You were asked to be on a dating variety show, but all the guests failed?

Chapter 260 My Lucky General Li Wensheng

Changshan is the provincial capital of southern Sichuan. It is very famous and is a popular internet city with a very developed tourism industry.

This does not mean that Changshan has no heavy industry at all. It’s just that in order to develop the tourism economy, Changshan has moved many industrial facilities to the surrounding areas. In this way, the surrounding cities can be driven by factories to boost employment and economy, and Changshan also has a very good environment and more places for construction.

Judging from the current situation, this approach is very good. A large part of Changshan’s GDP is made up of the tertiary industry. But at the same time, if the tertiary industry suffers a major shock, it will undoubtedly be devastating to economic development.

Zhu Chengbiao scratched his head.

He didn't know much about the entertainment industry. Even though he had undergone intensive special training during this period and heard a lot of inside information from practitioners like Meng Yunda, this amount of time was only enough to give him a rough idea and it was impossible for him to fully understand it.

So he thought about it for a long time but couldn't figure it out, so he could only ask humbly:
"Meng, I don't think this is a big deal, right?"

"The approach I just described is definitely not arresting people on the spot. That would be too outrageous. A group of people armed with live ammunition rushed into your Southern Sichuan TV building and arrested a bunch of auditioning stars. The impact is not only bad, it's outrageous!"

"Look, what I mean is that we first obtain their hair through covert means, then mark which hair belongs to whom, take it for toxicology testing, and take away those with problems separately for secondary inspection. As for how we know they touched something they shouldn't have touched... Hey, there are aunties in Chaoyang everywhere, why can't we have enthusiastic people in Changshan report it?"

"Besides, I still have confidence in us. Even within Wushuang, only a few people have encountered this kind of thing. If there were really that many, Operation Qinglang would have used submachine guns to sweep eight hundred times back and forth. Why would we just clean it up online?"

He explained it and it sounded quite reasonable, but Meng Yunda still sneered and asked back:
"Then let me ask you—"

"If so many celebrities inside Wushuang, or those like Lu Siyuan who have private connections with Wushuang, are found to have problems at the same time, and then they are all taken away by the Changshan Municipal Bureau for examination, and they have all participated in the audition of the new drama of Sichuan Southern TV, how can I distance myself from it?"

"I can find a way to pass the buck even if one of these things is removed, but all of them happened at the same time. Do you think they are all brain-dead? They can't even make sense of such simple logic? There may be many celebrities in the entertainment industry who are illiterate and have a high level of education, but none of those who can make it to the stage are really fools. They are all the smartest of the smart, and have been marinated by foxes!"

“Let’s take a step back and say that even if the artists themselves can’t figure it out, can’t the investors and companies behind them figure it out? Those people actually make money by using their brains, logic, and manipulating people’s hearts. What they are best at is finding the driving logic behind something.”

"If we retreat to the edge of a cliff, those who were taken away will definitely become bad artists after being exposed. Except for the brainless fans, no one will think that people who have touched drugs are worthy of being followed. Even if they think that Sichuan Southern TV is behind all this, it is impossible to put it out in the open. We are definitely at the commanding heights in public opinion."

"If you don't do anything wrong, you don't have to worry about ghosts knocking on your door. Just like you said just now, I believe that in this circle, the majority of people have never touched drugs."

Meng Yunda paused, looked directly at Zhu Chengbiao, and asked a soul-searching question:

"But can you guarantee that they won't be involved in pornography, gambling or drugs?"

"As far as I know, a large number of male artists are bad at wearing pants. Putting aside your official position, 90% of men have ordered takeout or eaten in restaurants. Don't rush to deny it. Anyway, as far as I know, the world around you is this data."

"This ratio will only increase, not decrease, in the entertainment industry. If you have to say the difference, it's that people in the industry have more money, play more high-end and spend more lavishly, and most of the artists have good looks. Many of them don't even need to order takeout, just sleep with their fans. You can't fail to understand the difference between prostitution and dating. As long as it doesn't involve group sex, it's not illegal."

"Those who have a stable partner and don't mess around outside are very rare in the industry. Many people who don't want to mess around because they want to protect their reputation will choose to find the so-called 'crew couples', that is, male and female artists get together on the crew and pretend nothing happened after the filming is finished."

"It's understandable that adults have this need, and everyone has their own solution. However, if all of the above things were exposed, it would be a devastating blow to the artist's career. More than 80% of artists and 99% of traffic stars are not allowed to have their own partners. It takes great courage to be in a public relationship, not to mention that many people are in their rising period."

