When Zhang Dazui made his teaser announcement, Bei Xiao had been ready to buy the exposé from him directly. However, he was stopped by Qi Wei.
“He said he’ll leak it once, and we’ll buy it once. That kind of arrangement puts us in a passive position. Who knows how many passersby got filmed that day? Besides, if that guy nicknamed ‘Dazui’ dares to leak something like this, there’s no way he doesn’t know who Lu Ning has backing him. Him making this kind of teaser announcement, he could very well be waiting for us to take the bait. If we buy the material from him, who’s to say he won’t turn around and sell it to someone else to earn another payout? From the very beginning, I never planned to spend a single cent buying that video.”
Bei Xiao remained silent after hearing Qi Wei’s words. He had once worked as a special assistant. Although the boss he followed didn’t have as powerful a background as Lu Chenghe, he wasn’t lacking much either. At the level of bosses like theirs, who wasn’t walking the line of the gray areas? A worldview that’s too upright and proper just doesn’t survive well in this circle. So Qi Wei’s approach, or rather, Lu Chenghe’s intentions, he understood as well. It’s just that, as he got older, he found himself softening on certain matters.
Seeing Bei Xiao fall silent, Qi Wei directly handed him a stack of documents. “Don’t feel burdened about smearing someone who’s already dead. If that Xing Ze had been a good person, and the problem could’ve been solved with money, of course, I wouldn’t resort to other methods. But look through this stuff first, then decide.”
Bei Xiao took the documents Qi Wei passed him and skimmed through them quickly, ten lines at a glance. His face turned to one of shocked disbelief as he looked up at Qi Wei. “This…”
Qi Wei gave a slight smile. “Now, do you still feel burdened?”
Bei Xiao had already known that Xing Ze wasn’t a good person. The dirt he’d gotten his hands on only amounted to buying press releases to boost his image, acting like a diva, setting people up, and climbing up the ladder by stepping on others. That kind of thing was so common in the entertainment industry that it barely raised an eyebrow. But he hadn’t expected that Xing Ze had actually been involved in someone’s death.
A seventeen-year-old girl had gotten an abortion for Xing Ze and died from intrauterine bleeding because she wasn’t rescued in time. The girl’s parents never imagined that the beast who had done this to their daughter was actually her idol. They went bankrupt trying to track down the monster who caused her death. Xing Ze had even made public statements mourning the girl, condemning her so-called murderer, and went as far as to organize donations on the family’s behalf. The couple was immensely grateful, even saying their daughter had chosen a good idol to look up to. And to this day, there were still people praising Xing Ze for what he did.
Aside from that, that Xing Ze even asked his fans for money. There was a female fan obsessed with him who, in order to give money to her idol, in order to make herself seem a bit more special in his heart, actually went so far as to steal money from her own family. From thousands to tens of thousands, borrowing and falling into debt, eventually, she even stole the wages her father had prepared to pay the migrant workers on the construction site, and gave it all to Xing Ze. That girl ended up driving her own mother to death from anger, forcing her father to jump off a building, and in the end, she herself didn’t meet a good end either.
But what surprised Bei Xiao even more was the last page of the dossier. It truly confirmed that old saying: “Man dies for wealth, birds die for food”. Someone completely unrelated, just for profit, was really capable of doing anything, no matter how despicable.
Qi Wei glanced at Bei Xiao, staring at the chat log printed on the last page, and gave a light laugh. “This Xing Ze, I don’t even know if we should say he was lucky or unlucky. If the boss had found out about this before he died, he probably would’ve died in an even worse way than he did now. He actually planned to get Lu Ning into drugs. What, being a proper celebrity wasn’t good enough for him? He had decent resources and everything—why couldn’t he just recognize his place? If he hadn’t had all those twisted thoughts, he wouldn’t have deliberately gotten close to Lu Ning. Then this whole senseless disaster wouldn’t have happened. So in the end, all I can say is, he got what he deserved.”
Bei Xiao closed the dossier, stood up, and said, “I know what to do now.” After speaking, he turned and left.
After Zhang Dazui exposed the video, Zuo Ning’s Weibo was immediately flooded. Within a week, when the news of Xing Ze’s death was confirmed, the entire Weibo platform crashed. After the video was exposed by Zhang Dazui, Weibo crashed again. And right after that, when Xing Ze’s fans launched an attack against Zuo Ning, Weibo crashed for a third time. Three crashes in one week. It practically set a new record.
