Chapter 137

After finalizing the plan to start a new company, Zhou Mingxing picked up the teacup on the table to moisten his throat. The black tea had already cooled, its mellow bitterness sinking deeper the more he drank—just like his heart, now thoroughly chilled.

He remembered the days when he had jumped ship to join the TV station, full of ambition. Even though it meant a significant pay cut, he had still hoped to carve out a clean corner in the murky world of entertainment.

He never claimed to be a saint, but he had his own bottom line. All he wanted was to train a few capable, principled artists and make a living in this industry based on real talent. Zhou Mingxing had calculated it all carefully: as long as they didn’t reach for the top-tier resources, they could stay low-key, go with the flow, and still earn more than they would in the public sector—without being shackled by its rigid rules. If they could ride it out until retirement, life wouldn’t be half bad.

But looking back now, he realized he had been far too naïve.

In this society, where isn’t there scheming, backstabbing, and power struggles?

He never tried to snatch anyone else’s cake—just focused on baking his own. But that didn’t stop others from coveting the big, delicious one he’d made.

Wei Sheng had once said something that rang painfully true: in this industry, being too good is a sin in itself.

There are always people who, instead of working hard to improve themselves, would rather drag down anyone better than them. That way, everyone’s on the same level, and they can “stand out” with nothing but shamelessness and a thick skin.

Back when the old station director was still around, he ruled with a hands-off approach. As long as the annual revenue targets were met, he didn’t care how people got there, or whether they had side hustles outside their main jobs.

But the new director? He clearly reveled in the thrill of wielding power. From the moment he took office, he teamed up with a few old-timers at the station to oust Pu Xiangdong—proof enough that he wasn’t the type to tolerate others easily.

Zhou Mingxing knew how to play nice with people like that. The simplest way would be to hand over all the profitable projects and have Wei Sheng and the others attend more social dinners to keep the new director happy. That would smooth things over just fine.

But why should he?

If a man can earn his money standing tall, who would willingly kneel for someone else’s scraps?

Zhou Mingxing had already made up his mind to part ways with the TV station. Now, the only thing left to worry about was—

“Shen Yi, Han Xing, Junyao, and Wei Sheng—you all need to be mentally prepared for a full-on smear campaign.”

“Once I take you with me and terminate our contracts with the station, we’ll have no backing. A lot of media accounts won’t bother showing us any respect.”

“There’ll be a flood of slanderous articles, and we might not even be able to suppress them with money. If any of you feel like you can’t handle the pressure, I can give you an extended break. You’ve all worked hard these past few years—take a vacation, recharge, and once the storm dies down, we’ll make a comeback!”

“What about you?” Shen Yi suddenly asked.

“I’m not a celebrity. I don’t have to worry about my commercial value taking a hit. Besides, the more aggressive I am in this situation, the more I can draw the fire away from you guys…”

“I don’t agree!” Wei Sheng set down his teacup, his expression turning serious.

“Neither do I,” Shen Yi added angrily. “We made this decision together—why should you be the only one charging ahead while we hide in the back and wait to reap the benefits?” What infuriated her most was that Zhou Mingxing didn’t seem to see them as a real family.

But a true family should stand together, through thick and thin.

Seeing them like this, Zhou Mingxing felt both touched and guilty. He couldn’t help but reveal a bit more of his plan.

But the moment he finished speaking, the very disciples who had just declared they’d stand by him were suddenly ready to grab their bags and run.

On the way back from the teahouse, Wei Sheng was lost in thought, trying to figure out how to explain to his mom that he was quitting his job at the TV station.

To be honest, in the eyes of most locals in J Province, the ultimate goal in life was to land a government job. Even earning hundreds of millions a year didn’t compare to the prestige of having an official post.

But when he quietly explained the whole situation to Hu Qianqian, she was even angrier than Zhou Mingxing had been. “Quit! Why wouldn’t you quit? Resign immediately!”

Wei Sheng: ???

Seeing the shock on her son’s face, Hu Qianqian’s heart ached.

“This is all my fault. I shouldn’t have forced you to take the civil service exam. If you’re not happy there, then don’t do it. We’re not exactly starving, are we?”

