Chapter Twenty-Three: I Know Only the Upright Script

Inside the conference room at Benshan Media, representatives from the three investment firms were already seated.

Liu Shuangping paced back and forth, his face dark. "This Xu Ming is truly immature. We are at such a critical juncture; he’s barely become famous and is already involved in such a scandal. What about the future?"

"Mr. Liu, I believe Mr. Xu didn't do this intentionally. He’ll be here shortly, and I'm sure he'll have an explanation," a representative from Sohu Entertainment offered soothingly.

"Hmph, if he doesn't give me a satisfactory explanation today, this will not end here," Liu Shuangping said in a deep voice. Having finally cornered Xu Ming, he was naturally inclined to make a mountain out of a molehill.

The others exchanged glances. After all, Xu Ming was an artist under Benshan Media; it wasn't their place to comment on internal family affairs. However, it did seem that the president of Benshan Media held a significant grudge against him.

Ten minutes later, the conference room door was pushed open. Xu Ming walked in, checking the documents his assistant had organized for him on the way, and took a seat with a relaxed expression.

"Xu Ming, aren't you going to offer us an explanation?" Liu Shuangping narrowed his eyes and asked.

"What explanation?" Xu Ming raised an eyebrow, retorting.

*Bang!*

"The news today! The headlines in the entertainment section! You’ve certainly become famous—the actress who arrived for her audition yesterday, and you were already sleeping in her arms by last night!" Liu Shuangping slammed his phone onto the table, displaying a photo of Xu Ming holding Xiao Songjia.

"Is that what you mean?" Xu Ming picked up the phone, glanced at it, and tossed it back onto the table. "That was just me doing my job. Don’t thank me."

*Bang!*

The sound made everyone jump. This guy was truly fearless.

"Heh, heh, heh. Thank you? So, you’re saying that by exposing a scandal, you’ve made a contribution to the production team?" Liu Shuangping was so furious he began to laugh.

"Isn't that right? How much would it cost you to buy this kind of promotional coverage?" Xu Ming tapped the table. "Right now, I haven't spent a cent, yet I've gotten the production team free exposure across all major newspapers and websites. Isn't that a contribution?"

He pulled out the documents his assistant had prepared and placed them in the center of the table. "These are the lists of publications that covered this news, which I had my assistant, Xiaoyuan, compile on the way here."

"The *Southern Metropolis Entertainment Weekly*, the *Yangtse Evening Post*, the *Entertainment Express*, and so on. I won't list all the tabloids. Furthermore, both Sina Entertainment and Sohu Entertainment have related news, not to mention the search volume on the Baidu Trends list."

"Do you know how hard it is to buy this kind of exposure? I sacrificed my personal image to generate hype for the crew. Instead of thanking me, you want an explanation? If you can handle being president, then do it; if not, step aside and let someone who understands the business take over."

Facing Liu Shuangping's glare, Xu Ming did not retreat in the slightest, staring right back at him. Did he sleep with that girl for his own sake? No, it was for the sake of the production! He was only twenty, and Xiao Songjia was twenty-nine; at a nine-year age gap, he was the tender grass being grazed.

Thinking this, Xu Ming felt even more justified. He sat upright, radiating the pride of someone who had "contributed his essence" for the crew.

"You!" Liu Shuangping’s lips trembled. This was twisted logic—the most absurd he had ever heard!

The representatives from the other two firms, however, fell into deep thought. It seemed… Mr. Xu had a point. Which of these publications didn't demand exorbitant prices for coverage? These were some of the top-circulating entertainment outlets in the country. In particular, the *Southern Metropolis Entertainment Weekly*, hailed as the "Number One Entertainment Publication in China," was notoriously difficult to get into, even with money.

"Ahem, Mr. Liu, actually, Mr. Xu’s words are not without merit. You are being a bit extreme."

"Indeed. When it comes to promotion, we at Sohu Entertainment should have a say. The search volume for this news has already reached millions, and hitting tens of millions is only a matter of time. Mr. Xu has made a significant contribution."

Both representatives firmly stood on Xu Ming's side. As he had said, it was the actor's personal image that was sacrificed, while the entire production stood to benefit—what was there to disagree with?

"I..." Liu Shuangping tried to speak.

"Alright, Mr. Liu is an outsider to the industry, so I won't hold it against him. Besides, since everyone is here, there is no need to air our dirty laundry. Let's get to the point." Xu Ming waved his hand, diverting the topic. There was no point in arguing further; he had already gained the upper hand, and there was no need to get dragged into a petty, shrew-like squabble.

And so, in the conference room, a world was achieved where only Liu Shuangping was hurt. He was left speechless; the way Xu Ming dismissed him as "not holding it against him" made him look like the petty, unreasonable one. And was this really "not airing dirty laundry"? Xu Ming had practically plastered the "dirty laundry" onto his forehead.

"Regarding the choice for the female lead, I assume no one has any objections now?" Xu Ming asked.

"I still think we could consider Ms. Jiang..." The representative from Orange Sky Entertainment still tried to push his boss's canary.

"Can she cooperate with me on promotional activities?" Xu Ming shut him down with a single question.

They dared not agree to that. "Fake" affairs were one thing, but if they actually did it, their boss would be wearing a green hat—a fate they certainly didn't want.

Xu Ming clicked his tongue; it was a good thing he hadn't agreed. If he had, it would be difficult to decide whether to be an NTR victim or a "Cao Cao" type. What, be a man of virtue? He only had the "virtue" of the title, not the "moral integrity" to go with it.

"We at Sohu trust Mr. Xu's arrangements," the representative from Sohu Entertainment said, looking as if they were happy to let Xu Ming call the shots. It was clear that *Diors Man 2* had truly made Sohu a lot of money.

As for whether Xu Ming regretted giving away that IP, he really didn't. In the phase before he had his own capital, he either had to exploit others or exploit himself; *Diors Man 2* was the entry ticket he had handed over. It was simple: this circle didn't welcome those who wanted to eat alone.

"Since no one has any objections, Xiao Songjia is confirmed as the female lead. The remaining casting work will be handed over entirely to Director Teng, and I will no longer be involved." Xu Ming naturally had to leave enough power for Teng Huatao; otherwise, if he frustrated the old guy into quitting, that would be bad.

He continued, "The promotional budget will be increased by two million, split equally among the four parties. These funds will be used to maintain the heat of this news until the release."

After speaking, he gave everyone half a minute to react. But this time, even Liu Shuangping did not object. Outsider or not, once he cleared his head, he wouldn't let personal emotions affect company decisions. Otherwise, Uncle Benshan wouldn't have been so confident in handing over his media empire to an outsider.