Movie: Get Alpha Dog at the start

Chapter 1624 Ingratitude

The competition between He Han and Guyan, which started as a contest of strength, has gradually changed its nature.

It started as a normal discussion between readers from both sides, with one praising their author's writing and the other praising their author's plot. But things quickly escalated. Then, someone started leaving a one-star review in the other's book review section, and that ignited a huge uproar. Fans from both sides began a massive online battle, flooding the review sections from morning till night with all sorts of insults and abuse.

He Han's side said that Guyan was just a newcomer who got cocky after writing a few chapters and really thought he was a great author. Guyan's fans were not to be outdone, saying that He Han had been writing for ten years and was still just so-so, living off his past achievements and what was there to be proud of.

The conflict quickly spread to major social media platforms.

He Han didn't care much about these things. He'd been writing for so many years, what hadn't he seen? He just kept writing and sleeping. But Gu Yan was different. He'd only been writing for a few months, and this was the first time he'd been chased and scolded by so many people. His mentality quickly collapsed.

The third sister placed a bowl of instant noodles on his desk, glanced at the comments section on the computer screen, and frowned: "Don't look at it, it's making me angrier."

Gu Yan remained silent, her eyes still fixed on the screen.

"I mean, is it really that serious?" Third Sister pushed the instant noodles in front of him: "Eat something first."

"I'm not hungry."

"You haven't eaten anything all day."

Gu Yan then looked up from the screen at the bowl of instant noodles. The noodles were overcooked, bulging to the brim. He picked up his fork, stirred them a couple of times, but didn't eat any.

The phone rang.

He glanced at the caller ID; it was Lin Zhanqiao.

Gu Yan answered the phone but didn't say anything.

"What's wrong? I heard you had a falling out with He Han?" Lin Zhanqiao's voice came through the receiver, sounding a little tired.

"It wasn't me who caused this."

“I know,” Lin Zhanqiao said. “I just checked, and someone is stirring up trouble. Don’t take it to heart, just focus on writing your piece.”

Lonely Smoke remained silent for a while.

Is he really that good?

"Who?"

"He Han".

There was a pause on the other end of the phone. Lin Zhanqiao's voice softened: "He's a veteran author, he's been writing for so many years, he has a lot to show for it. But you're not bad either, your book's stats have been steadily rising, subscriptions have doubled since last month."

"But what the people in the comments section said—"

“Don’t believe a single word of what’s said in the comments section,” Lin Zhanqiao interrupted him. “You’re the one who wrote the book, not them.”

Gu Yan held her phone, saying nothing.

"Listen to me, turn off the comments section and focus on writing. You still have over 100,000 words to write this month, how can you have time to waste on them online?"

"Ah."

"Should I hang up?"

"Wait a minute..." Guyan called out to her.

"Ok?"

Gu Yan opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know what to say. The sound of pages turning and keyboard typing came from the other end of the phone. Lin Zhanqiao must be busy.

"...It's alright now."

"Okay, then you should get some rest."

The phone hangs up.

Gu Yan placed her phone on the table and stared blankly at the black screen for a long while. She didn't know when her third sister had left; the instant noodles were completely cold, a layer of oil forming on the surface.

Guyan picked up the cooled instant noodles, took a sip of the soup, and then put them down.

He actually knew why Lin Zhanqiao cared so much about him—Chexing was currently relying on him to keep it afloat; if he collapsed, Chexing would be finished. Zhao Lanxin had mentioned this to him, saying that Chexing's cash flow was very tight, and Lin Zhanqiao was almost frantic with worry.

But he couldn't control himself.

Every time he heard Lin Zhanqiao's voice, he felt much more at ease. Her tone of voice, the occasional chuckle at the end of her sentence... these details accumulated little by little, weighing heavily on his heart.

The internet cafe business is getting worse every day.

Who still goes to internet cafes these days? You can do anything with your phone. Occasionally, a few regulars come in to play games, usually staying up all night, a pack of instant noodles lasts them the whole night, and they don't spend much money.

