After Spectating Gossip, the Entertainment Industry Thinks I’m a Big Shot – CH37

Chapter 37

Right after Gu Xingshi finished speaking, Wu Tao suddenly bolted towards the exit.

The two cameramen, caught off guard, failed to stop him as he rushed past.

Panicked, Gao Shen shouted, “Stop him!! He’s going to destroy the evidence!!”

The cameramen snapped back to reality and dashed into the men’s restroom, only to find it empty.

Then, they heard Gu Xingshi’s voice from outside. “He’s out here! He’s trying to escape!”

Everyone rushed out of the men’s restroom again, but by then, Wu Tao was already nearing the emergency exit.

The building was only a few floors high. If he made it to the exit, it would be nearly impossible to catch him.

Near the exit stood Qin Wen, who looked confused and seemingly unaware of the situation.

Spotting Qin Wen, Wu Tao grew more confident.

He didn’t dare confront the burly cameramen head-on, but this slim actor, who looked as delicate as a “white-feathered chicken,” couldn’t possibly stop him!

Emboldened, he sped up instead of stopping.

Gao Shen realized Wu Tao’s plan and panicked, thinking, This isn’t good!

Xiao Qin is so slender—if Wu Tao crashes into him, he’ll definitely get hurt!

The second male lead was already gone; they couldn’t afford to lose the third male lead too!

“Xiao Qin! Get out of the way!!” Gao Shen’s voice trembled with urgency.

Then they saw Qin Wen calmly reach out, grab Wu Tao, and, with a swift over-the-shoulder throw, slam him to the ground at the emergency exit.

In one smooth motion, Qin Wen twisted Wu Tao’s wrist behind him and pressed his knee down on him.

It was done so swiftly and efficiently, without even a frown.

Gao Shen and the others were stunned.

They only snapped out of it when Wu Tao screamed in pain, and two cameramen hastily took him from under Qin Wen’s knee.

Hearing Wu Tao’s agonized cries, Gao Shen, a bit worried, asked Qin Wen, “Xiao Qin, uh…is everything okay?”

He wasn’t worried about Wu Tao but was concerned that Qin Wen, as a young actor, might not have known his own strength. If he accidentally injured Wu Tao, that troublemaker could counter-sue him for intentional harm.

Qin Wen replied calmly, “I was careful.” Then he looked at Wu Tao and, with a casual but threatening tone, added, “If you keep screaming, I’ll really dislocate your arm.”

Wu Tao immediately fell silent.

By now, the people from the meeting room had heard the commotion and rushed out.

Xia Ruoying, glancing at the restrained and previously squealing Wu Tao, and then at the calm and collected Qin Wen, couldn’t help but ask, “Um…what happened here?”

Jiang Hanqing, recalling the hidden camera detector Gao Shen had borrowed earlier, began to piece things together.

But seeing that Wu Tao was the one restrained still surprised him.

Gao Shen wiped the sweat from his forehead.

There was no way to keep something like this from the others, so he took Jiang Hanqing and Xia Ruoying aside and explained the entire incident.

When Xia Ruoying heard that Wu Tao had been installing hidden cameras in the women’s restroom, her face went pale with fright.

Jiang Hanqing, who had already guessed some of it, still felt a mix of anger and disgust at the thought that Wu Tao could have succeeded. It wasn’t just about the psychological trauma; if those videos were leaked, their reputations and careers would be over. After years of playing second leads, he had finally gotten a chance to shine, and it could all be ruined because of Wu Tao.

Enraged, he confronted Wu Tao, shouting, “We have no grudge against you! Why would you do this to us?!”

Pinned down by two cameramen, Wu Tao couldn’t move at all.

Realizing he was cornered, he dropped his pretense and revealed his shameless nature, refusing to answer Jiang Hanqing’s questions.

At that moment, Gu Xingshi stepped forward and said bluntly, “He was gambling in Macau and racked up a lot of high-interest debt. He planned to sell compromising photos of you on the black market to pay it off.”

