CHAPTER 356: 150 SNOWY NIGHT FUNERAL

Ending the live broadcast of the educational software, Rong Xianning was about to turn off his tablet when a notification unexpectedly popped up.

Breaking! Contestant on a hit talent show exposed as the son of a debtor, facing likely blacklist!

Rong Xianning’s pupils suddenly contracted.

The air seemed to freeze at that moment.

The blood drained from the young man’s face, leaving him expressionless as he placed the tablet face-down on the desk, his fingertips trembling slightly.

He sat quietly for a while, the time stretching unbearably long.

He picked up his pen again and opened the mathematics materials placed next to him.

The nib touched the paper in a sudden stroke, sharp and jagged like an open wound.

Staring at the scratch on the paper, the hand gripping the pen tightened further and further. On his thin, pale hand, the veins and bones stood out sharply, echoing his turbulent emotions.

The young man suddenly let out a silent laugh, cold and mocking.

A laugh that sneered at the fickle whims of fate.

No matter how hard he tries, he is destined to be dragged into the abyss...

The fleeting clouds obscured the sun momentarily, much like his world—dark and without light.

~

The production team waited until 10 PM but still hadn’t seen Rong Xianning return.

After contacting his management company, Eternal Century, they responded that they didn’t know Rong Xianning’s whereabouts.

Rong Xianning had vanished without a trace.

"You’re the ones who sent him to us; back then, you swore up and down, guaranteeing that this kid had no controversies. Now such a massive scandal has broken out. President Fang, care to explain?"

Li Kun was more anxious than anyone else. Rong Xianning was the program’s biggest selling point and source of buzz; if he was ruined, the show might as well pack up. Everyone could just go home and call it a night.

Fang Hui furrowed her brows even more tightly than Li Kun. "Director Li, debating this right now is meaningless. Our top priorities are to locate Rong Xianning and then join forces to dispel the rumors targeting him online. If something happens to him, this program will be over. Surely, Director Li doesn’t want to see his hard work go to waste?"

"Hmph, tell me the truth—do Rong Xianning’s parents have actual issues? Are the rumors online true...?"

"Of course not." Fang Hui refuted flatly.

Li Kun squinted his eyes, scrutinizing her expression.

The crease between Fang Hui’s brows twitched slightly as she declared with conviction, "Director Li, I can responsibly assure you that Rong Xianning’s parents have no issues whatsoever. Otherwise, our company wouldn’t have signed him back then, let alone invested so much money and resources to promote him. You should know, our company has been doing idol series for years; how could we possibly fail to do thorough background checks before signing someone?"

Li Kun thought for a moment and found it reasonable. "Then the online exposé about Rong Xianning’s parents..."

"All baseless rumors," Fang Hui asserted confidently. "After what happened with Wen Yan last time, I think you should’ve realized—Rong Xianning’s rise threatens too many interests. Instead of waiting for him to stand firm and start taking resources, it’s easier to nip him in the bud. Director Li, you’ve worked in the entertainment industry; surely, you know the underhanded tactics in this field, don’t you?"

"And about that Wen Yan, I’ve heard he’s connected to people in Deep Sea Group. Now that public opinion has escalated so rapidly on Weibo, I refuse to believe Wen Yan didn’t have a hand in this."

Li Kun furrowed his brows, pondered, then gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, I’ll trust you this time. Let’s mobilize all the connections we have, and jointly release a clarifying statement. Oh, I remember Rong Xianning’s previous defamation case was handled by Helian. We’ll need his help again this time—a single Helian lawyer can hold off countless small-time attackers. Seems like you really value him highly."

Fang Hui’s expression turned slightly peculiar. Helian wasn’t hired by the company, but at this moment, she couldn’t possibly admit that.

"No need to worry, Director Li."

Her eyes darted briefly as she spoke in a low voice, "Director Li, the speed at which public opinion is fermenting is because we lack control over media platforms—we’ve been entirely passive. By the way, does Director Li have any connections within Deep Sea Group...?"

Li Kun shot her a glance. "Wait and see."

With those words, he took his phone and walked to the side, seemingly making a call to someone.

A fox-like cunning smile crept onto Fang Hui’s face.

Eternal Century indeed had ties to Deep Sea Group, but unless it was a last resort, they wouldn’t use those connections. Li Kun, being the program’s director, was undoubtedly the most anxious right now. Leveraging his network would only be to her advantage.

Just then, her phone rang. Fang Hui glanced at the caller ID and answered.

"President Fang, we’ve found something. Three days ago, Deep Sea Group’s President Wu’s secretary, Tian Xu, was spotted meeting someone at a teahouse. Later that same night, his account received a transfer of five million yuan."