World Hopping: Avenge Our Love
Translator: translationraven
First Published on Chaleuria
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“Oh my gawd! This can’t be true! Double Universe has a lot of child stars too. Don’t they care about their own child stars? They actually uploaded pictures of their child stars on a website like that just for hype?”
“I remember something from last year! There was a hot search term last year about a girl who’s a child star under Double Universe management. The girl was shortlisted as a best newcomer at the film festival, and was stalked by some pervert fan. The guy was called a paedophile, and a whole bunch of people sympathised with her and cursed the guy out online. That was all staged?”
“Scary! I did a quick search, and this Luo Tong guy is an elite manager. He treats the talents under his management like that?”
The evidence had been released quickly, and the content was overwhelming. The public found it difficult to digest at first. A lot of them had been hanging around because they were waiting for the gossip about the famous actor. Now, though, they’d had a whole load of information shoved in their faces.
Meanwhile, Bai Siwei received a private Weibo message from Xie Qianchen.
“You need to speak up when it’s time to speak up.”
“What do you mean by that?” Bai Siwei was still cautious. It was rather obvious on the internet that Luo Tong was done. There was no doubt that this had been Xie Qianchen’s doing. So… was this message from Xie Qianchen a hint? Or some other trap?
Bai Siwei didn’t dare to put her trust in others easily anymore after the drama where she’d been made to take the blame. Xie Qianchen, however, did not reply.
So what did he mean by that? Was he not responding because his provocation had failed? Or did he have other plans? Was he just putting bait out now so that she would go to him herself later?
Bai Siwei couldn’t tell what Xie Qianchen was thinking. She was scared too. A man like Luo Tong had been easily taken down by Xie Qianchen after all, and she was just a little B-list celebrity. She wasn’t worth a second glance from Xie Qianchen.
Her thoughts got more jumbled the more she pondered, and Bai Siwei had a tough night. When the next day came around, and the courier knocked on the door, her response was lightning-quick.
She told her assistant to answer the door and get the item. It was a document. She opened it up — it was a signed contract from Picture Domain. The contract transfer fee and the allocated resources for her were clearly marked.
Bai Siwei saw Xie Qianchen’s signature at the bottom, and the official seal of Picture Domain, and understood that she would be under the care of Picture Domain if she signed this contract. She knew what Xie Qianchen meant now.
He wanted her to help take Luo Tong down, and the price was her future as a celebrity.
But she was a ruined celebrity, with no way of clearing her name. How was Xie Qianchen so confident that he would be able to revive her career?
Bai Siwei knew that she had some acting skill, but it was definitely not the best. Her looks were still fine, but she was over thirty and not a young flower anymore. As for her popularity… Her reputation was in tatters. The biscuit Xie Qianchen was offering her was too large, and too tempting. Was this real?
“Sign it, Siwei!” Her assistant was way more excited than she was. She felt that Bai Siwei was languishing under Double Universe’s management, so why not go to Picture Domain if Xie Qianchen wanted her?
Xie Qianchen was the great hand which could direct Wen Ran to write a script! And he had great connections with the bigwigs of the film industry too. There were many opportunities for Bai Siwei, and she could have a supporting role and have hope for the future. Staying with Double Universe was a path to death, so why not take the chance and gamble on her future?
Bai Siwei understood her assistant’s line of thought too. She thought for a bit longer, and finally signed her name on the contract. She gave Xie Qianchen a call. “Brother Xie, I hope we work well together.”
“Just call me Qianchen. I’ll send you the instructions on what to do next. Open up the file and keep the contents safe. Just do as instructed.”
“Okay, I got it.” Bai Siwei didn’t ask him how he knew her personal email address. She simply accepted the file.
Bai Siwei relaxed after she read the plan, and sighed. “No wonder he’s number one among the managers. Xie Qianchen’s reputation is well-deserved.”
She spoke with her assistant, and followed Xie Qianchen’s manuscript. She put all the required details in the right places and posted it up on Weibo. She also asked her assistant to buy promotions for her post.
There was no need to get her post up on the hot search terms list. She only needed to make sure that everyone would see it.
This post of Bai Siwei’s could be considered the final nail in the coffin for Luo Tong.
Bai Siwei had followed the outline Xie Qianchen had written for her, and written what looked like a public apology at first, graciously accepting the blame for bad acting in a sincere tone. Next, she posted screenshots of a chat to explain why this drama had been completed so shabbily.
