Chapter 3: The Hunt

The next day, a bombshell detonated in both Solaria’s financial and entertainment circles.

Director Zhang, one of Starshine Entertainment's largest external investors, was publicly accused by his own wife—a woman of considerable influence among the city's socialites. The accusation was direct: he had been embezzling staggering sums from the charity foundation they had established together. Immediately following the report, his wife filed a court motion to freeze all of his personal assets.

Suddenly, everyone was kicking a man who was down. Overwhelmed and trapped in a quagmire of his own making, Director Zhang had no time for anything else. Flora Lin, having lost her most solid backer, plummeted from heaven in an instant.

In the trainee dorms, everyone was whispering, reveling in her misfortune. Only Ella sat by the window, listening to music as if nothing had happened. On her Personal Terminal, a promotional video for the new girl group was playing. Flora Lin's screen time had been cut down to almost nothing.

Her plan had only just begun.

In her notebook, she drew a line through 【Her sponsor, Director Zhang】 with her fountain pen. Now, it was time for the second name.

【Producer Lee】.

She possessed all the data copied from Director Zhang’s terminal. Among it was a record of the naked exchanges of interests between him and Producer Lee, including the fixed spot in the finale and "resource exchange" agreements for several other trainees.

Expose it directly? No, that was too crude. A single leak could be suppressed by the PR team and would reveal her own hand. What she wanted was to ignite an internal fire that could not be extinguished.

It reminded her of something she had done a month ago, right after her defeat in the finale.

She hadn't cried or complained. Instead, she had walked directly to the top floor of the trainee building, into an area shrouded in mystery even to many official employees—the Risk Control Department.

A man with gold-rimmed glasses, exuding a capable yet distant air, received her.

"Miss Ella," the man said, getting straight to the point, "we've received your complaint. But without evidence, we can't act."

Ella smiled sweetly, but her words made the man's expression shift. "Evidence... I don't have any. But I do know that some people's appetites are getting too big for the company's pockets. For instance, the 'Epoch' brand terminal on Producer Lee's wrist, and his habit of 'suggesting' girls go to The Apex Club for a 'chat' when discussing projects."

She didn't reveal what she knew, merely throwing out fragments of what she had overheard and observed. It was a bluff, yet it sounded like she was holding all the cards.

The man pushed up his glasses, scrutinizing her. "What do you want?"

"My intentions are simple," Ella's expression turned pitiable. "I just want to protect myself, and help the company clean out these parasites. If... the company could provide me with some small 'tools for protection,' I could secure evidence the next time a similar situation arises. Would that be possible?"

It was a high-stakes gamble. She was betting on the company's tolerance level for people like Producer Lee, and on her "perfect victim" facade being convincing enough.

The man was silent for a long time.

"Go back and wait for our notice."

A few days later, Ella received a package containing two unremarkable boxes. One held the ring, the other, the necklace.

A note was enclosed.

"Ring: effective range of half a meter, can copy unencrypted terminal data. Necklace: HD camera, audio recording. All data is encrypted and transmitted directly to the department's server."

Her flashback ended. Ella's fingertips danced across her terminal. She packaged the chat logs anonymously, sending one copy to the public email address of the company's disciplinary department, and another to Starshine Entertainment's biggest rival, Radiant Entertainment.

After that, she left the dorm and found several other trainees who had been "approached" by Producer Lee but had been too afraid to speak out.

Her face was a mask of righteous indignation and fragile resolve. "Sisters, I know you've also... Producer Lee has gone too far. We can't endure this any longer. We need to stand together and report him to the company, or we'll be the next ones to be ruined!"

Her performance was impassioned, her eyes welling with tears. She was like a brave but helpless lamb leading the flock. The girls were moved by her "courage" and inspired by her call for "unity," and they all rallied behind her.

The storm brewed within the company, escalating exponentially.

A media assault from a competitor, public accusations from multiple trainees within, and the "irrefutable evidence" received by the disciplinary department—three swords, all striking Starshine Entertainment's weakest point at once.

The top executives were thoroughly alarmed. To protect the company's stock price and the image of the upcoming girl group, they had to excise the tumor with maximum speed.

That afternoon, a notice was posted on the company's intranet: Producer Lee, due to a severe violation of company policy, is terminated immediately and will never be rehired. Flora Lin's activities are suspended indefinitely.

The resolution was swift and decisive.

Amidst the chaos, Ella's Personal Terminal rang. The caller ID read: CEO's Office.

A middle-aged man in a high-end custom suit, with meticulously styled hair, sat behind a massive desk. He was Damien Feng, the man at the helm of Starshine Entertainment. He looked at the girl before him, his eyes filled with a mixture of appreciation and curiosity.

"Ella," he began, his voice steady, "you handled this matter very well."

Ella lowered her head, looking overwhelmed by the praise. "I... I only did what I was supposed to do."

"The company has seen your courage." The CEO's fingers tapped lightly on the desk. "We've looked into your background. It's clean. Your parents are ordinary merchants, no complex social ties. A girl like you—talented, intelligent, and as clean as a blank slate—is exactly the kind of idol our company needs."

He pushed a new contract in front of her.

"The company has decided to restructure the new girl group. And you will be the absolute ACE of this S-rank project, the one and only center."

Ella looked up, her amber eyes shimmering with tears. This time, they were tears of joy, so overcome with emotion she was speechless. Her performance was flawless.

The contract signing ceremony was grand and lavish. Countless flashbulbs focused on Ella, who wore a white gown prepared for her by the company, looking like a queen at her coronation.

Standing before the champagne tower, she raised her glass. Her gaze traveled past the boisterous crowd and flashing lights, landing precisely on an inconspicuous figure in the corner.

Flora Lin stood there, her face as pale as a sheet, her eyes a toxic blend of jealousy, hatred, and fear.

Ella looked at her and offered her signature sweet, harmless smile. She raised her glass in a silent toast in Flora Lin's direction and mouthed two words.

Flora Lin shuddered. She had read them clearly.

"Thank you."