Chapter 139: If you do not fail me, I shall certainly not fail you

Panic filled Lin Zhao's eyes. Having hosted countless shows, this was the first time he had encountered a situation so utterly beyond his control. What on earth should he do? Stop the broadcast? The words were already out, and the audience was hanging on every syllable—canceling now would cause the studio to implode. Continue? Who knew what other sensational things this girl might say? If that happened, how could he answer to their corporate partners? Would he have to say, "I couldn't help it, I had to throw you under the bus"?

Fortunately, instructions from the show's chief director soon crackled through his earpiece: Continue. Do not interfere or interrupt. Let it play out naturally.

The production team's goal was crystal clear. There was no real choice to be made because only one path lay before them. Unless they wanted the program permanently scrapped and taken off the air, they had no choice but to bite the bullet and keep broadcasting. Everyone had been played by this young girl, but so what? The very premise of the show was to manufacture major news and grab attention, and wasn't that precisely what was happening now? This could be used to steer the show away from the whirlpool it might have otherwise fallen into. Therefore, they had to continue—they had no other option.

Receiving the directive, Lin Zhao no longer dared to interrupt Su Zitong. Instead, he followed her lead and prompted, "So, it seems Lin Qihua actually helped you?"

Su Zitong shot him a look that was half-smile, half-scowl. How could she not have noticed his subtle stalling just moments ago? But it didn't matter anymore; she had achieved her objective, and she was prepared to bear the consequences herself.

"That night, my manager took me to a cocktail party hosted by Evergreen Entertainment, hoping I would make some connections and receive some assistance," Su Zitong recalled. "At one point, while we were talking with a major celebrity, the man was clearly heavily intoxicated and kept staring right at me. His assistant seized the moment to make unreasonable demands of us. I refused right on the spot. I wanted to become famous, but not to the extent of having to sacrifice myself."

"Oh," Lin Zhao said, his face draining of color. He already knew what the truth was.

"What's hateful," Su Zitong said with deep resentment, "is that my manager sold me out. To curry favor with this major star, she was more than eager to push me right into his arms to achieve her own ends. But how could I ever submit to that? I found an opening and ran out. Then, around a corner, I collided with Lin Qihua. I suppose everyone can guess what happened next. The major star and his people chased after us, and Lin Qihua stepped up and helped me, preventing me from doing anything foolish out of sheer desperation. I was fine, but because he helped me, he was cursed at mercilessly and left to struggle on his own."

"I was terrified, not knowing what to do. I locked myself in my room, refusing to speak to anyone. Every day, my manager tried to persuade me from outside the door, and the company even sent people to counsel me, urging me to point the finger at my benefactor, to repay kindness with enmity. But that violated my core principles as a human being. If I had truly done that, even if I became a top-tier superstar, I would never have been able to forgive myself. So I held my ground and refused, all the way until last Friday, when I heard his song."

"Yes, it was that song, *I*. It gave me profound enlightenment. Why should I compromise with reality? Why not stand up and clear the air? Why should he bear all the vilification alone? What kind of person did I finally want to be? I had finally figured it out. So, I pretended to go along with them, playing along just to bide my time until this opportunity arose to bring the truth to light under the live broadcast camera. I know immense pressure has been applied behind the scenes, and I know that once I walk out of here, my days in the entertainment industry are effectively over. But I have no regrets. I am who I am, a firework of a different color. It was worth it!"

Su Zitong's face was deathly pale as she smiled toward the camera, yet the sight possessed a tragic, haunting beauty.

"This child," Yu Fengqin sighed softly, recalling the moment she had seen Su Zitong press a shattered glass cup against her own neck. Indeed, this was something only a girl like her would do.

"The plot has completely reversed," He Li said excitedly.

Lin Qihua stood up and walked toward the exit.

"Where are you going?" He Li asked.

"To pick her up," Lin Qihua said, pointing at the girl on the screen. "I think she needs help right now."

"We're going too," Yu Fengqin said as she stood up. "I want to thank her in person."

"We're coming too," He Li, He Yanlin, and the others rose in unison, looking as though they were setting out to welcome triumphant soldiers returning from battle.

"Alright, let's go together," Lin Qihua smiled.

***

The group arrived at Jiangmei Television Station. *Night of Entertainment* was the premier flagship program of this station.

Just as they stepped outside the broadcast studio, they encountered a chaotic crowd.

At the center stood Su Zitong. She was silent, her face devoid of color, surrounded by a throng of people hurling harsh abuses at her.

The loudest voice belonged unmistakably to her manager. "Are you trying to destroy everyone and ruin the company? How could you dare do such a thing? Do you have any idea the kind of power the people behind him hold? They could crush you with a single finger."

There were also many others trying to persuade her, "Tongtong, it's not too late to issue a clarification. It's nothing major; don't ruin your own future."

"That's right, Tongtong. This has nothing to do with us anyway. We can just drop the matter and it'll all blow over, okay? What's been said is said, just don't say anything else from now on."

