Just because I wrote "Zhu Xian," the school beauty sent me razor blades.

[An episode where the disciple feels sorry for the sect leader]

The mornings in Venice are awakened by the long, hoarse Italian tune sung by gondoliers on the canals.

On the wooden terrace of the second floor of the waterfront guesthouse, two rattan chairs are bathed in the warm Mediterranean sun.

Lin Yuan was wearing a slightly wrinkled white cotton-linen shirt, with the sleeves casually rolled up at his elbows. He was holding a frying pan and sliding two golden-brown, soft-boiled eggs into a white porcelain plate.

Gu Zhiwan walked barefoot on the cool stone bricks, wearing a loose beige cardigan, her long hair loosely tied back with a delicate silver hairpin adorned with edelweiss. She took a deep breath of the air, which carried the slightly salty smell of seawater and the aroma of freshly baked croissants, and casually poured herself two glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice.

"How about we feed the pigeons in St. Mark's Square today, and then take the water bus to Burano this afternoon?" Gu Zhiwan took a bite of a crispy croissant, her eyes crinkling with joy.

"I'll listen to you." Lin Yuan pushed the sliced ​​figs to her side, a faint smile playing on his lips.

The phone screen, resting on the corner of the wooden table, flickered occasionally, but mostly it was a system notification while it was on silent, or a brief reporting email from Fei Zhao every few days. Lin Yuan pushed the phone into the shadows and continued peeling the boiled egg in his hand.

The towering waves on the other side of the ocean seemed to have no effect on this corner of the water city, far from the spotlight.

……

However, in the domestic entertainment industry, 9,000 kilometers away, undercurrents were already surging.

Eight months have passed since Lin Yuan's sensational Weibo post announcing his "two-year break."

Lin Yuan's decision to press the pause button relinquished a massive portion of the Chinese music and film industry's market share and commercial potential. Countless eager capital giants rushed to the scene, and among them, Starway Entertainment was the fastest and most ruthless in its actions.

Starway poured all of the company's resources into creating a phenomenal superstar named "Bolakun" in just over half a year.

With a formal education from a prestigious overseas university, an all-around singer-songwriter, avant-garde arrangements popular in Europe and America, and a visually striking stage presence, Bolaikun has risen like a rocket, rapidly reaping the attention of the younger generation at an astonishing speed, thanks to hundreds of millions of marketing press releases and capital backing from Xingtu.

At the Chinese Golden Melody Awards ceremony that just concluded last night, Bo Laikun swept four awards, including "Best Singer-Songwriter of the Year" and "Best Pop Album," making him the talk of the town.

On the awards stage, a young man in his early twenties held the trophy, his slightly wavy hair obscuring half of his eye. Facing countless flashing lights, he remained calm and composed: "Thank you to the judges for recognizing music of the new era. The Chinese music scene shouldn't just be about nostalgia for the past; it needs new blood, new waves, and I am on that path."

This speech seemed flawless at first glance, but as soon as the awards ceremony ended, hundreds of marketing accounts from Starway Entertainment, which had been poised to launch their attack, swarmed out like sharks smelling blood:

[Berlekun wins four Golden Melody Awards! The mantle of power in the Chinese music scene has been passed on!]

From songwriting and composition to visual arts: The new king who can end the myth of Lin Yuan has finally appeared.

[The Retired Lin Yuan and the Crowned Bo Laikun: The Chinese music scene is weeding out the old era of stagnation.]

The press release made no mention of Lin Yuan, yet every sentence was a dig at him. The meticulously edited video, produced by investors, went viral on short video platforms, quickly igniting one of the most intense online feuds among various social circles.

Berlek's young new fans are incredibly powerful, dominating major music charts and forums:

Admit it, some people who retired from the entertainment industry are outdated. Who listens to those old-fashioned pop songs anymore?

[My brother's output in one year is equivalent to that of some people in two years, and it's all in avant-garde and experimental styles. The prestige of the awards speaks for itself. Has Lin Yuan received so many certifications from top international musicians?]

[He's been gone for almost a year. He's probably already creatively exhausted and can't write any more songs. Why does he insist on calling it a vacation? Can't fans stop living in the past?]

