Su Ning had previously warned Pinnacle not to invest in the movie due to the high risk associated with Liao Yuansi. Now that everything had spiraled out of control, no one else could be blamed.

For a big-budget film that demanded perfection in every frame on the big screen, replacing the lead actor due to negative public sentiment was a monumental challenge. With everything now exposed, how could the audience contribute to the box office?

Pinnacle was not ready to give up and initially attempted to salvage the situation.

Amidst public backlash, Liao Yuansi’s official account silently deleted his previous blog post and then issued a statement. He admitted to infidelity in his marriage but denied any coercion and stated he had received his wife’s forgiveness, apologizing to the public.

His wife, a senior executive at Pinnacle, tearfully supported him, downplaying the situation as a marital issue and pleading with the public to consider their young children and not to pressure the family further.

After all, some incidents, like those involving Ji Xue, had occurred too long ago and left only ambiguous evidence, which was easy to manipulate.

Although adultery would also be criticized, it wasn’t enough to warrant a banishment from the entertainment industry.

The film could be delayed, waiting for the public’s attention to wane before attempting to rehabilitate Liao Yuansi’s image and continue his career.

Pinnacle, adept at manipulating public opinion, tried to minimize losses by hiring trolls to argue that the public should not interfere with personal family matters. They also released a compilation of Liao Yuansi’s classic roles, attempting to sway public sentiment with nostalgia.

They even spread outrageous false rumors only to debunk them later, muddying the waters so that over time, the public might forget the specifics and downplay the incidents.

After all, it was “just an affair,” and the entertainment industry is rife with similar scandals, with many celebrities surviving the initial fallout.

But those who had been orchestrating behind the scenes for so long weren’t about to let the matter rest so easily.

Ji Xue, like a cat playing with a mouse, watched her prey struggle in her grasp. Just when they thought they could slip through, she began releasing new evidence.

Her approach was methodical: she first used Glory’s fans to heighten attention and, once the focus was there, she distributed incriminating material to influential KOLs, including short video bloggers in the entertainment sector.

Su Ning saw the latest video released.

It seemed to have been bravely recorded by a girl at a banquet. Under dim lighting, Liao Yuansi appeared to be pushing one of the two girls in his arms toward someone across from him, the face of whom was not fully visible. His tone was obsequious as he spoke:

“…these people are just for fun.”

“Don’t worry, as long as you’re happy, and I’ll need your help with those resources.”

His sycophantic, revolting expression couldn’t be washed away by a hundred character filters. This situation clearly went beyond a simple affair; it was transactional.

Pinnacle thought they had covered their tracks, but they were quickly countered. They were frantically deleting the video across the internet, deleting despite the criticism, clearly in panic.

Su Ning was initially puzzled, but Shen Mingzheng, upon viewing the video, explained:

“That person across him looks like someone from the Shen family.”

Shen Mingzheng’s voice held a clear disgust as he spoke. Liao Yuansi’s case wasn’t simple—he flattered those above him and used his status as a successful film star to facilitate deals beneficial for the Shen family, serving as a crucial arm for them.

Despite the frantic deletions, many had seen the video, and a few days later, with the hurried removal of the film from theaters and Liao Yuansi’s preemptive confession, both he and Pinnacle were embroiled in scandal, receiving widespread condemnation.

A few days later, when things had quieted down somewhat, Su Ning met with Ji Xue.

She had contacted him, requesting a private meeting at a quiet café.

Ji Xue arrived early and sat in a small private room, dressed simply and minimally made up. As Su Ning approached, the winter sun bathed her in a warm golden light, even as the December weather shifted from persistent cold to a rare sunny day.

Ji Xue smiled warmly at Su Ning as he approached.

“President Su,” she said, “did you enjoy the gifts I’ve given you over this time?”

Su Ning sat across from her and replied, “The endorsement for ‘Cha Yue,’ the sponsorship opportunity for the variety show, guiding the fans in their quarrel and providing them with evidence, and oh, the tour sponsorship talks with Lü Fei before this incident blew up.”

“If you consider these as gifts, is there anything else?”

Ji Xue nodded, “That’s about it.”

“I’m curious,” Su Ning continued, “when did you start planning all this?”

