Gold Digger, but Forced to Marry the Big Boss Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Two hours later, Gao Bochong woke up on time, freshened up, and started a video conference. In the afternoon, he headed to Silicon Valley to listen to reports from his companies. On the way, he reviewed the contract drafted by the lawyer with Sun Wangdong.

As night fell, the lights of San Francisco began to shine. Gao Bochong dined with Ning Quanwu.

Ning Quanwu, who had slept all day and was still suffering from a hangover headache, stared at Gao Bochong, feeling puzzled. "Old Gao, are you an alien?"

Gao Bochong couldn't be bothered to respond. While cutting his steak, he glanced at today's US stock market. Ning Quanwu thought that although Bernhard was an idiot, he was right about one thing: Gao Bochong really didn't know how to enjoy life—

He's a born workaholic!

The phone rang, and Gao Bochong answered it. Ning Quanwu caught snippets of the conversation, something about the Cartier he ordered having arrived and whether the Rolex needed engraving.

Ning Quanwu was shocked. "Is it the end of the world?"

Gao Bochong actually bought jewelry and watches to give to someone?!

Gao Bochong glanced at him and said calmly, "A return gift."

Ning Quanwu was even more shocked. "You're actually explaining to me! Old Gao, you never explain! You're feeling guilty!"

Gao Bochong paused his steak-cutting hand for a moment, his expression unchanged, looking very upright. "Making a fuss over nothing."

Ning Quanwu was fooled by his attitude, thinking he might indeed be overreacting. While Gao Bochong looked at stocks, Ning Quanwu browsed gossip news. Suddenly, he exclaimed, "Oh my god, Old Gao, your family is in the news!"

Gao Bochong said, "My family is often in the news."

"This time it's different! You used to be in the financial section, but this time it's entertainment news!" Ning Quanwu didn't wait for Gao Bochong to ask and read the headline aloud, "‘Film Emperor's Crew Raises New Love, Small Actor Two-Timing, Gao Young Master Cuckolded Before Engagement.’ Old Gao, your sister-in-law is something else! Wasn't she supposed to get engaged to your brother? How did she end up in a scandal with Feng Zheng?"

There was a sharp sound of a knife scraping heavily across a porcelain plate.

Ning Quanwu looked up in surprise to see Gao Bochong putting down his knife and fork with a cold face.

Ning Quanwu asked in confusion, "What's wrong? You're not really angry over this gossip, are you?"

Gao Bochong said calmly, "What do you think?"

Ning Quanwu laughed, "True, this kind of tabloid is obviously nonsense—but where there's smoke, there's fire. I think your sister-in-law is so pretty, there must be plenty of men eager to give her gifts and woo her, it's only natural…"

Ning Quanwu shut his mouth because he saw Gao Bochong's face turn completely dark.

What did he say?

Ning Quanwu cautiously asked, "Mr. Gao, what's wrong?"

Gao Bochong didn't speak, his tone very calm. "Remember to follow up on the contract with Sun Wangdong. Bernhard won't let it go easily, but I don't want it to drag into a long battle."

Ning Quanwu said, "What? Why do I have to follow up? Isn't there a team of lawyers?"

He's been out for so long, he wants to go back to the country. Besides, why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut!

But although Gao Bochong spoke calmly, his gaze carried a hint of menace. Ning Quanwu didn't know how he had offended him, but he didn't dare to provoke him further, so he said reluctantly, "Got it."

Only then did Gao Bochong stand up and say, "I'm leaving first."

After leaving the restaurant, Gao Bochong took out his phone and found that news article.

It was indeed from a small media outlet, using such sensational headlines to grab attention, rarely taken seriously. But this time, the buzz was so high that even Ning Quanwu saw it, because it was accompanied by a photo.

It was a candid shot, the camera a bit shaky, but the angle was excellent. In the picture, Wang Zhi and Feng Zheng were sitting side by side, Wang Zhi smiling and talking to Feng Zheng, who was looking at him with a slight smile, his gaze intensely focused.

The two were so close, and because the picture only included them, even without any physical contact, it inexplicably gave off an ambiguous vibe.

Gao Bochong wasn't very interested in the entertainment industry. Although the Gao family's Dingyu Media was influential in the circle, it wasn't worth his attention. He knew of Feng Zheng but didn't know what he looked like. Now seeing the photo, he suddenly remembered, it was that Feng Ge from last time.

This morning, he was in such a hurry to say goodbye, claiming he was going to meet the crew, but actually, he was having barbecue with his Feng Ge?

…

Gao Bochong's mood completely soured.

-

Wang Zhi wasn't in a good mood.

He discovered that the bracelet he had just received and worn for a few days already had scratches!

Although he knew that a bracelet made mainly of chalcedony wasn't very hard, and usage marks were normal, he had been so careful!

