Chapter 162: Turbulence Behind the Scenes

“What’s wrong?”

On another bed, a middle-aged man who had been lying down sat up.

The man is Wang Feng, the guitarist for Tiger Leopard Band. Haofang Agency has signed the entire band, meaning the lead singer, keyboardist, drummer, and others are now all its artists.

“Some second- and third-tier agents claim that Haofang Culture is using personal grudges in its statements, that they’re casting terrible actors, and even predicting that their third drama will be a flop.”

Li Yang said in a low, steady tone.

“Is it because of Haofang Culture’s new drama? I heard they’ve been holding auditions these days!”

Wang Feng raised an eyebrow.

“I’m not sure. At first, those celebrities were criticizing Haofang Culture, then the issue spilled over to Haofang Agency, sparking plenty of chatter among netizens.”

“What exactly did they say?”

“They claimed that Haofang Agency, backed by Mingsha Tourism, only signs outdated artists. And they put it all on our President Xu!”

Li Yang shot a quick glance at Wang Feng.

Although Tiger Leopard Band wasn’t as popular as before, the ongoing gossip bothered them. More importantly, when the band signed with Haofang Culture, Xu Xin hadn’t even reached Mingsha yet.

It felt like a move deliberately aimed at Xu Xin.

“What’s wrong with our President Xu? She’s incredibly capable! Recently, interviews and variety shows featuring the actors from Wulin Wai Chuan have steadily boosted her popularity. Just a few more dramas and her star will be firmly on the rise!”

Wang Feng replied immediately.

If Tiger Leopard Band hadn’t been busy rehearsing new songs, Xu Xin would have already been booking major gigs for them.

“I suspect President Xu might have ruffled the wrong feathers—someone’s purposely causing her trouble,”

Li Yang added after a moment’s thought.

“Defaming President Xu? Then what do we do? Should we use our contacts to strike back against these celebrity managers? Even if we’re not as hot as before, we still have plenty of industry connections.”

Wang Feng, known for his fiery temper, immediately rolled up his sleeves.

“Fight back? In my view, the best counterattack is to nail the three songs at Yan City TV’s New Year’s Eve show. If these songs catch on, our popularity will surge back, and those manager critics will shut up for good.”

Li Yang shook his head slightly.

Before coming here, Tiger Leopard Band rehearsed several new tunes provided by Haofang Culture, from which Xu Xin picked three: “Ashamed to be Here,” “Flower House Girl,” and “Nothing at All.”

They plan to perform these three songs on the New Year’s Eve special at Yan City TV.

They chose three songs because Yan City TV booked only a modest twenty minutes for the show, which exactly fits three numbers.

Haofang Agency felt that three songs were enough; otherwise, Yan City TV might have given them more time.

“That may be, but whether these three tracks will resonate with the public is uncertain. Personally, I think we should start with ‘Passionate Desert’—its popularity is already proven,”

Wang Feng couldn’t help adding.

In fact, before coming to Yan City, he had considered that option, but Xu Xin insisted that for Tiger Leopard Band to reach their peak again, they needed new songs. ‘Passionate Desert’ had already spent some of its charm, so they ultimately went with the other three.

“Forget it; it’s set. Today’s December 5th and we still have over ten days before the New Year’s Eve recording. Let’s use this time to practice hard.”

Li Yang waved him off.

Originally, the New Year’s Eve show was scheduled for December 20th, but they rushed to Yan City to handle some lingering issues from the band’s past. Once sorted, Tiger Leopard Band will be based permanently at Mingsha Scenic Area.

“That works. Tomorrow, I’ll tell Lao Zhao to get them here early for rehearsal!”

Wang Feng nodded.

“Alright!”

A manager’s Weibo can sometimes set the trend in the entertainment world!

Perhaps because Mingsha Tourism already had high visibility—or due to audiences’ high expectations for Haofang Culture’s third costume drama—a post by Li Ying, shared by several celebrities, even trended on entertainment news.

By the next day, the post’s buzz only grew, especially as insiders spread the word.

At Haishi, Eggplant TV Headquarters!

Inside the director’s office, Cai An and Ran Xiangfei were chatting casually.

“Lao Cai, you should feel relieved now. Yan City TV’s New Year’s Eve show was a disaster. With Haofang Culture stirring up trouble again, how can Yan City TV ever claim top-tier status!”

Ran Xiangfei sipped his tea thoughtfully.

“What’s the issue exactly? Feng Xuan is just a second-tier artist. Doesn’t his manager worry about Haofang Culture’s retaliation? Haofang Culture has had two successes, and they’re backed by the powerhouse Mingsha Tourism!

Mingsha Tourism has deep pockets and isn’t someone to mess with, especially when they go all out in the desert.”

Cai An frowned.

