The charity dinner that evening was broadcast live, a glamorous affair that captured everyone’s attention. The murder that took place during the dinner was so abrupt that the cameras hadn’t even been turned off in time.

“A life for a life, removing evil for the people, this is true charity,” Li Chu said, his face covered in blood yet smiling. He looked up at a shocked Shen Huai, “President Shen, don’t look at me like that. I’ve been driven to this point, all thanks to you.”

This was the “unvengeful” Li Chu’s doing.

His words were clearly broadcast live.

Li Chu hadn’t committed a crime of passion; it was premeditated. The incident caused a nationwide uproar. Although Li Chu was quickly detained for trial, the evidence he had collected about Shen Huai was made public, and the fervor could not be suppressed. Even if deleted, desperate fans continued to share it.

This marked the beginning of Shen Huai’s downfall.

Eventually, Li Chu received a life sentence, and as the years passed, the incident faded. But the closure of Guang Ying Entertainment, the turmoil in Jiang Hai Media, and Shen Huai’s downfall were all closely linked to him.

Su Ning might seem naive, but he hadn’t realized that Li Chu’s innocent facade was just that—a facade. This person was ruthlessly decisive.

After Chen Yuan left, Su Ning still puzzled over it: “Does Little President Shen not think it’s feasible? I’ve seen him dance; I think Li Chu is very suitable for debuting.”

His judgment had never been off.

“I have no doubts about Li Chu’s abilities,” Shen Mingzheng shook his head, “but I think he’s too preoccupied with other things.”

He was reminding Su Ning that Li Chu was still collaborating with Shen Huai and to be cautious, placing all bets on him might not be stable.

Su Ning was helping him, and he in turn gave a few reminders, a fair exchange.

But Su Ning’s first thought was of Zhou Chunqing, thinking the discussion was about issues at Li Chu’s home.

All poor kids.

Su Ning, with his mature mind, viewed Li Chu and the others as if they were his own children. Given his professional habits, he had a protective instinct towards talented artists, not to mention the original owner’s misdeeds, which left a debt of guilt.

Seeing Su Ning sigh, Shen Mingzheng knew he had misunderstood.

But many things hadn’t happened yet, and without solid evidence about Li Chu’s collaboration with Shen Huai, it was hard for Shen Mingzheng to be explicit. So, he knocked on the table, changing the topic: “Director Chen left you little time. When do you want to meet the people from Qilin?”

“Hold on,” Su Ning waved his hand, “you reminded me, I want to let Li Chu compete, but I haven’t discussed it with him yet. I need to ask his opinion first; this is more important than meeting Qilin.”

The other board members were busy making connections with Qilin, possibly thinking that after Su Ning withdrew, there was no hope for a debut slot from Guang Ying Entertainment, not caring that there was still a chance for their trainees to appear.

But this was a different focus among the trainees.

Li Chu had been practicing dance all morning at the company, his phone tucked in his backpack, oblivious to the outside world.

But not everyone was as focused; feeling disturbed by others whispering around him and walking about with their phones instead of practicing.

He was still nursing some minor injuries from the day before, which started to hurt after long periods of dancing. Just as he was about to pack up and leave, he accidentally bumped into someone.

Li Chu, somewhat a loner among the trainees, was outstanding but usually kept to himself. Some didn’t like his attitude. After the collision, he apologized first, only to receive a sarcastic response.

“What’s the rush?”

These were two boys who had joined the company at the same time as him, similar in age but not on good terms.

Li Chu didn’t want to start a conflict at that moment, preferring to leave. Normally, they wouldn’t pursue him, but today, for some reason, they blocked his way aggressively.

“I hate your attitude,” one of them snorted, “Just because Young Master Su withdrew, doesn’t mean the slot will definitely go to you. Stop scheming; no one likes you here!”

At that, Li Chu was genuinely confused, “Su Ning withdrew?”

“You didn’t know? Stop pretending,” they sneered, “Who doesn’t know about it by now?”

Li Chu frowned and pulled out his phone from his backpack, quickly checking the trending news.

After the live broadcast, the internet was full of clips of Su Ning answering questions, speaking clearly and confidently, which changed many people’s impressions of him.

Refreshing the feed, the official blog of Idol Star Map Season 4 released news about a change in the competition format, astonishingly fast even displaying a new poster.

— “Revival VS Challenge.”

A comeback competition was indeed happening.

Aside from facing previously eliminated contestants, others also had a chance, explaining why these people were too distracted to dance.

