After Spectating Gossip, the Entertainment Industry Thinks I’m a Big Shot – CH53

Chapter 53

Wen Yue hadn’t expected this matter to be resolved so easily.

He had prepared extensively, especially for this most challenging step, even bracing himself for potential failure.

Yet, the moment he brought everyone together, this supposedly hardest hurdle had suddenly, and unexpectedly, been overcome.

Instinctively, he glanced at Gu Xingshi, who was chatting with the head of one of the studios. Something the person said must have amused him because Gu’s eyes crinkled with a bright, infectious smile that softened Wen’s own expression, easing away the tension from his face.

Though they hadn’t met often, it seemed that every time they crossed paths, something good always happened.

Watching quietly from the side, Sun Hongfei slapped his thigh in frustration—President Wen, staring won’t get you anywhere! Go over there! Get President Gu’s attention back on you!

As if reading his thoughts, Wen Yue did step forward, extending his hand to Gu Xingshi. “President Gu, it’s been a while.”

Gu Xingshi, though a bit surprised, reached out to shake his hand.

Wen’s hand was large, his palm slightly warm, exuding an intensity that felt as assertive as the man himself.

Gu Xingshi, feeling a bit uncomfortable, quickly withdrew his hand.

Wen, however, was somewhat taken aback. Judging from Gu Xingshi’s appearance, he’d assumed he was a pampered young master, yet his palm was calloused in places. Wen couldn’t help feeling curious about what kind of life Gu Xingshi had led before this.

After their brief greeting, Gu Xingshi turned to leave.

“Wait a moment,” Wen called out instinctively.

Gu Xingshi turned back, puzzled. “President Wen, was there something else?”

After a slight pause, Wen replied, “I wanted to ask when you plan on moving into your new office space. Also… is there a housewarming gift you’d like?”

Gu Xingshi’s face lit up with surprise.

Just getting the office space at such a discounted rate had already been an unexpected bonus, but a gift too?

President Wen really is quite generous!

Beaming, he said, “Thank you! Getting a gift is more than enough to make me happy!”

His openness was disarming, as though he hadn’t realized the weight of Wen’s offer—just as he’d seemed unaffected when persuading Feng Tingyun.

His eyes were bright and clear, as if they revealed everything about him, yet at the same time, they held an elusive mystery, his whole presence both contradictory and captivating.

Suppressing his inner thoughts, Wen nodded. “I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.”

It was a simple sentence, yet somehow it came across as a promise.

Gu Xingshi scratched his head.

Remembering the gossip he’d overheard from the system earlier, he took a few steps closer to Wen. Since Wen was so tall, Gu Xingshi had to stand on his tiptoes and leaned in to whisper, “Among the people you brought today, there’s a spy from another company—it’s…”

As he leaned in, Wen caught a subtle scent of citrus, faint but lingering.

When Gu Xingshi stepped back, he saw that Wen’s expression hadn’t changed at all. “President Wen, did you hear what I said?”

Wen took a slow breath, savoring the last hint of that citrusy aroma. He nodded, his face calm as always. “I heard.”

Then, as if realizing his response was a bit too aloof, he added, “I allowed him in deliberately. He still has a use.”

Gu Xingshi understood immediately.

He had figured Wen wouldn’t be so careless.

Knowing Wen had a plan set his mind at ease.

Seeing Gu Xingshi visibly relax, Wen felt a small jolt of surprise. He hadn’t expected Gu Xingshi to be concerned about him, and the thought warmed him slightly. Softly, he said, “Thank you, nonetheless.”

“Oh, no problem at all!” Gu Xingshi replied cheerfully.

After all, he had a personal interest in it—if Wen got into trouble, where would he find another high-quality, low-cost office space?

Their quiet exchange went unheard by others, but their actions didn’t escape the ever-watchful Sun Hongfei.

Old Sun was grinning ear to ear like a proud aunt.

This, however, left Tang Ling, who had just returned with some files, momentarily taken aback. He looked over just in time to see Gu Xingshi standing on tiptoe, whispering something into Wen Yue’s ear.

His eyes widened in shock.

President Wen isn’t avoiding him?

Wait—when did they get so close?!

He glanced at the smiling Sun Hongfei, then at the thoughtful leasing manager.

He’d only been gone for ten minutes—why did it feel like he’d missed an entire era?

*

Just as Gu Xingshi stepped out of the building, Sun Hongfei hurriedly caught up, breathless. “President Gu, wait up!”

Today, he had intended to discuss a collaboration with Gu Xingshi, but after a whole day of distractions, he still hadn’t gotten to the main point.

