The Fallen Film Queen’s Possessive Alpha - Chapter 32

On the K-line chart, Top Benefit’s stock price gradually stabilized. Aside from the shares repurchased by the Zuo family themselves, it was clear that a portion had flowed into other hands.

Eldon once again publicly expressed optimism about Top Benefit’s high-quality assets and support for its core businesses. Qu Jinghan of World Group also stated, “Does modern society still practice collective punishment? When children grow up, their families don’t always know what they’re up to outside.” She even openly admitted that she had personally turned her son, Wei Yu, over to the investigative bureau to determine whether he had engaged in any misconduct.

The Zuo family, the Qu family, and Eldon. these three parties had unexpectedly aligned, making things somewhat tricky. Zhou Mu massaged her temples; she hadn’t rested well these past few days, constantly strategizing on how to rally allies. At this point, the Second Miss Zhou had to face a pressing question: What if her strategy failed?

Her covert accumulation of Top Benefit’s shares wasn’t something she feared being exposed. business was business, and since the disclosed holdings hadn’t even reached the reporting threshold, it would be dismissed with a laugh if made public. The real issue was that if she still couldn’t secure an alliance with Eldon and the others through Magic Cube Industries, the situation would become highly unfavorable for Nine Provinces-Panyan Culture. Her own project, with her fiancée Li You at the helm, had ended up in such a mess it was simply unacceptable.

Should she talk to Zhou Qiwei face-to-face?

Faced with the tangled family dynamics affecting her work, Zhou Mu was seething with frustration but didn’t know who to direct it at. As the middle child among three siblings, she had her own observations about family relationships. Right now, though she was reluctant to admit it, she had a vague premonition her mother seemed to be entertaining other ideas.

Her elder sister was the firstborn, her younger sister carried their mother’s guilt, and if Zhou Mu wanted to secure her inheritance rights, she had to work even harder to prove to everyone that she alone would prioritize Nine Provinces’ interests above all else.

Zhou Mu picked up the phone, intending to call Zhou Qiwei, but her secretary transferred another call instead: Mr. Zuo of Top Benefit was on the line.

A setup!

The moment she stepped through the door, Zhou Mu realized this was no ordinary meal. She turned to leave, but Ji Xubai was quicker, locking the door behind her. Inside the room were Zuo Wangshao, Qu Jinghan, Eldon, and Ji Xubai.

The Second Miss had never encountered such a scene before, she was truly isolated and defenseless now, her clothes already damp with sweat. The room was silent. As Zhou Mu steadied herself, she reasoned that these people wouldn’t dare resort to extreme measures. Had her stock accumulation been exposed?

“President Zuo, President Qu, and you two, what matter warrants such a grand display?”

Zhou Mu composed herself, her expression calm though devoid of a smile, her tone measured: “You two are both seniors in the business world. If this junior has erred, a word of guidance would suffice. There was no need for such theatrics it feels like a trap.”

Hearing her words, Ji Xubai inwardly shook her head. this was far too weak. Backed by Nine Provinces, in a situation like this, if it had been Zhou Qiwei, she would have already stepped over them to unlock the door, turning the tables in an instant. In such circumstances, the only way to seize the initiative was to discard polite formalities and bare one’s fangs early.

The Second Miss simply wasn’t ruthless enough. The art of commanding universal respect. she was still far from mastering it.

Zuo Wangshao wasted no time, slamming a stack of documents onto the table: “How dare we presume to advise the Second Young Miss? What standing does our Zuo family have? Before your Zhou family, we’re just lambs to the slaughter. I wonder how you and the Eldest Young Miss plan to butcher this fat pig called Dingyi.”

Zhou Mu’s mind buzzed, how had Zhou Zhao gotten dragged into this?

Having served as CEO for years, Zhou Mu wasn’t slow to react. She immediately realized this wasn’t about the stocks as she’d thought. These people were attacking because they believed she and Zhou Zhao were conspiring to swallow Dingyi whole.

This is utterly unjust! Who started this rumor?

“Nonsense! How could my sister and I do such a thing?” The words burst from her lips.

Ji Xubai and Leliana exchanged glances their plan was working. Zuo Wangshao and Qu Jinghan looked at each other in surprise. So it was true the Zhou family’s Eldest Young Miss was indeed the mastermind behind this scheme.

As for the Second Young Miss’s denial? Well, that meant nothing. Who would admit to having no business ethics and constantly scheming to devour negotiation partners?

“Fine!” Zuo Wangshao nodded repeatedly, the old man looking pained. “The mighty Zhou business empire, the noble Second Young Miss to stoop to this? I’ll expose this to the world!”

Zhou Mu froze in terror.

When acquiring the television station to enter the media industry, Jiuzhou had deliberately kept a low profile, only purchasing distribution rights to make it seem they were merely expanding into film and television. Zhou Mu couldn’t imagine the media firestorm if this got out the attacks on Jiuzhou, on the Zhou family.

