"If there's no problem, why did you specifically change out of your uniform and go through all that trouble to come here and deal with a 'broken cup'?"

The police gave him no more chances to argue. "No need to explain. Come with us for questioning."

Xia Zhining felt somewhat relieved upon receiving news that the person had been taken into custody.

She looked towards the hotel, her eyes filled with anticipation: "Next... let's see how our Best Actor Duan performs."

*

After the audition, Duan Yuanqing came out of the room, and the team members who were waiting outside immediately surrounded him.

"Bro, how was it? With your acting skills, Director James definitely won't have anything to say!"

The assistant asked expectantly.

Duan Yuanqing's face was pale and his lips were tightly pressed together.

Those eyes, which were always bright and alert in front of the camera, were now dull and lifeless, filled with unbelievable pain and frustration.

He didn't answer, but slowly and heavily shook his head, as if all his energy had been drained away.

He staggered to a nearby bench, sat down, buried his head deeply, ran his hands through his hair, and his shoulders trembled slightly.

The team members following Duan Yuanqing were extremely anxious: "Brother, what happened?"

Duan Yuanqing opened his mouth, but only managed a few suppressed, hoarse gasps. In the end, he simply closed his eyes in pain, looking as if he couldn't accept reality.

The team members looked at each other, feeling both worried and anxious.

At this moment, Duan Yuanqing's executive agent, Lao Zhao, rushed over.

With just the right amount of regret and concern on his face, Old Zhao patted Duan Yuanqing on the shoulder: "How could you lose your voice... It was too sudden."

"It's alright, the company has already made arrangements. If Director James's film doesn't work out, we still have Director Li's big-budget production, and the role is perfect for you..."

Before Old Zhao could finish speaking, Duan Yuanqing suddenly raised his head.

The ashen pain and dejection on his face seemed to be wiped away in an instant by an invisible hand.

The moment he looked up, the stagnant water in his eyes suddenly evaporated, condensing into two beams of cold light that pierced straight at Old Zhao opposite him.

"Brother Zhao, I'm just still caught up in the emotions from that audition scene. How did you conclude that I suddenly lost my voice and didn't perform well?"

The agent was stunned into silence, his face drained of color, and he froze on the spot.

Just as the atmosphere reached its lowest point, two plainclothes police officers stepped forward and calmly showed their identification.

"Hello, Mr. Zhao. We are from the Municipal Public Security Bureau."

The lead officer spoke calmly but with an air of menace, “Regarding the possibility that Mr. Duan Yuanqing may be facing threats to his personal safety, we need your immediate cooperation in the investigation and to answer a few questions.”

"—Duan Yuanqing! You dare to play me?!"

The twisted curses of Old Zhao as he was taken away echoed in the corridor.

In the rest area, the team members stared in disbelief at the sudden reversal until the police officer and his men disappeared at the elevator entrance. Only then did they come to their senses and look at Duan Yuanqing with surprise and uncertainty.

"Brother Duan, what... what exactly is going on?"

Duan Yuanqing's face had returned to its usual calm, but a layer of ice remained in his eyes.

He didn't offer much explanation, but went straight into work mode, his voice carrying a resolute determination:

"Xiao Yang," he said to his publicity assistant, giving clear instructions, "Contact the media you know right now and release some rumors: This summer, in order to force artists to renew their contracts, they instructed someone to poison me. It's a despicable tactic."

"Understood!" The publicity assistant perked up and immediately began the operation.

Immediately afterwards, Duan Yuanqing dialed his private lawyer's number: "Attorney Wang, draft a lawsuit against Jinxia Entertainment and Xia Annian immediately, based on multiple charges including 'personal injury, contract fraud, and defamation'."

"This time I'm going to ruin Summer Entertainment."

Xia Zhining heard these words as soon as she arrived, and she almost couldn't help but applaud Duan Yuanqing.