Phoenix Rising: From Heartache to Heroism

Lance sat down on the chair, nodding slightly. "Yeah, Eugene, you're pretty lucky. First, you had Lydia, and now you've got the even more promising Violeta." Eugene replied, "Indeed."

Lance continued, "But, do you think Winnie will be okay with this?"

"We both know how much Lydia wanted to win the Best Actress Award. Do you think she'll just let Violeta take it without a fight?"

Eugene frowned slightly.

Lance smirked, "Don't get too cocky. We'll see how things go. Oh, and don't forget to treat me to a meal. After all, I did vouch for Violeta to borrow that jewellery when she received the award." Eugene laughed, "Haha! You really are shameless, aren't you?"

Lance shrugged and said, "Fine, if you want to burn bridges, don't come to me next time you need help."

Eugene asked, "Where would you like to have that meal?"

Lance couldn't help but laugh out loud.

After spending some time in the office, Eugene left.

Eugene understood Lance's neutral stance.

From the company's perspective, having one artist dominate isn't beneficial.

That was the very reason the company had supported Eugene to become a top manager. Fortunately, Aiden saw through it and didn't stop Eugene; instead, she helped him.

Having checks and balances creates a delicate equilibrium.

It would be beneficial for the company if Violeta and Tracy competed.

For example, when Lydia was the dominant actress, no other female artist in the company could balance her out. As a result, she developed rapidly and left as soon as her five-year contract ended.

The company invested resources and effort in supporting her, but in the end, this was the outcome they received.

Although she earned the company a significant amount of money over the past five years, the company clearly distinguishes between long-term and short-term gains and therefore still felt they had suffered a loss. They had cultivated a seedling that grew into a towering tree.

If it wasn't in their own forest, they'd rather see it wither away.

Lydia missed the Best Actress Award once again.

This time, she wouldn't let Violeta pass easily, leading to a fierce rivalry between their teams.

Shortly after the Skyward Award, Zelena joined a variety show.

However, she couldn't stand Violeta's newfound success and quietly prepared a complaint letter against 'Nirvana and Rebirth'.

Zelena had vivid memories of the

series dominating viewership in nine countries overseas, overshadowing all other shows of the same period.

It brought fame to the entire cast.

It was truly a case of when one person succeeds, everyone benefits.

However, the series' core themes and content were unprecedented in the country, making it difficult to pass censorship.

The lead actress's previous ban highlighted the series' contentious nature.

Zelena couldn't understand how Violeta managed to get the script approved for shooting.

However, the script approval was just the first step. The final cut would need to pass a full review.

If the review doesn't pass, it will be suppressed and require constant revisions.

It will remain suppressed and revised indefinitely if it still fails after revisions.

Even if it miraculously passed, it doesn't matter. Zelena is ready to file a complaint at the first sign of trouble.

She was determined to prevent Violeta's second drama from ever taking place.

Even if it only affects the domestic market, it doesn't matter. No amount of international accolades can compensate for a lack of domestic recognition.

If Violeta wants to abandon the domestic market and pursue an overseas career, so be it.

In that case, Violeta's days until she is blacklisted are numbered.

Moreover, Hattie, like Zelena, couldn't stand Violeta's success and was powerless against it.

After Violeta won the Best Actress Award, her fashion resources skyrocketed.

Previously, while there was a gap

between Violeta and Hattie's fashion resources, it wasn't insurmountable. Hattie could gradually catch up.

But now, the gap has widened significantly, filling Hattie with jealousy.

So, she adopted the mindset of 'If I can't catch up, neither can you'.

Hattie teamed up with Zelena to target Tracy, who had just won the New Actor Award.

Their first move was to suppress Tracy's momentum.

They paid for negative publicity, accusing Tracy of lacking talent and suggesting her award was rigged.

This malicious campaign turned Tracy into a controversial figure among the new generation of artists.