Guo Yang's concern for Su Xiaosu was genuine. He even gave up his original career in Beijing and joined Lingdong Entertainment, which was unknown at the time. During this period, Su Xiaosu became famous, but Guo Yang remained lukewarm because Zhao Qiang did not regard him as a key target for development, so it was impossible for him to personally create songs and movies for him.
Su Xiaosu shook her head: "It's okay, I can hold on, I'll sing another song."
Offstage, Zhao Ling said to Xu Xiaoya, "Xiaoya, have you noticed that Xiao Su's voice is becoming increasingly difficult to control with medication lately?"
Xu Xiaoya nodded somewhat solemnly: "I have invited the most famous doctor in the United States to come to Beijing to treat her, so there is no need to worry." Although she said there was no need to worry, Xu Xiaoya herself was still worried about this matter. She had always regarded Su Xiaosu as a younger sister. If Su Xiaosu could no longer sing, not only would it delay her own development, but Zhao Qiang would also be very sad.
After another song, Su Xiaosu came down from the stage to interact with the audience. Although there were no more than two hundred people in the audience, it still created a small climax. There is still a difference between the girls on stage and the girls in real life. Among this group of girls, Su Xiaosu was not the most beautiful, nor was she the most innocent. But when she stood on the stage, she was definitely the most eye-catching one.
"Miss Su, I'll offer you an annual salary of ten million, plus bonuses. How about you come to my company?" Amidst the enthusiastic calls for compliments and autographs, a discordant voice suddenly rang out.
Su Xiaosu looked up in surprise. She hadn't expected anyone to be so bold. This small concert was definitely an insider event; those who got tickets weren't ordinary people. The person who said this seemed to have acted without thinking. He didn't understand why Su Xiaosu stayed with Lingdong Entertainment. She wasn't singing for herself; she was singing for Zhao Qiang. It wasn't about money.
Guo Yang acted as a security guard, blocking Su Xiaosu's path. After all, he was a minor celebrity who had worked in Beijing, so when Su Xiaosu was stunned, he whispered to her, "This person is Manager Song from Red Dragonfly Entertainment."
Su Xiaosu's expression changed. Hongqingyan Entertainment was her former employer, and the big boss was Wang Yipeng. This man was simply Su Xiaosu's nightmare. If it weren't for him, Su Xiaosu wouldn't have been forced to accompany others for drinks time and time again.
“Ms. Su, I’m sincere. If you’re willing to come, I can consider giving you a larger share of the profits. How can a small entertainment company in the south compare to a big company in the capital?” Manager Song continued to persuade her. He had gone to great lengths to get the tickets just to embarrass Lingdong Entertainment. Even if Su Xiaosu didn’t switch companies, it was still a slap in the face to Lingdong Entertainment. A small company in the south actually dared to hold a concert in Beijing. They really didn’t know the rules.
Su Xiaosu didn't speak. At this moment, any word she uttered could be misinterpreted. As a star in the public eye, she had learned many ways to protect herself. Su Xiaosu took two steps back, with Guo Yang blocking her way. A few more steps back were the seats for Zhao Ling and the others. Su Xiaosu would immediately ask Zhao Ling for help, and then her god-sister Xu Xiaoya.
Although Manager Song wasn't a big boss, he was familiar with Beijing's entertainment industry. In his eyes, Guo Yang was a nobody. Seeing that Guo Yang dared to block his way, Manager Song was furious and slapped Guo Yang across the face, yelling, "Get out of my way!"
Guo Yang covered his face: "How could you do this?"
Manager Song said arrogantly, "You have no right to speak to me." To embarrass Guo Yang would mean to embarrass Lingdong Media, so this slap was necessary; it was a warning and a threat.
The audience was astonished. How could such a thing happen at a concert? Hong Qingyan Entertainment was far too audacious. If they wanted to cause trouble, they should at least consider who organized the concert. Even if they didn't respect the organizers, they should at least respect the organizers. But Wang Yipeng disregarded the reputation of the Four Young Masters of Beijing and allowed his subordinates to beat people on the spot. This matter had blown up.
