The Entertainment Industry in Turmoil: Young Actresses All Want to Rise to the Top

The investigation team's office was brightly lit.

There were no handcuffs, no interrogation room, and no glaring table lamps.

It was just an ordinary office, with a table, a few chairs, and a water dispenser.

Shen Mo sat in a chair with two staff members in front of him. There were three cups of tea on the table in the middle, still steaming.

The atmosphere wasn't as tense as outsiders had imagined.

The leader, surnamed Zhou, was the head of the investigation team. He was in his early forties, with his hair neatly combed and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"Mr. Shen, thank you for your cooperation."

He pushed a document towards you, "First of all, we are inviting you here to cooperate with the investigation because someone has submitted a report accusing you of insider trading and malicious short selling."

Shen Mo glanced down at the document but didn't open it.

"We are currently in the preliminary investigation stage," Team Leader Zhou continued. "Our China Securities Regulatory Commission (CSRC) does not have criminal investigation powers and will not detain or arrest you, but you have an obligation to cooperate with the investigation."

Shen Mo nodded.

"At this stage, we will collect evidence, analyze and assess it by asking you questions, retrieving WeChat and call records, and reviewing transaction details, and ultimately decide whether to file a case."

He paused for a moment, then said, "The more detailed the materials you submit and the more cooperative you are with your answers, the sooner the investigation will be concluded."

Shen Mo leaned back in his chair, his expression calm. "Understood."

Team Leader Zhou pressed the power button on the recorder. "Now, let's begin according to the procedure."

"Excuse me."

His question was posed calmly, as if in casual conversation: "Why did you immediately acquire Huayi's shares and even make a takeover bid after your initial struggle with Huayi?"

Shen Mo's lips curled up slightly. "I hope we can turn hostility into friendship."

The young recorder next to Team Leader Zhou paused for a moment, then looked up at him.

Turning hostility into friendship? If you end up breaking up the company, is that what you call turning hostility into friendship?

Shen Mo met his gaze, her smile unchanged.

"Huayi's stock price was so low at the time, why did you choose to buy it?"

"The lower the price, the more you should buy it." Shen Mo picked up his teacup, took a sip, and said, "Isn't it cheap?"

"Did someone provide you with inside information, telling you about Huayi's strategic development plan, which led you to choose that time to invest?"

"No one needs to tell me." Shen Mo put down his teacup. "If I were in the position of the person in charge of Huayi, I would also choose to make some plans to stimulate the market in order to boost the stock price."

Team Leader Zhou glanced at him, but didn't ask any further questions, and moved on to the next person.

Why did you choose to sell all your shares and exit the market before Huayi's stock price hit 100 yuan?

"This price point is already quite high compared to my entry point," Shen Mo said. "There's no need to take on higher risks for the sake of a so-called higher point, so I chose to take profits and secure them."

Why choose over-the-counter trading instead of exchange trading?

"I need to give 15 days' notice for on-exchange transactions. Wouldn't that interrupt Huayi's momentum to reach 100?" Shen Mo smiled. "At that time, I didn't want to offend the leader of the entertainment industry."

Team Leader Zhou paused for two seconds, then asked, "Why did you choose to short Huayi when its stock price was at 100 yuan?"

"Because Huayi's bubble is too big." Shen Mo's gaze was calm. "In my opinion, all the previous positive news was just a false bubble, pure hype. I'm waiting for the bubble to burst."

Why did they choose to join forces with Alibaba and Tencent to short sell?

"I've told you why I shorted the stock," Shen Mo said, looking at Team Leader Zhou. "As for why they shorted it, you can ask them."

Team Leader Zhou didn't respond, but continued, "What is the relationship between your company and Changfeng Fund? Why did it choose to split Huayi and sell it to you?"

"We are customers of Changfeng Fund," Shen Mo said. "The transaction process is completely standardized, and the taxes have been paid in full."

Team Leader Zhou put down the documents in his hand and looked at Shen Mo. Shen Mo also looked at him, and the two stared at each other for a few seconds.

Team Leader Zhou suddenly laughed, "President Shen, you really are meticulous."

Shen Mo nodded slightly. "Cooperating with the investigation is the proper thing to do."

Team Leader Zhou leaned back in his chair, his fingers lightly tapping the table. "Let me rephrase the question: Did you know in advance that Huayi would run into trouble?"

Shen Mo paused for a second, then said, "I don't know what's going to happen to Huayi."

He said, "But I know that stock prices built on hype and speculation will collapse sooner or later."

Why?

"Because the essence of business is value, not concepts."

-----------------

Shortly after the meeting ended, the official website of Mohen Group published an announcement that Li Yitong had taken over as interim chairman.

Less than ten minutes after the message was posted, it immediately became a trending topic, with #LiYitongTakesOverInkHern# breaking into the top ten.

