Chapter 698 - 352: It’s Over So Easily?
Pleased with himself, Zhou Huapeng didn’t forget the matter at hand. He said with a grin, "President Chen, since you’ve received the gift, you know how you should cooperate, don’t you?"
Chen Jincheng immediately feigned panic. "President Zhou, I’ve told you, I’m really not interested in the costume and prop side of the film industry. I’m focused on legitimately promoting Hanfu and developing this market. I never intended to get involved in your money-laundering business. You know, the money I make from a single promotional stream is more than you could make in ages of laundering."
Hearing this, Chen Yu, who was recording nearby, couldn’t help but glance over at him.
’He hadn’t expected it to involve something like this. This is a huge deal.’
’If we play this right, it’ll create a massive effect for the show and generate a ton of buzz.’
’The point is, people risk prison time for this stuff, and Mr. Chen’s casual comment is a real slap in the face. Isn’t the other guy going to lose his mind?’
Zhou Huapeng was, in fact, furious.
The man had said it once, and now he was daring to say it a second time. Was he blatantly looking down on him?
His fury erased all caution and reason. He snarled, "Chen Jincheng, cut the crap. You know what I want. Make a post saying that the whole Hanfu incident online was just us coordinating to generate hype, all for the sake of promoting Hanfu. If you don’t do exactly as I say, the next thing you receive won’t be as simple as a dead cat."
Hearing this threat, Chen Jincheng dropped his act. "President Zhou, since you’ve put it that way, there’s something I have to tell you. I’m currently in an interview with Central Mother. Yes, their people are right here beside me."
"What do you mean?" Zhou Huapeng’s voice was now clearly laced with alarm.
"Exactly what it sounds like," Chen Jincheng replied before hanging up, no longer willing to waste his breath on the man.
Nearby, Chen Yu stopped the recording and decisively called the camera crew over to start filming.
’We have to film this immediately to build hype for the interview.’
’Just think, encountering something like this during an interview... the ratings are going to go through the roof!’
’Best of all, I can spin this. We can frame it as these criminal elements obstructing the development of traditional culture and undermining the public’s confidence in it. Then, our traditional culture department can take the lead in cracking down on them, restoring a clean and just environment for traditional culture to flourish.’
’How noble is that? Wouldn’t the higher-ups love it?’
Once the camera crew arrived, he immediately directed them to get plenty of shots of the box with the dead cat. Then, he had them film him as he picked up his phone and made a call.
Naturally, he was calling someone with the authority to handle this situation.
This was a crucial turning point, and it absolutely had to be caught on camera.
However, once the call connected and he exchanged a few words, a strange look crossed his face.
The person on the other end said someone had already reported the issue and that they had already begun setting up surveillance. The contact was surprised to get another report about it, wondering aloud if this group was really so detested.
Chen Yu was also completely bewildered. ’Didn’t they just threaten Mr. Chen?’
’How is it that someone else has already made a move against them?’
’It looks like someone else, just like me, stumbled upon a juicy incident and wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip by.’
’But I don’t care about that. It doesn’t matter who acted first. In my finished report, it’s going to be me who made the call.’
Chen Jincheng simply watched him orchestrate everything.
’Honestly, someone like Zhou Huapeng might seem terrifying to an ordinary person, but once you reach a certain level, who gives a damn about a gutter-dwelling roach like him?’
’To be honest, I could take him down right now using any number of my connections.’
’And that’s not even mentioning this guy from Central Mother.’
If Central Mother reported on this, Zhou Huapeng was absolutely finished. He’d even be given the harshest possible sentence.
Just then, he received a WeChat message. It was from the Internet Celebrity Young Master. "Mr. Chen, sorry for the trouble I caused before, but I’ve already made amends. Just wait and watch the news!"
Chen Jincheng froze. ’???’
’What did that young master do?’
Meanwhile, after Chen Jincheng hung up on him, Zhou Huapeng was completely dumbfounded.
’The interviewers from Central Mother were right there?’
’Why would Central Mother be interviewing someone at Second-Life Star?’
Then it hit him. Chen Jincheng had been acting from the very beginning. He had definitely been setting a trap.
In that case, the people from Central Mother had probably heard everything he’d just said.
"Fuck! That bastard!" As the realization hit him, Zhou Huapeng, his face twisted with rage, smashed his desktop computer to pieces.
He knew all too well the terrifying consequences that would follow if Central Mother got wind of this.
’I can’t stay in the country. I have to run, now. Get to another country.’
The very first thing he did was pull out his phone and book a flight to the Beautiful Country. As for what would happen to anyone else, that was no longer his problem.
’Better you than me.’
He rushed out of his office, drove straight to the airport, and tried to go through the departure procedures.
But he couldn’t complete the process. The response he got was, "Sir, you have been temporarily barred from leaving the country!"
Zhou Huapeng’s face instantly fell.
’I knew what Central Mother’s people would do once they found out, which is why I tried to flee immediately. But how could they have possibly moved this fast? It’s been such a short time!’
’They have to contact the relevant departments, those departments have to verify the situation, and then they have to go through all the bureaucratic procedures to take action. Doesn’t all of that take time?’
’How long has it even been since I left the office?’
’Since when have they been this efficient?’
As he dejectedly turned to leave the airport, he noticed a group of people closing in on him. He had a good idea of who they were.
He immediately pulled out his phone and called the subordinate who had delivered the dead cat.