Chapter 93: Go Meet Your General Manager Huang

Chapter 93: Going to See Your President Huang

After spending the entire afternoon at Yutai Media, Jian Ye had gathered nearly all the internal company information he could investigate.

Just the issue of physical punishment and abuse of trainees alone would be enough to give the company a real headache.

But it wasn’t enough. Even if these problems were exposed, the higher-ups would surely pin it all on the instructors' independent actions. They would wash their hands clean of it, find a scapegoat, issue a public apology, and then bounce right back.

Over time, who would still remember the young boys who had suffered here?

He knew it was a setup, but this dinner was something he absolutely had to attend.

Jian Ye needed to dig up something from Huang Zongqiang—preferably juicy dirt that could shake the very foundation of Yutai Media.

"System 748: Host, you've got what it takes to be an undercover journalist."

"Jian Ye: My strength is insignificant. I never expected the industry atmosphere in this world to be so rotten. I just... can’t stand seeing people bullied in front of me."

"System 748: I support the host in doing this. This system will help you with all its might!"

"Jian Ye: Thank you, Er Tong. Since you’re so supportive, how about giving me a few small gadgets for free?"

"System 748: Boo hoo, the system doesn’t have the authority."

"Jian Ye: Even after upgrading, you still don’t have any authority? Your higher-ups are such tightwads."

While chatting with the system, Jian Ye continued touring the company. Secretary Lu hadn’t expected Jian Ye to linger for so long, as if determined to check out every nook and cranny of the entire company.

Thanks to Jian Ye’s innocent appearance and his consistently curious expression, Secretary Lu didn't think twice about it.

But this was fine. He could keep an eye on him and hand him right over to President Huang at dinner—his mission for the day would then be smoothly accomplished.

"It’s about time. Let’s go meet your President Huang."

Hearing that Jian Ye was finally willing to leave, Secretary Lu let out a relieved sigh. "Alright, I’ll show you the way."

The two entered the elevator, and the doors slowly closed as it descended to the first floor.

As soon as they reached the lobby, Jian Ye spotted Su Junyang, whom he had encountered not long ago.

The other man was wearing sunglasses, puffing himself up like a bantam rooster, nose stuck up in the air, completely oblivious to Jian Ye’s presence.

Jian Ye’s eyes darted, and he paused for a second before walking straight toward Su Junyang.

He lifted his chin high, copying Su Junyang's stuck-up act to a T, and as expected, their shoulders collided.

Jian Ye was the first to apologize, "Sorry, didn’t see anyone walking beside me."

"You—" Su Junyang was about to curse at whoever had bumped into him, but when he saw the face of the person who did it, he froze. By the time he snapped out of it to yell, the guy was already out the door.

Su Junyang turned and chased after him, only to see Jian Ye getting into a company car, accompanied by Secretary Lu.

"Why is he at our company?" Su Junyang mumbled, puzzled.

Remembering how he had asked President Huang to put this punk in his place before, Su Junyang got a bad feeling.

With that in mind, he took a mask from his assistant’s bag and put it on, then said, "Tell Sister Lin I won’t be going to the ADR session today. Cover for me."

"Hey! Yang-ge! Yang-ge! I—" he called after him uselessly.

"Stop following me!"

Su Junyang ditched his assistant and rushed toward his Porsche, yanked the door open, got in, and peeled out.

Lena Club.

Inside an opulently decorated VIP dining room, a portly middle-aged man sat with his hands folded on the table, occasionally rubbing them together.

Upon receiving Secretary Lu's message, his eyes lit up with greed.

Huang Zongqiang had had his way with countless young male entertainers, but someone like Jian Ye—who struck him as a prime cut from the get-go—was a first.

If Jian Ye could sign with his company, there would be plenty of opportunities to have fun with him in the future.

He had originally thought it would take more effort to lure the boy in, but he hadn’t expected him to bite so fast. Truly, just a naive college boy.

This kind of green kid was exactly his favorite.

Before long, the door to the private room was pushed open.

Secretary Lu entered with Jian Ye trailing behind.

"President Huang." Secretary Lu gave a slight nod, and the two locked eyes meaningfully, with Secretary Lu immediately understanding the unspoken message.

"Hello, President Huang. I'm Jian Ye." Jian Ye stepped forward from behind Secretary Lu, his eyes filled with sincerity and gratitude.

President Huang waved Secretary Lu away, and the latter quickly exited the room.

Now, only Huang Zongqiang and Jian Ye remained in the private room.

"*Xiao Jian*, come, sit. Don’t be shy. You remind me so much of one of my nephews—seeing you makes me feel incredibly fond." Huang Zongqiang poured Jian Ye a cup of tea himself.

Jian Ye pretended to be flustered by the attention, scrambling to accept the teacup. "Thank you, President Huang. I also feel like we’ve met before."

"Oh? Really?" President Huang's smile had barely formed when—

The boy's clear voice rang out: "You could pass for my grandpa."

"Pfft—" Huang Zongqiang immediately did a spit-take and started choking. "Cough, cough, cough..."

Jian Ye, as if realizing he had spoken carelessly, panicked and blurted out, "I’m sorry, President Huang! I didn’t mean to say you’re old. It’s just that my grandpa ages like fine wine and looks young."

The explanation only made things worse.

Jian Ye kept digging himself deeper, nearly pulling out a photo of Old Mr. Jian to prove his point.

Feeling like he had committed an irredeemable faux pas, the boy grew so anxious that his eyes went shiny.

And a tearful Jian Ye happened to be catnip to Huang Zongqiang. Far from being annoyed, the man watched the flustered young man with great interest.

