactics were common in the entertainment industry. The only real answer would be the film’s box office results—victory would bring fame and fortune, defeat would mean lying low for a bit. Winning and losing in this arena was par for the course.

"Jiajia, do you think Director Chen and Cai Yikang acted together on this?"

Yang Mi’s greatest fear now was that Chen Ling Pictures was involved. The contract with "Lost in Love" was her fatal weakness; if made public, she’d never be able to explain herself.

Zeng Jia thought for a moment, then shook her head. "Probably not. Liu Yifei is the lead in his new film. It wouldn’t make sense for Director Chen to do this—it wouldn’t benefit his film."

Yang Mi nodded. Indeed, who would promote their own film with this kind of scandal? But she still asked, "Then how did Cai Yikang find out that we’d signed with Director Chen and then cancelled?"

Zeng Jia frowned. "That day, when I went to terminate the contract, it was just me and the manager from Chen Ling Pictures. Unless someone from their side leaked it on purpose, the only explanation is that Cai Yikang guessed."

The two women exchanged a look, understanding passing silently between them. Most likely, Cai Yikang had just deduced it.

As long as there was no evidence, everything else could be managed. "The most urgent thing is to confirm Director Chen’s attitude."

Zeng Jia fixed Yang Mi with a steady gaze. "Right now, the most important thing is to fight back. If we don’t speak up soon, silence will be taken as default admission. Later, no matter how hard we shout, it’ll be useless."

"I’ll call Director Chen?" Yang Mi lowered her head, her voice subdued. She didn’t know how to face that schoolmate—after all, she was the one at fault.

"Yes, call Director Chen directly."