To his surprise, Gu Xingshi looked at him in astonishment, “Talk about a project with me? But I’m just a manager!”

Sun replied with a meaningful smile, “What, are you planning to be a manager your whole life?”

Today’s series of events had made everything clear to him.

President Wen had laid out a grand plan, striking a perfect balance between business and romance!

No wonder Wen had never seemed concerned about any of the other women fluttering around. Who were they compared to Gu Xingshi?

Qin Wen? Sheng Yueqing? At most, they were there to help make Gu Xingshi some money.

But Wen Yue had gone all out, putting an entire film and television hub at Gu Xingshi’s feet.

Now that was strategy! That was vision!

Who else could measure up?

Gu Xingshi didn’t pick up on the underlying implication in Sun’s words, but they did give him a wake-up call.

Now that he’d decided to be a strong support for his artists, he couldn’t afford to think the way he had in the past.

The higher you rise, the more resources you access—and the more constraints you face.

Without a strong backing and a voice of his own, he could quickly become just another pawn of capital.

His four artists were each talented and unique, and he didn’t want to see their wings clipped or watch them change who they were to fit some arbitrary rules.

Gu Xingshi had told them he would protect them.

This wasn’t an empty promise; if he was going to shield them, he needed to be powerful enough to do so.

Although he currently had decent connections and resources, Gu Xingshi knew it wasn’t nearly enough.

Sun’s proposal had given him a promising direction.

With that in mind, he stopped hesitating and nodded, “You’re absolutely right.”

The two of them clicked immediately, finding a nearby café to sit down and discuss the project.

Sun proposed a web drama as their first collaboration.

Compared to TV series or movies, web dramas offered more variety in theme, greater flexibility in production, and didn’t require a massive budget—an ideal choice for testing the waters with a new project.

Sun handed over the project proposal, “It’s a light-hearted historical comedy…”

Just as Gu Xingshi took the project booklet, the system couldn’t resist popping in: [Host! You’re holding a big scandal in your hands!]

Gu Xingshi: […]

System: [Host, why aren’t you surprised when I mention a scandal anymore?]

Gu Xingshi: *[It’s not that I’m not surprised—I’ve just gotten used to it. When it comes to the world of entertainment gossip, at this point, I’d be more shocked if I encountered something ‘without’ a scandal attached to it!]

System: […You know, you have a point. I really can’t argue with that.]

After a moment of reflection, the system regained its gossipy enthusiasm: [Here’s the scoop: Do you remember Ning Tianyou?]

Gu Xingshi blinked for a second.

He had so many rivals that it took him a moment to place the name.

The system continued with a hint: [The CEO of Xingmao Media, Ning Wenzhuo’s uncle—the one who got arrested for that scandal involving twins…]

Gu Xingshi: [Oh, now I remember!]

System: […]

[Ning Tianyou was set up by Wen Yue in the past, taking a heavy fall. He’s harbored a grudge ever since and has been waiting for a chance to strike back. But Wen’s careful—Ning never had an opening. That was until Sun took on this project, which finally gave him a way in.]

[On the surface, the project seems fine, but the script is actually plagiarized. They hold the original script, and this was all a setup. They registered the original script ages ago, and production has already started. Since web dramas and TV series have different filing procedures, review processes, and requirements, it’d be nearly impossible to discover the overlap unless someone went looking for it specifically.]

The system continued, and Gu Xingshi could already guess where this was headed: [After your version is finished filming, they’ll release theirs a day or two earlier. With two identical scripts, public opinion will explode. The blame will fall on plagiarism, and this web drama will be forced off the air. And with the plagiarism allegations, even the streaming platform, Sweet Orange Video, and possibly Wen’s company itself could suffer a major blow.]

System: [Exactly! Ning Tianyou has already lined up his allies, just waiting for this to unfold so he can finally give Wen Yue a taste of his own medicine!]

Gu Xingshi’s brows knitted as he looked at Sun Hongfei, who was gazing back at him, full of anticipation.

Seeing Gu Xingshi’s expression, Sun Hongfei quickly asked, “President Gu, is there something wrong with the project?”

Gu Xingshi asked, “Is it essential to make this particular show?”

Sun, thinking Gu Xingshi might not like the lighthearted historical comedy genre, explained, “This genre has a strong market in web dramas. Audiences enjoy it, and as long as the production isn’t too subpar, we can at least recoup our costs.”

Realizing Sun’s commitment, Gu Xingshi could only ask, “So, what made you want to produce this show?”

Sun replied matter-of-factly, “Don’t you think the story is quite unique, President Gu? The characters are engaging, the plot’s solid, the overall structure is strong—it’s practically guaranteed to make money!”

