The police arrived quickly and left just as fast.
Of the ten directors originally in the meeting room, half were arrested in the blink of an eye.
The remaining directors exchanged uneasy glances before one of them suddenly spoke up excitedly.
"Young Master, do you remember? When you were ten and had a high fever, I pushed you to the hospital in a cart overnight!"
"Young Master, when you were mischievous as a child and sneaked into the company’s women’s restroom, I covered for you in front of the old chairman!"
"Young Master—"
Yu Mo: "……"
"Enough! This is disgraceful!"
"As long as you support me fully from now on, I won’t make trouble for you."
"Support! We’ll definitely support you!" the directors hastily nodded in agreement.
Not support?
Just look at what happened to those who resisted—some were "dealt with immediately," while others were dragged away by the police. Who would dare oppose him now?
As seasoned foxes in the business world, these directors had considerable wealth and extensive connections.
But the problem was, even the chairman’s wife and the general manager had been taken away. Suddenly, their once-"powerful" connections didn’t seem so formidable anymore.
This only proved how influential Young Master’s allies were—capable of twisting the truth, arresting bodyguards, directors, and even the chairman’s wife.
It was beyond absurd.
Today, too much had happened in the company, and too quickly. It felt like the sky had changed several times in a single day.
Company secretary Yu Chen promptly reported the situation to the old chairman, Yu Jianhua.
However, he didn’t dare do it openly. Instead, he hid in the restroom and sent messages in secret.
After all, the company was swarming with men in black now—he had to be cautious.
"Chairman, brace yourself when you read these messages. Especially since your heart isn’t in good shape—make sure you have your medicine ready."
"Chairman, our company is finished!"
"Chairman, Young Master gave away your Maybach. He also gave away the company’s shares. The chairman’s wife, Second Master, and several directors were all taken away by the gangsters Young Master hired. One director who spoke up was dealt with like a chicken at the slaughterhouse."
"Now, even Young Master is under their control. The board and the company have fallen into their hands. Even your position has been seized by their leader."
"Young Master thought he had everything under his thumb, but now he’s been discarded like a used tool—reduced to fetching tea and running errands for them."
"Second Young Master and the young lady might not escape their clutches either."
"Chairman, everything I’ve told you is what I’ve witnessed firsthand. Please take care of yourself and don’t get too worked up."
"……"
Just as Yu Chen was enthusiastically reporting, he glanced up and sent one final message.
"Chairman, this is the last time I’ll call you Chairman. From now on, I belong to the new chairman. I will never betray him. Goodbye!"
The moment he sent the message, Yu Chen didn’t even have time to pull up his pants before looking up to see a burly man and several men in black standing before him. Forcing a smile, he stammered, "Brother Liu, what a coincidence! Here to use the restroom too?"
Ma Da sneered, "Use the restroom? I’m here to eat sh—ugh, no, I’m here to see if you’ve had your fill!"
"I always knew you were a sneaky rat who’d leak information. Men, deal with him on the spot!"
Moments later.
"Ahhh!!!"
"......."
At a resort abroad.
After reading the messages, Chairman Yu Jianhua felt a suffocating tightness in his chest, as if he couldn’t breathe.
"Quick… quick… get me—"
A bodyguard nearby hurriedly handed him a bottle of medicine. "Chairman, your medicine!"
Yu Jianhua shoved it away and roared, "Screw that! Get me a ticket—I’m going back!"
....................
It was now mid-December, the air bitingly cold, but the rare sunlight brought a hint of warmth to the city.
Xue Qian had been keeping a close eye on the sales of his new album and the song’s popularity online.
Every time he saw his album climbing the music charts, his mood lifted.
Sales were decent—tens of thousands had already been sold in Bright Pearl City alone. Combined with other regions, total sales had surpassed six figures. But his biggest "anti-fan" was still holding onto 100,000 copies without any sign of releasing them.
Could it really be…?
He didn’t dare think about it.
At school, Liu Yutong noticed more and more classmates listening to Xue Qian’s songs.
However, opinions about Xue Qian himself remained sharply divided.
After all, the scandals surrounding him online were too numerous to easily dismiss.
Fortunately, many music fans were still willing to support him. The internet wasn’t as overwhelming as it would later become, and most people focused on the music itself rather than the artist’s personal life.
Hence the saying: the song is famous, but the singer isn’t.
Unless you could consistently produce hits or had a truly unique persona, it was hard to leave a lasting impression.
Xue Qian wasn’t the latter, but his latest album was receiving exceptional feedback—enough to hint at his rising fame.
Back in class, Liu Yutong overheard several classmates discussing Xue Qian’s new album.
"Have you listened to Xue Qian’s new album? The title track, 'Ugly Monster,' is amazing!"
"The song’s good, but haven’t you seen all the scandals about him?"
"Online rumors say he’d do anything for resources—even slept with fans!"
"Really?"
"I doubt it. Who knows what’s true online? I just care about the music."
"True or not, I don’t like him. Too much drama."
"I think he looks clean-cut, not that kind of person."
"Plus, his lyrics are seriously deep."
"You girls only care about looks. My buddy says his singing is trash—all studio magic."
"Your buddy’s just a hater. What a lame excuse."
"........."
The class quickly split into two factions, arguing fiercely.
Finally, someone turned to Liu Yutong, the class monitor, who had been quietly reading with headphones on.
"Monitor, what do you think?"
Liu Yutong removed her headphones and set them on the desk. The classroom fell silent.
"I’ll give you all a gift. Fang Haoran, take a few guys to the school gate and pick it up."
"Got it, Monitor!" Fang Haoran jumped up and called a few boys to follow him outside.
Soon, they returned with a box of Xue Qian’s signed albums.
Once everyone had one in hand, the class understood the monitor’s stance.
Instantly, the class’s opinion shifted in Xue Qian’s favor.
"Wow, Monitor has great taste! She likes Xue Qian too!"
"I love Xue Qian! Look at this signature—so artistic. You can tell he’s cultured!"
"If the class president thinks Xue Qian is fine, then she must be fine."
"Absolutely!"
"Damn! Class president, is this the limited edition? The lyric sheet even has a handwritten serial number!"
"Hold on, let me take a photo and post it on the forum—I’m gonna brag like crazy!"
"..........."
In the classroom, Liu Yutong’s words carried more weight than even the counselor’s.
If she supported Xue Qian, the others would inevitably follow.
It wasn’t for no reason—simply being classmates with the class president earned them respect, both on and off campus.
Not long after Liu Yutong left class, news suddenly spread at the school gate: Ding Yingyao had arrived at their school.
