Had the candidate been decided?
Jing Li’s smile gradually faded away.
Even those unfamiliar with the entertainment circle could tell that this matter was unusual. Moreover, accomplishing this in just one night seemed too quick, indicating someone intentionally sabotaged him from behind the scenes.
Jing Li could only think of one person with a grudge and the capability to take action. “Is it Qian Jianan?” he stated with certainty.
“We’ve confirmed the person who signed the contract is indeed him, and there are traces of Xingyao’s involvement,” the assistant affirmed his guess and added, “Wang-jie received the news and rushed to find Director Yu. She asked me to contact you first to prevent you from making the trip in vain.”
Not fully understanding the ins and outs, Jing Li didn’t say much and simply acknowledged before hanging up, deciding to wait at home for Sister Wang’s update.
Meanwhile, Jing Yu also received a report from Secretary Qin. Upon learning that Qian Jianan not only bullied and oppressed his artists due to his wealth but also targeted his younger brother this time, Jing Yu’s expression darkened alarmingly.
“Apparently, during the show’s filming, Qian Jianan continuously targeted Er Shao, even deliberately picking on him on camera.”
Now an ardent fan of the younger master, Secretary Qin’s expression also darkened as he spoke, “I also found out that after the filming ended, Qian Jianan’s assistant pressured the show’s producer to cut out all the Er Shao’s footage.”
“And just last night, they contacted the crew where Er Shao was about to sign and signed the role first.”
“They’ve also intercepted several endorsements and variety shows.”
…
The more Jing Yu listened, the darker his expression became. Recalling Qian Jianan’s threat to bankrupt the Jing family during the show’s filming, his eyes flashed with a fierce glint.
“Handle the entertainment matters with Xiao Jing’s team. Let them take charge. Follow up on this personally and coordinate with them as needed,” Jing Yu instructed Secretary Qin before adding, “Also, investigate Qian’s companies and their business partners.”
Since Qian Jianan aimed to suppress Jing Li and bankrupt the Jing family, he would return the favor.
Let’s see who ultimately faces ruin and disgrace.
Secretary Qin immediately acknowledged and left to make arrangements.
*
Qian Jianan naturally didn’t know that he was about to be in trouble. At this moment, he was lazily holding the contract in his hand, listening to his assistant reporting the follow-up situation to him with a proud look on his face.
“I heard that Jing Li’s manager, Wang Li, rushed to find Director Yu first thing this morning after receiving the news. However, we’ve already signed the contract, so no matter how much she complains, it’s useless.”
“As for the brands intending to endorse Jing Li and the variety shows planning to invite him that we previously contacted, we’ve settled all those deals. You can pick the ones you’re interested in, and the rest will go to our company’s other artists, providing more exposure opportunities.”
“Regarding Dolphin TV, the person in charge has agreed to notify the production team to edit out the talent showcase segment and remove all footage related to Jing Li.”
…
The assistant rambled on about the follow-up arrangements. Unusually, Qian Jianan didn’t display impatience but seemed increasingly gratified. In the end, he even wore an unsatisfied expression, as if feeling Jing Li’s suffering wasn’t enough.
After pondering, he looked at his assistant and instructed, “How’s the investigation into Jing Li’s family business going? Tell Jian Yi directly; once you find something, take action without reporting to me. I only need the results.”
Jian Yi was the vice president of the Qian family’s company, in charge of external business partnerships.
“Understood, I’ll contact him right away.” The assistant acknowledged Qian Jianan’s gesture and stepped aside to make the call.
Meanwhile, having received Qian Jianan’s latest order, Jian Yi had just uncovered some leads. Upon hearing the instructions, he confidently declared, “Got it, we’ve found some clues on our end.”
“Don’t worry, Qian Shao, I guarantee to complete the task within two days.”
After hanging up, he turned to his subordinates and said, “You all heard that? Get moving; I need results by tomorrow evening!”
“Understood!”
“Don’t worry, Mr. Jian, we’ll complete the task!”
…
The subordinates cheerfully made their promises.
This wasn’t their first time undertaking such tasks, so the department was well-versed in the process. After exchanging pleasantries, they immediately sprang into action.
In their eyes, Jing Li was probably another insignificant figure from a family with some money, foolishly provoking their young master and courting death. They naturally assumed it wouldn’t take much effort this time and even arrogantly placed bets with their colleagues.
However, when the first employee traced the business name to the relevant company and legal representative, they froze upon seeing the suffix indicating affiliation with the Jing family.
“Jing… Jing Group?”
Surely, it couldn’t be the Jing Group they were thinking of?
The employee’s heart skipped a beat, but they subconsciously clung to the hope that it was just a coincidence. After all, they knew their young master’s character well. Although he was spoiled and unruly, he was not completely ignorant or blindly arrogant enough to provoke a behemoth like the Jing Group.
With this thought, the employee’s mind eased slightly, but to be safe, they copied the Jing Group’s suffix and searched for more information. Then, right before their eyes, the Jing Group’s profile page slowly loaded onto the screen.
Simultaneously, they heard someone behind them exclaim in shock, “The Jing Group?! What’s going on?!”
Immediately afterwards, several more voices sounded from different locations around him:
“Sh*t! Why did looking into Jing Li lead us to the Jing family?”
“Sh*t! Same here on my end!”