But in the comments section, eight out of ten comments were sarcastic, while the other two were just watching the show.

[Li Yitong? Chairwoman? Are you kidding me?]

[Hilarious! Shen Mo went to jail, and Li Yitong is stepping in to take the fall? Can she handle it?]

What can a vase do? I reckon Li Yitong will have finished playing with the ink stains herself before Shen Mo even comes out.

[The chairman dances and performs on stage, while a bunch of executives watch from below?]

This move is truly baffling. Do they really think running a company is child's play?

[He's probably just a puppet; the same high-ranking executives are still controlling him.]

However, Li Yitong is also very strong-willed; she dared to step forward and take on this challenge at this critical juncture.

If she can make the ink stains stand up, I'll eat shit on my head!

[Oh my god, Mo Ge got into trouble, and Tong Jie is taking over. Is this an official announcement from Leopard Cat?]

A vase and a throne—a perfect match.

I bet Li Yitong won't be able to hold on for more than a week and will have to step down.

……

"Hello, Sister Mi." Li Yitong's voice was a little hoarse. She was quite surprised that Yang Mi would be the first outsider to call.

Hearing Li Yitong's voice, Yang Mi visibly relaxed. "I saw it trending. Can you handle it?"

Li Yitong paused for a second, then said, "That's how it is. I got really bad criticism."

Yang Mi frowned. "I don't understand company management either, but if you have any bitter feelings, feel free to talk to me anytime."

"Don't push yourself too hard. If anything happens, just call me, and I'll take a taxi over to be with you anytime."

Li Yitong felt a warmth in her heart, and her voice suddenly choked up, "Honey..."

"Don't cry." Yang Mi interrupted her. "You're the chairman now, what are you crying for? If you're going to cry, wait until no one's around."

Li Yitong was amused by her and stopped crying while laughing, "I know."

After hanging up the phone, Yang Mi stared at her phone, remained silent for a few seconds, and then posted a message on Weibo.

[Some people are just sour grapes. Tongtong, keep it up!]

Li Yitong had just seen Yang Mi's Weibo post on her phone when another message popped up on her WeChat.

Are you okay? If you feel like crying, come to me. You're not alone.

"It's Liu Shishi," Li Yitong replied with an emoji—a kitten being petted on the head, its eyes squinting.

Liu Shishi laughed on the other end. This girl still has the mind to send emojis, she should be fine.

Jin Daxi's call came immediately afterward, "Xuezi!"

Her voice was fiery as soon as she opened her mouth, "I saw those comments! What rubbish! How can those people have such foul mouths!"

Li Yitong couldn't help but laugh, "Why are you even more excited than me?"

"I'm indignant on your behalf!" Jin Daxi exclaimed angrily. "They have no right to criticize you!"

Li Yitong pursed her lips. "Great news, thank you."

Jin Chen paused for a moment, then his voice softened.

"No need to thank me... Take good care of yourself. Call me anytime if anything happens."

"it is good."

After hanging up the phone, Li Yitong leaned back in her chair and looked at her phone screen.

Besides them, she also had Tian Xiwei and Bai Lu by her side, so thankfully, she wasn't alone.

-----------------

In the practice room of Mohen Media, Tian Xiwei sat on the floor, leaning against the mirror, hugging her knees, staring at her phone.

On the screen, it's still the same trending topics and the same comments.

Still, no one told her how Shen Mo was doing.

"Brother Mo has been in there for two days now. Does the investigation really need to take this long?" Tian Xiwei's energy was completely gone.

Fortunately, Wang Churan and Liu Hao were there to keep her company today. Since the three of them couldn't help, they returned to the old location and went back to the practice room.

Beside him, Liu Haocun leaned against the wall, holding a book in his hand, but didn't turn a single page for a long time.

Wang Churan sat on the other side with earphones in her ears, but she couldn't hear any music at all.

"Does the investigation really take this long?" Tian Xiwei asked again.

Liu Haocun looked up at her, "Tian'er..."

"Um?"

"Stop looking."

Tian Xi paused for a moment, then shook her head. "I couldn't help it."

She lowered her head and continued scrolling through the comments.

Shen Mo has really messed up this time. He's been in there for so long; there must be something wrong.

[It's the second day, and he still hasn't come out. They've probably filed a case.]

[Those fans are still trying to defend him? Just wait for the news of your idol stepping on a sewing machine!]

Tian Xiwei's fingers clenched tighter and tighter until her knuckles turned white. She wanted to post on Weibo; she wanted to retaliate.

She wanted to tell those people, what do you know? Brother Mo is the best person, he'll be fine!

Liu Haocun watched her from the side, sighed softly, and reached out to press down on her arm.

"Tian'er, don't be impulsive."

"I know," Tian Xiwei said in a muffled voice, "I won't do anything foolish again."

