After Breaking Up with the Stoic CEO - Chapter 54

Chapter 54: What Did You Just Say?

The threat in Niu Bi’s words was thick, the kind of speech that easily made one feel ill at ease.

Du Hengxu’s face darkened slightly. They were both in the directorial circle; as long as they remained in this industry, the other party should grant him some modicum of respect. However, he wasn’t a local of C City and had no deep roots here—there was a question mark as to exactly how “thin” that respect might be.

This matter was tricky. If a physical altercation broke out over a disagreement and things escalated, entertainment reporters would sniff it out immediately. That could easily affect the production schedule and the future marketing of the film.

Du Hengxu spoke to the assistant director: “Take the others and leave first, to avoid making more trouble later.”

“Understood,” the assistant director replied.

Niu Bi didn’t block the others from leaving. Seeing Du Hengxu’s concern, he smiled meaningfully and patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry, Director Du. Although I’m not as capable as you, winning an Oscar and all. I’m not an unreasonable person.”

“Oh, my mistake. It was almost winning an Oscar. Look at my memory; I’ve offended Director Du. Please don’t take offense.”

It wasn’t a lapse in memory; he was clearly using the incident to mock him. Du Hengxu understood perfectly. He said in a low voice, “In that case, shouldn’t Director Niu understand the circumstances of the incident before saying anything else?”

Niu Bi replied briskly, “Fine, we’ll do as Director Du says.”

He bypassed Du Hengxu and walked forward, followed by a large wave of unit managers and cameramen. A large group of men, dressed like thugs. The onlookers around them didn’t dare provoke them and scrambled to clear a path.

Niu Bi arrived at Niu Chun’s side, adopting the air of someone delivering justice. “Chun-zi, tell our Director Du what happened!”

Having found his backbone, Niu Chun straightened his waist and pushed the boy forward. “Son, tell your uncle what grievances you’ve suffered. Let your uncle handle this for you!”

The boy’s eyes lit up, and he immediately began his complaint. “Uncle, I just accidentally scratched that woman’s car a little bit, and she said she’s going to send me to jail!”

Niu Bi’s facade of sincerely solving the problem shattered instantly. He stubbed out the cigarette in his hand, spat on the ground, turned toward Lu Wu, and gave a fake smile. “You want to send the only male heir of our Old Niu family to jail?”

Lu Wu had long grown tired of their coordinated performance. She spoke nonchalantly. “Whether he goes to jail or not is for the police to decide. If you commit a crime, you must pay the price. It’s the same whether you’re from the Niu family or the Zhu family.”

Niu Bi’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Do you think I don’t know anyone at the police station?”

Lu Wu smiled. “Then I can only assume you’re so worried about him being lonely in jail that you want to go in with him.”

Niu Bi laughed out of extreme anger and clapped his hands heavily. Just a few claps, yet they seemed to be a signal; the people behind him closed in with menacing expressions. “Director Niu, do we need to teach this woman a lesson?”

Niu Bi raised his hand, suppressing his anger as he looked at her. “Are you an actress? What’s your name?”

Lu Wu arched an eyebrow. If he asked, she would answer. “Lu Wu.”

Hearing the name, Niu Bi found it somewhat familiar but couldn’t place it at the moment. The assistant director beside him immediately leaned in to explain. “Director Niu, that’s the female screenwriter who’s been very popular lately, the one who won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.”

Niu Bi ignored him. The more a person was praised for their talent by the public, the more he hated them. He looked Lu Wu up and down. “You think you’re something special?”

“Do you believe that with just one word from me, even if you were beaten to death here today, not a single piece of news would get out?”

A completely outdated gangster-movie declaration. Lu Wu would be too stingy to even write such a villain into a script. She curled her lips, about to offer a few mocking words.

In the next second—

A cold, quiet voice pierced through the crowd and landed in her ear.

“What you just said… say it again.”

The smile on Lu Wu’s face froze; her interest in playing with Niu Bi vanished. She turned to look at Xiao Yin: “Have you contacted the 4S shop?”

Xiao Yin was stunned, not expecting Lu Wu to ask such a question at this critical moment. Lu Wu waved her hand in front of the girl’s face again: “I’m talking to you.”

Xiao Yin snapped out of it and hurriedly checked her tablet. “Not yet, Sister Lu. I was too busy arguing with this person.”

Lu Wu nodded. “Fine. Give them a call first.”

Xiao Yin looked at the crowd, which was layers deep with malicious glares, and hesitated. “But here…”

Lu Wu was unhurried, even taking the leisure to open the car door and pull out a coat to put on. “It’s fine. Just handle your own business.”

Xiao Yin swallowed. “Oh… okay. I’ll call now.”

Lu Wu’s disregard was already infuriating enough, but the woman who suddenly appeared made Niu Bi feel his authority was being challenged even more.

“And who might you be? Wanting to be a hero too?”

“You’ve got a decent face. I haven’t heard your name—Second tier? Third tier? Have you played a role so long you actually think you are a character?”

