Chapter 12: If You’re Going to Watch the Drama, Watch It Big

Someone in the office suddenly let out a stifled chuckle and quickly turned away, shoulders shaking as they struggled to hold it in.

Li Deshou had no time to scold anyone anymore.

Because he was about to get scolded himself.

Sure enough, the moment he picked up his phone, it rang.

“What on earth does that newcomer want?” Zhou Zhengyi’s roar was deafening.

Just moments ago, he had boasted to the partner company, confidently assuring them the matter was settled—that Xu Qingfeng, that mad dog, had been dealt with. But before his words had even faded, he was slapped hard.

Looking at the pitying expressions on everyone’s faces, Zhou Zhengyi felt utterly humiliated, as if his entire life’s dignity had been lost.

A company boss of his stature, yet unable to handle even a disgraced actor—what a disgrace!

Li Deshou cautiously said, “President Zhou, Xu Qingfeng has gone mad. No one knows what he’s up to.”

Zhou Zhengyi fell silent.

Damn lunatic Xu Qingfeng—what exactly was he trying to do? He couldn’t figure it out no matter how hard he thought.

Filing a real-name report offline—did he really have no fear of death?

At this moment, Xinghui Entertainment was in chaos, and Zhang Hongbo was utterly panicked.

Looking at Xu Qingfeng’s Weibo post, he was completely stunned. The tax bureau—this was clearly aimed straight at him!

“President Li, you have to save me!” Zhang Hongbo’s voice arrived before he did.

Li Deshou waved his hand impatiently. “Why panic? It’s not a big problem. President Zhou has connections.”

“Xu Qingfeng is too young. If reports like these worked, the company would've gone bankrupt hundreds of times over. He’s just a mad dog.”

Zhang Hongbo paused, suspicious. “President Zhou can even deal with the tax bureau?”

Li Deshou rolled his eyes and snorted. “Don’t even mention the tax bureau. There’s no organization President Zhou can’t handle.”

“President Zhou is amazing.” Zhang Hongbo thought it over and nodded in agreement. People who could become bosses always had deep connections; without skills, how could they survive in the entertainment industry?

“But what if he keeps going after me?” Zhang Hongbo was still worried.

He might be uneducated, but he wasn’t stupid. Such a big commotion online—even his grandfather thousands of miles away had heard about it.

Li Deshou waved his hand. “Don’t worry, President Zhou’s influence is far greater than you think. He’s already taken action. That mad dog will be silenced in a few days.”

Zhang Hongbo felt reassured and happily returned to wait for Li Deshou’s good news. Once Xu Qingfeng was silenced, he planned to slap him hard in the face and make up for all the humiliation of recent days.

Once his tense nerves relaxed, Zhang Hongbo wanted to unwind even more deeply.

Though the bus was public, as long as the driver was skilled, it was fine. Zhang Hongbo once again took the role of passenger.

His calmness settled Miao Qing too. If Zhang Hongbo wasn’t afraid, what reason did she have to be?

Under Miao Qing’s deliberate flattery, Zhang Hongbo managed to last a full three minutes this time—setting a new record.

Meanwhile, Xu Qingfeng had been filing reports for over three hours. Zhang Hongbo’s name was mentioned eighty times, Miao Qing’s sixty times, and Chen He’s three hundred ninety-five times!

In front of Chen He, Zhang Hongbo and Miao Qing were mere rookies.

When he finally left, the staff enthusiastically sent him off.

“Thank you, Mr. Xu, for the tips. We look forward to your next visit,” said a middle-aged man wearing a black administrative jacket, unable to suppress a smile as he shook Xu Qingfeng’s hand firmly.

After Xu Qingfeng posted on Weibo, the tax bureau had already begun investigating. Unexpectedly, Xu Qingfeng had delivered the evidence directly—a gift handed to them.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be the first to recommend you next time we have business,” Xu Qingfeng chuckled. A proper report, yet it felt like a business negotiation.

“Take care, stay safe,” Zhang Peng waved, his eyes full of admiration.

This young man was not only polite but presented his report clearly, with reasonable conjectures and rigorous arguments. He meticulously unearthed evidence of tax evasion by Zhang Hongbo and others from the tiniest clues—truly a genius in tax investigations. And crucially, he had no tax issues himself.

If not for the tax bureau’s unique situation, Zhang Peng would have wanted to recruit Xu Qingfeng immediately.

The biggest flaw of young people was their tendency to get carried away, thinking they were the best without saying much—just blindly charging ahead.

They had drive, but also caused a lot of trouble—unlike Xu Qingfeng, who was self-aware.

When Xu Qingfeng arrived, Zhang Peng was startled. Good heavens, he had never seen anyone travel with four burly bodyguards before—how afraid of death must one be?

Yet, it was precisely such people who could endure. Zhang Peng resolved to have a good talk with Xu Qingfeng.

Back home, Xu Qingfeng immediately updated the eager online onlookers hungry for gossip.

【Sharing some newly learned knowledge.

According to Article 201 of the Criminal Law, tax evasion involving a large amount, accounting for more than 10% of the due tax, is punishable by up to three years’ imprisonment or detention, plus fines.

If the amount is huge, exceeding 30%, the sentence ranges from three to seven years in prison.

Tax authorities may pursue unpaid taxes indefinitely, adding a daily late fee of 0.05%.

Fines range from 50% to five times the amount evaded.】

【@Zhang Hongbo, keep it up. I think you haven’t evaded enough yet. Step it up—go big or go home. Aim for that seven-year iron rice bowl.】

【But don’t worry, it’s just fines. Fine, fine hard. Your spirited girlfriend will cover the costs anyway. If worse comes to worst, you can crowdfund.】

【Crowdfunding fines would open a new path in the entertainment industry and set a good example for future stars. I believe you can do it. After all, acting awards can be crowdfunded; fines are no problem.】

【If nothing else, you can consult Miao Qing on how to skillfully spread your legs. Making money is what counts—it’s not shameful.】

【And Chen He, you should thank the criminal law for the challenge. Otherwise, you’d be spending the rest of your life in prison. Lucky you, old fellow.】

【What a “virtuous and talented” great director—7.5 billion yuan in tax evasion, roughly equal to “five Bos,” and it had to be you. Truly admirable.】

【Oh, and @Miao Qing, look at yourself and then at others. Doesn’t it make you angrier? Your legs are numb, yet you’ve barely earned anything. Nowadays, physical labor just can’t compete with brainwork.】

【@Li Shou, look at the people you’ve signed—nothing but demons and monsters. Are you raising a brood of pests?】

【Such a parade of immortals.】

Online, the crowd was stuffed with gossip and found it hard to focus on work, devoting themselves entirely to the drama.

The entertainment industry’s scandals over the years had become increasingly dull—trivial matters like who choked on water, who was photographed eating breakfast, or selfies going viral. All utterly boring.

Xu Qingfeng’s arrival restored Weibo’s original spirit: gossip, but big gossip. How refreshing.