ABT Chapter 0019: Come on, let's hurt each other!
Li Fanyu arrived at the set with a mind full of troubles. On one hand, he was upset about Zhou Qingyu's misunderstanding, and on the other hand, he was troubled by Xapp's matter. That's a hundred points! Which means, the cars that need to apply Xapp's technology have to run 1000 kilometers in just three days! It's easier said than done!
Seeing Li Fanyu deep in thought, Mara walked over, patting his shoulder and offering some words of comfort. Li Fanyu nodded and walked with him to the filming location.
Today's scenes were quite simple, just some explosive chase and explosion scenes involving Ha Lu and two supporting roles. Zhou Qingyu had no scenes, so she was not present.
Everything went smoothly, and by the end of the morning, they had almost finished shooting. Ha Lu behaved very professionally, as if yesterday's incident had never happened. Mara glanced at him but said nothing, then walked away to the studio.
When it was time to wrap up, a large group of reporters had already gathered around the set. They surrounded Ha Lu with their cameras and microphones.
Reporter: "There are rumors that you and Director Ma are not getting along. Is that true?"
Ha Lu: "Pure nonsense. Director Ma is a professional director, and I am a professional actor. We cooperate very happily."
Even though they had their grievances, tearing their faces apart wasn't a wise choice before the movie premiered. So Ha Lu gave a very official response.
Reporter: "We heard that you accused Zhou Qingyu of using improper means to get ahead. Is that true?"
Ha Lu: "I didn't say that, but she's a model crossing over into acting. It's puzzling how she got such an important role on her first try."
Wow! The reporters' eyes lit up! Although he didn't directly answer, the implication was clear, right? Big news!
Watching this, Li Fanyu, who was helping with the set, saw red. How shameless! You're the one who clearly wanted to use improper means! Frustrated, he threw the cardboard box he was holding to the ground.
A few reporters in the back noticed his action. One of them, sharp-eyed, quickly recognized him from his appearance and compared it to the photos in "Entertainment Weekly."
The reporter couldn't interview Ha Lu since he was surrounded, so he immediately turned his microphone towards Li Fanyu.
Reporter: "What do you do on the set?"
Facing the reporter's question, Li Fanyu was a bit uncomfortable. It was his first time being interviewed. Should he say he's not involved?
"Um, I'm responsible for stunt driving."
The reporter exclaimed in excitement. He hit the jackpot!
The production team of "Speed Crisis" had just revealed yesterday that the internet celebrity Bread Brother would be responsible for stunt driving. This was firsthand information!
He asked eagerly, "Are you Bread Brother? Can you tell us what the situation was like in the video that made you famous?"
Meanwhile, Ha Lu noticed some reporters leaving and turned curiously to see them interviewing Li Fanyu.
This made him furious. Am I not the leading star? Why are you leaving me to interview this nobody?
Changing the subject, he said, "Speed Crisis is a great movie, but I feel some technical aspects are not handled well. Scenes that could be done with CGI are filmed live. While aiming for realism is commendable, hiring internet celebrities to handle them feels biased from the director."
The reporters were thrilled. What a scoop! It really seems like they're not getting along!
On the other side, Li Fanyu squinted his eyes upon hearing this.
The reporter timely asked, "Why did you accompany Zhou Qingyu back to the hotel last night? Do you two know each other?"
"What's your relationship with her? What do you think about Zhou Miss's alleged use of improper means to get ahead?"
"In your opinion, what kind of person is Miss Zhou?"
Li Fanyu replied solemnly, "I met Miss Zhou for the first time yesterday, and we have no relationship whatsoever."
"In my opinion, the notion that Miss Zhou used improper means to get ahead is completely unfounded. With Miss Zhou's talent, playing the female lead should not be a problem. Even if she just stands there, she adds value to the movie."
"Miss Zhou is a very hardworking person. Despite lacking acting experience, she always has the script in hand on set, and her performance is excellent. Accusing her of using improper means is slander. She's a person with self-respect."
"As for why I escorted her back to the hotel, it's because someone tried to take advantage of her during filming, with intentions to harass her. Miss Zhou was feeling wronged and cried for a long time. I was worried she might be in danger driving herself, so I took her back."
Damn damn damn damn damn! The reporters were reaching their climax! Today's revelations were too shocking! Someone tried to harass her during filming! In the entire production team, aside from the male lead Ha Lu, who else could it be?
Immediately, a reporter asked, "Can you specify who you're referring to?"
Before Li Fanyu could answer, Mara came over and pulled him away. A large group of reporters followed them, blocked by the on-site staff.
"What were you saying? Offending Ha Lu, how will you survive in this circle?" Mara said with some frustration.
Li Fanyu looked bewildered. "Director Ma, I'm not even part of this circle to begin with."
Mara was stunned, stomping his foot and pointing at Li Fanyu. "You... you!"
He had taken a liking to Li Fanyu's superb driving skills and wanted to bring him into the circle to become a professional stunt driver.
The entertainment industry, whether big or small, is interconnected. Offending a star of Ha Lu's caliber would bring trouble if he decided to retaliate. For instance, his company could ensure Li Fanyu would struggle to find work. However, Li Fanyu was different; he never intended to stay in the entertainment industry.
All the adventures he had these days were thanks to Xapp. Sticking with Xapp and striving in the automotive industry was the way to go. Watching Ha Lu in trouble, Li Fanyu just wanted to shout with satisfaction: Come on! Let's hurt each other!
With such explosive revelations, various entertainment news outlets immediately reported:
"Our reporter interviews Bread Brother, admits to escorting Zhou Qingyu back to the hotel last night."
"Bread Brother Li Fanyu - A frank and outspoken internet celebrity."
"Bread Brother talks about the rumors surrounding Zhou Qingyu: Pure nonsense, Miss Zhou is a person with self-respect."
"Bread Brother exposes Ha Lu's intentions to harass Zhou Qingyu, who was left in tears."
"Implied support revealed, are the internet celebrity and supermodel a confirmed couple?"
"Who really tried to use improper means? Justice prevails in the end!"
For a moment, the topic became the talk of the town. Thanks to Li Fanyu's revelations, the rumors about Zhou Qingyu's use of improper means were debunked. As the disadvantaged party in the "misconduct incident," her online support skyrocketed.
On the other hand, Ha Lu became the target of widespread criticism from netizens. He and his company were left scrambling to defend themselves.
As a bonus, "Speed Crisis" saw a surge in exposure, saving millions in promotional expenses for the production team.
When Li Fanyu returned to his dormitory, he was grabbed by three rascals and beaten up. They claimed that going from dating the campus belle to pursuing a supermodel made him a despicable person.
In the dormitory of the university, a friend grabbed her phone excitedly and pulled the just-returned Cheng Ke, saying, "Keke, isn't this your rumored boyfriend? How come he's now rumored to be dating Zhou Qingyu?"
Cheng Ke picked up the phone and looked; dear lord, it really was him!
In the hotel suite, Zhou Qingyu, wrapped in a towel, twisted her slender legs as she counted the rose petals in her hand. "Apologize, don't apologize. Apologize, don't apologize..."