Chapter 231: Crushing All Petty Foes: The Intelligence King Displays Divine Might

Lao Yan, Zhang Hong, and Yan's grandmother left anyway.

The couple couldn't be separated, and the old lady was too hard for Seeing Yan Li to care for alone; no one felt at ease, so they all returned to their hometown together.

After several elders departed, Seeing Yan Li instructed Yan Xin to tidy and seal off Yangjiao Lantern Alley.

Unlike his parents, who preferred living in single-story houses, he actually favored apartments for their convenience; since his parents were staying at the Sihe Academy with him, and he was alone, he might as well just bunk with Qin, Dong, or Fan.

In early June, a moderately significant incident occurred in the entertainment industry.

A certain female celebrity named Zhang publicly exposed the industry's hidden rules, dragging in renowned director Huang Jianzhong, Zhang Dahuizi, and Zhang Dahuizi's longtime director Yu Min.

This matter had been brewing for two years already, growing larger over time; the woman became increasingly erratic, pulling in many others and even compiling a list.

Correct, Seeing Yan Li was dragged into it too.

But he wasn't exposed by that Zhang-named actress—he didn't even know her, had never met her.

Yet the social backlash she triggered against the industry's hidden rules drew widespread attention, prompting all sorts of "righteous individuals" to expose the mixed bag of real and fake "transactions."

Seeing Yan Li's reputation was already poor, and he'd always been "flashy."

Naturally, many targeted him, and with some opportunists stoking the flames, he quickly became a figure of public frenzy.

"Damn, there are plenty who've been quietly plotting to destroy me."

Though swept into the storm's center, Seeing Yan Li remained calm—his reputation in this regard was already trash, how much worse could it get?

Of course, womanizing and hidden-rule transactions are two different things.

These people deliberately blurred the two, making Seeing Yan Li even more infamous.

From sleazy playboy to monster, from lecher to sex fiend, they even dragged Yi'an into it, branding it the entertainment industry's "female slave dungeon."

The worst part? Seeing Yan Li had some unanswerable truths.

Because the actresses named in these leaks included Shuang Bing, Dong Xuan, Qin Lan, Wang Ou, Jiang Xin, Yang Xue, Wu Jiani, Hu Siyan, and Li Lin.

Clearly, these people had done their homework—several had starred in multiple films with Seeing Yan Li, had close relationships, fitting the "transaction" logic.

Coincidentally, someone really did like to eat from the fence—he wasn't clean with anyone except Li Lin and Yang Xue.

And except for a few, most had indeed entered these relationships with transactional intent.

But because Seeing Yan Li was generous, handsome, young, and surrounded by an aura of glamour, the arrangements seemed less vile; most of the actresses willingly complied, at least didn't resist, half-heartedly consenting.

Of course, it was true—but should truth be spoken like this?!

Seeing Yan Li had no moral high ground, yet he stood firm, absolutely denying the "dirty water" dumped on him.

Not only did he deny it—the actresses denied it too.

Even if caught in bed, they could admit to dating, or even foolishly becoming a mistress—but never call it a transaction.

Li Bingbing, Hu Siyan, Wang Ou, Jiang Xin, Yang Xue, and others either gave interviews or delegated their companies to firmly deny the hidden-rule allegations.

Even under school pressure, Dong Xuan contacted the media; Qin Lan's agency took the initiative on her behalf.

In the end, only one person stayed silent: Fan Xiaopang.

She didn't need to speak—being Seeing Yan Li's official girlfriend, responding to such rumors would be self-degrading.

She'd just gotten the upper hand over Dong and Qin, and Fan Xiaopang was in high spirits—until a thunderbolt struck her.

Her dark secrets were exposed, not just hers—her mother was dragged in too.

Panicked, Fan Xiaopang abandoned recording, rushed back to Yi'an to find Seeing Yan Li.

Seeing Yan Li remained calm, even patiently brewed her a cup of tea.

"Don't rush—this, I knew about long ago."

Fan Xiaopang was stunned, unsure what he meant; he smiled.

"Can't you see? They think we're in their way."

When he'd been dragged into the hidden-rule scandal that had nothing to do with him, Seeing Yan Li already realized he'd been set up.

Yi'an grew rapidly last year, producing and investing in multiple blockbusters, becoming the top TV distributor; this year, it expanded into film distribution.

Meanwhile, Yi'an Investment, another entity under Seeing Yan Li, poured hundreds of millions into cinema theaters, charging forward aggressively.

