Life countdown begins, ice queen bursts into security room

The following morning. Kyoto, Star Shine Entertainment headquarters.

Zhou Hongtao sat in the boss's chair. The embarrassment of being thrown out of Fanyin Studio by security guards last night still lingered in his heart.

He picked up the coffee beside him, but hadn't brought it to his lips yet.

"Bang!"

The two solid wood doors of the office were forcefully pushed open from the outside, and the doors slammed against the wall with a loud bang.

Zhou Hongtao's hand trembled, and brown coffee spilled onto the mahogany table.

Several senior executives crowded at the door, sweating profusely.

"Don't you have any manners?" Zhou Hongtao slammed his coffee cup down on the table.

The marketing director, who was walking at the front, didn't care about the boss's temper at all. He took a few steps to the desk and put his hands on the table.

"Mr. Zhou, something's happened." The marketing director's voice trembled. "All the cinemas in the Yangtze River Delta region have forced us to pull all three films we invested in from theaters."

Zhou Hongtao frowned.

"There are still twelve commercial endorsements worth tens of millions of yuan, and the brands sent unilateral termination letters overnight."

The veins on the back of Zhou Hongtao's hand bulged.

Before he could even speak, another woman rushed in from outside the corridor.

Jiang Wei's agent. Her hair was disheveled, one of her high heels had slipped off, and she was clutching her phone tightly in her hand.

"President Zhou! Jiang Wei's three variety show appearances and two lead roles in dramas have all been replaced! They've even paid the breach of contract fees, but they still won't use her!"

Immediately afterwards, the internal telephone on the desk rang abruptly.

Zhou Hongtao pressed the speakerphone button.

The CFO's voice came through, trembling with tears.

"Mr. Zhou, at 9:30 when the market opened, Xinghui's stock was immediately hammered down to the daily limit by a massive sell order of 200,000 lots. In just half an hour, its market value evaporated by 1.2 billion."

Only heavy breathing could be heard in the office.

Zhou Hongtao slumped back in his chair.

Overnight, Xinghui's roots in the Yangtze River Delta were uprooted.

"Investigate." Zhou Hongtao's voice was tense. "Was it Tang Yingxue who did it?"

Several executives shook their heads.

"It's definitely not Tang Yingxue. Universal Entertainment doesn't have that kind of influence. This isn't something money can buy."

As they were talking, Zhou Hongtao's phone, which was on the table, vibrated.

The screen showed that the caller was an elderly board member from Shanghai.

This senior director has extensive connections in both the political and business circles of Shanghai, and can be considered the pillar of Xinghui in the south.

Zhou Hongtao grabbed the phone and pressed the answer button.

"Old Chen, what exactly is going on in Shanghai?"

On the other end of the phone, Old Chen's voice was trembling uncontrollably.

"Zhou Hongtao, who exactly have you messed with?"

"I didn't provoke anyone. I just went to Fanyin Studio yesterday."

"Fan Yin Studio? I just found out through connections. Last night, it was Gu Qingqiu, the head of Shengda Group, who personally issued the blacklist order."

After saying that, Old Chen hung up the phone.

Zhou Hongtao's hand holding the phone froze in mid-air.

Gu Qingqiu.

Shengda Group controls half of the commercial real estate and cinema chains in China.

Zhou Hongtao slumped in the boss's chair, his palms covered in cold sweat.

Jiang Fan is just a songwriter, and he used to be a security guard. How could he possibly be involved with a big shot like Gu Qingqiu?

Zhou Hongtao couldn't understand it, but he was clear about one thing.

Star Shine Entertainment is finished.

He picked up his phone and scrolled through his contacts.

The only family that can save Xinghui now is the Jiang family in Beijing.

Jiang Yu is one of the three major capital backers of Xinghui. The Jiang family's influence in Beijing may be comparable to that of Gu Qingqiu.

He dialed Jiang Yu's number.

In a private room of the Heaven on Earth, a top-tier club in Beijing.

Jiang Yu lay on the large bed, wrapped in a bathrobe, his head throbbing from the hangover.

The young actress next to him was kneeling down and massaging his temples with her hands.

Another personal cell phone on the bedside table vibrated.

