Chapter 178: Tensions and Celebrity Intrigue

Old Cai, you can talk about anything else, but this matter is absolutely off limits! While many insist that Mingsha County is the top venue in the western region, some film cities have a contrasting view.

They argue that all filming in Mingsha is for TV dramas—there isn’t a single movie. A TV festival might work, but a film festival is seriously lacking.

Of course.

And another point: up to now, Mingsha Tourism hasn’t submitted an application. Even if we eventually choose them, they must file the application first.

Isn’t that so?

Ran Xiangfei continued.

You could tell this was Cai An’s call. If anyone else had said it this way, Ran Xiangfei would have hung up ages ago.

“So far, Mingsha Tourism still hasn’t submitted their application?”

Cai An was taken aback.

“Yeah! They’re playing dirty—probably trying to pressure me with Legend of Langya. And if that doesn’t work, they’ll stall with the application. Everyone knows Mingsha Tourism is gearing up for the film festival.”

Ran Xiangfei sneered coldly.

“Sigh, Old Ran, can’t you just call Mingsha Tourism? Keeping silent will only deepen the conflict.”

After a long pause,

Cai An spoke again.

In his eyes, Mingsha Tourism and the Director Association were both sulking—no one wanted to be the first to back down! If the Director Association would just call Mingsha Tourism, it would save face and secure interests, allowing both sides to reconcile.

“Call them proactively? Old Cai, that’s impossible! Not to mention, if other film cities catch wind of this, what would they think?”

Before Cai An could continue, Ran Xiangfei cut him off.

“But what if, for some reason, they don’t receive Mingsha’s application on time? Wouldn’t that only heighten the misunderstanding and conflict?”

Cai An couldn’t help but interject.

The next moment, Ran Xiangfei’s voice boomed, “Old Cai, relax! Mingsha Tourism will definitely submit their application before the deadline. Once they do, whether Mingsha is chosen depends only on you after you call Old Ding.”

“Are you sure? Don’t get complacent!”

Cai An’s expression shifted. His close connection with Director Association president Ding Xiaoping meant it was just a phone call away. A quick word to Mingsha Tourism would fix it.

“Old Cai, trust me!”

Ran Xiangfei reassured him once more.

“Alright, let’s leave it at that.”

Some people blink once and think a day has passed; blink twice and it’s already three days.

As time went by, the popularity and reputation of Legend of Langya soared. Especially after the plot took off, it turned into a phenomenon. Not only did leading man Hu Xiao frequently hit entertainment headlines, but many supporting characters began to shine.

Some supporting roles were borrowed from the Mingsha Troupe, while others were fresh faces signed by Haofang Agency—like Wang Kai, a newcomer handpicked by Xu Xin to play the Sixth Prince.

At this rate, Hu Xiao’s rise to A-list status was inevitable, and these newcomers would surely build their own fan bases.

In short,

The biggest winner wasn’t Mingsha Tourism or Haofang Culture—it was Haofang Agency! In fact, the day after Legend of Langya premiered, several variety show producers called, eager to have the creative team join their programs.

Sure enough, Hu Xiao would soon be fielding endorsements, and aside from his cut, Haofang Agency’s earnings were bound to be impressive.

But just as viewers started their binge, an entertainment forum lit up with chatter about a controversial program.

“Did you catch last night’s mediation show on Yun Province TV?”

“I didn’t watch it!”

“Who watches mediation shows these days? They’re all scripted dramas.”

“No! This time is different. Guess whose conflict Ace Mediation is trying to resolve?”

“Whose conflict?”

“Feng Xuan’s manager, Li Ying, and Haofang Agency’s director, Xu Xin! In the show, Li Ying was bawling, recounting her first meeting with Xu Xin and even why she posted that Weibo. It was downright tragic!”

“Oh my! Are you serious?”

By then, interest from netizens had skyrocketed, and post comments filled up in an instant.

“It’s all true. If you don’t believe it, just search for the show online.”

“I think Li Ying is downright despicable. What did she even say on Weibo before? Now that Tiger Leopard Band and Hu Xiao are hot, she’s suddenly eager to mediate conflicts? She’s the craftiest of them all.”

“Agreed, and with Legend of Langya trending, she’s just trying to ride the hype.”

“If Tiger Leopard Band and Hu Xiao weren’t famous, would she even bother?”

“And don’t get me started on Ace Mediation—they take on every case! Do they even know why Li Ying and Xu Xin fell out? If people like them can be forgiven through a show, nothing makes sense!”

“Heh, they’re obviously after higher ratings!”

“So, did Xu Xin end up agreeing?”

“No! The production team couldn’t even see Xu Xin—the Mingsha Tourism security blocked them outside the scenic area. In the end, the show crew declared the mediation a failure.”

