Chapter 111 Inside the building, the atmosphere was already...
Inside the building, the atmosphere was extremely tense. Those "time bomb" photos, which could have detonated throughout the South Korean entertainment industry and even affected the sports world, were temporarily suppressed after several rounds of tense and humiliating secret negotiations between YG executives and Dispatch paparazzi.com, with a "hush money" payment of an astronomical sum.
Most of this enormous sum was borne by Kwon Ji-yong personally. Faced with Yang Hyun-suk's near-collapse and the potential annihilation of his company, he had no choice, nor any other option. He practically exhausted most of his accumulated working capital since his debut to barely scrape together that staggering amount that would leave any ordinary person speechless. When the money was transferred to the other party's account through clandestine channels, in exchange for a verbal promise to "destroy the negatives and never leak them," Kwon Ji-yong felt utterly drained. Instead of a sense of relief, he felt as if an even heavier boulder was pressing down on his chest, making it hard to breathe.
He knew this was only a temporary "stop to the bleeding," not a true "cure." He had experienced the greed and shamelessness of those paparazzi media outlets more than once. The so-called "destroying the negatives" was just their usual excuse. They could produce backups at any time and blackmail him again if they wanted. It was like a sword hanging over his and Ren Xiyao's heads; although temporarily bound by the chains of money, it could fall again at any moment. But he only hoped that this huge sum of money could at least buy them a moment's respite.
He wanted to call Ren Xiyao, even if it was just to hear her voice. He picked up his phone, habitually found that familiar name in his contacts, and dialed.
However, this time, what came from the other end of the phone was not the familiar ringtone, nor her slightly hoarse, cold voice, but a cold, mechanical female voice indicating that the phone was off, and a WeChat interface that had been unable to connect for a long time and had been hung up.
Shutting down?
Kwon Ji-yong's brows furrowed instantly. His heart sank as well.
Ren Xiyao's phone is almost never turned off. This is an unspoken understanding they've developed over the years. No matter how late or how busy she is, her phone is always on for him. Even in overseas competition areas with poor signal, she will let him know in advance and let him know she's safe.
Such an unexpected and prolonged shutdown is unprecedented in recent years.
A tremendous, indescribable sense of panic swept over him instantly, like an icy tide. He immediately redialed, twice, three times... Each time, the same cold, discreet tone came through the receiver.
Something's wrong! Something's very wrong!
He then suddenly realized that the last time he spoke to Ren Xiyao was when.
He struggled to search his memory through his jumbled thoughts. It seemed… it was late at night, about five days ago. He had just finished an exhausting meeting with senior management about how to deal with the tax crisis, and was completely worn out. He called her, just wanting to hear her voice and seek some comfort. On the phone, her voice sounded unusually tired, carrying a deep weariness he had never heard before and… a hint of barely perceptible despair. He vaguely sensed that something was wrong with her, but she simply said that she was too tired from training and wanted to rest early. He was also preoccupied with his own chaotic situation, so he didn't ask any further questions, only telling her to get some rest.
From then on, he plunged headlong into an endless cycle of dealing with the company's tax crisis, dealing with paparazzi blackmail, and frantically working on his new album. He got used to spending more than ten hours at a time in the recording studio, and became numb to the passage of time. He thought she just needed some space and time to adjust, so he didn't contact her again. The upside-down schedule and overwhelming tasks numbed all his senses, preventing him from noticing the underlying abnormality.
At that moment, the cold shutdown notification sound struck him like a heavy hammer, waking him up.
They hadn't been in contact for five whole days! And in those five days, she hadn't reached out to him even once! This was incredibly unusual for them, who were deeply in love and wanted to be together all the time!
“GD xi?” Lee Eun-jung’s voice was sleepy.
"Enjing-xi, has Xiyao contacted you recently?" The call came late at night. There were no pleasantries, just straight to the point.
There was a two-second silence on the other end of the phone.
