Chapter 96: Internal Coordination (V)

Guna said, word by word, "The only thing you guessed wrong is that the Big Boss's wife resolutely left with the former chairman, leaving him with no hope whatsoever."

"Ah!" Liu Zichen finally understood completely. "The Big Boss suffered another blow, became completely disheartened, and lost the will to fight on, because it no longer had any meaning. So he gave up."

"Right," Guna nodded. "One had no desire to fight, and the other was eager to recruit, so the Big Boss returned."

"However, by that time, the Big Boss had seen through everything. He refused to even enter the board of directors, including rejecting the shares offered by Shi Yu. He refused to hold any important positions, keeping only a complex emotion of both love and hate toward Universe Media, and chose to become the freest artist manager."

"The Big Boss has a very distinct style as a manager. He doesn't accept recommendations from others, doesn't manage trendy young idols, and doesn't manage the same person for long periods. He acts purely on intuition, and no one can do a thing about him. But you have to admit, his eye for talent is astonishing; almost everyone he takes under his wing becomes an overnight sensation. People say it's uncanny."

At this, Guna looked up and glanced at Liu Zichen: "You are the exception."

Liu Zichen could only manage an embarrassed smile: "I'm a novice stepping into this field midway, so I really can't carry this kind of pressure."

"In the company's parlance, you've now become box office poison," Guna sighed. "You've also become the Big Boss's box office poison, shattering his undefeated myth. The strangest thing is that while the Big Boss used to swap people out easily, this time he seems to have no intention of replacing you at all."

Liu Zichen's heart stirred. "Does that mean the reason I haven't been terminated by the company yet is because the Big Boss has been covering for me behind the scenes?"

"There's no other explanation. Otherwise, given Shi Yu's temperament, you'd certainly be in deep trouble," Guna said with absolute certainty.

Liu Zichen finally understood why no one was making trouble for her despite causing massive financial losses to the company.

"This Senior Big Boss is really... sigh, he's taking too good care of me."

Guna said dismissively, "Please don't mind what I'm about to say."

"Go ahead, it's fine."

Guna curled her lip: "Everyone in the company is whispering behind your back that the Big Boss has taken a fancy to you."

"Ah?!" Liu Zichen received a tremendous shock. "That's impossible, right? We have such a huge age gap, and besides, the Big Boss has never hinted at anything of the sort."

Guna said scornfully, "People love to chase shadows and spread gossip; it's inevitable. Just think about it, aren't there anywhere from ten to twenty thousand actresses waiting to be leading ladies? Especially in a massive international corporation like ours, every little romance gets blown out of proportion with vivid details."

"Besides, the Big Boss has the nickname 'The Turtle Grandson,' and everyone assumes he's been pent up and driving himself crazy all these years." Guna really dared to say anything, completely unconcerned with Liu Zichen's discomfort. To her, these things were hardly worth mentioning, and giving someone a nickname was completely normal.

Perhaps the term "Turtle Grandson" wasn't considered all that derogatory within the industry; certain terms are understood completely differently across various social strata.

Liu Zichen let out a faint sigh. "Is this the atmosphere the company has had all these years? Was it like this even when it was first founded?" She was now somewhat confused by the Big Boss's intentions; it certainly seemed strange. Yet, even if he were to show the slightest hint of ulterior motives, he truly hadn't shown any at all.

Guna said helplessly, "Don't forget, you've already stepped into the entertainment industry. An actress without scandals is not a good actress. Don't take it too seriously."

Liu Zichen nodded. "I roughly understand now. Can you also tell me about the situation on Shi Yu's side?"

Guna glanced at her watch and hesitated. "Most people in the company don't dare bring up Shi Yu, so I don't know much, and I've already told you pretty much everything I do know. How about we chat another day? I need to rush back to work."

"All right." Liu Zichen hadn't expected to figure everything out in a single day anyway. She figured that as long as Guna remained in the company, she would eventually learn many of the inner workings.