Su Zitong remained silent, her lips bitten raw, though an inner smile of bitter mockery played in her heart. Spilled water cannot be gathered up; did they really think recanting now would do any good? Terrified of other people's influence, yet placing all their hopes on a single girl—they had no shame at all.

Lin Qihua and the others pushed through the crowd until they stood right in front of Su Zitong. He offered her a sincere expression of gratitude. "Thank you!"

"It's you?" Su Zitong looked at him in surprise, shaking her head slightly. "You should be yelling at me for speaking the truth so late."

"No, not late at all. Right on time," Lin Qihua smiled, then turned to the middle-aged manager, his expression turning icy. "I've seen shameless people before, but never anyone this shameless. Are artists nothing more than tools in your eyes? Things to be used to curry favor with others or thrown under the bus to take the blame when needed? Whoever ends up with an artist like you is truly cursed."

"You!" Manager Hong turned crimson with rage. "Our company's artist—what business is it of yours? Don't think you've escaped unscathed; there's plenty more coming for you."

"Heh." Lin Qihua gave a nonchalant, dismissive shrug. There was no point in arguing with such a person. He turned back to Su Zitong. "You probably won't be able to stay at this company anymore. What are your plans?"

"What plans could I possibly have?" Su Zitong gave a desolate, bitter smile. "Go home, quietly wait out the expiration of my contract, and honestly look for a regular job. That's all."

"I think there's a better option," Lin Qihua offered with a slight smile. "How about coming to Galaxy Entertainment?"

Su Zitong stared at him in astonishment.

"Other things aside, I can only state my own attitude," Lin Qihua said earnestly, every word deliberate. "If you do not fail me, I will never fail you. You bravely stood up to clear my name from the vilification, so I will take responsibility for your future career in showbiz. You won't have to fade away in obscurity—we will take charge of your future."

"That's right. I am the owner of Galaxy Entertainment, and his words are my promise. Galaxy Entertainment welcomes you. Here, you will definitely be able to continue chasing your dreams," Yu Fengqin stepped forward and added.

"Really?" Su Zitong looked somewhat dazed. She had already accepted her fate: nothing more than being frozen by the company for the remainder of her contract, and by the time it ended, having lost all popularity, she would have no choice but to slip away in silence. What her dreams even were no longer mattered; after that night, they had become distant, unattainable illusions. She had never expected anyone to be willing to take her in.

"Don't even dream about it!" Manager Hong stepped forward aggressively. "Su Zitong is our company's artist, and we have a binding contract. As long as the contract hasn't expired, she belongs to us, and we are the only ones who can dispose of her."

Lin Qihua chuckled and glanced at her, then exchanged a signal with Shen Manni.

Shen Manni tapped the smart terminal in her hand and dialed a number. The call connected almost immediately, and the image of a middle-aged man appeared on the screen facing them.

"President Kuang?" Manager Hong's eyes widened as she stared at the figure of the middle-aged man.

"Hello, President Kuang," Shen Manni greeted with a sweet smile.

"Hello, Miss Shen," President Kuang replied with a hearty laugh. "Why are there so many people around?"

"Oh, well, these are all President Kuang's employees. As for what's going on, I already briefed President Kuang on the process just now," Shen Manni explained.

"Ah, I see," President Kuang boomed genially. "I have no objection to your proposal. Just proceed directly according to the terms of the contract."

"Wonderful, President Kuang is certainly generous," Shen Manni gave a thumbs-up. "Then we'll be taking her right away?"

"Go ahead. Just drop by sometime to sign the paperwork," the man on the screen agreed.

"Understood. Is there anything President Kuang would like to say to them?"

President Kuang turned his head on the screen and glared fiercely at Manager Hong, causing her to recoil in fright, stumble backward, and collapse heavily onto the floor. He then looked toward Su Zitong. "Zitong, because of the company's mistakes, you've suffered. On behalf of the company, I apologize to you."

Su Zitong's eyes reddened. "It's fine. There's no need."

"It's only right," President Kuang sighed. "After this incident, I know you've developed a rift with the company and wouldn't be willing to stay and work here anyway. And due to certain circumstances, it truly wouldn't be convenient for the company to let you resume work immediately. Therefore, Galaxy Entertainment contacted me, offering to directly buy out your contract and bring you over to Galaxy so you can become their artist. While I am reluctant to let you go, I am also happy to see you find a good home. What are your thoughts on this?"

"Thank you, President Kuang, for your generosity," Su Zitong bowed gracefully, signifying a clean break from Rainbow Records, severing all ties and entanglements from that moment on.

"Sigh, take care of yourself," President Kuang sighed. After confirming a time with Shen Manni to finalize the details, he hung up the call. He wasn't particularly broken up about losing an artist; rather, he felt profoundly aggrieved by Rainbow Records' position. Tang Zhijie was someone he couldn't afford to cross, and Galaxy Entertainment was equally untouchable. There was simply no way he could handle this artist safely. Being able to collect the full penalty fee for breach of contract as stipulated was already the best possible outcome for him. Most importantly, the company had managed to shake off a ticking time bomb and would henceforth be entirely uninvolved in the fallout. That was enough.

As for the manager who had stirred up this whole mess, he had already mentally condemned her.