Huayu: This director is pretty strong.

Chapter 100 A Decisive Move: The Collapse of Minghai

On the letter paper, which was illuminated by the beam of a flashlight and appeared translucent, the name written in black ink broke off at the crease.

Zhao Minghai.

Chen Yan rubbed the edge of the paper between his fingertips, and the paper made a dry, crisp sound.

The wine that was handed to him in his past life had this face imprinted on the rim of the glass.

"Old Chen, what's wrong?"

Wu Gang approached, carrying a crowbar. His military-style leather shoes crunched on the broken bricks.

Chen Yan folded the letter in half, stuffed it into the innermost pocket of his shirt, pressed it against his chest, and then zipped up his coat. The entire movement was completely still.

"It's nothing, I just saw a dead person's name."

He bent down and picked up the ledger, which was wrapped in oilcloth and soaked with sticky blood, with one hand.

"Ledger in hand, back to Beijing."

The engine of the black Santana let out a suppressed growl in the empty, desolate old town.

The car had only driven five kilometers when the phone on the dashboard started vibrating like crazy.

It's Su Wan.

Chen Yan pressed the answer button and held the phone to his ear.

"Chen Yan, something's happened." Su Wan's voice was very low, with the background noise filled with the sounds of keyboard typing and people moving around.

"explain."

"Five minutes ago, Wanda, New Film Union, Da Guangming... all the cinema chains that have a deep cooperation with Lu Haiming received instructions from headquarters to unilaterally cut off all screenings of 'Thunder' and are removing the copies."

Chen Yan's gaze fell on the wasteland and telephone poles rushing past the window, his tone completely calm.

"reason."

"Internal maintenance." Su Wan's voice was rapid, as if she were racing against time. "They'd rather leave the theater empty than show our film. I checked, and the order came from Minghai Group, Zhao Minghai's doing."

Chen Yan turned his head and glanced at the bundle of account books that had been thrown on the back seat. The account books reeked of a mixture of blood and decay.

"What about Lin Shufen?"

"President Lin is on his way to the headquarters of New Film Union, but they've already announced that they're closing their doors to visitors." Su Wan's voice carried a hint of helplessness. "The entrances to various cinemas are already packed with audiences demanding refunds, and in some places... things have already escalated to physical violence."

"Reporters from Beijing TV have already arrived; this matter cannot be suppressed."

Chen Yan switched the phone to her other hand.

"Let the reporters film it, the bigger the commotion the better, especially the footage of students being pushed and shoved by security guards, film as much as you can."

"Go see someone right now." Chen Yan gave a name: "Wang Jianguo, the controlling shareholder behind Stellar Cinemas."

"Him? Lu Haiming's mortal enemy, and also Zhao Minghai's rival." Su Wan immediately realized.

"Yes." Chen Yan's lips twitched slightly, but there was no smile in them. "Go tell him that I have all the evidence that Lu Haiming helped Zhao Minghai launder money over the past five years, as well as the original agreements that Zhao Minghai participated in in the development of real estate in Tianjin in his early years."

"Make him ready to take over the 30% market share that will be vacated after Minghai Pictures collapses."

The phone hangs up.

Chen Yan said to Wu Gang, "Drive faster, back to Beijing."

……

BJ, Da Guangming Cinema.

Hundreds of college students holding movie tickets crowded around the ticket gate, making the iron railings clang loudly as they jostled.

"Why can't I come in? I already bought a ticket!" A boy in a Beihang University tracksuit waved his ticket stub, his neck turning red from shouting.

"Internal facilities are damaged and under emergency repair! Please get your tickets refunded in an orderly manner!" The cinema manager shouted through a megaphone. Behind him, two rows of security guards in black uniforms tapped their rubber batons against their palms intermittently.

"Who cares about a refund? We want to see the movie!"

The crowd surged forward, and the students at the front row crashed directly into the cold iron railings. A security guard reached out and shoved one of the students hard in the chest.