What she couldn't gauge right now was the extent to which Guna could actually help. However, hearing her casually refer to Shi Yu by his full name without a care suggested it wouldn't be a major issue.

Still, she wanted to test Guna's bottom line and capabilities.

So she said, "I might need just a little more time of yours. I want to ask for a favor."

"Go ahead. A few more minutes won't make a difference to heading back," Guna said readily.

Liu Zichen said patiently, "As you probably know, since we from Beiting are here, naturally we're here to investigate a case. Although participating in this movie shoot was purely a matter of coincidence, our primary business is still investigating."

Guna nodded with understanding. "Are you suspecting that Universe Media is connected to some case? ... Oh, I heard that Hu Wenyi from Dynasty met with an untimely end. Could it be related to that case? No wonder you're so interested in the Big Boss."

Liu Zichen made up her mind and shook her feet slightly. "It's not just that one case. Did you know that Little Cub, the person you know, also met with an accident?" As they chatted, she had been weighing whether she should reveal too much to Guna, but ultimately decided to speak the truth. She trusted her own judgment.

Guna was startled, but only for a fraction of a second. "This guy kicked the bucket too? ... I always said he was walking a thin line; it was inevitable he couldn't escape this kind of end."

Liu Zichen asked acutely, "Does that mean you also know something about his situation?"

"Of course. In these circles, who can keep anything hidden from anyone?" Guna curled her lip once more.

With great interest, Liu Zichen asked, "I'd love to hear how people in the underworld view this Little Cub. You don't have to go into detail."

Guna ticked them off on her fingers: "The common flaws of these tabloid reporters: taking drugs, chasing women, heavy drinking, and ripping open other people's scars."

Liu Zichen asked in surprise, "All of them are like that?"

Guna nodded. "More or less. Once you enter this line of work, I've never seen anyone turn out particularly good. As for this Little Cub, though I didn't meet him many times in total, I heard he was somewhat more sentimental, always holding a lingering attachment to a girl in Lugu Lake. If not for that, I would never have given these tabloid reporters even a fraction of a pleasant expression." Zhuo Hu had also been a tabloid reporter, and perhaps that was a pain she could never forget.

"Is that so?" Liu Zichen thought for a moment. "Does that mean Little Cub was still one of the few good ones?"

"Tch!" Guna said dismissively. "Don't let me mislead you. I said he was sentimental toward one girl, but I never said he didn't touch other girls."

Liu Zichen struggled to comprehend this and looked at Guna in confusion.

Guna stubbed out her cigarette and let out a faint sigh. "Your worldly experience is still severely lacking. If you ever get the chance to infiltrate the inner circle of these people, you'll understand at a single glance."

Liu Zichen said helplessly, "Infiltrating these people's circles easily is not an easy task."

Guna said indifferently, "Then do as I did: take some drugs too, and people will come looking for you right away. You won't even need to go looking for them."

"You used drugs too?" Liu Zichen asked in astonishment.

"I did," Guna admitted frankly. "During my lowest points, I could only rely on drugs to numb myself. Fortunately, my foundation was solid, and I was ruthless enough with myself to make a special trip to Wudang Mountain to undergo rehabilitation. But by then, my master had long since passed away. Otherwise, he would have been coughing up blood from anger..." At this, Guna actually let out a self-deprecating laugh.

Liu Zichen could deeply appreciate this kind of blood-stained resilience; no matter how red a rose is, it still comes with thorns.

To comfort her, she said, "That means you're quite fortunate, all things considered."

"Fortunate or not, I don't really care anymore." Guna stood up. "I'm leaving. Let's chat again when we have time."

Liu Zichen nodded. She had somewhat forgotten the mission that brought her here and sat in place with a turbulent mix of emotions.

Guna threw her coat over her shoulders on her own accord, without any superfluous pleasantries. She came and went as she pleased; she was truly a woman of the rivers and lakes.

However, right before leaving, she unexpectedly added on her own initiative: "Don't worry, I'll help you."

Surprised, Liu Zichen looked up, but Guna had already strode quickly out of the teahouse.