Chapter 66: Was Su Bai Taking the Opportunity to Demand a Hundred Million?

Watching the three of them emerge from the private room, chatting and laughing together, Hua Xingyu felt a fresh jolt of anxiety in his heart. Yet, for the sake of his pride, he couldn’t bring himself to step forward and ask what was going on. Instead, he halfheartedly made conversation with Xu Xiaolu. She could see it as well; ever since Su Bai had entered, Hua Xingyu’s gaze had repeatedly drifted toward him. Now, seeing them come out together, his distraction only grew more obvious.

“Yu, Yu?” Xu Xiaolu called.

“Huh?” Hua Xingyu turned his head to look at her.

Smiling, Xu Xiaolu asked, “The party here is winding down—shall we go to my place for a drink, just the two of us?”

Hua Xingyu sighed inwardly. He knew some things couldn’t be solved by impatience. It was better to enjoy a drink with the beauty before him and cultivate his mood. Having thought it through, Hua Xingyu left with Xu Xiaolu.

After Su Bai exited, he looked around the room. Spotting Yang Mengke, he made his way straight to her.

“I didn’t expect that when you said we’d be attending a gathering, it would be here!” he said.

Yang Mengke stuck out her tongue, then grinned. “Good thing you came, otherwise I’d have been so awkward!”

Long Ling’er, observing the two of them and hearing the tone of Yang Mengke’s voice, asked in surprise, “Wait, you two know each other?”

Su Bai extended his hand. “I heard from Mengke that you helped her a lot today. I haven’t had a chance to thank you properly. Hello, I’m Su Bai.”

Long Ling’er ignored his hand for the moment and instead asked, “Mengke, what’s the story here? Is he your sweetheart?”

Yang Mengke quickly explained, “All right, let me introduce you both. This is my brother, Su Bai! And this lovely lady is my new friend, Long Ling’er. Brother, Ling’er is really skilled too! Today, she sent Zhao Hongbing running for his life!”

Long Ling’er looked at Yang Mengke in astonishment, then glanced at Su Bai. Her brother? So much for any romantic entanglements. Still, seeing Su Bai’s hand still outstretched, she finally reached out and shook it.

Hearing that Zhao Hongbing had harassed Yang Mengke again, Su Bai’s expression cooled, though he kept his composure given the surroundings. He said nothing until the party had ended and everyone began to leave.

At last, Su Bai asked, “Did Zhao Hongbing come looking for you again?”

Yang Mengke replied, “Don’t worry, brother. It was at the training center—he wouldn’t dare go too far. As long as I avoid him, it’s fine.”

At that moment, Long Ling’er chimed in, “You’re worried about Zhao Hongbing bothering Mengke? Don’t worry—with me around, he wouldn’t dare try anything.”

Su Bai couldn’t help but smile wryly at Long Ling’er’s big-sister bravado. This new friend of Yang Mengke’s didn’t seem entirely reliable. Yang Mengke added, “Zhao Hongbing seems quite afraid of Ling’er. Really, it’s fine, brother. You take care of your own business.”

Hearing this, Su Bai let the matter drop. He knew that, to truly shield Yang Mengke from harassment, he needed to rapidly strengthen his own position. Only by becoming powerful enough himself would others be deterred. Otherwise, force alone would never solve the root of the problem.

The next day, Song Liang and Zhou Yang arrived in Beijing to sign the cooperation agreement with the Palace Museum.

“You both came?” Su Bai asked. “What about the people from Battle Kings?”

Song Liang explained, “I told their representative that I’m here to invite you back, while they’ve returned to their company to discuss pricing. While they’re gone, let’s finalize the Palace Museum’s cultural promotion quickly, so we can release it as soon as possible and maximize our advantage.”

With Zhang Mingke leading the way, the contract signing process went smoothly, completing all formalities in record time. Song Liang then proposed, “Director Zhang, could the Palace Museum issue an official announcement? Our company could then respond publicly.”

Zhang Mingke agreed with a smile.

Soon after, the Palace Museum posted announcements across platforms like Douyin, Weibo, and Kuaishou: The official theme song for the Palace Museum’s 600th anniversary cultural campaign has been finalized—Su Bai’s “Heaven and Earth, Dragon and Qilin.” The song’s publisher: Tiancheng Entertainment Media Company. Lyrics, composition, and performance by Su Bai.

In an instant, Su Bai’s name swept across the internet once more.

“Amazing, my brother—Su Bai never disappoints!”

“I always said that ‘Heaven and Earth, Dragon and Qilin’ best showcases our grand Daxia civilization!”

“When will Su Bai hold a concert? We’ll be there for sure!”

“Go, Su Bai! Redefine the Daxia music scene!”

The praise was unanimous and unending.

The former naysayers seemed to have vanished without a trace.

Not long after the Palace Museum’s official promotional video went live, an official account named Tiancheng Entertainment swiftly released a statement: “Congratulations to our artist Su Bai for unlocking a new achievement and forming a dream collaboration with the Palace Museum. We also extend a sincere invitation to all newcomers with ambitions for the Daxia music scene—join us and Su Bai in creating a glorious future!”

With that, the entire Chinese music industry was astounded. Many had speculated that Su Bai would sign with a prominent entertainment company, but no one expected he’d join an obscure, newly established firm. Everyone was puzzled.

Curious, they searched for information on Tiancheng Entertainment Media Company, only to discover its legal representative was Zhou Yang—a name unfamiliar to all. Speculation swirled about what extraordinary luck Zhou Yang must have had to sign a rising star like Su Bai.

Meanwhile, Liu Siyan’s expression grew grim. She had just received a legal notice from Tiancheng Entertainment, alleging that she and her artist Xu Mingkun had maliciously orchestrated the kidnapping of Su Bai’s family member, causing significant harm to Su Bai and exposing him to online abuse, thereby inflicting irreparable reputational damage on Tiancheng Entertainment. The notice demanded one hundred million in damages from Huisi Capital.

Upon reading the notice, Liu Siyan began to tremble. She understood all too well what this meant—it was likely that Su Bai had obtained evidence of her and Xu Mingkun’s plot to frame him and kidnap his sister. The compensation itself was a minor issue; if proven, she and Xu Mingkun would likely face prison. Moreover, this would spell utter ruin for Xu Mingkun.

For now, only she had received the notice; the other side hadn’t gone public on social media. Could it be that they only wanted money? That was Liu Siyan’s first reaction.