Guyan, along with Sanmei and Erjiu, opened this internet cafe. Calling it a partnership was a bit of a stretch; the three of them pooled their money and rented a shop that was about to go out of business. Sanmei was in charge of the cashier and cleaning, Erjiu was in charge of repairing computers and managing the accounts, and Guyan was in charge of… writing novels.

Yes, he is one of the owners, but what he does most every day is sit in the small cubicle behind the cashier and type on the keyboard.

Erjiu was an honest man, not talkative, but hardworking. He did everything: fixing computers, moving goods, unclogging toilets. Sanmei would sometimes say to him, "Can't you take a break? You're always running around like this, it's making me dizzy."

Erjiu chuckled: "Not tired."

The third sister rolled her eyes at him and continued eating sunflower seeds and watching the show.

Sometimes when Guyan glanced up and saw this scene, he always felt that Erjiu's gaze towards Sanmei was strange. He recognized that look; it was the same look when he was pursuing Sanmei back then.

The third sister started paying attention to Gu Yan's phone calls. Every time Lin Zhanqiao called, she would stop what she was doing and listen intently to what was being said. After Gu Yan hung up, she would casually ask, "That editor again?"

"Ah."

Why does she keep calling you?

"Please expedite the draft."

The third sister fell silent.

Guyan knew what his third sister wanted to say, but he didn't want to engage with her.

Then one day, the third sister asked directly, "Do you like her?"

Gu Yan was drinking water and almost choked. He put down the cup, wiped his mouth, and said, "What did you say?"

“I’m talking about that editor.” The third sister stood behind the cashier, clutching a handful of coins, staring at him.

"She is my editor."

"I'm asking you if you like her."

Lone Smoke fell silent.

The coins in the third sister's hand fell into the drawer with a clatter, and she closed the drawer much louder than usual.

“You weren’t like this before,” the third sister said.

Lone Smoke did not answer.

-

Zhao Lanxin found the internet cafe at 2 PM.

The internet cafe has a small storefront, sandwiched between a Shaxian snack shop and a pharmacy. Two characters on the sign are missing, leaving only the four characters "XX Internet Cafe" hanging there forlornly.

Zhao Lanxin pushed open the door and was immediately hit by a smell of smoke mixed with the odor of instant noodles. She frowned and fanned her nose with her hand.

Behind the cashier sat a girl with her hair casually tied in a ponytail, wearing a faded sweatshirt, eating sunflower seeds and watching a show. Seeing someone enter, the girl glanced at her and asked, "Going online?"

"I'm looking for Lone Smoke."

The third sister looked her up and down: "Who are you?"

“I am his friend.”

The third sister gestured with her lip towards the inside: "The innermost cubicle."

Zhao Lanxin went inside, walked past rows of empty computers, and found a small cubicle at the very back. The cubicle door was open, and a tall, thin boy was facing a computer, typing away at the keyboard.

She knocked on the door frame.

Gu Yan turned around and paused for a moment when he saw Zhao Lanxin. He didn't recognize her.

"you are?"

"Zhao Lanxin".

Gu Yan frowned slightly. He had heard this name before—more than once. Lin Zhanqiao had mentioned that Zhao Lanxin had left Zhixing and started a new company with Ling Yikai. There were also rumors online that Zhao Lanxin had poached many of Zhixing's authors.

"Is something wrong?"

Zhao Lanxin didn't stand on ceremony and pulled up a chair to sit down. She took a business card out of her bag, placed it on the table, and pushed it towards her.

Gu Yan didn't take it, she just glanced at it.

“I’m not here to urge you to change jobs,” Zhao Lanxin smiled. “I just want to have a chat with you.”

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Let's talk about your future."

Gu Yan looked at her without saying a word.

Zhao Lanxin leaned back in her chair and looked around the cramped cubicle: "You're planning to keep writing here? In this run-down internet cafe?"

"It's nice here."

"That's good?" Zhao Lanxin smiled. "How much can you earn in a month? Three to five thousand? Or seven or eight thousand? Do you know how much He Han earns in a month?"

Gu Yan's expression darkened.

