At this moment, every department in Qingya was overwhelmed by incessant phone calls, leaving all employees gasping for breath. Downstairs, reporters had surrounded the building, making it impossible to move, while some self-proclaimed "righteous" influencers were using the opportunity to stir up emotions, shouting and rallying in front of the building.
In the Influencer Base, Zhao Yanan and two department heads sat in an empty office, each with a contract in front of them.
Administration Minister: "President Zhao, I've reviewed the contracts. The terms are repetitive, but the stipulated penalty for breach... it's exorbitant."
Legal Affairs Minister: "Yes, these too. The penalty amounts are absurdly high, and... the signature section bears President Chu's personal seal... President Zhao, let me explain first. President Chu mentioned before that the development of influencers carries certain risks, so he didn't want the base to be too closely tied to Qingya. That's why these contracts don't bear the company's official seal, nor were they reviewed by the headquarters' legal department..."
Zhao Yanan tried to maintain her composure, but her mind was in turmoil. After closing the contract in her hand, she picked up her phone to continue monitoring public opinion. The outrage of netizens seemed insatiable, even tearing Chu Yuxuan apart wouldn't appease them, and the denunciations continued to escalate.
"Why would any girl joke about her own purity? Let alone so many girls speaking out together! Seeing Xia Zhu's tragic experience reminds me of Yanyan from the Korean entertainment industry... The entertainment circle is not above the law, and we don't have chaebols here! Punish Chu Yuxuan severely! Having money doesn't grant you a free pass!"
Zhao Yanan felt a deep sense of powerlessness. "Hitting women," "forced molestation," "attempted r*p*," "forcing good women into prostitution," "driving his ex-wife to death" — any of these accusations alone could be a death sentence on the internet!
Although these charges were yet to be proven, to netizens, the truth was already evident. Or rather, when it comes to online justice, the truth doesn't matter.
The critical point is, Xia Zhu's death lends these accusations even more credibility. The 30 million yuan breach of contract fee is an undisputed fact, and the rumors spread by Xia Zhu's mother online, combined with past scandals in the entertainment industry, logically fit together, easily earning public trust.
Xia Zhu had faced too many blows recently, and choosing such an extreme path was understandable. But... why would Xia Zhu's mother fabricate lies? Although Zhao Yanan didn't have a good impression of Chu Yuxuan, she understood his character well enough to firmly believe he wouldn't do such a thing.
Even taking a step back, with Chu Yuxuan's background, would he need Xia Zhu to accompany others on trips to curry favor?
This puzzled Zhao Yanan.
In fact, she didn't yet know that the words Xia Zhu's mother had spoken came from Gao Ning.
But she noticed a key point: all of this was cleverly connected by the so-called "exorbitant breach of contract fee," and even more coincidentally, it followed right after Xia Zhu's contract termination talks!
It seemed like these two matters were pieces on the same chessboard.
So, who is the one moving the pieces? President Jin and Gao Ning?
If it's really that deeply hidden President Jin, then what is his purpose? When did he start laying out his plans? He's just a president of a listed company, not a shareholder, nor the boss. Where does he get the courage to challenge the Chu family? Or is there someone behind him?
It seemed that to uncover the truth, the key was that now-defected influencer base leader. Getting him to talk would reveal who's behind him, and then, following the trail, there might be hope of breaking the deadlock.
But the strange thing was, despite the situation escalating for so long, Chu Zhiqing remained quiet, without making any move. Could it be that the public outcry has already affected the Chu family, and he is waiting for the right opportunity to act?
Zhao Yanan: "President Zhao!" Xiao Wei hurriedly rushed into the base. "Jin Shuhan has posted a long article defending President Chu and even started arguing with netizens!"
Zhao Yanan frowned deeply, her anger rising. "What is her manager doing?! I made it very clear during the meeting that no artist is to get involved in this matter! … Go, tell her manager to handle this. If she can't manage it over the phone, she should go to the school! And inform the PR department to make no moves, just observe!"
The beautiful president was fuming. Having one of her company's artists stand up for Chu Yuxuan at this critical moment would only backfire, essentially adding fuel to the fire. The administration minister, fearful, thought to himself that this manager was in big trouble, but who could it be?
Suddenly, he seemed to notice something and murmured, "Manager..." before his eyes lit up. "President Zhao, don't you think that Xia Zhu's manager has been unusually quiet!"
Zhao Yanan was stunned, realizing that she had overlooked a crucial person!
Xia Zhu was still a company artist, and now that something like this had happened, why hadn't her manager contacted the company?
Administration Minister: "President Zhao, Xia Zhu's manager isn't from our company but is her close friend. As far as I know, they have a very good relationship. Xia Zhu even personally came to the administration department to argue on her manager's behalf over a bonus. Now that something has happened to Xia Zhu, why hasn't her manager contacted us? Why hasn't she spoken out online? It doesn't make sense!"
Zhao Yanan thought for a moment and said, "Find her! Quickly!"
No matter what reason led to this manager's silence, as Xia Zhu's closest person, she would certainly be useful.
On the other side, at Phoenix Villa.
Chu Zhiqing leisurely sipped his morning tea while watching the "earthquake" happening online.
A stunning woman in professional attire stood to the side, her face slightly melancholic. "Chairman, you still haven't made a move?"
Chu Zhiqing: "Make a move?" Chu Zhiqing glanced at the beauty and smiled. "Against whom?"
Woman: "Well... at the very least, we should find a way to get the young master out."
Chu Zhiqing calmly took a sip of tea. "What's the rush? Let him spend some time with his sister... Let's keep quiet and see which big fish is stirring the waters."
The woman frowned slightly, sighing. "I wonder who has the audacity to target the young master?"
Chu Zhiqing: "Hmph... A small Gao family doesn't have the guts. They're probably being fanned by someone... Let these small fry make a fuss for a while longer. The more they stir things up, the more interesting the show becomes."
Just then, the phone on the tea table suddenly rang.
Chu Zhiqing: "Chairman, the regulators have arrived at the company. The project... has encountered some problems, particularly with the materials, and it's very serious... The disciplinary commission is also here, saying they need to ask you some questions, and the Ministry of Public Security too, with an arrest warrant... A few more leaders have arrived. I'll go take a look and report back to you later!"
Chu Zhiqing hung up the phone, smiling bitterly. "So, it's targeted at me? Tsk tsk... Then why go after my son? If that little rascal finds out, he'll skin me alive? Sigh..."