He couldn't help but cough a few more times, and said coldly to the surrounding darkness, "Get out!"
The darkness surged in the night, but eventually seemed to be overwhelmed by him and slowly retreated.
Chapter 129
After returning from Hong Kong, Tang Wanjun became much more positive. She stopped watching silly variety shows and started practicing her voice again. She also started paying attention to the latest popular songs. She even went to the company with Shen Huai and took a special trip to the recording studio and dance studio.
So much so that recently, before leaving the company, Shen Huai had to go to the recording studio and dance studio to bring people back.
Then rumors circulated within Morningstar Entertainment that President Shen was going to promote a new singer and was currently evaluating them. So when Shen Huai visited again, he found that the newly signed artists were much more diligent, and everyone's eyes were sparkling when they looked at him.
Shen Huai: "..."
Tang Wanjun, the only one who knew the truth, laughed so hard she slapped her thigh. Shen Huai was also helpless, but he knew that even if he clarified the rumors, it would be useless. In addition, he had been investigating Huayu Entertainment recently, so he simply ignored it.
Shen Huai had learned about the new singers who had been suppressed by Huayu Entertainment. Some of them had become disheartened and completely retired from the industry, unwilling to have any further involvement with it. Others had signed with other music companies and were unwilling to offend Huayu Entertainment again.
But recently, new clues have emerged.
Three years ago, a girl singing under an overpass was filmed. Because she only sang her own original songs and didn't care about the audience's song requests, and even angrily retorted, her fiery temper and beautiful appearance made her an instant internet sensation.
Her name is Xia Shiyu. It is said that she came to Zhongjing City after graduating from high school, determined to become an original singer.
After she became famous, many companies wanted to sign her, including Huayu Entertainment. However, Huayu Entertainment demanded all song copyrights, so Xia Shiyu refused. In the end, she signed with a record company with a good reputation in the industry.
She is indeed very talented, and with her previous popularity, her debut was extremely smooth, and she is considered to be the most promising new star.
Among the newcomers who debuted that year, her brilliance completely overshadowed her contemporaries. That year, Shen Huai had just signed Bai Weijia and paid special attention to the newcomers of the same period, and he was quite impressed with Xia Shiyu.
However, even after entering the entertainment industry, Xia Shiyu did not change her fiery temper. She directly posted on Weibo accusing Zhuo Feiyang of plagiarizing her new song. At that time, Zhuo Feiyang was at the height of his fame, and this incident caused a huge uproar, shaking the entire entertainment industry.
Zhuo Feiyang, who has many fans, was furious and immediately accused Xia Shiyu of extortion on Weibo. Xia Shiyu was not intimidated and immediately retaliated with his own insults.
Huayu also had many senior figures in the music industry post articles implying that Xia Shiyu was trying to extort money, and even found Xia Shiyu's company. However, Xia Shiyu refused to give in at all. Even when extreme fans found her residence and sent her dead rats and funeral photos, she did not back down.
Later, the online feud attracted more and more people, and gradually, some people questioned the similarity in the musical styles of the two songs, but Huayu Entertainment directly suppressed the criticism. However, such voices gradually increased.
But who could have imagined that at this moment, gossip media revealed that Xia Shiyu had worked as a hostess in a bar in her early years and was kept by a sugar daddy after her debut, and even attached several blurry photos.
Afterwards, many people claiming to be her former classmates and teachers said that she didn't study properly in school, hung out with some shady people in society, and even bullied female classmates.
All sorts of dirty water were thrown at Xia Shiyu.
Public opinion suddenly shifted.
People convicted her based on a few photos; they didn't believe anything said by someone with "questionable" character.
No matter how Xia Shiyu tried to explain herself, claiming she was just a resident singer at a bar, not a delinquent, and not involved in school bullying, no one believed her. During that period, criticizing her seemed to have become politically correct.
At first, she was still arguing with netizens who were cyberbullying her online, but she gradually fell silent. Not long after, news broke that she had terminated her contract with her new company and had disappeared.
She was gradually forgotten by netizens, like a pebble thrown into a lake. Although it caused a brief ripple, it quickly sank to the bottom of the lake, and no one cared anymore.
-
After reading about Xia Shiyu's experiences, Shen Huai decided to visit her in person. Based on the address, he arrived at a small town in the south.
