Translator: ChuRen/ YuQiChen
The manager’s office was in chaos.
Guan Shuo couldn’t hold back his temper in the end and for the first time, he resorted to using force to solve a problem within the company.
In the past, whenever he acted impulsively, Leader Yu and the others would intervene, but this time the other three didn’t stop him.
Even You Qi took the opportunity to give Comrade Wang a kick while chaos reigned.
Given his age, Wang Shigang couldn’t match the youthful vigor of the young guys. After a few punches, he was left screaming in pain on the ground.
“Have you all gone mad? Revolting as a group? Don’t you care about your future?” Wang Shigang lay sprawled on the ground, his clothes in disarray.
The old man had a cut on his lip, black eyes, and a lump on his forehead from accidentally hitting a cabinet while dodging punches.
“Don’t bring our problems into this. You better tell us where Yan Shu is! Otherwise, I’ll keep beating you!” Guan Shuo’s true nature was completely exposed, and even some unintended words slipped out.
Wang Shigang was seeing stars, not paying attention to those two crucial words.
Angry and scared.
In the end, fearing more beatings, he pleaded, “I really don’t know where he is! I left the dinner party early yesterday. Today, the investors called and said that after Yan Shu hit someone, he ran off. Now no one knows where that kid has hidden.”
The group felt uneasy.
Yan Shu was actually quite sensitive, with no industry background or connections, like a blank slate. He had never been involved in anything shady before. What happened last night must have terrified him.
Under stress, it’s not surprising what someone might do.
Where would Yan Shu go in this state of stress?
Yan Shu had barely left the company in three years. In the vast city of Beijing, where would he feel safe?
After being teammates with Yan Shu for three years, they realized they didn’t really know each other at all.
At this critical moment, not a single person could come up with a precise answer.
The current situation was quite complex. Yan Shu was being manipulated by the backers behind the scenes.
Their Weibo accounts had been locked down in advance by the company, just to prevent them from interfering in Yan Shu’s situation at this crucial juncture.
The company’s plan was to sacrifice Yan Shu to protect the rest of SAP.
“I’m going to find someone.” Guan Shuo didn’t like the feeling of waiting around for things to happen, so he made a call to get some help.
The other three also had the same intention.
No one paid attention to the beaten-up Wang Shigang sitting on the ground.
As soon as the office door opened, Guan Shuo’s pupils constricted.
At first, the group was surprised, but then they all breathed a sigh of relief in unison.
Standing in front of them was the young man they had been desperately trying to find.
“Xiao Yan! Where have you been? We were all so worried!” You Qi cried as he went forward to hug Yan Shu, wiping his tears on Yan Shu’s chest.
Yan Shu’s illness hadn’t completely healed yet. The impact of gastroenteritis and fever was quite significant. On his way back from the hospital to the company, Yan Shu’s steps were unsteady, his whole body weak and lacking energy.
When You Qi hugged him, he almost pushed him into the corridor wall.
Yu Chenzhou was the first to notice that Yan Shu didn’t look too good and quickly pulled You Qi away.
“Xiao Yan, are you okay? Are you feeling unwell anywhere?”
“Sorry, I stayed in the hospital overnight yesterday and couldn’t inform you in time. It’s just a slight cold, got an IV drop, feeling much better now, it’s not a big deal.”
The group could clearly see the white IV patch on Yan Shu’s hand, and their hearts ached for him.
Yan Shu was being falsely accused online even though he was sick, and they felt truly indignant.
“You’re still weak, I’ll take you back to the dorm to rest,” Yu Chenzhou said with concern.
Yan Shu’s phone was with Wang Shigang, and he might not know about the online rumors. They didn’t want Yan Shu to see those hurtful words at this time.
Sick people are more vulnerable, and they didn’t want Yan Shu’s heart to be hurt by malicious words. They decided it was better for him not to see them.
“I need to talk to the manager about something in private. Can you guys go back to the dorm and wait for me?” Yan Shu, despite feeling unwell, didn’t want to rest at the moment.
There was a hint of determination on his face at that moment.
“Or maybe we should accompany you…”
“Leader Yu, I haven’t eaten anything since last night. I was wondering if you could make me some seafood noodles. Would that be okay?”
Yan Shu suddenly revealed a warm and relieved smile, silencing everyone’s words.
This Yan Shu seemed so familiar, yet so distant. Yu Chenzhou couldn’t quite describe the feeling, it was like…
The handsome young man in front of them was about to leave them.
The door closed once again.
Except this time, the four of them were outside, and Yan Shu was inside.
Naturally, they wouldn’t wait in the dorm for Yan Shu to return. Worried that Yan Shu might face more mistreatment from Wang Shigang, the four of them stood guard outside like door gods, emitting a strong presence.
People passing by dared not even glance in their direction.
Inside the room, Yan Shu let out a sigh.
He could probably guess what had happened.
After entering the company just now, he received too many looks – some of pity, some of strangeness, some of disdain, some of curiosity.
Since he had laid hands on Jia Chong yesterday, Yan Shu knew he wouldn’t be let off easily.
The way everyone looked at him probably meant that more negative news about him had spread online.
Yan Shu didn’t care about his own reputation; he was concerned about whether his teammates’ reputations would be affected because of him.
Some things were destined from the beginning, and he had prepared for them since coming into this world.
“You don’t need to waste your efforts on me. I will never apologise for what happened yesterday.” Yan Shu looked down at the manager, who was slowly getting up from the ground, his eyes showing a hint of coldness.
For the first time, Wang Shigang saw such a deep and mysterious expression in Yan Shu’s eyes. Despite his stable emotions and his usual cold demeanour, there was a chilling sensation creeping up from behind.
