Xiao Yao's betrayal was like a bone-chilling cold wave, freezing Lin Chen's last vestige of reconciliation with his environment. He became even more silent, almost to the point of utter muteness. In front of the camera, he smiled and answered as required, but his eyes were empty, as if covered by a layer of gray. In psychological counseling, he no longer expressed any true thoughts, merely mechanically repeating the "correct" viewpoints Dr. Xu wanted to hear. He perfectly played the role of the "obedient," "grateful" puppet artist the company needed, but the soul within him, belonging to the mountains and music, seemed to have died prematurely.
The news of his advertising endorsement being replaced quickly spread within a small circle internally, followed by more subtle forms of contempt and exclusion. Resources began to visibly tilt towards him, and some previously arranged high-quality exposure opportunities were canceled or postponed under various pretexts. Amy's attitude towards him became increasingly businesslike, lacking the feigned "concern" and gaining more of a cold, surveillance-like indifference.
He was like a commodity temporarily relegated to the sidelines, left to gather dust on a glamorous shelf, awaiting an uncertain fate.
That day, according to his schedule, he attended an annual gala of an online platform. These events, teeming with celebrities and dazzling stars, were essentially arenas for various factions to flex their muscles and exchange resources for fame and fortune. He was assigned to walk the red carpet in an inconspicuous corner, and his interviews consisted of only a few perfunctory questions. Once inside, his seat was further back, far from the center.
He was already used to this treatment, sitting there like a ghost, watching the glamorous, witty celebrities in front of him, feeling as if he were separated from the world by an impenetrable pane of glass.
Halfway through the gala, during the intermission and free media interviews, the crowd stirred, reporters swarming towards their targets like hunting dogs. To avoid unnecessary embarrassment, Lin Chen got up to go to the restroom.
As he walked through the relatively quiet backstage corridor, a slightly hurried figure emerged from around the corner, bumping into him. A stack of documents the woman was carrying scattered across the floor.
"Excuse me!" they both said almost simultaneously.
Lin Chen crouched down to help pick up the scattered documents. His gaze swept over them, and he realized they weren't the usual entertainment announcements or celebrity information, but rather printed screenshots of online articles, data analysis reports, and even a few blurry, seemingly candid photos. The headlines were shocking—"The Capital Mystery of Xingyao Entertainment: Money Laundering or Something Else?", "A Review of the Artists Disappeared from Xingyao's Shelved List", "Lu Tianyu's 'Star-Making' Assembly Line and 'Scrap' Mechanism"...
His heart skipped a beat. He looked up at the woman.
She was a young woman who looked to be in her late twenties, dressed in a simple, sharp suit, with no makeup, her hair neatly tied back, her eyes clear and sharp, possessing a calmness and scholarly air that seemed out of place in this glamorous world. The press pass hanging around her neck identified her as Su Yuqing, from a financial media outlet known for its in-depth investigative reporting.
Su Yuqing was also sizing him up, a flicker of surprise in her eyes before she quickly regained her composure, took the documents Lin Chen offered, and said softly, "Thank you."
"You're welcome." Lin Chen stood up, his heart pounding at the titles of the documents. Xingyao Entertainment…a capital maze…money laundering…these words vaguely matched what he had overheard in the secret room and his own terrifying suspicions.
Su Yuqing carefully put the documents into her briefcase, her movements calm and unconcerned about Lin Chen seeing them. She looked at Lin Chen and suddenly spoke, her voice low but clear: "You're Lin Chen? The one who sang 'Mountain Questions'?"