This was the number he used specifically to contact the underground community.

Jiang Yu took the phone and answered it.

"Young Master Jiang, something terrible has happened." The subordinate's voice was filled with fear.

"Last night, the Shanghai Special Police were mobilized and sealed off all of Zhao Tianhu's establishments in Shanghai. Zhao Tianhu and his men were all arrested."

Jiang Yu suddenly opened his eyes and pushed the actress's hand away.

"What did you say? Zhao Tianhu was wiped out in one fell swoop?"

"Yes. It was a direct order from above, without any prior warning. Even the president of the chamber of commerce didn't dare to step in to protect him."

Jiang Yu sat up straight.

Zhao Tianhu was deeply entrenched in Shanghai, and to be able to uproot him overnight was something no ordinary person could do.

He had just hung up the phone when another cell phone on the table rang.

The screen displays Zhou Hongtao.

Jiang Yu pressed the answer button.

"Young Master Jiang," Zhou Hongtao's voice came through, weak, "something's happened to Xinghui."

"Is the sky falling? Why are we wailing so early in the morning?" Jiang Yu was feeling quite agitated.

"Xinghui's stock hit the daily limit down at the opening, and all its distribution channels in the Yangtze River Delta region were blocked." Zhou Hongtao quickly recounted the situation.

Jiang Yu leaned against the headboard; he owned 30% of Xinghui Entertainment's shares.

He picked up the cigarette pack on the table and took out a cigarette.

The actress came over and lit his cigarette with a lighter.

"Who did this?"

"Shengda Group." Zhou Hongtao swallowed hard. "Gu Qingqiu."

Jiang Yu's first puff of smoke choked him, causing him to cough violently.

The cigarette in my hand fell onto the bed sheet, burning a black hole in it.

The actress quickly reached out and patted his back.

"Young Master Jiang, please slow down."

"Get out of here!" Jiang Yu slapped the actress across the face.

The actress was hit and fell to the ground, covering her face and not daring to make a sound.

Ignoring the cigarette that had fallen on the bed, Jiang Yu grabbed his phone and his voice changed.

"Say it again, who is it?"

"Gu Qingqiu of Shengda Group," Zhou Hongtao repeated.

Jiang Yu's hand holding the phone trembled slightly.

Given his position, he knew the inside story about Gu Qingqiu.

She is the illegitimate daughter of a top tycoon in Shanghai.

But what truly made her feared within the circle was her grandfather, a founding hero of the nation.

In terms of seniority, even his grandfather would have to bow his head and call him "Chief".

He was considered a prince in the capital, but in front of Gu Qingqiu, he was nothing.

Zhou Hongtao was still crying on the other end of the phone.

"Young Master Jiang, you have to step in and support him. That Gu Qingqiu is trying to ruin Xinghui for some pretty boy named Jiang Fan. If you don't take action, Xinghui will be finished."

Jiang Yu's hand holding the phone trembled uncontrollably.

Jiang Fan.

Last night he sent Zhao Tianhu to cripple Jiang Fan's hand, but Zhao Tianhu was caught and killed by the special police.

Today, Gu Qingqiu blacklisted Xinghui.

Jiang Fan is not some songwriter without a background at all; he is someone Gu Qingqiu is protecting.

Sending people to attack Gu Qingqiu's man is tantamount to courting death.

"Fuck you, Zhou Hongtao!" Jiang Yu cursed into his phone. "You're asking for it, don't drag me into this! From this day forward, Xinghui Entertainment has nothing to do with me!"

On the other end of the phone, Zhou Hongtao was stunned.

"Young Master Jiang, you can't just ignore this. You own shares in Xinghui."

"I don't want the shares anymore!" Jiang Yu stood up and paced back and forth in the private room. "I'll arrange a private jet to Shanghai right away."

Zhou Hongtao thought Jiang Yu was going to settle things, and a glimmer of hope ignited in his heart.

"Young Master Jiang, since you've come to Shanghai in person, Gu Qingqiu should at least give you some face."

"Give me face?" Jiang Yu roared through gritted teeth. "I'm going to kowtow and apologize to Miss Gu! You can just wash your neck clean and wait to die!"