Such swift growth and steady strategy couldn't avoid triggering fear and resentment in others.

Fan Xiaopang, as Seeing Yan Li's right-hand woman, was even more of a target—cripple her, and you cripple one of Seeing Yan Li's arms.

Of course, many had already been eyeing her.

Over the past one or two years, Fan Xiaopang soared—dubbed queen of both buzz and advertising; her massive exposure and earnings meant others had less, and resentment festered.

They only struck in June—Seeing Yan Li thought that was already late, probably hoping to sabotage "The Investiture of the Gods" and "Crazy Stone."

"So what do we do now?"

"Wait."

"Wait for what?"

"Wait for everyone to jump out."

Seeing Yan Li didn't want to waste time endlessly arguing with these people—his time was precious.

So he intended to use this chance to fish—lure out everyone hostile to Yi'an, to him, and to Fan Xiaopang, and eliminate them all at once.

Seeing Yan Li rose too quickly; many still dismissed him—it was time to flex some muscle.

Compared to "The Hit Distributor," Seeing Yan Li's real nickname should be 【The Intelligence King】.

"Tell your mom to hold on—I'll settle the score for her later."

Fan Xiaopang nodded, then leaned close, hugging Seeing Yan Li, her forehead pressed against his: "Don't believe those leaks—they're all made-up lies."

She rushed to the company not only to seek Seeing Yan Li's help, but mostly to fear he'd misunderstand.

"Relax—I know everything."

Seeing Yan Li gently rubbed Fan Xiaopang's head; with his intelligence system, he could easily distinguish truth from falsehood—he wouldn't be deceived.

Fan Xiaopang still felt uneasy, had no heart for recording, so she simply stayed in the office with Seeing Yan Li, obediently playing secretary.

Under Seeing Yan Li's deliberate tolerance, Yi An suffered a total defeat in the public opinion arena.

More and more mud was flung at Seeing Yan Li and Fan Xiaopang, even extending to Yi An and other companies.

This new rising star in the industry appeared to be on the verge of collapse.

…

The cast of "Struggle"

During a break, the lead actors chatted about it, and Zhu Yuchen said casually.

"This guy's really useless—everything about his past has been dug up. His character is terrible."

Wang Luodan glanced at him: "Can't you see someone's targeting him?"

Anyone who survives in this industry isn't stupid; such a massive smear campaign clearly has someone behind it.

"The worse it gets, the more dangerous it is—if someone's attacking you and you can't fight back, you're just a soft target, and that's when you're finished."

Zhu Yuchen looked at Tong Dawei and the others who remained silent: "Don't you think I'm right?"

Tong Dawei, Ma Yili, Wen Zhang, and Li Xiaolu ignored Zhu Yuchen—they had dealt with Seeing Yan Li and didn't believe he was incompetent.

Even if he was caught off guard and outmatched, forced to take blows, he wouldn't have zero room to resist.

"Big Brother Tong, is Seeing Yan Li holding back some big move?"

Li Xiaolu had personally seen Seeing Yan Li silence Dong and Qin with a single remark, his every gesture radiating confidence and dominance—how could such a man be bullied into silence?

"I don't know. I called him—he told me not to worry, and said nothing else."

Among them, Tong Dawei had the closest personal relationship with Seeing Yan Li and was the first to call and check in, but gained little insight.

"I think he has a hidden card."

Wen Zhang's feelings toward Seeing Yan Li were complicated, but he too believed Seeing Yan Li wasn't the type to surrender passively—his silence must conceal something.

As they talked, an actor burst in from outside: "Holy shit, big news, big news—the recording of Xiao Yanzi ordering her driver to beat a pregnant woman has been leaked."

Everyone was stunned—this incident had been a major scandal two years ago, splashed across every headline.

"Oh my god, she's in real trouble now."

Last time, they barely managed to bury it, thanks largely to her boyfriend's help. Now, the same old story is resurfacing, with deeper ties—it'll cost her more than just skin.

"Wait a minute!"

Ma Yili suddenly remembered something: first Fan Xiaopang, now Xiao Yanzi—could there be a connection?

Was this Seeing Yan Li's revenge—or a coordinated strike against the cast of "My Fair Huanzhu Gege"?

Soon, they understood which it was.

Xiao Yanzi's scandal broke in the morning; by night, photos surfaced showing Lin Xinru meeting a handsome man at a bar in Taiwan, their intimate behavior and departure together captured on camera.

Notably, Lin Xinru was widely rumored to be in a hot romance with director Tang Jili.

