Chapter 137: Three Million Followers Lost Overnight

Su Bai had just stepped into the company when Song Liang pulled him straight into his office. Song Liang’s expression was ghastly. Before Su Bai could even ask what was wrong, Song Liang shoved his phone in front of him and said, "Look at your Douyin. Your follower count has dropped from over 27 million to 26 million!"

Su Bai glanced at the screen. It was indeed 26 million. He simply let out an "oh," signaling that he was aware. Seeing Su Bai’s indifferent attitude, Song Liang flared up instantly. "You don't think this is a big deal? That’s just Douyin. If you add up all the platforms, you’ve already lost over three million followers!"

"This all happened in just one night! Can you imagine the impact this will have if the situation continues to ferment?"

"The most direct consequence is your market value—it’s going to plummet!"

"Your endorsement fees were already approaching 100 million! Now that things have turned out like this, let alone how much your fees will drop, it’s uncertain if anyone will even dare to hire you for endorsements."

Su Bai shrugged helplessly and asked with a smile, "Is there anything I can do about it right now?"

Song Liang was struck dumb. That single question left him completely speechless.

Su Bai continued, smiling, "Song, we can't rush this. We have to take it slow. Even if the followers drop below 20 million, it doesn't matter. The truth will come to light eventually. Or do you really think a lie can become the truth?"

Song Liang had no choice but to accept the reality.

Meanwhile, Su Bai and his team were not the only ones suffering. President Mei of Huadu Entertainment was also in distress. She never expected that she would one day be pushed to the center of a storm—and for a completely unfounded accusation, at that.

President Mei found it somewhat laughable. People nowadays would say anything without a second thought. She didn't care about other matters, nor did she want to get involved, but when had she ever offered an olive branch only to be rejected? She had hosted a party once and had indeed considered signing Su Bai, but to avoid unnecessary trouble and entanglements with Huisi Capital, she had consciously chosen to step back. She never expected that while she didn't provoke Huisi Capital, they would come after her instead.

Huisi Capital’s remarks were subtle, but that woman named Xu Xiaolu was even more detestable; she had explicitly named Huadu Entertainment. Thinking of this, President Mei angrily dialed Hua Xingyu’s number. If she remembered correctly, this woman, Xu Xiaolu, had been flirting with Hua Xingyu back then, and the two of them seemed to have left together.

She hadn't wanted to pry into the private lives of her artists, but now, an artist’s fling was attacking her company? It was the height of absurdity.

"Hua Xingyu, what is going on with that Xu Xiaolu? Why is she dragging Huadu Entertainment into this? I want an explanation!"

Ever since Xu Xiaolu posted that video, Hua Xingyu had been feeling a mix of schadenfreude and anxiety that the company might come after him. After all, people at the office knew about his relationship with her at the time. When he received President Mei’s call, his heart sank. He knew this moment was inevitable.

"President Mei, I haven't been in touch with Xu Xiaolu for a long time. We only ran into each other at that party, and that was it. We haven't spoken since!"

"As for why she’s dragging the company into this, I have no idea!" Hua Xingyu said with a bitter smile. Although his words deviated slightly from the truth, it was true that they were no longer in contact. The reason he had stopped seeing her was that he had caught her kissing another man at a karaoke bar.

President Mei’s anger only intensified. "I was wondering why she dragged Huadu Entertainment into this—it turns out you dumped her! Hua Xingyu, are you out of your mind? If you don't have the skill to walk away from a casual fling without incurring a grudge, then don't do it in the first place! You had your fun for the night, and what’s the result? She’s bitter toward the company and is dragging us down with her."

"I don't care what you do, but you have three days to make her change her story. Furthermore, the company will hold a meeting to discuss disciplinary actions for the damage you’ve caused to our reputation! I hope you can rectify this terrible mess as soon as possible." With that, she slammed the phone shut.

"I..." Hua Xingyu tried to speak several times, but the words wouldn't come out. Once the call ended, he couldn't hold it in anymore. "What the hell? How is this my fault?"

"When did I ever dump her? That bitch Xu Xiaolu was the one who played me!"

Hua Xingyu cursed in place for five minutes, but the fire in his chest wouldn't die down. He felt so wronged—this one-night stand had been way too expensive. He had thought it was a reunion of old flames, but it turned out to be a trap set by a parasite who squeezed him dry and was now selling him out.

Make her change her story? Would she even listen to him now? Regardless, he had to try. He figured the whole company probably thought he was responsible for the grudge she held against Huadu Entertainment. If he did nothing, he couldn't imagine how his colleagues would look at him. More importantly, if the company lost patience, his resources would be slashed in an instant. He wouldn't even know where to go to cry.

*Ring, ring.*

He called Xu Xiaolu, but no one answered.

Lying in Zhou Yanfeng’s arms, Xu Xiaolu looked at the incoming call on her phone. She felt nervous, fearing that Zhou Yanfeng would ask about her relationship with Hua Xingyu. But since Zhou Yanfeng had already seen the name on her screen, not answering would look even more suspicious. She decided to take the initiative.

"Feng, what should I do? Huadu Entertainment is coming after me! Hua Xingyu is their top artist! He must have seen the video I posted and is coming for me now!"

*Hua Xingyu?* Zhou Yanfeng muttered the name a few times. Suddenly, he asked, "Are you very close with this Hua Xingyu? Also, he’s the one we ran into at the karaoke bar when we were kissing, right? I remember you saying you were good friends?"

Xu Xiaolu tensed up. "That... Feng, we really are..."

Before she could finish, Zhou Yanfeng slapped the headboard in excitement. "That’s perfect. I’ve just thought of a great plan..."