novellhall Chapter 265 What Makes Chen Xun So Special? [5000]
Chapter 265 What Makes Chen Xun So Special? [5000]
Chapter 264 What Makes Chen Xun So Special? [5000] (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
He opened Twitter, and the top three trending topics were:
#ChenXunandJenniferKissingPhotos#
#Twilight actress cheated on#
#Gugu is no longer available#
The photo has been blurred out before it was circulated, but those familiar with the subject can recognize it at a glance.
It was indeed Jennifer, and it was indeed him.
It was after the Oscars that photos of the two of them in the hotel were taken without their consent.
At that time, Chen Xun felt that there were paparazzi.
I never expected to be secretly filmed, and now the footage has been obtained by hackers.
The other photos are selfies he and Christine took in Beverly Hills.
It was probably leaked directly from the phone.
His interactions with Anne Hathaway in Iceland were likely leaked by his staff.
The most lethal picture is of him and Kat Dennings.
The two were in a small bar.
Although they didn't kiss, the ambiguity in their eyes was impossible to hide.
The comments section is exploding: "Holy crap! Chen Xun's using this kind of trick?"
"Is Kristen still filming in Iceland? And they've already raided her place?"
"So he and Jennifer are really having an affair? I felt something was off back in the Oscars—"
"Has a Chinese actor turned Hollywood into his harem?"
"I just finished reading 'The Ancient One' and this happened—I have mixed feelings."
"@Christine, sister, run!"
Chen Xun got out of bed, walked barefoot to the living room, and turned on his laptop.
Rob called at that moment, his voice hoarse as if he hadn't slept all night:
-
"You saw it?"
"Just saw it!"
Chen Xun sat down, his fingers tapping on the keyboard: "How did the photos get leaked?"
"In the second wave of attacks, the hackers not only obtained private photos of female celebrities, but also a large number of candid shots of parties, backstage, and private gatherings."
"What's the situation now?"
"The Ancient One has been urgently removed from AMC and RegaI."
Rob's tone was heavy: "The theater chain just issued a notice saying that to avoid the controversy affecting the experience of other viewers, other chain cinemas are following suit. The online streaming platforms haven't made any moves yet, but I estimate they won't last long."
Chen Xun remained silent.
The film, which grossed 10 billion yuan, was taken off the screen without warning.
"Marvel executives are having a meeting to discuss how to deal with you."
"Some people have suggested suspending all your subsequent projects, including possible sequels and cameos for 'The Ancient One.' This is different from box office fraud; it's a matter of personal ethics, and it involves several top actresses, which has had a very bad impact."
"Bro, we've had really bad luck this time!"
Robert spoke with a sob in his voice.
"It's fine!"
Chen Xun comforted him, "We've earned enough money to live on, don't worry too much!"
Rob spoke haltingly, his voice trembling: "Do you know how crazy Jennifer's team is?!"
"She was already one of the biggest victims of the photo scandal, and now photos of her with you have been exposed, leading to public opinion that her private life is chaotic."
Chen Xun glanced at his phone.
Jennifer sent him a message: "I'm sorry, I dragged you into this!"
She felt that it was because her private photos were exposed that Chen Xun's various photos were also dug up.
She didn't care about Chen Xun's romantic relationships; as long as Chen Xun had her in his heart, that was enough.
But now that their affair has been exposed, she thinks her relationship with Chen Xun might not be able to continue.
There was also a message from Christine on my phone: "Blizzard, flight delayed, arriving tomorrow!"
A crying face emoji followed by it.
"Where's Christine? Have you contacted her?"
"Rob asked on the other end of the phone."
"She's probably watching the news."
Chen Xun was helpless.
Who could have imagined that such a smooth-sailing life would suddenly take such a dramatic turn?
"Then good luck to you."
Robert sighed, knowing that Chen Xun, the person involved, was the most annoyed at this moment: "I'm going to a meeting first. I'll let you know if there's any news. In the meantime, don't issue any statements, don't give any interviews, and don't say anything."
The phone hangs up.
Chen Xun sat in the dark, the only light in the living room coming from the laptop screen.
He opened his email and found dozens of media interview requests in his inbox.
CNN, TMZ, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter —
The headlines were all similar: "Please comment on the photo leak."
He didn't reply.
The project evaluation for "Ancient One" remained at the S level.
The box office also stopped at just over 10 billion.
Chen Xun sighed.