“I’m not here to provoke you,” Zhao Lanxin said. “I’m here to show you the right path. I’ve seen the contract you signed with Zhixing. The profit-sharing ratio is very unfriendly to you, and the copyright ownership clause is vague. To put it bluntly, it’s taking advantage of your lack of expertise and binding you in a dead end.”

"Lam Chin Kiu wouldn't cheat me."

Zhao Lanxin raised an eyebrow: "Why do you think she's so good to you?"

Gu Yan did not answer immediately.

“She’s doing this for Zhixing,” Zhao Lanxin thought. “You’re her biggest asset right now. If you leave, Zhixing will collapse immediately. That’s why she cares so much about you, calling you every day to check on you and ask how you are doing—do you think she’s interested in you?”

Gu Yan's breathing became noticeably heavier.

“She didn’t,” Zhao Lanxin said, emphasizing each word. “She and He Han had a ten-year relationship. Do you think a newcomer like you, who has only been writing for a few months, can compare? Even if she broke up with He Han, the web between them is not something you can shake.”

"Are you finished speaking?"

Zhao Lanxin stood up: "What I'm saying may be unpleasant, but it's the truth. Think about it carefully."

Guyan suddenly stood up, pushed the chair back, and slammed it against the wall with a bang.

"go out."

Zhao Lanxin looked at him.

"I'll tell everyone!" Guyan's voice rose.

The third sister heard the commotion and ran over, standing at the door to see what was going on: "What happened?"

Zhao Lanxin remained unfazed, slowly picking up the business card from the table and putting it back in her bag. She walked to the door, glancing back at Gu Yan.

"It's okay, there will be times when you want to come to me."

After saying that, she left.

The third sister watched Zhao Lanxin's retreating figure, then turned to look at Guyan: "Who is she?"

Gu Yan didn't answer. He plopped back into his chair, staring at the computer screen, but couldn't concentrate on a single word.

The third sister didn't ask any more questions and turned to leave.

At the entrance of the internet cafe, Zhao Lanxin got into her car, a smile playing on her lips. She glanced at the shabby sign in the rearview mirror and started the car.

A reckless man like Guyan, easily swayed by emotions, is easily manipulated.

-

Lin Zhanqiao is indeed in a state of extreme distress lately.

Zhixing is almost out of money.

Previously, Ling Yikai handled all these matters, and she only focused on the details. With Ling Yikai gone, the entire financial mess fell into her hands.

She flipped through the stack of investment plans in her hand, having already gone through them at least twenty times. Dealing with the capital market was much more difficult than she had imagined. The investors immediately asked what Zhixing's core competitiveness was, whether Guyan could produce continuously, and what would happen if Guyan's next book flopped.

Lin Zhanqiao said that Guyan has great potential, its data is constantly rising, and its reader loyalty is high.

Investors say that data can be misleading. There are plenty of authors in the online literature world who become legends with their first book, and just as many whose second book flops completely. Why should they believe that "Lone Smoke" isn't just a flash in the pan?

Lin Zhanqiao said that Zixing has a mature incubation system.

The investor laughed and said, "Half of your core editors at Zhixing have left. What kind of incubation system do you have left?"

Lin Zhanqiao was speechless.

That evening, she returned home and collapsed onto the sofa without even taking off her shoes. The house was quiet, save for the hum of the refrigerator. She stared blankly at the ceiling, her mind filled with the numbers in the ledger.

The rent is due.

It's time to pay the employees' salaries.

Gu Yan hasn't received her royalties for this month yet.

She picked up her phone, scrolled to a number in her contacts called "General Manager Chen," looked at it for a long time, and then put it down again. She had already made an appointment with this General Manager Chen three times; the first two times he said he would think about it, but the third time he simply stopped answering the phone.

She tossed her phone aside and closed her eyes.

The phone rang again.

She picked it up and saw that it was Lonely Smoke.

"Hey?"

The breathing on the other end of the phone was heavy, but no one spoke.

"Lone smoke?"

"...It's nothing. I just wanted to hear your voice."

Lin Zhanqiao remained silent for a few seconds. She wasn't stupid; Gu Yan's attitude towards her had become increasingly obvious lately, and she couldn't possibly have been unaware. But every time she wanted to create some distance, she was afraid of affecting his state of mind.