The entertainment industry exploded.

The influence of "My Fair Huanzhu Gege" needs no explanation; the three beauties are now all top actresses, and they share deep bonds.

First Fan Xiaopang was dragged into scandal, then Xiao Yanzi and Ziwei were hit on the same day—with solid evidence. It was truly shocking.

But even more shocking was the next day, when an account on Tianya Forum leaked four more actresses in a single day.

Allegations included messy love lives, being a mistress, casting couches, plastic surgery, abortions, and cheating. Though lacking concrete proof, the details were so precise and matched so many real-world facts that the credibility soared.

Those who paid attention compared these leaks to the ones targeting Fan Xiaopang—they weren't even in the same league.

The former were vague, incoherent, full of subjective bias—in short, just grabbing names and making stuff up.

The latter were objective, factual accounts, naming people and events, even including locations and times, backed by real-world corroboration—like official police statements.

The entertainment industry descended into total chaos.

These actresses were all well-known; two were currently top stars, even with potential to reach the top tier—now they were drowning in public opinion.

Meanwhile, most people had guessed who was behind it.

One or two incidents could be coincidence, but six actresses targeted, several linked in some way to Fan Xiaopang—if you still couldn't figure it out, you shouldn't be in this business.

So ruthless!

So powerful!

Every top actress has powerful backers; the leaks implicated several of them—Seeing Yan Li had angered many.

What puzzled everyone even more was where Seeing Yan Li had obtained so many explosive details.

Many of these were deeply private matters—not something you could buy with money. The background, methods, influence, and connections behind it were staggering.

…

Huayi Brothers

Wang Zhongjun had a headache—one of the leaked actresses was from Huayi, and Lin Xinru was also an artist they were actively courting.

Even if they managed to suppress the scandal, they'd still suffer heavy fallout.

"Crazy, crazy—is he trying to burn everything down?"

Wang Zhonglei cursed, expecting Seeing Yan Li to retaliate, but not this fiercely—some of the leaked details were clearly meant to destroy him completely.

"The net might break, but the fish won't necessarily die."

Wang Zhongjun sighed—Seeing Yan Li's stature wasn't what it used to be; many eyes were on him now, and he couldn't be crushed so easily.

More frustratingly, Huayi had dug into Yi An's background and found—whether due to Seeing Yan Li's skill or careful handling—that the company was spotless.

Aside from a reputation for being lecherous, he had no other vulnerabilities—and even that one flaw, he'd openly exposed himself.

Previously, Wang Zhongjun had thought Seeing Yan Li was too young, didn't know how to maintain his image, had too many playboys around him, and should at least pretend to be polished.

Now, he was slowly understanding.

This kid was probably doing it on purpose—he was too outstanding, prone to being over-praised; keeping one non-lethal flaw served as an outlet, turning him from a "god" into a human.

Wang Zhongjun couldn't help but admire Seeing Yan Li—even at his age, he was still affected by public opinion; Seeing Yan Li, so young, was deliberately inviting criticism.

This temperament is extraordinary.

"We can't let him get away with this, Brother. I'll reach out to a few parties and hit him hard."

"How hard? He knows TV stations better than we do—can you stop him? The film market? Old Man Han has a good impression of him. Whether legal or illegal, do you think he's unprepared?"

Wang Zhongjun understood: if they moved, several parties joining forces could certainly hurt Seeing Yan Li—but so what?

If you can't crush him, how do you know what other damaging secrets he's hiding? No benefit, just mutual knife-twisting? What business is that?

Wang Zhongjun was a businessman—he acted with purpose, not like a thug competing in brutality.

Yi'an rose rapidly; Huayi seized the chance to suppress it—this strategy was correct.

Seeing Yan Li's tactics were formidable; he fought back fiercely, and Huayi got stabbed in the hand—costs exceeded gains, so they had to think carefully.

Ding ling ling~

The office phone rang. Wang Zhonglei picked it up, listened for a while, then burst into curses.

"What happened?"

"A news story exposed it—Huayi used artist PR. Fuck, it's definitely Seeing Yan Li's doing. He ate his meal and smashed the pot. Hu Siyan slept with a dog."

Wang Zhongjun quickly checked online, his face turning ashen: "There's a traitor."

This PR process—only someone inside Huayi could've known it so clearly. Seeing Yan Li couldn't possibly know this much.

"Could it be Li Bingbing and Hu Siyan, those two bitches?"

Wang Zhonglei suspected these two women had colluded with Seeing Yan Li and betrayed Huayi's secrets.

