Chapter 135: One Sentence Awakens a Dreamer

The exposure of the Su Bai incident sparked an immediate firestorm of controversy online.

"This really shatters my worldview!"
"Can we even believe in grassroots success anymore?"
"I think this is a matter that truly deserves deep reflection."
"Why the sudden change of affiliations in such a short time? Shouldn't everyone give this some serious thought?"
"Exactly. If Xingyue Media and Tengfei Entertainment wanted to invest in Su Bai, they could have easily invested in the established Shanghai Tiancheng Entertainment Media Co., Ltd. Why go through all the trouble to invest in the newly formed Shanghai New Power? If there isn't something fishy going on here, I don't believe anyone would be foolish enough to do such a thing!"
"And another thing: Song Liang broke away from Xingyue Media, teamed up with Su Bai, and now Xingyue Media has aligned with Shanghai New Power, where Song Liang is a shareholder. Doesn't this also warrant some deep reflection?"
"In short, this matter is full of suspicious points. Everyone needs to look at this with a cautious eye; don't just look at the surface!"

...

A wave of skepticism toward Su Bai and Tiancheng Entertainment instantly flooded the internet.

However, where there were those questioning Su Bai, there were others coming to his defense.

"I don't think so. Could everyone please open their eyes? Would you rather believe the words of a convicted criminal than the judgment of the Forbidden City?"
"I have to ask, if Su Bai's character were truly as described online, would the Forbidden City still choose him as the spokesperson for its cultural promotion?"
"Also, please think about it confidently—isn't this incident following the exact same pattern as the previous attempts to smear Su Bai?"
"Some people have already been arrested, yet they still won't give up and continue to stir up trouble!"
"The timeline of the various events Liu Siyan mentioned doesn't match up at all. Does she think a hurried, half-baked excuse about the timeline will just cover it all up?"
"The suspicious thing isn't Su Bai himself; it's Liu Siyan's narrative!"
"Setting aside the incident itself, don't you all find the very fact that this video was leaked to be problematic?"
"I want to ask everyone: if the police were interrogating Liu Siyan, would they let her ramble on about things irrelevant to the case? And in such detail? And for it to happen to leak at this specific time? Isn't this clearly the work of someone with an agenda?"
"Exactly, we now demand an investigation into the authenticity of this video! @LocalPolice, can you provide an explanation? Was this video leaked from within your official department?"

The final comment instantly woke everyone up. Countless people began tagging the Shanghai police, demanding an answer and verification of the video's authenticity.

Wang Lin, Zhou Yanran, Su Bai, and Song Liang sat together, their faces clouded with concern. They never expected such a video to surface at such a critical moment.

Zhou Yanran spoke first: "It seems someone is deliberately targeting us!"
"We just released a statement, and immediately this video appears. It's clear they don't want us to have an easy time!"

"Could Huisi Capital be behind this?" Su Bai's mind raced, analyzing the motives of those pulling the strings. He wondered: if he were truly dragged through the mud, who would benefit?

Previously, before the deal with the Forbidden City was finalized, someone might have targeted him to snatch the cultural promotion spot. But now, with the official announcement from CCTV News, everything was set in stone. Even if his reputation were ruined, the chances of that opportunity being revoked were slim. If they couldn't gain a direct benefit from his downfall, only one possibility remained: revenge.

And the reasons for revenge were plentiful. Whether it was his primary enemies—the Jin family—or Zhao Hongbing, or the people behind Huisi Capital, all had motives to strike. It was even possible he had accidentally blocked someone’s path to profit. Another possibility was that someone was setting a trap for him. Although Su Bai couldn't yet see the ultimate goal of his enemy's move, ruining his reputation seemed to provide them with more room to maneuver.

Su Bai turned his head toward Zhou Yanran and asked, "Director Zhou, you should be familiar with Huisi Capital, right? Who is behind Liu Siyan? Do they have a motive to attack us?"

The others turned their gaze toward Zhou Yanran. Feeling the pressure, she became uneasy. "Hey, why are you all looking at me? How would I know their motives?"

She quickly realized her reaction had been a bit over the top and softened her tone. "I do know who is behind Huisi Capital. It’s the 'Madman' of Shanghai—Li Feng!"

"This guy is known for being reckless, ruthless, and completely disregarding the rules. That’s why everyone calls him 'the Madman' in private. He’s one of the top-tier heirs in Shanghai. Huisi Capital is just one of his ventures, and it's not even his main business. I don't think his motive for doing this is very strong."

"As for Liu Siyan, she was one of Li Feng's playthings in the early days. As she got older, he lost interest, but he appreciated her cunning, so he put her in charge of Huisi Capital. With Li Feng's protection, Liu Siyan has been able to do whatever she wanted in the circle for years."

"However, judging by Li Feng's temperament, if Liu Siyan has fallen, she has fallen. He'll just cultivate someone else. It's unlikely he would go through such great lengths for her. If he wanted to strike, he wouldn't be this subtle."

A top-tier scion of Shanghai? Su Bai smiled helplessly. It seemed everyone he provoked was a powerful figure capable of covering the sky with one hand—powerful to the point of being overwhelming.

Although Zhou Yanran didn't think Li Feng had a strong motive, Su Bai felt that this attack had to come from one of the three people he had offended. And because the issue stemmed from Huisi Capital itself, Li Feng was the prime suspect.

Wang Lin spoke calmly: "Su Bai, I think what you need to do now is act as if nothing has happened. Keep going on your variety shows, keep fulfilling your duties to the Forbidden City. As long as your conduct is upright, you have nothing to fear. If you engage with them, you’ll play right into their hands. This matter only gains more traction the more it's debated. You don't need that kind of attention right now. On the contrary, you need to cool things down. The reason you're constantly being smeared is because your profile is so high—so high that it overshadows every other star!"

Her words were a wake-up call. Su Bai realized it instantly: a cold-shoulder approach was the best way to handle this.