This had happened before. Qu Jinghan’s rise to power came from exploiting the Wei family’s nouveau riche ambitions and the Qu elders’ political aspirations, using external forces to sink both ships. In the end, Wei Yu’s biological father left the country in disgrace with the Wei family, while the Qu elder hailed as “Luocheng’s Rising Star” and parliamentary hopeful died in a drunken fall from a high-rise one midnight.

As an outsider, one might admire Qu Jinghan’s ruthless tactics. But caught in the crossfire, Zhou Mu felt waves of dread. this might not destroy her, but it could ruin Zhou Zhao completely.

Jiuzhou… family… Mother… Sister…

“What do you want?”

She surrendered.

“If Zhou Mu let Zuo Wangshao expose this, would he really do it?”

“Zhou Mu wouldn’t allow it, and Zuo Wangshao wouldn’t dare.”

In a bar near the research institute during work hours, Zhou Qiwei and Ji Xubai sat in a corner booth. Zhou Qiwei continued, “That’s why we needed the ambush to force Zhou Mu’s immediate decision. If she delayed until the Zhou family got involved, Zuo Wangshao would be the first to flee, and we’d lose our leverage.”

“Honestly, this method is a bit bullying. But business is business winning is what matters.”

“Whether Zhou Zhao abused public power is like a nuclear deterrent the threat matters more than actual use. If investigated openly, while Zhou Zhao would suffer, the Zuo family would fare worse when the truth came out.”

Ji Xubai nodded silently. In the end, only Zhou Mu would lose she understood this perfectly, which was why she’d agreed to Zhou Qiwei’s proposal.

She longed to see Zhou Zhao take a fall. Yet thinking of that coldly beautiful face, their tangled history, and the career Zhou Zhao had poured her soul into… she still couldn’t bear to see her truly brought to tears.

After a few drinks, Ji Xubai was ready to leave. She and Leiliana had plans to meet Qu Jinghan and Zuo Wangshao that evening to settle some matters. Zhou Qiwei didn’t press her to stay, only mentioning as they parted: “Let’s visit the cemetery together next month.”

“Sure.”

The afternoon sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, warming Zhou Qiwei as she leaned back in her chair. A smile played on her lips as she texted Song Haoyin: Busy?

To her surprise, the beautiful older sister replied instantly: Reviewing scripts. Some want investment, others are asking if I’d like to star.

How do you even choose scripts? I’m really curious about your work. I’ve never seen it before. Zhou Qiwei mentally scolded herself for sounding so affected, but her fingers still tapped send without hesitation.

When no reply came, anxiety crept in. Had she come across as too cringey? Too fake?

Before she could dwell on it, her phone rang. Song Haoyin’s soft, cheerful voice floated through: “If you’re free, want to come over and look at scripts together? We can grab supper afterward.”

“Yes!”

Arriving at the studio, Zhou Qiwei ran into Xiang Zi at the entrance. She politely stepped aside she knew the woman held a grudge against her. But today, Ms. Xiang greeted her with a friendly smile: “Ah, President Zhou? Haoyin’s in the conference room with Yuanzhi and the others. Go on in.”

“Oh? Uh thank you, Director Xiang. Take care.” Zhou Qiwei gave a slight bow but still let Xiang Zi pass first. Watching the woman walk away, visibly pleased at being addressed as “Director,” Zhou Qiwei took the stairs two at a time before forcing herself to slow down and enter the conference room with dignified composure.

Inside, a heated debate was underway. Qu Yuanzhi seemed keen on a particular script, while Xu Su opposed it, and Yu Miao played mediator. Song Haoyin’s voice was nowhere to be heard.

“This subject is too sensitive. It’s not that I don’t support it I just don’t think you should film it now,” Xu Su, the PR director, argued. She was well aware of Yuanzhi’s connection to Qu Jinghan of World Group. The script in question revolved around a retired agent rescuing children, with the central theme being hormone abuse and human trafficking a plotline that inevitably evoked the Zuo Xingyu case.

Xu Su made no effort to hide her concerns: public morality was fickle. The moment someone appeared vulnerable, sympathy would pour in, regardless of their past actions. If Yuanzhi filmed this now, people would accuse Song Haoyin of kicking the Zuo family while they were down. “We’re not afraid of backlash, but it’s unnecessary trouble. Why invite trouble when we don’t have to?”

“And should we let PR dictate everything we do?” Yuanzhi retorted dramatically. “That’s just self-censorship! No one willingly shackles themselves. Even dog training has evolved you don’t keep a collar on indoors or during outdoor runs; you use a harness instead, or else the dog could choke!”

“I’m just asking you to wait. Does every script you like have to go into production immediately ?” Xu Su rubbed her temples. Dealing with this director was exhausting.

