Chapter 35 : I will find the truth

Sister Lin Yiyun's phone rang and she picked it up hastily. It was the news she had been dreading. Long Lei's album release was being hijacked by the director of KN entertainment. Lin Yiyun knew she had to act fast.

She grabbed her bag and rushed out of her office, her mind racing with thoughts of how she could save Long Lei's album. As she reached the director's cabin, she took a deep breath and calmed herself down. She didn't want to lose her temper and ruin her chances of helping Long Lei.

She knocked on the door and waited patiently. After a few moments, the director answered and motioned for her to come in. He was on the phone, his voice low and urgent.

"Yes, I understand. Long Lei will release the album according to your wishes," he said into the phone.

Lin Yiyun gritted her teeth at the director's words. How could he make decisions on Long Lei's behalf without even consulting her, his manager?

Finally, the director hung up the phone and turned to face her. "What brings you here, Sister Lin?" he asked, his tone annoyed.

Lin Yiyun took a deep breath and forced herself to speak calmly. "I just heard about the changes you're making to Long Lei's album release. Why wasn't I informed about this?"

The director sighed heavily. "Look, Sister Lin, we have to include a duet with our new artist Bi Xiaohong in Long Lei's album. The higher ups have already invested a lot of money in this collaboration. We can't back out now."

Lin Yiyun's eyes widened in shock. "But Long Lei's album is the final part of his last album series. How can you abruptly change the ending of his album? Long Lei will never agree to this."

The director leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. "I've already given Long Lei an easy way out by letting Bi Xiaohong perform a duet with him in his concert. But he refused. We listened to him once, now he has to listen to us."

Lin Yiyun felt a surge of anger rising within her. She had always thought the director was being considerate and letting Long Lei do as he wanted, but in reality, he was setting up a trap.

"How could you do this to Long Lei?" she demanded, her voice shaking with emotion. "You're destroying his artistry just for the sake of profit."

The director's expression turned cold. "I manage an entertainment business, Sister Lin. For me, the numbers in profit matter more than anything else. If Long Lei is not ready to release his album with Bi Xiaohong, then we can stop the album altogether."

"But what about Long Lei's fans?" she asked, her voice trembling as she trying her best to convince the director. "They're going to be angry about this. They won't take this news in a good way."

The director shrugged nonchalantly. "They're Long Lei's fans, Sister Lin. As long as he shows his face, they'll buy it, even if we're selling something completely useless. Besides, this is a complete album. It's not like we're just adding a random track."

Lin Yiyun gritted her teeth, struggling to keep her emotions in check. She knew Long Lei's fans deserved better than this. They had supported him through thick and thin, and they deserved to hear his music the way he intended it.

Lin Yiyun felt a wave of despair wash over her. Was there no way to save Long Lei's album? She knew she had to find a solution, and fast. For the sake of Long Lei! For the sake of his fans!

"I need some time to think about this," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'll get back to you soon."

The director nodded curtly "Take your time and think about it," dismissing her from his office. Lin Yiyun walked out, her mind racing with thoughts of how she could convince the director to change his mind.

As she left the building, she couldn't help but wonder: was Long Lei's album doomed to fail?

***

Long Lei was in the recording studio, pouring his heart and soul into his latest song. He had been working tirelessly on this album, determined to make it his best yet. As he sang the last part of the song, he stepped out of the recording booth, feeling satisfied with his performance.

But as he checked his phone, he saw a notification on Weibo that made his blood boil. Countless comments under his ID were asking if it was true that he would be releasing the album with Bi Xiaohong.

"What the hell is this?" Long Lei muttered to himself, scrolling through the comments. "I never agreed to this. Who the hell is spreading these rumors?"

Du Hong, Long Lei's assistant, noticed the anger in his eyes and approached him cautiously. "Is everything okay, Long Lei?" he asked.

Long Lei turned to him, his frustration evident on his face. "No, everything is not okay. Call Sister Lin immediately," he ordered. "I need to know what the hell is going on here."

