Chapter 85

Regarding the specific revenue sharing, film copyright, and attribution issues, Li Jingming would have specialists discuss these matters with Louis Psihoyos. As for his previous claim that the film had no commercial value, it was merely a tactic to pressure the other party. There is no business in this world that doesn't make money, and Li Jingming had enough confidence to turn a non-profitable business into a profitable one. Of course, what he saw in "The Cove" was the reputational benefits it could bring him.

As for An Hanjian, Li Jingming arranged for him to immediately go to Harvard to set up this "Ring of the Pacific Marine Environment Monitoring Activity Group." He could recruit a few people casually. An Hanjian just needed to follow the content Li Jingming had prepared, such as the previous group leader, senior Li Jingming, facing graduation, and how he, taking over the heavy responsibility, felt isolated and decided to recruit new members again. Li Jingming was indeed a student at Harvard, and even if such private associations were unregistered, their existence could not be denied. What Li Jingming didn't know was that this non-existent organization he had casually fabricated to get things done would gain increasing fame after "The Cove" was released, even becoming an officially recognized student organization at Harvard. The legend of him as the first group leader also spread widely...

When he arrived at the airport, Li Jingming suddenly remembered that he had forgotten something important. With so many things on his mind, he hadn't even had the chance to scold Song Shizai. This bastard didn't even inform him about the scandal, and this was the second time.

"Are you really the president now, and you didn't even inform me about such a big matter?" Li Jingming immediately asked sternly after connecting the call. He was genuinely a bit angry. Although they were friends, he could not tolerate anything going beyond his control. "Issue a statement saying that Kim Tae-hee is a nu-na I've known since childhood, and we have a very close relationship. This time, it just happened that we met in the U.S. and went out to play. As for why I came to the U.S., don't release that information yet."

"Let me tell you one last thing from an old Chinese saying: once is a mistake, twice is a coincidence, but three times is a pattern." After saying this, Li Jingming hung up the phone directly.

Li Jingming had no qualms about using his people. He wouldn't favor his relatives, nor would he avoid them. Song Shizai, Bai Qian, and An Hanjian were all his friends and capable individuals. Now, Song Shizai was clearly starting to consider issues from the company's perspective, but Li Jingming had never done the artist business for the profit of these small companies. These companies were just tools to achieve his goals. It wouldn't do to let the means become the end. He didn't care how many albums were sold or how many fans he had; he just wanted to be a part of this big circle, and as long as he was in it, he could stir things up.

"Hey, nu-na, what time is it in Korea? I hope I'm not disturbing you." Li Jingming drank a glass of water and then called Kim Tae-hee, knowing he had to clear the air with her.

On the other end of the line, Song Shizai could only smile bitterly. He was doing this for Li Jingming's popularity, but thinking about it, would this man care about popularity? He was just making things difficult for himself. After all, he worked for Li Jingming, not for LAD Entertainment. It took him a while to realize that he had lost his way since becoming president.

That day, LAD Entertainment's official website released a statement that Li Jingming and Kim Tae-hee were childhood friends and had a very close relationship, so they could play and joke around like siblings. As for their visit to Disneyland in the U.S., it was because Li Jingming was in the U.S. for work, and Kim Tae-hee happened to be in Los Angeles for an event, so they went out to play together. This explanation alone wasn't very convincing, so Tree Entertainment's official website also released the same message, but with a photo posted by Kim Tae-hee. In the photo, a pure and beautiful young girl was hugging a child's shoulders, both smiling at the camera. Kim Tae-hee wrote under the photo: "My age at 16 and Jie Ming's age at 10."

This photo was taken on Li Jingming's 10th birthday. As a precious little gem cherished by the four major families, his 10th birthday was a significant event, and anyone with influence in Korea had to attend. Kim Tae-hee attended because her father had a request to the Hanjin Group, which was Li Jingming's maternal grandmother's family. On that day, as the birthday boy, Li Jingming took photos with almost everyone who attended. At that time, Kim Tae-hee was a 16-year-old girl, and the photo of her hugging Li Jingming's shoulders had been kept by her mother. Now, it was used as evidence to clear up the scandal.

"They are very close siblings, I knew it."

"God, she was beautiful even as a child."

"Our Jie Ming oppa has always been handsome, even at 10, he had such presence."

Although some still believed that Li Jingming and Kim Tae-hee were in a romantic relationship, most people accepted the official explanation. Often, fans care more about the attitude of the artist than the truth. After the scandal faded, the focus shifted from the scandal to the childhood appearances of Li Jingming and Kim Tae-hee. Li Jingming's features had remained unchanged, and his skin was as flawless as ever, as if time had left no mark on him. The only change was in size. Kim Tae-hee's childhood photo was equally charming, and without the goddess-like aura, she had a more innocent and attractive appeal. Many men returned to her fan base, repenting for doubting her.

After the scandal, another question arose: what was Li Jingming, the mysterious "Li Mi Mi," doing in the U.S.? LAD Entertainment's official statement was that it was for work, but could Li Jingming be planning to debut in the U.S. as well? This seemed unrealistic. Various speculations emerged, such as Li Jingming participating in a U.S. talent show or playing a minor role in a Hollywood film. Many Korean artists did this to internationalize their careers, competing in U.S. talent shows and feeling proud when they won, or making cameo appearances in Hollywood films, which the media would hype up. Some speculated that Li Jingming might be collaborating with other singers, but this idea had few supporters. Li Jingming's fans didn't know his English level, and why would American singers choose an Asian for a collaboration when they had plenty of their own?

Of course, collaborating with other singers was just a side project for Li Jingming. He could only release this information officially later, and the rest would have to wait until he achieved some results. Li Jingming's trip to the U.S. was rushed, but the gains were enormous, the most important being his connection with the "The Cove" production team.

Li Jingming remembered "The Cove." In his previous life, this documentary was famous and won several awards, including the prestigious Academy Award. Americans have a pathological preference: "Anything that criticizes countries other than the U.S. is a good work." This standard seems absurd, but Americans take it seriously. For example, Zhang Yimou's early works, though not as technically refined as his later ones, won many international awards, while his later works were largely ignored. The reason was the subject matter. Zhang's early works depicted less ideal aspects of China, which appealed to American tastes. His later works, with grand productions and large scenes, couldn't compete with Hollywood's massive budgets, so they were ignored internationally.

"The Cove" is a typical work with a strong critical bias. Whether in scenes or character selection, everything is aimed at criticizing Japan's hunting and slaughter practices and highlighting the cruelty and insensitivity of the Japanese people. The film was boycotted by many Japanese and Japanophiles, but Americans loved it, awarding it and its creators various prizes.

Li Jingming had some ideas about this film. His attitude toward that country could not be described merely as "unfriendly." He wanted to add more provocative elements to the film, making his version of "The Cove" different from the original. On the plane, Li Jingming didn't rest, writing his proposal on a notepad. Before starting any project, he always liked to lay out all the factors he could consider, weigh the pros and cons, and set a strategy. This gave him a sense of security, as he couldn't afford to hope for a third life.

Business jets are not very large and are not very noticeable at the airport. After landing, Li Jingming went directly to a car through the VIP channel and left the airport, so none of the fans waiting at the airport saw him. Due to the "super-fast scandal" with Kim Tae-hee, his popularity had grown, and many people were waiting at the airport for him, but they were destined to wait in vain. The scandal was called "super-fast" because it only lasted three days in Korea, which was considered very fast.

As the sun set and the city lights came on, Li Jingming, sitting in the car, was half asleep. The luxury car was speeding towards Suwon City.

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