“Yes! I like this one, so we’re greenlighting it tomorrow and starting filming next week!”

Knock, knock knock!

Someone bumped against the door from outside. Song Haoyin glanced over just as Zhou Qiwei stepped in.

“Sorry for pushing the door too hard. Since it’s this time already, how about we all have some afternoon tea? My treat.”

Sugar can soothe emotions and lighten the mood, helping everyone sit down calmly to discuss work matters. Lunch meetings serve much the same purpose. After devouring three small cakes, Yuan Zhi sheepishly apologized to Xu Su.

“I don’t know much about filming and scripts, but I think the main storyline could use some slight modifications. The shooting and production cycle would take about six months, which should be fine by then.” Xu Su responded graciously, insisting Yuan Zhi didn’t need to apologize. they were all working toward the same goal, and she admitted she’d been overly conservative.

“PR always wants to avoid all risks and solve problems early, but many issues can’t simply be dodged.” Raising her coffee cup, Xu Su clinked it against Qu Yuanzhi’s.

Yu Miao also relaxed, having worried about potential conflicts between Xu Su and Director Yuan Zhi that could harm the studio. Seeing everything was fine, she brought up the celebration banquet: “Scheduled for the 9th of next month. Invitations are being sent out now the two-week notice should give attendees enough time to clear their schedules.”

“May I ask if our first invitee, President Zhou, can free up her schedule that day?” Yu Miao asked with a smile.

Huh, Zhou Qiwei noticed something peculiar everyone at Song Haoyin’s studio seemed unusually friendly toward her today. Previously, whether it was Xiang Zi or Yu Miao, she could always sense some lingering reservations. Why this sudden warmth? Not that she minded, of course.

“Absolutely, I’ll be there promptly at 6 p.m.,” Zhou Qiwei promised, looking at Song Haoyin.

As the pleasant afternoon tea drew to a close, Zhou Qiwei poured Song Haoyin a final cup of black tea and asked casually, “By the way, that script you were discussing earlier is it an exceptionally good story?”

“Exceptionally good!”

Xu Su and Qu Yuanzhi answered in unison. Yuan Zhi spread her hands triumphantly while Xu Su explained: “It’s about a retired female agent who goes into self-exile after her best friend’s death and disillusionment with certain aspects of her career. In the slums, she befriends many children left alone while their guardians work. She protects them, teaches them to read. They care for her too inviting her to share meals in their homes, offering her small wildflowers.”

“Tragedies happen daily in the slums, but one day she realizes some misfortunes stem from calculated malice. Children keep disappearing without investigation, not even by their own families. When a girl she’s grown close to vanishes, followed by an older boy, the heroine unravels the threads to discover they’re being abducted.”

“These beautiful children are raised until pre-differentiation for testing. Omegas get sold, alphas become ‘meals’ for certain circles, while betas become test subjects for artificial pheromone experiments.”

“I see,” Zhou Qiwei interrupted Xu Su. “So it’s a dark tale of corrupt elites, with the heroine delivering justice. But there are many stories in this genre, what makes this one special?”

“Because the female lead is portrayed with such sharp precision!”

This time it was Qu Yuanzhi who spoke, declaring proudly: “In the past, most films of this genre had male protagonists. The few with female leads often had illogical stories and shoddy production, treating the female lead not as a hero but as another kind of decorative vase. There was even one that won a Razzie.the female lead wore a skintight suit, ugh, practically an adult film in disguise.”

“The female lead in this script her every action, her lines, her appearance and attire. all perfectly embody what a retired special agent should be. The story might sound clichéd, but it taps into current trends. Artificial pheromones are a hot topic, and the issues around regulating their production and preventing related crimes have long been”

Yuanzhi suddenly stopped. Someone had kicked her under the table. She looked around and saw Song Haoyin smiling at her a smile that sent chills down her spine.

Zhou Qiwei noticed their little exchange. She didn’t mind it at all, so she laughed and said, “I see. So this script has both trending appeal and solid craftsmanship. What’s missing now is a director and actors. So Yuanzhi plans to direct, and Song Haoyin, you want to play the female lead?”

At this, Yuanzhi deflated a little. “Of course I’d love to cast Haoyin, but the writer only sent a synopsis and a third of the script. She wants me to direct, but for the female lead, she has someone else in mind Liu Shiyu. You don’t know who that is, do you?”

“Oddly enough, this Ms. Liu debuted early, but her career was mediocre at first. After studying abroad for two years, she suddenly became wildly popular after returning. She has good resources, decent acting skills, and ” Yuanzhi reluctantly added, “People say she could succeed Haoyin.”

Good grief, Song Haoyin was only about to turn 30, and already people were talking about her being succeeded?

“The entertainment industry is brutal. Haoyin, you really have it tough.”