As expected, Tong Qiu and Liu Xia, who were the organizers, came over first and stood in front of Manager Song: "Old Song, what's going on?"
Manager Song said matter-of-factly, "It's nothing. He's just a clueless guy. I was just talking to Su Xiaosu, and he interrupted me. He deserves a beating."
Tong Qiu frowned. This Manager Song was obviously relying on Wang Yipeng's influence. And Wang Yipeng was no simple man. His family were important members of the Central Military Commission, and his status in Beijing was no less than that of the Yang family. Even the Four Young Masters couldn't afford to offend him.
Volume 2 [587] The Shot Was Fired
[587] The gun was fired.
Liu Xia shoved Guo Yang; between Manager Song and Guo Yang, he would definitely choose Manager Song. Liu Xia also yelled at Guo Yang, "Get out of my way! You dare block everyone's path? Don't you know your place?"
Guo Yang's face was red and swollen. He felt wronged. Liu Xia was clearly one of the members organizing the concert, yet at this crucial moment, he was siding with an outsider? Was it just because he was of lower status? Guo Yang was indignant: "Young Master Liu, how could you allow him to do this?"
Liu Xia was a little annoyed: "You dare to talk back? Do you really think you're someone important? Why don't you take a piss and look at yourself in the mirror?" Liu Xia shouted, but he wasn't crazy. He just wanted to win Wang Yipeng's favor. Compared to Wang Yipeng's family, Liu Xia's family wasn't even worthy of carrying Wang Yipeng's shoes. The "Four Young Masters of Beijing" was just a joke. They were arrogant, but not in front of Wang Yipeng.
Guo Yang stood silently to the side. He knew he was nothing special, but if anyone dared to harm Su Xiaosu, he would risk his life to stop them. Guo Yang liked Su Xiaosu, but Su Xiaosu didn't love him.
Seeing that the situation was getting out of hand, Tong Qiu pulled Liu Xia back: "Shut up, don't be so impulsive. So many people are watching, have you no shame?"
Liu Xia said, "What's there to talk about with a minor celebrity? Besides, I think Su Xiaosu is too arrogant and should be taught a lesson." Why did Liu Xia say this? Because he had tried to arrange for Su Xiaosu to accompany him for drinks, but Su Xiaosu naturally refused. How could Liu Xia be happy about that? In his opinion, no matter what kind of celebrity you are or who you are close to, accompanying someone for drinks is no big deal. But Su Xiaosu didn't agree, which made him lose face. So what's wrong with embarrassing her now?
Tong Qiu was in a dilemma. He was a shrewd man. Su Xiaosu was not important. The key was that Xu Xiaoya and Yang Shiyun were blocking his way. He could not offend those two, but if he wanted to avoid offending them, he would have to offend Wang Yipeng. This was definitely not something his family wanted to see. Making an enemy of Wang Yipeng in the capital would not end well.
Manager Song saw right through everyone's thoughts at a glance. He knew that these people would consider the owner even when beating a dog. They were wary of the big boss behind them, so they wouldn't dare to do anything to him. Today was a good opportunity to humiliate Lingdong Entertainment and make that damned Su Xiaosu lose face. He would then film some of her ugly behavior to ruin her reputation and make Lingdong Entertainment unable to survive in Beijing, thus ruining their plans to expand northward.
Manager Song said smugly, "In Beijing, if you want entertainment, you have to go to Red Dragonfly Entertainment. Anyone who tries to bypass us will face the consequences. Su Xiaosu, you're just an actress, a promiscuous woman, yet you dare to switch jobs. It would have been fine if you hadn't come to Beijing, but now that you're here, Red Dragonfly Entertainment isn't so easily bullied."
The guy surnamed Song wasn't just arrogant; this was an outrageous insult. He was so confident that no one would dare to do anything to him that he did everything he could to humiliate Su Xiaosu. He also planned to report Liu Wen from the performance troupe for being beaten up back then.
