Translator: Yunyi Editor: Yunyi
Luo Sheng was injured because he had gone to see the investor of ‘Derivative’. So, it only made sense for Tangning to speak to this man by the surname of Luo.
But, according to the initial investigation of the police, Luo Sheng was attacked before he even arrived at the man’s home. As for the reason why he stopped his car halfway and what happened during the time that he stopped, the police had no way of finding this out. After all, it was a rainy day, so it was hard to retain evidence. Plus, that particular stretch of road had no government-issued surveillance cameras.
If Luo Sheng couldn’t tell them what happened, no one would ever know the truth.
The next day, news of Luo Sheng’s ‘disfigurement’ quickly spread throughout the city. An artist that had a promising future was suddenly disfigured; wasn’t the timing too coincidental?
People in the industry were surprised. But, when they thought about the situation in detail, they realized it was all within their expectations.
After all, Tangning attracted too much hatred. So, being attacked was unavoidable.
Everyone appeared to feel sympathy for Luo Sheng, but in secret, it was uncertain how many people were actually treating the incident as a joke. After all, Luo Sheng represented Tangning. So, for Luo Sheng to suffer a fall like this, meant that outsiders could now point at Tangning and criticize her.
“Look. This is the fate of Tangning’s artists!”
“Didn’t Tangning refer to herself as a talent scout? What happened in the end? Didn’t her artist fall at the flip of a switch?”
“Tangning’s still not that capable.”
Tangning was prepared for the public to judge her, so she simply continued trying to contact the investor. The man wasn’t easy to get a hold of. It took Long Jie multiple attempts before she finally secured a dinner with him.
After that, Long Jie kept Luo Sheng company at the hospital while Tangning and Lin Qian went to meet the investor at a designated hotel. As soon as she saw the man, Tangning was quite surprised.
He was in his forties, but he maintained his appearance well, looking handsome and noble; nothing like a typical villain.
“Mrs. Mo, I’ve heard so much about you.”
Tangning sat down opposite the man and spoke to him with her usual straightforwardness, “I’m sure Mr. Luo knows why I’m here.”
“Of course, but I’m sorry, this incident has nothing to do with me,” the man smiled. “I sympathize with Luo Sheng’s fate, but I did not plan this attack.”
“But he was attacked on the way to meeting with you.”
“Mrs. Mo, are you trying to slander me?” the man laughed. “Since the conversation has gone down this path, I also have a few things to say. I would like to offer Mrs. Mo a piece of advice: your so called talent scouting is destructive towards the normal operations of the industry. Since you broke the rules and regulations, isn’t it normal to receive revenge?”
“I’m sure President Mo must love you a lot. That’s why he let you maintain such a naive ideal without stopping you.”
“But reality has always been harsh.”
“Hasn’t President Mo ever told you that you’re too much of an idealist? Luo Sheng’s fate today will be the same fate that your other artists will eventually face. Just wait and see, this industry is all about luck and support. You can’t even guarantee your own future with your so-called fairness. So, how could you guarantee it for others?”
“As for Luo Sheng, he could have lived a peaceful life. But, how did he end up getting disfigured? Wasn’t it all because of you?”
“President Mo is willing to love and dote on you, but the industry will never go easy on anyone. This is the truth that you asked for.”
“Are you happy with this answer? I hope it was worth you showing up here,” the man laughed. His words were merciless, without an ounce of emotion. But, every single word pierced deep into Tangning’s heart.
All the while, Luo Sheng had not woken up yet. And his parents had just received the news…
Soon, the man left and Tangning did not stick around either.
“What did he say?” Lin Qian chased after Tangning and asked.
“I didn’t get anything useful out of him. Let’s go,” Tangning said tiredly.
Lin Qian did not see anything odd about Tangning. She simply felt pity for Luo Sheng. He was attacked in the rain, yet the culprit couldn’t be found.
Soon, a phone call arrived from the set of ‘Red Flame’. The crew decided to replace Luo Sheng because they realized he wasn’t just injured – he was disfigured! They claimed that they did not have the resources to continue waiting. But, it was only yesterday that they had promised to wait for him. Yet, after seeing the reactions from the public, the director immediately changed his mind.
Was this an example of being taught a lesson by the industry?
It didn’t take long before Tangning returned home. As soon as she saw Mo Ting, she immediately hugged him from behind and did not say a word.
“What’s wrong?” Although Mo Ting didn’t know what had happened, he could feel the sense of defeat coming from Tangning’s body.
“Ting…do you think that a lot of my actions and thoughts are extremely childish? Including my decision to establish Superstar Media and invest in a sci-fi film?”
Mo Ting understood what Tangning was trying to ask. So, he turned around and looked at her, “I never take your decisions lightly because no one knows what you’re capable of as well as I do.”
“But, I suddenly feel like I’ve been fighting against heavy odds.”
Mo Ting furrowed his brows, “Why are you doubting yourself? Is it because Luo Sheng was attacked?”
“I…”
“Do you know the reason for your uninterrupted success up until this point?”
“You…” Tangning replied.
“You’re wrong. It’s because of your confidence to win,” Mo Ting corrected.
Tangning suddenly fell silent.
She had gotten over so many obstacles in the past. Yet, she was suddenly doubting herself over someone else’s words.
After hearing Mo Ting’s words, Tangning smiled and kissed him on his lips, “You always manage to make me see myself clearly.”
Afterwards, Tangning gave the investor a phone call. This time, she didn’t wait for the man to speak before she said, “Mr. Luo, your point of view may contain some truths, but I’m sorry, I can’t possibly agree with you.”
“Our beliefs are different.”
“My eventual aim is indeed to change the entertainment industry. But, I’m in no rush. I know the importance of gradual progression. Luo Sheng has temporarily met a bottleneck, but I can help him return to where he was before. In fact, he may surpass it…”
“I will continue to investigate Luo Sheng’s matter until I find the truth. And Mr. Luo – you are the biggest suspect!”
“You like to work under the table, I like to ensure fairness. It’s not a matter of whose right and whose wrong. It is all a matter of choice.”
The man obviously didn’t expect Tangning to say such words to him. She was indeed not easy to deal with.
After a gentle laugh, the investor gave Tangning a tip, “Luo Sheng was injured inside an estate. You can ask around and see if any of the property owners have security footage of how Luo Sheng was injured. If you manage to find one, then you will know the truth.”