Both Jiang Hanqing and Xia Ruoying were stunned, then even more shaken by fear.

This was worse than they had imagined!

Wu Tao was shocked that Gu Xingshi knew the truth and, realizing that it was he who had exposed the hidden cameras in the men’s restroom, glared at him with a hateful, murderous expression.

But before he could do anything, Qin Wen stepped forward, blocking Gu Xingshi and coldly asked Wu Tao, “Who gave you permission to look at my agent like that?”

Wu Tao, seeing the same young man who had so easily taken him down, felt his arm ache at the memory and immediately backed down.

Jiang Hanqing and Xia Ruoying, witnessing this, felt an unexpected sense of safety and instinctively shifted closer to Qin Wen.

Qin Wen ignored them, focusing on Gu Xingshi. “You weren’t scared, were you?”

“No, I’m not that easily rattled,” Gu Xingshi replied.

Having known about Wu Tao’s gambling problems through the system, he was prepared for anything and unfazed by Wu Tao’s death stare, especially with the cameramen holding him down.

But Qin Wen treated him with the utmost care, guiding him back to the meeting room and even pouring him a glass of warm water.

Jiang Hanqing and Xia Ruoying watched in astonishment: Wait, who’s the artist and who’s the agent here?!

Just then, Gao, who had finished a call with the police, walked in. “President Gu, we owe it all to you! If it weren’t for your vigilance, this would have turned into a huge problem!”

Jiang Hanqing and Xia Ruoying exchanged another surprised look: What? It was President Gu who figured it out?

Their gazes towards Gu Xingshi immediately softened.

“President Gu! Are your shoulders sore? Let me give you a massage!”

“President Gu, are you hungry? I have some snacks here!”

Qin Wen: “???”

What’s going on with you two?!

This is ‘my’ agent!!

Seeing Qin Wen, Gao Shen recalled how impressively he had subdued Wu Tao and couldn’t help but ask, “Xiao Qin, where did you learn that move?”

Qin Wen glanced at Jiang Hanqing and Xia Ruoying, then said casually, “I used to learn sanda and other techniques. Would you like to see a demonstration, Director Gao?”

Gao Shen: “…”

Jiang and Xia: “…”

Jiang Hanqing quietly retracted his hand from Gu Xingshi’s shoulder.

Xia Ruoying also discreetly put her snacks back into her pocket.

They both took several steps back in unison.

We’ll behave, please let us off!

*

Soon, the police arrived.

Gao Shen immediately led them to the restroom to collect evidence, then went with Qin Wen and the others to the station to give statements. They spent the better part of the day there before returning.

By the time they got back, Jiang Hanqing and Xia Ruoying had already prepared a feast.

Of course, this was hardly enough to express their gratitude to Gu Xingshi and Qin Wen.

Initially, they knew Gu Xingshi and Qin Wen had some kind of background. They had thought to avoid offending them, but also didn’t intend to get close—they figured they’d simply work as colleagues, then go their separate ways after the drama wrapped.

But after going through this incident together, they felt much closer to them.

Halfway through the meal, Gao Shen received a phone call. His expression darkened as he excused himself and stepped outside.

The system immediately popped up: [Host, we have a big problem!]

Gu Xingshi paused while peeling shrimp: [What happened?]

System: [One of the drama’s investors is pulling out!]

Gu Xingshi frowned: [Why are they pulling out so suddenly?]

System: [Well, this particular investor is superstitious. They had a fortune reading done earlier, and it didn’t look good, so they were already a bit hesitant. Now with the whole Wu Tao incident, they feel like it’s a bad omen matching the reading, so they’re set on pulling out. Right now, they’re arguing with Director Gao about it!]

Gu Xingshi: [???]

He felt increasingly baffled by the industry.

A while later, Gao Shen returned, looking utterly defeated.

One glance at his expression, and Gu Xingshi could tell he hadn’t managed to convince the investor, who must have followed through with the decision to withdraw.