Suddenly, a glass of water was splashed at Manager Song. He wasn't a martial artist, and in the heat of his shouting, he couldn't dodge it and was drenched. Even more enraged, Song jumped up and yelled, "Who? Step forward!"
Zhao Ling pushed through the crowd blocking her way. She was Su Xiaosu's boss, and she had to step in on this matter.
Manager Song snorted coldly: "How dare you, a manager of a small entertainment company in the south, treat me like this? Do you believe I can make sure you never leave Beijing?" Manager Song was absolutely confident of this; he believed he could easily find someone to deal with Zhao Ling.
However, Zhao Ling wasn't easily intimidated. She didn't say a word to Manager Song. When there was no one blocking her way, she suddenly accelerated. The power of her running shoes was strong, and Zhao Ling rushed towards Manager Song like a gust of wind. When she was still a meter away, Zhao Ling suddenly kicked out, attacking the enemy's groin. This was the best move among the girls, and because of the power of the running shoes, this kick would definitely disable Manager Song's mobility.
Perhaps it was a miracle that Manager Song's manhood wasn't meant to be destroyed. When he saw Zhao Ling suddenly pounce on him, he was startled, and his overwhelming arrogance vanished. He turned around and prepared to run away, but Zhao Ling's kick didn't hit Manager Song's groin. Instead, it struck his buttocks, and Manager Song fell to the ground face-first.
Then Zhao Ling stepped forward and stomped wildly with both feet, shouting, "Hit me! Hit me again!"
Since Manager Song was there to cause trouble, he couldn't have been without companions. Upon seeing Manager Song being beaten by a woman, they rushed forward. Although Zhao Ling possessed advanced equipment, it was mostly used for escaping; she had virtually no offensive weapons. They usually didn't carry compression guns. In this situation, Zhao Ling had no choice but to retreat. If her body were touched by another man, not only would Zhao Qiang be unhappy, but Zhao Ling herself wouldn't be able to accept it.
Manager Song scrambled to his feet, utterly humiliated. How could he have known Zhao Ling was so agile and that her kick was so powerful? Manager Song angrily declared, "I'm telling you, Lingdong Entertainment is doomed!"
Yang Shiyun stepped out from behind the crowd with a cold face: "Song Shuce, you're so arrogant."
Song Shuze didn't recognize Yang Shiyun because he started his career late; by then, Yang Shiyun had already gone abroad. Furthermore, Song Shuze's disturbance today was at Wang Yipeng's behest. He believed that Wang Yipeng was the undisputed king in Beijing, so no matter how aloof this woman was, he didn't need to give her any face.
"Who the hell are you?" Song Shuce said vulgarly. He wasn't usually this rude, but since he was here to cause trouble, he couldn't be polite, especially since he had been beaten up and was angry at the moment.
"I'm your ancestor!" Yang Shiqi couldn't hold back any longer. She pulled out a pistol and rushed forward. There were people who were watching the show, but when they saw that they were using real weapons, they immediately scattered. Everyone was afraid that the bullets would hit them.
Song Shuce naturally recognized Yang Shiqi, but Wang Yipeng had already told him that the Yang family didn't need to be afraid of him. The Yang family would never dare to turn against the Wang family for such a scoundrel, so Song Shuce wasn't afraid at all. He said, "You think you're so great just because you have a gun? Your gun is for shooting enemies, while I am a law-abiding citizen of this country. I am protected by law, and no one dares to shoot me."
Yang Shiqi was furious. With a bang, she shot the guy behind Song Shuce, crippling his leg. The gunshot shocked everyone at the performance. Fighting and cursing were commonplace to them, but if a gun was used, it would become a big deal. Some people started to leave quietly. Once they started investigating, they realized it wasn't worth getting into trouble.
Song Shuze was dumbfounded. He was afraid. He thought Yang Shiqi wouldn't dare to fire. The crisp gunshot made his legs tremble. No matter how arrogant he was, he was still a coward. However, he was also secretly pleased. He had forced Yang Shiqi to fire, so he had a reason to take action against her. Beijing was not a small city. Outside, Yang Shiqi could shoot and kill someone and hide it. But under the emperor's nose, Yang Shiqi was so arrogant. This was practically a crime of rebellion.
