Page 28

[Holy crap, go check it out! President Cai had already read Li Qianqian's script and said he would invest in filming it, but then Ruan Ming took the script away and Director Wang snatched it up. Hahaha, without realizing it, Ruan Ming and Director Wang kicked an iron plate—President Cai!]

[President Cai posted on Weibo! Is he speaking up for screenwriters?!]

Chapter 26

Regarding Li Qianqian's pen name, Green Grass Qianqian, Cai Jinbai learned after asking her that she did not want it revealed.

She wanted to keep her pen name separate from her real life, since she would continue writing online in the future. Fortunately, Ruan Ming did not know Li Qianqian's pen name.

So when planning this wave of public opinion, Cai Jinbai deliberately concealed Li Qianqian's identity as an author.

It was easy to gather evidence of Ruan Ming illegally taking scripts written by other screenwriters. The people he had bullied before were all inexperienced junior screenwriters with no connections, unable to do anything to him. But things were different now. With Jinbai Entertainment backing them, money and lawyers were no issue. These junior screenwriters joined forces with Li Qianqian and sued Ruan Ming in court. Every case was a sure win.

What Cai Jinbai wanted was not to see how long Ruan Ming would spend in prison or how much money he would pay in compensation. He wanted Ruan Ming utterly disgraced within the industry, his reputation so foul that no production crew would ever dare hire him again. He wanted Ruan Ming unable to survive in the entertainment world, forced to pay for everything he had done.

[Thank you, President Cai, for supporting original screenwriters! I used to work under Ruan Ming. He had the title of screenwriter, but he couldn't write a damn word! He lived entirely by stealing other people's work and putting his own name on it! The TV drama "A Wind Blows Across the Grassland" was written by me and several other screenwriters, but that bastard Ruan Ming took it away. Luckily, we realized something was wrong when we were only halfway through, so we stopped writing and went to settle accounts with him. He had people threaten us with knives and clubs, saying it was useless to sue him because he had plenty of ways to deal with us brothers. Damn it, is this guy in entertainment or the underworld?!]

[That's right, I can testify to that. I secretly recorded a video at the time, but for the safety of my family and friends, I ultimately chose not to post it online. But now, thank you, President Cai. I'm uploading the video right away so everyone can see Ruan Ming's true face!]

[Viewers, do you know now why you cursed this drama for being great at the beginning but turning to crap later on? Because the script for the later part wasn't written by any of us! After we went on strike, Ruan Ming wrote the rest himself. So now you all know what Ruan Ming is capable of, right?! Heh, it's dogshit. No, it's worse than dogshit!]

[Everyone, President Cai really put in both money and effort this time to speak up for original screenwriters. I also have good news—I successfully joined Jinbai Entertainment! And Ruan Ming plagiarized my script too, the TV drama "XX." Unfortunately, the entire script was stolen, and I had no power to defend my rights at the time because I was pregnant... I was afraid something might happen, so I backed down. But I kept all the evidence. I won't let that rotten apple Ruan Ming continue threatening and hurting other screenwriters. So when President Cai came to me this time, I stepped forward. Hehe, mainly because having President Cai as backing feels so amazing!]

[Me too! I once participated in...]

[Is that bastard Ruan Ming finally going to be punished?!]

[Hahaha, while Ruan Ming never stole my scripts or plagiarized my plots, I had heard about his behavior. Tsk, this is called reaping what you sow. He finally kicked an iron plate, huh? Serves him right. Can't wait to see how he ends up.]

As more and more people came forward, netizens finally confirmed it—Ruan Ming was absolutely not innocent. He was a tyrant in the screenwriting world, bullying junior screenwriters without power or connections. He had no real talent, only an undeserved reputation!

[Holy shit, what a dogshit screenwriter. A perfectly good industry has been ruined by people like you.]

[I'm so furious reading this. I used to follow "A Wind Blows Across the Grassland." I thought this kind of subject matter was rare, and it was filmed with real depth. I loved the beginning. Every time it aired, I would be waiting in front of the TV. But what happened?! It got worse and worse later on. What kind of garbage plot was that? It was worse than a pile of shit. The more I watched, the more annoyed I became. It was the perfect example of starting strong and collapsing afterward! I was so angry that I cursed people out online. If the later episodes hadn't been filmed so badly, this drama definitely would have become another hit. I even thought it was such a pity. And now you're telling me the later script and the earlier script were written by completely different groups of people?!]

[Oh, no, that's not right. The later script should have been written by Ruan Ming alone. Ahhh, what a piece of shit!! He stole other people's work and ruined the masterpiece in my heart! How are you going to compensate me?! I'm completely losing it!!]

[Damn, treating a drama like that—is that the attitude a screenwriter should have? I watched that drama too, and I was completely disappointed by the end.]