Liu Haocun looked at her clenched fingers, then withdrew his hand and said nothing more.

Wang Churan took off one earphone and looked over. "You've been quite well-behaved today."

Tian Xi looked up slightly, glared at her, and said, "When have I ever been naughty?"

Wang Churan pouted, "When have you ever been well-behaved?"

"You!" Tian Xiwei wanted to retort, but after holding back for a long time, she couldn't utter a word.

Liu Haocun whispered from the side, "The company just issued an announcement. Aren't you concerned about your own situation at all?"

Tian Xi pouted slightly and said without looking up, "What's there to care about? I know I didn't do those things."

Despite saying that, she still clicked on the third and fourth trending topics: #TianXiweiTruth# and #TianXiweiBeing80#.

The first thing Li Yitong did when she got to work in the morning was to have Yang Tianzhen upload and publish the prepared documents and evidence one by one.

This clarifies that the online reports of Tian Xiwei's fight stemmed from a verbal argument and misunderstanding that led to a brawl. The young and naive individuals were disciplined by the school and recognized their mistakes.

At the same time as the announcement was released, more than ten videos featuring real bystanders explaining the situation were posted on the personal accounts of Tian Xiwei's junior high school classmates and homeroom teacher, and Mohen Media subsequently reposted and verified them.

By summarizing the perspectives of various students and teachers, onlookers were able to reconstruct the truth of the incident.

The incident started when a girl lost her phone, and Tian Xiwei happened to have the same model. As a result, she was mistaken for the thief, which led to a verbal altercation and scuffle, which eventually escalated into a fight. During the altercation, Tian Xiwei was hit on the head by a studded sneaker and bled.

Along with these videos, Tian Xiwei also posted a video on her own account, apologizing for the vulgar comments she made online a few days ago. She said that she was emotional because she was concerned about her friends, and apologized to the netizens who were hurt by her words. She promised to pay more attention to her words and actions in the future and asked everyone to supervise her.

Once these videos were released, public opinion surrounding Tian Xiwei instantly reversed.

It turns out she was the one who was being bullied!

[1v3, well done!]

Where are those who criticized her? Come out and apologize!

But some people still speak sarcastically.

[Fighting at such a young age, even if it was forced, how good can one's character be?]

[They're still swearing online; their manners are questionable.]

[Is Mohen trying to divert attention? Instead of explaining Shen Mo's situation, he's using Tian Xiwei as a scapegoat.]

Tian Xiwei looked at the comments, and her fingers itched again, but she resisted the urge.

She took a deep breath, turned off her phone, and leaned against the mirror.

Liu Haocun looked at her. "Tian'er, aren't you angry?"

Tian Xiwei was silent for a few seconds, then said, "They're not worth my anger."

Liu Haocun was stunned for a moment.

Tian Xiwei continued, "Those who are criticizing me don't even know me. They're criticizing the Tian Xiwei they imagine."

She paused for a moment, then said, "Now that I've explained it clearly, that's enough."

Liu Haocun looked at her, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

"Tian'er, you've grown up."

"I've always been big, okay?" Tian Xi pouted slightly. "And don't talk to me in such a mature tone; I'm older than you!"

Wang Churan chuckled beside him, then stretched and puffed out his chest.

"Big? How are you big? Are you bigger than me? Or bigger than Sister Meng?"

"Wang Churan! You're asking for it again!"

-----------------

In the office, Li Yitong had just put down her phone and hadn't even had time to look closely at the public opinion feedback about Tian Xiwei on the screen when the office door was pushed open.

Li Qin walked in, holding an iPad, her expression not very good.

"Lin Wei gave it to me." She handed over the iPad.

"The online public opinion we just captured hasn't made it onto the list yet, but the online trolls are boosting the trending topics very quickly. I estimate it won't be long before it makes it onto the list."

Li Yitong took the phone and glanced down at it.

[Exclusive Scoop: Dilraba Dilmurat Acts Like a Diva on the Set of "Go Fighting!", Abuses Staff, and Threatens to Fire Three People!]

[A fired employee tearfully accused her: She didn't treat her staff like human beings at all!]

[Photos from the scene revealed: Dilraba angrily throws a water bottle, staff bow their heads in apology!]

The accompanying photos are several blurry pictures. Dilraba is standing there with water splashing at her feet, and several people with their heads down are standing opposite her.

The angle is tricky, cutting off the beginning and the end.

The comments section is already buzzing.

[Dilraba? That soft and sweet girl? No way!]

[It's all just a persona; how many celebrities in the entertainment industry are genuine?]

[Even the dismissed staff members have spoken out, so how could it be fake?]

What's going on with Mohen? Liu Haocun, Tian Xiwei, Shen Mo, and now it's Dilraba's turn?

Is this company cursed? One artist after another is getting into trouble!