Yang Shiqi was a fearless person to begin with, and with a freak like Zhao Qiang backing her up, she had no worries at all. Bang, another shot, and another person next to Song Shuce fell to the ground clutching his leg.
“Go ahead and curse, keep cursing!” Yang Shiqi pointed at Song Shuce.
How could Song Shuce not be terrified? Cold sweat broke out on his brow, and he was almost about to collapse to the ground. "You...you mustn't do anything rash! If you shoot me, President Wang won't let you off the hook!" Wang Yipeng considered Song Shuce a confidant; otherwise, he wouldn't have entrusted him with such an important task. If someone attacked his confidant, Wang Yipeng couldn't possibly ignore it. It's the same principle as beating a dog only if you know its owner.
"Let him go," Yang Shiyun said to her sister.
Seeing that someone on the other side had given in, Song Shuce became bolder: "Go ahead and hit me, go ahead and hit me, I bet you don't dare."
Yang Shiqi cursed, "You son of a bitch!" With that, she fired a shot that hit Song Shuce's left leg. Song Shuce was in excruciating pain, like a pig being slaughtered, and dared not provoke her again. Yang Shiqi seemed not to hear his screams. With another shot, Song Shuce's right leg was also pierced. He lay on the ground, rolling around wildly, blood gushing out, staining the ground bright red.
Guo Yang was terrified. At first, he felt relieved, but the situation had escalated to a life-or-death struggle, which was beyond his control. He could no longer feel the slap marks on his face. Beijingers are really wild.
Su Xiaosu hugged Xu Xiaoya tightly, completely ignoring what was happening outside. She was confident that Zhao Qiang was there for her. Although he hadn't come, she knew he was nearby, so Su Xiaosu wasn't afraid.
The gunshots nearly scared everyone in the performance hall away. Suddenly, the door was kicked open, and a squad of soldiers rushed in.
Song Shuce screamed in pain, completely ignoring what was happening outside. He was terrified. He had been shot twice in the body, and most people would think he was going to die. Song Shuce was no exception. What good was it if Wang Yipeng treated him well but he couldn't enjoy it?
The soldiers quickly surrounded the people in the center of the stage, and those spectators who hadn't left were immediately cleared away; this incident couldn't be allowed to escalate. Yang Shiyun frowned and asked Yang Shiqi, "Are they your people?"
Yang Shiqi shook her head: "No, I don't need to use the army."
At this moment, a man with dyed blond hair emerged from behind the soldier. He probably represented the trend. Seeing Song Shuce rolling on the ground, he snorted and said, "You really have guts, daring to openly shoot people. Since someone has compromised security, then take him back. We need to ask him a lot of questions before releasing him."
Yang Shiqi coldly asked, "Which unit are you from?"
The other party replied, "I'm not from any particular unit."
Yang Shiqi said, "Then you have no right to arrest people."
Huang Fa said, "I don't have the authority, but the soldiers do. Soldiers, let's get started."
The soldiers did indeed obey him, raising their guns and aiming them at Yang Shiqi. Since she was holding a gun, she became the primary target of their attention.
Yang Shiqi showed her military officer's ID: "I'm from the special forces, don't interfere with my work."
One soldier said, "We are from the garrison, and we have to handle incidents of soldiers shooting civilians in our jurisdiction."
Yang Shiqi snorted coldly: "Don't force me."
Huang Fa said, "So what if I forced you, Yang Shiqi? You think you're so great? Let me tell you, this time I'll teach you a lesson. Your shooting of civilians is evidence of your crime."
The garrison troops were controlled by the Wang Yipeng family. It was obvious they were using Su Xiaosu's job-hopping incident as a pretext to deal with the Yang family, whose power was growing rapidly. As a fellow member of the Wang family in Beijing, they couldn't just stand by and watch the Yang family rise to power. Su Xiaosu was merely an excuse and a trigger.