But why were these two blocking him?

Did he still have a chance?

Li Chu put away his phone. These two were easy to bait, and their conversation revealed everything.

News inside Guang Ying Entertainment spread quickly; these people soon knew that Su Ning had reserved a slot for him. And just before, Director Yao specifically came to get Li Chu’s information, which was telling.

The attention and benefits that Li Chu might gain from this situation naturally made others envious and angry.

Didn’t they say the company executives didn’t like him?

Hearing this, Li Chu frowned. He didn’t believe Guang Ying Entertainment was so generous, but these two were blocking his way, speaking rudely, and his temper was also short.

“Whether this slot is for me, I don’t know, but it definitely isn’t for you two,” he retorted, “After all, you both participated in the selection show together, had plenty of screen time, but the highest you ranked was forty-six, right? You came back early.”

Guang Ying Entertainment, as an investor, had more than one slot initially. These two went with Su Ning, but they made no significant impact.

Li Chu wouldn’t have brought it up, but mentioning it now only inflamed them further, and they stepped forward to push him.

Li Chu was not weak; he had been dancing since childhood and was strong. Just as he was about to fight back, he caught something from the corner of his eye and stopped.

Then he swiftly pulled back his hands, only to be shoved to the ground with a thud. The two, still furious, were about to kick him when they heard a voice from behind.

“What are you two doing?!”

Su Ning had just entered and saw Li Chu with a backpack, pushed to the ground by two obviously taller guys looking menacing and ready to kick.

The two changed their expression at the sight of Su Ning, called out “Young Master Su,” glanced at each other, and stammered an explanation: “No, it’s Li Chu’s fault, he just…”

“I clearly saw you two pushing someone! Go check the surveillance!” Su Ning was also angry, “You should be dancing in the dance room, not bullying others, right?”

They dared not speak anymore.

But Li Chu, leveraging the momentum, stood up and began to quietly explain: “Young Master, it’s not their fault, just a little disagreement, I’m fine.”

Those deceitful green teas!

The two were furious but indeed, they were the ones who had instigated the conflict first. Checking the surveillance would confirm it, and asking others in the practice room wouldn’t help their case.

Su Ning brushed the dust off his clothes and asked, “What’s the matter? Why are they bullying you? Tell me.”

“It’s just rumors in the company, not to be taken seriously,” Li Chu said, “They mentioned there’s a comeback competition and a slot, and the company wants to push me forward. How could that be possible?”

Last time, he had a chance but was forcefully pulled out by Su Ning. Would this person really let him participate in his place?

But the next second, Li Chu heard something unexpected from Su Ning.

“Why not possible?” Su Ning replied, “I chose you.”

Although Guang Ying Entertainment signed many trainees, not many met the standards, most had just joined in the past two months and hadn’t even mastered the basics. Only a few had experience and had participated in the selection with Su Ning, except for Li Chu who was left behind.

Li Chu: “…”

He nearly forgot his pitiful facade at those words, suddenly looking up, especially after hearing what Su Ning added.

“I not only want to send you to the revival competition, but after seeing your information, I think you’ll be the one who advances, even one of the final seven to debut,” Su Ning said this very confidently, “as long as the audience has eyes, they will choose you.”

Such big words, even Li Chu dared not utter.

He had stopped dreaming that big.

Even if he really participated, his chances of competing for a debut slot were slim. Others had been accumulating fans since the show started, and he was entering halfway with nothing. Just grabbing a bit of attention and popularity would be considered good.

Su Ning, where did he get such strong confidence in him?

But, admittedly, even if Li Chu didn’t believe it rationally, he couldn’t help but be moved when he heard these words.

The audience has eyes, they will choose me.

It had been a long time since he heard such a resolute affirmation.

Shen Mingzheng was there too, witnessing it all.

Initially, he shouldn’t have meddled so much, but now he was curious about Su Ning; this storyline was completely different from what he had experienced in his past life, all because of the person before him.

Li Chu knew his fall was deliberate; if he had wanted to resist, those two fools wouldn’t have had a chance. Sure enough, he started acting at the blink of an eye.

But even the cunning Li Chu was momentarily swayed upon hearing Su Ning’s words, almost forgetting his act and blurted out, “Su Ning, are you serious?”