Noticing his expression, Xia Ruoying, ever attentive, asked, “Director Gao, what’s wrong? Did something change with the Wu Tao situation?”

“No, nothing new with that.” Gao Shen hesitated.

Typically, he wouldn’t share investment matters with the cast, but the gap left by the investor’s withdrawal was so large that it might prevent the drama from being completed. With a sigh, he explained the situation.

Everyone was stunned.

They had thought the trouble with Wu Tao was over and that things would start looking up. They hadn’t expected one setback after another.

Jiang Hanqing couldn’t help but ask, “Director Gao, is there still time to find a new investor?”

Gao Shen sighed. “The investor pulling out was one of our major backers. The financial gap is huge, and finding someone to fill it quickly is nearly impossible. And if potential investors learn the reason behind the withdrawal, they may lose interest as well.”

Film and television investments are already considered risky, with large investments sometimes flopping while smaller ones occasionally become hits. For this reason, many investors in the industry are somewhat superstitious.

After Gao Shen finished explaining, everyone present looked equally dejected.

It was around this time that Sun Hongfei arrived.

He was worried that Gu Xingshi might have encountered some issue, or worse, that there was an investment problem that could reflect poorly on President Wen. If so, all his efforts would have backfired!

When he arrived, he found the hotel atmosphere tense, almost as if it were under lockdown. Gao Shen and the others looked especially gloomy, and the room’s energy was notably downcast.

Sun Hongfei’s heart skipped a beat.

Feigning nonchalance, he strolled in and cheerfully asked, “What’s going on, everyone?”

But Gao Shen’s response only deepened his concern: “Are you here to withdraw funding too, Mr. Sun?”

Sun Hongfei: “???”

“Withdraw? Who’s withdrawing?” He looked utterly baffled. “Why would I withdraw funding?”

Gao Shen replied, “Didn’t you come here urgently after hearing about the Wu Tao incident?”

Wu Tao?

Now Sun Hongfei was even more confused. Wasn’t Wu Tao the actor cast as the second lead? What happened to him?

Realizing that Sun Hongfei was unaware of the incident, Gao Shen regretted saying anything. But it was too late to act clueless, so he explained everything to Sun Hongfei.

Shocked, Sun Hongfei exclaimed, “And it was President Gu who uncovered this?”

Trying to downplay it, Gu Xingshi quickly added, “It wasn’t exactly me. I just tend to overthink things, and this time we were lucky.”

Gao Shen nodded in agreement, “Yes, indeed! If not for President Gu’s caution, we’d all be in deep trouble.”

But Sun Hongfei suddenly had an epiphany.

Of course! President Gu was known for being extremely cautious!

He remembered how, during the talent show, President Gu had stayed in the dorms with the other agents for months, behaving like any other agent. If he hadn’t accidentally seen him leaving President Wen’s hotel that one time, he would have started doubting his own observations.

And thanks to Gu’s discretion, any rumors about him and President Wen had been kept tightly under wraps.

Thinking back, Sun Hongfei felt certain that President Gu was downplaying their relationship on purpose, aware of President Wen’s feelings but keeping things private.

The more he thought about it, the clearer it became.

Whatever he might doubt, he would never doubt President Wen’s feelings for President Gu!

*

Meanwhile, Jin Shiheng had also arrived at the hotel, tailing Sun Hongfei.

After watching Sun enter, he waited a while before walking in himself. But before he could reach the front desk, he was stopped.

“Sorry, sir, but this hotel has been fully booked by our production team.”

“Booked?” Jin Shiheng was taken aback and instinctively asked, “Which production?”

“Apologies, but we’re not at liberty to say.”

Jin Shiheng frowned.

This behavior seemed strange—why be so secretive about the production name?

The staff member firmly guided him back toward the exit.

This isn’t right!

The more Jin Shiheng thought about it, the more suspicious he felt. If he could find out what production was here, he might just uncover Sun Hongfei’s secret.

The more they tried to hide it, the more important the secret seemed.

Feeling energized, he checked into the hotel across the street instead.

