She kept her gaze fixed on Su Ning’s face, watching to see if he would be shocked or hesitant, but surprisingly, Su Ning appeared very calm. He shook his head and said, “You don’t understand Shen Mingzheng.”

“He’s not the person you think he is, don’t speak of him like that.”

Ji Xue fell silent.

But it seemed she didn’t believe him.

Seeing her like this, Su Ning knew that verbal explanations were useless, but finally asked, “The matter is over, do you want to come back to the company with me? Guang Ying Entertainment still welcomes you back, and my promise still stands.”

“I don’t know,” Ji Xue said, “Let me think about it. I still have some things to sort out.”

Su Ning nodded and said, “Okay.”

He stood up to leave and added, “By the way, the company never apologized to you, I’m sorry. We should have protected you better back then, and we didn’t manage that, it’s a failure on our part.”

Ji Xue was startled, then murmured to herself, “Who knew back then.”

Su Ning said, “If you need anything, contact me anytime.”

Then he left.

Not long after Su Ning left the café, he saw a car come to pick up Ji Xue. He recognized it as Lü Fei’s car, and the person by the car was the Lü family’s butler, who had come to pick up a drunk Lü Fei last time. The butler spoke softly to Ji Xue, inviting her into the car.

After Ji Xue got in, the car quickly drove away.

Perhaps this was the unfinished business she mentioned.

The Lü family has yet to publicly announce the cancellation of their engagement.

Most of the public’s attention was on Liao Yuansi; Ji Xue had been virtually invisible in the entertainment industry from the start. Even if someone remembered and mentioned her name, thanks to the media manipulation by Su Ning’s team, her name would be glossed over to minimize her exposure.

On the drive back, Su Ning pondered this situation, his brow furrowed. Upon arriving home, he sighed slightly at the empty house.

Shen Mingzheng was not there.

He hadn’t told Ji Xue that Shen Mingzheng had taken a flight to the Shen family’s home in the capital last night.

The incident had become quite ugly, and it involved people close to him, causing the old man to lose his temper.

Allen had already returned; he was cornered, inevitably dragging Shen Mingzheng into this mess.

Officially, the situation was uncovered by fans of Glory, but behind the scenes, it was orchestrated by Ji Xue. The Shen family’s tactics were such that it was impossible not to trace some of it back to her.

But for now, Ji Xue was still the fiancée of the Lü family, and the Shen and Lü families ran in different circles. Now that Ji Xue had completely broken off from the Lü family, Su Ning still needed to protect her.

Thus, Shen Mingzheng had no choice but to return.

In times like these, Su Ning couldn’t go with him. Pinnacle Agency was in chaos, and many in Hai Cheng’s entertainment circle were watching to see how things would unfold. Both Guang Ying Entertainment and Shen Film Industry needed people at the helm.

With Glory’s new album still being promoted and the group’s popularity soaring, Su Ning had his hands full.

He trusted Shen Mingzheng, but he couldn’t help worrying.

When Shen Mingzheng returned alone to the Shen family’s grand residence in the capital, he too was thinking of Su Ning.

Touching the wedding ring on his finger gave him a semblance of peace, allowing him to move forward.

As he approached the grand entrance, which led to a Suzhou-style garden, Shen Mingzheng heard the sound of a tea cup smashing.

“You dare…!”

“A bunch of reckless fools!”

When Shen Mingzheng entered, he saw Allen sliding off a chair, nearly falling to the floor.

Many of Shen’s relatives surrounded him, some pleading for mercy. When Shen Mingzheng entered, the room briefly fell silent, then someone shrieked, “It’s him! He’s the one who caused all this trouble to grab power and profit in the family!”

Shen Mingzheng stood firm, ignoring them, and bowed briefly to the old man before taking a seat offered by Chen Tao. Then he spoke, “It’s a bit late to throw dirt on me now.”

“Shen Mingzheng, you dare claim your people didn’t orchestrate this?”

“No,” Shen Mingzheng said calmly, “and besides, Su Ning warned you twice before not to go ahead with that film. Did you listen? Ji Xue was right next to Su Hongda at the premiere. You only think about Su Hongda’s bad press, as if we were targeting you, but in reality, even Liao Yuansi himself wouldn’t dare say that Lü Fei’s fiancée hates him to the extreme.”

Allen glared viciously at Shen Mingzheng and retorted, “With such a big scandal at home, you could influence the media, yet you don’t help me, letting those people lead the criticism!”

“Idiot, must I visibly support you to truly be helping the Shen family?” Shen Mingzheng argued, “Your marketing tricks don’t work here. If we don’t let the public vent, how can this issue pass?”

His words effectively distanced him from the mess, but Allen knew the incident was related to Ji Xue and continued to hurl indecent accusations, losing any semblance of decorum.

Shen Mingzheng cut him off, “You think Ji Xue is to blame? No, the fault lies with you.”