The two standing nearby heard this and felt indignant, finding the claim too exaggerated, and began to chime in, “Young Master Su, Li Chu has caused trouble before, he’s not that…”

“I know about Li Chu’s past incidents, and they weren’t his fault, they were mine,” Su Ning interrupted them, surveying the room as many watched, knowing that those dissatisfied weren’t limited to these two.

Even though these people indeed couldn’t match Li Chu in skills and practice time, no one wanted to admit they were inferior.

“I asked him to compete, not based on my subjective judgment, nor as any kind of kind compensation,” Su Ning said, “The artist management department at our company has an official account that posts clips of trainees on various platforms, everyone has appeared, I just looked at the backend data, and Li Chu is the best, even you two, who have been on a formal selection show, can’t match him in certain metrics.”

“If anyone doesn’t believe it, I’ll send a data report later for you to see if I’m talking nonsense.”

Guang Ying Entertainment’s artist management department was newly established and had recruited trainees only a few months ago. It had little inherent traffic and hadn’t bought followers, relying almost entirely on organic data. Only after Su Ning’s batch joined Idol Star Map did some people start to take an interest.

Mostly, the footage was from the practice room. Guang Ying Entertainment, learning from Qilin’s methods and also intentionally maintaining a sense of mystery about their trainees, often used wide shots in their videos, many times the faces weren’t clear, and everyone wore Guang Ying Entertainment’s uniform dance outfits. Even so, Li Chu stood out significantly.

Whenever he appeared, especially when he danced, the views, likes, and on some platforms, the completion rates and repeat views spiked noticeably. Among the sparse comments and chat messages, many mentioned him, even if they didn’t know his name or couldn’t see his face clearly, some persistently inquired.

“Who’s the second guy from the right?”

“I think he should be in the center position; his part is too small.”

“Wow, that wave was so on point! It’s almost as good as the original.”

Su Ning had seen all this.

The night before, while checking his injuries, he also noticed others; dancers have marks on their bodies, the calluses on his hands and feet, his movements even walking were different from others. Later, he casually flipped through the official videos to confirm this idea.

After thoroughly reviewing Li Chu’s profile today, especially knowing he could have gone to Qilin, the top in the industry, but chose Guang Ying Entertainment due to some issues, Su Ning was even more certain.

“If I hadn’t known this, I wouldn’t have confidently proposed this comeback competition plan to Director Chen,” Su Ning said, “Li Chu, I want you to know, it’s not because the format change plan was set with a slot available that I found you, but because I met you last night that this comeback competition exists.”

“Strictly speaking, this slot wasn’t given to you because you were there, but because of you, it exists.”

His words silenced everyone present.

“I know you really need this opportunity, sorry for being late,” Su Ning said, then lowered his voice so only Li Chu could hear, “You and Zhou Chunqing have debts, a large amount still unpaid, that’s why she said she couldn’t leave and had to stay by Jiang Chenfeng’s side. If you can debut, Li Chu, you can help her.”

“This is what I owe you, and I’m returning it.”

Li Chu suddenly looked up at him.

If he was merely shaken by that previous statement, now he was truly moved, almost able to feel his heart pounding intensely.

Then Su Ning asked him, “So, Li Chu, would you like to participate?”

In Li Chu’s eyes, this man was still a scoundrel, Su Ning had committed many wrongs, but at this moment, he couldn’t deny that the look in Su Ning’s eyes seemed to be shining.

Li Chu paused for a long while, then replied quietly, “I…I want to try.”

Then hesitated, “Really? Can I?”

Su Ning smiled, “You can.”

Because of these words, Li Chu was somewhat dazed on the way back. Su Ning even gave him a ride back to the trainee dorms, told him a doctor would come to check on him soon, advised him to rest well, and then left.

He didn’t make any other demands, seeming genuinely there just to talk about this.

And a doctor…

Despite saying it wasn’t necessary the night before, Su Ning still remembered.

Li Chu felt like someone frozen suddenly immersed in warm water, utterly at a loss.

Su Ning, Su Ning…

After doing all this, Su Ning left the building where the trainees lived. Shen Mingzheng’s car was parked by the roadside, seemingly waiting just for him.

He recognized the car now; getting in was familiar, even becoming acquainted with Shen Mingzheng, he immediately said, “Li Chu agreed, now we can go to Qilin. Of course, I still need Little President Shen to drive me there.”

Shen Mingzheng signaled Chen Tao to start the car, then asked, “What about your own car?”

“You might not believe it,” Su Ning sighed, “I can’t even afford the fuel anymore.”

The original owner really knew how to spend.