(Thanks to D**ID问天 and 无毒河豚 for the 100 coins donation)
What happened in Volume 2, Chapter 588?
【588】What happened?
Tong Qiu was terrified. The "Four Young Masters" was just a nickname given by the locals; the four were close, young, and came from prominent families, appearing very successful to outsiders, hence the nickname. However, seeing the fighting, they were completely out of control. Neither the Yang nor the Wang family were people they could afford to offend. Liu Xia had always been unable to curry favor with the Yang family, and he harbored resentment towards them. Seeing them in trouble, he wouldn't kick them while they were down, but he certainly wouldn't offer any support either.
Xu Xiaoya frowned. Such a terrible incident had occurred so soon after they arrived in Beijing, indicating the local powers were very xenophobic. Her sudden arrival with a large group would definitely impact these local forces, and the Wang family was wary of them. It's important to remember that Xu Xiaoya and Yang Shiqi were bound together; their arrival would be a significant boost to the Yang family. So, whether tonight's events were meant to be a show of force or the start of an expulsion campaign, it didn't matter.
The blond-haired man wasn't a soldier, but soldiers obeyed his orders. His arrogance towards Yang Shiqi suggested he was from the Wang family. His shouting angered Yang Shiqi, so she fired again.
Bang! The bullet struck the blond-haired man. He was only of average skill and had no chance to dodge at close range. Thud! The bullet pierced his thigh. The blond-haired man swayed and screamed, "Damn it, you dare to shoot me? You've gone too far! Deal with her!" The blond-haired man had suffered a real loss and was genuinely injured. How could he swallow this insult?
Yang Shiyun frowned deeply. She was furious at her sister's impulsiveness, as it had exacerbated the conflict between them, and today's events would not have a peaceful ending. The Yang family had a long-standing and powerful presence in the capital. If an ordinary family had provoked the Yang family, they would have been scared away long ago. However, the Wang family was different, and they were determined to deal with them. It was likely that Yang Shiqi's shooting would not solve the problem, but only intensify the conflict.
Although Hu Qian is also in the Beijing entertainment circle, while she's good at business, she's not as ruthless as Yang Shiqi. At this point, she's completely helpless. Accustomed to relying on Zhao Qiang, Hu Qian's first reaction was to call him. Everyone regretted that Zhao Qiang hadn't attended the concert; they should have woken him up when they left early that morning. If he were there, the women wouldn't have to worry about this.
The soldiers pointed their guns at Yang Shiqi, and the leader's voice trembled: "Put down your gun, or we'll shoot." In this peaceful era, there are almost no opportunities for actual combat. This group of soldiers are Wang's confidants, and they have not received much training. Their marksmanship and mental fortitude are both mediocre. They might accidentally fire their guns at any moment.
The blond-haired man, clutching his injured leg, continued to command despite the blood pooling on the ground, refusing to leave the front lines despite his minor injury: "Good, now the evidence is even more conclusive. Yang Shiqi, do you really think you're so capable? This time, we'll take your military post even if we don't kill you." In reality, taking Yang Shiqi's military post was their true objective; killing her was too unrealistic.
Bang! Yang Shiqi fired another shot at the blond-haired man, ignoring the gun pointed at him. The blond-haired man's previously unharmed thigh was now wounded; he was practically going insane. This was the first time he'd been tortured like this. His screams were piercing: "Hit her! Break both her legs! I'll take responsibility if anything happens!"
Bang bang bang, the soldiers finally opened fire. Ultimately, their goal was to deal with the Yang family. Now, the Yang family was even more arrogant than them. They knew what the consequences would be if they injured an important member of the Wang family and failed to complete their mission. Therefore, they had to injure the Yang family members to make up for their losses.
There were no outsiders present. The audience in the stands below had already been cleared out. Those remaining on the stage were all from the concert organizers, including the Four Young Masters. Although they were worldly people, they were still terrified when they saw soldiers shooting at Yang Shiqi. Had the Wang family gone mad? Killing Yang Shiqi was simply courting death.