"If it's not okay to be in a relationship, do you think it's okay to be more extreme?"

"I have explained the current situation in the industry. Now tell me, if Sichuan TV follows the model you just described, standing on the high ground of public opinion, law and morality, and almost openly declares that those artists who have used drugs are reported by us, and that they came to the crew for auditions and were sting enforcement, what do you think others will think?"

"Don't they feel that any activity in Chuannantai, Changshan, or even the entire Chuannan Province carries the risk of being watched at all times?"

"It is possible that many female artists are not afraid, because female artists do not have many demands in certain aspects. Even if there are problems, such as dating, being kept or keeping a gigolo, the number is not large. The most serious case may be like Shu Yi. But how many crews and programs do you think only want female artists and do not want any male artists?"

"To put it bluntly, even though it is generally recognized in the industry that the risk factor of female artists is much lower than that of male artists, a considerable part of this industry is still supported by the fan economy, and fans are often mostly female, with stronger spending power, and most of them like male artists, which has created a huge fallacy and a vicious cycle——"

"Female fans account for a large proportion, so when capital is creating stars, resources are tilted more towards male artists. Even if female artists have a lower risk factor, they cannot create as much value as male artists. Capital is profit-seeking, so even if it means taking huge risks, they will still prefer to support male stars."

"Now, if a large amount of capital goes around Sichuan TV and Changshan to avoid risks, how much of our variety shows, plays, and even large-scale evening parties and concerts held in Changshan City will be left?"

"Zhu Chengbiao, I think it's normal that you don't understand the entertainment industry. Everyone has their own expertise. But since you are in this position, you should at least know the several stages of development of Changshan's tertiary industry."

Zhu Chengbiao was silent for a moment and nodded.

He has worked his way up from the grassroots level to where he is now. He was born and raised in Changshan for decades and has witnessed Changshan's tremendous transformation and development in the past 20 years. He also knows that within the system, one needs to continue to learn various knowledge, pass various exams, and attend various meetings. Naturally, he has a deep understanding of this.

At the beginning of the millennium, Southern Sichuan TV's various trend-setting variety shows and visionary drama selection made it the undisputed leader among local TV stations. Even today, a large number of young people born in the 1990s and 2000s, no matter which province or region they come from, have a certain influence of Southern Sichuan TV in their childhood and youth, which has left a mark on everyone that "Changshan has many stars."

More than ten or twenty years ago, many young people went to Changshan to watch celebrities and variety show recordings. As time went by, more and more people came there. Southern Sichuan TV also produced many celebrities from southern Sichuan. This was the starting point for Changshan to become attractive to the outside world.

Although Changshan officials have made tremendous efforts in tourism planning in the past decade, with many trendy brands originating from Changshan and many innovative initiatives, it must be admitted that the results would never have been so good without the foundation laid by Southern Sichuan Station over the past 20 years.

To this day, a considerable number of tourists who come to Changshan come to chase stars, watch TV shows, visit and check in. Some even go to the Chuannan TV building to check in. Even if Changshan's popularity as an internet celebrity city fades, as long as Chuannan TV is still there, there will be no shortage of people.

Chuannantai is an indispensable part of Changshan’s tertiary industry.

Zhu Chengbiao took a deep breath and sighed:

"What you said makes sense. I can't afford the risk. But do you have a better idea?"

"We can't just rush to Wushuang headquarters and check all their artists. What's the difference between that and locking up Liu Shuangcheng for 48 hours? It's just alerting the enemy. I'm afraid that arresting Liu Shuangcheng wouldn't be that scary."

Meng Yunda was also worried.

He was worried for a long time, and suddenly a trembling voice came to his ear. "Um... can you let me say a few words?"

The two bosses' eyes instantly shifted to the screen.

At this moment, they suddenly realized that there were actually three people participating in this conference call, and Li Wensheng was also in the group video.

When Zhu Chengbiao and Meng Yunda were arguing just now, they completely forgot about Li Wensheng!

Li Wensheng, a veteran variety show director who has been in the industry for decades, was like a rookie in front of the two of them. He couldn't help but raise his hand to speak, as if he was a primary school student who needed to make a report before he could speak in class.

Meng Yunda rubbed his brows and said tiredly:

"Just say whatever you want to say. If you have suggestions or ideas, you can raise them. Anyway, our discussion has come to a standstill. If you have a new angle, just bring it up boldly. No one will scold you."

