"Teacher Chen, I'm in a very bad situation right now," Lin Chen interrupted him, his voice trembling slightly. "They...they're not just packaging me, I feel...I feel like I'm involved in something terrible." He briefly mentioned the secret meeting, the veiled conversations about capital operations and money laundering, Dr. Xu's chilling "psychological counseling," and Xiao Yao's betrayal.
Chen Kai listened quietly on the other end of the phone, without interrupting, but Lin Chen could feel his heavy breathing.
"Teacher Chen, who exactly is Lu Tianyu? What kind of place is Xingyao Entertainment?" Lin Chen asked, voicing his deepest fear.
The silence on the other end of the phone lasted even longer, so long that Lin Chen thought the signal had been lost.
"Lu Tianyu…" Chen Kai finally spoke, his voice seemingly veiled by the dust of time, carrying a profound weariness and pain, "He… is a devil who can devour dreams and souls."
Then, in a low, slow tone, Chen Kai unveiled a long-buried past, a secret inextricably linked to the rise of Xingyao Entertainment, filled with betrayal and bloodshed.
"More than twenty years ago, Lu Tianyu, another friend, A-Jie—not the A-Jie you know now, but our band's bassist—the three of us formed an underground band called 'Wildfire.' Back then, we were all young, full of passion, believing that music could change the world." Chen Kai's voice carried a distant recollection.
"Lu Tianyu was the lead vocalist, I was in charge of songwriting and guitar, and A-Jie was the bassist. We were somewhat famous in the underground music scene, with many loyal fans. Back then, Lu Tianyu, although ambitious, at least still had a genuine passion for music."
"Later, an opportunity arose. A fledgling record company took notice of us and wanted to sign us. The condition was… that we change our style, sing more commercial, more market-driven pop songs. A-Jie and I were firmly opposed; we believed it was a betrayal of music. But Lu Tianyu… he wavered."
Chen Kai's voice became strained: "Behind our backs, he made a secret agreement with the company's boss. He agreed to change his style, on the condition that… the company would only sign him and help him 'get rid of' the band as a burden."
"How… how?" Lin Chen felt a chill.
"The night before we were to officially negotiate with that company, A-Jie and I were attacked by a group of unknown people on our way home from rehearsal." Chen Kai's voice was tinged with suppressed pain. "A-Jie was severely injured protecting me; his hands… were ruined, and he can never play bass again. I broke two ribs and have scars on my face."
Lin Chen gasped.
"Afterwards, all the evidence pointed to a simple street robbery. But A-Jie and I both knew who did it. Lu Tianyu came to see us feigning concern, shedding tears and saying he would definitely find the killer. Then… he naturally went solo, signed with that company, transitioned to singing commercial love songs, and became an instant sensation. That company was the predecessor of Xingyao Entertainment."
"Then… what about A-Jie?" Lin Chen's voice was dry.
"A-Jie…" Chen Kai's voice choked, "He couldn't accept this fact. His body collapsed, and his spirit collapsed. One rainy night… he jumped from the hospital rooftop…"