Volume One, Chapter 26: Sarcasm and Mockery

Starlight Entertainment.

Li Gang was on the phone, a young man standing in front of him, looking none too pleased.

“Hello, President Su, I’m really sorry, truly! It was my own negligence with my people—look at this mess that’s happened.”

“Yes, yes, of course, you’re welcome to come over anytime. Since we’ve already issued statements, the financial compensation will be paid, rest assured.”

“Alright, tonight at Imperial Pavilion, dinner’s on me. I’d like to invite you and young Jiang to dine with me and let me offer my apologies in person.”

After hanging up, a flicker of a smile crossed Li Gang’s face before he glanced at the young man.

“Wu, I know this is unfair to you.”

The young man’s name was Wu Kenan.

He was a trainee who had only recently signed with the company. He’d released a few songs, but never caught on, so Starlight Entertainment had shelved him, planning to demand a hefty penalty for breaking the contract.

But his family couldn’t possibly afford that kind of money.

Just when he was at his wit’s end, Li Gang came to him with a bank card and asked him to take the blame for the scandal.

It might ruin his career.

But Li Gang promised not only to waive the penalty and let him walk away free, but also that he’d receive a large compensation. If he wanted to stay, he could even remain at Starlight Entertainment, though not as an artist—perhaps as an assistant or some such position.

It gave him pause, but after much deliberation, he agreed.

“Thank you, President Li,” Wu Kenan said with an awkward smile.

“I should be the one thanking you. By the way, come with me to dinner tonight. You’ll meet people from Huayue Entertainment.”

Wu Kenan squeezed out a smile. “President Li, if there’s nothing else, I’ll step out now.”

“Go ahead.”

Night fell.

Imperial Pavilion.

It was one of the finest hotels in Jiangxia.

Su Ling arrived with Jiang Yu and entered the private room they’d reserved.

“President Su, student Jiang, you’re here! Please, sit, sit! Xiao Li, ask the staff to serve the dishes.”

After they sat, Li Gang began his usual pleasantries.

“Wu, come—apologize to President Su and student Jiang.”

“I’m sorry, President Su. It was my fault,” Wu Kenan bowed his head in apology.

Su Ling, a veteran of the business world, could immediately tell that this young man had been pushed forward by Li Gang to take the fall. She kept her face expressionless. “You shouldn’t be apologizing to me.”

Wu Kenan gritted his teeth, turned, and lowered his head again. “Jiang Yu, it was my jealousy that caused all this trouble for you.”

Jiang Yu chuckled. “No need to apologize. Honestly, you shouldn’t worry about it. I should be thanking you. If not for the incident you stirred up, I doubt I’d have become so popular. Thanks to you, I gained a ton of attention—one hundred thousand new followers on Weibo, just like that.”

Wu Kenan was momentarily stunned, turning slowly toward Li Gang.

Li Gang’s smile froze, his eyes questioning as he looked at Su Ling. “President Su, what Jiang Yu said...”

Su Ling could no longer maintain her chilly composure and broke into laughter. “President Li, we really do owe you—Huayue Entertainment profited handsomely from this. Not even our own marketing could have produced results like this.”

Li Gang’s face darkened. “Congratulations, then, President Su.”

At that moment, the servers began bringing out the dishes.

One after another, exquisite plates were set on the table.

“The food is here, let’s eat!” Li Gang changed the subject, though he had expected Su Ling to embarrass herself tonight; instead, he was the one left in an awkward spot.

“President Li, you’ve truly shown your sincerity—this table must have cost at least thirty or fifty thousand,” Su Ling said with a smile, then turned to Jiang Yu, “Jiang, make sure you eat plenty. Don’t be shy; these dishes are expensive. Only someone like Chairman Li could afford such a feast.”

“Of course, Ling,” Jiang Yu replied instantly. “Waiter, another half bowl of rice, please.”

Truth be told, the food was excellent.

“Apologies should come with sincerity,” Li Gang said awkwardly. “Jiang Yu, eat up. It must have been tough dealing with all the gossip online lately.”

“Thank you for your concern, Chairman Li,” Jiang Yu replied with a grin.

“To tell you the truth, I’ve been doing quite well lately. My spirits are up, and with the compensation you mentioned today, my appetite’s never been better. See, I’ve already had an extra half bowl of rice. By the way, Chairman Li, about the compensation—shouldn’t you give it to me now?”

Li Gang suppressed his anger, snorted coldly, pulled a card from his pocket, and pushed it across the table.

“A good appetite is a good sign. But take care—this industry isn’t easy. One misstep and you could be finished. A little humility goes a long way. In all my years, I’ve never seen anyone as brash as you.”

The threat was clear.

“Well, you have now!”

“Thank you for your concern, Chairman Li. With a benefactor like you, I’m sure my career in entertainment will be smooth sailing.”

Jiang Yu grinned, utterly unfazed by Li Gang’s threat. He picked up the card and held it to his nose, inhaling.

“Smells great. By the way, Chairman Li, how much is on this card?”

“One million,” Li Gang replied, standing up, unable to sit any longer. “President Su, I have other matters to attend to. I’ll be leaving now.”

“You’re leaving already, Chairman Li? The food’s just arrived,” Su Ling said, rising as well.

“No, I really must go.”

Jiang Yu rose too, waving the card. “Thanks, Chairman Li. You’re paying for tonight, right? I’m broke—this card is all I have, and I need to save it for living expenses.”

“It’s already settled!”

Li Gang’s veins bulged in his forehead as he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

“You’re a wicked one—Li Gang’s face was purple!” Su Ling burst into laughter once he’d left.

“I’ll call Xiaoyu. No sense letting all this food go to waste.”

Jiang Yu nodded, glancing in the direction Li Gang had gone.

There was nothing to be done through official channels, but at least he could give Li Gang a taste of his own medicine.

At the entrance.

Li Gang marched ahead, Wu Kenan trailing behind with his head down. As Li Gang got into his car, Wu Kenan, thinking of his future prospects, plucked up his courage. “Chairman Li, about tomorrow’s work…”

Li Gang was already fuming, and this made him angrier still. He’d given Jiang Yu a fortune, let this kid out of his contract for free—another loss.

He slapped Wu Kenan across the face. “Useless! Still want a job? I’ve let you out of your contract for free—you should be grateful. I don’t want to see you again!”

With that, he drove off.

Wu Kenan was left dazed by the blow, unable to understand why things had turned out this way when he’d done exactly as he was told.

After Li Gang left, Wu Kenan slumped onto a bench by the roadside, watching the endless flow of people.

The city streets were bustling, but none of it belonged to him.

Jiang Yu, Su Muyu, and Su Ling came out after finishing their meal.

“Muyu, you have no idea—today was so satisfying!” Su Ling was still bubbling with excitement.

Jiang Yu suddenly noticed a familiar figure sitting on a bench by the street.

Su Muyu and Su Ling followed.

As they drew closer, it was none other than Wu Kenan, the scapegoat from earlier.

“It’s you,” Su Ling called out.

Su Muyu looked at her aunt in confusion.

“One of Li Gang’s people,” Su Ling whispered in her ear.

Wu Kenan noticed Jiang Yu as well and stood up awkwardly.

“It doesn’t feel good, shouldering someone else’s blame, does it?” Jiang Yu said calmly.

Wu Kenan remained silent.

Jiang Yu turned to Su Ling. “Aunt, since I’ll be debuting soon, why not assign me an assistant ahead of time?”