High-Altitude Worker, Unfortunately a Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Role - Chapter 35

“Shut up! Be quiet!”

The police officer restraining Kong Jianshan, finding the man’s wailing worse than a pig’s squeals, frowned and cursed under his breath.

The police station remained brightly lit throughout the night.

By the time morning arrived, the internet had already exploded.

#StarYueMedia topped the trending charts, followed closely by #StarYueManager, #NudePhotos, #ZhaoKeAgent, and #MultipleStarYueExecutivesSummoned.

Based on Kong Jianshan’s confession and Zhao Ke’s leads, police discovered not only miniature cameras hidden in the company’s dressing rooms but also numerous explicit photos and videos on the phones of managers and senior executives.

The list of victims numbered in the hundreds, including men and women, active and retired celebrities, and even ordinary employees who had stumbled upon the truth and suffered the consequences.

From the fragmented information released by the police, netizens glimpsed the scale of the scandal and its devastating impact.

Lu Tingjing, Liu Xiangjun… both Film Emperors and Empresses… How dare Star Yue Media treat them like this? They’ve worked like dogs for your company for years! Even if they didn’t achieve great success, they deserve respect for their hard work!

Thorough investigation! This matter must be thoroughly investigated!

The entertainment industry is about to be shaken to its core!

No wonder Star Yue’s artists often appeared at events looking unwell, and their managers would explain it away as overwork. It turns out you were the ones pushing them to the brink!

So Sha Kaiyun was just an appetizer? Who could have imagined?

As the saying goes, “When you find one cockroach dropping, the whole house is already infested.”

Kong Jianshan demanded to see Zhao Ke, shouting, “What right do you have to do this? How dare you?! Are you so sure your own photos aren’t among those?”

Zhao Ke sat across from him, her lips curving into a faint smile as she watched him through the iron bars. “What if they are? What if they aren’t? Either way, it only adds to your crimes.”

“Why?! Why?!” Kong Jianshan gritted his teeth so hard his gums bled.

Zhao Ke stood up, looking down at him. “If you want to know the reason, you’ll understand soon enough… when you’re in hell.”

Within hours of the police announcement, artists began to speak out.

Liu Xiangjun: “The dark clouds that have hung over me for years have finally dissipated… Thank you, Zhao Ke… I may now return to my personal life…”

Xin Zhuo: “I’m sorry, I’ve been battling severe depression for seven years… I never thought the chains binding me would ever be broken… Zhao Ke is my life’s savior…”

Tan Yun: “After retiring from the industry so long ago, I never imagined the injustices I suffered would ever be righted… The wicked must be brought to justice…”

Dozens of lengthy Weibo posts, filled with tears and anguish, recounted the victims’ intense pain and fear.

Don’t let a single one of them escape!

There must be someone above the manager. Arrest them all!

They must be severely punished! The impact is far too damaging!

Other artists began to voice their support.

Yan Huaixu: “I support the harshest possible punishment for the suspects…”

Yin Wenyuan: “Teacher Hong Ci is my mentor and benefactor. Hearing about what happened to him breaks my heart… I applaud and cheer for my colleague Zhao Ke’s courage…”

Yu Huizhou: “As public figures, artists’ personal privacy and safety are constantly at risk…”

Nearly half of Star Yue Media’s artists expressed their intention to retire or go into seclusion, while many others declared they needed a period of rest.

Pang Chao, Chairman of Star Yue Media, was under police investigation. The once-mighty corporation, now like a herd of leaderless beasts, was on the verge of collapse.

Zhao Ke was forced to work another all-nighter, only being released back to the show’s filming location the next day.

When Zhao Ke saw Su Xi, she grinned and spread her hands. “I couldn’t get the song list. You’ll have to choose your own song.”

Su Xi didn’t care about that. Tears streamed down her face like a dam had burst as she threw her arms around Zhao Ke and sobbed uncontrollably.