Li Yitong looked at the comments, remained silent for a few seconds, then threw her iPad on the table, leaned back in her chair, tilted her head back, and stared blankly at the ceiling.

"Hmm," she said weakly, "why don't you take this seat?"

Li Qin stood to the side, pursing her lips and looking down at her.

"I'm really tired." Li Yitong's voice was muffled, with a hint of playfulness, and also a trace of grievance that she herself was unaware of.

"This opponent clearly doesn't want us to have an easy time."

"One after another, in turn, like playing whack-a-mole."

"I just shut down Xiaotian's stall, and now Reba's is popping up again."

"Is it your turn tomorrow? Or Mengyan's?"

Li Qin looked at her, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

Then he reached out and placed another document on her stomach. "Wanqing asked me to give this to you."

Li Yitong glanced down and said, "Huaguang Media, the company that called Xiaotian and her parents."

"Hmm." Li Qin's voice was indifferent. "The equity stake went through five layers before we finally saw a familiar name."

Li Yitong narrowed her eyes. "Wang Zhonglei?"

Li Lin nodded.

Li Yitong stared at the name, remained silent for a few seconds, then smiled, "Not surprising at all."

She picked up the document and looked at it again. "Even if I were to guess blindly, I would guess their identities."

Li Lin stood to the side without saying a word. Li Yitong finished reading the document, looked up, and looked at her.

"Hoo."

"Um?"

"Thank you."

Li Qin was taken aback. "What are you thanking me for?"

Li Yitong didn't answer, but reached out and patted her shoulder, then sat up straight, took a deep breath, and instantly felt as if she had been recharged.

"Alright, let's get down to business."

She pushed the iPad to Li Qin, "I'm leaving this Reba matter to you."

"You, along with Tianzhen and Lin Wei, should contact Reba's side."

"Check if there is any on-site surveillance footage; the best evidence is surveillance footage."

"If all else fails, have the director and other crew members come out as witnesses."

Li Lin nodded and turned to leave, but after taking two steps, she stopped and looked back at Li Yitong.

"And you?"

Li Yitong picked up the document about Huaguang Media and waved it around. "For me?"

A slight smile played on her lips, a cold glint in her eyes. "I'm going to deal with the matter concerning the two Hua brothers."

"We can't always be the ones causing us trouble, can we?"

Li Qin walked out of the office, dialing Dilraba's number as she went.

"Feed? Sister Qin?"

Dilraba's voice was a little hoarse, and her breathing was a little low.

"Reba, where are you?"

"Still in Shanghai, filming for 'Go Fighting!'... There's another day of filming tomorrow, then I'll head back to Beijing."

"What happened to you on set yesterday immediately became a trending topic."

There was a second of silence on the other end of the phone. "Sister Qin, I..."

"No need to explain," Li Qin interrupted her. "I believe you."

Dilraba was stunned. "Sister Qin?"

"The only thing that could make a soft girl like you angry is Shen Mo, right? You're protecting him, aren't you?"

Li Lin's voice remained calm, but every word was clear.

"From my personal standpoint, I support you."

"But now, some people are making a fuss about this, and rumors are circulating online that you acted like a diva, yelled at staff, and threatened the director to fire people."

Dilraba gasped, but quickly regained her composure. "I really should have acted like a diva! Thank you, Sister Qin, for telling me. I'll go and figure out a way to deal with it now."

Li Qin smiled and said, "Alright, this isn't just your problem anymore."

"They're not just attacking you; they're trying to take down every artist in Mohen one by one."

"So now, I'll help you solve this problem."

Dilraba frowned slightly; she hadn't considered things that far ahead. "Okay, Sister Qin, go ahead!"

"Is there any CCTV footage at the scene?"

Dilraba thought for a moment, "There should be."

"Variety show recordings usually involve several cameras that are almost constantly running to film behind-the-scenes footage."

"The game segment had just finished recording, and the official recording cameras and some fixed cameras on site probably didn't have time to be turned off."

"That's good."

"Should I go ask the director?"

"You don't need to ask," Li Qin said. "You don't need to do anything. Just record the show as usual, laugh when you're supposed to, and make a scene when you're supposed to. The more normal you are, the better."

Dilraba was stunned for a moment, "That's it?"

"that's all."

"But what about those things online..."

"We'll handle the online stuff, and we'll contact the director and the video recorder," Li Qin said. "What you need to do now is stay calm. Understand?"

Dilraba was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Okay!"

After hanging up the phone, Li Qin went straight to Lin Wei's public relations office.

"Lin Wei, I need you to look into a few things about Dilraba..."

Lin Wei looked away from the computer screen, where the trending topics about Dilraba were climbing rapidly.

#Dilraba is acting like a diva# - trending at number ten.

#ExtremeChallengeStaffReveals# - Number 15 on the trending topics list.

