novelraw Chapter 266 - 259: Trapped in a Predicament
Chapter 266 - 259: Trapped in a Predicament
During dinner,
Yuwei sat alone at a small round table, with only a small piece of fish, a few slices of vegetables, and a palm-sized piece of bread in front of her.
People bustled around, but this spot felt like a lonely little world.
"Yuwei, have some winter melon soup,"
Lu Bingbing walked over, her face carrying a gentle and caring smile.
Not far away, Wang Qingyu was quietly eating her meal very slowly.
"Thank you, Captain!"
Yuwei knew Bingbing’s intentions, but some things are best left unsaid even when they’re understood.
"Yuwei, the final performance is about to begin. Adjust your mindset and stay focused."
"You too, Captain. We’re all looking forward to that most brilliant moment."
Yuwei’s smile remained undiminished, her bright eyes showing no trace of despair.
At this moment, Lu Bingbing truly admired Yuwei.
Even after so much "dirt" had been exposed, Yuwei could still remain calm and composed.
Others, upon seeing negative headlines about themselves, would typically run to some secluded place and cry their hearts out.
But Yuwei was disturbingly calm, continuing to do whatever needed to be done.
Lu Bingbing knew where to draw the line; capturing a brief moment on camera would suffice.
She left with a smile, as if mocking a defeated opponent with the demeanor of a victor.
What Bingbing didn’t know was that her actions made Yuwei realize that Penguin must have struck a deal with Galaxy.
Just then, a gentle voice called out from behind Bingbing: "Yuwei, let’s practice singing together this afternoon!"
"...Sure, Zijing!"
For Zhang Zijing to extend a helping hand at this moment, Yuwei was somewhat surprised.
They had almost no interaction before, so she hadn’t expected Zijing to show up now.
Holding her tray, Zhang Zijing sat across from Yuwei, her smile sincere and warm.
"Yuwei, you’re eating too little; controlling your diet requires moderation. Here, have this!"
Zijing placed her donut onto Yuwei’s plate.
Yuwei smiled, took a bite, and ate it.
The two exchanged smiles. Zijing’s heartbeat quickened—she no longer felt alone now that she had found a true friend.
Galaxy
Old Mu was basking in his triumph.
These past few days, he had barely slept. If Galaxy failed to debut any trainees in this talent show, it would deal a huge blow to their reputation.
This originally inconsequential talent show had surprisingly become Galaxy’s key to breaking through. Had he known earlier, he would have deployed Galaxy’s strongest "God Seven" lineup.
But it was fine now. Although Bingbing wasn’t part of "God Seven," she was still Galaxy’s overall leader, and in some sense, she represented Galaxy.
He was fully aware of the online "black tide" targeting Yuwei today.
"Shen Xing, increase our efforts. I don’t want to see Yuwei regain her reputation."
"Got it, Chairman Mu!"
Shen Xing harbored inexplicable hatred toward Yuwei as well.
The smear campaign continued, pervasive and overwhelming.
Anyone reading entertainment news would find every platform flooded with posts blacklisting Yuwei.
Xiao Du and fans supporting Yuwei were nearly at their breaking point.
Though they tirelessly posted rebuttals, the negative posts seemed endless.
Every second, tens of thousands of new pieces of dirt appeared online, all revolving around the same core content.
Xiao Du and the others were utterly exhausted.
"Xiao Du, maybe we should give up. I don’t think we can hold out any longer."
Mu Yunchu smiled bitterly, her face weary and her eyes bloodshot, as she glanced at the pale boy beside her.
"We won’t give up until the very end. Why should those spreading lies be allowed to rise while the innocent are trampled?" Xiao Du’s voice brimmed with indignation.
"But our strength is so limited, and we’ve already done everything we can."
"Think harder. There must be a way. Lies are nothing but lies in the end."
Mu Yunchu didn’t try persuading further; she knew it would be futile.
The dark night evaded the sunlight to descend upon the human world, evoking mystery and fear.
In the endless darkness, it seemed as if terrifying creatures prowled, turning the city into their hunting ground...
Above the sky corrugated by jagged clouds, the first ray of sunlight pierced the horizon from the east. Long Zitao watched below, where buildings clustered like toy blocks.
Yesterday, he had flown back to Huaxia from France.
Because his movie might win an award at the French film festival, he had spent recent days abroad.
Yet, he had been closely following the events surrounding "Heavenly Idol."
He already knew about Yuwei’s situation.
Penguin’s ruthless methods left him angry—it was obvious to him, as an actor, what Yuwei was enduring.
So upon his return, he immediately boarded his private plane and flew to the city hosting the talent show.
"Boss, here’s your Bordeaux wine." A stunningly beautiful flight attendant placed a wine glass in front of him.
Long Zitao nodded indifferently, taking a sip without a trace of reaction to the attendant’s flirtatious gaze.
"Have you found out? Aside from Penguin, who else is behind those smears?"
Long Zitao glanced at the high-end business laptop in front of him.
"Primarily Shenghai’s Wu Group-affiliated entertainment company, and Galaxy."
The answer shocked and confused Long Zitao.
"Does Wu Group have trainees participating in this talent show?"
"A subsidiary they hold shares in, named ’Canghai,’ has a girl named Lv Fangxin competing."
"Lv Fangxin!"
Long Zitao frowned, suspecting that Yuwei had blocked Fangxin’s path forward.
The subordinate continued, "Boss, Fangxin’s recent anti-smear efforts are all being handled by her fan club; ’Canghai Company’ is completely uninvolved."
The response puzzled Long Zitao even more. Logically, ’Canghai’ should first defend Fangxin against smears before attacking her competitors.
And Galaxy—had they gone mad, smearing their own people?
"How are the rumors looking?"
"All false. There’s something particularly interesting in one of them."
"Oh?"
Interest sparked within Long Zitao.
"That so-called rich woman said to have ties with Yuwei is actually Wu Group’s entertainment division head, Wu Jingxiang."
Long Zitao’s mind spiraled into chaos—this was utterly absurd.
"What is going on?" Long Zitao wanted no more speculation.
The subordinate had undeniable skills but tended to operate cryptically.
"Review Wu Jingxiang’s profile, and you’ll understand everything."
A confidential document was forwarded.
"This file is classified. You have no more than 15 minutes to read its contents," the subordinate emphasized.
When Long Zitao finished reading, he had pieced the puzzle together.
"So it’s because Wu Jingxiang acted out of spite after being rejected by Yuwei."
"Most likely. That’s the only explanation for her series of actions."
Long Zitao considered his next move, saying, "Organize a team immediately and expose Wu Jingxiang’s history, but remember—don’t cross the line."
"Young Master Long, Wu Group is not easy to deal with."
"Heh, if the Wu family is hard to deal with, does that mean the Long family is here to play nice?" Long Zitao sneered coldly, his eyes frosty: "And make sure we go all out defending Yuwei against the smears."