"Li Bingbing had nothing to do with this. Hu Siyan rarely participates now, and they only attended drinking parties—they had zero knowledge of the actual procedures."

"Look, the details here are so precise—it's either multiple people in PR have defected, or it's a senior PR executive."

"Fuck, how many nails has this bastard driven into Huayi?"

Wang Zhongjun also swore—facing off head-on he wasn't afraid, but internal betrayal was deadly.

"After this is over, we'll do a full internal purge. Every hidden worm and mole must be cleaned out. Better to kill the wrong one than let one slip."

Wang Zhonglei nodded: "Then what about Seeing Yan Li?"

"Make peace."

"But…"

Wang Zhonglei still resented it, but Wang Zhongjun said firmly: "He knows the process—does he not know some client lists? If those leak, Huayi is finished."

"…."

Wang Zhonglei left, bitter and constrained—peace wasn't easily made. Seeing Yan Li still held deadly ammunition; Huayi would have to bleed.

Huayi was deep in a PR scandal, and suddenly the boss of Chengtian was exposed for a scandal with top star Chen Hao, and his Japanese capital background was dug up.

Additionally, Jin Ying Ma and two other film companies, plus two theater chains—including famous producer Zhang Dahuizi—were all exposed with plenty of dirt.

The entire entertainment circle was a cesspool, scandals erupting nonstop.

It forced relevant authorities to publicly announce they'd clean up the entertainment industry's atmosphere, and Seeing Yan Li himself was separately summoned for questioning by several officials.

But Seeing Yan Li was innocent—what did this have to do with him? He hadn't done anything. Right now he was busy preparing lawsuits against those who smeared him.

Regardless, he was forced to retaliate—he'd been the one to provoke first.

"…."

Normally, whoever started it, you pick the softest target—stability mattered most.

But Seeing Yan Li, though weak, was clearly no soft target—he was a porcupine, and "young and impetuous." Making him bow down wouldn't work. So let someone Calm and Prudent understand the bigger picture.

So Old Man Han personally stepped in, invited the parties involved, and arranged a private dinner to negotiate.

…

Inside the private room

Seeing Yan Li arrived slightly late. As soon as he entered, he saw several people glaring at him with hostility.

Ignoring everyone else, he simply greeted Old Man Han, then sat down with Fan Xiaopang.

Sun, boss of a film company, snorted coldly: "No sense of decorum."

Seeing Yan Li glanced at him and snapped: "You know decorum? Can't beat me head-on, so you resort to underhanded tricks? What kind of piece of shit are you?"

Chengtian and Huayi each had their backing; future cooperation might still happen. As long as they didn't overstep, Seeing Yan Li wouldn't fully burn bridges.

This company was purely a film producer, weaker even than today's Yi'an.

Seeing Yan Li didn't care whether there'd be future cooperation—he wouldn't coddle this guy.

Sun flew into a rage. Though his strength wasn't exceptional, his company was well-known in the industry, and he had seniority—he'd been pointed at and cursed to his face.

"Fine. You're tough. No more talking. Let's keep going."

Sun threw down a threat. Seeing Yan Li looked at him with disdain: "Keep going? Are you even worthy?"

"You've got two dramas left. Do you think I can't make them both flop?"

"You're incompetent. Your TV dramas are trash. TV stations won't take them. You dare not hassle the stations, so you take it out on me? Of everyone here, I look down on you the most."

"Your patron is about to retire. Old comrade, it's hard enough already—don't give him trouble."

Seeing Yan Li cursed and insulted him until Sun's face twisted. Especially the last line—left him speechless, sitting silent.

Easily subduing Sun changed the room's atmosphere. Many hostile glares aimed at Seeing Yan Li softened.

Old Man Han finally spoke: "Xiao Yan, Xiao Sun, your words were too harsh. Calm down. Don't damage harmony."

Seeing Yan Li immediately apologized: "Sorry, Boss Sun. I'm young and impetuous, bad at speaking. Please forgive me."

Sun forced a smile: "It's fine. I was wrong too."

Old Man Han nodded approvingly, then turned to Seeing Yan Li: "Xiao Yan, I've looked into this matter. You and Bingbing were indeed wronged—but what you did went too far."

"Chairman Han, it wasn't me who went too far."

Seeing Yan Li's tone toward Old Man Han wasn't as harsh, but he wasn't weak either.

I ran my business cleanly, didn't provoke them or stir trouble—just slandering me was bad enough, but now they're targeting my girlfriend and dragging my mother-in-law into it. Tell me, if I swallow this, am I even a man?

