Hollywood, I became a legend with special effects.

Chapter 49: Am I not worthy of a surname?

Jiang Yu, the other male protagonist in the incident, is still catching up on sleep.

Last night I had another transoceanic video conference with people in Los Angeles about the promotional strategy for "Twilight". We discussed details such as "whether to put a still of Edward and Bella kissing on the cover of a teen magazine". We didn't get to sleep until after 2 a.m.

Around noon, the personal cell phone on the bedside table began to vibrate persistently.

Jiang Yu frowned, finally catching the source of the noise. His eyes weren't even fully open, and his voice was filled with sleepiness and displeasure at being disturbed.

"Feed?" He thought to himself that it had to be something really serious, otherwise he would consider deducting Yang Siwei's bonus next month.

"President Jiang! You finally answered the phone!" Yang Siwei's voice, unusually urgent, came from the other end. "Something's happened! You're in the news! It's the entertainment headline!"

"Huh?" Jiang Yu's brain was still in boot-up self-check mode, reacting a beat slow. His CPU had clearly not fully switched out of the dream of counting zeros. "What headlines? Iron Man broke another record? Or the Twilight trailer went viral?"

"This isn't work news! It's gossip! A scandalous headline!"

Yang Siwei explained quickly, "A few days ago, on Monday night, weren't you having dinner with Liu Yifei and Shu Chang at the Workers' Stadium?"

"Yeah, that's right. What's wrong?" Jiang Yu sat up, rubbing his throbbing temples as his memories began to return.

Yang Siwei choked for a moment on the other end of the phone, "They took photos of you secretly! Now the internet is full of news about your secret meeting with Liu Yifei and your relationship being exposed! The photos are all out! It's incredibly popular!"

Jiang Yu's sleepiness completely vanished. He frowned and quickly went through the events of that night in his mind.

In the three-person private room, Shu Chang was clearly sitting next to Liu Yifei, chattering like a little sparrow. Her presence was so strong that even the pungent smell of chili peppers couldn't mask it. So how did the photos turn out to be of a two-person world?

"How exactly was the news written? How far has it affected? Has the other party's identity been revealed?" he asked calmly, his mind completely switched to crisis management mode.

Yang Siwei quickly summarized the main points of the news and the various reactions online, adding, "The buzz is still rising because neither side has responded, leading to all sorts of speculation. People in the industry who know you will definitely recognize you, but the general public and most entertainment media don't know your specific identity yet, and are currently still speculating about a 'mysterious man' or a 'suspected rich second-generation boyfriend.' Liu Yifei's agency has contacted us to inquire about the situation and expressed their willingness to cooperate with us in issuing a unified statement to clarify the situation. They sounded a little flustered, afraid of offending you."

Jiang Yu listened, and realized that this matter was neither a big deal nor a small one.

"Shu Chang was also there at the time. Did you get any footage of her?" he asked, seizing on a crucial flaw.

"I have carefully examined those photos and video clips, as well as other possible versions, but I have not found any footage of Shu Chang."

Yang Siwei analyzed, her tone tinged with exasperation at the paparazzi's lack of skill, "It's very likely that the paparazzi only focused on Liu Yifei, or deliberately avoided shooting from her angle to create the effect of a private moment between two people. After all, the story of the 'Fairy Sister' meeting a mysterious man is much more sensational than a threesome working dinner."

"Understood." Jiang Yu pondered for a moment, and a plan quickly took shape in his mind, which he even found a little funny.

This generation of paparazzi isn't even trying to save time like this.

......

"Siwei, do this: First, immediately contact Shuchang and ask her for help. Without revealing the 'Black Swan' project, you can 'casually' mention on your personal social media that you had a great time having dinner with your friends on Monday night, indirectly proving that she was there. Be careful with your wording, be natural, like sharing your life, don't be too deliberate, don't bring up any topics, it would be best if she could complain about how she 'ate the most but couldn't get any photos taken, the paparazzi look down on people who just sit around' or something like that, with a touch of self-deprecation and humor."

Yang Siwei almost burst out laughing on the other end of the phone. The boss's move was brilliant. Shu Chang herself has a lively and cheerful image, so posting such content felt completely natural. It also softened the hardness and easily dispelled the rumors of a "secret meeting".

"Second, contact Liu Yifei's agency and tell them that Light Chaser Pictures will handle this matter entirely. They should refrain from making any public statements and remain silent for the time being. Everything should be based on our actions. Reassure them that it's a minor matter and there's no need to be alarmed."

"Third, have the company's public relations department prepare a brief statement. The core content should be: Mr. Jiang Yu, president of Light Chaser Pictures, recently met with actress Ms. Liu Yifei and another friend. This was a normal business meeting and a private gathering of friends, aimed at exploring potential future collaborations. The company regrets the actions of some media outlets that disregarded the facts, selectively reported, and made malicious speculations, and reserves the right to pursue legal action. The statement will not be released for now, pending my further instructions."