Ji Xue set down her coffee cup, thought for a moment, and responded, “Not long ago. President Su, I learned it from you.”

“Me?” Su Ning asked.

“Yes, you,” Ji Xue sipped her coffee slowly. “My teacher is an insider; she taught many students, knew many people, and was well aware of how you managed to save Guang Ying Entertainment and take it to the top, including how you and Director Shen took down Jiang Chenfeng. I’ve heard it many times.”

“To be honest, when I was with Lü Fei, I didn’t know exactly what to do. At most, I could have taken away an endorsement from Liao Yuansi, making him lose some money, but what was that to him? I couldn’t just let him go.”

Su Ning was silent, unaware of his unexpected connection to Ji Xue’s revenge.

Ji Xue’s ability to learn and adapt was formidable. Knowing Su Ning’s actions, she reflected and applied similar tactics.

She began by gathering evidence and formulating a plan, gradually clarifying her thoughts.

Compared to Shen Huai and Jiang Chenfeng, Liao Yuansi was more challenging.

Jiang Chenfeng, despite his brashness, did not have solid backing beyond being a typical example of new money bolstered by the internet era.

In contrast, Liao Yuansi was meticulous, and his wrongdoings were well-concealed. Moreover, he had solid backing.

Minimally, it was Pinnacle; more significantly, it was the Shen family—the real old money.

Shen Huai’s downfall was not due to scandals; he lost to Shen Mingzheng in a power struggle, a scenario difficult to replicate. The Shen family was not easily toppled, and Liao Yuansi lacked the ambition for such power plays.

Moreover, if she were to leak anything to the marketing accounts carelessly, not only would many not dare to publish it for fear of Pinnacle’s retaliation, but the chaos could also be easily controlled by Pinnacle.

She couldn’t fully trust these marketing accounts nor rely solely on anyone else; the plan had to proceed exactly as intended without deviation.

So, when choosing where to start, Ji Xue thought carefully and chose a more sensitive trigger than a rich heir crashing a luxury car—fans fighting for their idol.

Fans are different from bystanders; bystanders lack the motivation to pursue the truth, but fans are driven, ensuring sustained attention.

Now, asking who was the hottest in the entertainment circle, young and old would likely say it was Glory.

Thus, the endorsement Lü Fei pulled wasn’t just luck but a calculated choice by Ji Xue, knowing Su Ning would inevitably clash with Pinnacle. The endorsement and variety show resources were merely catalysts.

She first released lighter materials to the angered fans. Later, as attention increased, the fans uncovered more on their own.

Then, by drawing out Pinnacle’s marketing tactics and letting them think they had weathered the storm, she released the most damning evidence. Their previous attempts to downplay the incidents backfired spectacularly, especially with the final video.

Even as Liao Yuansi initially tried to defend himself, once the video was released and its deletion failed, he surrendered himself to the authorities the next day.

The video, blurry and showing only a partial profile, was recognizable to Shen Mingzheng, but not to the public who couldn’t identify the high-level Shen family member, a rarely seen figure.

“See, isn’t this interesting?” Ji Xue said with a faint smile. “Liao Yuansi always took pride in being Pinnacle’s golden sign and the right-hand man to Pinnacle’s major investors. He thought any issue would lead to others being discarded, not him. But this time, he got to taste being sacrificed by those higher up himself, and he had to accept it willingly, or else what would happen to his living parents and wife?”

Compared to that, investing over half a billion in a movie that never released seemed trivial. Liao Yuansi had indeed been involved in many things and had to pay the price, or the Shen family wouldn’t let him off.

She had learned to use others as pawns—from Lü Fei to Glory, and even the Shen family, which turned out to be the sharpest tool, while she orchestrated everything from behind the scenes.

If this plan hadn’t worked, she might have still had a chance to walk away clean, planning for another opportunity, making it a perfect scheme.

Su Ning looked at her and sighed deeply, asking, “So, you’ve got what you wanted. Why did you come to see me?”

“I came to thank you, President Su,” Ji Xue said. “You knew what I was planning but didn’t expose me, even helped me. My teacher was right; you are indeed one of the few good people in this circle.”

Su Ning’s reminder to Allen not to proceed with the movie was not out of sympathy for Liao Yuansi or the Shen family.