But clearly, someone was steering public opinion behind this. Just like how Lu Chenghe had tricked Zuo Ning, that video could also be explained as the murderer being so deranged and eager to silence him that he chased him down with the car. But it was obvious someone was guiding the narrative. In the end, the news of Xing Ze being an innocent scapegoat who died unjustly spread all over the internet.
The comment section under Zuo Ning’s Weibo was practically unreadable. With the fighting power of Xing Ze’s fans, they truly wished they could curse to death the person who had caused their idol’s demise. In the entertainment industry, there’s no star who doesn’t get smeared, but Zuo Ning had set a new benchmark for being slandered. No celebrity had ever been blackened to the extent he was experiencing now. If it weren’t for Lu Chenghe protecting him so well that those fans couldn’t dig up any personal info or find where he lived, his house might’ve already been flattened by them.
But unfortunately for those people, no matter how they attacked or slandered him, Zuo Ning wasn’t affected in the slightest. He was busy disciplining his dog son.
Just when everyone thought this newly debuted rookie would have to publicly kill himself to appease Xing Ze’s fans’ resentment, the situation took a turn again.
The company Zuo Ning was affiliated with directly began uploading all kinds of solid evidence on its official Weibo. First was a video of Xing Ze throwing his weight around like a diva—the footage was so clear that no one could argue against it. Sitting in the dressing room with his legs crossed, he directly splashed a cup of hot coffee onto his assistant—the arrogance was simply off the charts.
As soon as the first video was released, the attacks on Zuo Ning’s Weibo began to slow down. However, some people argued that everyone has moments when they’re in a bad mood and lash out. As a big star, Xing Ze had so much pressure. It was understandable that he might sometimes lose control and do some bad things. Besides, he was already dead. Dirt like diva behavior didn’t really matter anymore.
Some others started attacking the company’s official Weibo account, saying they were insulting the deceased. “The dead deserve respect,” they said, and doing this wouldn’t clear Lu Ning’s name. It would only make people hate him even more.
Half an hour after the first video was posted, the second was uploaded. Then came the third, one after another. From throwing tantrums to drug use, to taking girls to hotel rooms, to the girl’s death, and Xing Ze’s crowdfunding post asking for help catching the murderer. There were also screenshots showing him repeatedly taking money from the same girl at different times. Not to mention the old headline that had once made it into national news: “Girl Forces Her Parents to Death in Star-Chasing Frenzy”. The characters were bold and blindingly red, striking to the eye.
The company Zuo Ning was affiliated with didn’t include any commentary—just videos and screenshots. Because there was so much evidence, they released one every half hour, continuing through the entire night. Finally, the last video the company uploaded was surveillance footage captured from a high-altitude camera, clearly showing the moment Xing Ze was hit. This video, unlike the others, had a title: “Tell us, who was the killer actually trying to hit?”
【Not anyone’s fan, but looking at the situation so far, that guy called Lu Ning is really pitiful. Thankfully, he had a quick and agile assistant who helped him escape death. And he still had to take the blame. He’s been wronged to the ends of the universe.】
【Xing Ze fan here. I joined in on cursing Lu Ning. I repent. I regret ever stanning such a scumbag. He deserved what he got.】
【I followed Xing Ze for eight years—from when he debuted as a trainee, watching him climb step by step to where he was. I used to think I was lucky to support someone so hardworking and talented. But now I realize—eight years of devotion, and I was just blind.】
【I don’t believe it. Waiting for the next twist!】
【Crying from the injustice my little fairy man suffered. Thank god for solid evidence. If not, he really would’ve been stuck with this for life. What did he ever do to deserve this? It’s like a disaster that just fell from the sky.】
【Ning Baby still hasn’t made any public statements. Facing hate from the entire internet, maybe he really was scared stiff.】
【I just want to know, now that someone’s dead, can that couple who lost their daughter ever get justice?】
【Even if Xing Ze really did do all those things, it doesn’t mean the killer was actually aiming to hit him. Who knows if that Lu Ning is really good or bad.】
【The entertainment industry is so deep and murky—it’s truly jaw-dropping.】
The storm on the internet continued to ferment, but behind the scenes, those who needed to take action had already begun to move. By the time the whole incident came to an end, the company Xing Ze had belonged to ceased to exist. It was completely devoured and wiped clean by the eldest son of the Lu family.