"Fourth," Jiang Yu paused, a hint of coldness creeping into his voice, "investigate which media outlet's reporter took the photos, who gave directions, and from which channel the photos initially leaked. Focus on investigating whether Huayi or other competitors are involved. I don't like being used as a pawn, nor do I like my people being arbitrarily fabricated."

The words "my people" were spoken casually, yet they stirred something within Yang Siwei.

"Understood!" Yang Siwei noted everything down, feeling reassured.

The boss's thinking was as clear as a scalpel: he needed to clarify the facts, control the impact, take the opportunity to give a warning to those who might be causing trouble in the shadows, and protect Liu Yifei and the projects that had not yet been made public.

"In addition," Jiang Yu added, his voice regaining its usual calmness, even carrying a hint of shrewdness, "we need to prepare some publicly available information about the 'Black Swan' project, such as: Light Chaser Pictures and Searchlight Pictures are collaborating on a psychological thriller art film, focusing on the ecosystem of a top ballet company, and selecting suitable actors globally. Perhaps we can take advantage of this opportunity to gain attention and release some serious information."

Yang Siwei suddenly understood and instantly grasped Jiang Yu's subtext.

Instead of passively clarifying rumors and being led by the nose by paparazzi, it's better to proactively release bigger news, use major business news to shift the focus, cover up boring gossip, and at the same time lay the groundwork for the selection of actors for the "Black Swan" project, thus occupying the high ground in public opinion.

This move is interesting, even a bit... cunning.

"Yes, Mr. Jiang. I'll take care of it right away."

After hanging up the phone, Jiang Yu finally saw the text message Liu Yifei had sent him on his phone.

He clicked on it and could imagine her looking somewhat uneasy and apologetic.

He replied succinctly:

"I've seen it. No need to apologize. The company will handle it. Do not disturb, everything is as usual."

After sending the message, he put down his phone, got up, and walked towards the bathroom.

Jiang Yu dried her face, changed into comfortable home clothes, and slowly walked to the kitchen to make herself a simple sandwich.

While eating, I browsed online news on my computer.

Sure enough, topics like "Liu Yifei's mysterious boyfriend" and "Liu Yifei's secret rendezvous" have already climbed to the top of the trending searches.

Clicking in, you'll find all sorts of netizens and marketing accounts passionately analyzing the brand of the man's watch, the price of his jacket, and how much his fleeting profile resembles that of a second-generation entrepreneur.

Jiang Yu watched with great interest, and even found some of the guesses quite creative.

Then, he refreshed the page.

A new blog post from actress Shu Chang popped up:

"Wow, I woke up and realized I missed the headlines! (doge) I had dinner with Xixi @LiuYifei and a super nice friend on Monday night, and the chopped chili fish head at Xiaoxiang Pavilion was amazing! This rice lover sang with three bowls of rice, but I didn't even get a mention? Paparazzi, next time take a full picture, or even Photoshop me in, I won't charge you any royalties~ (laughing and crying) (laughing and crying) #FoodHealsEverything#"

The accompanying photo is a picture of food taken on a Monday night.

The comment section exploded the moment this Weibo post was published:

"Hahaha, let's sing our grievances! The 'good-for-nothing' guy is confirmed!"

"So it was a dinner party for three? These paparazzi are shameless when it comes to clicks!"

"Changchang said it was a 'super nice friend,' so it seems like they know each other. Maybe they're just talking about work?"

"Shu sang it out as proof! It's a slap in the face to those who said it was a secret rendezvous!"

"Am I the only one concerned about how delicious the fish head is? Changchang, hurry up and release your restaurant review!"

"So who is that 'super nice friend'? I'm so curious!"

Shu Chang personally stepped in, indirectly clarifying the secret meeting between the two in a relaxed and humorous way, without revealing Jiang Yu's identity or specific project, striking the perfect balance.

A few minutes later, Yang Siwei called again.

"President Jiang, Shu Chang's side is cooperating very well. Public opinion is starting to divide. In addition, preliminary investigations show that the photos were first leaked from a studio called 'Entertainment Industry Spy,' which has collaborated with a publicity subsidiary of Huayi Brothers on multiple occasions. Currently, there is no direct evidence to prove that Huayi Brothers instructed it; it's possible that they just happened to take the photos while routinely monitoring Liu Yifei, or... someone provided a clue."

"Understood. Keep an eye on it." Jiang Yu wasn't surprised. "Are the statement and the 'Black Swan' press release ready?"

"It's ready. There are two versions, with slightly different wording. You can choose when to release them after you've reviewed them."

"Okay. Let Shu Chang's blog post circulate for a while longer. At 3 PM, release the project press release for 'Black Swan,' emphasizing the 'global selection' and 'stringent artistic requirements.' At 5 PM, release our clarification statement, using a stronger tone, pointing out 'selective reporting' and 'malicious speculation.' Make sure the order is correct."

"Understood! Also, Liu Yifei asked if she needs to forward our statement?"

"No need. Let her keep quiet. Sometimes, silence is more powerful than explanation, especially after we've offered other explanations."

Jiang Yu took a sip of water. "Tell her to focus on preparing for training and not worry about anything else."

After hanging up the phone, Jiang Yu walked to the window and stretched.