“The biggest mistake was underestimating someone you had wronged, thinking they were just an ordinary person to be dismissed, only to find they’ve become the Lü family’s future daughter-in-law, catching you completely off guard. If you lose, you must admit it.”

“Ji Xue and Su Ning have already met today. She initially just wanted revenge against Liao Yuansi and has now backed off. With the Lü family behind her, we want to settle this amicably, which is best for both sides and can ease relations. Do you really want to escalate this until it’s irreparable?”

The other side fell silent, then someone reluctantly said, “Then, our family’s losses, she just…”

“One Liao Yuansi is gone, so what? There are plenty of others in the entertainment industry. Find someone else to promote. We’ve had unprofitable projects before; just earn it back,” Shen Mingzheng said, “But you, running away at the first sign of trouble, leaving a mess in Hai Cheng, Su Ning and I had to step in to clean up. Now that I’m back, you still blame me.”

“The special effects company involved in the ‘Unparalleled Map’ collaboration is top-notch domestically. They also have powerful backers, and because your movie couldn’t launch, they lost a lot. In anger, you turned and fled to the capital, while it was Su Ning who visited them personally, proposing future business collaborations as compensation, preventing a total fallout.”

“And the cinema chain managers, upset about the sudden withdrawal of the movie after they’d invested in its promotion—do you realize how tough it is for them? Others previously helped you without charging money or effort. It was Su Ning who realized and reached out to them, even offering compensation out of his own pocket!”

“Now I must ask, who truly harmed the Shen family? Who couldn’t withstand the pressure when trouble arose, almost ruining our entire family’s reputation?”

Allen, by nature, was the type to flee when faced with problems.

Many in the Shen family were raised in luxury, their status and capital innate, making money far too easy given their foundations.

But when real adversity struck, he wasn’t necessarily capable of handling it. The first issue caused by Jiang Chenfeng also resulted in him going abroad, and now, faced with Shen Mingzheng’s words, he finally understood.

The connections and resources with the top domestic special effects company and the cinema managers were hard to secure. He had instructed Pinnacle Agency to soothe those involved, but now, with the company’s executives in disarray, how could they outmaneuver Su Ning?

This wasn’t just about cleaning up; it was about snatching ready-made resources right from Pinnacle Agency’s hands…!

Gasping for breath, Allen struggled to stand up and retort, but how could he compete against Shen Mingzheng, who was well-prepared and currently holding the upper hand?

“You insisted on using someone like Liao Yuansi and couldn’t keep him in check. That’s your incompetence. Failing to handle the aftermath is sheer incapability,” Shen Mingzheng continued, “Not to mention secretly colluding with people close to the old man. What exactly are you planning in your heart, thinking no one knows?”

Striking the snake at its most vital, he knew exactly what infuriated the head of the Shen family the most.

—Allen was bribing people close to Shen Antang without his knowledge, and this had been going on for some time without Shen Antang realizing it.

Allen tried to argue, his words starting, “Shen Mingzheng is talking nonsense, he is, he is trying to take advantage of the chaos…”

“Do you mean to say, Mingzheng is stealing your resources?” Shen Antang spoke gravely, “But before he did any of this, he always made sure to discuss it with me first, and I agreed before he proceeded.”

“Why did you dare to act secretly?”

Allen was ambitious, using the family’s resources for personal gain. If it had been a minor issue, Shen Antang wouldn’t have minded, but reaching into his domain was intolerable to anyone.

This was the true reason for his rage.

Public condemnation, other people’s suffering, financial losses from the movie, even the potential ruin of Pinnacle, Shen Antang could disregard all of these. What he cared about most was his authority being challenged at home.

Some below, still not understanding the full picture and desperate, spoke out of turn, “Don’t listen to this outsider trying to sow discord. Our child has been by your side for so many years, never harboring ill intentions, he…”

At that, Shen Antang threw another tea cup, not at the floor this time, but directly at Allen’s face, hitting him squarely in the eye. Blood gushed forth, and Allen screamed in agony.

“Who are you calling a bastard?!”

Shen Antang’s face darkened, “So, that’s what you’ve been saying behind his back, right? How dare you, to my face, call my only bloodline, the son I finally found, a bastard, right?!”

He wasn’t particularly sentimental about his grandson.

Shen Antang felt threatened enough to teach everyone a lesson. These people had also spoken behind his back before—he wasn’t unaware, but now the word “bastard” sounded particularly jarring.

Shen Mingzheng sat motionless.

The longer he stayed in the Shen family, the more he understood why his mother had desperately fled from such a family, even hiding in a small city for a lifetime in the most difficult circumstances. She didn’t want to return.

It wasn’t just because of love; no one wanted to stay close to a true dictator.

When he entered the hall, even Chen Tao couldn’t help but tense up, as if walking on the edge of a blade.

But Shen Mingzheng knew what he was doing.

These people could avoid consequences temporarily but not forever. They sought scapegoats, but repercussions awaited them.

They couldn’t escape.

The dragon’s deeds now required the dragon’s means to resolve.