Back at the first hotel, the staff who had turned him away, already on high alert after the Wu Tao incident, watched Jin Shiheng enter the hotel across the street and grew even more serious.

“Do you think he’s one of those crazy fans President Gu warned us about?”

“Very possible!”

“What should we do? Call the police?”

“Let’s not scare him off just yet. I’ll find out what room he’s in. If we confirm any issues, then we’ll call the police.”

“Good idea!”

*

Jin Shiheng had no idea that the two staff members were quietly gossiping about him behind his back.

After entering the hotel across the street, he carefully chose a room with a clear view of the opposite building and promptly booked it.

Once inside, he shut the door, quickly unpacked, and pulled out a high-powered telescope.

Good thing he had anticipated this situation and come well-prepared.

He aimed the telescope at the building across the street, but what he saw surprised him.

Every room across from him had its curtains tightly drawn.

The hotel used heavy curtains that, when closed, turned the rooms pitch-black even during the day.

A few closed curtains could be understandable, but all of them?

Definitely suspicious!

Excited, Jin Shiheng felt he was getting closer to uncovering a hidden truth. Undeterred by the lack of visible activity, he continued to monitor the building with even more focus.

Meanwhile, Sun Hongfei suddenly felt a chill run through him and shivered involuntarily.

Gao Shen, already nervous after the recent superstitious incident, worried that this was a sign that Sun might pull out of the project. Seeing him shiver, Gao Shen jumped up, panicking, “Mr. Sun, are you catching a cold, or is the heat too low? Hold on, I’ll adjust the temperature and get you some cold medicine.”

“No, no need.” Sun Hongfei quickly waved his hands.

Truth be told, when Gao Shen had mentioned the investor pulling out, Sun had briefly felt as though he were being watched, a cold chill running through him that almost made him think something strange was afoot in the crew.

But he quickly noticed Gu Xingshi’s disapproving expression and felt a jolt of clarity. On instinct, he asked, “President Gu, what’s your take?”

Gu Xingshi frowned and replied, “Isn’t every project thoroughly researched and evaluated before deciding on an investment? Pulling out over something like this seems incredibly unprofessional.”

Sun Hongfei felt a bit sheepish. “You’re absolutely right, President Gu.”

Gu Xingshi certainly didn’t want the production to fall apart. Finding a crew with a good-natured, accommodating director and cast members with no personality issues was incredibly rare.

However, it wasn’t his place to make decisions about the investors’ choices; he could only voice his frustrations, knowing it might not change anything.

Seeing Gu Xingshi’s dejected look, Sun Hongfei suddenly had an epiphany.

He was representing President Wen here!

What if President Gu thinks President Wen is superstitious and starts to dislike him?!

And it was clear that President Gu really liked this production. If it ended up canceled, he would surely be disappointed.

No way! This was tied to his own career advancement!

Sun Hongfei’s inner balance tipped further.

Since President Gu wanted this drama, he was determined to make it happen for him!

Superstition? Ghosts? Whatever! He’d deal with them one by one if he had to. Nothing was going to stand in the way of President Wen and President Gu’s romance!

After all, what ghost could possibly be scarier than a career-driven employee?

With that thought, he turned to Gao Shen. “Director Gao, how much is the funding gap?”

Gao Shen froze, stunned.

What did Sun mean by that?!

Was he not only refusing to withdraw funding but actually considering an additional investment?!

He clutched Sun Hongfei’s hand like a lifeline. “Mr. Sun, we’re still short of… uh, twenty million!”

Sun Hongfei thought back to his earlier conversation with Tang Ling, who’d said that as long as the total investment didn’t exceed fifty million, it would be fine. Since he’d decided to invest, he figured he might as well go big.

With a grand gesture, he declared, “Then our President Wen will invest an additional forty million!”

Everyone: “!!!”

Gao Shen was so thrilled that he leapt up from his chair, hugging Sun Hongfei tightly. “Thank you, Mr. Sun!”