This movie was released at the wrong time!
If Chen Xun can do a good job of marketing before then, he should be able to reach at least 1.3 billion, if not 15 billion.
Based on the current trend, there is still room for further increases.
4:30 a.m.
In the living room.
The cool light from the laptop screen shone on Chen Xun's face.
He sat on the sofa, still wearing the same old T-shirt and sweatpants he wore to bed.
He spoke to Robert in a relaxed manner.
Actually, the pressure is enormous right now.
On the one hand, his career in Hollywood could collapse at any moment.
On the other hand, there's the relationship between these women.
He wasn't worried about anyone else.
After all, I knew he had a girlfriend when we spent time together.
Now it's simply about having more contact with several women.
We're all in Hollywood, so we were all prepared.
The only one I'm really worried about is Christine.
Although the two have spent little time together in the past two years, their relationship has remained stable.
Christine is on her way back now.
Chen Xun was genuinely a little uneasy.
I closed the emails from those media interviews, opened Twitter, and swiped my finger across the touchpad.
The hashtag #ChenXunJenniferKissingPhotos# has gone viral.
There are professional analysis posts that clearly trace the timeline of that backstage kissing photo at the Oscars: "Jennifer is wearing a custom Oscar de la Renta gown in the photo, and her hairstyle and jewelry are the same as on the red carpet that night. The photo was taken during the after-party following the awards ceremony, around 1 a.m. —"
Some voiced moral judgment: "A Chinese actor, barely established in Hollywood, resorting to this kind of behavior—what does he take Kristen Stewart for?"
Some conspiracy theorists say, "Warner Bros. must have deliberately released this dirt to retaliate against the box office fraud scandal! Michael may be in jail, but he still has associates!"
There were also technical analyses: "The photo's resolution is average, like it was taken secretly with a mobile phone, but the lighting and shadows don't look like they were photoshopped, so it's confirmed."
Chen Xun closed the page and leaned back on the sofa.
I don't know how much time has passed.
The sound of the door lock turning rang out.
He looked up at the sound and saw Christine standing in the entryway, dragging a small suitcase.
She wasn't wearing makeup, her hair was a little messy, and her face showed signs of fatigue from a long flight.
"I took a taxi back."
Christine spoke first, her voice calm: "There are too many paparazzi at the airport; the car my assistant sent can't get out at all."
She placed her suitcase against the wall, took off her down jacket and tossed it onto the chair; inside were a wrinkled sweatshirt and jeans.
Chen Xun stood up: "Are you hungry? I'll get you something to eat."
"I'm not hungry!"
Christine walked over to the single sofa opposite him and sat down, looking directly at him: "Let's talk first."
Only one floor lamp was on in the living room, making the lighting dim.
A coffee table separated the two, on which Chen Xun's cell phone, tablet, and laptop were scattered.
"I've seen all the photos."
Christine said, "Jennifer, Anne, Kate — oh and the Icelandic staff member who took the photos secretly, they turned out quite beautiful."
Her tone was flat, but Chen Xun could understand her feelings.
He opened his mouth, then closed it again.
Regardless of Christine's reputation in her past life, in this life, Christine has not done anything to wrong him.
This made it difficult for him to offer an excuse.
What did you say?
Does that mean they all need their own love?
To be honest, Chen Xun himself found it a bit absurd to have so many photos piled up in front of him.
"Christine————"
"I only have one question!"
Christine interrupted him, resting her elbows on her knees: "Did these relationships happen simultaneously?"
Chen Xun remained silent.
Christine looked at his silence, then suddenly laughed, a short laugh, like a sigh.
"I see!"
She leaned back on the sofa, looking up at the ceiling: "You know what? I kept refreshing the news on the plane, reading all those comments. Some people were saying, 'How can a Chinese actress like you manage to hook up with so many Hollywood actresses?' Some people were saying I'm stupid, some were saying Jennifer is promiscuous—"
"But what I'm really thinking is that I don't think I've ever really asked you these questions before."
"I used to think that everyone in our circle has a past, and if you take things too seriously, you can't get by. I also have an ex-boyfriend, you know that."
She paused for a moment: "But when I saw the photo, I still felt very sad."
Before Chen Xun could say anything, Christine raised her hand, signaling him to be quiet.
Let's take a break for a while.
"Calm down, I need to think about this relationship, and you also need to deal with the mess right now."