A film involves many besides the lead actor, including numerous behind-the-scenes workers; at least the company handling the special effects had done a genuinely good job, but he couldn’t change the outcome.

However, that didn’t mean he did nothing.

The streaming investments he and Shen Mingzheng had made were useful; they didn’t use their resources to turn public anger but rather to shift the focus onto the perpetrator, Liao Yuansi. This protected not only Ji Xue but also other victims.

Liao Yuansi was finished, but many who he had harmed needed to continue with their lives, though Su Ning felt Ji Xue might have anticipated his actions.

She had accomplished her goals while remaining hidden; many were unaware of her name, and Ji Xue had thoroughly succeeded.

“Everyone must pay for their actions,” Su Ning remarked. “Does Lü Fei know about this?”

Ji Xue’s expression remained unchanged: “He didn’t know before, he probably does now. The Lü family isn’t foolish.”

In some ways, Lü Fei was merely another tool in her revenge.

Ji Xue had paid for some of the information gathering, and the most damning video had cost her a seven-figure sum. The girl who recorded it hadn’t captured her own face and, after the transaction, had left the country with the money, leaving the rest to Ji Xue.

Where did she get the money? Clearly, from Lü Fei.

For the Lü family, who could determine endorsements worth millions with a draw, spending millions on a fiancée was nothing.

“Lü Fei may love you, but once he realizes the full extent, your engagement could be affected,” Su Ning said. “His family’s immense wealth was supposed to be partly yours…”

“I don’t care.”

“I’m prepared to face all consequences of my actions.”

Ji Xue looked up at him: “What does it matter if the engagement is called off? If Lü Fei breaks up with me, what of it? Does he truly love me? Does he love me, or does he love a perfect girlfriend I crafted? When he looks at me, does he understand the pain I’ve suffered every moment after what I went through?”

“He doesn’t understand, because Lü Fei has never had to endure such things.”

She was dressed simply today, yet her beauty was striking, radiantly captivating.

“I sought justice for myself.”

She looked at Su Ning and added, “Lü Fei and I were just using each other.”

Ji Xue spoke with righteous indignation.

Replacing Liao Yuansi as the spokesperson for “Cha Yue” early on was a crucial move that saved significant losses.

Typically, “Cha Yue” bottles featured their endorsers, and with Liao Yuansi’s big-budget film about to release, if not for Ji Xue’s influence, the advertising department would likely have renewed his contract instead of replacing him.

This sudden scandal would have forced many products off the shelves, but “Cha Yue” had already transitioned to packaging featuring Glory, clearing out Liao Yuansi’s endorsed products well in advance.

Compared to other brands scrambling in disarray, “Cha Yue” had flawlessly navigated the crisis without any impact, even gaining a promotional boost from the ordeal.

In terms of finances, to say Lü Fei suffered a loss was unreasonable; even Glory, implicated in the affair, indirectly received endorsements and resources through Ji Xue.

She had indeed manipulated many, but in her own way, she had compensated those innocently caught in the chain.

Aside from the Lü family, spared any financial harm, the group secured endorsements and a range of resources, the fans achieved a direct hit in their battles, gaining fame in a single stroke, and even the marketing accounts met their KPIs—everyone profited.

As the conversation concluded, Ji Xue looked at him and left him with a question: “President Su, what is your partner like? Do you truly understand him?

“Don’t forget, Shen Mingzheng is also a member of the Shen family.”

With Liao Yuansi’s downfall, Ji Xue had exacted her revenge, but she was aware that the biggest backing behind everything was indeed the Shen family.

It was the Shen family’s indulgence and their protection that had caused her and many others to suffer for so many years.

Liao Yuansi had taken the fall, admitting to all charges, and many from Pinnacle were inevitably dragged down with him, but the clearest evidence Ji Xue obtained was that video, capturing only a blurred side profile.

Shen Mingzheng had seen it and recognized it, but with enough people taking the blame and remaining silent, it was highly likely that the member of the Shen family would escape unscathed.

“I’ve done what I can,” Ji Xue said. “But President Su, sooner or later, you’ll have to confront the entire Shen family, including your Shen Mingzheng.”

“Is he a man or a ghost? Can you say for sure?”