Zhou Qiwei said this with complete sincerity, making Song Haoyin laugh. Seeing her smile, Zhou Qiwei continued, “Can’t you negotiate with the writer? Maybe Ms. Liu has other projects and can’t free up her schedule. Besides, if the writer wants Yuanbao to direct, surely you have some say in the matter. Negotiate! There’s nothing in this world that can’t be negotiated.”

That’s right! Yuanzhi had an epiphany. Once the script actually went into production, it would inevitably need some tweaks. That’s when the director and writer would have to collaborate! She wasn’t without her own opinions either. Yuanzhi clapped her hands and laughed. “That’s so like you full of cunning ideas, just like my mom.”

“If your mother heard you say that, your backside would be in for a beating tonight,” Zhou Qiwei retorted irritably.

“Ahem!”

The cough was so deliberate that even Xu Su and Yu Miao turned to look at Song Haoyin, while the instigator, Qu Yuanbao, covered her mouth to stifle laughter. Zhou Qiwei said nothing, watching Song Haoyin’s face. The woman seemed both embarrassed and annoyed, a faint blush spreading across her fair skin more like a delicate pink, really.

It reminded Zhou Qiwei of certain moments when Song Haoyin was particularly excited, her pale skin flushing the same way. In those moments, Zhou Qiwei would willingly bend down, surrendering at the hem of her skirt.

For some reason, Zhou Qiwei suddenly felt parched. She reached for her tea but ended up choking on it. Yuanzhi couldn’t hold back any longer and burst out laughing. “What on earth are you two doing?!”

The room erupted in laughter, leaving only the two involved parties locking eyes briefly before quickly looking away, as if guilty of some wrongdoing and afraid to meet each other’s gaze.

Zhou Qiwei hadn’t come to see Song Haoyin today to discuss her script. that wasn’t really Zhou’s concern nor was it to express gratitude for an invitation. Rather, seeing how hard Song had been working, Zhou wanted to take advantage of some free time to treat her to a relaxing outing.

Song Haoyin was genuinely curious about what kind of place someone like Zhou Qiwei would choose to make her happy. This eccentric genius would probably come up with something completely unexpected, and she found herself rather looking forward to it.

With her eyes covered by a handkerchief, Song followed Zhou’s lead, being carefully guided forward. Unable to resist asking, she said, “We seem to have walked quite far. Are we there yet?”

“Not too far, but we’re almost there,” Zhou replied, carefully leading her companion up some steps and through a door.

“Is this a small house?”

No one answered her question. As Song groped her way to a seat, she couldn’t make out where they were—until a loud rumble signaled something starting up. Warm hands removed the handkerchief, and as her eyes adjusted to the light, Song turned her head slightly to find them slowly ascending!

“A Ferris wheel!”

They were actually aboard the Eye of Luocheng. Delighted, Song pressed her hands against the glass window, marveling at the glittering lights in the distance. As they rose to the highest point, she could see both banks of the Luo River and the great bridge spanning it, with the nearby streets and buildings outlined in beautiful, radiant colors.

“That’s the Jiuzhou Tower over there,” Zhou Qiwei said from across the cabin, leaning closer to point out landmarks. “Two streets away is the Dingyi Building. Your studio is in the Film and Arts District on the other side of Luo River Bridge. Further north along the riverbank is where LBS and the other TV stations are located.”

“Where’s the Cube?” Song asked softly, gazing into Zhou’s sharp, bright eyes as she took her hand. “Show me, will you?”

Their hands intertwined, Zhou looked at Song as they drew closer together. When their lips met, a warm, moist atmosphere enveloped the small cabin. The kiss felt both endless and fleeting, and when they finally parted, both were slightly breathless yet their hands remained tightly clasped, unwilling to let go.

“I’ve made up my mind,” Song murmured against Zhou’s shoulder, nuzzling her neck before continuing with a smile, “After the studio restructuring, I’ll name the company Ferris Wheel.”

Zhou liked the name. Holding Song close, she kept another surprise to herself: the foundation Song wanted to establish to support young filmmakers Zhou had already decided to name it the Song Yu Director Memorial Foundation.

But it wasn’t time yet. They would have to wait a little longer.

“That’s their intention they want to push Jiuzhou out, and Panyan Culture can’t take on the business either. It can only serve as a shell company.”

At the Zhou residence, Zhou Mu sat before her mother, exhausted and dejected as she confessed her grave mistake of the day: “I transferred my shares to Panyan Culture, but without voting rights. Youyou can’t join the Dingyi board either, remaining just an ordinary shareholder. In short, today was a complete failure I’ve been played for a fool.”

Du Ning sat to the side. Normally, she wouldn’t interfere with Jiuzhou’s affairs. But today’s matter involved Zhou Zhao, she had to know the details, and she also wanted to prevent her wife from losing her temper.

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