Chapter 26 Not one of them can escape. ...
"Don't listen to her nonsense, this was all my own decision."
We begged and pleaded to get this opportunity, we can't let this little brat ruin it.
Old Qian wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled obsequiously.
Having been in this industry for so many years, if you really want to say what he relies on, in the end, it's nothing more than "luck".
He hadn't really wanted to go to the friend's gathering a couple of days ago, but now he's glad he did. After the meal and drinks, a friend subtly reminded him that things weren't going well lately and he should be careful.
Upon hearing this, Lao Qian broke out in a cold sweat. In the entertainment industry, things happen all the time, and who can truly claim to be completely innocent? Why would anyone bother with this? After making inquiries, he learned that it seemed that Xingchen Entertainment was taking some action.
He made a phone call, but the other party told him that it was under the jurisdiction of Teacher Wen's studio.
Upon hearing this name, Lao Qian knew he was truly doomed this time. If everyone needs a facade of prosperity to conceal the filth beneath the glittering facade, then this person certainly has the means to defy this rule of survival.
However, he couldn't help but struggle before he died, and he tried every means to find the private number of Wen Shili's assistant, Cao Jun.
Cao Jun didn't beat around the bush. He recounted Cao Jun's recent little tricks over the phone without missing a beat, effectively shutting down any room for Cao Jun to deny it. If Cao Jun hadn't been the one to carry them out himself, Cao Jun would have suspected that someone close to him had betrayed him.
"He who walks by the river will eventually get his shoes wet." Old Qian hung his head, thinking that anyone who accepted a lawyer's letter from Wen Shili's studio would be in deep trouble. He feared that most of his hard-earned retirement savings might be wiped out. If only he had known…
If I had known, he probably would have done the same thing.
Sigh, you can't fight city hall; it's his fate to fall, there's nothing you can do about it.
Who knew that Cao Jun would ask about Sheng Yi again, asking if she had instructed him. Old Qian hurriedly said, "How could that be? I just saw that she was close to Teacher Wen, and I couldn't help but have wicked thoughts. I thought that if she got promoted, she would remember my kindness."
Cao Jun didn't know if he believed him or not, but after Cao Jun's repeated pleas, he finally agreed to meet him at 3 pm the next day.
Normally, he wouldn't bother going to a coffee shop in the sweltering summer heat, but on this day, he braved the nearly 30-degree Celsius heat to go out. To his surprise, when they arrived at the agreed-upon location, Cao Jun led him directly to a private room.
He glanced at it and almost tripped. Large beads of sweat clung to his forehead, and his back was covered in a thick layer of cold sweat. He quickly wiped the sweat from his hands on his clothes and reached out to greet Wen Shili.
Wen Shili leaned back in his chair, dressed casually, and glanced up indifferently when he saw him approach. Old Qian reached out halfway, then turned his hand in mid-air, wiped it on his clothes, and let it hang awkwardly to the side.
After he sat down, Cao Jun left the private room, leaving them alone to talk.
Tell me about it.
Wen Shili was relaxed and at ease, and although he was several years younger than him, he exuded an aura of authority that came from someone who had long held a high position. His self-assured experience was completely useless in front of him.
Old Qian forced himself to calm down, wondering if this was a trap. He went over the matter in his mind twice, and suddenly his heart started pounding wildly.
He didn't believe that everyone who was being targeted would have the opportunity to sit here and recount their actions. It was a gambler's intuition.
Having made up his mind, Lao Qian recounted everything in detail, starting from April and continuing until two days ago.
Wen Shili didn't interrupt him, holding his cup of coffee and occasionally taking a sip. It was as if he had suddenly passed by, remembered an old friend, and then arranged to meet up for a chat.
Old Qian's mind started to work, and he was thinking about how to beautify his behavior a little when Wen Shili looked up and looked over.
Whether by coincidence or not, Lao Qian didn't dare to test the waters any further. Just as he was about to try to be accommodating again, Sheng Yi called.
"You two seem to know each other quite well?" Wen Shili asked him after hanging up the phone.
"No, no, no." Old Qian quickly shook his head. "This girl is like that to everyone, she has no manners at all."
Wen Shili chuckled, rubbing the rim of his cup, his voice suddenly turning cold, "Are you sure you can afford it?"
Perhaps someone as unassuming as him simply cannot accept his own scheming and opportunistic behavior.
Having accepted his defeat, Lao Qian dared not make any more underhanded moves, only repeatedly stating that he was indeed not very familiar with Sheng Yi.
Wen Shili asked a few more questions, and finally said that a lawyer would contact you later.
"Okay, I'm ready to cooperate anytime. I was definitely bewitched."
Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a knock on the door. Cao Jun pushed the door open, glanced at the time, and said, "Brother Li."
Seeing this, Old Qian knew they were in a hurry to leave, so he quickly seized the opportunity to cry and complain, "Look at what I've done! I'm so stupid! I deserve to end up like this, but it's such a pity that I've harmed that young girl. Sigh... she's almost become emaciated."
Whether he'll change his appearance or not is another matter, but if it weren't for him, Sheng Yi wouldn't have gone through this. Let's just consider it an act of kindness, helping her out again. Anyway, he's destined to be caught in the crossfire.
Even when he can't protect himself, he still tries to play the victim for others. Cao Jun heard him keep mentioning "little girl," and although he didn't say it explicitly, the implication was too obvious. He observed Wen Shili's expression and said, "Unrelated people naturally won't be implicated, so don't overthink it."
