Chapter 12: Chen Hao Advises Lizhi: Strike First and Strike Hard

Li Zhi felt a stir in her heart upon hearing Chen Hao's words.

Originally, she believed that with her looks and hard work, she could carve out her own place in the entertainment industry on the island.

But ever since stepping into this world, she had come to deeply understand just how cruel and harsh the island’s entertainment scene truly was.

No matter how much effort she put in, she could never earn genuine recognition.

People saw her only as a stunning, seductive beauty.

Especially recently, when filming a fight scene with Zhou Runfa, he took it too far—actually hurting her badly, covering her face with flour so that her eyes, nose, and mouth were all smothered.

She nearly suffocated.

And that wasn’t all. Zhou Runfa later forcibly held her head underwater, making it impossible for her to breathe.

She almost drowned.

Other crew members couldn’t bear to watch. If they hadn’t stepped in just in time, she might have truly drowned.

Afterwards, Zhou Runfa casually dismissed it as “normal filming, just to achieve a realistic effect.”

Now, every time she saw him, it was like facing a demon, and an uncontrollable fear gripped her.

This made her question whether entering the entertainment industry had been a mistake.

Should she continue to fight for a place in this world?

If she hadn’t met Chen Hao, perhaps she would have gritted her teeth and persevered, determined to prove she was not someone who gave up easily.

But now, everything was different.

Today, she had witnessed Chen Hao’s remarkable stock trading skills.

And her own background in business economics, studied in San Francisco, was somewhat related to trading.

This sparked a desire to learn stock trading from Chen Hao.

If she could become a female tycoon with billions in wealth, no one would dare look at her with prejudice again.

So she decided to quit the entertainment industry and follow Chen Hao into the world of stock trading and business.

“Chen Hao!”

“Will you really help me with the one million Hong Kong dollars penalty for breaching my contract?”

Li Zhi’s eyes widened as she looked at Chen Hao with hopeful anticipation.

“Of course!” Chen Hao nodded firmly.

“You’ve been so good to me, I naturally want to help solve your problem!”

“Alright!” Li Zhi said excitedly.

“I’ve made up my mind!”

“From now on, I’m quitting the entertainment industry!”

“I want to trade stocks with you!”

“That’s the right decision!” Chen Hao said approvingly.

“Rest assured, I’ll gather the one million for your penalty very soon!”

He didn’t want to see Li Zhi bullied anymore by Zhou Runfa and other island entertainers.

“Thank you, Chen Hao!”

Li Zhi looked at him with deep gratitude.

“You’re welcome,” Chen Hao replied with a smile.

“Actually, there’s no need to rush over the penalty.”

“Why?” Li Zhi frowned slightly.

“Although you breached your contract,” Chen Hao explained calmly, “you can claim that Zhou Runfa and the crew deliberately harmed you during the fight scenes.”

“Your body and mind suffered serious trauma.”

“You can use this as grounds to sue Zhou Runfa and the ‘Tiger on the Prowl’ production team.”

“Take the initiative.”

“That way, any demands for you to pay the penalty will be postponed.”

“If you can find solid evidence proving Zhou Runfa and the crew intentionally inflicted personal injury during filming,” Chen Hao continued, “you might not only avoid paying the penalty but even receive compensation from them.”

Li Zhi’s eyes lit up immediately.

“How did I not think of that?”

She could take the offensive, sue Zhou Runfa and the ‘Tiger on the Prowl’ crew for intentional harm, and gain the upper hand.

Even if she didn’t win compensation, she could delay paying the penalty.

Having decided to leave the entertainment industry, she no longer feared offending Zhou Runfa or New Art City Film Company.

“Tomorrow, go find an experienced lawyer,” Chen Hao advised.

“Have them gather evidence and file the lawsuit.”

“I will,” Li Zhi nodded promptly, accepting the advice.

“If you find a good lawyer, maybe Zhou Runfa will have to apologize to you.”

“Then I won’t even need to step in,” Chen Hao said with a smile, eating his wonton noodles.

“How could that be?” Li Zhi shook her head doubtfully.

“I might not even win this lawsuit. How could he possibly apologize?”

“Don’t worry,” Chen Hao said earnestly.

“I promised you—I will make Zhou Runfa apologize.”

“It doesn’t matter anymore,” Li Zhi said with resolve.

“I’m quitting the entertainment industry.”

“I don’t want to see Zhou Runfa again.”

“Whether he apologizes or not is no longer important.”

“Miss Li Zhi, you can’t think like that,” Chen Hao replied seriously.

“Zhou Runfa deliberately crossed the line and hurt you. You can’t just let it go.”

“I will make him pay the price.”

Hearing this, Li Zhi was moved, though she doubted Chen Hao could really force an apology.

Not wanting to dwell on the topic, she changed the subject.

“Don’t always call me Miss Li Zhi. Just call me by my name.”

“Alright,” Chen Hao nodded.

“By the way,” Li Zhi asked, “is this wonton noodle good?”

“Tastes pretty good,” Chen Hao said.

“Will it fill you up?”

“There are some pineapple buns here too,” Li Zhi said, pointing to them.

“They’re pretty tasty. Try one.”

“Okay,” Chen Hao took a bun, bit into it, and smiled. “This is indeed delicious.”

They ate and chatted leisurely, soon finishing all their food.

Li Zhi tidied up the leftover trash.

“It’s getting late,” she said.

“I should head back.”

“Tomorrow morning, I’ll find a lawyer to prepare the lawsuit against Zhou Runfa and the ‘Tiger on the Prowl’ crew.”

“Can’t go with you to the stock exchange to trade stocks yet.”

“Here’s my mobile number,” she said, pulling her phone from her bag and handing it to Chen Hao.