All of Zixing's hopes rested on him alone.

She can't afford to lose.

"Did you check the comments section again?" She tried to make her tone sound as light as possible.

"No."

"What's the matter?"

"That guy surnamed Zhao came to see me."

Lin Zhanqiao sat up straight: "Zhao Lanxin?"

"Ah."

What did she say to you?

"nothing."

Lin Zhanqiao gripped her phone, her mind racing. Zhao Lanxin's visit to Gu Yan definitely wasn't for tea or a chat. She gritted her teeth: "If she contacts you again, don't see her."

"Are what she said true?"

"What did she say?"

"I say you're good to me because of Zixing."

Lin Zhanqiao didn't know how to answer for a moment. She wanted to say no, but she didn't even believe herself. She wanted to say yes, but she was afraid of pushing Gu Yan further away.

The person on the other end of the phone spoke first: "Never mind, I won't ask anymore. I'm hanging up."

"Lone Smoke—"

The call has already ended.

Lin Zhanqiao stared at her phone screen, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside her. She leaned back on the sofa and rubbed her temples.

When will this ever end?

-

He Han's days were quite leisurely.

He writes for three hours every morning, and then he's free in the afternoon. When he was with Lin Zhanqiao, she always urged him to save up more manuscripts, saying what if something came up and he had to stop updating? Now that no one is urging him anymore, he has actually saved up quite a few manuscripts, enough for half a month.

In his spare time, he began to think about other things.

He bought a car.

It wasn't just any ordinary car; it was a sports car, costing over two million yuan. When Qin Hao heard this, he immediately scolded him for being wasteful, saying, "Why don't you do something better with that money?"

He Han disagreed: "I don't have any hobbies in my life, I just want to drive a nice car."

"Then what are you going to do with it? Drive it around every day?"

"Run Run Ride-Hailing".

Qin Hao thought he had misheard: "What did you say?"

"I drive for ride-hailing services." He Han repeated, "I checked, I can make a few hundred yuan a day, and I can chat with people, it's quite interesting."

"You, a big-name author earning millions a year, going to drive for a ride-hailing service? Are you out of your mind?"

"I'm just idling around anyway."

Qin Hao stared at him, speechless for a long time. Finally, he gave him a thumbs up: "Great, you're really good."

He Han actually registered. On his first day, he completed ten rides and earned over three hundred yuan. Among the passengers were white-collar workers rushing to work, elderly people going to the hospital, and young women going on dates. Everyone would chat for a bit when they got on. Some asked him if the car was good and whether driving for a ride-hailing service was profitable; others complained about how hard life was, with wages not increasing and rent rising.

He Han found it quite interesting.

These people's stories are far more real than the novels he wrote.

But this leisurely period didn't last long.

That day, He Han had just finished a delivery and was about to go home for dinner when his phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and frowned.

Father He.

He hesitated for a moment, but answered anyway.

"Hey?"

Where are you?

He Han felt a tightness in his chest when he heard that voice: "Outside."

"I've arrived in Shanghai. Send me your address."

He Han tightened his grip on the steering wheel: "What are you doing here?"

"Can't I even come to see you? I'm your father!"

He Han was silent for a few seconds, but finally gave an address.

After hanging up the phone, he sat in the driver's seat for a long time. Cars streamed past the window, and the sky gradually darkened. He took a deep breath and started the car.

He called Qin Hao: "Where are you?"

"At home, what's wrong?"

"drink wine."

"Drinking? With your alcohol tolerance?" The sound of a spatula stirring came from Qin Hao's side: "So, what happened? Did you quarrel with Lin Zhanqiao again?"

He Han gave a wry smile: "My dad's here."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

"Then come over here, I'll cook two dishes and have a drink with you."

-

Qin Hao's new apartment is in Pudong, a three-bedroom unit, recently purchased as a secondhand property. He paid in full.

When He Han arrived, Qin Hao was busy in the kitchen. The range hood was humming, and there were three or four plates on the stove, with two dishes already cooked.

