Upon hearing the situation, Yu Zhenâs previously leisurely demeanor immediately shifted. He swung his arm, hurling the cup in his hand away, âWhatâs going on? Why is Mr. Liu withdrawing his investment? Do you have any idea how much effort Iâve put into this film? We were about to start shooting, and now he withdraws his funding. Where am I supposed to find so much money to fill the gap?â
His new film was a big production, marking his first attempt at a new genre. For this project, Yu Zhen had pulled in a lot of investments, and his brother-in-law had invested 30%. But now, with Mr. Liu pulling out, he had to cover the 20% gap left by him, and it wasnât certain that his brother-in-law would be willing to contribute more.
Just then, his assistant received another call, âDirector Yu, itâs a call from Mr. Zhang.â
Yu Zhen said angrily, âJust take the call right here. I want to hear what they really want to say!â
Mr. Zhang started by asking how Yu Zhen was doing lately, whether the new filmâs preparations were complete, and if there was still a shortfall of funds.
Yu Zhen let out a sigh of relief upon hearing his words. Judging from Mr. Zhangâs tone, he probably wasnât calling to withdraw his investment.
âMr. Zhang, I have indeed run into a little bit of trouble recently,â Yu Zhen said with a chuckle, âAs you know, weâve put a lot of money into this movie, and we are about to start shooting. But now, Mr. Liu has suddenly caused me a bit of trouble.â Yu Zhen laughed, âSo, weâll have to postpone for a bit.â
Mr. Zhang laughed, âDid old Liu withdraw his funding?â
Yu Zhen didnât know how to respond. Mr. Zhang didnât wait for his answer and continued, âYouâve been making quite the name for yourself online recently. As a big director like you, you should be making better works. Soâ¦â
Yu Zhen thought Mr. Zhang was hinting at investing more, but to his surprise, Mr. Zhang said, âSo maybe itâs best not to shoot this film. After all, the funding has already diminished by so much, it wouldnât hurt to lose a little more, right?â
Yu Zhen felt as if the world was going dark before his eyes. He hastily said, âMr. Zhang, you canât do this. Our film is about to start shooting. If you withdraw your investment now, where will I find someone to fill the vacancy?â
Mr. Zhang couldnât care less about the film. There were so many new shows in the entertainment circle waiting for his investment. A casual investment in two popular shows could make his money back. But Yu Zhenâs troubles had already spread internally, with many people saying he had offended the Tao family. Even his brother-in-law couldnât save him now.
Rumor had it his brother-in-law was also planning to withdraw his investment. If they didnât claim their money now, it was likely that Yu Zhen wouldnât manage to pay them back in the end.
Mr. Zhang, after a private phone call with Mr. Liu and learning that he had already withdrawn his funding, immediately called Yu Zhen.
âOld Yu, no offense, but your niece really knows how to cause you trouble,â Mr. Zhang began, âI remember that last time, it was her too, wasnât it? Just to compete for the lead role, she actually clawed the face of the leading actress on set.â
Yu Zhen was well aware of Yu Xianâs bad temper but didnât have a way to stop it, letting her do as she pleased.
Yu Zhen couldnât listen anymore. Since Mr. Zhang intended to withdraw his investment, he might as well let him.
After hanging up the call, the assistant said, âDirector Yu, thereâs something unpleasant I want to say. I think Miss Yu Xian is not suited for the entertainment industry. Sheâs the reason for this mess. If she hadnât caused trouble at the university, none of these college students would have spoken out, nor would it have attracted the attention of the Education Bureau.â
Yu Zhen, already furious, was fully aware that Yu Xian had caused the trouble, but he wasnât willing to be criticized for his nieceâs actions, especially not by his own staff.
âYouâre fired,â Yu Zhen said coldly.
The assistant was taken aback and said nothing more, as he had long wanted to quit anyway. âFine, since Director Yu has fired me, I have nothing to lose. Iâll speak my mind,â the assistant stated and flung his work badge onto Yu Zhenâs desk, leaving without looking back.
No sooner had he left than Yu Xian called, sobbing, âUncle, whatâs going on? Why has all my new work disappeared? All the crews said Iâm not suitable for their films and asked me to find work elsewhere.â