Lately, Hu Qianqian had been spending more time with Liang Yi, often listening to stories from his legal circles. Those stories had given her a new perspective on life.

She realized she had been one of those people manipulated by so-called “social norms.”

She had suffered enough in her youth, shackled by those very rules. Now that she had finally made it through and wanted to live for herself, why was she trying to impose that same set of rules on her son?

Liang Yi really knew how to connect with Hu Qianqian.

For her, whether or not she remarried didn’t matter all that much. But whether her son could be happy—that was a lifelong worry she could never let go of.

Liang Yi had found her soft spot, and he knew just how to press it. From time to time, he’d share stories about the psychological pressure children faced because of their parents’ outdated beliefs.

People often underestimate the weight of family expectations. But many young people, driven to desperation or forced into lives they never wanted—whether it’s a job they hate or a loveless marriage—suffer because of the damage parents inflict under the guise of “love.”

Hu Qianqian never suspected that Liang Yi was pursuing her. She just felt like they were growing closer, finding more and more in common. Every day, she looked forward to hearing what new story Liang Yi would bring her—it was better value than the 300-yuan annual subscription she’d paid for that webnovel site!

Of course, Liang Yi’s constant, subtle brainwashing wasn’t just for the sake of conversation.

He understood one thing clearly: only when Wei Sheng was truly happy would Hu Qianqian feel at ease to pursue her own happiness.

Still, all his efforts hadn’t been in vain. At the very least, when Wei Sheng brought up the idea of quitting his job at the TV station, Hu Qianqian didn’t react like most parents would—urging him not to give up such a stable, iron rice bowl. Instead, her first thought was that something must have happened at work, that her son had been wronged and had no choice but to leave.

Well then, what was there to wait for? Resign tomorrow! Even if you’re after stability, it’s not like the TV station is the only job out there.

“Mom, you’re the best!” Wei Sheng opened his arms and gave Hu Qianqian a big hug. “Don’t worry. With your son’s skills, do you really think I’d starve out there?”

Hu Qianqian laughed too. “No need to go fight it out in the real world. That short drama you invested in—what was it, *Mad Wife Arrives*? A lot of the aunties in our neighborhood love it. Just focus on making that series. If you can sell one a year, that should be more than enough to support our whole family, right?”

More than enough? It was way more than enough!

Dear Mom, do you have any idea how much money that short drama made me?

Even without counting the streaming revenue share, just the ad revenue alone was enough for me to buy you a luxury villa in J City.

After giving his family a heads-up, the next day, Zhou Mingxing took the lead, and Shen Yi, Wei Sheng, and the others all handed in their resignation letters.

Since the station refused to trust them, choosing instead to indulge in endless rumors and slander, launching investigation after investigation… then fine, no need to waste any more effort. Time to split!

As for the station’s resources, including those two hit variety shows, they weren’t taking a single thing with them. Whoever wanted them could have them—if they could handle it.

But expecting them to walk the fine line within the system to make money for the station, while the higher-ups refused to step up and protect them? That kind of attitude was just too disheartening.

Didn’t they keep doubting them, suspecting them of undermining the station? Fine then—here’s the shovel, I’m done!

At that moment, all the special programs for the New Year had already been planned out. Needless to say, Shen Yi, Wei Sheng, Zhang Hanxing—these core members—had all been assigned heavy workloads. And now Zhou Mingxing was leading them in a mass walkout? That was unacceptable!

The new station director was so furious he smashed two teacups in his office. The other producers were running around in a panic.

Wang Qun was practically on his knees in front of Wei Sheng.

“My dear ancestor! Who wronged you this time? Just say the word, and I’ll go beat them up for you!”

“Be mad all you want, but you can’t quit now! We haven’t even started filming the New Year’s special for *Retracing the Path of Poverty Alleviation*!”

And it wasn’t just the New Year special—Wang Qun had lined up a ton of resources for next year, most of which had come knocking specifically because of Wei Sheng. If Wei Sheng bailed now, where was he supposed to find another artist with such strong values *and* a natural flair for variety shows?

Jin Yannan, who had her own network of informants at the station, more or less figured out why Wei Sheng and the others were resigning en masse. She didn’t try to persuade Wei Sheng to stay—she knew there was no point.