These arrogant remarks thoroughly enraged Lin Yuan's enormous group of book fans, movie fans, and veteran music lovers, who were usually almost dormant.

【What? "When the cat's away, the mice will play," right? Those mediocre awards your brother won, weren't they all things that Lin Shen (Lin Yi-chen) had already done back then?】

[Trying to piggyback on the popularity of fast-food-style pop music with hits like "Years" and "Silence"? Are these paid promoters for Xingtu really not afraid of breaking their teeth?!]

[When Lin Shen was around, you didn't even dare to breathe loudly, but now that he's on vacation, all sorts of demons and monsters have crawled out and set up camp on the mountain?]

However, a considerable number of longtime fans also felt exhausted:

[Alright, stop arguing, it's just making things worse for Lin Shen. He's quietly living a peaceful life with his wife in Europe, he doesn't care about these empty titles at all.]

[A bystander watching the drama unfold: Berlekun does have some talent, but his shameless attempt to piggyback on Lin Yuan's fame is truly appalling... Lin Yuan, when are you going to come back and put some order on things? Without you, the Chinese-speaking world has really become a plaything of capital!]

The flames of war raged across Weibo supertopics, Douban groups, and even short video comment sections. But no matter how chaotic the online arguments were, the personal account verified as "director and writer Lin Yuan" remained unchanged from the Weibo post about "departure" eight months ago.

……

The top floor of Tianxing Entertainment's headquarters, the president's office.

His dark circles were concealed by a fine foundation. Fei Zhao rubbed his throbbing temples. On his desk were several thick stacks of unsigned termination letters and project withdrawal assessment forms.

"Mr. Fei, Starway has made another move." The deputy walked in with a serious expression. "The strategic cooperation we originally finalized with the Frankfurt International Film Festival for screenings in the second half of the year has been snatched away by Starway. They brought in Berlechon to be their brand ambassador and promised comprehensive sponsorship for a European tour... They just sent a breach of contract letter this morning."

Fei Zhao held an unlit cigarette between his fingers and sneered, "As expected. Anything else?"

"Also... the two up-and-coming arrangers we signed with the Central Conservatory of Music last month submitted their resignations today. They're going to work for a subsidiary of Starway, and the penalty for breach of contract will be paid in full. In addition, the two major investors who had originally agreed to work on two mid-sized web dramas that Tianxing is preparing for have become vague today, both subtly inquiring about... whether Director Lin is coming back or not."

The deputy's voice trailed off: "The online trolls have been spreading rumors that Tianxing is just sitting around doing nothing without Lin Yuan, their pillar of strength. If Director Lin really doesn't come back in two years, the company's valuation might plummet..."

"Get out." Fei Zhao suddenly looked up, his narrow eyes flashing with a cold, razor-sharp light. "Tianxing relies on Lin Yuan for its survival, but it's not some incompetent workshop that has to close down without him! Tell those two investors that if they want to withdraw their investment, they need to send over the stamped agreement by 4 PM today, and they won't get a penny less in the penalty for breach of contract; if they don't want to withdraw, they should shut up and follow the contract!"

The office door closed.

Fei Zhao stood alone in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, looking down at the bustling CBD of Beijing, and let out a long sigh.

Xingtu's methods are extremely ruthless. This is not a simple case of artist sabotage, but a long-planned capital attack. They used Bolaikun as a sharp knife to tear apart Tianxing's public opinion defenses, secretly poaching Tianxing's core members and intercepting commercial resources, attempting to completely squeeze Tianxing out of the top tier before Lin Yuan's return.

She was under unprecedented pressure. All she had to do was make a phone call to Lin Yuan, and that man wouldn't even need to return to China. He could simply record a two-minute clarification video overseas or casually release a demo, and he could shatter the "new king" persona that Berlekun had painstakingly cultivated.

But Fei Zhao lingered on the contacts list for a long time before finally putting down his phone.

She had promised to protect his rear. The young man, who had fought his way up from the mud to the altar, had finally stopped to catch his breath, and she would never willingly become the sinner who dragged him back into the hellish battlefield.

After pondering for a long time, Fei Zhao opened his email and typed out a report.