And this bracelet cost fifty thousand!

Fifty thousand for something of such poor quality, is that acceptable? Selling it second-hand would mean a loss!

Wang Zhi searched Xiaolan Book, hoping to find some remedy. Suddenly, his agent called, and Wang Zhi didn't really want to answer—he didn't have to film today and could stay home all day. Was he being called out for socializing?

Reluctantly, he pressed the call button, his tone not showing any dissatisfaction. "Yang Ge, what's up?"

The agent, however, was unmoved. "What the hell is going on with you? How did you get involved with Feng Zheng too?!"

What does he mean by getting involved with Feng Zheng?

Wang Zhi was stunned for a moment. "Yang Ge, what do you mean by that?"

The agent coldly said, "Check your WeChat—someone took photos of you interacting with Feng Zheng, and now it's trending. Do you know how powerful Feng Zheng's background is? Even if you want to pick someone for hype, why choose Feng Zheng? You've lost your mind!"

While the agent was scolding him, Wang Zhi quickly opened the link on WeChat and saw the article titled "Film Emperor's Crew Raises New Love, Small Actor Two-Timing, Gao Young Master Cuckolded Before Engagement."

…Why is Feng Zheng the Film Emperor, Gao Fengming the Gao Young Master, and he's just a small actor!

Wang Zhi's mouth twitched as he looked at the photo.

Thank goodness, although it was a candid shot, it made him look quite good.

As for the article, it was written convincingly, claiming that an "insider" revealed that Wang Zhi was two-timing, on one hand, cozying up to Gao Family's eldest son Gao Fengming, and on the other, flirting with Film Emperor Feng Zheng in the crew, using his influence to get more scenes.

Then in the comments, other "related personnel" also spilled the beans: "I was wondering why Wang Zhi, who was originally the fourth male lead, suddenly got so many scenes. Turns out he cozied up to a Gao family member outside the crew and another one inside."

Such words could easily spark the public's curiosity, with many people asking for details, and Feng Zheng's anti-fans arguing below. There weren't many mentions of Wang Zhi, as most people were only vaguely familiar with him, not even remembering his name.

The agent continued to nag, "What do you plan to do? With this kind of reputation, how will you negotiate future roles? Are you going to play the role of a mistress?"

Wang Zhi chuckled, "Yang Ge, I have a partner, Feng Ge doesn't. Even if someone has to play the mistress, it would be him."

The agent was momentarily speechless, about to lose his temper, but then remembered Wang Zhi's relationship with Gao Fengming and held back. "Still joking around!"

Who's joking around?

Wang Zhi rolled his eyes. "Ge, what's the point of scolding me? This is clearly someone setting up a trap for me or Feng Ge. Do you think I'd be stupid enough to call the paparazzi on myself?"

Besides, isn't it the agent's job to handle this kind of thing? Why ask him what to do?

Wang Zhi didn't want to completely fall out with his agent, so he didn't voice these thoughts.

The agent was furious but couldn't scold him like before, angrily saying "whatever" before hanging up.

Wang Zhi stared at his bracelet for a while, suddenly feeling annoyed.

Even though he had cozied up to Gao Fengming, why did such troublesome things still come his way?

If he had listened to his teacher and repeated a year instead of hastily choosing an ordinary college, would life be easier now? But he also knew not to fantasize about a path he hadn't imagined, as it might not be better.

Just… sometimes, it's hard to let go.

Wang Zhi's dark eyes were a bit unfocused. He took off the bracelet in frustration, about to toss it aside, but hesitated and gently placed it down.

…Forget it.

Don't go against money.

At least the entertainment industry pays well.

Moreover, it's hard to say who this incident is targeting. Whether it's him or Feng Zheng, being caught in such a three-person scandal isn't good.

Especially for a small actor like him, any publicity is good publicity, but for someone like Feng Zheng, who aims to leave a mark in film history, such rumors can seriously damage his image.

Wang Zhi realized this and sent a message to Feng Zheng.

First, he clarified, "Feng Ge, that news wasn't from my side."

Then he apologized, "Sorry for dragging you into this."

After sending the message, Feng Zheng didn't reply immediately. Wang Zhi felt a bit nervous.

He didn't have many friends in the entertainment industry, and Feng Zheng was one of the few who was willing to help him. He didn't want their friendship to end because of this scandal—though this friendship might just be his one-sided perception.

When feeling down, he wanted to eat something.

Wang Zhi pulled out a bag of chips, just opened it, and his phone rang again. He thought it was Feng Zheng calling, but it turned out to be his agent, who had just told him "whatever." This time, the agent's tone had changed, no longer aggressive but with a hint of affectionate teasing, "Why didn't you tell me earlier that Gao Young Master was willing to step in and resolve this for you?"

