A Pair of Evil Women's Love - Chapter 60
Chapter 60: [VIP]
“Does it look good?” At lunch, Fu Haitang wasn’t very hungry. Or rather, she was so full of suppressed anger that she had lost her appetite.
The freshly cut salmon had a clear texture and was soft and bouncy. Of course, it looked good. Fu Yilan nodded and used tongs to scoop the salmon onto her plate.
Fu Haitang: “…I wasn’t talking about the salmon.”
“The lamb chops look good too.” The lamb chops were crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and had a rich five-spice flavor. A single bite made Fu Yilan’s eyes narrow in satisfaction. “You should eat too. You must be tired from last night.”
“…”
After the meal, Fu Haitang found a chance to leave the hot springs resort. Ji Xiaotong had stayed up until the morning. Not long after getting in the car, she put on her headphones and fell asleep.
The car drove back to the city. At a traffic light, Fu Haitang looked around and suddenly asked Fu Yilan, “Do you feel confident about the finals?”
Fu Yilan’s eyes smiled. “Will Gu Jingjing let me debut?”
Fu Yilan’s words hit the nail on the head.
Fu Haitang’s fingers tapped lightly on the steering wheel. “The young miss offered a very good price.”
Fu Yilan raised an eyebrow.
Fu Haitang: “A fifty-fifty split. How about that?”
“Is Gu Jingjing that important to you?” Fu Yilan chuckled. “You know, I came to this show to debut.”
“You and I will each get ten million,” Fu Haitang said.
Fu Yilan’s expression froze for a second, then she replied, “Whether I debut or not doesn’t matter. As long as you don’t lose your job, that’s enough.”
The corner of Fu Haitang’s mouth lifted. “Mm, thank you for thinking of me.”
“What do I need to do?” Fu Yilan asked.
Fu Haitang: “You don’t need to do anything. Just leave everything to me. You just have to promise me one thing after you get the money.”
Fu Yilan: “What I mean is, how do you want me to repay you?”
Fu Haitang gripped the steering wheel and stepped on the gas. She said softly, “Aren’t you afraid I’ll trick you?”
“By rights, I should be more afraid of you,” Fu Yilan turned her head to look at Fu Haitang. “You told me to act as if everything is normal, which means you’re confident that I’ll be eliminated, but you still chose to be honest with me.”
Fu Yilan: “Are you that good of a person? Coming to give me money?”
Fu Haitang: “…”
“What do I have to promise you? To stay away from Lu Jing? Or to disappear from the entertainment industry forever?” Fu Yilan asked.
“If I remember correctly, we’ve only known each other for less than two months,” Fu Yilan’s voice cut Fu Haitang off. “Are you really brave enough to make these demands?”
Fu Haitang smiled, pursing her lips. “Yes, I feel an immediate connection with you.”
“I thought it was love at first sight,” Fu Yilan said with a laugh.
Fu Haitang’s heart beat faster. She freed a hand and pinched the dimple on the side of Fu Yilan’s face. The latter was stunned by her action, and in the next second, she raised her hand to swat Fu Haitang’s hand away.
Fu Yilan turned her head to look out the window. She clenched her hands into fists, gripping the long dress on her lap. Fu Haitang’s action was really rude. She pursed her lips. Only her mother used to pinch her face like that.
Fu Haitang asked softly, “Is ten million enough for you to pay off your parents’ debts?”
Fu Yilan’s expression changed.
Fu Haitang was extremely nervous. She didn’t expect to actually be able to do this. After she finished this deal, she would resign from Gu Jingjing. Over twenty million and a house in City A would be enough for her and Fu Yilan to live a good life.
As long as Fu Yilan agreed not to have any more contact with Lu Jing, the key plot of the debut would be destroyed. Even Ji Xiaotong wouldn’t be able to stop them!
“My parents died in a shipwreck,” Fu Yilan said, her eyes looking at Fu Haitang with a complex expression.
“The debt left by the Fu family is not just a few million.” She gave a light laugh.
Fu Haitang was stunned. Although she could know the plot that happened to Fu Yilan, the story only went as far as the information that had already been revealed.