Allen’s eye was injured, and today he was deliberately not sent for medical care, the old man resolute in teaching him a lesson. His eye was likely lost, and his family came to plead on his behalf, but Shen Antang remained unmoved.

The more people came, the more it seemed right that Shen Mingzheng, standing there alone, suited his grandfather’s preferences.

No one spoke up for Shen Mingzheng.

Shen Antang had struggled with fertility his whole life. He had tried, but in the end, he had no children except for the daughter who had run away, leaving only Shen Mingzheng.

To say that Shen Mingzheng was entirely innocent and didn’t kick Allen while he was down, Shen Antang himself wouldn’t believe.

But no matter what, this child’s only support in the family was himself. The Shen family’s other branches all had their own heirs to promote; Shen Mingzheng didn’t fit in with them.

He had married Su Ning, and though Guang Ying Entertainment was flourishing, Su Ning had no significant family background or resources. The small inheritance he received was mere pocket change in Shen Antang’s eyes. No matter how much they stirred things up, what could these two really achieve?

If they wanted to seize control of the Shen family, the best option was to rely on himself.

Shen Antang had been able to control the entire family before. He saw little difference between these younger relatives, but now, sensing his own aging, he suddenly felt a stark contrast to his vigorous younger days.

Once this comparison was made, Shen Mingzheng’s advantages became apparent.

Capable, thoughtful, and aligning with his preferences.

During the time Shen Mingzheng stayed at the Shen residence, he watched as the old man’s anger gradually subsided. The issues with Liao Yuansi also came to a close in the public eye, and many adjustments were made within the Shen family, with many becoming much more compliant, no longer daring to speak against Shen Mingzheng.

Allen was eventually taken to the hospital, but now, using his injury as a pretext, he was effectively imprisoned there.

He made a fuss for a while, wanting to leave, to go abroad, but Shen Antang had him spend a couple of days in a psychiatric ward, after which he quieted down.

He was a figure Shen Antang used to assert his authority, not likely to be released easily. Shen Mingzheng had once considered visiting him. On the day he did, the hospital served a better meal, allowing Allen to eat his fill.

As for the person who had curried favor with the old man and was involved with Liao Yuansi, he was reassigned under Shen Mingzheng’s influence, sent to the Shen family’s branch in Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong branch was the most independent within the family, not usually heeding orders from the main house, especially given the distance. The entertainment circle there also had its own regional characteristics.

Most importantly, the person in charge there had once been wronged by the old man’s confidant, nearly losing his life as a young man, which had soured his relationship with Shen Antang, leading to years without contact.

Sending this person there was an attempt by the old man to consolidate power and mend relations with Hong Kong.

This included Shen Mingzheng’s suggestion.

The man was sent as a “peace offering,” and how harshly he would be treated there was now his fate to bear.

Evil meets its own kind.

Though Pinnacle Agency was shaken, it didn’t collapse; such a large company wasn’t easily undone by mere impacts. The old man intended to hand it over to Shen Mingzheng.

But Shen Mingzheng knew this wasn’t simple.

Shen Antang’s paranoia was a double-edged sword, affecting others as well as himself.

“I’m getting old, too many things at home to manage, and Hai Cheng is too far,” he said, “I’ll find someone to assist you.”

He spoke these words while playing chess with Shen Mingzheng, holding the black pieces while Shen Mingzheng held the white. After placing another black stone, he continued, “Zhu Lan, he’s a good helper.”

Calling him a helper was actually putting a watchful eye in Hai Cheng. Zhu Lan, around the same age as Chen Tao, about forty, had once been the old man’s secretary and was now a very famous producer. He had managed many successful film and television productions and held a high position in the industry, also a confidant of Shen Antang.

Such a large market as Hai Cheng definitely needed oversight to prevent such incidents from happening again.

“I have no objections to Zhu Lan coming to Hai Cheng, I welcome it,” Shen Mingzheng said, “But when it comes to official matters, I’m afraid I’ll have to say goodbye to you soon. All these family matters are settled, and it’s time for me to prepare to return.”

Shen Mingzheng’s skill in Go was from his previous life, learned while studying a role as a “Go fanatic” for a long time, and now he played quite well.

The old man glanced at the chessboard, the situation tense, the outcome unclear, and for a moment, he did not make a move, asking, “So soon?”

“There’s a lot going on at the company,” Shen Mingzheng said, “It’s not good to be away for too long.”

Shen Antang looked at him, then said, “Aside from business, you’re also worried about Su Ning, aren’t you?”

Shen Mingzheng tensed, remaining silent, but Shen Antang continued, “I know you’re not just calling him while you’re here; you newlyweds, it’s natural to want to see each other soon.”

Shen Mingzheng and Su Ning had been careful with their calls and video chats, but nothing in the Shen residence escaped Shen Antang’s notice.

“Go back,” he said, “Don’t worry, it’s good to have someone on your mind.”

Then, looking at the chessboard, he signaled for someone to clear it up, smiling, “Let’s leave this game here, next time you come, we can continue.”