He Han changed his shoes at the door, walked to the restaurant and sat down. Without saying a word, he opened a bottle of beer and gulped it down in a few mouthfuls.

Qin Hao poked his head out from the kitchen and shook his head when he saw this scene: "I'm telling you to take it easy. If you keep drinking like this, you'll be passed out before I even finish cooking."

He Han put down the empty bottle and forced a bitter smile. He wiped the foam from the corner of his mouth and looked at Qin Hao's busy figure in the kitchen, suddenly feeling a little envious.

Although the house is a bit old, it's very clean. There's a sofa in the living room, and a remote control and a bag of sunflower seeds on the coffee table. The balcony door is open, and a cool evening breeze is blowing in.

He Han opened another bottle of wine.

Qin Hao brought out the last dish and saw that the man was already on his second bottle. He sighed and put the dish down. He took off his apron and tossed it onto the back of the chair, then opened a bottle for himself.

"Tell me, what happened?"

He Han shook the bottle of liquor in his hand: "Don't you think fate likes to play tricks on people? Someone like me who loves to drink has such a low alcohol tolerance?"

Qin Hao picked up the wine bottle and clinked it against his: "Is it possible that this is a bug that God specially fixed to prevent you from becoming like your father?"

He Han paused for a second, then chuckled bitterly, "Old Qin, you really know how to comfort people. If I had your skills, I wouldn't have ended up like this with Lin Zhanqiao."

"You two are just too dramatic." Qin Hao picked up a piece of food, chewed it a couple of times, and said, "Look at me and Zhou Mei, we say what we mean. Married life is all about guessing each other, it's exhausting."

"Wait a minute—" He Han put down the wine bottle: "Marriage? You and Zhou Mei are getting married? Why haven't you told me before?"

Qin Hao shrugged: "Zhou Mei and I aren't planning on having a wedding; we're going to have a destination wedding. We'll treat you and Lin Zhanqiao to a meal when we get back."

"As for Zhou Mei's parents—"

"Just give me a heads-up," Qin Hao said, getting up and taking two marriage certificates from the bedroom, placing them on the table.

He Han picked it up and glanced at it. In the photo, Qin Hao and Zhou Mei were both wearing white shirts. Qin Hao was grinning, and Zhou Mei was leaning on his shoulder, also smiling happily.

He Han stared at it for a long time.

"That's great." He put down the marriage certificate, his voice hoarse.

Qin Hao glanced at him and poured him a glass of wine: "Don't let your dad influence you. Marriage is a partnership. It's normal for someone like your dad, an alcoholic and violent maniac, to have an unhappy marriage. Think about it from another perspective—if men like your dad can be happy, what about men who are family-oriented and love their wives and children?"

He Han couldn't help but laugh: "Old Qin, with your level of ideological work skills, it's a real pity you're not an official."

"That's right. If I wanted to be an official, I'd need to be at least a department head or higher."

"You're getting all worked up just from being called fat. Come on, let's drink."

The two clinked glasses.

After drinking for more than two hours, He Han's face was completely red. Qin Hao, on the other hand, was fine; he had a high alcohol tolerance, so this amount of alcohol was nothing to him.

"What do you think he came here for?" He Han asked suddenly, staring at the empty wine bottle on the table.

"Your father?"

"Ah."

"What else can we do? We need money, of course."

He Han gave a wry smile: "You're right. Every time he contacts me, it's always about money, nothing else."

"So, are you going to give it to me or not?"

"He gave it to me. After that, he left. And once he left, I never wanted to see him again."

Qin Hao was silent for a moment: "Do you hate him?"

He Han didn't answer immediately. He leaned back in his chair, staring blankly at the ceiling light.

"I wouldn't say I hate you. It's just... I'm afraid."

"What are you afraid of?"

"I'm afraid I'll end up like him."

Qin Hao patted him on the shoulder: "You won't."

"how do you know?"

"Because you're afraid," Qin Hao said. "People who are afraid won't do those things."

He Han looked at him and suddenly felt his eyes getting hot. He lowered his head and rubbed his eyes: "Stop being so sentimental, have another drink."

