Chapter 9: Retaliate Against Me? Untargetable!

The moment Xu Qingfeng’s Weibo post went live, his fans, haters, industry insiders, onlookers, and media outlets—all of whom had been tracking his every move—were left completely dumbfounded.

Calling Chen He, the vice president of the Film Association and director of the Spring Festival Gala, a "beast" was no longer just a mere attack; it was essentially trampling Chen He’s reputation into the dirt. This was not a leak; this was a declaration of war, a fight to the death.

What made it even more explosive was the inclusion of a whistleblowing email address. The entertainment industry had been murky and corrupt for years, yet no celebrity or department had ever found an effective way to address it. For Xu Qingfeng to suddenly attempt to lift the lid on this rot seemed, to most, like a death wish.

When Chen He saw the post, he felt his vision go dark with rage, his lips trembling uncontrollably. Only back when he had first started his career had anyone dared to disrespect him so openly or expose his past. Now, decades later, he was experiencing that same feeling all over again.

"That damn bastard! How dare he speak like that?"
"Damn it, he’s actually collecting evidence? Does he think he’s the Disciplinary Inspection Commission?"
"If he wants to play the role of the inspector, he needs to have the life to back it up!"
"Is this how Zhou Zhengyi manages his people?"

Chen He roared, "Call Zhou Zhengyi immediately!"

Meanwhile, at Xinghui Entertainment, Zhou Zhengyi stared at his incessantly ringing phone, his face looking worse than if he had just lost his father.

"Is this your version of 'solving it immediately'?" he asked coldly, glaring at the pale-faced Li Deshou.

Li Deshou said nothing, only wiping the sweat from his brow.

As the call connected, Zhou Zhengyi’s expression grew grimmer with every word spoken on the other end. By the time the call ended, his face was ashen.

"Well done, Li Deshou. Chen He is warning us that if we don't handle Xu Qingfeng, Hentian Entertainment will terminate all cooperation with Xinghui."

Li Deshou shuddered. The partnership with Hentian accounted for nearly a quarter of Xinghui’s business; if that deal fell through, the company would suffer a devastating blow.

After hanging up, Zhou Zhengyi ripped off his tie, spiraling into a state of manic agitation. Li Deshou rubbed the gold ring on his left hand, utterly baffled. The executives in the office wore expressions of heavy gloom; some had foreheads furrowed like the Himalayas, while others tapped their fingers rhythmically against the tables. The coffee in the office had gone cold, and files were scattered across the floor.

***

Li Deshou nodded submissively, his face bitter. He had just stepped out for a quick break and, having barely finished, was immediately met with a storm of abuse from Zhou Zhengyi—the whole interaction lasting less than five minutes.

"What exactly is he trying to achieve?"

The executives had never seen anything like Xu Qingfeng’s maneuvers in their entire lives. They had seen plenty of stars fall from grace—in fact, many had been ruined by their own machinations—and those who had tried to resist had never ended well. Xu Qingfeng couldn't possibly be unaware of what happened to such people, so how did he have the guts?

Zhou Zhengyi irritably pushed the window open to let the air circulate.

"I said long ago that Li Deshou's management style was outdated. Young people today are different; sticking to the old ways is bound to cause massive problems," another executive said, pointing the finger directly at Li Deshou.

"You!"

"Enough! What's the point of saying all this now?" Zhou Zhengyi snapped, unhappy.

At a time like this, they were still engaging in infighting.

"What else could it be but revenge? Li Deshou must have done something despicable to make Xu Qingfeng this dissatisfied," a man muttered, curling his lip. "I’ve met Xu Qingfeng before. He’s a pretty honest kid, just a bit stubborn."

Li Deshou’s face turned livid as he shot a cold, venomous look at the man. "Stop with the cynical remarks—"

*Bang!*

Zhou Zhengyi slammed his hand on the table. "Shut up!" he roared. "I want a solution."

Li Deshou fell silent for a moment. "There are only two ways: either make Xu Qingfeng shut up, or ruin him completely."

"Then what are you waiting for? Find him! Make him shut up!"

The company had already released all the dirt they had on him; Xu Qingfeng’s reputation was already beyond saving. However, public attention had shifted entirely to the scandals he had exposed. The second path was already closed; everyone agreed on the first.

In truth, Li Deshou had already taken action, but after Xu Qingfeng moved out overnight, he seemed to have evaporated into thin air, leaving no trace behind.

"Mr. Zhou, I can't reach Xu Qingfeng. He terminated his lease yesterday. Neither his manager nor his assistant can contact him," Li Deshou reported, his expression heavy.

Zhou Zhengyi’s face was cold. "If you can't find him, find his family. Do I have to teach you everything?"

Li Deshou wiped his sweat. "Both his parents are dead. He’s all alone."

The reason he had dared to suppress him so ruthlessly was because he thought Xu Qingfeng had no backing—a nobody from the streets. He never imagined that this supposed weakness would now leave him with no leverage at all.

Zhou Zhengyi froze. "Damn it."

***

The others looked at each other, stunned; they had never encountered someone so difficult to handle. He was like a "chosen one" who couldn't be targeted.

One executive spoke up, "Mr. Zhou, I think Xu Qingfeng has lost his mind. If we don't cut ties with him immediately, I fear incidents like the one with Chen He will keep happening."

The words woke them from their stupor. Zhou Zhengyi realized the danger and turned to Li Deshou. "Has Xu Qingfeng’s contract been renewed?"

"No."

Zhou Zhengyi let out a sigh of relief. "Terminate it immediately. Issue a statement saying all his actions are personal and have nothing to do with the company."

"I'll contact him right now!"

Li Deshou called Xu Qingfeng, but the call was hung up. He sent a text: *Pick up. This is about the company terminating your contract.*

When he called again, it finally connected. Li Deshou put it on speakerphone.

"What exactly do you want? Do you have any idea how much damage offending Chen He will cause the company?"

Xu Qingfeng laughed. "What does that have to do with your father?"

Zhou Zhengyi glared at him, signaling him to get to the point. Li Deshou swallowed the insults he was about to bark back. Gritting his teeth, he said in a low voice, "The company is terminating your contract!"

On the other end of the line, Xu Qingfeng was amused. "My contract hasn't expired yet. You want to terminate it? Fine, just pay the compensation."

Li Deshou was stunned, doubting his own ears. He had seen plenty of stars pay to terminate their contracts, but this was the first time he’d heard of one demanding the company pay them. The executives in the office were left in a daze, listening to the conversation. They had never seen such a scene; when did an artist dare to threaten a company with contract termination? What kind of topsy-turvy world was this?

"Are you f*cking kidding me? I’ve lived this long and I’ve never seen a star who dares to make the company pay!"

"Well, you’re seeing one today," Xu Qingfeng replied, his voice dripping with arrogance.

Before, when he had wanted to leave, the company had demanded he cough up every cent he’d earned over the years. Now, they wanted to terminate him?

Too late, pal!

Stubborn fools who wouldn't drink the toast would be forced to drink the forfeit.