She stood up, walked to the window, and turned her back to him: "The Ancient One has been taken down, Marvel is considering shelving you, and Jennifer is under the most pressure right now—"
"She was already in the eye of the photo scandal, and now her relationship with you has been exposed. Public opinion is condemning her as a third party."
"Her private life is chaotic. If you really want to do something, don't explain to me; help her put out the fire first."
Chen Xun sat there, feeling a tightness in his throat.
"Where are you staying tonight?" he asked.
"Go back to my place!"
Christine turned around, her expression now calm.
I will issue a statement first thing tomorrow morning.
"What statement?"
"I'm telling you you're a good person, our relationship is fine, the photos were a misunderstanding, the hacker's actions are criminal, and I support Jennifer in protecting her rights."
Christine smirked. "What else could it be? Do you expect me to tweet 'You're a jerk' and make a laughingstock of Hollywood?"
Chen Xun stood up: "Christine, I—"
"Don't say sorry. To be honest, in terms of your feelings for me, you haven't wronged me at all."
Christine shook her head: "Although I don't know how you and the others started, I'm sure I was the most important one!"
"But the most important thing now is to cut your losses, for you, for me, for Jennifer, and for everyone else who's been dragged into this."
She picked up her clothes, put them back on, zipped them up, and walked to the entrance to pick up her suitcase.
Before opening the door, she glanced back at him and said, "Chen Xun, you're a good actor, and a good person too."
The door closed gently.
Chen Xun stood there, hearing the sound of the elevator running, then the car engine starting and driving away.
The living room fell silent again.
The next morning at 7 a.m., Christine's statement was posted on Twitter and Instagram on time.
"My relationship with Chen Xun is stable. Those photos taken without my consent and stolen violated our privacy. The hacking is a crime and should not be made into entertainment. I support @Jennifer Lawrence and all other victims in their fight for their rights. Please stop spreading and consuming these photos. This is Iow."
The accompanying photo is a picture of her and Chen Xun, both wearing matching outfits and making funny faces at the camera.
Almost simultaneously, Jennifer's team released an official statement.
It wasn't done through a press release.
The video was recorded by Jennifer herself.
In the video, she is without makeup, wearing a simple white T-shirt, sitting on the sofa in her living room, with a bookshelf in the background.
She looked directly into the camera, speaking slowly but clearly and forcefully: "First of all, I must say that this is not a scandal, not gossip, this is an assault."
"Someone illegally hacked into my phone, computer, and cloud account, stole photos and videos I took in my private space, and then publicly disseminated them. This has nothing to do with what I wore, what I did, or who I was with."
"This is a crime!"
"I have the right to do whatever I want in my bedroom, bathroom, or hotel room, as long as I don't harm others. I have the right to a private life without being humiliated. Everyone who spreads, forwards, or comments on these photos is participating in this crime."
"I will never apologize for being violated. I will pursue legal action against every hacker and every distribution platform until they pay the price."
Finally, regarding Chen Xun—
She paused for a moment: "He and I are friends. The photos from that night at the Oscars were taken by paparazzi, but it was our private moment."
"I don't need to explain my love life to anyone, just as you don't need to explain yours to me."
"Women are not playthings, not fodder for gossip; we are human beings!"
The video was shared over a million times within ten minutes of its release.
Public opinion began to diverge.
Supporters started the hashtag #StandWithJennifer: "She's right! This is a crime!"
"Why can't women take private photos? It's her body, it's her right!"
"Hackers should go to jail!"
"Chen Xun and Jennifer are both victims, so why is everyone criticizing them?"
But the voices of opposition and humiliation were equally fierce: "If you take nude photos yourself, don't blame others for seeing them!"
"Aren't celebrities just selling their privacy? What's with the self-righteous act?"
"So she's having an affair with Chen Xunzhen, then what about Christine?"
"Wow, this Chinese actor is really getting into it, treating Hollywood like a harem?"
Anne Hathaway tweeted at 9 a.m.: "During the filming of Ancient One in Iceland, Chen Xun was a professional and reliable partner. That so-called intimate photo was a misplaced shot of a work scene, sexualizing normal interactions between women at work, which is a chronic problem in the industry. I support Jennifer and all women in reclaiming their right to tell their stories."
Kat Dennings was even more direct: "I've had drinks and chatted with Chen Xun. He's a very good friend, it's that simple. Also, a reminder to certain people: 2014..."
