Fanjialuo took the elevator to the parking lot and quickly identified the original owner's car. He seemed unfamiliar with the skill of driving, but was full of interest. First, he carefully studied the dashboard, familiarizing himself with its functions, then touched the steering wheel and automatic gear shift. His dark eyes sparkled with a hint of innocence.
Once familiar with the car's settings, he closed his eyes, seemingly recalling how to operate the steel machine. When he opened his eyes, he ignited the engine and accelerated out of the parking lot at high speed. As he reached the exit, the car's tail swayed a few times, as if it were about to collide, but quickly stabilized and disappeared.
Half an hour later, Fanjialuo arrived at the Starlight Entertainment Company, and then made his way to the office of his agent, Cao Xiaofeng. Upon entering the office, he was greeted by an ashtray hurled at him.
"You finally showed up! Where have you been for three days? Are you dead? I'd rather you were dead, then I could hold a funeral for you and put all your rotten stuff and your coffin in the incinerator to dispose of it, so it won't affect others! Do you know how miserable STARS has been because of you? The endorsements I just received were all ruined by you! Go solo, go solo right now! If I had known what you'd be like today, I should have let you take your resources and leave the day you proposed going solo!" Cao Xiaofeng ranted angrily.
Fanjialuo caught the ashtray, then calmly placed it back on the desk, his expression very indifferent. In the original owner's memory, Cao Xiaofeng had not treated him this way before. He was once fawning, but now freely abusive, showing that he could turn on a dime.
Cao Xiaofeng, hardly giving the young man a glance, stood up, suppressing his anger, and said, "Come on, Mr. Liu wants to see you."
Fanjialuo silently followed Cao Xiaofeng. His dark eyes occasionally scanned the company's layout, his expression neither hurried nor fearful, but rather like a tourist, with a touch of keen interest.
The two crossed the corridor, took the elevator, and arrived at the deputy general manager's office on the 28th floor. The secretary at the door coldly stated, "Mr. Liu is busy, so you'll have to wait."
"Okay, thank you." Cao Xiaofeng nodded and bowed, then glared at Fanjialuo.
The secretary intended to have Fanjialuo stand outside the door as punishment until Mr. Liu summoned him, but he seemed unaware of the situation. It's unclear how big a mess he had made. He walked straight to the nearby rest area, found a soft sofa, and sat down, taking out his phone to browse.
At present, as long as the internet was opened, there was a deluge of negative information about Fanjialuo. Malicious language had already occupied his Weibo page. His original 10 million followers now numbered 20 million, with half joining specifically to insult him and the remaining half turning from fans to haters, relentlessly attacking and labeling them as "brain-dead."
If it were another star who relied on the traffic for food, they would probably have collapsed by now. But Fanjialuo was seemingly unaffected, not closing his Weibo comments or hiding away to cry, but was instead calmly and interestingly reading all the news about himself.
Cao Xiaofeng couldn't stand his indifferent appearance and was about to go over and scold him, when two tall and handsome young men hurried over, the other two members of the STARS group, Gao Yize and Sun Ying.
"You're here," Cao Xiaofeng immediately greeted them, showing genuine concern.
The three of them talked rapidly, seemingly discussing how to refurbish their reputation. Fanjialuo, absentmindedly leaning against the wall, first appeared disinterested, then unknowingly became focused, and soon showed signs of interest. If one came closer to observe, they would notice - his pupils had shrunk into narrow slits, like the vertical pupils of a beast, and his naturally dark eyes had become unfathomably deep.
Gao Yize suddenly felt a chill, looked up at the rest area, and found the troublemaker had also arrived, then revealed a look of frustration but held back from acting out. Sun Ying also saw Fanjialuo, and unlike the captain, he didn't maintain composure, but rather rolled up his sleeves, ready to get into a fight.
Cao Xiaofeng pulled him back and whispered, "This is a public place. Be sensible. We don't know how many eyes are watching us. Don't cause trouble."
Gao Yize pressed down on Sun Ying's shoulder and leaned in to say a few words to him, calming the agitated youth.