-

A month later.

Qin Hao and Zhou Mei are back from their destination wedding. They went to Yunnan, spent a week in Dali, and a few days in Lijiang. In the photos they posted on WeChat Moments, the two of them are riding horses, with an unbelievably blue sky and a vast sea of ​​flowers in the background.

Lin Zhanqiao smiled when she saw the photo. She liked Zhou Mei's post and commented, "Treat me to dinner when you get back!"

Zhou Mei replied instantly: "Absolutely! This Saturday night, Lao Qin and I are treating, you and He Han can both come."

Lin Zhanqiao paused for a moment when she saw the name "He Han". She and He Han hadn't been in contact since their argument on the phone. It had been several months.

She thought about it for a moment and then replied with "okay".

When Lin Zhanqiao arrived at the restaurant on Saturday night, He Han was already there. He was sitting in a private room, wearing a black jacket, his hair shorter than before, looking much more energetic. Qin Hao and Zhou Mei were sitting opposite him, chatting about their experiences in Yunnan.

Seeing Lin Zhanqiao enter, He Han stood up. The two exchanged a glance, both feeling somewhat awkward.

Qin Hao smoothed things over, saying, "We're here, come on in. Please sit down. The food is all ordered."

Lin Zhanqiao sat down next to He Han. She put her bag behind her and poured herself a cup of tea. He Han glanced at her, then picked up his own cup and took a sip of water.

"You guys went to Dali?" Lin Zhanqiao spoke first, asking Zhou Mei across from her.

“Yes, it’s so beautiful over there.” Zhou Mei said excitedly, “Especially Erhai Lake. When you get up in the morning to watch the sunrise, the color is absolutely stunning.”

"You were riding horses?"

"Yes, yes, I even filmed a video, let me show you—"

Zhou Mei took out her phone and showed Lin Zhanqiao the video. Lin Zhanqiao looked at Zhou Mei riding a horse on the screen and couldn't help but laugh: "You look pretty cool riding a horse."

"Of course, I must have been a heroine of the grasslands in my past life."

Qin Hao scoffed from the side: "Heroine? You had to be carried onto the horse."

"You're undermining me again!"

Everyone laughed.

After the laughter subsided, the atmosphere suddenly quieted down. He Han picked up his wine glass and turned to Lin Zhanqiao.

"Zhan Qiao".

Lin Zhanqiao looked up at him.

“What happened before was my fault,” He Han said. “I spoke too harshly.”

Lin Zhanqiao paused, then lowered her eyes: "I also have problems. I was too domineering and didn't consider your feelings."

"Alright, alright." Qin Hao raised his glass. "Isn't that settled? Come on, have a drink, and this matter is over."

He Han and Lin Zhanqiao clinked glasses. The sound of the glasses clinking was crisp and pleasant, and they each took a sip.

Lin Zhanqiao sighed inwardly.

Sometimes, it's easier to put things out in the open.

But some things, once said, can never be undone.

Just as she was about to pick up some food, the door to the private room was suddenly pushed open from the outside.

Everyone turned their heads away.

Standing at the door was Lone Smoke.

He was wearing a wrinkled T-shirt, his hair was messy, and his eyes were bloodshot. He stared intently at Lin Zhanqiao, his lips trembling slightly.

"Lone Smoke?" Lin Zhanqiao put down her chopsticks and stood up. "How come you—"

"You want to get back together with him?" Gu Yan's voice was hoarse, as if she hadn't had water in a long time.

"what?"

"I heard you talking." Gu Yan pointed to the door. "I've been at the door the whole time. I heard everything you said. You've made up, you're getting back together, aren't you?"

Lin Zhanqiao frowned: "We're not getting back together. He Han and I are just—"

"Just what?" Gu Yan's voice suddenly rose: "Just friends? And what about me?"

"Gu Yan, calm down."

"How can I stay calm? Zhao Lanxin is right, you're just using me! All your kindness towards me was fake! Now that you've made up with him, you're going to dump me, aren't you?"

Lin Zhanqiao took a deep breath: "My relationship with you has always been that of editor and author, without any personal feelings involved."

