PCMWF Chapter 146

Du Ze’s heart dropped. He immediately called Wang Shilan.

She answered quickly, and Du Ze begged, “Honey, everything online is fake. Those trolls edited it. You know how much I love you and Niu Niu.”

Wang Shilan didn’t want to hear it. She cut him off: “Du Ze, I said it: divorce. Tomorrow’s a weekday. I’ll see you at the civil affairs bureau.”

The line went dead. Du Ze was in shock, his legs feeling weak. How could Wang Shilan want a divorce without even letting him explain? She’d never been like this before. At work, she was decisive, but she never brought that attitude home. A strong wind whipped up outside, swirling dust. It seemed to cut through the glass and chill him to the bone. He slumped into the sofa, staring blankly ahead. His studio team was frantic, but afraid to approach. They huddled together, pushing the one who had the best relationship with Du Ze to speak up.

“…Mr. Du, what happened? The online situation is getting worse. We need to come up with a plan.”

Crash.

The sound of breaking glass cut off the speaker. The staff member standing in front of Du Ze bent over in pain, his hand pressed to his knee. Du Ze had thrown a cup, and it had hit him. The accuracy made it seem deliberate, a way to vent. The man looked up in disbelief.

“Mr. Du?”

Du Ze’s eyes were cold. “It’s just a divorce. A woman, no matter how rich, still needs a man. Let’s see who will want her after we divorce.”

The team, now knowing Du Ze’s anger was over Wang Shilan’s proposal, was shocked.

Wang Shilan wanted a divorce? This was huge news! The entertainment industry was full of news, true or not. Without solid evidence, the studio team had stood by Du Ze. But now, Wang Shilan was the one asking for a divorce. Du Ze could feel everyone’s eyes on him. They might not say it, but their faces gave them away. The team, previously united against the outside world, was now in an uproar. Those with any authority confronted Du Ze, asking if it was true. The others huddled together, checking their phones for the latest updates. Du Ze, who had been busy with PR, didn’t know that the internet had not only exposed his two-faced behavior and his cruelty to Niu Niu, but also dug up his old scandals.

The studio team was shocked by what they were reading. They turned to Du Ze, their expressions serious: “Mr. Du, is it true that Producer Wang is divorcing you? Is there no chance of reconciliation?”

Du Ze was holding his head in his hands. He looked up sharply: “If there was, would I be like this? Someone’s out to get me. You need to figure something out!”

The door was pushed open, and Du Ze’s agent stormed in, immediately slapping him across the face. After Du Ze married Wang Shilan, he’d changed agencies, and Wang Shilan had arranged for one of the industry’s best agents to manage him. Du Ze covered his face, his eyes bloodshot, about to hit back. The overweight agent slapped him again.

“Du Ze, are you stupid? Use your brain. Think about how you got where you are. Without Wang Shilan, you’re nothing. Do you think I wanted to manage you? Every artist I manage is better than you.”

“You thought you could do whatever you wanted, putting on one face on camera and another off it? I told you to behave on the show and be good to Niu Niu. If you’re going to play the role of a good stepfather, then commit to it.”

The agent had been chewed out by his boss earlier, and his phone hadn’t stopped ringing on the drive over. Everyone wanted answers. How the hell was he supposed to know? Du Ze usually seemed like a pushover, but he’d been careless on a show with 24/7 surveillance. The agent knew Du Ze’s persona was built on his marriage to Wang Shilan two years ago, using the labels of “gentle husband” and “new-age good father” to enter the public eye. The agent was big, with broad shoulders and muscular arms. He’d put all his strength into the slap, splitting Du Ze’s lip.

Du Ze, with his reddened face, ground out between clenched teeth: “What am I supposed to do? How was I supposed to know they’d film that?”

The agent was furious but here to fix the problem. He suppressed his anger as best he could. The studio staff quietly moved to the agent’s side.

The agent pushed past Du Ze and sat on the sofa, pointing at him: “I’m not going to rehash the past now. We’ll deal with it later.”

“The children’s brand is suing you. You might not win.”

Du Ze was stunned. Wang Shilan had paid the penalty for the brand. Of course, she wouldn’t forgive Du Ze easily. Even in the divorce, Du Ze wouldn’t get a cent from her. Du Ze opened his social media. His and his studio’s accounts had been tagged by the children’s brand.

[Due to Mr. Du Ze’s recent controversies, his public image has been severely impacted, and public favor has plummeted.

Over the past hour, our company has found that consumer trust and goodwill toward the brand have been affected, causing a significant decline in brand value.

We believe that Mr. Du Ze’s negative image is incompatible with our brand’s positive, healthy, and pure image for children, causing undeniable harm to the brand.

To protect our reputation and market position, we have decided to take legal action, filing a lawsuit against @DuZe and @DuZeStudio, seeking compensation for the losses caused by his tarnished image, and terminating our partnership.

We sincerely apologize to our consumers. We will use this as a lesson to choose our partners more carefully in the future…]

Du Ze’s vision blurred. His phone slipped from his hand and fell to the floor. He staggered back and fell to the ground.

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