Even at the end of September, the weather was still hot and humid, and Shen Huai felt the heat wave as soon as he got off the plane. He went straight to the address where Xia Shiyu lived.
To his surprise, the place was extremely dirty and dilapidated. The narrow alleyway had uneven floorboards, piles of garbage on both sides, and flies and rats swarmed around it, giving off an unpleasant smell.
The residents on both sides looked at him curiously and talked about him in their local dialect.
Shen Huai frowned slightly; his clean suit seemed completely out of place in this environment.
Tang Wanjun, however, wore a nostalgic expression: "I used to live in a place like this when I was little. These places are full of all sorts of people, hidden deep in the city, and are hard for ordinary people to find. This girl must have suffered a lot when she was young..."
Shen Huai responded softly, then quickened his pace and finally arrived at his destination, a very dilapidated tenement building.
The building is very old, with peeling paint revealing the red bricks underneath, and patches of moss growing in the shady areas. Stepping inside, it immediately feels dim, with dark walls covered in various small advertisements.
Shen Huai went upstairs and arrived at Xia Shiyu's door. He knocked on the door, but there was no response from inside.
Tang Wanjun was a little puzzled: "Didn't she hear me? Or was she asleep?"
Shen Huai was also a little surprised, but he had come prepared this time, so he wasn't in a hurry and knocked again.
However, Xia Shiyu didn't open the door, but the door across from hers opened, and a man reeking of alcohol and with messy hair poked his head out: "Who are you looking for?"
Shen Huai asked, "Excuse me, does Xia Shiyu live here?"
The man looked Shen Huai up and down, narrowed his eyes, and made a gesture of asking for money with one hand.
Shen Huai took out some money from his bag and handed it to him, but didn't let go of his hand. He asked calmly, "Tell me what you know first."
The man tried to pull it out, but couldn't. He pursed his lips and said, "You don't need to knock anymore. She hasn't left the house for three days!"
Three days?
The man said irritably, "That's right. Three days ago, I was just about to go out when I ran into her. She ignored me and went straight back to her room. I haven't seen her leave since I came back. Look, the electricity bill is still stuck on her door!"
Shen Huai then noticed that there was still an electricity bill on Xia Shiyu's door. He reached out and touched the doorknob, but felt a layer of dust, proving that the man was not lying.
He then let go.
The man looked at the banknotes up to the light with satisfaction, then suddenly asked curiously, "Hey, I heard this girl used to be a celebrity? Is it true or not?"
Shen Huai didn't speak, but instead took out another banknote and asked, "Where is your neighborhood committee office located?"
-
Shen Huai spent money to find out the community address from the man, and then hurriedly went downstairs. Tang Wanjun saw his serious expression and asked, "Are you worried that something happened to her?"
Shen Huai said softly, "I don't know, but I have a bad feeling."
When they arrived at the community and explained their purpose, the community police officer was very enthusiastic and agreed to go to their home with them to take a look.
However, when they arrived there, no matter how much they knocked on the door, there was no response. This time, even the police officers were a little worried. After a brief discussion, they decided to break down the door and enter.
However, when they opened the door, everyone was stunned. The small room was filled with garbage, takeout containers were carelessly thrown on the floor, and you could even see that they were moldy. Flies were swarming everywhere, and the room was filled with an unpleasant smell.
Several police officers covered their mouths and noses and walked into the room. A policewoman pulled back the curtain and let out a small scream.
A pale and emaciated woman lay on the bed, with pills and medicine bottles scattered on the floor.
The policewoman rushed over: "It's sleeping pills! Quickly call the police and an ambulance. I'll go check if she's still breathing..."
Shen Huai stood motionless at the door. He knew better than anyone that the girl lying inside was dead.
Because the moment they opened the door, Tang Wanjun seemed to be sucked in by something and vanished instantly.
The sounds of ambulances and police cars soon echoed throughout the alley. Doctors quickly lifted Xia Shiyu into the ambulance, and several police officers came over to inquire about the situation with several community police officers.
After registering the situation, the police officers looked at Shen Huai, who was standing to the side, and said, "Sir, would you please come with us to the police station to make a statement?"
Shen Huai nodded, glanced at the broken guitar in the corner, and then left with the police.
