Chapter 22: Consequences

Watching public opinion shift once again, Song Liang felt genuine happiness. After all, the incident involving Su Bai was, to some extent, caused by him. He had no reason to stand idly by. The gloom that had clouded his face finally gave way to a faint smile.

The ringing of the phone interrupted him.

It was Zhou Yanran, President of Xingyue Media—the eldest daughter of Zhou Wenbin, founder of Xingyue Media. A quintessential powerhouse woman.

“Hello, President Zhou!”

“Song Liang, did you consider the consequences before releasing that video?”

“But, President Zhou, they went too far! They broke the rules first! If they hadn’t repeatedly taken video clips out of context online, misleading the public and causing misunderstandings, why would I have exposed them so angrily?”

Silence lingered on the other end of the line. After a long pause, Zhou Yanran finally spoke. “I understand your anger.”

“But have you thought about how, by explaining the reasons behind the incident, you’ve also exposed the industry’s secrets?”

“Do you know what your action has done to Xingyue Media’s reputation in the industry?”

“How do all the artists under our banner see the company now?”

“What about the investors in our company?”

“Why is it that, after so many years, everyone in the business knows the truth about the industry, but no one ever reveals it?”

“No matter how much injustice they suffer, they always endure it silently.”

“Because they know once it’s exposed, it will cause a huge sensation!”

“At that point, whether or not they’re directly involved, everyone whose interests are affected will come to step on you.”

“Because you broke the rules.”

Song Liang wanted to explain further, but suddenly, everything felt futile. Now, it seemed, no matter what he said, it was already too late.

“Song Liang, you’re a man of integrity—I’ve always known that!”

“But for the future of the company, I have no choice but to apologize.”

“In a while, I’ll have Xingyue Media’s PR department release a statement: that this was your personal action and has nothing to do with the company.”

At this point, Song Liang understood perfectly the subtext of Zhou Yanran’s words.

In other words, from now on, he was fired.

How ironic!

When others smeared him, the company turned a blind eye.

But the moment he fought back, the company stepped in and kicked him out!

Capital... how laughable!

Song Liang took a bottle of baijiu from the liquor cabinet and gulped down a large mouthful, then coughed violently.

He quickly packed up his belongings and walked out.

Seeing Song Liang leave his office smelling of alcohol, his assistant was puzzled—Director Song never drank during work hours. What had happened?

“Director Song, you—”

Song Liang waved his hand, “I won’t be your Director Song anymore.”

He finished with a self-deprecating laugh.

While the assistant was still confused, the office staff saw the announcement from headquarters and instantly a storm erupted.

“So fast!” Song Liang remarked, carrying his things, step by step, toward the elevator.

His desolate appearance moved those in the office. Perhaps Song Liang wasn’t the best PR manager, but he was certainly a good leader. What a pity—honest people never get their due!

Meanwhile, Zhang Mingke received a call from his superior.

“Hello, Mingke. Why are you getting involved in the company’s disputes?”

Hearing Director Hu’s voice, Zhang Mingke felt a jolt.

“Director Hu, no, I was just visiting the author of ‘Dragon Scales of Heaven and Earth’ and happened to run into Liu Siyen from Huisi Capital causing trouble.”

“Song Liang uploaded the video as a last resort!”

“Director Hu, you know ‘Dragon Scales of Heaven and Earth’ is a highly distinctive song and fits perfectly with our current theme. I wanted to settle it quickly, but didn’t expect so many twists and turns.”

A sigh came from the other end. “Mingke, you’re an old hand—you should know, no matter how good the song is, the prerequisite is that its creator has no negative publicity. Or rather, there shouldn’t be any controversy surrounding them.”

“If you bring in a controversial creator to sing a great song, it’s better to pick a slightly lesser song whose composer is above reproach!”

“Of course, you’re in charge of this song contest, I’m just offering some advice.”

Zhang Mingke hurriedly agreed.

“Director Hu, rest assured—I’ll deliver a satisfactory answer!”

“I trust Su Bai’s character.”

“In three days, if Su Bai can prove his talent, then all will be revealed.”

Director Hu said no more and hung up.

Yet Zhang Mingke felt the pressure keenly.

Someone had pushed the stress up to his superior.

Song Liang had acted rather impulsively, it was true.

But since it had already happened, there was little point in pursuing it further.

Besides, in the eyes of outsiders—

Now, Zhang Mingke, Song Liang, and Su Bai—the person at the center of the storm—were all in the same boat.

The key now rested with Su Bai.

If Su Bai could prove his talent, everything would be resolved, his reputation would grow, and Zhang Mingke’s predicament would be alleviated.

But if Su Bai failed to prove his ability, if he couldn’t explain how he composed the song—

Then trouble would follow.

People online had zero tolerance for imperfection these days.

Especially with powerful forces waiting to let the matter ferment and profit from it.

Zhang Mingke never imagined that, simply because he admired a song and came to negotiate its use, he would get caught up in such a tempest.

Looking at the drunken Song Liang, neither Zhang Mingke nor Su Bai knew what had happened.

“Old Song, what’s wrong?”

“Drowning your sorrows in drink—our protagonist Su Bai isn’t even this troubled, why should you be?”

Song Liang had summoned both Zhang Mingke and Su Bai with a phone call. When they arrived, they witnessed this scene.

Song Liang managed a bitter smile. “Director Zhang, Su Bai, I’m afraid I owe you both an apology.”

The two looked at him in confusion.

“I’ve been dismissed by Xingyue Media.”

“As for the promises I made to Su Bai before, I probably won’t be able to fulfill them.”

“And Director Zhang, as the organizer of this Forbidden City cultural song contest, Xingyue Media will certainly influence the selection of songs. Now that I’ve been kicked out, my successor may not cooperate with you.”

Su Bai and Zhang Mingke rapidly processed what Song Liang had just told them.

Su Bai asked, puzzled, “Brother Song, is it because of the video you posted?”

Song Liang nodded with a bitter smile.

A shadow quickly clouded their hearts.

The action had been so swift.