Entertainment News: I'm Not a Scumbag After Rebirth!

Summer is already deep in BJ.

The ginkgo trees outside the Huayi Brothers headquarters building have leaves so green they're dazzling, and they rustle in the wind.

Yuan Tao walked out of the building, carrying only a simple paper file box containing some personal items.

He didn't turn around, his back to the glass skyscraper that had consumed countless efforts of his and ultimately left him disheartened.

The sunlight was a bit dazzling, and he squinted. He felt the pent-up anger that had been building up in his chest for months dissipate somewhat after that final, uncouth argument and that resolute turn away, but what followed was an empty silence.

His last conversation with Wang Zhonglei was not in a conference room, but in Wang Zhonglei's excessively spacious office.

There was no champagne, only a cold, distant feeling.

"Yuan Tao, do you really have to take this step?"

Wang Zhonglei sat in the large leather chair, tapping his fingers on the armrest. His tone held no attempt to persuade him to stay, only impatience and displeasure at being offended.

"Is it worth it to break ties with the company and me for Li Jun, an outsider?"

"Even today, do you still think it's all because of Li Jun?"

Yuan Tao stood there, feeling as if he had never straightened his spine so much.

"Is it because 'Love in the Wind' used such underhanded tactics to steal songs? Is it because you're willing to ruthlessly appropriate and suppress all other projects in order to promote Bingbing and Fan Bingbing? Or is it because, in Huayi's eyes, music has always been merely an appendage to film and television, and we musicians, along with our basic contracts and dignity, can be sacrificed at any time?"

"childish!"

Wang Zhonglei scoffed.

"The business world is like a battlefield; the winner takes all. Li Jun only managed to win by a hair's breadth—that's just luck, a stroke of good fortune. You don't really think his approach will last, do you? Without a platform, without capital, he's nothing! What future do you have following him? Going to his makeshift troupe to continue dreaming of music?"

Yuan Tao spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice low but firm like a nail:

"In that makeshift troupe, music was taken seriously. Musicians didn't have to kneel."

Wang Zhonglei's face darkened:

"Fine, fine! Director Yuan is aloof and has backbone. Then go ahead and pursue your goal of making music standing up. Once you walk out of Huayi's door today, don't even think about coming back. I want to see what kind of splash you and that Li Jun can make without Huayi's support."

Yuan Tao took one last look at the office, then turned and left.

The door closed softly but decisively, like a knife severing all past hesitations.

Stepping out of the building, a gust of cold wind hit him. Yuan Tao took a deep breath, pulled out his phone, and dialed Li Jun's number.

It rang a few times before being answered; the background noise was somewhat loud, suggesting it was outdoors.

"Old Yuan?"

Li Jun's voice came through, carrying a hint of barely perceptible fatigue, but it was very clear.

Yuan Tao opened his mouth and found his voice unusually calm:

"I'm out. I've completely severed ties with Huayi."

There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.

"Where are you?"

"Sunbathing downstairs from the office."

Yuan Tao smiled.

"wait for me."

After Li Jun finished speaking, he hung up the phone.

A few hours later, the two met at a secluded teahouse in Chengdu.

Yuan Tao looked travel-worn, and Li Jun had faint dark circles under his eyes. The two sat facing each other, speechless for a moment.

In the end, it was Li Jun who picked up the teapot first and poured a cup for Yuan Tao.

"It's not worth it for me."

Li Jun said.

"It's not for you."

Yuan Tao shook his head, picked up his teacup, but didn't drink it.

"It's for myself. If I stay any longer, I'm afraid I'll forget why I made music in the first place."

He paused, looking at Li Jun:

"Moreover, I now believe that the path you are taking may be more correct than Huayi's approach. At least, you are worthy of the title 'work'."

Li Jun didn't respond to that question, but instead asked:

"What are your plans for the future?"

"I haven't thought about it in detail yet. I might take a break for a while and see which way the wind blows."

As Yuan Tao spoke, he took a thick kraft paper file folder from his briefcase and pushed it in front of Li Jun:

"But before I leave, I've at least done something decent. Let's open it and take a look."

Li Jun opened the file folder with a puzzled look. Inside was a stack of neatly organized documents. At the top were detailed introductions of several doctors, affiliated with several top hospitals in Beijing. They were all authoritative experts in the field of hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery. Following them were detailed consultation times, areas of expertise, and even some academic achievements and surgical case summaries.

The information is so detailed that it is clear that a great deal of effort was put into collecting and organizing it.

"This is……"

Li Jun looked up.

"I heard about Liangying's mother."

Yuan Tao spoke in a calm tone.

"Problems with the pancreas cannot be delayed; surgery is crucial."

These individuals are widely recognized in the medical field for their skills and ethics.

The contact information is provided below, and I've already given them my regards. Mentioning my name will make them pay more attention.

Ultimately, medical resources in Beijing are more concentrated.

If needed, I can easily handle miscellaneous matters like hospitalization and surgery arrangements since I'm in Beijing.

Holding the heavy stack of documents, Li Jun looked at Yuan Tao, who had a calm expression, and for a moment he didn't know what to say.

This act of kindness in times of need carries far more weight than any promise of commercial cooperation.

He knew how much determination Yuan Tao needed to do this under immense pressure during his final days at Huayi.

"Old Yuan..."

Li Jun's throat bobbed.

Don't try that on me.

Yuan Tao waved his hand, took a sip of tea, then changed the subject, looking intently at Li Jun:

"However, Li Jun, gratitude is gratitude, but business is business. I didn't leave Huayi to be your free consultant and errand boy. I have an idea; you can listen to it."

"you say."

"You, me, partners." Yuan Tao spoke slowly, but every word was powerful. "We'll start a new company, not aiming for something big and all-encompassing, but focusing solely on music. Production, distribution, artist management—all centered around music itself. Does Huayi look down on the music sector, thinking it's unprofitable and has no status? We're determined to make it, to refine it, to strengthen it, to build a brand, and to prove that music itself can create enormous value and influence."

He leaned forward slightly:

"Our ready-made trump card is Zhang Liangying. She just won the championship and is riding high, but her future development is crucial. Huayi Brothers or other big companies definitely want to sign her, but their strategy is nothing more than to take advantage of her popularity to frantically accept endorsements, do commercial performances, and appear on variety shows to quickly extract value. They will never take the time to plan her music career. We have 'Invisible Wings,' 'Take Me Away,' and 'Under the Sea,' as well as her god-level live performances on the Super Girl stage. Her starting point is higher than anyone else's! What we need to do is not to exploit her, but to build her up and turn her into a true and lasting queen-level singer in the Chinese music scene, not just a talent show champion."