Peng Zong knew his uncle and sister's families were in trouble. He also knew their deeply ingrained belief that if one relative became successful, they should help the others.
So, he left them money.
Each family received 100,000 yuan. Peng Fei cautioned them that they were not to use it to buy wives, which was his only request.
As long as they didn't buy wives, he promised to help their brother-in-law and cousin find jobs once they returned to Nan Cheng.
Big cities had plenty of beautiful girls. With money, they could even move to the city and ride in cars every day. The era of relying on farming was over.
Everyone knew Peng Fei had changed, but they didn't expect him to change so completely.
From his actions to his thoughts and even his speech, he had become exactly like the former Zhan Jingchun.
Peng Fei was now a celebrated figure throughout the county, no, the entire city.
The next day, before he could even go out to find Chen Dongyang, reporters from the city television station found their way to the village for an interview.
His agent insisted that Peng Fei receive them, so he had to comply.
The conversation was simple. Peng Zong had no grand ambitions; he didn't want to be a movie star, nor did he necessarily aim for a high position in the entertainment industry. He said that from now on, he only wanted to help the town repair and expand its schools, ensuring that all eligible children in the entire town could attend school.
He hoped the schools and the government would take the initiative to make attendance mandatory.
The reporter was deeply moved by his words. A news report about how education could change one's destiny was published that very evening.
Peng Fei now had over a million Weibo followers. Wherever he went, fans followed him, and this time was no exception.
Not only did they follow him everywhere, but they also studied his every move, established fan support groups, and helped him with various data.
When news related to him was released, they immediately boosted its popularity.
The next day, even the People's Daily reposted the article, specifically praising Peng Fei as an outstanding representative among young actors of the new era.
They commended his upright conduct, sound values, and his dedication to his hometown despite his fame, noting his lack of airs and his active promotion of the benefits of education, urging everyone to learn from him.
In an instant, Peng Fei was trending again, enjoying unparalleled popularity.
Since participating in the Paris Fashion Week runway show, Peng Fei's value had increased even further.
Regardless of the event, his appearance fee easily reached seven figures.
By the end of the year, he had transferred over 18 million yuan to Chen Dongyang.
Chen Dongyang spent half a year repairing the cement roads leading to the villages throughout the entire town.
He also purchased 500,000 apple saplings, subsidizing each with two yuan, and distributed them to every household in the town, urging them to plant them.
He had consulted experts, who confirmed that the local soil and climate were particularly suitable for growing this type of apple. After two years, with their technical support, once the fruits yielded, they could be sold, processed into canned goods, or made into fruit preserves, all of which were good ways to escape poverty and achieve prosperity.
When someone was willing to provide avenues for prosperity in their hometown, the government also cooperated, offering tax reductions and inviting Chen Dongyang to build factories.
Chen Dongyang consequently invested in two canning factories and discussed with Zhan Bei Jue the possibility of building a branch factory for the Northwest region there.
With convenient transportation now available, while providing jobs for the local population, the group was indeed profitable.
Zhan Bei Jue heard from Tiantian about Peng Fei's affairs and Chen Dongyang's efforts to help rebuild his hometown. Although he was displeased that they had kept it from him, he was ultimately open-minded.
Rather than condemning someone entirely for one mistake, he preferred to see young people reform.
Therefore, while he didn't overtly show his support, he still delegated authority to Chen Dongyang.
The Zhan Group's 1068th electrical branch factory was scheduled to be established in the town next year!
Hearing that the Zhan family would build a branch factory in their town, which would not only provide jobs for many locals but also allow his and Zhan Jingchun's surnames to be associated in one place, Peng Fei was so happy he could cry.
Was this indirect proof that her parents no longer held grudges about the past?
Was this indirect proof that as long as he persisted and worked hard, he and Chun Chun still had a chance?
Peng Fei's hope was rekindled. He felt that if things continued like this, and he worked hard for another year, earning enough money to buy his own house, he would have the courage to face Zhan Jingchun.
However, plans could not keep up with changes. Before he could bask in his excitement for long, disaster struck.
Because of his immense popularity this year, he had snatched resources from many male celebrities of similar types, and he had also raised the bar for the responsibilities an idol should shoulder, making him very unpopular with his peers.
They had been diligently collecting dirt on him.
Unfortunately, he didn't date, rarely attended social events, and was impeccable in his speech and behavior. His rivals then began to dig into his background.
After some time, they actually found something.
The region where he was born had a prevalent custom of buying wives, a vulgar practice that had not been corrected.
Moreover, Peng Fei had also bought a wife before his debut!
He wasn't single, not a "quality idol," but a complete criminal!
When the news broke, one could imagine the shock of his fans.
How could such a seemingly perfect, high-quality idol have been married before?
And his wife was someone he had bought!
Although there was no visual evidence, the other party had a recording detailing many aspects, making it incredibly vivid.
The fans were in an uproar, demanding that Peng Fei come forward and provide an explanation.
Netizens who were not Peng Fei's fans paid even more attention to the matter.
The practice of buying wives in impoverished mountainous areas had been mentioned in many film and television works, and people had some understanding of how dark and oppressive it was.
If Peng Fei had engaged in such disgusting behavior while holding the title of a "quality idol," then the entertainment industry would not tolerate him; not to mention the entertainment industry, even normal society would not accept him!
His studio was frantic, quickly engaging a public relations team to find a solution immediately.
Fortunately, their region was relatively backward, the people were united, and they were skilled at keeping secrets, unwilling to divulge such matters to outsiders.
Furthermore, without visual evidence, Zhan Jingchun would not come forward to identify him. If he denied it and issued a lawyer's letter, the matter would essentially be resolved.
The public relations team hastily prepared a lawyer's letter and a statement for Peng Fei to post on his account.
Peng Fei himself had seen many comments online, witnessing the public's anger and accusations.
He knew that every word spoken in the recording was true, and he couldn't lie with his eyes open.
Moreover, what if Zhan Jingchun saw it too?
If he brazenly denied their past and shamelessly refused to admit his mistake, wouldn't she look down on him even more?
Peng Fei had been in the entertainment industry for so long that he deeply understood the consequences of admitting his mistake.
However, facing Zhan Jingchun's disgust, and the disgust of indifferent onlookers, he found the former even more unbearable.
Therefore, without much thought, he made his decision.
He deleted the statement and the lawyer's letter. Sneaking into his room behind his agent's back, he secretly recorded two videos and posted them online.