Chapter 16: To Protect Yang Mi, Blacklist a Rising Star?!

As the words fell, in an instant, everyone in the conference room wore expressions of utter shock.

What was going on?

Had the newly appointed chairman lost his mind? To want to fire Wu Yufei right after taking office—she was the company’s current cash cow!

Immediately, the crowd became restless.

Qi Lu looked at Liu Yanbin in complete bewilderment. This news had caught her completely off guard. She truly couldn’t understand what was happening.

Qi Lu hesitated before saying, “Chairman Liu… what is this about? Wu Yufei is our company’s best artist. Why would you want to dismiss her?”

As she spoke, others began to voice their support as well. Wu Yufei generated a lot of profit, benefiting many people. Liu Yanbin’s sudden move was effectively threatening a large slice of their pie.

But Liu Yanbin had anticipated this. Faced with the current situation, he maintained a calm, unyielding expression.

“Because her conduct is improper and she brings a bad influence to the public,” he said. “The details will be shared with everyone later by the secretary.”

“Besides, I am the chairman of the company. Whatever decisions I make, you have no right to question them, do you?”

His gaze sharpened slightly, and the warm and approachable demeanor vanished, replaced by an intense aura of authority.

“If anyone finds this unacceptable, you’re free to leave the company. I won’t hold you back.”

Seeing this, the previously chattering crowd fell completely silent. They had now truly realized just how ruthless this new chairman was.

Qi Lu dared not speak. She was merely an agent; offending the boss could mean her career in the entertainment industry was doomed.

Some senior executives, sensing the severity of the situation, quickly realized things were not so straightforward. Liu Yanbin’s actions were clearly a form of retaliation. But no one could comprehend how Wu Yufei might have offended the new chairman.

Before anyone could react further, Liu Yanbin spoke again.

“All right, if there’s nothing else, the meeting is adjourned.”

“Oh, and find someone to bring Yang Mi’s previous contract to my office.”

With that, Liu Yanbin left the conference room.

Inside, everyone exchanged astonished looks. The last sentence about inspecting Yang Mi’s old contract carried enormous implications.

“It seems the company is about to face some trouble,” an executive muttered, his expression unsettled.

“Does the new chairman have some grudge against Wu Yufei?” another leader asked in a low voice.

“Or… could it be related to Yang Mi?”

Liu Yanbin had just taken office and immediately fired Wu Yufei without a word. Now he wanted to review Yang Mi’s past contract. This strongly suggested that Yang Mi might be making a comeback.

Everyone knew Wu Yufei and Yang Mi were bitter rivals, so this hinted that the matter might indeed involve Yang Mi. But what was baffling was that Yang Mi was just an ordinary star without much background.

Back in his office, Liu Yanbin sat down and handed some materials to his secretary.

“Not only is Wu Yufei to be dismissed, but she must also be blacklisted. Inform other companies that anyone who dares to hire her will be considered an enemy of Jiaxing.”

The documents were dirt Liu Yanbin had gathered overnight through his connections—blackmail that could utterly ruin Wu Yufei’s reputation with a little maneuvering.

To be honest, Liu Yanbin felt this was too lenient. Offending Yang Mi—the woman who had borne Mr. Li’s daughter—meant Wu Yufei’s downfall was well deserved.

The secretary stared at Liu Yanbin in disbelief.

“Chairman Liu, Wu Yufei has a huge influence now. Isn’t there a chance she’ll cause trouble...?”

Liu Yanbin sneered.

“Cause trouble? I’d welcome it. Let her try.”

The secretary swallowed hard. She knew that Liu Yanbin’s acquisition of Jiaxing meant he had significant power. Wu Yufei wouldn’t dare stir up a fuss.

After the secretary left, Liu Yanbin took out his phone and called several other entertainment company chairmen.

The message was clear: Wu Yufei was to be blacklisted, and no one was to employ her.

Seeing the call came from the chairman who had just acquired Jiaxing, no one dared to dismiss it. After all, to suddenly take over Jiaxing, one must have strong backing and influence. It was better to show some goodwill.

Soon after, Wu Yufei’s scandals exploded online.

Under Liu Yanbin’s orchestration, both paid internet trolls and marketing accounts joined the campaign.

#Wu Yufei caught smoking in public, causing a bad influence!#

#Popular star Wu Yufei rumored to be kept by a man!#

#Wu Yufei caught insulting and abusing extras on set!#

In no time, Wu Yufei became a trending topic for all the wrong reasons.

Media outlets slammed her, and countless fans turned against her.

One moment she was rising to stardom; the next, her image crumbled completely.

Meanwhile, Wu Yufei was in her dressing room, applying her makeup.

“I wonder how Arthur plans to negotiate with the chairman tonight. Hopefully, Chairman Liu will be reasonable,” she said cheerfully, chatting with her personal makeup artist.

The makeup artist smiled.

“With Chen Shao’s background, who wouldn’t show respect? Besides, you are excellent. Chairman Liu will definitely want to keep you. It’s customary for a newly appointed chairman to secure the company’s top talents.”

Encouraged, Wu Yufei grew more smug.

“Heh, if only Yang Mi hadn’t been so pretentious and rigid back then, she wouldn’t be in such a miserable state today.”

“I’m not targeting her, but she’s really hard to like.”

The makeup artist nodded in agreement.

“She’s just a has-been star. How could she possibly compete with you?”

Just then—

Bang!

The dressing room door was flung open violently.

“Bad news, Yufei! Something terrible has happened!” Qi Lu burst in, her face pale with panic.

The sudden intrusion startled the makeup artist so much that she accidentally smudged lipstick across Wu Yufei’s face, making her look half like a clown.

Wu Yufei was shocked, then turned sharply with a cold voice.

“What’s going on? Didn’t you even knock?!”

Qi Lu ignored her outburst, gasping for breath.

“Yufei, Chairman Liu just announced at the meeting—you… you’ve been fired!”

“Let me come tell you in person...”