The Fu family still had debt?
Fu Haitang frowned.
“The few million is the money my uncle and aunt wanted to squeeze out of me,” Fu Yilan said softly. “They said they spent five million on me after adopting me.”
Although Fu Haitang was surprised, she wasn’t completely shocked when she thought about it. How could a listed company only have a few million in debt after liquidation?
Fu Yilan said that after Fu Zhenyun died in a shipwreck in Hainan, the company’s executives concealed the news of the couple’s death in order to keep the business running and appease shareholders. In just six months, they emptied the stock and transferred the assets.
Later, when the Fu Group’s capital chain collapsed, the executives who had already left with the money quietly spread false rumors that the Fu Group’s capital chain had been abnormal for a while. They also claimed that the news of Fu Zhenyun’s death would soon be announced in the country.
Not long after, most of the Fu Group’s funds had been transferred, and they had immigrated overseas. The shipping company announced the initial list of casualties, but no one believed that the Fu Zhenyun couple had actually died.
They were more inclined to believe that the couple had staged a play to empty the company and leave.
Amidst the uproar, the Fu Group’s stock collapsed. Fu Zhenyun was saddled with a huge debt in just a few nights. Soon after, the group faced liquidation.
It wasn’t until two years later that an international investigation organization announced that it had given up on salvaging the ship, and the truth about their deaths was revealed.
It was a pity that no one cared about the belated truth. The money that her parents had worked hard to earn was now in the hands of some people who were free from the law.
Fu Yilan became an orphan after her parents’ deaths and was adopted by her uncle’s family. The new guardianship and a temporary uncle in the military protected her.
After Fu Yilan grew up, she read the news from back then and had already guessed the truth, but she had no evidence. The list of executives’ names and everything else was gone.
“The company went bankrupt. By rights, the debt should have been canceled with their deaths. It’s a pity… After two years of delay, not only was the money transferred, but the debt was transferred as well.”
Fu Haitang frowned. “Forgive me for being presumptuous, but you have a new legal guardian. Legally, you don’t have to continue paying off your parents’ debt.”
Fu Yilan: “I became independent after I came of age. The reason I’m still in contact with my uncle’s family is that they paid for my college tuition. I’m an intern this year, and I have less than a year until I graduate. Next June, I’ll officially inherit my father’s debt.”
Fu Yilan said, “The debt on the books is 12 billion.”
The tires scraped against the ground, making a sharp, grating sound. Fu Haitang’s hand slipped on the steering wheel, and the car hit the guardrail on the side of the road. Her hair fell over her face, covering her expression.
Both of them sobered up in that moment.
Love might not be suitable for them yet.
It was the temporary comfortable environment that had given them the illusion that they could be together forever.
“I hope I didn’t scare you. The car has broken down,” Fu Haitang said in a hoarse voice. She then took out her phone. “I’ll call the insurance company first.”
Fu Yilan pursed her lips. “I’m fine.”
Fu Yilan suddenly regretted telling Fu Haitang all this. She valued the extravagant world of the entertainment industry and hoped to grow in this circle.
Once she had gained enough power, she would publicly inherit Fu Zhenyun’s assets and debts. That way, she might be able to get some information about the people who had fled the country back then.
Fu Haitang, feeling dizzy, dialed the insurance company’s number. The car window was tapped. She had scraped a parked car on the side of the road, and the other party came to negotiate with her.
During the accident, Fu Haitang just mechanically cooperated with the police and the insurance company.
Fu Yilan, not at fault, had already gone back to the company to film her advertisement.
Fu Haitang looked worried. She could still fight for Fu Yilan with a few million, but what about the tens of billions later? And what about Fu Yilan’s desire to clear her parents’ names?
Did she really have the ability to do that?
…
Group Show 07 was broadcast twice a week. With the pre-recorded warm-up on the day before the live broadcast and the content after each live broadcast, ten episodes had already been aired.
The show had been on the air for a month and a half. With the early preparations, it had only been three months in total. This fast-paced talent show had become a huge hit, sweeping the internet.