The legendary busy working manager, Mr. Liu, heard the commotion outside and said, "Have Little Ze and Little Ying arrived? Come in quick." The three of them didn't look at Fanjialuo again, and filed into the office.
The staff on this floor came and went in the rest area, but nobody paid any attention to Fanjialuo, treating him as if he were air. It was no secret in the company that Mr. Liu was preparing to shelve him.
Previously, due to the Fan family's face, the owner of Starlight, Zhao Wenyuan, had taken considerable care of Fanjialuo. But this time, Zhao Wenyuan only removed the rumors and hot topics concerning himself and Fanjialuo, without suppressing the negative information. It was clear that he had the ability to smooth things over but preferred to stand by and watch.
As they say, good example is the best precept. The PR department's well-prepared whitewashing plans were also shelved by the higher-ups, focusing instead on the other two members and attempting to distance them from Fanjialuo. If done properly, Gao Yize and Sun Ying could even gain more popularity and attention by selling sympathy, stirring up fans, contrasting, and highlighting. The company intended to guide public opinion in a positive direction.
This situation was a further blow to Fanjialuo. If the company's strategy worked, his career and future would be over in an instant. However, he showed no sign of worry at the moment. Instead, he borrowed a notebook and pen from the secretary, and began to sketch leisurely.
The other three were still inside the office discussing with Mr. Liu, and over half an hour later, Sun Ying came out first, while Cao Xiaofeng and Gao Yize remained inside to discuss strategies. Gao Yize, both talented and handsome, was among the top in the entertainment industry and had the highest popularity among the team's idols, which the company understandably valued.
Sun Ying and Gao Yize were closer than brothers, without any hint of jealousy. After they closed the door, Sun Ying strode towards Fanjialuo, and said in a lowered voice, "Let's talk in the stairwell."
"Talk about what?" Fanjialuo put down the pen and asked lazily with a half-smile.
"Come with me!" Sun Ying grabbed his collar and forcefully dragged him away. The passing staff members knew that Sun Ying might resort to violence but didn't intervene. What did it matter to them?
With a loud thud, Sun Ying kicked open the door to the stairwell. Immediately, he slammed Fanjialuo against the wall, nearly fracturing his back. Fanjialuo finally frowned, showing a rare expression of pain.
"If you're smart, you would make a public apology on Weibo and announce your withdrawal from the group, don't drag myself and Little Ze down. While you were missing for three days, Little Ze hardly slept, dealing with your mess. We are a team, and the losses caused by your breach, me and Little Ze will also take responsibility for part of it. How can you have the nerve?" Sun Ying questioned through gritted teeth.
Fanjialuo lazily leaned against the wall and with an indifferent tone said, "Without the power of the Fan family behind me, would you be as popular as you are now? Would you have access to such scarce resources that not even first-line stars can easily obtain? You have benefited from my fame and enjoyed so many privileges, don't you feel ashamed? And how could I?"
The resources of the STARS male group were indeed closely linked to Fanjialuo. Even though Sun Ying was fuming, he couldn't come up with a retort. However, thinking that Fanjialuo was no longer the young master of the Fan family and that his solo plans were now completely shelved, Sun Ying felt a bit relieved. This person had insisted on dissolving the group, but now he had become the one being left behind, truly a case of what goes around comes around!
As the two stood in a standoff, Gao Yize walked over, pulled Sun Ying behind him, gave the other a helpless glare, then looked at Fanjialuo, speaking in a gentle tone. "Jialuo, Mr. Liu and I have reached an agreement. I will help bear part of the penalty for your breach of contract. After all, I am your captain and have a responsibility to take care of you and uphold the integrity of our team. Rest for a while, wait until the storm subsides. If you have any difficulties, you can look for me anytime. My phone is available 24 hours for you."
As he spoke, Gao Yize reached out his hand to pat the young man's head, but Fanjialuo evaded it. Looking into the other's pure black eyes, Gao Yize suddenly felt a chill and inexplicably forgot what he intended to say.
