Chapter 874: Pay Back What You Owe
Xing Lan was a little surprised. She suddenly felt like she had spoken to the wrong person.
But, what was actually happening on Li Jin's side?
He had immediately contacted a friend that understood the law and asked if Lin Qian was legally obligated to pay back the money. The response he got was, "Of course not. If she gives it to them, then she must be stupid!"
Li Jin understood that the real reason why Lin Qian wanted to pay the Quan Family back was because she wanted to break all ties with them. But, the amount was much too big!
…
Of course, this was a matter outside of the entertainment industry and news of it had not started spreading. So, under restrictions from Mo Ting, Tangning used the rest of her time to prepare for her film.
During this time, plenty of films were screened at the theaters, but not a single one left a deep impression on the audience.
This was because the standards of the audience had grown and they were no longer simply sold on good looks.
At this time, a member of the public was bored and decided to write out a list of artists that had great acting, but had unfortunately retreated from the industry. He then asked the public to vote for the one they wanted to see return the most.
After three days of voting, sitting at the top of rankings - was Tangning's name!
Looking at all her films, the audience could definitely tell whether she could act or not.
"The number of actors that can act are becoming more and more scarce. Out of all the recent newcomers, Luo Sheng is the only one that is worth noting. But, even when we consider actors that can act, their acting style is too one dimensional. The only truly versatile actor in recent days is Tangning…"
"It's a shame that Tangning's not acting anymore. I don't understand why everyone forced her to retreat over an artist that commited suicide."
"Tangning may have become a manager that's managing a few good artists, but Tangning can return to being the Tangning we know in less than a day, whereas waiting for someone else to become like Tangning could possibly take a decade."
"Now that I think about it, it's such a shame."
"Because of this, I decided to vote for her. I hope she can return!"
This particular post attracted quite a commotion. Because, by the time the public moved on from what had happened in the past and remembered Tangning's good points, she had already decided not to act again.
'Purgatory' progressed at a quick pace. Apart from getting normal amounts of rest, Tangning either spent most of her time discussing the special effects with her production team or keeping her kids company at home. This kind of lifestyle was very enriching for her.
But, due to the appearance of this particular post, Tangning's name was suddenly mentioned a lot more often. So, the official website of 'Survivor' took this opportunity to announce that they would start screening their film soon.
The director was smart. He knew how to take advantage of the situation; he would never forget how difficult it was to produce this film and how much humiliation he suffered when he bought the copyright.
As soon as this news was released, many people cheered in excitement.
Especially film fans.
'Survivor' was based on a true story. Although the original production team had changed, Tangning was still the protagonist. It had been a while since anyone talked about this film, but the public's excitement was easily reignited like it had been released from its temporary storage. The market was currently flooded with low quality films, so the arrival of 'Survivor' was good news for film fans.
By now, Tangning had perhaps already forgotten that she participated in this film.
The day after their official announcement, the director personally began promoting the film. He had to do it himself because he knew it was practically impossible to invite Tangning.
"The production of 'Survivor' had its fair share of obstacles. Luckily, it can finally show itself to the public. The first person I would like to thank is Tangning. Filming was difficult, but she remained professional and completed the film without being affected. She truly moved me."
"This was Tangning's fifth film. I'm not sure if it will be her last, but I hope it won't be."
"I understand how easy it is for an actor to be forgotten in this industry. You are welcome to forget Tangning if you want to, but don't forget her goosebump-inducing acting."
"'Survivor' is looking forward to meeting everyone. So, we'll see you next week."
The director skillfully mentioned Tangning because he knew this was the best way of promoting the film.
Although Tangning was no longer an actress, she had now become the boss of Superstar Media, as well as a manager. All this time, her popularity did not decrease, so she needed to make good use of this fact. The least she could do was draw everyone's attention towards 'Survivor' and make them realize the film's sincerity.
Since the director no longer had a team to work with, he had to shoulder everything on his own. In the end, he decided to place a 30-second trailer of 'Survivor' online.
As soon as he released it, the views soared quickly to 10 million!
"F*ck, Tangning's acting honestly gives me goosebumps.
"The trailer looks so good. I'm really looking forward to it!"
"It's a bit scary because it's actually based on a true story."
"If this film does well at the box office, those that once gave up on it are going to collapse in tears of shock."
"Thank you for keeping the film alive."
Of course, since the film was one of Tangning's projects, Hai Rui did not sit around doing nothing. Instead, Fang Yu immediately gathered together a team and took over the promotional work. He then distributed the film to all the biggest theaters and asked them to screen it.
People had to think about the situation properly; there was a possibility that this would be Tangning's last film. So, the theaters weren't stupid. They knew it may become a huge hit. So no one dared to prevent it from screening or play any other tricks on it again…
Hearing this, Tangning could only sigh.
She once thought that the film would sink to the bottom of the ocean never to face the light of day again.
She never imagined that it would make a comeback.
Meanwhile, Lin Qian had already reached the fourth day of her debt.
Even when she exhausted all her efforts, she only managed to secure a few million dollars.
As she witnessed Lin Qian's pitiful state, Xing Lan felt her heart fill with anger. Was it necessary for the Quan Family to push someone into a dead end?
Lin Qian was out of ideas. She had no idea what to do. But, at this time, she received a phone call from Li Jin, "Come out. I'm downstairs."
"But…I'm busy."
"Give me two hours," Li Jin insisted.
Lin Qian assumed that Li Jin didn't know about the situation she was in. Otherwise, why would it take him four days to give a response. So, since she was currently in debt, she did not want to implicate him.
As a result, Lin Qian headed downstairs with the intention to reject Li Jin. But, to her surprise, Li Jin wasn't dressed in military uniform today. Instead, he was wearing a black suit.
"Get in the car."
"Where are we going?" Lin Qian asked.
"You'll know when we get there," Li Jin said before he started the car.
However, it didn't take long before Lin Qian began to notice the road was quite familiar.
"I'm sorry. I felt like I should visit your parents."
"No, you can't, you don't know…"
"I know," Li Jin cut in. "You should go pay back what you owe…"