"Sister Qin, what is it?"

"First, investigate the true identities of those three people who claim to have been fired. Are they really staff members of Extreme Challenge? When did they join the company, and when did they leave?"

"Second, contact Yan Min, the director of 'Go Fighting!' and ask him for the on-site surveillance footage from that time, the more angles the better, and the faster the better."

"Third, check the marketing accounts that first posted this exposé, look at their IP addresses, and examine their transaction history."

Lin Wei paused, "Sister Lin, do you suspect this was done on purpose?"

"I only have a suspicion," Li Qin said calmly.

Lin Wei paused for a second, then said, "I understand."

Fifteen minutes later, she received her first message.

Of the three people who claimed to have been fired, one was indeed a production assistant for "Go Fighting!", having worked there for three months.

The other two weren't part of the production team at all; they were temporary workers who were just helping to move props that day. They had only been there for two days, and they joined the production team the day before Shen Mo went in.

Two hours later, Li Lin pushed open the door to Li Yitong's office.

Li Yitong was on the phone when she saw her come in and gestured for her to wait a moment.

"Okay, I got it... Hmm... Keep an eye on it... Good."

After hanging up the phone, she looked at Li Lin and asked, "How did it go?"

Li Qin walked over and placed the iPad in front of her.

On the screen was a video of the recording of "Go Fighting!", which was very clear and had excellent sound quality. The PD who was in charge of filming the behind-the-scenes video of Dilraba Dilmurat had captured this scene perfectly.

Li Yitong laughed after watching the video, "Good stuff."

Li Lin nodded. "Of those three people, one is a stagehand, and the other two are temporary workers. Shen Mo only joined the crew the day before he went in."

Li Yitong's eyes narrowed slightly. "So, they were arranged."

"Highly likely."

Li Yitong was silent for a few seconds, then said, "Take this and send it to Tianzhen to issue a notice."

Li Lin nodded and turned to leave.

"Hmph."

Li Qin stopped in his tracks, turned around to look at her, and asked, "Hmm?"

"Thank you."

Looking at Li Yitong's smiling eyes, Li Qin was taken aback for a moment, "You already thanked me."

"Then thank you again."

Li Qin's lips curled into a slight smile. "Alright, stop with the mushy stuff."

After saying that, she turned and walked out.

She stopped at the door and glanced back at Li Yitong.

Li Qin's lips curled into a slight smile. "Alright, stop with the mushy stuff."

After saying that, she turned and walked out.

She stopped at the door and glanced back at Li Yitong.

"Make sure you get some rest, otherwise someone will blame us for exhausting you when they get back, and that wouldn't be good."

Li Yitong chuckled, nodded, and raised her hands to draw a heart above her head.

[Shocking! Tencent Pictures CEO Sun Zhonghuai and Alibaba Pictures CEO Zhang Qiang have been taken away to assist in the investigation!]

When the news broke, Li Yitong was eating instant noodles in her office.

The braised beef flavor was something she had Quan Quan bring up from the convenience store downstairs; at this time, she couldn't eat anything else.

Her phone vibrated, and when she looked down at it, she froze instantly.

The instant noodle fork slipped from her hand and fell into the bowl with a "thud," splashing soup onto the table, but she didn't even bother to wipe it up.

Is Shen Mo's matter really that serious? Has it implicated other people?

She sat there, staring at the bowl of instant noodles, the steam still rising, but she couldn't eat a single bite; her mind was a complete mess.

The door was gently pushed open, and Bai Lu walked in. She glanced at the instant noodles on the table, then at her blank expression.

She didn't say anything, just walked over, picked up the instant noodles, put the lid on, and threw them into the trash can.

Then he poured a cup of hot tea and placed it in front of Li Yitong.

"Sister Tong."

Li Yitong snapped out of her reverie. Bai Lu sat down opposite her, looking very serious. "I have an idea."

"We can go and find out about Brother Mo's current situation."

Li Yitong was taken aback. "Inquire? Inquire with whom?"

"The companies that Brother Mo has invested in or acquired stakes in," Bai Lu said, "including Lei Jun, Zhang Yiming, Wang Xin, Cheng Wei, and others."

"Which of these people has a bigger social circle than us? We don't have these kinds of connections, but they might."

Li Yitong's eyes lit up for a moment, then dimmed again. "Are they willing to help?"

"We're not doing anything else," Bai Lu said. "We're just asking how long the investigation will take, not wanting to make things difficult for them."

Li Yitong was silent for a few seconds, "But I'm not familiar with them..."

Bai Lu laughed, "Sister Tong, have you forgotten who I am?"

"When Brother Mo went to meet with investors, I was his assistant."

She paused for a moment, then said, "Of course, I might have to use your name. After all, I'm just a chairman's assistant."

Li Yitong looked at her, her eyes suddenly welling up with tears, "Mengyan..."