…
More exclamations arose from different corners. Jian Yi’s face paled as he rushed to check the employees’ computers, his heart sinking.
At that moment, his phone rang. Seeing it was a potential partner they had been negotiating a contract with, Jian Yi hurriedly suppressed his turbulent emotions and answered with a forced smile.
However, before he could greet Mr. Xiao, the other party apologized and stated that after a shareholder meeting, they had decided to cancel their collaboration. Without leaving room for discussion, they promptly hung up.
It was as if they were merely notifying him, leaving no room for negotiation.
This was a crucial partner for the company’s revenue in the latter half of the year. Losing them would cost nearly one-third of their annual income.
Jian Yi was utterly shaken and rushed to call back, but another call came through before he could dial.
Another recent potential partner was on the line. He had no choice but to answer again, only to receive a similar apology and cancellation notice before an abrupt hang-up.
After two such calls in a row, Jian Yi’s heart sank, sensing this was no coincidence.
The next phone call confirmed his suspicion.
Not just his phone but those of his surrounding staff and even the office landlines rang incessantly, like a relentless chant, as everyone’s expressions gradually changed.
It wasn’t just their department; every sector and partner seemed to have collectively decided to call and terminate their collaborations with the company. Their intentions were conveyed directly, leaving no room for negotiation.
Some partners even agreed to pay hefty penalties to terminate signed contracts, causing utter chaos.
Within mere hours, the Qian family’s company plunged into a precarious state.
This sudden turn of events caught everyone off guard, their faces etched with apprehension and fear.
Only a behemoth like the Jing Group could orchestrate such a feat within hours, compelling partners to appease them at the cost of hefty penalties.
Finally, even old partners who had cooperated with the company for decades also called.
Unable to contain himself any longer, Jian Yi trembled as he pleaded for confirmation, “President Fang, considering our decades-long partnership, could you tell me if this is the Jing Group’s doing?”
President Fang paused, seemingly reluctant, then shook his head with a sigh, “I warned Lao Qian early on that Jianan’s temperament would inevitably lead to grave consequences, but he wouldn’t listen.”
“You should advise him to swallow his pride when necessary. One cannot simply have their way in everything in this world.”
“Alright, I won’t say more. My staff will come to you tomorrow to handle the remaining procedures. You should prepare as well.”
With that, he hung up.
Listening to the other party’s undeniable answer, Jian Yan’s heart completely sank to the bottom.
He finally realized that this time, the Qian family had really offended someone they shouldn’t have offended.
This was clearly beyond their capabilities. Trembling, Jian Yi hurriedly called Qian Jianan’s assistant to report the situation, praying he could find a way to appease Jing Li and resolve this crisis.
“You’re saying Jing Li is the Jing Group’s second young master?!”
The assistant was equally shocked upon receiving the call, but the implications soon turned his face pale with dread.
Qian Jianan, who was sitting on the sofa and was preparing to listen to the good news brought to him by his assistant, instantly straightened up in disbelief, staring wide-eyed at his assistant, unable to accept this information.
How could this be possible? How could Jing Li be from the Jing family?
Yet, no matter how unwilling he was to believe it, upon hearing that the Jing Group had begun targeting his company and taken away most of their partners, he was forced to face reality.
Overwhelming dread followed.
The Jing Group was a colossal existence; no matter how hard they chased, they could never catch up. How could they withstand their retaliation?
Qian Jianan’s face drained of color as he instinctively reached for his phone to contact Jing Li but then realized he didn’t have his contact information.
He instantly collapsed on the sofa in despair, and his whole body was enveloped in a more intense panic.
At that moment, the assistant’s phone rang again.
“…It’s the person in charge from Dolphin TV,” the assistant said, his expression turning even paler upon seeing the caller ID. A call at this moment couldn’t be good news.
Swallowing hard, the assistant answered on speaker with great difficulty.
The stern male voice immediately filled the room.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Jia, but we cannot accept your previous request.”
“Dolphin TV has always upheld principles of fairness and truthfulness in our productions, which means presenting our guests’ most authentic selves to our viewers.”
The speaker was the same Wu Wen they had contacted before, but his tone was no longer flattering, instead radiating an authoritative air befitting a messenger of justice as if he was about to berate them for their foolish indulgences.
“If you have any objections or dissatisfaction with our program arrangements, we can honor your wishes and edit out your footage separately.”
“Regarding any subsequent matters, you can directly contact the production team. If you have any questions, please consult them in person.”
With that, he abruptly hung up.
Not only did he reject their previous request, but he threatened to edit out Qian Jianan’s footage entirely if they were dissatisfied.
How ironic, given Qian Jianan’s previous demands and attitude toward the production team, yet now the tables had turned on him.
The room fell into an eerie silence as the two men remained speechless, despair gradually etching onto their faces.
Qian Jianan trembled, unable to utter a word.
After a long while, he finally looked at his assistant and asked in a hoarse voice, “Have you called my dad yet?”
“No, I haven’t…” Realizing his intention, the assistant hurriedly replied, “I’ll call him right away!”
This blunder was too severe. Perhaps only Mr. Qian himself had a slim chance of resolving this crisis.
However, they failed to realize that the person they provoked was unforgiving. Jing Yu had no intention of giving them a chance to catch their breath and was determined to bring the Qian family to its knees first.
Moreover, an even greater price awaited them.
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Jing Yu: Do you think this is the end?
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