Teng Huang really had its share of problems. Among them, the increasingly power-grabbing Vice President Chen was the biggest.
As one of the company’s veteran managers, his status and seniority were unmatched.
Especially after Jin Si inherited more industries, this entertainment company, passed down from the previous generation, had been somewhat neglected—because it wasn’t profitable enough.
Hearing Jin Si’s casual, almost self-satisfied lines, Fan Qing was caught off guard for the first time.
He glanced at Jin Si, who carried the unmistakable aura of a high-ranking executive, speaking as if he were untouched by the ordinary world, and felt a bit overwhelmed.
Not for any other reason—he was just slightly overwhelmed by the casual display of wealth and influence.
“So… you think I’m joking?”
Jin Si suddenly spoke. This guy was way more alert than Jin Yi.
Fan Qing reined in his wandering thoughts and replied calmly,
“Mr. Jin, you’re joking. The new energy company under your control is already widely renowned.”
Holding a stake in the new energy sector, Jin Si didn’t really need to care too much about a tiny entertainment company.
If anyone had the right to be casually proud, it was this guy.
“Is that so? Then I see you have some insight.”
Jin Si’s tone shifted, turning sharp.
“No wonder you managed to convince Jin Yi to agree to your technical investment scheme.”
He emphasized technical investment, clearly implying something.
Fan Qing, however, was not surprised in the slightest.
He stayed calm, even letting out a small sigh.
“Just as I thought… Mr. Jin really does pay attention to every move of Second Young Master.”
Jin Si wasn’t surprised—he had indeed been exposed last night.
Only…
“So what?”
He leaned forward slightly, eyes like laser beams scanning Fan Qing.
Fan Qing: …
Yep, these two brothers were definitely related. One with a laser, one with X-ray vision—both “piercing gazes,” indeed.
“Flattered.”
Fan Qing smiled faintly.
“Since you’re so perceptive, you should also understand—although I don’t care about a small company like this, it’s a gift I’m giving Jin Yi to play with and practice on. Even if he doesn’t want it, it’s not for you to swoop in and claim it.”
Jin Si spoke with certainty.
Fan Qing: ?
Wait—did someone just let slip the part about giving Jin Yi something to play with? He heard that loud and clear.
Still…
Fan Qing stayed calm. “Mr. Jin, you’re joking. I certainly won’t touch what you gave Jin Yi. But if Jin Yi needs my help, then asking for a proper reward isn’t really wrong, is it?”
Jin Si’s eyes thundered, and he slowly leaned back into his chair.
“If it comes to that, it’s his call—trusting people or doubting them—none of my business.”
Though this was a gift for Jin Yi to play with, if he managed to revitalize the company, that wouldn’t be a bad thing either.
As long as Jin Yi had fun and it went smoothly, a little money was nothing to them.
Truly casual yet strategic.
From Jin Si’s words, Fan Qing could sense the intention and couldn’t help but feel a little impressed.
If it weren’t for his desire to keep his own identity secret, there’d be no need to go around in such circles to build up assets.
Still…
Fan Qing recalled the dramatic scene from last night, and the unusual warning from the male doctor…
A small smile appeared on his face.
Not bad at all.
Aside from Nie Luo, these things were actually quite interesting.
Having cleared the path with Jin Si, Fan Qing immediately called Jin Yi again.
“What? You’re telling me to go back to work at the company now?”
What a thunderbolt from a clear sky!
What a human disaster!
Jin Yi almost couldn’t believe his own ears.
Was he hallucinating?
What nonsense was Fan Qing spouting?
And…
Jin Yi asked, confused, “Wait… didn’t you go to my brother for this? Didn’t he handle it?”
No way, right?
Had his big brother changed?!
“…Mr. Jin is busier than you think.”
Fan Qing now understood—no wonder Jin Si had been quietly watching the show from the sidelines for so long.
“Besides, this isn’t really a big problem. It’ll be taken care of in a little while.”
“…Seriously?”
Jin Yi’s guard went up.
“You’re not… in cahoots with my brother to trick me into being more motivated, are you?”
How much did his brother pay for this?
And him… double? No, he couldn’t afford that.