"Senior...you don't know?"
"Know what?"
Lee Eun-jung took a deep breath: "She's been reported."
Kwon Ji-yong's breath hitched: "What?"
"Lanhai Club has filed a formal complaint against her for frequently leaving the training camp during her training period. She violated team rules and even... accepted bribes. They are investigating." Li Enjing lowered her voice: "Lin Shan is also among them. I heard that everyone from Longcheng Club is cooperating with the investigation, and their communication devices have all been handed over."
Kwon Ji-yong's fingers unconsciously tightened around his phone: "When did this happen?"
"The review was conducted two weeks ago, and the phone was handed over five days ago."
Two weeks.
He recalled their conversation; Ren Xiyao's voice grew softer and slower. He assumed she was just tired and didn't ask her any further questions.
"Is it serious?" He heard his own voice become hoarse.
"I don't know. I heard there are quite a few problems." Lee Eun-jung hesitated for a moment, "And... it involves some high-value items."
"And... it seems the sports university faction has gotten involved too. They took some data from us. The team doesn't allow us to discuss it privately. Xi Yao hasn't contacted me, probably afraid of implicating me. But Lin Shan called me before handing over her phone. She asked me to help keep it a secret as much as possible. I'm trying to act invisible now. I don't want them to remember me."
"Damn it!"
Lee Eun-jung didn't dare to speak. Only those in the know could sense the undercurrents of tension these past few days. She had seen these familiar tactics more than once in the power struggles in South Korea. The sports university faction had taken far more than just simple documents; they had used considerable force to seize all the training data of the Chinese team's former overseas trainees. Nominally, Seongbuk was still under the jurisdiction of the sports university, and they had no choice but to comply with their orders. Therefore, Seongbuk didn't know their specific intentions. But there was no turning back now; since they had made their move, the days ahead would likely be difficult. However, for Ren Xiyao's sake, she still offered a weak attempt to comfort Kwon Ji-yong: "That review should pass; after all, she's a top contender..." Her voice grew increasingly hesitant. Kwon Ji-yong, not being an insider, could only guess, but Lee Eun-jung knew best that this forceful approach was likely because she was a "top contender," but she was powerless to do anything about it.
Kwon Ji-yong took a deep breath and hummed in agreement. He then hung up the phone. He sat in the dimly lit songwriting room for a long time.
He took a deep breath. Turning on his computer, he knew he had to pull himself together and not cause her any more trouble. He needed to finish what he was doing quickly and find a way to see her once things calmed down a bit.
Two people are trapped in a glass house. Each has their own troubles and worries.
The investigation into Ren Xiyao did not end with her "frank" explanation. The Lan Hai Club seemed determined to put her to death, constantly providing the investigation team with new "clues" and "evidence" through various channels.
One of the most damaging allegations has begun to surface.
The investigation team directly inspected Ren Xiyao's personal belongings. This highly intimidating and invasive investigative method is not usually used for internal investigations, but now everything has become an exception. This is clearly intended to escalate the matter.
They keenly noticed some of the jewelry and accessories she wore and used, whose brands and values seemed to far exceed what an average national team athlete could afford with their normal income.
The engagement ring she received was left in Harbin while she was studying at the club. However, some of the necklaces, earrings, bracelets, limited-edition sports watches, and bags she wore daily, including many gifts from Kwon Ji-yong over the past few years, became new points of suspicion that could lead to serious consequences, in the eyes of the experienced investigators.
"Comrade Ren Xiyao, we noticed that the XX brand watch you use daily has a market price of over XX0,000 RMB. And this XX brand necklace of yours, according to our preliminary estimate, is worth no less than XX0,000 RMB. In addition, we also found..." The investigation team members, expressionless, placed several printed photos of close-up shots of some of her personal items, along with accompanying brand and price information, in front of her.