Everything had been due to Luo Tong.
There were three screenshots of their chat, and two phone recordings. The evidence was complete, and nothing was quoted out of context. Everything was made clear — Bai Siwei’s refusal in the beginning, her helpless agreement, and Luo Tong’s rejection of her request to issue a public apology. He had changed the public apology to an excuse about her being pregnant.
“As an actress, I did not put my best into my work so I accept the criticism and scolding of the public as something I deserve. I will reflect on my actions.
However, I had not expected that Luo Tong would use my child as an excuse. Saying that it was due to pregnancy was disrespect to my work. The truth was, I had signed a contract for another movie before I signed on with the drama, and the dates for filming clashed. There was no way to take part in the filming for the web drama, and I could only do individual shoots.
As for the remuneration for the web drama, I haven’t seen a cent of it. Due to confidentiality, I cannot show you bank statements, but this is the statement from the relevant department. I have started proceedings against Luo Tong and Double Universe about this matter.
Finally, I’d like to say that as an artiste, I had put a lot of trust in my manager, Luo Tong. I had not imagined that Luo Tong would even use my months-old unborn child for fame and popularity. As a mother, I have to step forward and take a stand today.
It is my fault, and I will bear this blame for life. I will use all that I can in my future actions to make up for it. However, is this blame for me to bear? Is there no way I can give my own statement? If I am to blame, should my child not have been born, to become the subject of pointed fingers, and spat and cursed at by the masses?”
Bai Siwei’s statement was entirely justified, and this caught Luo Tong off guard. This was just the beginning, however. The parents of the child stars who’d been hyped up for entertainment took up the refrain, suing Luo Tong for gross mismanagement. As a manager, he had treated his talents horribly, fabricated news stories, and maliciously guided others in the violation of minors.
There was also a male celebrity who stepped forward to charge Luo Tong with malicious manipulation of public opinion and instigating cyber bullying against him. This man’s reputation was ruined and he had become known as a scumbag.
“I did have a romantic relationship with a female celebrity under his management, but she broke up with me because of pressure from Luo Tong. We were in love, but Luo Tong tore us apart because I was not popular enough. You know what’s worse? The damage was done, but he didn’t stop there. Every time I had a bit of change for the better in my public persona, he used the added interest from the public to parade my scumbag persona about again. I would have f*cking fought him long ago, if I hadn’t been worried for her!”
These truths came from the mouths of celebrities, one after another. The popcorn-eating crowd was drowning in popcorn. Man, the paparazzi had to dig like crazy for them to get gossip from the entertainment circles, but today was like a great tidal wave. Picture Domain’s move against Luo Tong had opened the floodgates to accounts of the immoral things Luo Tong had done over the years.
“OMG, this is a manager? He’s evil incarnate.”
“If what they’re saying is all true, Bai Siwei and the others really are pitiful souls!”
“I knew it. I knew that Ms Siwei wouldn’t be like that. She worked so hard before, so how could she become a terrible actress all of a sudden? There was something else going on in the background.”
“Am I the only one feeling sympathy for that child star? Experiencing so many horrible things at such a young age! Just thinking about it makes my heart ache!”
“Luo Tong, you trash! Don’t be a manager anymore! You’re only bringing harm to others.”
The voices of the public were raised in anger. Anyone with a conscience would get mad when such a truth was revealed.
Luo Tong was home, and he had fallen into despair.
His phone was ringing, ringing, with calls from the celebrities he managed, and the higher-ups of Double Universe. A message sent by Xiao Luo was the thing which sent him to the depths of despair.
Xiao Luo: You’re on your own. There’s no saving you.
So he’d been abandoned? Cold stabbed at Luo Tong’s heart. When he tried calling Xiao Luo, however, he was greeted by the dead tone of a phone that was switched off.
Luo Tong understood that he’d been completely abandoned then. This had blown up too much, and everything pointed to Double Universe. The nails in his coffin had been hammered in very firmly too, and there was no way he could wash his name clean again. Xiao Lun had to throw him away if he wanted to preserve Double Universe.
So was there really no other way? Luo Tong was in shock, and could not think at all. Right at that moment, a message pinged on his phone, and his lifeless face distorted with fear and panic.
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