His answers were fluent and flawless, leaving no room for doubt.
"Sorry," Jiang Lai said, "I forgot I'm a public figure. I left that phone case with my assistant."
Lin Xi's expression clearly showed disbelief as she took out her phone and said, "Could it be lost?"
"I will carefully keep all the gifts that my fans give me."
Lin Xi looked at her phone for a while, her expression returned to normal, and she didn't ask any more questions.
After reaching an agreement, Jiang Lai used the excuse that Anna would be coming the next morning to send Lin Xi away, but she knew that Lin Xi was still in the hotel and was keeping an eye on her.
She was alone in the room. She let out a long sigh, unlocked her phone, opened WeChat, looked at the pinned profile picture, and muttered, "Damn it."
The next morning, Jiang Lai drew back the curtains and looked at the unfamiliar street scene, feeling dazed.
The second day in the foreign country was the third day since she left Lin Zhi.
Jiang Lai ate breakfast early in the morning and took a car to the event venue for rehearsal. The only advantage of a small country is that you don't have to travel for too long.
After rehearsals, she has free time, but only relatively free time, because she still has to face the camera to record a vlog.
This wasn't the life she wanted, but it was what she was willing to do for that person.
After the afternoon tea recording ended and the cameraman turned off the equipment, Jiang Lai was finally able to relax and enjoy the exotic cuisine.
"The taste of home is still the best," Anna complained.
Jiang Lai smiled and said, "When in Rome, do as the Romans do."
Jiang Lai stared out the window, lost in thought. The pedestrians and vehicles on the road seemed to be playing in slow motion to her. A familiar figure appeared across the street. Her breath caught in her throat, and she slammed her hand on the table. Just as she was about to rush out, Anna stopped her.
Where are you going?
Jiang Lai snapped out of her daze, blinked, and realized that the figure from before was gone from across the street, leaving only posters of H country idols.
"Did you see anyone?"
Anna followed her gaze and shook her head: "No."
Are you hallucinating?
Jiang Lai was dejected. Why did she come?
In the record store, the woman stroked her heaving chest, her cheeks flushed, and pretended to browse the records on the shelf that she had no interest in, before picking one up without hesitation.
"Check, please." she said in English.
The shop owner was stunned for a moment, unsure whether he was amazed by the woman's beauty or by her English. He stammered out in broken English, "Thirteen thousand."
——
Lin Xi received the document sent by Jiang Lai, and the incriminating information on it was indeed true and credible.
She was sexually harassed by the director, competed with Huasheng for scripts, and all her resources were obtained by selling her body.
There are chat logs between Xia Fanrou and her agent, in which Xia Fanrou complains about Lin Zhi stealing her script. There is also a video, but unfortunately, the face is not clear. However, the figure is exactly the same as Lin Zhi's. The picture is very blurry, but it is enough.
Lin Xi smiled and murmured, "Lin Zhi...you've finally met your match."
She dialed a number, and it was answered shortly afterward: "Hello, who is this?"
"Xiao Jingji, hello, I'm Lin Xi, you should know me, right?"
Xiao Yue hummed in agreement and said, "From the Yu family?"
"That's right."
"What's up?"
"It's like this, I heard that you and President Lin are not on good terms, and that she even stole the script from one of your artists. You were very angry about this but there was nothing you could do about it, right?"
"Yes, that's right. How did you know?"
Lin Xi chuckled: "I can't stand her behavior. The entertainment industry shouldn't be tainted by people like her. I have a screenshot of your chat with Xia Fanrou, which should have been taken by Miss Xia herself. I will make these public. All you need to do is hold a press conference to confirm Lin Zhi's situation. It shouldn't be difficult, right?"
How do I know if you're lying to me?
"No, after all, I posted it first, didn't I?"
Xiao Yue thought for a moment, then gritted her teeth and said, "Fine, I hate her to the core, but there's nothing I can do. I'll thank you after this is done."
You're welcome. I'll contact you when I have any news.
"Okay, goodbye."
Author's Note:
This is a "spy thriller" novel (not really). Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants between 2022-05-21 21:45:15 and 2022-05-22 22:25:18!
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Baiye Beize (2 bottles); Lingran (1 bottle);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Chapter 81
On the night of the event, many reporters gathered on both sides of the red carpet. Those who were not professionally trained would definitely make a fool of themselves. The event was broadcast live, and there would be a delay when it was broadcast to China. Apart from the fans of the H-country actors who attended the event, probably only Jiang Lai's fans would watch it.
The clicking of camera shutters and screams were irritating. Jiang Lai sat in the car, looked at the red carpet not far away, and closed her eyes to concentrate.
After the car moved a few meters, Anna reminded her, "Lai Lai, it's time to get out of the car."
Jiang Lai took a deep breath and hummed in agreement. The moment the car door opened, her expression changed, as if she were a completely different person.
From this moment on, sexy and beautiful became the words to describe her.
Facing the flashing lights, Jiang Lai endured the soreness in her eyes and smiled as she had during her training in the small dark room, without embarrassing herself even though her eyes were red.
Anna clenched her fists tightly in the back, her palms sweating. Only after Jiang Lai left did she remember that she could breathe.
Backstage, Jiang Lai received a phone call before going on stage.