"According to the relevant regulations of the General Administration of Sport of China regarding the integrity and self-discipline of national team athletes, athletes are prohibited from accepting gifts, cash, or securities that may affect the impartial performance of their official duties. For these valuable items that clearly exceed your normal personal income level, please explain their legal source."
The cold and sharp interrogation struck Ren Xiyao's heart like a heavy hammer. She looked at the familiar items in the photos, those gifts that once carried sweet memories, now turned into cold "evidence" pointing at her. An indescribable humiliation and anger surged into her heart, but she had to forcefully suppress it.
She knew this issue was far more serious than any previous accusations of "violating team rules." If she were found guilty of "accepting illicit gains" or "possessing a large amount of property of unknown origin," she would face more than just a suspension or expulsion from the team; she could face even more severe legal consequences.
“These…these are rewards my family gave me after I achieved important results in competitions.” In the end, she could only give a relatively “reasonable” explanation: “My family’s financial situation…is very good. They have always been very supportive of my sports career.”
She knew they wouldn't be satisfied with this explanation, but it was the only thing she could think of at the moment that could separate these items from "illicit gains."
As expected, they demanded more specific proof of her assets. It wasn't that Ren Xiyao couldn't submit the necessary documentation immediately; her family genuinely had the means. However, the intense scrutiny and rigorous training at this moment left her barely able to calmly analyze what was to come. Was this submission an end or a beginning? Just how much did Lan Hai actually know?
For a fleeting moment, she even considered revealing everything—after all, dating didn't violate team rules—but this thought was quickly suppressed. Lan Hai hadn't submitted any complaint materials, and there was no public opinion pointing to her, which meant they probably hadn't obtained anything substantial. If she admitted it, they would be more than happy, and their next step would definitely be to spread the word. Given the current investigation into the alleged violation of team rules, she could almost predict where Lan Hai would steer public opinion. Putting personal interests before official duties was the least of her worries, especially at this sensitive time. The most powerful and direct accusation would be that past losses to South Korea could be used to accuse her of "match-fixing," disregarding national honor—that would truly be the end for her.
Their relationship is already sensitive. Even if they announce it at the right time with thorough preparation, public opinion will inevitably rise, and it's impossible to know how it will develop. What's more, now that they are in such an extremely complex public opinion situation, amidst turbulent undercurrents, if they are not careful, they could fall into an abyss.
Ren Xiyao felt like she had been cornered with nowhere to retreat. For the first time, despite her efforts to maintain composure and rationality, she felt such intense panic and helplessness.
Meanwhile, the investigations were no longer limited to Ren Xiyao, Lin Shan, Xu Xin, and others from the same winter management center, those in the national team, those who participated in overseas training, and even members of the men's team, assistant coaches, and coaches who went abroad together. All of them were questioned at least once, with Lin Shan being questioned the most.
What pleased Lan Hai even more was the success of the public opinion they had orchestrated. Such a named accusation would naturally attract the attention of higher authorities. Ren Xiyao had some things she couldn't explain clearly, and with Lan Hai's instigation, the higher authorities dispatched an investigation team to investigate the club's management.
This feeling of helplessness at having burdened others is the most tormenting for Ren Xiyao. For every coach and every hardworking staff member, it's truly an undeserved misfortune, and even more so for Lin Shan. Lin Shan's performance is also excellent. Last year at the World Championships, she won the gold medal in women's relay. Her results over the past two years have been very consistent. She's almost certain to be selected for the Winter Olympics this year, but now her situation is disrupting her.
Although Lin Shan still pretended to be nonchalant, she knew these things must have affected her. The two of them rarely spoke in the dormitory anymore, or perhaps they were afraid of being overheard by someone with ulterior motives. Meanwhile, when Lin Shan finished her third round of questioning and returned to the dormitory, in the somewhat quiet atmosphere, she briefly explained the questioning and was about to go wash up. Ren Xiyao called out to her, "Lin Shan, I'm sorry."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
