Chapter 48: I Have a Boyfriend
Lin Huaizhi’s single sentence instantly silenced the room.
Chu Xiaoran was the first to react. “Lin Huaizhi, he’s still just a child. You don’t need to drive him to extinction. If you want to hold someone accountable, then hold me accountable! I’m begging you!”
The boy was filled with righteous indignation.
“Gege, don’t beg him! If I go to jail, I go to jail! I’m not afraid!”
“You know perfectly well that he is still a child!” Lin Huaizhi stood up abruptly. He stared at Chu Xiaoran, his eyes filled with oppressive force. “Chu Xiaoran, how many times have I told you? An idol must fulfill the duties of an idol. You can set an example for them, but stop meddling in their lives!”
“Do you have any idea how much influence your every word and deed has on them?”
Chu Xiaoran was stunned for a moment. He wanted to retort, to ask how he had meddled in their lives, but then he saw the police officers nodding in agreement.
“That’s correct. The entertainment industry is developing rapidly, and public figures have a massive impact on society. Since they accept flowers and applause, they must restrain themselves and set a positive example for their fans.”
Lin Huaizhi continued, “I will not pursue criminal charges against this child, but he needs to undergo discipline and correctional education.”
Lin Huaizhi looked at Chu Xiaoran.
“Finally, as the source of this knife attack incident, I hope you will bear the corresponding responsibility. While reimbursing my medical expenses, you must publicly apologize to me and provide correct guidance to your fans.”
From beginning to end, Lin Huaizhi’s target was only Chu Xiaoran, not the child.
Admittedly, some people are born bad seeds, but for fans, an idol is not just an idol; they are a role model and, in a sense, a spiritual pillar.
Lin Huaizhi didn’t believe for a second that Chu Xiaoran didn’t have ulterior motives when he spoke in the fan group.
The effect Chu Xiaoran wanted to achieve was nothing more than using his fans to stir up public opinion. He wanted to use that pressure to sway Zhou Jingzhi, or Lin Huaizhi himself, to get the role back.
It was just that Chu Xiaoran hadn’t expected there to be such a reckless fan who would actually cause trouble with a knife.
Chu Xiaoran clearly didn’t want to accept Lin Huaizhi’s terms. “No, I…”
“Lin Huaizhi is right.” The lead officer clearly agreed with Lin Huaizhi’s perspective. “As an idol, you must play a positive guiding role. You need to pay special attention, particularly to those younger fans!”
Chu Xiaoran was silent for a moment.
“I can cover the medical expenses, but if I apologize publicly, netizens who don’t know the truth will think I instigated this. It will damage my reputation.”
The officer said, “That doesn’t matter. Just explain it properly.”
In the end, Chu Xiaoran had no choice but to admit defeat.
If he didn’t accept this outcome, Lin Huaizhi would insist on pursuing criminal charges. Given the things Chu Xiaoran had said, there would be no way for him to walk away clean.
“Boss, President Xu from Kaitian has invited you to dinner.”
Huo Chen looked up and saw a middle-aged man smiling and waving at him from the front row on the other side.
The bidding meeting was drawing to a close.
This bidding meeting was initiated by the relevant departments for the construction of a cross-sea bridge between Dragon City and Qian City, aimed at accelerating economic and trade exchanges between the two places.
To date, Huo Chen had cooperated with the relevant departments many times. He was naturally comfortable with this kind of bidding. However, the construction of a cross-sea bridge couldn’t be handled by just one company; there would definitely be multi-party cooperation later on.
Inviting him at this time was merely an attempt to carve out a slice of the cake.
At the dinner table.
President Xu raised his glass to toast Huo Chen.
“President Huo has achieved so much at such a young age, developing Warp Speed into a global enterprise. You truly are young and promising!”
“President Xu, you flatter me.”
Huo Chen rarely spoke nonsense. He just listened to the flattery at these drinking parties and let it pass. After all, the higher you climb, the more people will wave flags for you.