“Young Master Su need not joke, Guang Ying Entertainment is famously wealthy,” Shen Mingzheng said, “Not to mention, just in this little while, your company’s shareholders have started to act, Director Chen just told me, someone even tried to bribe Qilin’s Liang Xiaoliang, General Liang, and he scolded them over the phone.”

“Going to Qilin now, be prepared for not the best reception.”

Su Ning: “…”

Are these shareholders really that wealthy?

Good at nothing else, they’re quick to cause trouble for themselves, managing to stir up trouble in just a little while.

Good at making a mess, not so much at achieving.

“We need to hurry then,” Su Ning said, “or the situation will change.”

Shen Mingzheng’s offer to drive him was not only because of what Director Chen tasked him with and related interests but also out of curiosity.

Li Chu harbored much resentment towards Su Ning, to be swayed to such an extent at this moment, if it were Liang General of Qilin, who was over forty and had a formidable reputation, what would he have to say?

Qilin Entertainment wasn’t located in Hai Cheng but in Gui Jiang, a three to four-hour drive away. Unlike others who chose to communicate by phone first, hoping to seize the initiative, Su Ning went in person.

This matter required a face-to-face meeting, no slacking, no delay.

During the several hours in the car, Chen Tao drove seriously, Shen Mingzheng reviewed documents, but he couldn’t help but keep an eye on Su Ning.

Su Ning seemed very composed, after getting in the car, he quietly watched videos on his phone, considerately using headphones instead of playing it out loud.

He still had the mind for this?

Shen Mingzheng glanced at him, flipped a few more pages of his documents, and after half an hour, couldn’t help but ask, “What are you watching?”

Su Ning heard him, took off his headphones, and asked, “Did I disturb Little President Shen?”

Shen Mingzheng shook his head, and Su Ning turned his phone around to show him, explaining, “I’m watching an interview, it’s an interview with Liang Xiaoliang, the decision-maker at Qilin Entertainment who can call the shots.”

Know thyself, know thy enemy, a hundred battles will not be in peril.

Not long after Chen Yuan left, his assistant had sent him the information about General Liang. He was a major shareholder of the company, starting as a talent scout who discovered several highly popular idols, and there were also a few magazine articles about General Liang in the news, giving Su Ning a chance to get to know him a bit.

But these were just the superficial things known to the public.

Shen Mingzheng glanced at the so-called interview on his phone, surprised. These weren’t the clips Chen Yuan had sent him; the videos were blurry, looking rather old.

Upon closer inspection, they were videos from over a decade ago. Back then, General Liang was much thinner, and his hair was much fuller. At first glance, he hadn’t even recognized him. The video had no subtitles; when Su Ning shared an earbud, Shen Mingzheng could hear the sound.

“The domestic idol market is a blank slate! This is a blue ocean, and the future development potential is boundless. The times have changed, the industry changes in an instant, and those who do not adapt will be left behind!”

“I know our idol stage is still very simple now, and the production is rough, but in this industry, people are the most important. Our company has the best idols!”

“I hope you give us a chance! We will repay you with a future!”

It seemed to be a segment recorded at an investment conference, the camera constantly shaking, the young Liang Xiaoliang making a spirited plea, looking a bit foolish yet undeniably enthusiastic.

Later, Qilin indeed became a top player in the domestic idol industry, then took away General Liang’s hair, giving him an increasing waistline in return.

Su Ning watched it three times, then asked, “What do you think of General Liang’s personality, Little President Shen?”

In his previous life, Shen Mingzheng had met him and really knew him well. The general had once even tried to poach Shen Mingzheng from Shen Film Industry to Qilin, but at the time, Shen Huai was at the height of his power, and he hadn’t managed to do so, quickly withdrawing his offer considering the circumstances.

“Started as a talent scout, sharp business instincts, bold and daring, very competitive, somewhat arrogant to a degree, Qilin is his life, everything he does is for the company,” Shen Mingzheng evaluated.

Su Ning nodded, his and Shen Mingzheng’s impressions largely aligned, saying, “So, he very clearly understands the benefits of participating in Idol Star Map Season Four. As for bribery, it would only make him scoff. General Liang is worth hundreds of millions and holds a lot of shares. How could he possibly betray the company’s interests for that little money?”

Shen Mingzheng: “So?”

“This matter, we can’t persuade him from our perspective, that’s useless with someone like General Liang,” Su Ning said, “We have to beat General Liang with his own logic.”