chapter 19
The public feud between *Peerless Beauty* and *The Long Song* on Weibo is still ongoing, and given Director Fang Hua’s established reputation, audiences already had certain expectations.
Yet even so, Director Fang Hua directly @’d Liu Ming on Weibo and openly accused *The Long Song* of plagiarism, leaving everyone stunned.
Within a week, uninformed netizens developed a knee-jerk reaction, dismissing *The Long Song* with comments like “Isn’t that the one that plagiarized?” or “Just riding on Director Fang Hua’s coattails.” The already chaotic film industry saw *The Long Song*’s gradually rising reputation take another hit, its situation worsening.
Yet, some fans’ love for the movie “Chang Ge” remained unwavering, and after a week, the box office revenues of both films became neck and neck, each surpassing 200 million.
Under such circumstances, Director Fang Hua naturally couldn’t sit still. As an internationally renowned director, he had produced a high-budget film domestically, only to be overshadowed by an unknown newcomer. Who wouldn’t feel aggrieved in such a situation?
However, with the current reversal of fortunes, he naturally felt somewhat relieved.
Su Jin Fan’s Weibo continued to operate amidst all sorts of chaos.
[“I’m just laughing, aren’t you afraid of being reported?”]
[“Suddenly, I feel sorry for Su Jinfan too. Her first work after returning to the entertainment industry is plagiarized.”]
[“Haters, get lost! Go bark in your doghouse!”]
The haters were having a field day, starting with “Su Jinfan’s dark history” and “Analysis of Su Jinfan’s car accident,” followed by various attacks from haters on Liu Ming’s Weibo. The mix of good and bad continued for days, with these topics dominating Weibo’s trending list.
The situation spiraled out of control, with neither Su Jinfan nor Liu Ming stepping forward to provide an explanation. This only fueled the media’s curiosity and led many fans to speculate about the reasons behind it. Ironically, this state of affairs ended up boosting the movie’s box office performance.
After her comeback from the car accident, Su Jinfan’s popularity was indeed somewhat weaker compared to the currently top-tier actress Liu Xin. Su Jinfan’s fans, the “FanFan” group, gradually found themselves struggling to keep up.
Taking advantage of the situation, someone manipulated the direction of public opinion. It remains unclear who leaked a dubious plagiarism accusation—whether it was genuine or fabricated.
It was none other than Liu Xin and Li Qin who were behind this mischief.
Su Jin Fan’s movie had originally received five-star ratings across major film channel websites for two consecutive days, but now it has plummeted to just one star, tarnished by the accusation of “plagiarism.”
Caught in the whirlwind, Su Jin Fan’s current situation isn’t just about her phone ringing off the hook—she’s practically confined indoors, avoiding any public appearances.
Fang Yao lowered her head to glance at the book, then looked up with a sigh and said helplessly, “Ah, this is the power of the new generation of media.”
The situation escalated in a way Su Jin Fan never anticipated. Those unaware of the truth began hurling baseless insults at her, prompting her to disable the comment feature on her Weibo account altogether.
But she still didn’t want to utilize any of Shen Bai’s influence, because if it were exposed, the consequences would be even worse.
Su Jinfan was lost in thought for a moment when suddenly her phone rang. The caller was Shen Bai. Su Jinfan paused briefly but still answered the call.
“Xiao Fan?” The man’s voice on the other end was deep and pleasant. Hearing Su Jinfan respond, he went straight to the point: “Xiao Fan, I recently heard from people at the company that Dingsheng is experiencing intense internal conflicts.”
Seeing Fang Yao looking at her with confusion, Su Jinfan, her face flushed red, walked to the study and locked the door.
Due to the events of the past few days, Su Jin hadn’t communicated with Shen Bai at all and hadn’t even complained about the recent criticism she’d faced. She never expected Shen Bai to call and ask about it.
At the moment, Shen Bai sounded somewhat frustrated, his voice low as he said, “Why didn’t you say anything when you were in trouble? Why bear it alone?”
“Um,” Su Jin paused, feeling a slight warmth in her heart. “Actually, there’s no need to worry. I’ve weathered bigger storms—this little one really doesn’t scare me.”
She had full confidence in herself. Besides, she firmly believed Liu Ming would never plagiarize someone else’s work.
“Shen Bai, I just don’t want you to doubt my abilities… so I need to handle this matter myself.” Su Jinfan said, hearing a light chuckle from him on the other end before continuing, “Wait for me obediently. Once the plagiarism issue is resolved, I’ll take you out.”
She understood the entertainment industry better than anyone.
……
“Xiao Fan, what brings you here?”
As soon as she entered the company, everyone turned their curious gazes toward Su Jinfan’s face. In an instant, their smiles froze, and thick fear and tension surfaced in their eyes. The atmosphere in the company grew heavy and oppressive. Aside from Elsa, no one dared to step forward and speak to her.
Elsa frowned, showing visible confusion.
At this moment, Su Jinfan was wearing a mask, dressed in loose casual clothes, with her hair tied in a ponytail, revealing her delicate face. Even without any embellishment, her natural beauty was undeniable.