Zhu Chengbiao didn't say anything, but just nodded in agreement.

Seeing this, Li Wensheng scratched his head and said cautiously:

"I just heard so much from you two. Actually, the central idea is that since Zhao Mingtao and Lu Siyuan both touched that thing, I suspect that many people in the entire Wushuang company have touched it, and there is even a potential one-stop industry chain..."

"Now we need to find a way to screen all Wushuang artists, accurately arrest them after testing, and then examine them all to confirm the evidence of their crimes. Am I understanding correctly?"

Meng Yunda remained silent, waiting for Zhu Chengbiao to speak. This was not his business anyway, he was just cooperating with the official action, and the final decision still had to be made by Zhu Chengbiao.

Zhu Chengbiao nodded and said:
"Yes, that's what it means."

Of course, if they can really do it, then all the evidence will be there, and they can strike with lightning speed. They won't have to explain clearly to Li Wensheng what they are going to do next.

Li Wensheng didn't think much about the follow-up, and he was a little bolder and tried to say:
"Would you mind using more police force or something?"

Zhu Chengbiao frowned:
"A lot, how many? Or if you don't know how many you need, you can just tell me what you need and I can roughly estimate the number."

Li Wensheng laughed:
"You guessed it right. I don't know the exact number, but I feel that it will take a lot of people to search the place thoroughly..."

"Well, Hengdian, you know, it's not here. But in fact, there are many film and television bases like Hengdian all over the country, it's just that Hengdian is the most famous."

"As a film and television company, Wushuang's basic business is making movies. Wushuang's movies are famous for their large-scale productions, and a considerable part of them are shot on location. But even if the money is to be used for laundering, it is impossible to just burn it, so a large number of scenes are still shot in film and television bases in various places."

"Most of their actors are also scattered in these places. Even if there are activities and commercial performances, or there are artists who are on vacation and not filming, they are not the majority. Many artists have to shoot at least one movie a year, so... have you ever considered checking all the hotels near these film and television bases in the name of anti-pornography and anti-illegal activities?"

Zhu Chengbiao's eyes suddenly widened into bells.

He opened his mouth in shock, and for a long time he couldn't think of a suitable word to say. Finally, with his mouth twitching, he said:
"I'm the director of Changshan City Bureau, not the JUN District... The scale of the operation you're talking about is much larger than that. How much evidence do I need to convince so many local bureaus across the country to cooperate with me? Do you think I'm the Jade Emperor?!"

Li Wensheng felt a little embarrassed after being scolded, and quickly added:
"No, no, no, I'm not saying that all of them have to be checked!"

"Please listen to my explanation. In addition to the matter between Zhao Mingtao and Lu Siyuan, we actually have an informant. Have you forgotten?"

"As for her understanding of Wushuang's internal situation, and she is on our side, no one is more suitable than her!"

Before Zhu Chengbiao could speak, Meng Yunda slammed the table first, his eyes lit up:

"You mean, Nie Wenjin?"

"You want to find Nie Wenjin to clarify the situation first, and then look for it based on what she knows?"

Li Wensheng nodded like a chicken pecking at rice:

"Yes, yes, yes, yes! Mr. Meng, you understand me!"

"Anyway, Director Zhu has met Nie Wenjin before. Although I don't know what you said, she must be one of our people, right? Even if her status is placed in the entire Wushuang Film and Television, it is rare for such a young actress to have won a Grand Slam. She must know a lot of things."

"Instead of casting a wide net among Wushuang's artists like a headless fly and getting stuck in a tangled mess, why not ask her and find the clue from her!"

Meng Yunda almost laughed out loud.

Good, good, good! Finally, the blame has been taken away from Chuannan TV!
"Old Li, you are really my lucky general!"

He finally couldn't hold it back and burst into laughter, pointing at Li Wensheng on the other side of the screen and saying firmly:

"When you finish that show, I'll arrange an S+ variety show for you when you come back. Work hard, and the station won't treat you unfairly!"

Naturally, Li Wensheng was full of gratitude and flattery again, needless to say.

In the group video of three people, only Zhu Chengbiao was lost in thought and silence.

He stared at a blank point and thought for a long time, until Meng Yunda and Li Wensheng calmed down, then he said:
"Li Wensheng, tonight, find a chance to call Nie Wenjin to your camp. I want to talk to her alone."

(End of this chapter)