This popularity made other TV stations restless. They all followed suit and prepared to create similar shows. Some predicted that next year would be the first year of talent shows, and various talent shows would spring up like mushrooms.
So far, the show’s profits had exceeded 700 million. Fu Haitang attended the company’s quarterly meeting. Because the TV station’s summer financial report for Group Show 07 was very impressive, Fu Haitang was assigned to a new fall show at the end of the meeting.
It was a sign that she would be parachuting in to take charge.
Fu Haitang was very surprised. The new show had been in preparation for over two months. Logically, everything should have been ready. Why did they need her?
“Haitang, do you have any concerns?” Joey asked.
Fu Haitang smiled. “Director Qiao, I’d like to take a vacation after the show ends. It’s not right for me to join a show that’s already fully prepared. I’m sorry, Director Qiao.”
The impressive profits of Group Show 07 were Fu Haitang’s bargaining chip to reject Joey.
Joey smiled. “Okay, I can approve ten days of paid leave for you after the show. Get a good rest and come back early. Since you don’t like parachuting in, I look forward to your new proposal. I’m willing to give a green light to capable people.”
Fu Haitang bowed, gathered her files, and prepared to leave.
Joey: “Fu Haitang.”
“Director Qiao,” Fu Haitang stopped. “Is there something else?”
Joey smiled. “Wait for me. Why are you avoiding me like a plague?”
Fu Haitang: “You’re joking, Director Qiao.”
The others left one by one. Soon, only Fu Haitang and Joey were left in the conference room. Joey held a pen and wrote a few names on a white piece of paper, handing it to Fu Haitang.
“The finals are coming up. Don’t forget the promise you made to the higher-ups,” Joey said with a smile.
The debut spots were almost set in stone. Fu Haitang looked at the list of names and put the paper into the shredder. “I know. Don’t worry, Director Qiao.”
Joey raised an eyebrow. “You’re so calm? You’re quite fond of Fu Yilan. I thought you would have an opinion about this list.”
“A debut spot bought with a few million. No matter how much I admire Fu Yilan, there’s no way I’d pay that money for her,” Fu Haitang said with a shrug. Fu Yilan was not on the list of seven names that Joey had given her.
Joey nodded with satisfaction. “However, Fu Yilan is indeed a potential star. I’ll give you a list of management companies that have a partnership with the station. You can try to persuade Fu Yilan to give up a debut spot. There will be plenty of opportunities for her to appear on Station A in the future.”
The TV station saw Fu Yilan as a pawn, but they couldn’t give up on this cash cow. Fu Haitang smiled and agreed, but in reality, she didn’t even click on the list that Joey had given her.
“Haitang.” At noon, Young Miss Gu was still eating her “diet meal” in a small room.
Fu Haitang looked up at the sound. “What is it, Young Miss?”
Gu Jingjing: “How’s your work at the TV station?”
Gu Jingjing was not good at hiding her thoughts. Fu Haitang’s brows relaxed. “It’s too tiring. I just want to stay by your side, with good food and drinks, and not have to deal with the deception at the TV station.”
Gu Jingjing hesitated. “Really?”
“Yes! Of course!” Fu Haitang smiled. “The final debut list has been decided. Fu Yilan is not on it. Are you happy, Young Miss?”
Gu Jingjing: “How can you guarantee that she won’t debut through online voting?”
“The new rules have changed a lot. I’m one of the judges,” Fu Haitang said with a smile.
Gu Jingjing said quietly, “But I checked the TV station’s surveillance. The footage shows you going in and out of Fu Yilan’s room late at night several times. What… what happened between you?”
Fu Haitang was stunned. “Young Miss?”
Gu Jingjing: “I don’t even need you. I can just send this footage to the media and completely ruin Fu Yilan’s reputation.”
“Don’t!” Fu Haitang panicked. She went to the surveillance room every day to cut and replace the footage of her staying in Fu Yilan’s room the night before with new, repeated scenes.
How did Gu Jingjing find it?
How could she…
A pain in her jaw made Fu Haitang look up and meet Gu Jingjing’s hateful gaze.