Because the evidence at the scene was very clear, and there were no signs of coercion on Xia Shiyu's body, and the police also found a diagnosis of depression and medication for treating depression on her table, it can be basically confirmed that she committed suicide.
Shen Huai came out after giving his statement. Standing under the blazing sun, he felt a moment of bewilderment. He had witnessed many deaths, from seeing his parents' bodies in the plane crash to seeing Xia Shiyu, who had become skin and bones. But he had not gotten used to it. Instead, each time he saw it, he felt even more distressed.
He suddenly felt dizzy and quickly grabbed a tree trunk to steady himself.
The dizziness in his head seemed to cause Shen Huai to hallucinate. He seemed to see dark shadows, which were not clear and seemed to want to get closer to him, but were blocked by something. The shadows made low howling noises, which made Shen Huai feel a sharp pain in his head.
But when he opened his eyes, he found there was nothing in front of him.
The community police officer who came out from behind him saw this and quickly stepped forward: "Sir, are you alright?"
Shen Huai slowly came to his senses and waved to him.
The police officer said, "You look very pale. Why don't you go to the hospital for a check-up?"
Shen Huai shook his head: "I'm fine."
The police officer was unusually enthusiastic: "Go ahead, I just heard a call from the hospital saying that the girl has been saved and they were just about to go see her! Didn't you come here specifically to see her? You must care about her, so why don't you come together?"
Shen Huai knew that the person who had woken up at this moment was no longer Xia Shiyu. He sighed softly and followed the police officer.
Author's Note: This is essentially a lighthearted entertainment industry story. It hasn't turned into a suspenseful one yet. The explanation for Huaihuai's ability to see ghosts will be revealed later.
Chapter 130
According to the doctor, Xia Shiyu's condition was extremely dangerous, and it was a miracle that he was saved.
She is still in the intensive care unit, on a ventilator, pale and emaciated. The doctor said she took too many sleeping pills. Although gastric lavage removed most of them, it still had an effect, so she has not yet regained consciousness.
Shen Huai looked at her through the glass with some concern.
Just then, a police officer came over carrying a box containing some items that the police had taken from Xia Shiyu's room during their investigation. Now that the investigation was over, they wanted to return the items to Xia Shiyu. However, considering that her door had been damaged and it wasn't ready to be put back together so quickly, the police officer took the items to the hospital instead.
Upon seeing Shen Huai, he was also surprised: "Mr. Shen, you're still here!"
Shen Huai nodded and reached out to take some things from him.
"Thank you, thank you." The police officer placed the items on a chair nearby. "Could you keep an eye on this for me while I go ask the nurse which ward the young girl will be transferred to?"
Shen Huai agreed, and the police officer hurriedly ran away again.
Shen Huai was about to sit down and rest for a while when he suddenly heard a "thud." It turned out that a diary had not been placed properly and had fallen to the ground.
Shen Huai picked up the notebook, but he didn't expect that the notebook was originally loose, and as soon as he picked it up, the pages inside all fell out.
Shen Huai squatted down to pick up the paper, but accidentally saw its contents. His expression immediately became serious as he carefully examined the contents.
This was written by Xia Shiyu when he was sick. The handwriting was very messy, but the content was chilling.
It turns out that all of this she suffered was orchestrated by Huayu Entertainment. Because Xia Shiyu refused to compromise, An Yuanjie bribed her agency to cancel all her activities.
Xia Shiyu was a newcomer with little savings and had been struggling to make ends meet. Now, embroiled in scandals, she could no longer earn money by singing under the overpass as before. So, she thought of writing songs to sell. However, after only a few words with the other party, he started to grope her. Moreover, someone had taken photos of her in a premeditated manner, which became the final evidence that she was being "kept" by a sugar daddy.
The agency took the opportunity to terminate her contract. Later, one of An Yuanjie's assistants couldn't stand it anymore and secretly called her to tell her the truth.
Xia Shiyu completely broke down and bought a train ticket at random, leaving Zhongjing City. She lived there for the next few years. Because she suffered from severe depression, she was unable to find a stable job and could only make a living by doing odd jobs. Her originally bright life was completely ruined by Huayu Entertainment.
After reading it, Shen Huai felt very heavy-hearted.