Fanjialuo fixed Gao Yize with a gaze, then chuckled softly. "Thank you for your kindness, but it's not necessary. I don't need your help." He tore a page from the notebook, folded it up, and handed it to Gao Yize, saying slowly, "Here's some advice for you. Don't aim too high, because death is just the beginning of destruction."
His slightly cold fingertips lightly touched Gao Yize's cheek before lingering for a few seconds at his vulnerable neck. Then, the young man with a seemingly innocent yet strangely wicked smile slowly walked down the stairs, his slender figure gradually swallowed by the dim light.
Gao Yize remained dazed for a long while before leaning over the railing and calling out, "Jialuo, come back, Mr. Liu wants to talk to you! Jialuo, Jialuo!"
Sun Ying arrived at the bottom of the stairs, then panting heavily as he ran back and waved his hand, "Little Ze, Jialuo's gone! He probably took the elevator to another floor. What's going on with him? Is he not bothered by all those negative rumors? Does he still think he's the young master of the Fan family? With such an attitude, who else but him will suffer?"
"Let me think about it; we are still a team, and we can't be unfair." Gao Yize shook his head and walked out of the stairwell, filled with worries.
Cao Xiaofeng approached and asked, "Where's Fanjialuo? Mr. Liu wants to see him."
"He's gone!" Sun Ying said angrily.
"What? He was given a chance to see Mr. Liu again, to overcome the shelving, and he just walked away? Alright, if he wants to ruin himself, I can't stop him, let him go! Give me your Weibo accounts, and I'll have the PR department manage them. Fanjialuo has some skills, right? Let me help boost you, and take you higher. That's all he's useful for now," Cao Xiaofeng said.
Sun Ying immediately handed over the account, while Gao Yize hesitated but eventually made a choice after being persuaded by their agent and teammate.
The character Feniero, who was used as a stepping stone, was already sitting in the originally-owned minicar, excitedly igniting the engine, preparing to take a leisurely drive around the magnificent city. He didn't care about the original owner's scandal, but he wouldn't be easily fooled. The black materials posted on the Internet, especially the videos, were mostly from a close angle with stable and clear picture quality, and couldn't have been taken without close proximity, except by very intimate individuals. So from the beginning, he knew that the real informant was definitely not a paparazzo but someone who spent time with the original owner day and night.
Among these people, who had the strongest suspicion? Apart from two teammates or assistants, Feniero didn't think of anyone else. After meeting Sun Ying and Gao Yize, he had already identified the backstage manipulator, but he wasn't interested in seeking revenge. Because he had already foreseen that this combination would disintegrate from within without the need for external suppression, and then disappear completely. He didn't need to clear his name, let alone give any explanation.
The red sports car roared away from the Xinghui Building. At the same time, Gao Yize also opened the paper, and his face changed suddenly.
"What, what is this! Is this what Feniero gave you just now?" Sun Ying also saw the content on the paper and was instantly tongue-tied with fear.
"Let me see!" Cao Xiaofeng snatched the paper and looked at it carefully, his hands trembling with anger. The paper depicted a violently killed body, with contorted features, wide-open eyes, as if dead, and black blood flowing around the body, forming a pool of blood. The severed limbs were twisted in an extremely eerie posture, making people nauseous at the sight. However, more disturbing was that the body turned out to be Gao Yize.
Before this, Cao Xiaofeng had no idea that Feniero could draw, especially in such a lifelike manner. Even the reflections in the murky pupils of the body were clear, showing a group of people and several buildings, with a person squatting in the front and holding something resembling a camera, as if taking pictures of the body. Every detail was so vivid and realistic, as if everything in the drawing would come to life in the future.
Cao Xiaofeng's heart turned cold, he forcibly regained his composure and said, "This is a threat! Feniero, you wait for me, I will definitely settle the score with you!"
Sun Ying patted Gao Yize's shoulder to comfort him continuously, full of disgust towards Feniero.
Gao Yize suppressed his inner panic, pretending to be nonchalant, but had a hint of resentment in his eyes.
---