True Star (巨星) [DROPPED]

Chapter 111: Counterattack (1)

NOTE:

This translation belongs to the translators and proofreaders of Giraffe Corps.

True Star Training Class was slowly reaching its end and classes were beginning to wrap up. Most of the trainees decided to use the time left over to practice the skills they had learned so that they could give a good performance during the final exams.

Whenever people were present, there would be competition, even more so in the entertainment circle. Reality TV shows often liked to magnify the conflicts between guests or contestants in order to obtain higher ratings and stir up the interest of the public. It was a ploy that was used often in American reality TV shows. However, Tang Feng thought China used the obvious marketing ploy in a much nicer way.

Due to the circumstances within the country and the structure of the supervising committee, production crews would much prefer to show a touching side of someone to the public rather than their dark, scheming side. No matter how many problems existed in private, most people would choose to act kindly and cheerfully on the surface in order to ensure the path of their future career.

Of course, there were a select few who didn't hesitate to show their ugly side to the public as they sought greater attention. Those sorts of people always ended up being the objects of the public's curses and criticisms; however, they also had the most eyes on them in the end.

A reckless method like that could be considered as a way to climb to the top, but it would be difficult to predict whether such a method would end in success or failure. At least, Tang Feng thought the risks outweighed the benefits. Not everyone was capable of washing their hands clean of the past and turning over a new leaf. Acting wasn't a career that lasted only a year or two, it was something that could take up a whole lifetime.

There were people who liked Tang Feng in the training class, but also people who disliked him. He didn't know what the other trainees thought of him in private, but everybody treated him rather well on the surface.

After he'd returned from his trip to the United States with Lu Tian Chen, the smarter ones would even occasionally come over and have a chat with him.

What was an employee and his boss doing in the United States together for?

It didn't matter if it were private or public affairs. If the president of the Tian Chen Group took a personal trip with an employee of his, it meant Lu Tian Chen saw Tang Feng differently from everyone else.

Recently, rumors about Lu Tian Chen and Ge Chen were dying down. After Ge Chen fell off his horse and had to be hospitalized, Lu Tian Chen hadn't gone to see him once.

Perhaps the Tian Chen Group was planning to promote an "Old Newcomer." Additionally, most of the trainees would end up signing with the Tian Chen Group in the future. Only an idiot would start a conflict with someone close to the president of their future agency. In other words, the entertainment circle functioned like any other workplace: You had to rely on your emotional intelligence and navigate the connections between people in order to thrive.

Therefore as an oldtimer, Tang Feng felt he was doing pretty well in the training class.

What was his secret? Sincerity, amiability, and keeping a low-profile. None of those were fake when it came to Tang Feng. The other trainees weren't idiots either. Many people might think of themselves as smart and disguise their arrogance under layers of false kindness. When chancing upon those sort of people, the majority of the public would choose to stay silent, too lazy to expose the falsehood. As for people who were truly kind and considerate, few would choose to hate them.

More importantly, Tang Feng didn't treat the training class like a battlefield full of competitors. To him, the training class was merely a warm-up exercise before he started filming for his new movie. Once someone lost their competitiveness, people would naturally treat them with less animosity as there was a lack of perceived threat.

Of course, the main reason Tang Feng was being treated nicely in the training class was because of Lu Tian Chen. It didn't matter how kind or considerate he was, having the backing of a great sponsor trumped all of that.

After working up a sweat in their dance class, Tang Feng stood together with a few other trainees and chatted while gulping down bottles of water. At that moment, a staff member suddenly called out Tang Feng's name. The cameras were immediately turned off and Lu Tian Chen walked out from a hidden corner.

"Come with me." Lu Tian Chen said as he grabbed Tang Feng's hand and dragged him out of the practice room under the eyes of curious onlookers.

They walked to Tang Feng's room in the apartment building. Lu Tian Chen closed the door forcefully behind them and turned to look at the actor.

Tang Feng was still holding a towel in his hands, his hair dripping wet with sweat. He reached out a hand and swept the hair off of his forehead. The sweptback hairstyle prominently displayed his refined features for all to see, turning him into a clean and simple picture.

"What's wrong?" It was rare for Lu Tian Chen to come looking for him directly. Seeing the other's hastiness, Tang Feng felt he was about to hear some bad news.

"What is going on between you and Chen Ming Xu?" Lu Tian Chen handed his phone over to Tang Feng, a frown marring his face.

Tang Feng accepted the phone and fixed his eyes on the screen. It was a newspaper article with a shocking title: Tang Feng met privately with the popular TV host Chen Ming Xu! Details about their old love!