Zhang Ting almost thought he had misheard.
Long Aotian?
Upon hearing the name, Zhang Ting felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. He became instantly nervous, a chill creeping up his legs.
He still remembered last year when Hu Li was in a similar situation. Zhang Ting had been so scared he nearly wet himself, and Long Aotian had haunted his dreams.
After that incident, it took Zhang Ting three months to recover.
However, Hu Li had followed Zhang Ting's advice and handed over his company, thus extricating himself completely.
Now, hearing the name again, Zhang Ting's breathing grew heavy for no reason. To confirm he hadn't misheard or was hallucinating, he asked, "Did you just say Long Aotian?"
"Yes, it's Long Aotian. That's why I didn't have time to notify you when I issued the order just now," the deputy director replied truthfully.
"You did the right thing. If they give an order, no one can stop it," Zhang Ting agreed, absentmindedly.
"Zhang Ting, I'll hang up then. I need to cooperate with the investigation into Jewel Entertainment Company," the deputy director asked on the phone.
"Alright, alright, you go ahead," Zhang Ting said before hanging up.
Tan Yawen and Liu Zuosan exchanged confused glances. They had both noticed something unusual in Zhang Ting's demeanor during the phone call.
Could something major be about to happen?
"Zhang Ting," Tan Yawen asked impatiently.
Zhang Ting ignored Tan Yawen, picked up a cup of tea from the table, and drank it down to calm himself. He then stood up and said, "I wasn't here today."
"Zhang Ting."
"What's wrong, Zhang Ting?"
Seeing Zhang Ting about to leave, the two of them quickly stood up.
"You know what you've done, and no one can save you," Zhang Ting said expressionlessly. Being involved with Tan Yawen was a disaster; Zhang Ting couldn't escape fast enough.
"Zhang Ting, if you would, for the sake of our many years of friendship, could you please clarify things? It would at least give my brother some peace of mind. He truly doesn't know what's going on," Liu Zuosan said pleadingly.
Hearing this, Tan Yawen quickly chimed in, "Yes, Zhang Ting, please give us some guidance."
Zhang Ting hesitated for a moment, pondering. Thinking that revealing a little wouldn't hurt, he said, "Think about who you've offended recently. The person targeting you doesn't even care about me. He can bypass me entirely and order all your company's works to be removed from shelves for review."
"Also, you should know Mr. Hu Li, right? You're both in the entertainment industry, so I'm sure you know him."
Zhang Ting suddenly thought of Hu Li and mentioned his name.
"Yes, we know him. Mr. Hu sold his company last year. It's something no one understood," Tan Yawen nodded.
"Heh..." Zhang Ting let out a cold laugh and continued, "The person who dealt with him is the same person who's dealing with you. I advise you to eat more later. I'm afraid you might not have the chance if you wait any longer."
After saying this, Zhang Ting turned and left.
This time, the two did not call out to him again, allowing him to leave.
Tan Yawen slumped back into his chair, an expression of disbelief on his face. He muttered, "It must be National Little Wang. It has to be him."
Tan Yawen hadn't expected National Little Wang's revenge to come so swiftly.
"National Little Wang?" Liu Zuosan asked, a puzzled look on his face. Then, as if realizing something, he asked, "Did Liu Dong from your company post that Weibo?"
"What Weibo?" Tan Yawen asked, confused.
He hadn't even had a chance to check Weibo, so he was unaware of Liu Dong's post.
"Look," Liu Zuosan quickly opened his phone, tapped on Weibo, and found the post Liu Dong had made the previous night.
After reading it, Tan Yawen was so angry he almost spat blood.
"This is truly courting disaster!"
Perhaps National Little Wang hadn't intended to target them yesterday, but Liu Dong had practically handed them the reason on a silver platter.
Now, Tan Yawen was almost certain that National Little Wang was behind it.
He had never imagined that National Little Wang would have such a powerful backing. It was too late for regrets.
"Damn you, Liu Dong, I'll break your legs first." Tan Yawen slammed the table heavily and immediately made two phone calls.
Liu Dong had caused him such immense trouble; Tan Yawen would not rest until his legs were broken.
With Long Aotian's involvement, Zhang Ting was terrified.
Meanwhile, Liu Dong was still in the hotel suite provided by the film crew. It was midday, and he hadn't woken up yet, lying in bed with a face mask on.
He was completely unaware that his legs were about to be broken.
More importantly, people had already begun searching for evidence of his tax evasion.
Therefore, Liu Dong's ultimate fate was sealed.
As a celebrity, a public figure, one needed to possess basic decorum and cultivation. Otherwise, how could they guide others to establish correct values?
Celebrities already commanded significant attention. Due to the large number of fans, their moral compass directly influenced many.
This was also why there had been efforts in recent years to crack down on artists with questionable conduct. Once they caused trouble, there was no leniency; they were directly blacklisted.
Therefore, no matter when, it was essential to conduct oneself properly and be a useful member of society.
One could be poor, but one must have integrity.
......................