Gu Xingshi gave him a dry smile, “Well, when it’s a copy, of course it’ll seem great.”

Sun’s face went blank. “President Gu…what do you mean by that?”

Seeing Sun’s naive expression, Gu Xingshi couldn’t help but ask, “How exactly did you come across this project?”

Sun stammered, “It was… introduced by a friend. At the time, a lot of people were competing for it, and I fought hard to secure it!”

Gu Xingshi raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t you think it was all a bit too coincidental?”

Finally, realization dawned on Sun, and a cold sweat broke out across his brow. “President Gu…are you saying someone set me up?!”

Gu Xingshi thought for a moment before replying, “I’d suggest looking into it carefully.” He added nonchalantly, “I seem to recall that Xingmao Media is particularly skilled in producing these kinds of lighthearted historical comedies. If this project was really that promising, why wouldn’t they have brought it to Xingmao Media instead of coming to you?”

Although Sun didn’t want to believe his friend could betray him, he also knew Gu Xingshi never made baseless claims. Almost everything Gu Xingshi had warned him about had come true in the past.

Gu Xingshi had a point as well. In this industry, the big companies had a tight grip on the best scripts. Often, they secured promising scripts as soon as they were written, leaving only the average ones for everyone else.

If this script was so good that its potential was obvious, why hadn’t one of the major companies picked it up, and how had it so conveniently fallen into his hands?

Realizing this, Sun felt both furious and betrayed. “President Gu, don’t worry. I’ll look into this right away. If that guy dared to deceive me, I’ll make sure he pays!”

But Gu Xingshi stopped him. “Just investigate the matter. No need to alert him yet.”

After all, there was still a mastermind pulling the strings behind this. If Ning Tianyou realized they’d seen through his scheme, he’d probably come up with a new way to entrap them. Even with the system’s help, it would still be a headache.

Gu Xingshi wanted to get this project going properly and didn’t have time to waste on these kinds of distractions.

Sun Hongfei agreed, then dashed off to start his investigation.

Gu Xingshi, meanwhile, shifted his focus to planning the new project itself. After all, once the trap was dealt with, they’d still need a fresh series to produce.

However, as he reviewed several proposals, he found that, regardless of the quality of the stories, each one seemed to come with a slew of entertaining backstage drama.

He couldn’t help but complain to the system: [If they could put even half the creativity from their scandals into these scripts, maybe they wouldn’t get rejected so quickly.]

As Gu Xingshi endured the headache-inducing proposals, Sun finally managed to dig up some clues.

Without Gu Xingshi’s warning, he would never have suspected his friend had been bought out by Xingmao Media long ago and had purposefully set up a trap for him.

The realization sent a cold sweat down Sun’s spine.

He was grateful for Gu Xingshi’s sharp instincts. If he’d fallen for the scheme, it would have been disastrous.

The project would’ve been banned, and Wen’s plans for the film center would’ve been affected. The losses would have been incalculable, and even resigning wouldn’t have been enough to make up for it.

Angry yet heeding Gu Xingshi’s instructions, Sun avoided alerting his “friend” and played along for a bit before hurrying back to report.

As Sun recounted his findings, Gu Xingshi listened while also enjoying the new gossip from the system: [And here’s the twist—this screenwriter isn’t just deceiving Sun Hongfei. Oh no, he’s double-crossing Xingmao Media as well! The ‘original’ script he handed them is also plagiarized!]

[The true source is an online novel by a little-known author. They’re so obscure that the screenwriter just lifted the whole story, almost word for word.]

[Honestly, the original writer has it rough. They’re in poor health, can’t work outside, and struggle to write even a chapter a day. Yet they’re barely earning anything—and now their entire story’s been plagiarized.]

Truthfully, the story was good. If Ning Tianyou had pursued a legitimate production, the series might have become a minor hit. Even if the plagiarism was exposed later, the author was so small that they’d never stand a chance against a big company like Xingmao Media. Ning would only need to pay a little hush money to cover things up.

Then, the screenwriter would take the money and flee to enjoy life abroad, and Xingmao Media would brush off the blame and emerge “clean.”

In the end, the only person hurt would be the struggling writer with big dreams.

But unfortunately for Ning Tianyou, he had to stir up trouble—and he’d ended up on Gu Xingshi’s radar.

Gu Xingshi couldn’t help but remark to the system, [You’d think Old Ning would learn his lesson. Last time, Little Ning said he’d gathered enough evidence to bring him down. And here he goes, practically handing us the chance on a silver platter. Isn’t that a bit too generous…]

System: […Host, maybe if you said that without smirking, it’d sound more convincing.]