"Alright, alright, stop getting emotional." Bai Lu waved her hand, picked up her phone, and said, "I'll call right now."

She stood up, walked to the window, and said, "Hello, is this Mr. Lei? I'm Bai Mengyan, the chairman's assistant at Mohen."

……

Meanwhile, in the investigation team's office.

Shen Mo had just finished lunch and was about to lean back in his chair and close his eyes to rest when the door was pushed open.

He opened his eyes and saw Team Leader Zhou leading two people in, each carrying a thick stack of documents.

"So soon?" Shen Mo raised an eyebrow. "Can't you even give me time to digest lunch?"

Team Leader Zhou put the documents on the table, gave a wry smile, and said, "President Shen, you may not be in a hurry, but I can see that the people outside are getting really anxious."

He sat down opposite Shen Mo. "In just this one lunch break, I've received several calls from people using various connections to inquire about the progress and end date of the investigation."

Shen Mo's lips curled up slightly. "Who are they?"

Team Leader Zhou glanced at him but didn't reply. He just pursed his lips and said, "President Shen, the whistleblower materials have been submitted to our department, so we have to investigate."

"In order to investigate your complaint as soon as possible, this morning we invited Mr. Zhang from Alibaba and Mr. Sun from Tencent to assist with the inquiry."

Shen Mo's eyes narrowed slightly.

Team Leader Zhou sighed, his tone becoming somewhat complicated, "But, President Shen, we are just ordinary staff members, and we can only follow the procedures."

His voice was very polite, even carrying a hint of trying to reach an agreement.

"We don't want to get involved in any of your struggles."

Shen Mo met his gaze, but Team Leader Zhou looked away and began flipping through the documents on the table.

"So let's finish the investigation process as soon as possible. We won't be able to provide you with lunch break time. I hope you can understand."

Shen Mo's lips curled into a slight smile. "I understand."

"Let's begin."

……

Lei Jun's call didn't keep Bai Lu waiting long. "Xiao Bai, I asked for you."

Bai Lu's heart leaped into her throat. "How did it go?"

"Shen Mo's case isn't a big problem. The report was well-written, but the evidence is clearly insufficient. They are verifying a few key points. Once the verification is complete, if there are no problems, the results should be released soon."

Bai Lu covered her mouth, her eyes instantly reddening. "Thank you, Mr. Lei! Thank you so much!"

"Alright, alright, when Shen Mo comes out, I'll have him treat me to dinner."

After hanging up the phone, Bai Lu turned to look at Li Yitong, who stood up, staring intently at her. "How did it go?"

Bai Lu took a deep breath and then smiled, "President Lei said it's not a big problem."

Li Yitong froze for a few seconds, then collapsed back into her chair as if her bones had been removed, tears streaming down her face.

Bai Lu walked over and gently hugged her. "It's alright, Sister Tong, it's alright."

Li Yitong buried her face in her shoulder, sobbing uncontrollably. The weight that had been pressing on her heart for the past two days had finally lifted.

The caption was just one sentence: "The truth may be late, but it will never be absent."

The video caused an immediate uproar in the comments section.

[Holy crap, so that's how it is!]

[Dilraba wasn't being arrogant; she was just so upset she cried!]

Those three who got fired deserved it!

Where are those who criticized Dilraba? Come out and apologize!

Following closely, related marketing accounts also quickly released "insider information".

[Exclusive Analysis: The Truth Behind Dilraba's "Diva-like" Behavior – Someone Was Behind It All!]

[Identities of the dismissed staff revealed: Both were temporary workers!]

The IP addresses of the marketing accounts that first broke the news all point to the same company!

The tide turned instantly. In less than two hours, #Dilraba'sTruth# surged to the top of the trending topics, and the original #DilrabaActingLikeADiva# was completely gone.

"Sister Tong, what are you thinking about?" Bai Lu walked into the office with two cups of milk tea, placing one in front of Li Yitong, giving her a custom-made extra pearl version.

Li Yitong didn't answer, staring at the computer screen on the desktop, deep in thought.

"Are you thinking about how to get revenge on those people?"

Li Yitong's fingers paused for a moment, and Bai Lu immediately laughed, "Your eyes are exactly the same as when Brother Mo was trying to take down Huayi."

Li Yitong looked up at her, "But I want revenge, and I don't know where to start."

Bai Lu raised an eyebrow and looked at her, "You can do the same thing as Brother Mo did before."

Li Yitong was taken aback. "You mean, short selling in the stock market? Real-world sabotage?"

Bai Lu nodded.

"But I don't know how," Li Yitong said with a wry smile. "I can't even understand candlestick charts."

Bai Lu laughed, "Sister Tong, you underestimate the people at Mohen Asset Management."

"You don't need to worry about Zhao Feng and Chen Jun's group. Just tell them your requirements."