However.
Everyone in the company knew that Su Jinfan had been caught up in another plagiarism scandal recently, leaving her in a constant state of unease.
“I just haven’t visited Sister Ai in a long time.” Su Jinfan tilted her head slightly, revealing a beautiful smile that danced in her eyes.
No one dared to believe that Su Jinfan had merely come to the company to see Sister Elsa.
Eighty percent of the people in the company now knew that Su Jinfan had powerful backing—so powerful that even if movie promotions lacked momentum, her films could still loop on LED billboards in major urban cinemas. Sister Elsa also spoke with cautious restraint around her.
Liu Xin was also in the company, and upon seeing Su Jinfan, she couldn’t shake a vague sense of foreboding.
“Sister Liu Xin, your recent movie is doing well.” Su Jinfan sat beside Liu Xin.
Liu Xin, who had been scrolling through her phone, put it down and responded with a forced smile, “Yes, but it only just crossed 200 million. It was within expectations.”
“Yes, Sister Liu Xin. By the way, I just saw a package for you at the door.”
Liu Xin thought for a moment in confusion, then walked out.
In the lounge, Su Jinfan searched through Liu Xin’s bag and found her phone. As expected, Liu Xin’s password was her birthday. After briefly browsing through the call records, aside from calls to Li Qin and the company, most were made to Director Fang Hua. Suddenly, a photo caught Su Jinfan’s eye, causing her lips to curl into a smile.
She secretly took a picture of the photo, then placed the phone back exactly where it was, as if nothing had happened.
“There really is a package for me. Thank you,” Liu Xin replied absentmindedly, her expression stiff.
“No need to thank me,” Su Jinfan responded.
Liu Xin awkwardly picked up her bag and quickly left the lounge. She nervously glanced at Su Jinfan, who was still sitting in her seat flipping through a magazine, then hurriedly checked her bag to confirm nothing was missing before rushing out.
……
A sharp laugh echoed from the private room. Li Qin looked at Liu Xin, his tone teasing: “I really thought that Liu Ming and Su Jinfan had some skills.”
Liu Xin wore a worried expression. “Li Qin, are you sure there won’t be any problems?”
“Don’t worry. Anyone who dares to block Liu Xin’s path to wealth hasn’t even been born yet. That Liu Ming is just a nobody—nothing to worry about.”
Li Qin picked up the beer on the table and drank it all in one go, casually smiling as he crossed his legs with ease.
“Is everything ready for tomorrow’s press conference?”
Getting “The Long Song” out of the market does require some effort, but we’ve already succeeded for the most part.
Dingsheng Company has been lukewarm toward Su Jin Fan, but in the end, they didn’t step forward to shield her from all this. What comes next will be much simpler.
It’s unclear how she persuaded him, but Director Fang Hua ultimately decided to attend the press conference and would also claim that the drama “Chang Ge” was plagiarized, among other reasons, to sue Su Jinfan and others.
“Don’t worry, I’ve taken care of everything.” Liu Xin nodded, her gaze falling on the magazine on the table. All the negative publicity now belonged to Su Jinfan.
Who could have guessed that after battling Su Jinfan for so long, it was Liu Xin who ultimately emerged victorious? Liu Xin smiled happily to herself.
After all, one mountain cannot accommodate two tigers, and in Liu Xin’s eyes, there was absolutely no room for Su Jinfan.
She could only use this method to declare to the world to the greatest extent that she was indeed the top star of Dingsheng.
……
The press conference was held at a five-star hotel under the Dingsheng Group.
By nine in the morning, major media outlets that had received invitations had already arrived, seated in rows and ready for action.
This matter had been brewing in the entertainment industry for a long time. Until now, apart from external rumors, no parties involved had come forward. Now that the victim was willing to step out and provide an explanation, the truth could finally come to light.
At this moment, while the reporters were still discussing gossip, they saw Director Fang Hua and lead actress Liu Xin walk out. Liu Xin wore a long black dress, exuding an air of captivating charm.
“Thank you all for waiting,” Director Fang Hua said, instantly silencing the banquet hall. He rested one hand on the table, his eyes devoid of any trace of a smile.
Before any of the media could speak, a quick-witted male journalist curiously asked, “Director Fang Hua, you were aware of the general plot of *Chang Ge* before filming began. Why only now are you calling it plagiarism?”
“I was abroad for a while and couldn’t attend to domestic matters. It wasn’t until recently, after reviewing it, that I noticed many plot points—even characterizations—were strikingly similar.”
He glanced at the reporter before speaking, his smile somewhat forced, and his tone devoid of any emotion.
“Director Fang Hua, could you elaborate a bit more?”
“Let me explain to everyone instead.”
The sound of high heels shattered the solemn silence. Su Jin Fan, dressed in vibrant red, looked strikingly different from her usual self—exuding an air of dominance, with slightly curled hair and seductive red lips that contrasted sharply with her typical style.
“Director Fang Hua, I have a question! What do you think of the movie ‘Chang Ge’?”