“Serves her right!”

“I’m definitely siding with Xu Xin this time.”

“But at the end, the show even tried to guilt-trip Xu Xin, saying they hoped she’d see Li Ying’s apology and be magnanimous as a public figure. They even invited viewers to reach out to the production team if they had opinions.”

“Ha! I can’t stand this! I’m definitely going to watch it and let off some steam!”

“Count me in!”

In a swanky café in downtown Kun City, Li Ying slowly set her phone aside and looked at the man across from her.

“Old Wang, I really owe you one! Without your tremendous support, the show would have been a complete mess.”

“Don’t mention it. Although, I did see some netizens’ comments that weren’t too friendly toward you.”

The man waved his hand dismissively.

He was Wang Xiaobin, the content editor of Ace Mediation and head of the comprehensive channel.

“It doesn’t matter—as long as Xu Xin sees the show! But you really did help out; Haofang Culture might be a bit upset, so be cautious.”

Li Ying said.

Everything else was secondary. She found that final line from the production team to be brilliantly crafted, and that was all thanks to Wang Xiaobin.

Of course, she had done quite a bit for him in return.

“Haofang Culture? Not at all! As you said, I’m in Yun Province while Haofang Culture is in Su Province—thousands of miles apart. And I’m running the show fairly, without barging into Mingsha Tourism.”

Wang Xiaobin shrugged casually.

“Anyway, no matter what, I truly appreciate your help this time!”

“No need for formalities—we’re old friends!”

“Alright, I’ll head back to Yan City to take care of some legal matters. Once that’s sorted, I’ll properly thank you again.”

“Okay!”

At noon in Mingsha County, at the construction site north of the parking lot, Xu Hao had just jumped off the set to study the blueprints when his phone rang.

He answered to see a call from Fang Hou.

Lately, Fang Hou had been shooting Longmen Inn behind the Vermilion Bird Building. Xu Hao only intervened personally when a shot wasn’t right or there was an issue with the director’s script he provided.

Overall, filming for the movie was progressing well. They should finish soon and move into post-production.

If it weren’t for the overly complex fight scenes, they would have wrapped up already!

“What’s up, Monkey?”

Answering the phone, Xu Hao asked.

“Haozi, Yun Province TV is onto us!”

Fang Hou replied in a low tone.

“Yun Province TV? What’s going on? We’re thousands of miles apart and hardly work with them.”

Xu Hao was taken aback.

“Brother Hao, here’s the deal: Yun Province TV has a show called Ace Mediation, and this episode is devoted to Li Ying and Second Sister.”

Fang Hou then detailed every facet of the Ace Mediation episode meticulously.

He even added, “Normally, you could produce a show without issues, but this crew clearly takes Li Ying’s side—they’re even trying to guilt Second Sister into forgiving her.”

“Does Second Sister know?”

Xu Hao’s face darkened.

Does that TV station—and that Li Ying—really think Mingsha Tourism and Haofang Agency are pushovers? They haven’t even sorted out the previous defamatory post against Haofang Culture and Haofang Agency, and now they pull this?

And what he despised most was moral blackmail. “Second Sister already knows!”

“What did she say?”

“She said such things are best ignored. The more you pay attention, the more it escalates—just follow the normal legal procedures.”

Fang Hou explained.

Given his bond with Xu Hao, he had long regarded Xu Hao’s Second Sister as his own. Although Xu Xin had some valid points, Fang Hou felt a surge of indignation and called Xu Hao in private.

“Just follow legal procedures? How will Yun Province TV settle their account?”

Xu Hao raised an eyebrow.

“I agree!”

“Alright, first, get some intel on Yun Province TV’s upcoming schedule—especially their major projects!”

After a moment’s thought, Xu Hao said.

“Yes! Mingsha Tourism and Haofang Culture are in Su Province, thousands of kilometers from Yun Province, but that doesn’t mean we have to just stand by and watch them act despicably.”

“Haozi, I’ve done some digging. Recently, Yun Province TV has been heavily promoting an original xianxia drama called Blue Moon Song. According to the promo, the drama cost 300 million, and it stars the famous top-tier actress Zhao Wanqu.”

Fang Hou immediately responded.

Clearly, he had done his homework before calling Xu Hao.

“A xianxia drama? What stage is it at now?”

After a brief pause, Xu Hao asked.

“They’ve just started shooting. The TV station plans to introduce it around the May Day holiday.”

“Great, then we mimic their schedule. Later, post a promotional tweet on Haofang Culture’s official website saying that Haofang Culture is preparing a xianxia drama set to debut around May Day—matching Yun Province TV’s timeline.”

Xu Hao declared immediately.

He planned to tackle this after the cultural forum on March 31.

“No problem!”