Ming Yue and the others rushed over as well, clinging to Zhao Ke like oversized charms, refusing to let go.

Ugh, this is so touching! I hope all the sisters are okay.

So Zhao Ke knew about this last night and deliberately kept Su Xi away.

This is terrifying, everyone! A male executive asking you to meet him alone late at night, then mentioning a spare key to the dressing room… What was he planning?!

Holy crap, I just realized!

Thank goodness Zhao Ke was quick-witted and dodged that bullet.

Watching the group huddle together, Cheng Xiaotong felt a wave of lingering fear wash over her.

Fortunately, she had heeded Zhao Ke’s advice yesterday and hadn’t reported Zhao Ke’s movements directly to Kong Jianshan. If Kong Jianshan had glanced at the livestream even once more, Zhao Ke wouldn’t have been able to escape so smoothly.

“Alright, alright, everyone back to filming the show.”

Zhao Ke patted the heads of the young girls one by one.

Are these kids sponges? My clothes are soaked in patches.

“Waaah, Sister Coco, I’ll follow you forever!”

The girls clung to her, reluctant to leave.

This declaration jolted Zhao Ke awake. Star Yue Media’s collapse was now inevitable.

What will happen to us employees?

Whether it was Zhao Ke herself, the other artists, or the managers and assistants, weren’t they all essentially Star Yue Media employees? Would they all… lose their jobs?

Oh no.

Zhao Ke shot apologetic glances at Fang Jingqiu and Cheng Xiaotong.

“Sister Coco, you don’t need to worry about that,” Cheng Xiaotong said with a smile, showing no signs of stress.

“Yeah, yeah! Star Yue Media is a top-tier company in the industry! Other agencies will be fighting over us when we leave,” Fang Jingqiu added with a laugh.

“Mhm, aside from these few trainees who need to sort out their contracts, the rest of the artists are all cash cows.”

Zhao Ke blushed with shame. Of course, Star Yue Media had grown into a powerhouse because it was filled with talented individuals.

Which company is Keke planning to join?

Keke definitely won’t have trouble finding a new agency. Forget her trending status—half the entertainment industry owes her favors now. She’ll never have to worry about resources again!

That’s not right. She didn’t report the nude photos to cash in favors.

Zhao Ke squatted behind the monitor, watching the trainees choose their songs, but her mind was preoccupied with whether she could retire from the industry.

Her original plan had been to save enough money to retire to the countryside. But now, not only was she still filming variety shows, she had also landed endorsement deals. How could she possibly retire now?

Zhao Ke pulled out her phone, intending to ask Liu Tiande how long her endorsement contracts were for.

Just then, Liu Tiande sent her a WeChat message: “! Director He’s still undecided about the role he mentioned earlier! We absolutely must seize this opportunity!”

Zhao Ke: ……

How could she have forgotten about Liu Tiande?

If there was one employee at Star Yue Media with the worst performance, it would undoubtedly be Liu Tiande.

When Qiao Qinglu poached Liu Tiande from the female lead’s side, his career was just starting to take off. Apart from discovering the gem that was Qiao Shuxue, he hadn’t achieved any major accomplishments.

During the years Liu Tiande spent languishing under Qiao Qinglu’s wing, he endured constant humiliation and achieved nothing of note.

He definitely won’t be able to find another job, Zhao Ke thought.

Liu Tiande had a family to support—elderly parents, young children, and a mortgage. The more Zhao Ke considered it, the more suffocated she felt.

No, I can’t retire yet.

Zhao Ke needed to find Liu Tiande a good agency, at least until he was stable. Only then could she consider leaving the industry.

It’s fine, she told herself. For me, it just means saving up a few more years for retirement. I can do this.

AAA High-Altitude Installation Master Zhao: Okay, Brother Tiande, you can start preparing.

Liu Tiande replied instantly: Director He said they’ll start filming in the fall. Perfect timing—we’ll finish the variety show and then join the film crew!