In fact, the way the station wanted to squeeze money out of Wei Sheng and his team while turning a blind eye to the petty people spreading rumors about them—it disgusted Jin Yannan too.

So instead, she met privately with Zhou Mingxing and Wei Sheng to express her stance—

*The Wage Earners* couldn’t do without them. So she would do everything in her power to convince the station to let them stay on as permanent guests, regardless of whether they officially resigned or not.

“Old Zhou, don’t worry. On my turf, no one gets to bully your people.” That was Jin Yannan’s promise to Zhou Mingxing.

Zhou Mingxing nodded. He knew that if veterans like Wang Qun and Jin Yannan stood with them, it would give them a significant edge in the upcoming negotiations with the station. At the very least, he could use those two top-grossing variety shows as leverage. If the station still wanted Wei Sheng and the others to keep making money for them, they’d have to make concessions.

The “buyout” negotiations were brutal, but at this point, Zhou Mingxing wasn’t in any rush. He gave Shen Yi, Wei Sheng, and the others extended leave, and brought in a team of lawyers to slowly grind it out with the station.

He could afford to wait. The station couldn’t.

It was already the fourth quarter. According to the production schedule, Wei Sheng and the team should’ve already been out filming the New Year’s special for *Retracing the Path of Poverty Alleviation*. Any more delays, and they wouldn’t make the New Year broadcast window. That multi-billion-yuan project would go straight down the drain.

But the station wasn’t completely defenseless either.

Under the direction of certain higher-ups, news began to spread online that Shen Yi, Wei Sheng, and the others were “ungrateful,” that they wanted to break their contracts with the very station that had nurtured them now that they were famous.

In this industry, who doesn’t have a few haters? Especially someone like Wei Sheng, who had risen to fame so quickly over the past two years—he’d stepped on a lot of toes. Plenty of people in the industry resented him. Now that he was in a messy contract dispute with his old employer, with rumors of financial misconduct and internal disciplinary investigations, it was open season. The moment the story broke, the internet exploded with slanderous articles and wild accusations.

Wei Sheng finally understood what Zhou Mingxing meant when he said, “You’d better be ready to be hated by the entire internet.”

A flood of people—many of whom probably weren’t even real fans—started putting on dramatic “unfollow” performances under Wei Sheng’s social media posts. Some cursed him as an ungrateful traitor, a white-eyed wolf. Others accused him of greed and causing his own downfall. A particularly aggressive group was working overtime to stir the pot, pushing the narrative that someone as morally bankrupt as Wei Sheng had no business being involved in wholesome, positive-energy programs like *Retracing the Path of Poverty Alleviation* or *The Wage Earners*.

If he’s not worthy, then who is?

Wei Sheng let out a cold laugh and shut down the app. After a moment’s thought, he opened it again, casually snapped a photo of the blue sky dotted with white clouds, and posted it with a caption.

**#Wei Sheng: Only the wind decides where the clouds drift.#

After dropping that cryptic message, he didn’t hesitate—he uninstalled every social media app on his phone and decided to go completely offline for half a month.

But that didn’t mean he and his crew were idle. With his senior brothers and sisters all conveniently free, why wait? Time to cash in on some favors—he roped them all into guest-starring in his short drama to give it a boost in popularity.

What Wei Sheng didn’t expect was this: the moment *The Fierce Wife Arrives* Season 2 was officially announced, every single advertiser they’d worked with before reached out to renew their contracts.

No—there were even more now. Several new advertisers had joined, all recommended by the streaming platform they partnered with.

Wei Sheng took a closer look and nearly burst out laughing.

Among the new sponsors were an online bookstore that had sold out of stock thanks to *Civil Code* and wanted to ride the wave again to push more books, and a slew of brands targeting female consumers—sanitary pads, facial wipes, skincare, cosmetics, even women’s nutritional supplements and formula—after analyzing the show’s audience demographics and realizing it had a strong female following.

No wonder Zhou Mingxing had told him to go ahead with Season 2 without worrying about advertisers backing out.

Capital always chases profit. Who cares if you’ve had a falling out with your former employer? That’s even better—cutting out the middleman means lower costs, and maybe they can even negotiate a better deal on ad rates.

Business is business. Who in their right mind would go against money?

(End of Chapter)