In front of you, I don't want to say anything too harsh, but now it's come to this, some things must be said.

If you want to compete, let's do it openly. If you play dirty, I'll match you move for move—no one backs down, no one whines.

I'm young, only 25, been in business only a few years. If my company fails, I'll switch industries and rise again. But I wonder—do any of you, with half your lives built up in status and wealth, dare to go all the way with me?

At the end, Seeing Yan Li glanced at the others; many couldn't bear his gaze and looked away or lowered their heads.

Seeing Yan Li had been a mischievous troublemaker since childhood, fought plenty of fights, and knew that to intimidate an enemy, you had to show your aura and ruthlessness.

This society is one that bullies the weak and fears the strong—the softer you are, the more you're abused; the harder you are, the less anyone dares touch you.

Seeing Yan Li had already shown everyone his strength before; now, by adopting a no-holds-barred, kill-or-be-killed stance, he truly left many worried and uneasy.

"Xiao Yan, don't get worked up."

Grandpa Han, as the mediator, stepped forward to calm things down: "This isn't your fault, but if it escalates, the impact on the industry and society will be terrible. Let's find a middle ground to resolve this."

Seeing Yan Li still seemed simmering with anger, but Fan Xiaopang soothed him gently: "Grandpa Han is still here. Others don't matter, but you can't disrespect Grandpa Han's face."

The script had been written beforehand—one played the white face, the other the red face: Seeing Yan Li raged, Fan Xiaopang offered a way out.

Thus, under the combined efforts of Grandpa Han and Fan Xiaopang, Seeing Yan Li finally calmed down.

"Director Han, I'm doing this out of respect for your face—I don't want to tarnish the industry or society. But if we go all the way, let's see who's sitting in more shit."

With responsibility divided, what remained was negotiating terms: apology and compensation.

At this point, the others "came back to life" and began arguing with Seeing Yan Li over details.

Seeing Yan Li demanded a public apology, but none of the parties were willing—this implied framing, so everyone dumped blame onto "bystanders," and no one stepped forward to take the fall.

Grandpa Han also intervened: a public apology would have too big an impact; a private resolution was best.

Seeing Yan Li conceded a step: private apology, but it must be face-to-face. The others began haggling again.

They had caused trouble; Seeing Yan Li had also struck back. A face-to-face apology was too sensitive—written or phone apologies were acceptable, as long as they weren't made public. In return, they could concede on other matters.

Just the apology alone took over half an hour to argue over; the compensation that followed was even more complex.

They haggled until the early hours of the morning, finally reaching a rough agreement.

Both sides ceased hostilities. Each party apologized to Seeing Yan Li or Fan Xiaopang via written statement or phone call, and granted Seeing Yan Li's side substantial compensation in film, advertising, endorsements, and other resources.

After the agreement concluded, everyone left. Seeing Yan Li spoke privately with Grandpa Han, thanking him for his help.

Grandpa Han had shown some bias toward him this time, subtly securing him many advantages, and during the conflict, used excuses like "he's young" to smooth things over.

"You, this time, really scared a lot of people."

Grandpa Han pointed at Seeing Yan Li—his displayed strength had genuinely shocked and alarmed many.

No one is pure and spotless; who knows what Seeing Yan Li might dig up?

Seeing Yan Li knew his actions had been overly sharp, but he was clear in his mind: everything he had was explainable by reality, at most using some borderline tactics.

As long as he didn't cross the line and attract attention from certain authorities, Seeing Yan Li didn't mind being feared—even that was one of his goals.

Previously, with weak influence, he dared not use his full strength. Now that he'd reached a certain level, he could show a bit of it—to defend himself and pressure his opponents.

Everything has pros and cons; no matter what you do, there are always side effects.

Seeing Yan Li preferred being feared and watched by some, rather than being a coward and facing endless idiots coming to hassle him.

After chatting with Grandpa Han, Seeing Yan Li got in the car. Fan Xiaopang pressed close and kissed him.

"You were so hot just now."

Seeing Yan Li was usually domineering, but rarely so aggressive. At the dinner table, facing off against all those factions without losing ground—even pointing fingers and cursing—he'd been utterly formidable.

Thinking further, Seeing Yan Li's actions had largely been for her—Fan Xiaopang wanted nothing more than to fuse herself into him.

Seeing Yan Li was kissed for several minutes, his face smeared with lipstick, lips nearly bitten through.

"How come you're getting more and more love-struck?"