The student fell backward, knocking over a group of people.

"The security guard assaulted someone!"

A scream.

The sound of camera shutters, hidden behind load-bearing columns and large potted plants, filled the hall, drowning out all the noise.

The general manager's office is on the second floor of the cinema.

A man in a gray suit stood behind the blinds, watching the commotion below. He was Zhou Cheng, a special envoy sent by the Minghai Group.

He picked up his phone and dialed a number.

"Mr. Zhao, as you instructed, things have started to commotion."

A middle-aged man's voice came from the other end of the phone, calm and emotionless. "Let them make a fuss. Give each member of the media present a 5,000 yuan red envelope. Keep the same story: the negative of 'Thunder' poses a risk of misrepresentation, and the theaters are actively avoiding responsibility."

"Then... the five million US dollars in international issuance default penalty?" Zhou Cheng asked.

"Lu Haiming is already a dead man, let him pay the compensation."

The call was disconnected.

Zhou Cheng turned around and poured himself a glass of whiskey. He looked at the half-torn poster of Lin Qingqiu outside the window, tilted his head back, and gulped down the whiskey.

……

Two hours later, at a private club outside Jianguomen.

Chen Yan pushed open the door and entered. He hadn't changed his clothes; his trench coat still carried the dampness of Tianjin, and the mud on his leather shoes had dried into clumps, leaving a trail of marks on the polished marble floor.

The lobby manager quickly stepped forward, attempting to stop them.

Chen Yan pulled out the thick, brick-like blood-red ledger from the inside pocket of his coat and waved it heavily in front of the other person.

"Get Wang Jianguo out here and give him a big deal that will sustain him for three years."

Five minutes later, the door to a rosewood private room at the far end of the third floor was pushed open.

Wang Jianguo, dressed in a dark brown Tang suit, sat comfortably in a rosewood armchair, leisurely twirling two walnuts in his hands.

"Director Chen, you have some nerve. Everyone in Beijing is looking for you, and you still dare to show your face."

Chen Yan pulled out the chair opposite him and slammed the blood-smelling ledger onto the table with a loud bang. The teacups on the table jumped.

"Mr. Wang, let's not talk about art, let's talk about territory."

He opened the ledger and pointed to a page with a red stamp.

"The money that Lu Haiming helped Zhao Minghai launder through cinema box office revenue over the years is all here. It involves a total of six real estate projects, equity holdings in three cinemas, and two independent internal and external tax systems."

Wang Jianguo stopped fiddling with the walnuts in his hands.

He leaned forward, his eyes fixed on the ledger. "This thing could skin the Minghai Group alive," he said, his voice hoarse. "Why should I help you?"

Chen Yan took out the yellowed letter from his chest pocket and slowly spread it out on the table.

"Zhao Minghai's next move is to use the same methods to swallow up your Xingmei."

Wang Jianguo stared at the signature on the letter, his eye twitching slightly. He reached out, wanting to take the thin sheet of paper.

Chen Yan's fingers pressed down on the letter first and withdrew.

"Empty all your Stellar Cinemas and show 'Thunder' 24/7."

"I will personally bear all the losses from the ticket price being halved."

"In addition, use all the media channels at your disposal to expose everything in this ledger, word for word."

Wang Jianguo stared at Chen Yan; the only sound in the private room was his heavy breathing.

He grabbed the phone on the table and dialed a number.

"Issue this order: all Stellar Cinemas nationwide are to immediately empty all their theaters and, from this moment forward, only show one film: *Thunder*!"

"All promotional posters were changed overnight! Ticket prices were halved, and it was said to be a thank you gift from Stellar Media Group to its audience!"

"All losses incurred will be charged to my personal account!"

After hanging up the phone, Wang Jianguo looked at Chen Yan with undisguised ruthlessness in his eyes.

"Director Chen, I'm taking the gamble. Now, give me your cards."