Chapter 76: The Scion of the Prestigious Family

That night, Zhang Qiyang fired off nine consecutive posts on Weibo, fiercely attacking Wang Dazhong.

At first, Wang Dazhong retorted to each of Zhang Qiyang’s jabs, but when he realized Zhang was latching onto him like a mad dog and refusing to let go, it became clear to Wang Dazhong that Zhang’s actions were deliberate and far from pure in intent.

Starting fights online to divert attention was an old trick of Wang Dazhong’s.

Sensing that Zhang Qiyang was now using the very tactics he himself had once played to exhaustion, Wang Dazhong refused to fall into the trap.

After tossing a few harsh words back at Zhang, Wang Dazhong promptly retreated, turning into an angry turtle hiding in its shell, refusing to continue the online war of insults.

It had been a long time since netizens had seen such a thrilling battle of words between the wealthy elite. Zhang Qiyang’s antics electrified the crowd; everyone glued themselves to Weibo, eagerly waiting for more gossip, hoping that the two young lords would clash for dozens of rounds as in days past and put on a good show for the commoners.

Unfortunately, Wang Dazhong refused to take the bait, which left many “little wives” crushed. They crowded Wang Dazhong’s Weibo, drumming up support and urging him to strike back and kill Zhang Qiyang’s momentum.

But Wang Dazhong wasn’t one to act rashly. No matter what others said about him, he simply turned off his phone and went back to entertaining his fans online, refusing to give Zhang Qiyang the satisfaction of a response.

Zhang Qiyang was left unsatisfied, having barely traded a few insults before Wang Dazhong’s retreat.

Yet at the same time, he recognized just how shrewd Wang Dazhong really was. To utterly defeat such a rival would not be an overnight endeavor.

In fact, setting aside the original protagonist’s status and comparing the two, it was obvious Wang Dazhong had the upper hand.

Whether in business or in life, Wang Dazhong’s methods far surpassed those of the original protagonist.

In some ways, these two scions of wealthy families were kindred spirits.

They weren’t born rebels; it was deep wounds that drove them to gradually abandon themselves.

The original protagonist had completely lost himself, like a train hurtling toward hell, never to return.

Wang Dazhong, on the other hand, carved out a new and unconventional path, breaking away from the mainstream.

Since the elite circles looked down on him anyway, he simply kicked them aside and reveled in his own world.

In the process, Wang Dazhong elevated his own life, becoming the most down-to-earth young lord in the public’s eyes.

Before Zhang Qiyang’s arrival, Wang Dazhong’s popularity and image far outshone the original protagonist.

Those millions of “little wives” calling him “husband” weren’t doing it for nothing.

They genuinely adored this approachable young lord.

He might have been cunning, but he was fiercely loyal to his friends. If he truly considered you a friend, he would treat you with exceptional kindness.

He didn’t just befriend those with power and influence—he made friends with ordinary people as well.

As long as he felt a connection, he would form a friendship.

The classic example was the time he went to Xi’an for a roujiamo.

It was just a little roadside food stall. The owner, not realizing this easygoing, unassuming customer was the illustrious young master Wang Dazhong, thought he was just another tourist and chatted away with him.

Wang Dazhong found the owner interesting and full of ideas, so he befriended him.

Later, he invested a million yuan to help the owner open a chain of stores called “Greater China Roujiamo.”

The “Da Zhong” part was a play on his own name, while “Hua” was the owner's.

With Wang Dazhong’s fame and a professional management team he assembled, Greater China Roujiamo quickly flourished, opening more than twenty locations in Xi’an and expanding steadily.

In major cities like the capital and Shanghai, branches soon followed.

Now, this brand—jokingly called the “national husband’s favorite”—had become the most famous roujiamo chain in China, its future listing on the stock market hardly a surprise.

From this one investment, you could glimpse Wang Dazhong’s capability and temperament.

And this was just a small thing he did on a whim.

Forming an e-sports team, creating a professional basketball squad, investing in up-and-coming sites like Hyena Live—these were all Wang Dazhong’s side projects.

His real expertise, and his greatest strength, lay in combining advanced Western film industry management with an intimate understanding of domestic relationships, participating in the management of Wantong Pictures.

In just a few short years, he transformed this once hollow, famed company into a true powerhouse in film investment and production.

Now, Wantong Pictures ranked among the top three in the industry.

Wang Dazhong had built extensive connections in the entertainment world.

He was a man of strong likes and dislikes, earning him a polarized reputation in the industry.

For his own people, he would go all out to support them, even covering for their mistakes.

But when it came to rivals, he never showed mercy, seizing every chance to mock and deride them.

So long as something benefited him, he would do it without hesitation, regardless of propriety.

Even if others despised his shameless tactics, if it worked to his advantage, he would not hesitate to disgust his opponents.

If it weren’t for the family interests that drove him to hound the original protagonist like a rabid dog, Zhang Qiyang might well have befriended him.

After all, having studied directing, Zhang Qiyang had a deep and abiding passion for film, especially Chinese cinema.

His ultimate dream was to make Chinese film strong and prosperous.

And Wang Dazhong was a master of film investment, with rich connections in the industry, and his family’s Wantong Cinema Line was the largest in the country, unlikely to be surpassed any time soon.

If these two, both scorned and called shameless by the elite, ever joined forces, they could turn the entire entertainment and business worlds upside down, forcing the old guard into early retirement. Who then among the self-righteous aristocrats would dare look down on them?

Alas, Wang Dazhong had chosen the hardest mode, determined to bring down the richest family by relentlessly attacking Zhang Qiyang.

So Zhang Qiyang had no choice but to fight back to the bitter end!

He would not stop until Wang Dazhong admitted defeat.

Let’s see who will ultimately become the most formidable young lord in China.

Let’s see, decades from now, who will lead the mainland’s entertainment industry into a new era, becoming its true titan.

Monday.

Zhang Qiyang and Li Xuan flew back to the capital on the same flight.

Before leaving, Chen Ke gave a special reminder: Zhang Qiyang was not to get involved in the Tan Zhizhong matter.

Dongyu had already reached an agreement with the “I Sing” production team—if Chuyu went too far and tried to pin the incident on Zhang Qiyang, smearing his name, Dongyu would release the video of Tan Zhizhong provoking Zhang Qiyang before the taping, letting the public judge for themselves.

Threatened by Dongyu, Chuyu dared not blow up the Tan Zhizhong incident.

Still, they hired a horde of paid commentators to take indirect shots at Zhang Qiyang, viciously smearing his rapidly rising popularity to pave the way for their soon-to-debut superstar, Zhao Ziqi.

Chuyu was determined to push Zhao Ziqi onto “I Sing.”

Meanwhile, Zhang Qiyang and Li Xuan stuck to their original plan, preparing to unleash their own strategy.

Li Xuan was utterly charmed by the impromptu song “Grandma’s Penghu Bay” that Zhang Qiyang had composed.

Chen Ke reminded her that Zhang Qiyang, in his foolish past, had once hurt her, and warned that if he relapsed, he might harm her again.

Chen Ke didn’t want Li Xuan to get too involved with Zhang Qiyang.

But this time, Li Xuan chose to trust her instincts, insisting that Zhang Qiyang had truly changed and was no longer the reckless young master of before.

So she decided to sing “Grandma’s Penghu Bay” for this week’s “I Sing” challenge.

As for the songwriter’s credit, respecting Zhang Qiyang’s wishes, they decided to submit the song to the show listing both lyrics and music under the glaringly ordinary pen name Zhang had insisted on—“Kitchen Knife.”