"It’s fine, it’s fine! I like humorous kids like you. Hahahaha!"

Huang Zongqiang laughed, revealing a set of brown-stained teeth. Jian Ye barely held back a retch.

How the fuck did Su Junyang stomach this creep…?

He would never call Su Junyang trash again—at least in terms of enduring disgust, he tipped his hat to the guy’s grit.

So this was what people would do to get ahead in this industry.

After a while, the dishes were served.

Jian Ye dug in without hesitation, occasionally even putting food in Huang Zongqiang's bowl. "Mr. Huang, eat up! We shouldn’t just chat—you haven’t touched anything. Are you on a diet?"

Huang Zongqiang: "I—"

Jian Ye's eyes curved like crescents and he smiled sweetly. "All the dishes you ordered are my favorites. You’re so thoughtful, Mr. Huang. You’re such a good person."

Huang Zongqiang was utterly charmed by the boy’s sweet talk. He really adored this little guy—whether crying or laughing, he was irresistibly adorable, cracking jokes and showering praise.

Right now, Jian Ye was like a little fox spirit. Just hearing him coo "Mr. Huang" in that delicate voice was enough to make Huang Zongqiang completely smitten.

Jian Ye had him eating out of his hand in no time. Before long, Huang Zongqiang began generously promising future benefits.

"Xiao Jian, if you join our company, I can make you the industry's top talent. Just play your cards right, and I’ll give you any resources you want."

Jian Ye licked his lips, mouth still full of food. *"For real?"*

"Of course it’s true. I never go back on my word."

Jian Ye chewed silently for a moment, swallowed, then said, "Alright then. I want all the current projects Su Junyang currently has."

Huang Zongqiang: "..."

Su Junyang eavesdropping outside: "!!!"

Su Junyang was so furious he nearly fainted. He wanted to storm in and curse, but Secretary Lu swiftly physically restrained him.

Barging in now would only ruin Huang’s plans. Desperate to keep his year-end bonus, Secretary Lu tried to calm the unexpected visitor.

Inside the VIP room, Huang Zongqiang frowned. "I can give you better resources. Why settle for his?"

"To be honest, Mr. Huang, a while ago, Senior Su came to our school for filming, and we had a bit of a disagreement. He doesn’t seem like the forgiving type. I’m afraid he’ll make my life hell once I join the company, so it’s better to get the jump on him."

With an innocent face and big, doe-eyed innocence, Jian Ye blinked twice, as if talking about what’s for lunch.

Su Junyang, whose mouth was being forcibly covered by Secretary Lu: "!!!"

First making me apologize, now snatching my gigs—who the hell is bullying who here?!

Huang Zongqiang pondered for a moment. "I’ve heard a little about that incident. Don’t worry, Xiao Jian. Once you join, you’ll be the youngest A-lister in the company. The team will hook you up with prime opportunities. You’re aiming higher—Su Junyang’s resources aren’t even top-tier. They won’t threaten you."

Seeing that the conversation had reached this point, Jian Ye conceded, putting on a show of disappointment. "Alright then. I’ll trust your judgment, Mr. Huang. I believe in you the most."

Just then, his system suddenly alerted him—

"System 748: Host, I pick up Zheng Xiaoxia’s signal in the VIP room next to yours."

"Jian Ye: What?"

After the latest system update, its detection range had expanded. Earlier, it had notified Jian Ye of Su Junyang’s presence outside the door.

Naturally, all those needling comments had been deliberate—Jian Ye had even raised his voice to ensure the eavesdropper heard clearly.

Now, hearing that another "acquaintance" was nearby, Jian Ye froze mid-bite.

"Xiao Jian, what’s wrong? Doesn’t this dish taste good?" Huang Zongqiang noticed his hesitation.

Jian Ye quickly regained his smile and shook his head. "No, it’s delicious. I’m just a little stuffed."

"Slow down, there's top-shelf liquor coming up later. You must not have tried it before—today, just eat and drink to your heart's content, no need to worry about the cost."

While Huang Zongqiang was still rambling on smugly, Jian Ye quickly used a surveillance card with only a five-minute limit. He needed to quickly assess the situation in the neighboring VIP room.

Next door was a large VIP room with a sofa, coffee table, and dining table.

It was one thing not to know, but seeing it was a shock.

A row of sleazy middle-aged men sat on the sofa, clearly high-ranking executives or managers from some company, while in front of them stood a line of young boys.

Jian Ye finally understood what secret Yutai Media had been hiding.

So, luring pretty young boys in was all for these old men to "hold auditions"???

Exploiting trainees' energy during the day and continuing to exploit them at night? Classy.

Zheng Yan’s little brother had truly stumbled into a next-level shitshow.

For now, nothing too extreme had started in the neighboring room. If they called the police without solid evidence, those people would just brush it off as corporate bonding.

This club had likely long been a hub for their shady business.

Seems like the only way forward is to squeeze intel out of Huang Zongqiang...

A bottle of vintage reserve was brought out. Jian Ye poured a glass for Huang Zongqiang, then filled his own to the brim, raising his cup. "Mr. Huang, a toast to you."

"A/N"

Jian Xiaogou: You remind me of my grandpa. (Sorry, Grandpa.)

Jian Xiaogou: I’m flat-out stealing the spotlight.

Jian Xiaogou: What? Concubine selection? No cap?

Jian Xiaogou: Cut the head off the snake.

The man being frantically muffled: Mmf! Mmf! Mmf!! (Jian Ye, you bastard!)