Clearing his throat to ignore the system’s jab, Gu Xingshi turned back to Sun. “Did your friend notice anything unusual?”

“He’s no friend of mine!” Sun fumed, still angry at the betrayal. “But no, I investigated discreetly, so he shouldn’t suspect a thing.”

Gu Xingshi nodded. “Good. Right now, we need to keep him in the dark.”

Sun Hongfei caught on and got excited. “President Gu, do you have a plan to get back at them?”

Gu Xingshi smiled meaningfully. “No rush. Let’s just wait—they’ll be digging their own grave soon enough.”

Knowing that Ning Tianyou and his cronies would eventually suffer was enough to set Sun’s mind at ease.

But in the next moment, Gu Xingshi asked, “Anyway, let’s not worry about them for now. Have you found any leads for our new project?”

Sun’s face fell instantly.

This really was a headache. And after his close call, he felt even more cautious, so Gu Xingshi ended up taking the reins in their project discussions.

Gu Xingshi didn’t hold back either.

After some time searching, they finally came across a promising project.

Interestingly, it was one that Xingmao Media had passed on.

According to the system, Xingmao had initially planned to produce it, but after unexpectedly receiving that plagiarized script, Ning Tianyou decided to go with the knockoff instead, abandoning this original project.

And that was how Gu Xingshi and Sun stumbled upon it.

The project was titled Reincarnation, a suspenseful thriller.

The protagonist, an ordinary person, wakes up to find themselves in a strange world. The people around him explain that he is now in a place called the Reincarnation World, and he must clear levels one by one to leave and return to reality.

To survive, the protagonist throws himself into the trials, making friends along the way and hoping they can all escape together. But as he advances through the levels, he begins to sense that something is wrong.

Eventually, he realizes that he’s living in a “Truman Show”-style scenario—the so-called “alternate world” is actually man-made, designed solely for the enjoyment of powerful elites who watch these life-or-death struggles as entertainment.

The protagonist hatches a plan to escape, and after a series of dangerous maneuvers, he finally makes it out—only to discover that this “escape” is just the start of an even larger scheme.

The premise was strong, and the script itself was solid.

Gu Xingshi also noticed that there was a role in the story that would be a perfect fit for Sheng Yueqing.

Ever since Sheng Yueqing decided to pursue a well-rounded career, he had been working extremely hard every day, something Gu Xingshi had noted and admired.

But Sheng Yueqing wasn’t like Qin Wen, who had a natural gift for acting and could adapt to any role. For Sheng, a well-matched role would showcase his talents perfectly, but a poorly chosen one could spell disaster.

His distinctive qualities were an asset as a model but could be limiting as an actor, making his casting range rather narrow.

Gu Xingshi had been keeping an eye out for the right role but hadn’t found anything suitable—until he saw this script.

With his decision made, Gu Xingshi immediately sent the script to Sun Hongfei.

However, Sun hesitated. “President Gu, isn’t this theme a bit too niche? Nothing like it has ever been made before. What if it’s too risky to pull off?”

Gu Xingshi understood Sun Hongfei’s concerns. After all, it was their first production, so wanting to play it safe wasn’t wrong.

But he truly believed in the potential of this script. It was a rare opportunity, and if they passed it up now, it might be impossible to find another project of this caliber.

Remembering Sun’s intense admiration for Wen Yue, Gu Xingshi decided to take a different approach to convince him. “Manager Sun, imagine if President Wen were in your position—what do you think he would do?”

Sun blinked in surprise. “Huh?”

Gu Xingshi patiently continued, “Think about it. President Wen is never one to play it safe or follow convention. If his goal were just to stay behind established companies and pick up their leftovers, why would he go through all the trouble of creating a film center like this?”

Sun’s eyes lit up with sudden realization.

So that’s why they’re perfect for each other! President Gu always considers things from President Wen’s perspective, always thinking about what would be best for him—it’s so touching!

Gu Xingshi pressed on, “Wouldn’t you like to accomplish something remarkable and make President Wen look at you in a whole new light?”

Sun Hongfei’s eyes widened. “!!!”

This wasn’t about him at all!

Clearly, this was President Gu’s own aspiration!!

He finally understood. He completely understood!!

Sun’s expression shifted, resolute. “President Gu, you’re absolutely right. Let’s do this project!”

Gu Xingshi nodded in satisfaction. A disciple who’s finally catching on!

Sun Hongfei nodded, equally satisfied. I’ve just witnessed true love!