For years, women have been able to drink with men without being labeled as promiscuous.
Dakota retweeted Jennifer's video, captioning it: "Well said, we've had enough!"
More and more female celebrities are joining in the support.
However, at the same time, the attacks against Chen Xun were also escalating.
The hashtag #BanChenXun started appearing on Twitter, with some people digging up old news about him from his early years in China.
The truth is mixed with falsehoods: controversies over his academic qualifications, rumors of his diva-like behavior, and even fabricated claims of his sexist remarks.
"A foreigner came to Hollywood, slept with one of our actresses, and is now pretending to be innocent?"
"I hope 'The Ancient One' is taken down immediately. I don't want to see his face."
"What is Marvel waiting for? Terminate the contract!"
At 10:00 AM, Marvel released a brief statement: "We are closely monitoring the situation. Privacy violations are serious crimes, and we support all victims in seeking redress. Regarding Mr. Chen Xun's project arrangements, a decision will be made based on further investigation and legal developments."
However, the phrase "deciding based on subsequent developments" translates to: "Let's see if you live or die first, then decide whether to save you or not."
Chen Xun's phone kept vibrating.
He missed the call from Rob.
Finally, Rob sent a text message: "Bro, call back! Jennifer's lawyer wants to talk to you!"
Chen Xun dialed back.
"Jennifer is going to sue the hackers and all major distribution platforms."
Rob spoke rapidly: "Her legal team is among the best in the country, and now they want to unite all the victims in a class-action lawsuit."
You are a key stakeholder; they need your testimony and authorization.
"What should I do?"
-
"Your device may have been compromised while you were cooperating with the FBI investigation, and you may then need to testify publicly about the harm caused to you by the leaked photos."
Chen Xun was silent for a few seconds: "What's Marvel's attitude?"
"Kevin is doing his best to protect you, but the board is under a lot of pressure."
Rob sighed: "There are two voices now. One side thinks you are a victim and should be supported, while the other side thinks you have a moral failing and have affected the Marvel brand. It all depends on the direction of public opinion and the outcome of the lawsuit."
After hanging up the phone, Chen Xun turned on his computer.
A hacker group has posted a new announcement on the dark web, this time even more audacious: "Hollywood hypocrites, we don't care about the law. This is just the beginning. We will be releasing more industry secrets: tax evasion records, contract fraud, drug parties —"
"Are you ready to stand trial?"
The announcement ended with a countdown: 72 hours.
In the comments section, someone asked, "Why are you targeting Chen Xun?"
The reply was: "Because his employer's rivals refuse to pay, and we believe Hollywood needs a thorough purge."
""
Chen Xun stared at the screen.
Outside the window, paparazzi cars were already blocking the entrance to the residential area, their telephoto lenses pointed at his window.
He drew the curtains and sat back in the darkness.
He went to the study, opened the safe, and took out the script for "Ancient One".
Turning to the page with the Ancient One's quotes, there's a line he circled in red: "Darkness doesn't disappear just because you close your eyes. What you have to do is to still be able to see your own hands clearly in the darkness."
In the middle of the night, Rob called.
"The FBI has made progress!"
Rob's voice was excited: "The technical team's preliminary investigation report is out! We'll be holding a press conference tomorrow afternoon!"
"What was the result?"
"The hackers didn't break into Apple's servers! I knew it. If Apple could be compromised, all those programmers in Silicon Valley might as well jump into the sea."
Rob quickly explained, "The FBI traced the original upload IP of the leaked photos, back to several server jumpers in Eastern Europe, and finally identified a hacking group called Ghost Circus."
"The method they used was social engineering, impersonating Apple customer service to send phishing emails to targets and steal their account passwords."
"There was also brute-force attack, targeting users who used weak or repeated passwords, using programs to try passwords an unlimited number of times, exploiting a security vulnerability in the iCloud Find My iPhone feature at the time, which allowed for an unlimited number of password retries, and Apple later fixed it."
As Chen Xun drove, he asked, "So it wasn't the female celebrities who were careless; it was organized hacking?"
"100% criminal!"
Rob stated unequivocally: "The FBI has already arrested three middlemen in the United States. Following the trail, a multinational joint law enforcement operation should yield results soon."
"Most importantly, the technical report clarified that it was not the Apple system that was compromised, but the user accounts that were hacked."
"This completely changes the nature of the situation!"
>