Then he hugged Gu Xingshi. “Thank you, President Gu! You’re my good luck charm!”

He knew very well that Sun Hongfei had initially hesitated, but Gu Xingshi’s words had changed his mind. No, it was clear that Sun had made this decision for Gu Xingshi’s sake.

Realizing that Gu Xingshi was “spoken for,” Gao Shen immediately released him. “Please don’t misunderstand, President Gu! I have no improper intentions toward you from the start!”

Gu Xingshi: “???”

But before he could respond, Gao Shen had moved on, hugging Jiang Hanqing and crying tears of joy.

Deciding that Gao Shen was simply overwhelmed and starting to babble, Gu Xingshi didn’t take it personally.

With the funding resolved, Gao Shen was over the moon and decided to treat the entire cast and crew to a barbecue.

Together, they all left the hotel in a lively group, heading toward a nearby barbecue restaurant.

Meanwhile, Jin Shiheng, who had been waiting by the window across the street, jumped up in excitement, abandoning his half-eaten snack to grab his binoculars.

Scanning the group, he quickly spotted Sun Hongfei.

Sun was walking with a man who looked like a director, both of them clustered around a young man, with a look of utter fawning on his face.

Jin adjusted his binoculars to focus on the young man’s face.

Handsome, and oddly familiar.

After a moment of intense concentration, he remembered.

At the [Boy Band Training Camp] celebration, he’d seen Sun Hongfei trailing after a young guy, who seemed to be connected somehow to President Wen and Director Feng.

That young guy… was probably named Gu Xingshi.

Later, in the break room, he overheard a group of girls talking about Wen and Gu. They had been at the celebration, too, dissecting every moment between Wen and Gu, analyzing everything from “meaningful glances” to “flirtatious tension” and “jealous rivalry.”

Jin Shiheng had been dumbfounded.

He’d been there in person and hadn’t picked up on any of these details!

At that moment, a thought crept into Jin Shiheng’s mind.

Maybe he’d just been too oblivious to notice all those subtle cues.

Perhaps President Wen and Gu Xingshi really were dating!

Otherwise, why would Sun Hongfei, a department manager at Sweet Orange Video, lower himself to please a small-time agent from a nearly bankrupt agency?

The more he thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

He’d taken the route toward becoming a vice president himself—who else but President Wen could have pushed Sun Hongfei up the ranks so quickly?

Oh, Sun Hongfei! You think you’re so principled, but it turns out we’re playing the same game!

This guy just got lucky and clung to a more powerful backer; otherwise, Jin thought, he’d be in Sun’s position right now.

When it came to flattery and reading his bosses’ minds, Sun Hongfei was way behind him! As soon as he returned, he would double down and snatch President Gu right back!

Just as Jin Shiheng was lost in his triumphant plans, there was a knock at his door.

Thinking it was his food delivery, he leisurely went to open the door, only to find several police officers standing outside.

The lead officer, with a serious expression, held up his badge. “We have a report that you may be illegally invading others’ privacy. Please come with us.”

Jin Shiheng: “!!”

“This is a misunderstanding!”

The receptionist behind the officers quickly chimed in, “I’m not making this up! It was the staff from the hotel across the street who reported him. But, Officer, he did act strange. I showed him seven or eight rooms, but he insisted on taking the one with a view of the other hotel. And even though I told him there was an issue with the bathroom in this room and suggested he choose another, he refused!”

Jin Shiheng was speechless. “You…you’re lying! You never said anything about a bathroom issue in this room!”

By now, the officers had entered the room and pointed at the high-powered telescope by the window. “Care to explain this?”

Jin Shiheng: “!!”

Suddenly, it all clicked.

It must have been Sun Hongfei!

Sun must have realized he was being followed and, to protect his own secret, set him up with this dirty trick!

I underestimated this guy!

Sun Hongfei!!

Can’t handle the heat? Fine! It’s war!!!

—-

Translator’s Note:

This Jin guy is so damn unlucky haha, it cracks me up XD