[Brothers, I counted the TV dramas Ruan Ming worked on. More than ninety percent had good ratings and endless praise when they first aired, but the farther they went, the worse they became. The plots had no logic. Doesn't that mean... Ahhh! One rotten apple really does spoil the whole barrel!]

[Ruan Ming, if you're not suited to this line of work, then stop forcing it. Can't you let talented people have a chance?!]

[Friend above, if he let other people have a chance, how would he make money? People like him would never give opportunities to others. They only steal other people's achievements, claim them as their own, and secretly feel smug about it.]

[Ruan Ming is trash!]

[Ruan Ming is trash +1!]

In an instant, the topic #RuanMingIsTrash# shot to the top of the trending list and exploded!

It turned out that when a script was not his own, he simply would not treat it seriously.

Looking through the production crews Ruan Ming had been involved with, most of them also had Director Wang. Then netizens discovered that these productions were full of people being forced into roles and given extra scenes, endless advertisements, glaring plot holes, and some were even cut and edited until they became a complete mess.

Those scripts could originally have been properly made into decent TV dramas. But because of Ruan Ming and everyone connected to him behind the scenes, the scripts were wasted and the dramas were ruined. They only cared about making money, with no concern at all for whether the audience lived or died.

[So I've realized a sad fact. If President Cai hadn't spoken up for these original screenwriters today, it would have been incredibly difficult for them to seek justice on their own. Ruan Ming might even have retaliated against them even more viciously. This world is too crazy and too terrifying.]

[That's right. Ordinary people really have no way to fight capital. I found posts from several junior screenwriters who had previously gone online seeking justice, but they didn't get any attention at all. Hardly anyone viewed or supported them. I only learned about it now. Who knows how many people never found out? They couldn't stir up any real waves. How many people seeking fairness were drowned beneath capital's cover-up, while only a handful could be seen by more people after speaking out online and drawing attention...]

[When you put it that way... isn't President Cai also capital?]

[No! Our handsome President Cai is clearly a successor of socialism!]

[Hahaha, exactly. It's because President Cai stepped in that this matter can be resolved so quickly.]

[President Cai is such a good person. He's great, and his company is great too. Let me ask for the hundredth time—can I work for Jinbai Group after I graduate? Starry-eyed jpg.]

While netizens discussed Ruan Ming's corrupt character and boycotted the production crew that had stolen Li Qianqian's script, they also found all sorts of ways to praise Cai Jinbai. Cai Jinbai and Jinbai Entertainment both made the trending list again. This kind of talent for trending was simply enviable.

Immediately afterward, Jinbai Entertainment's official website also posted on Weibo, saying it would pursue accountability against Ruan Ming and the production crew he belonged to until the end. No matter how many connections or how much backing Ruan Ming's uncle, Director Wang, had, he was nothing in the face of Jinbai Entertainment.

Had no one seen what happened when Jinbai Entertainment went up against Star Universe Entertainment? Star Universe had lost horribly.

Because Cai Jinbai was no ordinary person, no one dared underestimate Jinbai Entertainment, even though it had only been established recently.

At such a critical moment, when Jinbai Entertainment was focused on dealing with them, no one would be willing to help Ruan Ming or Director Wang.

After a series of moves, Director Wang and Ruan Ming paid compensation, the screenwriters received justice, and the production crew disbanded.

Those junior screenwriters also gained some fame because of this. They likely would not lack work in the future.

Cai Jinbai's other goal had also been achieved—attracting more talented screenwriters to join Jinbai Entertainment.

Cai Jinbao could not help sighing. "There are so many people."

Chapter 27

Li Qianqian joined Jinbai Entertainment's screenwriting department. As for He Tao, she was the head of a production crew's art department. She had her own studio and usually took on commissions while following production crews, handling costumes, jewelry, and the like. Her reputation was fairly good.

After Ruan Ming's true face was exposed, He Tao called and berated him, then broke up with him, blocked him, and returned every gift he had ever given her. If something was missing, she paid him its value in cash. She was not short on money, and she especially did not want a man as shitty as Ruan Ming to use those things as leverage or an excuse to threaten her.

The two of them severed things clearly and completely, and they would never contact each other again.

Ruan Ming still wanted to win He Tao back. Unfortunately, He Tao was not love-struck, much less a fool. How could she possibly be coaxed back by a few words from him?

She directly mocked him without mercy, unleashing her full firepower. She even told him outright that He Tao had connections in this circle too, and Ruan Ming should forget about surviving in it from now on.

With things said to that extent, Ruan Ming angrily hung up with a dark expression.

He still held onto hope that he could join another production crew after this storm passed.

After all, screenwriters were not celebrity actors who had to remain in the public eye all the time. As long as he kept a low profile in the future, he might still have a chance to make a comeback.

At worst, he still had his uncle, Director Wang. Even a dying camel was bigger than a horse. If this production crew disbanded, they could just form another one.