"Oh, oh, oh, I misunderstood." Old Qian chuckled and bent down, watching them walk out.
"Everything is ready. We can go directly there later," Cao Jun said.
Wen Shili nodded slightly.
Amidst the chaos online, Sheng Yi simply shut herself off from social media, staying home and spending her time either watching dramas or making soup. Luckily, she's not naturally prone to gaining weight, but poor Fu Xiaodan, who had just returned from vacation, had been forcefully fattened up by her.
As usual, the two finished their meal that day. Sheng Yi was watching a TV series while Fu Xiaodan scrolled through her phone. Sheng Yi was laughing heartily when Fu Xiaodan suddenly exclaimed, "Oh my god!"
"What's wrong?"
"Those marketing accounts that were most active before have all been banned and had their accounts suspended."
"Wow, who did this?" Sheng Yi rolled over and sat up. "Let me see."
Fu Xiaodan sent her a link, "Look, mainstream media are reporting directly on it, exposing the black market industry chain and restoring a clean online space. Tsk tsk tsk, they've really kicked a hornet's nest."
"How could this be so sudden?" Sheng Yiyou was still a little stunned.
“This marketing account that was permanently banned even showed up in your comment section before.” Fu Xiaodan felt they deserved it. “It will take some time for the authorities to investigate. They’re all making money through dishonest means. It’s good that they’re banned.”
Sheng Yi downloaded Weibo again and clicked on it to see that the trending topics were as lively as during the Chinese New Year. There were official documents, information about penalties imposed on marketing accounts, and the topic of Wen Shili Studio's rights protection, which was stuck in the middle of the trending topics.
It seems that, riding this wave of opportunity, Star Entertainment couldn't resist making a move as well.
Sheng Yi turned off his phone and said with great confidence, "What kind of soup do you want to drink tomorrow? Leave it to me!"
Fu Xiaodan: "No, no, I appreciate your kind gesture."
Without the leading marketing account, netizens whispered among themselves, "This Sheng Yi must have some powerful connections; she's even bribed official media outlets."
"Come on, if she had connections, she wouldn't have been criticized so harshly the other day."
"So what's going on with this whole thing lately?"
"Never mind, never mind, it can't be said."
Sheng Yi was also puzzled. If they were to deduce the truth from the perspective of those who had already benefited, it seemed that she was indeed the most suspicious. She asked Lao Qian, "Where did you find your connections?"
What connections did he have? He almost got himself arrested. Luckily, he confessed and was treated leniently; otherwise, he would have faced fines and reprimands. He wouldn't dare take credit for that.
Old Qian pondered for a moment and said, "Maybe you're just lucky to have run into this crackdown. Besides, didn't Teacher Wen also send a lawyer's letter? It's a warning to others, and those people will have to quiet down for a while. You've benefited from his actions, so don't overthink it."
"Don't overthink it. Can't you do anything productive all day?" Zhao Lan came in from outside, carrying her bag. "Take me to the People's Hospital quickly."
Old Qian panicked upon hearing this, "Wife, where do you feel unwell?"
Zhao Lan said, "Third Aunt has broken her hand, you should go get the car quickly."
That evening, Sheng Yi received a call from Lao Qian, saying that his third aunt was hospitalized and there was no one to cook for their grandson. Zhao Lan was busy staying with him at the hospital and couldn't spare any time to take care of him. He asked if she could help out for a few days if it was convenient for her.
Sheng Yi readily agreed, regardless of whether it was convenient or not for the unemployed. She opened her memo and asked, "What do you need me to do? Are there any points I should pay attention to?"
Old Qian said, "There's nothing special about it. You just need to take care of the three meals a day, and he'll take care of everything else himself."
After hanging up the phone, Sheng Yi started packing her luggage. A hospital stay would take at least three days. She stuffed her daily necessities into her bag, wondering if the child was a picky eater; she only knew a few dishes that the child could eat.
The address Lao Qian gave was in the suburbs, so Sheng Yi got up very early and took the first bus there.
When she arrived, it was almost noon. Looking at the scorching sun outside the window, she rummaged through her backpack and realized she had forgotten to bring an umbrella.
The sun felt like it was baking people; after just a few steps, sweat was pouring down my face.
The phone rang again, and Sheng Yi reached out to answer it. "What's wrong? I just got off the bus."
But it wasn't Lao Qian's voice on the other end of the phone. "Teacher Sheng, where are you going?"
Even through the phone, you could feel the wet, sticky tone of his voice.
Huang Zhicheng.
Huang Zhicheng has been having a run of bad luck lately. Deals he's been negotiating always fall apart at the last minute, one of his bathhouses has been shut down, and his thriving marketing company has been embroiled in lawsuits. Even his friends are asking him if he's offended someone. After much thought, the only thing he can recall is a verbal altercation with Sheng Yi.
Women aren't scary; what's scary is when she's hooked up with someone he can't afford to offend. He called to test the waters.
Hearing that voice made Sheng Yi feel nauseous. It seemed she hadn't checked the almanac before going out today. She immediately hung up. A moment later, the other party called back. Sheng Yi snapped, "What do you want?"
"So angry?" Old Qian took the phone away from his ear and asked her, "Who offended you?"
Sheng Yi read the note carefully. "It's okay, I misread it. I'll be there soon, in time for lunch."
Old Qian agreed, then added, "He might have a bad temper, so remember to get along well with him."
Sheng Yi thought to herself, "Am I serving my ancestors or my father?" But considering how much Lao Qian had helped her, she said, "Okay, I'll try my best."
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