Caught in Affairs with Superstar-Chapter 277 - 239: Rise Phase: 75

"Drug use?" Zhou Yun gasped in shock.

"It must be fake. How could He Yong possibly be involved in drugs? He doesn’t look like someone who does drugs at all," Zhou Lan said. "And who knows who maliciously reported him."

"This matter should be easy to clear up; just a test would do," Zhou Yun said.

"But we couldn’t keep it a secret; everyone online knows now. It has reached the top of the trending search list," Zhou Lan said. "Now the stock price of the company is falling."

"This is just too sudden and irrational."

Both hurried back to Shanghai.

By the time they returned, He Yong was already out.

The test results came back clean, with no problems. His place was searched too, and no illicit substances were found.

Word from inside the company was that He Yong’s first move was to thoroughly investigate everyone from top to bottom to find out who was behind this sabotage.

He Yong was furious.

When Zhou Yun went to see He Yong, she could still see the simmering anger on his face.

"Zhou Lan mentioned that New Shield is looking to cast you in a new film, so let me congratulate you first," He Yong said with a smile.

"Don’t congratulate me, President He. What happened to you this time?" Zhou Yun asked.

"What else could it be? Without a second thought, it’s Lu Yicheng," He Yong replied. "He deliberately tarnished my reputation, trying to associate me with drugs so he could take my position."

"What’s the point of doing that? You didn’t actually use drugs," Zhou Yun said. "Such things can be quickly clarified."

He Yong laughed and waved his hand, seeming not to want to continue on the topic. He changed the subject.

"How’s the styling going for Venice? Do you need me to get you a stylist? It’s your first international appearance; you can’t drop the ball."

"I’ve already asked Teacher Li Chunhong to style me," Zhou Yun said. "There’s no need to trouble you."

"Why be formal with me? Now I know how reassuring you are," He Yong said with a sigh. "I went blind for a moment when I heard about Li Ci and Xu Siyao."

Zhou Yun asked, "How was the matter with Li Ci’s secret girlfriend handled in the end?"

"We had to take a passive approach," He Yong said. "I’ll have someone keep an eye on him."

"In this day and age, it’s ridiculous not to allow people to date," Zhou Yun expressed her views.

"If he had your acting skills, I wouldn’t have pushed him towards the idol and celebrity path," He Yong retorted. "If one wants to be famous and make money without talent, there have to be sacrifices. The company can’t invest so much in nurturing him, only for him to give in to loneliness and start dating, causing us to suffer a huge loss. We’ve calculated this: if he starts dating, the direct loss will be in the tens of millions."

"That exaggerated?" Zhou Yun inhaled sharply.

"What did you expect? The no-dating rule is not just my demand. He has so many endorsements because of his female fans’ spending power. If he wants to earn that money, he has to fulfill his obligations," He Yong said, his face darkening again. "I thought he was smart, but it turns out I still need to keep an eye on him."

"Alas, it’s none of my business," Zhou Yun shrugged. "I came here to talk to you about something else."

He Yong: "What is it? Don’t tell me you want a holiday. Your work is scheduled into next year. Maybe a two- or three-day break, but a long holiday is out of the question."

Zhou Yun rolled her eyes, "Not that. I know better than to do such a thing. If I really wanted a break, I’d just slip away on my own, cut off all contact, and make sure none of you could find me. Only a fool would act first and report later."

He Yong: "..."

"What do you really want to talk about?" He Yong asked.

Zhou Yun said, "In the future, stop promoting ’Eighth Heartbeat’ and try to blur the connection between me and the drama as much as possible. It has become a stain on my acting career; too many people ridicule me and it’s affecting my reputation. I was able to succeed despite Wei Ruxue’s condescending remarks, but since the show is truly awful, I can’t refute it."

He Yong didn’t expect Zhou Yun to bring up this issue.

But he was caught in a dilemma.

Laypeople and professionals have different perspectives, and viewers and producers have different points of view. In the eyes of the audience, ’Eighth Heartbeat’ was trash beyond trash, but to Yuehai Network and Chengqian Entertainment, it was a successful project. Not just successful, but very successful. It was all talk among viewers, indicating they were all watching. After half a year, ’Eighth Heartbeat’ remained Yuehai Network’s best-performing drama of the year and, looking at the entire platform, only the all-star ’Spring Cold’ had better numbers. However, the production costs of the two can’t even be compared; the former had a much higher return on investment, which ’Spring Cold’ couldn’t achieve.

Promoting Zhou Yun and ’Eighth Heartbeat’ together wasn’t for the audience but for both parties’ investors and shareholders to see.

Poor reputation? Look at how hot this drama is?

See, how popular is the female lead of this drama now?

Look, we’ve created a very profitable project. Aren’t you going to increase your investment?

A movie or TV drama’s promotion never targets only the audience.

The market is just the end point.

He Yong knew what Zhou Yun was concerned about, but he also had his own considerations and balances to make.

"It’s not possible right now. ’Eighth Heartbeat’ is the only project you have that has aired. I need something to show to headquarters and investors," He Yong spoke openly. "Unless you can act in a drama more popular and more profitable."

Zhou Yun was not just Zhou Yun; she was Chengqian Entertainment’s Zhou Yun. Chengqian Entertainment could not simply remove a highly successful, money-making project from Zhou Yun’s shoulders, lock it away, and never mention it again. That’s not how business works.

Zhou Yun said, "The way you’re promoting it now is ruining my future path."

"How so? Look at how many dramas you have, each with a good standard. In my opinion, you’re going to have a major breakthrough in the next few years."

"Your pie in the sky promises are becoming expert level."

"I have confidence in you."

"However, in future public promotions, I must be distanced from ’Eighth Heartbeat,’" Zhou Yun insisted. "President He, when you needed me, I helped you by acting in ’Dingfengbo.’ I hope you can also consider my situation."

He Yong pressed the bridge of his nose with an anguished expression.

"If people start seeing me as a bad film actress because of ’Eighth Heartbeat,’ it will also affect the future reputation of ’Dingfengbo,’" Zhou Yun said.

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