“Do you know who I am?”

“I am Niu—”

Li Jin said nothing. Du Lin had already arrived ahead of her, saying with a serious expression: “Regardless of who you are, the cooperation between your production crew and Hengyuan ends here.”

Passersby might not be familiar with that name, but anyone who hung around movie sets knew that Hengyuan Entertainment was the management authority for this film city.

Niu Bi sneered, not taking the words of this woman—who clearly looked like an assistant—seriously at all. “Hengyuan? Let me tell you, the boss’s younger brother is my brother. Even if I turned this film city upside down today, he would only cover for me.”

The assistant director beside him looked at the woman. Her frame was slight, but those cold eyes, filled with a natural authority that commanded respect without anger, gave him an inexplicable sense of pressure from a superior. He remembered something, and a bad feeling surged in his heart. He tugged on Niu Bi.

“Brother Niu, she looks like Li Jin.”

Niu Bi was in the heat of anger and didn’t listen to his words at all. “Li Jin, Li Out, doesn’t matter who comes.”

He had always enjoyed bullying the minor actors in the crew, and he habitually prepared to strike. That coarse, fat hand was raised high, about to fall.

While the commotion continued over there, Xiao Yin finished her communication with the 4S shop. “Sister Lu, I finished the call. The staff will be here in half an hour.”

Lu Wu nodded. “Understood.”

Xiao Yin was about to say something else when she turned and saw the scene behind her. Her expression turned to horror. “Sister Lu! That Director Niu is going to hit someone—”

Lu Wu’s face froze. She turned around belatedly, the tension in her eyes instantly revealed. “Li Jin!”

At that moment, two black figures blurred past her, their movements agile, decisive, and clean. They were Li Jin’s personal bodyguards. One directly grabbed Niu Bi’s hand and twisted with force; a crisp crack sounded in the air. The other followed up with a beautiful shoulder throw.

Thud—

Niu Bi, who had been standing perfectly fine a second ago, was now lying on the ground seeing stars. It took him a long while to snap back to his senses. “You actually dared to lay a hand on me?!”

“Ouch… ouch. Someone help me up!”

Watching Niu Chun hurriedly go to help the man on the ground, Lu Wu forced her already-turned body to stay in place. Her fingers clenched and then released, regaining her composure.

Right… she could teach herself self-defense, so how could someone like Li Jin not have means of self-protection? The other’s “fragility” was all a disguise. Only the silly Lu Wu from years ago would have believed it.

Niu Bi was too fat; it took him a long time to crawl back up. He had made a huge fool of himself in front of everyone, his face flushed red like a pig’s head. “What are you all good for? Just standing there watching? Get them!”

Hearing this, the group of lackeys looked at each other. Some saw that Li Jin was no ordinary person and instinctively retreated. A few brave ones grabbed steel pipes scattered in a nearby construction corner and rushed forward.

But Li Jin’s two bodyguards were former soldiers retired from special forces. Even empty-handed, these men were no match for them at all. In just two minutes, the battle was decided. The instigators were all restrained and unable to move, and just then, sirens wailed.

Seeing the situation turn sour, the crowd quickly scattered. Someone moved too fast and knocked Niu Bi to the ground again. Niu Bi’s hand was dislocated, and he struggled on the ground for a while without being able to turn over.

“Niu Chun, pull me up! Niu Chun?!”

No one answered him. At this moment, Li Jin walked over, her gaze looking down. Being scrutinized by such a gaze, almost as if looking at livestock, Niu Bi finally remembered where he had seen this face.

This was the woman invited to cut the ribbon on the film city’s opening day, and the actual controlling investor behind Hengyuan Entertainment. Hengyuan Entertainment had only risen in the last two years, yet it had already signed numerous powerful award-winning actresses and popular starlets, occupying an unshakeable position in the entertainment industry.

There was only one reason: it was founded with actual investment from the Li Group. Everyone knew the Li Group—the investment giant of all of China. And everyone knew the person actually in charge of the Li Group. One of China’s wealthiest entrepreneurs.

Li Jin.

Niu Bi sucked in a cold breath, finally realizing what kind of person he had provoked. A flattering smile belatedly appeared on his face, his voice trembling with terror: “Li… President Li.”

Li Jin didn’t reply. She expressionlessly lifted her foot and stepped on his hand. The thin high heel ground back and forth between his fat fingers as if treading on a pile of filthy trash. Niu Bi clenched his teeth, his face turning blue and white, not daring to let out a cry of pain.

Li Jin leaned down slowly, her voice calm, but the air around her was so freezing it seemed as if it would turn to ice.

“What did you just say? Say it again.”

Niu Chun saw that Niu Bi’s name seemed useless this time and secretly intended to flee. Watching for the moment the crowd became chaotic, he prepared to pull his son away.

It was at that moment that Lu Wu suddenly appeared in front of him, asking with a smile:

“Where are you planning to go?”

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