Chapter Thirty-Two: The Light Chasing Alliance
"Is this what you really think?" Zhang Yang chuckled, his voice still cool and pleasant. His handsome brows furrowed slightly, and disappointment was reflected in his eyes beneath his eyelashes. There was no angry expression or questioning; he didn't want to waste any more of his emotions.
It felt like punching cotton. Jin Ziran's eyes revealed resentment, and he gritted his teeth in anger.
If Zhang Yang were to launch a rebellious attack, he would be absolutely confident in his ability to deliver a scathing retort. But he always does it this way, with a condescending tone and an arrogant attitude that seems to remind him that he can only ever look up to him and serve as a foil.
But the questioning didn't end there. Lin Ruohe took two steps closer, and after comparing the two contracts, his eyes were full of complicated emotions as he looked at Jin Ziran: "Is there any way to resolve this contract issue? The two contracts you signed are completely different. Zhang Yang trusted you, which is why he came to this company. You have to take responsibility for this."
Jin Ziran scoffed, his usually superior appearance now tinged with smug satisfaction. "Who told him not to read carefully when he signed? His guardian signed it on the spot too."
Lin Ruohe laughed angrily, her delicate brows and eyes filled with a chilling coldness. "Ziran, how could you become like this? Scheming against your friend?"
Here we go again, always looking down from above.
They all seemed so noble and kind.
He was the one who introduced the two of them, yet they became best friends, and he only felt cheap sympathy for him.
He was nothing more than an uncontrollable pawn, yet his every move seemed to mock and pity him.
They deserve all of this.
Jin Ziran felt a dark sense of pleasure. He didn't say anything, calmly walked to the sofa and sat down, with an attitude that said, "What can you do to me?"
Ren Yuchen, who had been silent since everyone came in, suddenly spoke up: "You learned about our situation through the 'Chasing the Light Alliance,' right?"
Upon hearing this, not only Meng Fanxi, but everyone else immediately looked at Jin Ziran.
'Chasing the Light Alliance' is a niche, real-name forum where all the content is related to trainees from various companies. Fans discuss all sorts of gossip about the trainees there, and people who usually stake out schools to take photos for others basically sell their photos to fans here.
Since the trainees are not yet debuted artists, it would be detrimental to their studies and training life to be exposed to the content too early. Most reputable companies do not allow their trainees to read the relevant content in "Chasing the Light Alliance" and have made such regulations.
Gradually, most trainees became unaware of the existence of this forum.
As the class monitor, Ren Yuchen is also responsible for monitoring whether his classmates are browsing the forum. If such a situation occurs, he will promptly report it to the school and the company for handling. Therefore, he is quite familiar with this forum.
"What? I'm no longer Will's trainee, and you still want to use those rules to suppress me?" Jin Ziran had returned to her usual self, with a smile on her lips and speaking gently, but her eyes were still full of mockery.
"It's nothing," Ren Yuchen replied with a smile. "Just checking."
A surge of anger welled up inside Jin Ziran, who felt he had been tricked into saying something again, but he didn't realize he had said anything wrong.
Zhang Yang took his contract from Lin Ruohe, not wanting to say anything more to Jin Ziran, and gestured to everyone to leave.
As everyone reached the door, Zhang Yang placed his hand on the doorknob. He stopped and thought for a moment, realizing that there were some things he needed to clarify.
He turned around, the indoor light casting a shadow on his profile, stray hairs brushing against the corners of his eyes, and he slightly raised his eyes to say a few words.
"Jin Ziran, from now on, we are no longer friends, and I will not regard you as an opponent."
"Also, the person who signed the contract on the day it was signed was not my guardian."
...
Footsteps echoed one after another, gradually fading into the distance in the corridor.
Meng Fanxi was the last to come out, and he thoughtfully planned to close the door behind him.
As the door closed, Meng Fanxi made no attempt to conceal his observation of the scene inside.
The first time he saw Jin Ziran, he was enveloped in a dark and twisted sense of defeat. The carefully maintained mask was slowly crumbling, and the corners of his mouth were frozen on his face like a pre-set arc, looking even uglier than crying.
Meng Fanxi recalled her past life, when she was replaced and she cried sadly under the covers.
With a click, he calmly and firmly closed the door.
When Meng Fanxi came out, Wei was also waiting at the door. He said something, and the group of people obediently waited in front of the car.
Upon seeing him come out, Wei immediately waved and said, "Let's get in the car first, everyone."
Wei started the car and drove everyone back to their companies or home.
In the car, Ren Yuchen sat in the passenger seat and briefly explained the situation to Wei Ye.
Upon hearing this, Wei immediately asked nervously, "What about Zhang Yang's contract?" He glanced at the indifferent-looking young man sitting on the left through the rearview mirror.
"It's alright, I'll handle it." Zhang Yang said casually, which drew strange looks from the people in the car.
Lin Ruohe asked, still uneasy, "Are you sure?"
Zhang Yang: "I'm sure."
Since he had already said that, there was nothing more for everyone to say, so they could only choose to believe him for the time being. However, people like Wei Ye and Lin Ruohe, who had some connections, were already secretly planning to contact their familiar lawyers to inquire about the situation.
There was silence in the car.
Meng Fanxi remembered something and asked Ren Yuchen, "What's the deal with that 'Chasing the Light Alliance'?"