In the past, Fan Xiaopang was always aloof and never so clingy in private.

But now, his gaze grew increasingly obsessive—even in public, sometimes he acted like a doting wife, making Seeing Yan Li deeply uncomfortable.

"I don't know why—I just love you more every time I look at you, I can't help it."

Fan Xiaopang cupped Seeing Yan Li's face and kissed him again. Seeing Yan Li laughed and groaned.

"Enough, let's go home—there's still stuff left to do."

"What stuff?"

"We've subdued them, but our reputations still need fixing. I had a hacker dig up the masterminds and a few black fans—time to clear our names."

The masterminds were dealt with; Seeing Yan Li wouldn't let the minor accomplices slip away either. Clarifying the truth was also a warning to others.

"Not so fast—your mother-in-law is especially grateful you stood up for us. She wants to treat you to dinner."

Seeing Yan Li blinked: "Mother-in-law? What mother-in-law?"

"Playing dumb? You called her so smoothly just now—now you're acting like you swallowed it and spat it out."

Fan Xiaopang grabbed his sensitive spot: "I've played the perfect daughter-in-law for your parents for so long—can't you play the perfect son-in-law for me once?"

"We'll see."

Seeing Yan Li wouldn't fall for it. Fan Mu wasn't Zhang Hong—especially after this incident, she was utterly delighted with him.

He feared that if he stepped into her house, the two of them would immediately start pushing him toward marriage.

Fan Xiaopang wheedled, pleaded, begged—but Seeing Yan Li held firm. She couldn't force him.

Adversity reveals true feelings.

This wasn't a great calamity, but Seeing Yan Li had stood before her, defended her, and given Fan Xiaopang an unprecedented sense of security.

Fan Xiaopang was determined to hold onto this man and wouldn't let go. If he wasn't ready, she'd wait—better to risk delay than scare him away.

…

The next day, Yi'an held a press conference, issuing a detailed report and rebuttal regarding the previous incident.

And it publicly disclosed multiple parties and accounts, urging the relevant accounts and media to delete the related posts and articles, then issue public apologies, or face court.

Notably, an account that constantly claimed to be "Fan Jinzhu" was run by two eighth-grade students from Xi'an, and behind them was a certain "actress sister."

Seeing Yan Li's people did not trouble these two students; they merely had them write apology letters and publish them online.

As for that "actress sister," she was the only person Seeing Yan Li did not hold accountable—he merely called her and scolded the two sisters for their short-sightedness.

The press conference's clarification, combined with a series of subsequent promotions, could maximally eliminate the negative impact on both of them.

As for those who prefer to believe what they want to believe, Seeing Yan Li could do nothing about it.

No one will be liked and supported by everyone, especially since he and Fan Xiaopang have always been controversial, and part of their earnings comes from being insulted.

Overall, the swift, organized, and evidence-based clarification was still effective.

Especially against the backdrop of other scandal-ridden celebrities, the two, who had little actual evidence against them, appeared even cleaner.

No one expected Seeing Yan Li to have held back one more move.

He did not leak any more information, but instead launched a loud, public clarification and ruthlessly dragged others down.

This tactic was disgusting, but you couldn't do anything about it, because the agreement didn't prohibit clarification.

In fact, various parties were also preparing to whitewash and clarify their own reputations.

But since they had been exposed too severely, some had concrete evidence against them, making their task far more difficult than Seeing Yan Li's; some simply went silent to ride out the storm.

Compared to public speculation and discussion, what truly triggered massive upheaval was the entertainment industry's internal reaction.

Seeing Yan Li had previously been known in the industry primarily for his shrewdness and competence; now two more labels had been attached to him.

Ruthless and protective of his own!

Damn, provoke him a little and he'll snap and bite—literally a mad dog.

With the promotion of certain parties, Han Sanye's mediation meeting, where Seeing Yan Li pointed at a boss's nose and swore he wouldn't back down even if young and fearless, spread widely.

While some criticized and disapproved, more people expressed appreciation and support for Seeing Yan Li.

Everyone dislikes bullying with power, but fighting back when forced is not wrong—and most are workers; who doesn't like a boss who protects his own?

Combined with the tangled history between Fan Xiaopang and Seeing Yan Li, this even improved Seeing Yan Li's reputation among women.

He was indeed a bit of a playboy, but at critical moments, he was dependable.

Don't underestimate this: in this glittering, profit-driven world, dependable men are rare, and those who are both dependable and worth relying on are even rarer.

(End of Chapter)