Chapter 159: Fortune and Misfortune Go Hand in Hand—Let the Bullets Fly a Little Longer

Otherwise, if malicious editing were used to showcase Bai Ling’s worst moments while completely burying Wang Dagang’s faults, then the only people in the world who would know the truth would be the production crew.

Fortunately, with a massive number of livestream viewers stepping up to demand justice, Bai Ling has been able to remain relatively composed. Even so, her agency has still applied a fair amount of pressure.

Ge Fenfen was notified of the situation immediately. As a veteran agent who has been grinding in the industry for years, she felt a sense of panic. Truth be told, if one looks back at Bai Ling’s journey since she first rose to fame, it hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing. Her path has been filled with twists and turns, enough to make one sigh.

However, the current situation is quite severe, ranking only second to the period when the show "Crown Princess" was pulled from the air and Bai Ling’s reputation collapsed. Offending a director with influence and connections in the industry is no laughing matter. Naturally, the executives at Chunqiu Entertainment were unhappy with this turn of events and began questioning Ge Fenfen, demanding an explanation from Bai Ling.

But Bai Ling is no longer the person she used to be. She has established her own personal studio, and the revenue she generates for the company far exceeds her initial signing bonus. In other words, even without Chunqiu, Bai Ling could still thrive. Because of this, Ge Fenfen remained composed despite the complaints from the higher-ups. After a few rounds of negotiation, she managed to handle the situation. After all, what could these executives really do? Terminate her contract? Put her on ice? That was impossible; Bai Ling had scrutinized every clause when she signed her contract. Chunqiu had no leverage to shelve her. Furthermore, when Bai Ling signed contracts for other variety shows, she had been extremely diligent regarding breach-of-contract terms. Even if she had a falling out with the production team of "I Am an Actor," it wouldn't matter—at worst, she would simply return the appearance fees. Those few million are nothing to Bai Ling now.

As for Chunqiu terminating her contract, that was even less likely. Public opinion was on Bai Ling’s side, and there was an overwhelming amount of criticism directed at Wang Dagang. For Chunqiu to abandon or terminate Bai Ling at this moment? That would be walking straight into the line of fire. They wouldn't dare do such a thing, even if they were oblivious to the optics. Moreover, as an established second-tier agency, Chunqiu was not that short-sighted. The demand for an "explanation" eventually shifted into a fact-finding mission and the drafting of a public relations plan.

In short, it seemed like it wasn't a major crisis. However, Ge Fenfen didn't believe the matter would blow over so easily. That night, she held a video conference with Bai Ling.

"Withdrawing from the competition is fine," Ge Fenfen said. "In fact, because of this commotion, your fame has surged even further. I have to say, Bai Ling, you really have courage. If it were any of my other artists, I would have told them to just endure it."

Listening to Ge Fenfen, Bai Ling replied helplessly, "It’s not about courage; it’s just that I don’t want to be led around by the nose. If it were a genuine discussion about my acting, that would be one thing, but he was clearly targeting me. Why should I give him any face? Just because he has a little extra fat, does he think he’s premium Wagyu beef?"

Ge Fenfen nodded. "Since your wings have grown strong, I agree with your perspective and your actions. However, we need to handle the upcoming PR carefully. Wang Dagang is not the type to let things go; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a petty villain. I hope there won't be any more trouble."

Bai Ling smiled. "I'll leave the PR to you, Sister Ge. I’m sorry that my moment of catharsis has caused you to work overtime. As for whether Wang Dagang will make any moves, I’m not actually worried. I am an actor, a screenwriter, and a singer. Since I’ve chosen the path of self-reliance, there is only one option: bring out works—works so good that everyone will have no choice but to back down!"

Bai Ling appeared relaxed, completely lacking the sharp, combative spirit she showed on stage. Yet, Ge Fenfen could see a glimmer of determination in her eyes. She felt deeply moved; Bai Ling really had changed quite a bit. Back when they first signed, she had been incredibly lazy. But upon further reflection, this progress wasn't just due to Bai Ling’s own ambition; it was largely the pressure from external forces that forced her to fight back and grow.

Of course, establishing her own studio was the wisest and most correct decision. Without it, even if Bai Ling wanted to speak her mind, she would have lacked the confidence to do so. In the future, Bai Ling might encounter even more trouble. Whether she can overcome it depends on her own ability and whether Sister Ge and the others can help solidify the studio’s foundation.

The video call lasted a long time, with Ge Fenfen asking many questions. The two most critical topics were the upcoming appearance on "Guess Who I Am" and the filming of the new drama.

Regarding "Guess Who I Am," Ge Fenfen naturally didn't think Bai Ling would have any issues. The girl wrote songs at an astonishing speed, as if she had no creative bottlenecks. Even her vocal skills were improving rapidly, which was almost unbelievable. The current popularity of "Guess Who I Am" was essentially carried by Bai Ling’s performance as the "Ding-Dong Cat." What did Ge Fenfen have to worry about?

The biggest issue was the new drama. She had read the script for "Heavy Sweetness, Ash-like Frost," and it was excellent—it had the potential to be a massive hit. But now that Bai Ling was clashing with a director in the film and television industry, even with a hit script, could she successfully produce a work that would build her reputation? Ge Fenfen was not a time traveler, nor did she have a system, so it was only natural for her to have these doubts.

However, Bai Ling didn't care at all. Faced with Ge Fenfen’s skepticism, she smiled and said, "Don't worry, Sister Ge. I already have a plan. Honestly, the spat with Wang Dagang might not be a bad thing. Strictly speaking, he’s helping me advertise, which saves me a huge amount of publicity costs."

Sister Ge asked, "Are you planning to announce the filming schedule soon? Do you want me to arrange that and prepare the copy?"

Bai Ling shook her head. "No, no, there’s no need to rush. Let’s wait a couple of days. Let the bullets fly for a while."

Sister Ge was puzzled. These past two days were when the buzz was at its peak. If they waited another two days, wouldn't the momentum fade? Would the publicity even be effective then? Was she planning to leverage the traffic from the finale of "Guess Who I Am"? But what did the traffic from a singing competition have to do with the film and television industry? The two audiences didn't always overlap.

Still, Sister Ge trusted Bai Ling. After some thought, she nodded. "As long as you have a plan. I’ll handle the trivial matters over the next few days; you just focus on the show."