Huh?

Wang Zhi was holding the chips, a bit confused. "What?"

"Still mad at me?" The agent laughed, "It's my fault, I was too impatient and scared you earlier, right? Now that Gao Young Master has resolved it for you, why don't I host a meal and invite Gao Young Master out for dinner sometime?"

Wang Zhi didn't quite understand what he was saying, but he sensed the agent wanted to cozy up to Gao Fengming, so he said with a subtle tone, "Dinner… maybe later. Yang Ge, you know, Fengming has been busy with Dingyu lately."

The agent didn't know!

If he had known Gao Fengming was at Dingyu, he wouldn't have scolded Wang Zhi like that earlier!

The agent regretted it to death, sweet-talking for a long time, trying to mend his relationship with Wang Zhi. Even though Wang Zhi remained indifferent, the agent didn't dare to get angry.

He always thought Wang Zhi was just a canary kept by Gao Fengming, but he didn't expect Gao Young Master to actually use resources to settle things for him!

—Actually, Wang Zhi didn't know he had such charm either.

After hanging up, Wang Zhi immediately searched and found that the news had been deleted from the entire internet. Instead, there was a statement from the crew, explaining that last night the entire crew went for barbecue together, and throughout, Wang Zhi and Feng Zheng sat with the crew, and the photo was just a perspective shot, with nothing improper between them.

If the crew's statement couldn't fully convince the audience, the decisive factor was the following video—

The perspective was also a candid shot, seemingly in an elevator, with a very familiar voice, speaking with a malicious tone, "…Why steal my scenes… just because I forgot my lines? Isn't it because of the engagement with Gao Fengming… always flattering Feng Zheng, clinging to him for rehearsals, now not even NGing! This time's photo was painstakingly taken by me, you must make a big news out of it!"

Probably afraid people wouldn't know who was speaking, the video helpfully zoomed in, giving a close-up of the speaker, who turned out to be Song Ran from the same crew as Wang Zhi.

The video was released for only ten minutes and had already made it to the front page of all major portals, with comments rapidly increasing.

[Wow! I knew our Old Feng was innocent!]

[Our Old Feng is just too kind! Being gentle to juniors and getting such a scandal, it's really unjust!]

[Isn't Feng Zheng known as the cold-faced king? How come he's rehearsing with a third-tier actor?]

[Uh, uh, uh, is forgetting lines something to be proud of?]

[Who is Wang Zhi? Who is Song Ran? Is this a small-time competition?]

[…I kind of understand why Song Ran's scenes were cut and given to Wang Zhi]

[Understanding +1, one is always working hard and not NGing, the other can't even remember lines, if I were the director, I'd give Wang Zhi more scenes too!]

[Am I the only one who thinks Wang Zhi is prettier than Song Ran? Not handsome, but pretty, who gets it?]

[I get it, I get it, sister! Wang Wang is really pretty, some angles are especially cold, but some angles are especially delicate!]

[Hehe, so suitable to be a wife]

[Actually, I feel like Feng Zheng and Wang Zhi are quite a match, one is a film emperor, the other a small actor, a good ship]

[What are you shipping? Wang Zhi already has a fiancé! Where are your morals!]

[Um… actually, thinking about it… makes it even better to ship]

Wang Zhi didn't bother to read the comments below, first cursing, "Damn, Song Ran, you idiot!"

He was the one who leaked to the paparazzi!

Wang Zhi was furious, about to go on WeChat to curse him, but saw that Song Ran had already sent him a voice message.

?

Is he going to play the victim first?

Who's afraid of who!

Wang Zhi unhesitatingly opened the voice message, only to hear Song Ran sobbing and apologizing, "Wang Zhi, I'm sorry, please don't blacklist me!"

…

Kneeling so quickly?

But Wang Zhi didn't think Gao Fengming had the power to blacklist people at will, so he tentatively called Gao Fengming. The call was answered by an old man, who said in a weary tone that he was Gao Fengming's superior, and they were on a business trip in Singapore. Gao Fengming got drunk and was sent to the hospital, vomiting all night and just fell asleep.

So it wasn't Gao Fengming.

The crew stepping up was normal, as the director was aiming for awards and wouldn't want the drama to be involved in such a scandal before airing. But given the usual response time, the earliest would be in the evening, yet this time it was so fast, almost simultaneous with the video release, perfectly timed.

That video wasn't something just anyone could get, and those major websites giving it front-page headlines, such treatment was only possible for top stars or by a dominant company in the industry.

No wonder the agent and Song Ran immediately knelt. After all, the most likely person with such status and power was Gao Fengming.

Who dares to go head-to-head with the Gao family?

But since it wasn't Gao Fengming…

Wang Zhi had a flash of insight.

It could only be the equally rumored powerful Feng Zheng!