He couldn’t understand why a manager would act this way. This time, not only had they taken a stand against Haofang Culture, they also provoked artists signed with Haofang Agency.

Even if those artists were past their prime, they had once been stars.

And in an industry where stars fade quickly—aside from a few rare lifetime legends—no one can guarantee eternal success.

“The thing is, Xu Xin wasn’t always at Haofang Culture. She used to be the president of Longhai Brokerage. After Longhai Brokerage was acquired, she joined the Xu Family in New Country, and only recently did she return,”

Ran Xiangfei recounted everything he’d heard, adding, “Because of that earlier controversy, Feng Xuan’s manager believes Haofang Culture deliberately chose Hu Xiao over Feng Xuan—as if Xu Xin held a personal grudge! Enraged, they started a feud!”

“Oh, so does that mean those few second-tier managers who reposted the Weibo had already turned down Xu Xin’s ad endorsements?”

Cai An leaned back in his chair slowly.

“Probably so!”

“These actors are something else. To be fair, Hu Xiao is quite talented; if not for that car accident, he might have been a top-tier star by now.”

After a pause, Cai An continued,

“That said, it can’t be denied that Hu Xiao hasn’t acted in a long time. Whether he can regain his former form is uncertain, and given his looks, Feng Xuan’s manager’s doubts are understandable!

Moreover, audiences have sky-high expectations for Haofang Culture’s third drama. Many fans expecting a major star in the lead will definitely be disappointed.

In short,

Haofang Culture’s choice to let Xu Xin handle casting was a colossal misstep. If it had been run by Haofang Culture’s president, Fang Hou, things might have been entirely different.

Ran Xiangfei laughed.

After all, for him and Eggplant TV, it’s a win! Otherwise,

Haofang Culture would have had to tread carefully when its drama aired.

“By the way, how did Xu Xin end up at Haofang Culture?”

After a moment’s thought, Cai An asked again.

Somehow, even though it sounds like good news for Eggplant TV’s upcoming drama, it still feels a bit unsettling.

“Lao Cai, it’s normal. In this vast entertainment world, even though Haofang Culture has churned out two hits, those actors are merely familiar faces—not anywhere near top-tier. Given Haofang Culture’s ambitions and Mingsha Tourism’s backing, they weren’t satisfied, so they formed a new agency.

And Xu Xin, who previously led Longhai Brokerage, is unmatched in managing talent. It’s only natural for Haofang Culture to lure her to Haofang Agency.

But now, with all this going on, there’s a chance Xu Xin might even be replaced.”

After a moment of pause, Ran Xiangfei shared his speculation.

“Yeah, it might be an effort to calm the public uproar.”

“Come to think of it, those managers should avoid working together in the future. Otherwise, if they aren’t selected, they’ll claim insider deals. It’s just too much to handle.”

“That’s right.”

“Lao Cai, since Yan City TV and Haofang Culture are no longer the issue, when will you talk to my apprentice about his drama? His project is about to wrap up filming!”

After a brief pause, Ran Xiangfei continued.

“The one centered on urban mother-in-law conflicts?”

“Yeah!”

“Then once the New Year’s Eve show is over, have him come see me.”

“No problem!”

The mood at Eggplant TV was upbeat, while Yan City TV staff were noticeably subdued after seeing the online buzz.

Ren Long, the head of the editorial department, even rushed to Han Lijun’s office immediately.

“Chief, could it be that someone from the Director Association is stirring up trouble?”

Ren Long was visibly anxious.

Yan City TV’s New Year’s Eve show turned into a fiasco—not a single notable celebrity was invited—while other top-tier stations were launching massive promotions. Yan City TV’s reputation took a serious hit.

Now, their last hope of salvaging face was also in jeopardy.

“It shouldn’t be!”

After reading the messages, Han Lijun shook his head.

“Shouldn’t be?”

“Yeah, it just seems like these few actors are making a fuss. It’s probably nothing major!”

Han Lijun added.

“Chief, with these actors causing trouble, Haofang Culture’s newly cast lead, Hu Xiao, has been forced into the spotlight. Many viewers have already said that if Haofang Culture’s third drama features a lineup like this, they won’t watch it!”

Ren Long still looked worried.

The audience’s expectations for Nirvana In Fire were originally sky-high, and its ratings upon debut were expected to be strong. But with the hype dwindling, it’s hard to predict the premiere numbers now.

“Don’t worry—Mingsha Tourism can even turn trending news into a counterattack, let alone these second- and third-tier actors! Instead, we should find a way to salvage the New Year’s Eve show.”

Han Lijun stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“No one knows Haofang Culture’s equity structure better than I do. With Xu Hao on board, it’s never a problem! Besides, whether this drama has even started filming is another matter. Knowing Xu Hao’s style, once it’s completed, he’ll definitely create a buzz far greater than this minor incident.”