Du Hong nodded and quickly made the call, his fingers tapping furiously on his phone. "Sister Lin, Long Lei needs to talk to you right away," he said urgently.

As they waited for Sister Lin to arrive, Long Lei paced back and forth, his mind racing with anger and confusion. He couldn't believe that the director had gone behind his back and made this decision without consulting him or Sister Lin.

When Sister Lin finally arrived, Long Lei wasted no time in getting straight to the point. "Sister Lin, what the hell is going on?" he demanded. "I just saw all these comments on Weibo about me releasing an album with Bi Xiaohong. I never agreed to this."

Sister Lin's face was grim as she explained the situation to him. "The director went ahead and made the decision without consulting us," she said. "He's insisting that we include a duet with Bi Xiaohong on your album. He's already invested in this collaboration, and he's not willing to back down."

Long Lei's fists clenched in anger. "This is unacceptable," he growled. "My fans have been waiting for this album for so long. I can't just throw it all away for the sake of some stupid collaboration."

Sister Lin nodded in agreement. "I know, Long Lei. We'll find a way to make this right. We won't let the director ruin your album."

***

Guo Wenming sat back in his chair, pleased with himself. He had finally achieved his goal of getting Long Lei to collaborate with his new artist, Bi Xiaohong, and he knew that this would be a big boost for his career. He glanced over at Bi Xiaohong, who was still chatting with her sponsor on her phone.

"Congratulations, Bi Xiaohong," he said, smiling. "You're going to be collaborating with Long Lei on his new album."

Bi Xiaohong's eyes widened in surprise, and she quickly put her phone down. "Really?" she asked, a grin spreading across her face.

"Yes, really," Guo Wenming replied, nodding. "And it's all thanks to your talent and hard work."

Bi Xiaohong beamed with pride, but then she looked down at her phone again. "Actually, I should thank my sponsor," she said, pointing at her phone. "He's the one who made it possible."

Guo Wenming's smile faltered for a moment, but then he regained his composure. "Well, it doesn't matter how it happened," he said. "What's important is that we've got the collaboration we wanted. And now, we just need to make sure it's a success."

As Bi Xiaohong went back to chatting with her sponsor, Guo Wenming's mind raced with plans for how to promote the upcoming album. He knew that this collaboration would be a huge money-maker, and he was determined to make the most of it.

Just then, Bi Xiaohong looked up from her phone again. "Oh, Brother Guan just asked me out tonight," she said, grinning.

Guo Wenming nodded slowly, a sly smile creeping across his face. "Well, you should definitely go," he said. "Make sure your Brother Guan has a good time."

Bi Xiaohong giggled and quickly typed a reply on her phone.

***

Jiang Yan woke up early as usual and got ready for work. She dressed in a simple yet elegant blouse and skirt and left for her office. Jiang Yixuan, who had just come out of her room, saw Jiang Yan leaving and walked downstairs to find Chu Ran, the cook, cleaning the table.

"Chu Ran, where is Jiang Yan going so early in the morning?" Jiang Yixuan asked.

Chu Ran was startled at the sudden voice behind her and bowed before replying, "She goes to the library every morning, Young Miss."

Madam Tian, Jiang Yixuan's mother, had just come downstairs and overheard their conversation. She quickly made her way over to them and pulled Jiang Yixuan onto the sofa.

"Don't bother yourself with that illegitimate girl," Madam Tian said, with a dismissive wave of her hand. "She's not worth your time."

Jiang Yixuan looked at her mother, not convinced by her words. She knew better that her mother would not let Jiang Yan run around unless its beneficial for her.

"Mom are you not interested to know where she is going every morning?" Jiang Yixuan asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.

Madam Tian sighed, "I already know where that brat is going. She had lied to Old Master Jiang about going to the library. Instead, she has been going to the bar and spending all her money there."

Jiang Yixuan nodded as she listened to her mother's words, but she wasn't convinced.

"I think I'll check it out for myself," Jiang Yixuan said under her breath, determined to find out the truth.

***