Fan Qing was speechless. “I trick you into working harder, and your earnings go to me?”
Jin Yi blankly replied, “No, not really.”
Fan Qing: “Then why would I bother tricking you?”
Jin Yi tried one last desperate argument: “What if you already made a bundle from my brother?”
Wow… really trying to put yourself in someone else’s shoes, huh?
Fan Qing couldn’t help but sigh.
Then, expressionless, he reminded him, “Have you forgotten the bet we made?”
Jin Yi: ?
What bet?
“Oh, the one about chasing old Nie? That has nothing to do with this.”
He paused thoughtfully.
In Fan Qing’s gentle expression, there was about ninety percent “are you really that clueless?”
“If it weren’t about chasing Nie Luo, why would I bother helping you sort out your company’s mess?”
Jin Yi: …
Hmph. Fine. Fair enough.
He mumbled as he put on his coat, still unwilling to give up completely.
“Then… can’t it be for the money?”
Fan Qing hung up the call without expression.
He suddenly felt that, compared to treating Jin Yi’s company as a stepping stone for some future jump, it was far more comfortable to work as a perfect private tutor for certain unruly kids.
He wondered if Jin Si would consider someone like him for that kind of role.
Jin Yi grumbled under his breath but quickly drove to the company.
Once downstairs, he couldn’t resist calling Fan Qing.
“I’m here now. So… what am I supposed to do?”
“Open the door.”
Fan Qing knocked on the car window and set his phone down.
“? You came?”
Jin Yi was stunned.
The next second, he quickly realized:
“So I’m not here for a normal workday?”
What made him think that?
Fan Qing looked at him, confused.
“You wanted to come for a normal workday?”
Jin Yi quickly chuckled nervously.
“Of course not! Then… what are we doing here?”
“You’ll know soon enough.”
Fan Qing said.
Half an hour later, an incredulous voice rang out in the office.
“Second Young Master… what do you mean by this?”
Jin Yi tensed, instinctively glancing at Fan Qing’s expression.
Oh, no!
He caught just one glimpse as Fan Qing quickly turned his head—the expression was terrifying. Better to face Vice President Chen directly!
After a murderous glare from Fan Qing, Jin Yi suddenly felt that Vice President Chen’s roaring was nothing.
Fan Qing calmly repeated his earlier words.
“You didn’t hear me? I’ll say it again. You’re fired. Pack up your things and leave.”
Vice President Chen, furious, forced a smile as he tried to calm himself.
“Second Young Master, you’ve only been here a few days, so maybe you don’t realize… I’ve been keeping this company afloat almost entirely by myself. Many of the artists have long wanted to leave, but out of respect for me, they’ve stayed. I’ve also secured collaborations with many brands. Now you say you want to fire me… the company would descend into chaos…”
“Vice President Chen, you’re joking.”
Fan Qing suddenly interrupted from the side.
Here we go!
Jin Yi tensed.
Jin Yi was secretly thrilled.
Fan Qing pulled out a thick stack of documents and slammed them on the table.
“The artists Vice President Chen said wanted to leave but stayed out of respect… could it be that those with the ability to leave already have, and the ones remaining either have something going on with you or have been shelved by the company for years?”
Vice President Chen suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.
He didn’t dare reach for the documents, just glared at Fan Qing and started cursing.
“I’m talking to Second Young Master here! Who do you think you are?”
Jin Yi immediately cut in.
“He’s my agent now, got it? My brother approved it—he can fully handle company matters.”
“Approved by Mr. Jin…”
Vice President Chen heard that and instinctively stepped back.
Looks like the Jin family name carries more weight than he realized.
Fan Qing pushed up his glasses, calm but with a subtle hint of threat.
“Vice President Chen, you’ve been here a long time, so you should know Mr. Jin’s temper. This company is a gift from Mr. Jin to Second Young Master. Not to mention how much you’ve meddled where you shouldn’t… just one thing—”
He lowered his voice, hoarse and chilling.
“Last night, Vice President Chen, you were outside Second Young Master’s door with a camera… care to explain yourself?”
Vice President Chen’s legs went weak, and he collapsed.