Clang, clang, clang—the crisp sound of spent cartridge cases hitting the ground was followed by another series of sharp metallic clangs. Tong Qiu, Tian Mengfan, and the others were already sprawled on the ground, not because their legs were weak, but because they were terrified of being hit by stun grenades. After hearing the sound of bullets hitting the ground, they expected to see Yang Shiqi lying in a pool of blood, but the figure standing before them remained motionless.
Bang, bang, two more gunshots rang out. These were additional shots from the soldiers, as if they were afraid Yang Shiqi wouldn't be completely dead. But all that could be heard was the crisp sound of bullets hitting the ground. Tong Qiu looked up and exclaimed, "Holy crap, what's going on?" Yang Shiqi was nowhere to be seen; in front of her was only a humanoid figure fully armored.
The blond-haired man ignored his wounds; his face was pale from excessive bleeding, and his lips were now purple and his body was trembling. Yang Shiqi suddenly transformed into armor, blocking the bullets. The Yang family's investment in technology and equipment for the military over the past two years has indeed been impressive. No wonder the Wang family wanted to target the Yang family; the Yang family had become so powerful that it was almost uncontrollable.
The soldiers' eyes were filled with terror. They were not part of the Yang family's forces, so they had never seen such advanced equipment before. They couldn't understand why armor would suddenly appear, since their clothes were so light and couldn't hide anything at all.
Yang Shiqi was furious. It was unprecedented for a soldier to shoot at her, demonstrating that her authority within the Beijing military was being challenged. It seemed she had no choice but to shift her focus back to the military. The Wang family had been involved in too many things during her trips south and abroad, and now that Zhao Qiang was in Beijing, she decided to wipe them out. Although she knew it would be difficult, she knew the so-called 'rule of law society' was just a facade; if you were powerful enough, you could rule society yourself.
Yang Shiqi threw away the ordinary pistol in her hand. It was just a decorative item, used to scare children. It was too weak to be used to shoot people. Yang Shiqi took out a compression gun from her waist. Unlike other girls who were afraid of affecting their figure and were unwilling to carry one, for soldiers, a gun is their second life. Yang Shiqi was furious and did not hesitate to retaliate against the soldier who fired the gun.
Boom! The soldiers in front of him were sent flying by the explosion. Although the blond-haired man had heard about the power of the compression gun, the Yang family controlled the distribution of this weapon, so they had never been equipped with it and hadn't gotten a share of this super equipment. This was also the reason why the Wang family was dissatisfied with the Yang family and wanted to change the status quo. If they could also enjoy super equipment, perhaps they wouldn't have any objections.
Boom, boom! Yang Shiqi fired two shots in quick succession, and then there wasn't a single soldier standing in front of her left. Although the power was the lightest, at such close range, even the soldiers with the best physical condition were seriously injured. Several of them vomited blood on the spot, and their bodies were probably severely damaged, so they could forget about being able to serve in the army again.
Zhao Ling stepped forward and stomped on the blond-haired man: "Weren't you so arrogant? Shoot again."
Chen Xinxin was not one to back down from trouble, and she went straight up and kicked someone, saying, "Are you bullying us because we're outsiders?"
The blond man, who had already been shot twice, couldn't take the torture anymore. "Stop kicking me! Stop kicking me! I give up! I give up! My wound is bleeding! I need bandaging! I need medical treatment!"
Yang Shiqi instantly withdrew her armor and walked up to the blond-haired man: "Who are you to the Wang family?"
The blond-haired man was being humiliated and dared not stand up for himself. If he did, he would be tortured even more. Besides, he really needed medical attention. He had bled so much from both wounds, so he hoped to get away as soon as possible. He answered the questions readily: "I... I'm just Wang Yipeng's distant cousin. I have no connection with them. Take me to the hospital."
Yang Shiqi beckoned to Liu Xia: "Young Master Liu, haven't you always wanted to show off? Now's your chance. Take him to the hospital."