But as long as he knew how few of them were sincere, that was enough.
The people at the table were all slick old veterans, constantly urging him to drink. After three rounds of drinks, a CEO who had had a bit too much started to stir up trouble.
“Huo Chen, your ability is indeed strong. Young, bold, and daring to fight. But while you have success in your career, don’t mistreat yourself in life. What’s the point of living like a monk? It’s better to indulge in pleasure.”
As he spoke, the CEO waved a few people into the room.
There were both men and women, all good-looking. The people present took one look and instantly understood the situation.
“Take a look and see which one you like. Don’t go back tonight; just get a room and sleep!”
Huo Chen raised his glass. The motion of drinking blocked the disgust in his eyes. When he put it down, everything had returned to normal.
“I have a boyfriend.”
The private room fell silent for two seconds. Amidst Zheng Xiuang’s shocked gaze, the CEO’s laughter rang out: “What does it matter if you have a boyfriend? Just don’t let him know. Besides, he’s just a boyfriend, not a spouse with a marriage certificate. Are you afraid of him?”
Huo Chen didn’t speak.
Anyone with eyes could see his coldness, but the drunken CEO continued to ramble: “Listen to me, pick a little sister to take with you. That flavor is much better than a man!”
As he spoke, he even started greeting those people: “What are you standing there for? Hurry up and let President Huo take his pick!”
Huo Chen had always been low-key.
As the helmsman of Dragon City’s leading enterprise, he rarely revealed his identity in public, and there was very little information about him online.
Furthermore, his stern face was truly a bit intimidating, keeping people at a distance.
The women in the room looked at each other. Finally, one of them stepped forward, wanting to grab Huo Chen’s hand.
“President Huo…”
Before the words fell, the legs of a chair scraped against the floor with a sharp, piercing sound, causing everyone to wince in pain.
Only Zheng Xiuang remained immovable.
The Boss was about to explode.
Huo Chen stood up and adjusted his cuffs. “President Wang, is it? I think if you put all your mind into your work, you wouldn’t have reduced yourself to being a matchmaker.”
President Wang was very drunk, but hearing this, he sobered up a little.
However, sobering up didn’t help much. He still hadn’t figured out who held the winning hand at this dinner. He slammed the table and challenged Huo Chen.
“Watch your mouth!”
“I gave you face by treating you like a junior. Otherwise, what kind of bird do you think you are?! Chirping in front of me!”
As the initiator of this dinner, President Wu felt his head swelling to twice its size. He couldn’t attend to President Wang, so he could only stop Huo Chen first. “He’s drunk. A great man doesn’t hold a grudge against a small man. Don’t take his words to heart.”
Huo Chen was very tall.
He was the tallest person in the room. Standing in front of him, President Wu barely reached his shoulder. Therefore, when Huo Chen looked down, his condescending aura was alarming.
“President Wu.”
Facing this imposing aura, the man fought the urge to retreat and wiped the sweat from his forehead. “Yes, please speak, please speak.”
A man nearly a cycle of the zodiac older than him was using honorifics in front of him; the attitude was evident.
“We can discuss work, but there is no need to invite me to erotic settings,” Huo Chen said lightly. “Those who follow different paths cannot make plans together. In the future, for any occasion where this President Wang is present, there is no need to invite me.”
Zheng Xiuang went to get the car.
Huo Chen stood at the hotel entrance and called Lin Huaizhi.
Unsurprisingly, no one answered.
He must be awake. Before leaving, Huo Chen was afraid Lin Huaizhi would sleep too long and get hungry, so he had specifically asked Zheng Xiuang to order some nutritious food.
Huo Chen didn’t continue calling Lin Huaizhi but contacted Zhou Ning directly.
Zhou Ning saw the incoming call, glanced at Lin Huaizhi who was talking to the police officer, and turned slightly to answer the phone.
“Hello?”
“Boss?”
“The boss is at the police station.”
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