“I… I… that was an accident! Yes, an accident!”
He hurriedly looked at Jin Yi. “Second Young Master, last night was really an accident! I was worried—yes, worried about that Hua Zi guy trying to… target you, so I wanted to record it as evidence…”
Jin Yi watched him crawl toward him in that pitiful state and couldn’t help thinking of Hua Zi struggling last night.
Hmph… still handsome to look at. Compared to him, Vice President Chen’s disgusting face was just… nauseating.
Fan Qing picked up the documents from the desk and walked over to Vice President Chen, crouching down.
“Vice President Chen, don’t you get it? What Mr. Jin really wants isn’t this kind of explanation.”
As he spoke, he flipped through the evidence he had gathered about Vice President Chen’s misconduct and the way he suppressed company artists.
“And these… can you still say the company can’t do without you?”
Vice President Chen stared at the documents, his heart sinking.
“…Yes. Mr. Jin sees everything clearly.”
Fan Qing tapped the files against his face.
“Vice President Chen, you’re smart. Go back, pack your things properly, and leave with some dignity.”
He deliberately paused, then let out a faint laugh.
“I’m guessing you won’t forget to leave the contact information for those brand partnerships to Second Young Master, since this company is a gift from Mr. Jin, right?”
“O-of course.”
The thought that Mr. Jin might have already seen these documents left Vice President Chen speechless.
He nodded and slunk away like a beaten dog.
Once he was gone, Jin Yi rushed over to Fan Qing.
“Are these really evidence of this old bastard’s wrongdoing?”
“Do you think otherwise?”
Fan Qing asked with a slight smirk.
Jin Yi flipped through the files, whistling in astonishment.
“This guy’s hands are really dirty! Damn! He even planned to shelve Hua Zi for three years? That face could be making money, why hide it?!”
He flipped a few more pages, curiosity getting the better of him.
“Uh… but where did this evidence come from?”
“Most of it is visible in the company’s accounts. The rest is easy enough to dig up if you know where to look.”
Fan Qing took a sip of his herbal tea and closed his eyes to think.
The fact that he could uncover it so easily suggested that Mr. Jin had cleared many obstacles for him behind the scenes.
That made him feel a little guilty about trying to make some money off helping Jin Yi.
“??? The accounts?”
Jin Yi’s question marks practically filled the room.
“I looked at those too, but what could you really tell from them?”
Nothing at all?
Fan Qing gave him a look that said so much it was almost painful.
“…To put it simply, when you see Hua Zi’s face, don’t you immediately think he could make a lot of money?”
Jin Yi nodded frantically.
Of course!
If Hua Zi were a woman, he would’ve fallen instantly.
“Exactly. So the future cash cow, Hua Zi, ends up with barely any decent resources after a year or two, while some less capable artists keep getting opportunities. Check into it, and you’ll see—they either live very close to Vice President Chen or even in his property. Simple, right?”
As for the more complicated details, he didn’t bother explaining.
Even Mr. Jin couldn’t handle it all; no point wasting his effort.
“I see now.”
Jin Yi finally understood. It sounded so simple!
“Oh, right, should I call Hua Zi over?”
Fan Qing: ?
Call Hua Zi now?
Not impossible… but is Jin Yi planning to start cultivating his first cash cow?
Coincidentally, Hua Zi had been standing outside and overheard everything.
When Jin Yi called him, he pushed open the door but looked completely confused.
“Second Young Master, Manager Fan… did you call me over for something?”
Well… it didn’t really seem like it was about him.
Jin Yi’s eyes lit up the moment he saw him.
“You’re here! So now it’s your turn?”
Hua Zi didn’t understand.
“M-my turn?”
Jin Yi and the others had fired Vice President Chen without needing him as a witness… so why was he involved?
Jin Yi smiled mysteriously, then pulled out a set of glasses and a bottle of red wine from under the coffee table.
“Of course, to have a celebratory drink together!”
Fan Qing silently rubbed his forehead.
He had overestimated Jin Yi.
Hua Zi froze.
His pupils slowly dilated—
So in the end, he still had to drink with the executives after all… was that how this worked?