"Lai Lai, remember to check Weibo after you go offstage. It's a gift from me."
Jiang Lai smiled coldly after hearing this: "Alright, I'm looking forward to it."
After hanging up the phone, Jiang Lai handed the phone to Anna: "Filming's wrapped up."
Country F, Capital Airport.
"President Lin, the public relations and legal departments are all ready."
Lin Zhi got into the passenger seat, casually gathered her long hair back and tied it into a low ponytail: "Let's go see President Yu."
"good."
The event lasted a total of one hour and fifty-one minutes. Jiang Lai took the phone from Anna after the event and knew without even unlocking it that there would be a flood of messages.
Jiang Lai ignored it and cleared it with one click.
The young mistress of the Yu family revealed that Lin Zhi, the rising vice president, used her body to steal scripts, with videos and chat screenshots all available.
Everyone on the internet knows that Lin Zhi and Hua Sheng were behind the director's arrest. Lin Zhi, who used to speak up for women, was suddenly accused of selling herself for personal gain and stealing scripts. A torrent of insults came her way, and her phone was bombarded with messages.
As expected, the past year of hard work by the company has been in vain, and all the artists in the company will bear the brunt of the criticism because of Lin Zhi alone.
But as expected, there are always unexpected events.
Lin Xi sat in the black van, her smile sinister and terrifying. She wished Lin Zhi were dead; these insults were not enough. She waited for Xiao Yue's Weibo post, frantically refreshing her Weibo homepage.
A month ago, a Weibo post about Xia Fanrou's new drama was pushed down. The circle at the top of the screen spun, and Lin Xi excitedly bit her nails, making a clicking sound.
Finally, a new Weibo post appeared.
"Wait... how could this be!"
In an instant, his eyes became bloodshot, and he kept repeating, "Impossible! Impossible!"
She dialed Xiao Yue's number, but no matter how many times she dialed, she only heard the same message: "Sorry, the number you dialed is currently switched off..."
Half an hour ago, Xiao Yue had just finished drinking the coffee Xia Fanrou had brewed and was leisurely scrolling through Weibo, reading the harsh words directed at Lin Zhi. It felt like she had finally released all the pent-up emotions she had accumulated over the years.
Xia Fanrou: "What exactly is your grudge against Lin Zhi?"
Xiao Yue laughed gleefully, "You don't understand. Should we just leave this alone?"
Xia Fanrou glanced at her but said nothing.
Xiao Yue immediately understood: "Alright, alright, let me organize my thoughts."
That day, Xia Fanrou found her and told her about Lin Zhi's plan. Before she could process it, Lin Xi called. She put it on speakerphone and replied according to the "script" Xia Fanrou had given her.
[@Huashang-Xiaoyue: Regarding the Weibo trending topic, I am speaking only on my personal behalf, not on behalf of the company or its artists. First, I am completely unaware of this. Second, the screenshots are fake; neither Mr. Lin nor I know anything about them, and we are unsure whether the video is genuine. I have always focused on the development of my artists and have absolutely no interest in these unfounded accusations. Please, some people, don't drag me into this. I can tolerate it once or twice, but if it happens again, I will not tolerate it.]
Immediately afterwards, the PR team of Shengsheng responded, clarifying that the content on the Weibo hot search was untrue, and released evidence to prove that the video was fake, an edit of pornographic movies from a certain website, and that they would pursue the relevant responsibilities of the rumor-mongers.
After posting on Weibo, Xiao Yue regretfully ruffled her hair: "The chance to get revenge on Lin Zhi flew away right in front of me like a cooked duck."
Xia Fanrou chuckled: "I don't believe you can do it. I know you. You have a sharp tongue but a soft heart. Even if you had the idea, you wouldn't be able to do it."
Xiao Yue felt as if an arrow had been shot into her heart; sometimes knowing too much isn't a good thing.
Within six months, the fact that "Rising Star" trended on social media twice has led netizens to speculate that its rise to fame has aroused jealousy, resulting in repeated sabotage behind the scenes. Since Lin Xi is backed by the Yu family, the blame naturally falls on the Yu family as well.
Here, Yu Yang had only just met Lin Zhi when his father called. When he returned after answering the call, his face was ashen, like an enraged lion about to explode.
"Mr. Lin, the cooperation you just mentioned might not be possible..."
"Oh?" Lin Zhi pretended to be unaware and asked, "What happened?"
Yu Yang coughed twice, his feigned elegance crumbling: "You haven't seen Weibo yet, have you? This is all my wife's fault. That woman, I don't know what possessed her, actually..."
Lin Zhi interrupted him: "Speaking of your wife, my visit to you today is also related to her. I'll get straight to the point. I suspect that your wife has a mental illness and has done some illegal things that have an impact on the Yu family."
The coffee in the cup was shaking, not because of an earthquake, but because the person holding it was emotionally unstable.
"Illegal? How dare she break the law?"
Lin Zhi sent Yu Yang two video files: surveillance footage from her home and surveillance footage from the neighborhood. The angles were tricky, showing a woman wearing a black mask getting out of a Santana.
"What does this mean?" Yu Yang asked.
This car is outdated. It was the car Yu Yang drove when he was in college, but it had been sitting idle in the garage ever since. He clearly instructed someone to dispose of it, so how did it end up there?