AAA High-Altitude Installation Master Zhao: Got it, Brother Tiande.

Look at this poor guy, Zhao Ke thought. He has no idea he just narrowly avoided a career crisis.

Zhao Ke began contacting HR representatives at several talent agencies.

But none of the results were satisfactory.

Either the contracts were for excessively long terms—five years or more—or they insisted on replacing Liu Tiande with a new manager, which Zhao Ke flatly refused.

As they left the office building, Liu Tiande’s eyes welled up with emotion.

“Xiao Ke, can I call you that? I never imagined you’d go to such lengths for me.”

“It’s nothing, Brother Tiande. Let’s keep looking,” Zhao Ke said, patting his shoulder.

Touched, Liu Tiande couldn’t hold back any longer. “You know why I wanted to be a manager in the first place? I believe in the spirit of dedication—watching the artists under my care grow step by step. Do you understand that sense of accomplishment? Especially when they give back to you…”

Zhao Ke’s smile nearly faltered. “Alright, alright, Brother Tiande, let’s go get hot pot.”

Not only did Liu Tiande need to follow Zhao Ke to a new agency, but her assistant, Wang Ran, and makeup artist, Li Minjing, also expressed a strong desire to continue working with her.

“Sister Coco, we just graduated! Do you know how hard it is for new graduates to find jobs these days? Waaah!”

Zhao Ke’s head swam. “Fine, fine, fine! Hot pot for everyone!”

Damn it! Is there any blind company out there willing to offer each of them a million-yuan annual salary? If there were, Zhao Ke would even go on stage to sing and dance if she had to.

The four of them ate hotpot and drank a little wine.

Wang Ran, feeling dizzy, couldn’t resist her gossipy nature. “Brother Tiande, I heard you used to be Qiao Shuxue’s manager. Why did you two split up?”

Li Minjing slapped Wang Ran’s arm hard. “What kind of question is that? It was all because of that… you know, the one who forcefully took her away. No, not forcefully took her away, but… well, you get the idea.”

Zhao Ke, who was keeping these three gossipy friends company, remained sober. She looked at Liu Tiande, eager for his answer.

This part of the story traced back to the very beginning of the original novel.

Zhao Ke remembered that the novel opened with Qiao Shuxue being abandoned by her original manager. Desperate and with nowhere else to turn, she awakened the Beauty System.

Qiao Shuxue, unaware of Liu Tiande’s hardships and pressures, had harbored resentment toward him ever since.

During their brief encounter at the recent court hearing, the two acted as if they were complete strangers.

Liu Tiande, also tipsy, murmured, “Qiao Shuxue… she’s different.”

“Yeah, she’s fiercely ambitious, always striving for more. My abilities and my family would have held her back, in a way. She deserves a better platform.”

Zhao Ke swirled the glass in her hand, noncommittal.

Qiao Shuxue didn’t deserve a better platform; she didn’t need one at all. The Beauty System was her ultimate stage, and with her divinely chosen face, she could debut as the center of attention.

“Actually, I saw her a few more times after that,” Liu Tiande said, staring at the table, lost in thought. “She’s changed so much.”

“I congratulated her when the Qiao Family—you know, the wealthy family—found her. But her parents were being so warm and caring, and she just slapped them right there and then, can you believe it?”

“Oh my god, how could she do that?” Wang Ran gasped, covering her mouth, hearing such insider gossip from a high-society gathering for the first time.

Li Minjing frowned thoughtfully. “Well, she was lost for over a decade. As they say, ‘Belated affection is lighter than grass.'”

Liu Tiande nodded heavily. “That’s true, but the Qiao Family had been searching for her all these years. When they finally found her, they didn’t favor one daughter over the other. They even had Qiao Qinglu’s household registration transferred out for Shu Xue’s sake. I mean, you can choose not to reconnect with your family, but to slap someone who’s trying to be nice… it’s just…”

“Sigh, I just feel like that child has gone astray.”