She paused for a moment, then said, "If they can do it, they will do it. If they can't, they will tell you why. At worst, you can think of another way."

Li Yitong's eyes slowly brightened. "So you mean..."

"What I mean is," Bai Lu interrupted her, "Sister Tong, you're not alone. Don't put all the pressure on yourself."

"I'm leaving now to keep an eye on Lin Wei."

She stopped at the door, turned around and looked back. "Sister Tong, go for it! We're all behind you."

Li Yitong sat there, staring at the cup of milk tea, and remained silent for a long time before dialing Zhong Lifang's number.

"Mr. Zhong, I need you to do something for me."

"Please speak."

"Starting today, the revenue sharing settlement for all films from the Wang brothers' faction in Beijing that are shown in our theaters, as well as films from companies that are close to them, will be postponed for another year after the normal schedule."

There was a three-second silence on the other end of the phone. "Mr. Li, are you sure?"

"Sure."

"This..." Zhong Lifang hesitated for a moment, "Isn't this too harsh? Or too unruly?"

"President Zhong," Li Yitong said, "when they were dealing with Liu Haocun, did they follow the rules? When they were dealing with Tian Xiwei, did they follow the rules? When they were dealing with Shen Mo, did they follow the rules?"

Zhong Lifang remained silent.

"They don't follow the rules with me, so I don't need to follow the rules with them either." Li Yitong paused.

"Just call them and tell them it was me, Li Yitong, who said it. I'm going to make them feel the pinch!"

Zhong Lifang on the other end of the phone was silent for a few seconds, then laughed, "President Li, your personality is really similar to President Shen's."

Li Yitong paused for a moment, "Does it look like it?"

"Yes," Zhong Lifang said. "When it's time to be ruthless, they don't hold back at all."

Like Shen Mo? That's a novel idea.

But after Zhong Lifang said that, she suddenly felt that she didn't feel so guilty anymore.

After hanging up the phone, Li Yitong walked into the office of Mohen Asset Management.

"Mr. Li? What brings you here?"

Li Yitong sat down opposite him. "How's it going with the fund?"

Zhao Feng was silent for a few seconds, then handed over a document, "Entertainment Fund No. 1, 12 billion, 600 million redeemed."

Looking at that number, Li Yitong felt as if a knife had been ripped out of her heart.

What about the No. 2 Technology Internet Fund?

"18 billion, of which 5 million was redeemed."

Li Yitong closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened them.

"I contacted the bank yesterday, and my funds should be deposited tomorrow."

Li Yitong's hands clenched tightly at her sides; it hurt so much, this was her secret stash of money that she had saved for a long time.

Zhao Feng looked at her. "President Li, aren't you worried about it?"

"It breaks my heart." Li Yitong pursed her lips. "It breaks my heart to death."

"But I believe in Shen Mo, and I also believe in you, whom Shen Mo believes in."

She paused for a moment, then said, "You won't let me lose too much, will you?"

Zhao Feng suddenly laughed, "You only need to worry about how you'll spend the money now that you have more!"

Li Yitong loosened her clenched fist and looked at him earnestly. "President Zhao, I need you to do something for me."

Zhao Feng raised his head. "Please speak."

Li Yitong took a deep breath. "Without affecting the development of the fund, we will do our best to target the other companies under the Huayi brothers."

Zhao Feng glanced at Li Yitong in surprise, and subconsciously raised his eyebrows.

Li Yitong said, "Anything related to them, we'll short them if we can, and we'll snipe them if we can."

Zhao Feng looked at her, remained silent for a few seconds, and then asked, "Ms. Li, are you sure?"

"Sure."

"This requires a lot of funding..."

"I know."

"And the risks are very high..."

"I know."

"May I ask why?"

Li Yitong laughed, a laugh that was a little cold, a little ruthless, and even a little crazy.

"Mr. Zhao, do you know what 'love-struck' means?"

This unexpected answer left Zhao Feng stunned.

Li Yitong walked to the window and looked at the scenery outside, "The kind of person who can disregard winning or losing for the one they love."

Her voice was soft, but Zhao Feng could hear the determination in it: "Huayi is finished. They've messed with a woman who's obsessed with love."

The office suddenly fell silent.

Looking at her, Zhao Feng suddenly felt that this woman was really like Shen Mo, even more ruthless than Shen Mo.

Shen Mo at least considers gains and losses, but she doesn't at all.

"Understood." Zhao Feng stood up. "I'll make the arrangements right away."

Li Yitong turned to look at him and said, "Thank you."

Zhao Feng waved his hand and left.

Li Yitong was the only one left in the office. She suddenly laughed, her eyes reddening with laughter.

"Amo, look, I can protect you now too."

"In this world, you're all I have left. If anyone bullies you, I'll fight them to the death."

