Rebirth: A big star falls in love with me

Chen Chen stood in the middle of the ruins, rain soaking her hair and coat, but she was oblivious. There was no mole under her left eye, but at this moment she could feel a similar palpitation—a calm born of extreme anger.

"Did you call the police?"

"I reported it, the police just left. They collected evidence, but they said the case-solving rate for these kinds of crimes is very low..." Huang Ying was almost in tears. "Chenchen, what should we do... It will take at least half a month to redo these props and costumes, and it will cost money..."

Chen Chen didn't answer. She squatted down and picked up a piece of cheongsam from the ground—it was Lin Shuwan's favorite moon-white embroidered plum blossom cheongsam, now reduced to a few rags. The stitches were fine, the embroidery exquisite; it was made by a costume designer who had stayed up several nights in a row.

She held the piece of cloth, her fingers trembling slightly.

This is not simple destruction. This is a declaration of war.

Wang Zhongjun was telling her in the most direct and brutal way: No matter how much you film, I'll destroy it all. No matter how much you make, I'll smash it all. Let's see who can outlast whom.

“Sister Huang Ying,” Chen Chen stood up, his voice as cold as ice, “tell everyone that there’s no need to rest. Now, immediately, gather in the hotel conference room.”

"But…"

“No buts.” Chen Chen turned to look at her, his eyes sharp as knives. “They want us to admit defeat, so we’ll show them what it means to be invincible.”

---

7:00 AM, hotel conference room.

The atmosphere in the conference room of the Hengdian World Studios Hotel was oppressive. A dozen or so people sat around a long table, their faces etched with anger and exhaustion. Yang Mi's eyes were red and swollen, clearly from crying; Bai Bing was expressionless, but his clenched fists were white at the knuckles; Gao Yuanyuan bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes; Zhao Liying lowered her head, her shoulders trembling slightly; Liu Shishi, Zhang Tian'ai, Wang Likun, Dilraba… everyone looked terrible.

Chen Chen stood in front of the main seat. She had changed into dry clothes, but her hair was still wet. However, her eyes were clear and firm.

“Everyone knows what happened.” She began, her voice not loud, but each word clear and forceful. “This was not an accident; it was deliberate and premeditated sabotage. The goal was clear—to make us abandon ‘The Scholarly Family’ and bring down the studio.”

"Then what do we do?" Yang Mi asked first, her voice filled with suppressed anger. "Remake the props and costumes? Reshoot? Where will we get the money? Where will we find the time?"

“The studio still has money,” Chen Chen said. “Zhang Yu sent word yesterday that the investment from Orange Field Culture has arrived in the account for 500,000 yuan, and the start-up capital from Wang Jinghua’s side has also arrived for 300,000 yuan. Although it’s not much, it’s enough.”

"What about time?" Bai Bing asked coldly. "Reproduction will take at least half a month, but we originally planned to submit the finished film to the Film Bureau for review on April 15th. Now there are only fifteen days left."

"Then let's finish it in fifteen days." Chen Chen looked at her. "Bai Bing, are you scared?"

Bai Bing paused for a moment, then shook his head: "I'm not afraid. I just feel... unwilling."

“That’s right, you’re not reconciled.” Chen Chen looked around. “I’m not reconciled either. Three months of hard work were almost ruined by a splash of water; we spent twenty days reshooting, and now we have to start all over again. Anyone would be reconciled and would want to give up.”

She paused, then raised her voice slightly: "But if we give up now, we'll be playing right into their hands. They'll laugh and say, 'See? Young people are no good; they crumble at the slightest touch.' And all our previous efforts and everyone's sacrifices will become a joke."

The meeting room fell silent.

“So,” Chen Chen continued, “my decision is—not to give up. We’ll redo the props and costumes, and we’ll all help. If we don’t have enough costume makers, we’ll learn to sew them ourselves; if we don’t have enough prop makers, we’ll learn to make them ourselves. We’ll finish it in fifteen days, no matter what.”

"But Director Chen," Gao Yuanyuan said softly, "we still have to film..."

"We'll continue filming," Chen Chen said. "We film during the day and make props at night. We're doing two days' work in one. I know it's tough and tiring, and some people might not be able to handle it. If anyone wants to quit, they can say so now, and I won't blame them."

No one spoke. No one moved.

A few seconds later, Zhao Liying was the first to raise her hand: "Director Chen, I'll stay. Although I don't know anything, I can learn and I can do odd jobs. I'm not afraid of hardship."

Then Zhang Tianai said, "I'm staying too! Our master is risking his life in Beijing, we can't back down here!"

"Leave!"

"Leave!"

Everyone has spoken up. Even the most delicate Yang Mi said with tears in her eyes, "Chen Chen, I'll stay with you. It's just fifteen days, right? I don't believe we can't make it through."

Chen Chen looked at everyone, her eyes finally reddening. But she quickly regained her composure and nodded vigorously: "Okay. Let's divide the work now. Sister Huang Ying, you're in charge of contacting materials and workers. Money isn't a problem; speed and quality are the most important. Yang Mi, you're meticulous, so you'll be in charge of the costumes, and you'll have Yuan Yuan, Li Ying, and Tian Ai help you. Bai Bing, you're steady, so you'll be in charge of props, and Shi Shi, Li Kun, and Reba will help you."

"And what about you?" Huang Ying asked.

“I’ll coordinate, and…” Chen Chen glanced at the brightening sky outside the window, “I need to go to the police station. This matter can’t just be left like this.”

---

9:00 AM, Hengdian Police Station.

The reception room of Hengdian Police Station was filled with smoke. Officer Wang, who was in charge of the case, was in his forties and looked exhausted. The ashtray in front of him was piled high with cigarette butts.

“Ms. Chen, it’s not that we didn’t try our best,” Officer Wang sighed. “Your case has too few clues. Masked, wearing gloves, quick action, and no valuable traces left at the scene. Besides, Hengdian has tens of thousands of people coming and going every day, making it too difficult to investigate.”

Chen Chen sat opposite him, dressed in a formal black suit and skirt, her long hair styled in a bun, her makeup exquisite, exuding an undeniable aura. She knew that image was crucial in this setting.

“Officer Wang, I understand your difficulties,” Chen Chen said calmly but firmly. “But what I want to say is that this is no longer a simple public security case. This is premeditated commercial sabotage, targeting a legitimate film and television project, involving more than a million yuan. Moreover, we have reason to suspect that the mastermind is someone in the industry.”

Officer Wang raised an eyebrow: "Do you have any evidence?"

“There is no direct evidence,” Chen Chen admitted. “But there is indirect evidence. Three months ago, our filming footage was destroyed by water. We reported it to the police at the time, but the case remains unsolved. A week ago, we were inspected and forced to stop work under various pretexts. Yesterday morning, the film set was vandalized. All these incidents are targeting the same project and the same team. Officer Wang, you have been handling cases for many years, you should be able to see that this is not a coincidence.”

Officer Wang silently smoked his cigarette. He could see through it, of course, but some things couldn't be said outright.

“Ms. Chen, you’re right,” he finally said. “But this case… could involve a wide range of issues. Our small police station sometimes can’t handle it all.”