The Brightest Star in the Sky Episode 12 Recap
> The Brightest Star in the Sky Recap
Music critic Wu Gong was violently attacked between midnight and 1:00 a. m. , sustaining a severe head injury from a brick and remaining unconscious in the hospital. The police, after reviewing surveillance footage, suspected the assailant was a fan of Zheng Baixu and called Zheng Baixu and his team, including Yang Zhenzhen, to assist the investigation. Yang Zhenzhen clarified that during a previous, less severe attack on Wu Gong, she had been present trying to stop the fans.
A young girl named Zhang Xiaohui, who had previously dined with Zheng Baixu, arrived at the police station to confess, claiming she attacked Wu Gong because he "bashed my Xu." However, the police dismissed her confession, stating that the attacker was a 180cm tall man and that Zhang Xiaohui was the third person to attempt to give a false confession, admonishing her for her lack of legal knowledge and for obstructing justice.
Zhang Xiaohui admitted that all members of her fan group had wanted to hit Wu Gong with a brick. Although Wu Gong was recovering well and the actual assailant, confirmed to be a fan of Zheng Baixu, had been apprehended and detained for 15 days, Star Entertainment agreed to cover all related financial compensation. This incident prompted Star Entertainment, which was preparing for an IPO, to address their public image.
The company decided to hold a press conference to apologize to Wu Gong and the public, aiming to establish an image of being both aggressive and socially responsible while refuting rumors that they hired the culprit. Zheng Baixu, however, internally resented the idea of apologizing to Wu Gong, whom he felt had consistently smeared him.
Liu Yinan explained to Zheng Baixu that, regardless, it was his fan who committed the attack, and his public persona influenced his fans' behavior, making an apology necessary to calm public pressure. The continuous problems caused by Zheng Baixu began to overwhelm Chen Tianhao. He noted a decrease in Zheng Baixu's market value, with three companies already threatening to withdraw collaborations, although Zheng Baixu still held advertising influence.
Chen Tianhao consulted with Du Wanqing about the possibility of selling Zheng Baixu, along with his four-year contract, while his market value was still high. Du Wanqing was surprised by Chen Tianhao's sudden change of heart, as Zheng Baixu had previously been his prized asset, making her suspect external influence.
During their conversation, Chen Tianhao also expressed regret over failing to sign Yu Zirui, who had instead joined Blossom Entertainment, a new company run by a former IT professional named Yang Jian. Chen Tianhao dismissed such new, inexperienced companies, but Du Wanqing suggested that Yang Jian at least had a discerning eye for talent. At the press conference, Yang Zhenzhen tried to get Zheng Baixu to rehearse his apology speech, but he dismissed her, insisting he knew what to say.
Liu Yinan opened the conference with a summary report. Then, Du Wanqing, as Managing Director, apologized on behalf of Star Entertainment for their flaws in managing and guiding fans. Yang Zhenzhen, as Zheng Baixu's manager and fan group administrator, also apologized on behalf of his fans for their impulsive actions. However, when it was Zheng Baixu's turn to speak, he deviated from the prepared script.
He started by expressing sympathy for Wu Gong being attacked and apologized to his fan who lost 15 days of freedom because of him. Then, to the shock of the company executives, Zheng Baixu defiantly questioned why he should apologize to Wu Gong, arguing that Wu Gong had continuously smeared him without any public response from his side. He asserted that it was Wu Gong who should apologize to him.
Amidst the ensuing chaos, reporters brought up old scandals, asking about his alleged violation of local laws in Mexico and the pregnancy of actress Wen Wen. Zheng Baixu's emotional reaction escalated the situation, causing a major disruption. In the aftermath, Zheng Baixu's public appearances and commercial endorsements were canceled, causing significant financial losses for the company. Liu Yinan expressed his frustration, even considering resignation, and blamed Yang Zhenzhen for not ensuring Zheng Baixu followed the script.
Yang Zhenzhen felt immense guilt, believing that if she had confirmed the speech with Zheng Baixu one more time, the disastrous outcome might have been avoided. Meanwhile, Zheng Baixu had disappeared without a trace. The company, specifically Liu Yinan, pressured Yang Zhenzhen to find him. Yang Zhenzhen searched for three days, checking all possible locations and even calling Zheng Baixu's sister, Yiran, who also hadn't heard from him.
After returning to the office empty-handed, Liu Yinan chastised her, demanding she find Zheng Baixu, even if she had to bring back his corpse, as he considered Zheng Baixu a "gold mine" for the company and calculated potential earnings from a funeral. From a colleague, Yang Zhenzhen then learned a disturbing rumor: the company's high-level executives, led by Chen Tianhao, were planning to sell Zheng Baixu's remaining four-year contract to another company, leveraging his current market value.
This revelation made Yang Zhenzhen feel even more sympathetic towards Zheng Baixu. Determined, she went to the Lai Shen Tong Ling Group, Zheng Baixu's father Zheng Weijun's company. There, Secretary Qian, Zheng Weijun's assistant, denied Zheng Baixu was missing, stating he was safe and advising Yang Zhenzhen not to spread unconfirmed information. Yang Zhenzhen was then politely but firmly escorted out.
Undaunted, Yang Zhenzhen sought out Jason, Zheng Baixu's stylist, who initially tried to sell her shampoo but eventually revealed that Zheng Baixu had been there for a perm the day before. Jason, under the condition of secrecy, reluctantly disclosed Zheng Baixu's whereabouts. Yang Zhenzhen finally located Zheng Baixu at a racetrack, where he had just won a race, seemingly regaining some confidence. She secretly took photos, but Zheng Baixu confronted her.
To ensure his cooperation, she informed him that she had uploaded the photos to the cloud, and they would automatically become public in thirty minutes if she didn't delete them. She urged him to return to the company, but Zheng Baixu scoffed, asking if she thought she was his guardian. He refused, reiterating that the press conference incident was not his fault. Yang Zhenzhen then relayed the company's offer: he could buy his freedom for 80 to 100 million.
Zheng Baixu dismissed it, stating he didn't have that kind of money and his father wouldn't agree, and even if his father did, he wouldn't. Yang Zhenzhen insisted he only had one choice: return to the company. When Zheng Baixu tried to leave, she shamelessly clung to him, declaring she would follow him wherever he went. Zheng Baixu, annoyed but resigned, took Yang Zhenzhen to a nightclub.
He offered her red wine or whiskey, but she refused, saying she had never drunk alcohol and preferred soda. She mentioned Liu Yinan had spoken of a potent drink called "Deepwater Bomb" and expressed interest in trying it, but Zheng Baixu refused to carry her home, calling her too heavy. He then ordered Absinthe, describing its extremely high alcohol content. Yang Zhenzhen, wary of his intentions, warned him not to involve her and jokingly threatened to call emergency services. Zheng Baixu then offered her a choice between "drink" and "no," to which she chose "no."