He vaguely remembered from his past life that Baihe Company didn't allow trainees to see the contents, so he was never curious about it.
Ren Yuchen thought for a moment and said, "When Jin Ziran came to me before, besides knowing that I dropped two places in the monthly exam, he also subtly inquired whether I had become estranged from Xu You and was being isolated because of the new trainee who joined the company—that is, you.
"Huh?" Meng Fanxi was speechless. What was all this about?
“These lines sounded familiar, so I logged into the ‘Chasing the Light Alliance’ forum and found that they were indeed a compilation of several posts.” Ren Yuchen looked towards the back row. “Even though Jin Ziran has left the company, he probably still keeps an eye on Will or the trainees from other companies.”
Zhang Yang remained silent, his eyes growing increasingly cold.
Meng Fanxi took a closer look at the content of these posts. "Why are those posts saying such things? Even newcomers like me are seeing them on this forum?"
He glanced at Ren Yuchen sideways. Ever since he got over his mental hurdle, he seemed to be chatting and playing with Xu You every day. Could he really be neglecting Ren Yuchen?
Ren Yuchen didn't notice his gaze and explained, "Do you remember the day you took half a day off, and Xu You also took leave because he wasn't feeling well? That noon, I was called to the dormitory by the teacher and went back alone. I was photographed and the photos were uploaded to the forum. Some users who like conspiracy theories started to make up stories based on the pictures, and they even posted a few posts with some old photos, which sparked a small discussion."
He added, "As for you, as a trainee from one of the companies that are being discussed in detail, you were photographed and posted on the forum the day you arrived at the school. The forum doesn't know the names of each trainee, so they are now referring to you as 'the newcomer'."
Tsk tsk tsk.
Meng Fanxi didn't feel anything about that nickname; he just sighed at the complexity of the entertainment industry.
Public opinion can easily spread. If young trainees are attracted to the content and become engrossed in it, they can easily be swayed by various opinions. Although companies should have psychological adjustment courses, the uncertainty of online forums is still very detrimental.
He felt that it was a wise decision for companies to prevent their trainees from viewing forums.
On second thought, he couldn't help but wonder: "Did Kaidi Entertainment actually allow him to access the forum? Or did he do it secretly?"
Zhang Yang's voice came through in a muffled tone: "Kai Di never forbids these things. Even in basic training, they focus more on cultivating trainees' sweet talk skills than their actual abilities."
Lin Ruo comforted him, "Now it seems that terminating your contract with them was a good thing." He suddenly turned to look at Zhang Yang, "By the way, if you terminated your contract, what will happen to the account that they were managing?"
Zhang Yang said calmly, "No, thank you."
Lin Ruohe disagreed a bit, "It's such a waste to have so many of your videos on there." He was a loyal fan of that account and would often secretly listen to the music during his free time on set.
"They're all covers, so it's not such a pity." He recalled what Jin Ziran had said. What was a pity was all the effort he had put into those videos and music—the creation of the account, the script, the editing, the venue rental… he had prepared everything himself, but in Jin Ziran's words, it had become a gift from the company.
Wei also felt it was a pity, "Even if you don't want that account, at least freeze it, don't let them reap the benefits."
Everyone agreed. Zhang Yang thought for a while and nodded: "I will take care of it when I terminate the contract."
Zhang Yang was the first to arrive at the destination.
Wei also stopped at the location designated by Zhang Yang. This was a room that Zhang Yang had rented nearby, a high-end apartment in a good location.
It seems he still has no worries about food and clothing.
Meng Fanxi had always worried that terminating such a unfair contract wouldn't be easy, but now he felt a little more at ease.
Before Zhang Yang got out of the car, he saw Wei Ye hesitate and gave him a questioning look.
"Um," after being rejected multiple times, Wei finally mustered the courage to ask, under everyone's gaze, "would you be willing to go back to Will and form a group with them?"
Wei glanced at the other three, who, apart from looking a little dazed, showed no sign of displeasure. "There are still two people who haven't arrived."
Zhang Yang didn't speak; his soft, thick eyelashes drooped gently, and his dark eyes revealed no emotion.
Meng Fanxi was a little uneasy. Had their identities been revealed so directly? Although they weren't exactly mysterious, it seemed they hadn't been formally introduced to Zhang Yang as members of Wei Ye's plan.
Everyone waited patiently for his answer; the atmosphere inside the car was both tense and peaceful.
Zhang Yang looked at Lin Ruohe, and Meng Fanxi seized the opportunity to ask, "Brother Ruohe, what about you? Would you like to come with us?"
Lin Ruohe didn't think much of it, her eyes gleaming with cunning. "I forgot to tell you, I've already agreed to and convinced my agent, but he wants to continue managing my personal affairs."
Wei immediately promised, "No problem, I'll go over the details with him later." He was afraid that Lin Ruohe would change his mind.
With the confidence that he had already conquered a 'city', Wei looked at Zhang Yang again: "So, Zhang Yang, are you willing?"
The four people in the car all looked at Zhang Yang with eager anticipation.
This time, there was no silence, no reflection.
His reddish earlobes amidst his black hair reflected his unease.
Zhang Yang's lips curled up almost imperceptibly: "Okay."
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A note from the author:
I should be able to finish this part this week and then start the next phase of growth!
I've read all your comments, thank you so much for your support!
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