……

In Wang Zhonglei's office, an ashtray was smashed to the ground with a loud crash.

"What? Revenue sharing with theaters is delayed by a year?"

The voice on the other end of the phone repeated itself.

"Zhong Lifang from Mohen Cinemas called us personally. Li Yitong asked him to pass on the message to us, just to make us feel the pinch."

Wang Zhonglei was stunned for a moment, then laughed, "This crazy woman!"

"Li Yitong!"

He repeated the name again, and his emotions suddenly calmed down.

"So you can do more than just act!"

Wang Zhonglei hung up the phone, leaned back in his chair, and stared at the ceiling. He suddenly realized that he might have underestimated his opponent.

Li Yitong, the woman who always smiled innocently beside Shen Mo.

Unfortunately, this isn't just targeting me!

Do you realize how many co-producers you'll offend by delaying the revenue sharing of our theatrical films?

However, doing this really hurt her financially.

A moment later, however, he suddenly remembered something, picked up the phone, and dialed Wang Zhongjun's number.

"Brother, something's happened."

"That woman is insane!"

Wang Zhongjun on the other end of the phone sounded helpless. "Your involvement in his entertainment industry projects is fine, but you shouldn't have sent him to jail. That decision was too hasty!"

"This is an irreconcilable feud! I'm not surprised at all that Li Yitong wants revenge, and I reckon this is just the first step; she has more tricks up her sleeve."

Wang Zhongjun paused for a long time, then said, "However, now that things have come to this, you'd better hope that your report is true and that he will be found out about something."

"Otherwise, just wait for Shen Mo to take even further revenge after he gets out."

"Hmph! You think I'm afraid of him? Let them both make their moves, I'll take them all!"

……

Just before he was about to leave work, Wang Zhonglei's phone rang again.

"Mr. Wang, the new energy project that Huayi Investment has been monitoring for more than half a year has run into trouble."

Wang Zhonglei was stunned for a second. "What?"

"Inkmark intervened directly, with a 10% premium. The project team said that if we wanted to continue, we would have to pay more."

Wang Zhonglei's teacup paused in mid-air. "How much more?"

"12%." The voice on the other end of the phone sounded hesitant. "They said that without 12%, we can't compete with Inkstone Capital."

"Mr. Wang, we've calculated this project. If it's 12%, there's almost no profit. They've calculated it precisely to be right at this line."

Wang Zhonglei hung up the phone, his eyes filled with uncertain emotions.

How did they know we were talking about this project?

Before he could think about it, the phone rang again. "Mr. Wang, there's been a problem with HR."

"People from Mohen are contacting our company's middle management; there are over a dozen of them right now. They're openly poaching people, offering salaries 30% higher than ours."

Wang Zhonglei's brows furrowed immediately, his temples throbbing. "Can we keep it?"

"To retain them, most of them will have to pay more." The other party paused, "At least 25% more."

Wang Zhonglei closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and said, "More money."

Li Yitong is crazy, we're just burning money and wasting our time on her!

But before he could figure it out, a third call came a few minutes later.

"Mr. Wang, Huayi Sports has run into trouble. Five of our venues have been reported for failing fire safety standards. A surprise fire inspection ordered them to suspend operations for at least seven days."

Wang Zhonglei suddenly stood up. "Closed? Are there any events scheduled during this period?"

"There are four, but they can't be held now, and we'll have to pay a lot of penalties for breach of contract."

As soon as he hung up the phone, the veins on Wang Zhonglei's hand holding the phone bulged instantly.

"Li Yitong, very good, you're very good!"

Before he could even process what was happening, the fourth phone call came.

"Mr. Wang, the bank has sent people to Huayi Real Estate."

Wang Zhonglei's heart sank. "What is it?"

"Someone provided materials to the bank alleging significant risks in our loan program. The bank is demanding more asset documentation and collateral, otherwise..."

"Otherwise what?"

"Otherwise, the loan may be withdrawn."

Wang Zhonglei froze on the spot. In the real estate industry, the term "withdrawal of loans" is more terrifying than anything else.

If the bank withdraws the loan, the funding chain breaks, the project stops, and it becomes an abandoned project... He dared not think any further.

If the bank withdraws the loan, the funding chain breaks, the project stops, and it becomes an abandoned project... He dared not think any further.

"Who reported me?" His voice was already rising.

The other party was silent for two seconds. "It's most likely Mohen, and the complaint materials contain detailed data about our project."

"There's a mole inside!"

Wang Zhonglei plopped back into his chair, his phone slipping from his hand and falling to the floor. He stared at the ceiling, his mind blank.

In less than half an hour, Huayi Investment, Huayi Sports, Huayi Real Estate... were stabbed in the back from four directions.

The person who stabbed him in the back was Li Yitong, the "pretty face" he had mocked. How ridiculous!