Lonely Smoke was stunned.

He stood there, as if he had been punched in the face. His eyes were wide open, and his lips moved several times, but no sound came out.

He Han sat to the side, remaining silent. The air in the private room seemed to freeze.

"What did you say?" Guyan's voice was very soft.

“I said, I have no other feelings for you.”

Gu Yan's eyes reddened. He stood there, his fists clenched tightly, his whole body trembling.

"Then what am I?" His voice began to tremble. "What the hell am I?"

He slammed his hand on the table, causing the bowls and chopsticks on it to bounce. Lin Zhanqiao was startled and instinctively took a half-step back.

"Gu Yan, listen to me—"

"No need to say anything more. I want to terminate my contract with you."

Lin Zhanqiao thought she had misheard: "What did you say?"

"I said I want to terminate my contract with Zhixing," Guyan said, emphasizing each word. "I quit."

"You have a contract with Zhixing. Do you know how much you'll have to pay to terminate it?"

Gu Yan was clearly taken aback. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but couldn't utter a word.

Just then, the door to the private room was pushed open again.

Zhao Lanxin stood at the door with a faint smile on her face.

“I’ve seen your contract with Zhixing,” she said. “There are many unfair terms in it. Don’t worry, as long as you sign with me, I can help you win this lawsuit.”

Lin Zhanqiao looked at her and suddenly understood everything.

"So—it was you who told Guyan where we were eating?"

"If a person doesn't look out for themselves, they'll be punished by heaven and earth." Zhao Lan thought to herself with righteous indignation.

Zhou Mei's face flushed with anger. She took out her phone and blocked Zhao Lanxin's number in front of her: "I should have blocked you a long time ago!"

Zhao Lan shrugged indifferently: "I'm not as pretty as you or Lin Zhanqiao. Everything I have, I have to fight for myself—"

"Stop with your twisted logic that being ugly justifies you."

Qin Hao stood up, his voice not loud, but every word struck the ground.

"Most people in this world are of average appearance, and not everyone is as ruthless as you in achieving their goals. It's fine to be ambitious, and it's fine to use scheming and trickery—but don't try to have your cake and eat it too."

Zhao Lanxin's expression changed.

"If Lin Zhanqiao hadn't recruited you into Zhixing back then, would you be where you are today? Don't say that everything you have now is due to your own hard work—there are plenty of hard-working people, and many people are stuck with a fixed salary of a few thousand dollars a month. Only a fool like Lin Zhanqiao would give you half of the shares!"

"You live in a house bought with dividends from Zhixing, but behind the scenes you've been undermining Zhixing's talent pool. Do you know why I wouldn't sign with your company even if you paid me? Because signing with someone as ungrateful as you means I'd always be on guard against you stabbing me in the back."

Zhao Lanxin's face, which was not fair to begin with, was now a mixture of black and red, and red and purple.

Qin Hao then turned to look at Guyan.

"And you too. If it weren't for Lin Zhanqiao, you'd still be holed up in that shady internet cafe as a manager."

"And I remember you had a girlfriend. Don't tell me you broke up with Lin Zhanqiao before you met her. A scumbag like you, who has a girlfriend but still covets his benefactor, is shamelessly talking about terminating the contract? Try terminating the contract yourself. I'll hire the best lawyer out of my own pocket and sue you until you're bankrupt and a deadbeat for life!"

Lonely smoke stood there, trembling all over.

Then, something unexpected happened—

He cried.

It wasn't the kind of crying where a few tears fall from red eyes; it was wailing. Like a child, her shoulders shook, tears streamed down her cheeks, and her whole body was convulsing from crying.

The private room was so quiet that only his sobs could be heard.

Zhao Lanxin gritted her teeth, stepped forward and grabbed Gu Yan's arm: "Don't be intimidated by him. I'll help you with the lawsuit."

After she finished speaking, she pulled Gu Yan and walked out. Gu Yan was dragged along, staggering out of the private room.

Lin Zhanqiao stood there, staring at the empty doorway, unsure whether to feel worried or relieved. (End of Chapter)