“I’ve seen the contract, and it’s about to expire in a few days. Perfect, I don’t need to renew it.” Yan Shu smiled brightly, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes.
“You…” Wang Shigang was a bit astonished and shocked, as if he knew what Yan Shu was about to say next, his eyes widening.
“I wish to leave the entertainment industry,” Yan Shu said firmly, his fingers suddenly clenched. “It’s time to end it.”
…
“Why hasn’t he come out yet? What could they be discussing inside?”
“Is Wang Shigang going to try to trick Yan Shu into signing some kind of oppressive contract or unfair treaty again?”
The group waited at the door for a long time, with You Qi and Guan Shuo pacing back and forth in the hallway.
“It shouldn’t be a problem today. We’re keeping watch, and Wang Shigang wouldn’t dare do anything right now.” Song Shi’an had started to address the manager by his name.
After all, the things Wang Shigang had done were beyond what any carbon-based life form would do.
With a creak, the door opened from the inside, and Yan Shu walked out unscathed.
Everyone looked him up and down, relieved to see him unharmed.
They didn’t rush to ask Yan Shu what he had talked about with the manager; instead, they just supported him with concern.
“We’ve ordered some good food for you. It might be a bit late for the seafood noodles now, you might be hungry, so have something to eat first, and I’ll make you a bowl of noodles later, okay?” Yu Chenzhou smiled.
Yan Shu obediently nodded, “Okay.”
Guan Shuo noticed that Yan Shu exuded a sense of relaxation and happiness all over his body, which puzzled him.
He glanced at You Qi, who quickly put the phone back in his pocket and awkwardly rubbed his nose, “Xiao Yan, we got your phone back, but it’s out of battery. I’ll charge it for you and give it back when it’s done.”
“Okay.”
Seeing Yan Shu nod without refusal, everyone’s hearts settled.
Guan Shuo attributed Yan Shu’s calm mood to him not having been online yet.
If Yan Shu saw those online comments, he definitely wouldn’t be smiling.
Although it was a bit of a diversion, no one mentioned the violent online discussions at the moment.
Through the internet, could those enraged netizens really harm Yan Shu?
It didn’t matter, Yan Shu had his teammates, and they would protect him well.
As they walked back to the dorm together, no one paid attention to the pale-faced Wang Shigang in the office behind them.
Thinking about what Yan Shu had said, Wang Shigang felt like punching a pillow.
This kid was impenetrable.
He had thought that using Jia Shao’s identity would make Yan Shu comply, but instead, Yan Shu took the most extreme step.
He said he was leaving the entertainment industry.
Was he going to let his own career be abruptly cut off like this?
Wang Shigang felt like he might have really bet on the wrong horse, and in a big way.
How could he have known that Yan Shu truly didn’t care about fame and fortune in the entertainment industry? In this flashy world, the young man was like a jade that hadn’t been tainted by dust, smooth, lustrous, and translucent.
Even such a piece of jade, when forcibly broken, would reveal sharp edges.
Yan Shu could be an obedient little white rabbit, but he could also be a wild rabbit that bites.
Being blacklisted by the entire internet, being shunned by capital, he didn’t care.
Once there was nothing to hold against Yan Shu, neither Wang Shigang, nor Li Shigang, nor Liu Shigang, no one would have a way.
Wang Shigang sat on the sofa for a long time, and when his mind finally calmed down, he began to weigh the pros and cons.
Yan Shu was clearly a discarded chess piece.
Offending someone like Jia Chong, who knew if the promises made by the other party would hold?
Even if Yan Shu wasn’t blacklisted, the current public opinion would only force him to suspend all work, which would be a loss for the company.
An artist who can’t generate income is pointless to keep under contract.
Cutting losses in time is a solution.
Yan Shu’s voluntary withdrawal actually gave Wang Shigang a way out.
Without Yan Shu, the remaining four could still make money, and SAP wouldn’t collapse.
Wang Shigang felt like his investment hadn’t completely failed, and suddenly regained confidence.
Since Yan Shu’s contract was about to expire, he didn’t need to bother with this kid anymore. He had originally planned to transfer all the resources intended for Yan Shu to others, letting him fend for himself and enjoy the final moments of his artist career before leaving the industry.
When Yan Shu mentioned to Wang Shigang that he wanted to leave the industry, Longfeng Entertainment had already issued a statement—
【Regarding the discussions and controversies about our artist @SAP-Yan Shu on the internet, which have caused a negative impact, we sincerely apologize to the public and have decided to suspend all entertainment work of @SAP-Yan Shu.】
This outcome pleased some onlookers, but there were still some stubborn haters who felt that this wasn’t enough, insisting that he should retire from the industry before they would relent.
【This is just the company’s basic way of calming public opinion. Just watch, after a temporary suspension, the heat will die down, and then he’ll be back.】
【The company issued a statement. Does that mean all those things were true? It’s surprising that Longfeng Entertainment didn’t refute any of it.】
【What’s there to refute? Poor business skills, and he even hit someone. Isn’t that obvious? There’s no way to wash this off!】
【They only said they’re suspending Yan Shu’s work, not the work of the group. Longfeng Entertainment is still cunning; that’s why they’re the best at making money, right?】
【Taking the other brothers of the group and not Yan Shu, originally, the group consisted of the four of them. If not for this troublemaker, our brothers would have had an easier time. The group’s fans also express that they can’t stand Yan Shu!】
【Can the person above stop pretending to represent the group’s fans? The group’s fans wouldn’t speak like you. Those videos have been maliciously edited, are you blind? Who did Yan Shu offend?】
Among the many negative comments, occasionally there were one or two calm and rational remarks, but they were drowned out by the rest of the negative comments.
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