On the other side, another group who had also been paying close attention to this matter saw how public opinion had been guided. Someone who had been smeared so thoroughly that there seemed no way back had somehow not only been cleared of all wrongdoing, but their fame had even risen to new heights. At this point, if you walked down the street and asked ten people, probably nine and a half would know who Lu Ning was.
Looking at the handsome man sitting in the boss’s chair, whose good looks carried a hint of devilish charm, the person giving the report couldn’t help but say, “That Lu Ning doesn’t have any major black marks on his record. If we want to fabricate something, it’ll probably take some time. But Lu Chenghan has already started making moves. Our influence in the entertainment industry isn’t as deep as his. When the time comes, it might not be easy to handle.”
Speaking of that Lu Ning—he really was quite unlucky. The Tang family had tried to get in on the film city redevelopment project but got shut out completely—the negotiations had collapsed. Their boss was the kind to hold a grudge over even the smallest slight, and he always had to find a way to get revenge. Unfortunately, the people from the Lu family were always surrounded by bodyguards, making it impossible to find a good opportunity to strike.
Lu Chenghan’s lover was in New Zealand—too far away to reach easily. Lu family’s fourth son also had his lover overseas. As for the third daughter of the Lu family, he did have a child, but that child was the Lu family’s lifeblood. Not only was the kid constantly guarded by a tight security team, but there were also numerous hidden protectors. Getting close wasn’t even possible.
Among all the potential targets, only that Lu Ning had just one assistant by his side. He was the easiest to go after.
Out of all the people who turned down the Tang Group’s proposal for the redevelopment project, the most direct and unyielding was Lu Chenghe. The Tang family wasn’t afraid of going head-to-head with the Lu family. So what if a few of their lovers got killed? If they could injure Lu Chenghe’s foundation, that would already be a win. And yet, that idiot—they couldn’t even manage to kill the right person.
Tang Yifeng let out a light chuckle, then picked up a cigar from a box beside him and held it to the tip of his nose, gently inhaling its scent for a moment. “You think you could’ve released that video without their silent approval? That Lu Chenghe—he’s just riding the momentum to hype up his little lover. You lot have been made into pawns and still don’t even realize it.”
The few people who heard this immediately fell silent, as if beginning to reflect on themselves. After a long pause, someone finally asked, “Then, Boss, what should we do next?”
Tang Yifeng narrowed his eyes as he looked at a miniature landscape model in front of him and said coldly, “The Lu family has not only crossed the line, but they’re doing it in such an ugly way.” His gaze fell on a tiny red flag planted in the miniature display, and he continued, “As long as this spot gets designated as a historical site, I’d like to see the Lu Corporation survive it without losing everything. If I can’t have it, then we’ll just burn the whole thing down.”
The few subordinates remained silent upon hearing this. They had long since learned to tread carefully around their boss’s unpredictable temperament—speaking less was always safer. The more you said, the more likely you’d make a mistake.
Looking at the group of people too scared to make a sound, Tang Yifeng lit the cigar and took a drag. “Send people to stir up some trouble. A few people die eating at Lu Chenghan’s restaurants. A few fall to their deaths at Lu Chenghe’s under-construction hotels. Even if it doesn’t hurt them too deeply, I want them to know—Tang Yifeng is not someone to be messed with!”
Before anyone could leave, his secretary knocked and entered. “Boss, our internal documents have been leaked.”
Tang Yifeng’s eyes narrowed sharply. The secretary felt her chest tighten with anxiety, but forced herself to keep speaking. “Also, someone from above has come. They say they need your cooperation in an investigation.”
“Investigate what?”
The secretary replied, “They say our company has tax issues.”
Tang Yifeng let out a soft, derisive laugh. “Heh. Let them investigate then. I’d like to see what they can dig up.”
Right then, someone else came in and reported to Tang Yifeng, “Boss, there are rumors that our financial accounts have issues. And it looks like there’s someone pulling strings behind the scenes—buying up large amounts of Tang Group stock.”
Someone else answered a call, then glanced at the tense atmosphere in the room and said cautiously, “Boss, two of our construction projects have been halted, and the sites have been temporarily shut down.”
Tang Yifeng sneered coldly, “Well, now. Very good. Well played, Lu family.”
