The reporter’s words were like pouring a ladle of water into a pot of hot oil. The press conference site instantly boiled over.
Cao Bo’s face turned grim. The reporters perked up.
It looked like they had hit a sore spot?
It seemed the rumour was true!
“Mr Cao, is this real?”
“Xu Mei cheated on you while you were engaged?!”
“Mr Cao, say a few words…”
“Mr Cao…”
Seven or eight microphones thrust forward at once, crowding right up to Cao Bo’s face. The reporters hemmed him in completely.
No one cared about whether The Crown of Thorns was starting production any more.
This drama had roped in male and female leads with real star power, yet the reporters ignored them entirely, focusing only on Cao Bo and Xu Mei’s “old grudge”. The shoot had not even begun, and the leads already felt miffed. They kept up polite smiles through sheer professionalism, their gazes towards Cao Bo full of understanding, as if they could grasp his awkward spot right now.
Down in the audience, Guan Zong and Zhao Dong sat side by side. Guan Zong did not forget to claim a favour from Zhao Dong.
“Mr Zhao, the stage I built with so much effort is all yours today!”
Zhao Dong just found it amusing.
Xu Mei had broken off the engagement, leaving Cao Bo harbouring resentment, which made him ripe for Zhao Dong’s stirring.
Likewise, when Xu Mei jumped ship and breached her contract, Guan Zong must have been fuming. Zhao Dong had shown up offering to teach her a lesson, and that was why Guan Zong had so readily agreed to hold the press conference for The Crown of Thorns early.
Beyond getting back at Xu Mei, Guan Zong was happy to stir up some drama at the launch event to hype the drama.
“Thanks for making it happen, Mr Guan!”
Zhao Dong grumbled inwardly but kept a grateful look on his face.
Guan Zong eyed Cao Bo, swarmed by reporters on stage, a glint in his eye. “Getting Young Master Cao to admit he was cuckolded must have taken some real scheming from you, Mr Zhao!”
His words probed for what perks Zhao Dong had dangled in front of Cao Bo.
As if Zhao Dong would spill that. What if this thick-skinned Guan then demanded a cut of the “gratitude” gift?
Zhao Dong rose from his seat, waving his phone. “Mr Guan, sorry, I need to step away.”
Guan Zong beamed. “Go ahead, I get it.”
Zhao Dong strode to the venue door in a few steps and dialled Xie Jinghu, updating him on progress.
“Things are going pretty smoothly.”
“He did not agree at first, of course. I put in some effort to convince him.”
“Yes, we are right at the press conference now. With all these media eyes on him, as long as the chap sticks to the script I gave him, and I get the trolls to fan the flames, it will definitely…”
This was not his home turf after all, so Zhao Dong stayed cautious. He glossed over “definitely get The Alley Folks yanked off air”.
Even so, Xie Jinghu on the line was already thrilled.
Back at the company today, some clueless exec had gushed over The Alley Folks’ hot ratings as Xie Qian’s big win since taking over Jiashin. Calling it a case of like father, like son, which left Xie Jinghu seething.
In front of outsiders, Xie Jinghu could not openly show his disdain for his own son Xie Qian, nor could he bring up the bet agreement. He was about fit to burst.
With Zhao Dong’s firm assurance that The Alley Folks would soon be pulled, Xie Jinghu’s foul mood lifted clean away.
Xie Jinghu was just about to praise Zhao Dong when, on stage, Cao Bo had his back to the wall under the reporters’ onslaught. That portal site journo shoved the mic right up to Cao Bo’s mouth and repeated the question.
“Mr Cao, talk about Xu Mei’s affair. I hear the other man is some big shot in the industry. Xu Mei only landed the lead in that romance queen’s new drama thanks to him?”
Cao Bo glanced down at the audience.
Guan Zong leaned forward eagerly, face alight with thrill.
No surprise there, since it was not Guan stuck with the “cuckold” label. He could vent his spleen through this, so of course he was buzzing.
Then, towards the door, Zhao Dong seemed to be on a call.
Who was he phoning?
Zhao Dong was just a gofer himself, with higher-ups keen to use Xu Mei as a wedge to hammer Jiashin Films.
The “gratitude” Zhao Dong had promised Cao Bo went beyond a cash payout. It included intros to higher circles, a leg up for Cao Bo.
So what if he got mocked as a cuckold? With tangible gains in hand, would he not have women lining up to throw themselves at him?
These thoughts raced through Cao Bo’s mind.
He was truly tempted!
He had struck a deal with Zhao Dong!
Yet for some reason, at this crunch point, Cao Bo’s hand acted on its own, shoving hard at the mic jammed to his lips.
The next second, his mouth ignored his brain too, and he unleashed a tirade at the portal site reporter.
“What affair, what cheating, what under-the-table deals? You bloody hide under folks’ beds every day to know it all so well?”
The portal site reporter was stunned.
This was not the script at all. What now?
The other reporters were gobsmacked too.
From Cao Bo’s tone, it sounded like Xu Mei had neither cheated nor pulled any shady trades?!
The portal site reporter pressed on. “Mr Cao, you are such a gentleman, but she might not appreciate it…”
Appreciate my arse!
What came back was Cao Bo’s rock-hard fist.
Cao Bo had punched the reporter!
As the others snapped to, they whipped out cameras and fired away.
The female lead, who had felt sidelined and irked just moments ago, finally gave Cao Bo a proper look.
She had heard Cao Bo was a playboy, always chasing industry insiders.
Who knew he was a flirt alright, but decent to exes once things ended.
If Cao Bo had aired Xu Mei’s dirt publicly today, claiming she cheated during their romance, Xu Mei would have been done for!
Cao Bo pinned the portal site reporter to the floor and thrashed him. Guan Zong rushed onstage to pull him off, yanking Cao Bo aside and hissing, “Have you lost it? We had a deal. Why hit him?”
Cao Bo’s glare was feral, as if he might turn on Guan Zong next. “Deal about what? Deal about me playing the cuckold? Pfft, my business might not be huge, but I have never wanted for cash since I was a kid. I am always the one splashing money on others. This is the first time someone tried splashing it on me!”
Er…
Guan Zong was at a loss for words.
On second thought, it made sense.
The Cao family was no mega-tycoon, but they carried weight in Hunan province. Otherwise, folks would not call Cao Bo “Young Master Cao”.
If Cao Bo spilled the beans on Xu Mei today, accusing her of cheating and sleeping around, she would face hell. And Cao Bo, as her former fiance, would be a laughingstock forever, dragging the whole Cao family down in front of kin and mates.
Guan Zong felt miffed but got Cao Bo’s last-minute backtrack.
Seeing Cao Bo lunge for the reporter again, Guan Zong blocked him desperately.
“That is enough. Do not actually hurt him and land us in hot water.”
Missing the chance to revenge on Xu Mei was a pity, sure, but Cao Bo had gone all in and decked a reporter. The Crown of Thorns launch still had a juicy headline. Guan Zong counted it as a win.
Zhao Dong was not pleased.
Zhao Dong was mid-call with Xie Jinghu when Cao Bo’s stunt left him reeling.
On the line, Xie Jinghu sensed something off and grilled Zhao Dong on what happened. Zhao Dong had no clue how to reply.
After a long pause, Zhao Dong finally forced out, “…The plan has gone awry.”
