Chapter Twenty-Nine: Smooth Little Combos

Wang Tao nodded in satisfaction upon hearing this. "Immediately contact the relevant departments, withdraw the announcement, and then issue a public apology to Chen Nian."

"If he refuses to forgive you, then pack up your things and get out."

"What?" Seeing Wang Tao's stern expression, He Wei and Lin Xinrou were utterly confused. "Boss, are you... are you joking?"

"Look at me. Do I look like I'm joking with you?"

"Alright, we'll get right on it." Hearing Wang Tao's words, the two nodded and hurried out of the office.

Half an hour earlier, Luo Youdao had called Wang Tao.

As the largest shareholder of Heart Trace Entertainment, Luo Youdao hadn't said anything outright, but during their conversation, Wang Tao picked up on the unusual relationship between Luo Youdao and Chen Nian.

After weighing the options, Wang Tao decided he didn't want to offend Luo Youdao, the obvious big boss, just because of the potential threat posed by Chen Nian.

After all, if they kept Chen Nian, Heart Trace Entertainment might not necessarily be threatened, but offending Luo Youdao was a different matter entirely.

Though he couldn't quite believe that someone like Chen Nian could have access to a figure as powerful as Luo Youdao in Rong City, it seemed that was indeed the case.

After leaving Wang Tao's office, He Wei immediately contacted the PR department and had them withdraw the statement targeting Chen Nian.

He then rushed to record an apology video and posted it from his own account.

This move by He Wei immediately caused a huge stir in the music industry.

After all, he was the one who initiated the attack on Chen Nian, and now, halfway through the ordeal, he abruptly withdrew the statement and even posted an apology video.

The artists who had been following his lead were left utterly dumbfounded.

"He Wei, are you messing with me? Do you even see me as your mentor anymore?" Nan-ge's call came through quickly.

"No, Nan-ge, I don’t even know what’s going on. Our boss just suddenly told me to do this. I’m confused too."

"Alright, you don’t need to say more. Just see if you can get any more work from me in the future."

"Nan-ge, please, let me explain. It’s really not what you think..."

Nan-ge couldn’t be bothered to listen to He Wei’s excuses and hung up.

Barely two minutes later, another call came in.

"He Wei, are you out of your mind? Are you playing me?"

"No, Director Lin, please let me explain..."

"Is He Wei out of his mind? I just posted a statement kicking out Chen Nian, and now he’s withdrawn the ban and even posted an apology video?" Gong Yu stared at the trending topics on his phone, utterly stunned.

"Boss, what do we do now? Should we have Chen Nian come back to compete?" Even the experienced Mo Fan was at a loss in the face of this sudden development.

"Absolutely not. What’s said is said. If I go back on my word now, I’d be as much of an idiot as He Wei. Stick to our previous plan—invite powerful foreign singers to compete. We can't let 'New Voice' get overshadowed by 'Who Is the Singer.'"

"Understood." Mo Fan nodded. "I’ll get in touch with them right away."

To fill the gap left by Chen Nian’s withdrawal, Mo Fan and Gong Yu came up with an eye-catching move: inviting foreign music heavyweights to join the competition.

They had assumed that top foreign singers would be expensive, but after making inquiries, Mo Fan discovered their fees were surprisingly low.

With the fee for just one He Wei, they could invite a seven-time Grammy winner and a two-time Brit Award winner.

These artists, who seemed so high and unattainable, turned out to be available for a bargain price.

If only they'd known earlier—why would Gong Yu have spent so much on He Wei and the others?

They could have just invited a bunch of foreign stars and brought the Grammys to China!

"Huh? Why did He Wei suddenly withdraw the statement and even record an apology video for you?" In Chen Nian’s small rented apartment, Luo Xiaoyi looked at the trending topics on her phone in confusion.

"Who knows? Maybe his conscience kicked in," Chen Nian replied, lying on his bed playing a game, utterly unconcerned.

Just then, a call came in.

"Damn it, my pentakill!" He hesitated for a moment, letting his perfect streak slip through his fingers.

"Dammit!" Furious, Chen Nian answered the phone. "Who the hell are you? You just made me lose my pentakill! If you don’t give me a good reason, you’re dead to me!"

On the other end, He Wei wanted to die from the lashing he received for no reason.

If Wang Tao hadn’t insisted that he get Chen Nian’s forgiveness, he’d never have made this call.

"It’s me, He Wei." Gritting his teeth, He Wei spoke.

Chen Nian frowned, hung up, blocked, and deleted the contact in one smooth combo, leaving He Wei completely bewildered.

"Who was that?" Luo Xiaoyi asked curiously.

"An idiot," Chen Nian replied casually.

He immediately started a new game, determined to reclaim his lost pentakill.

Just as Chen Nian was getting into the groove, another call came in.

"Defeat!"

"I love you all!" The game lagged for just a moment, and his base was destroyed.

Burning with fury, Chen Nian picked up the call.

"Chen Nian, it’s me. Please don’t hang up—just give me a minute, alright?" Lin Xinrou sounded tearful and pitiful.

Chen Nian frowned and, without a word, blocked and deleted her number with practiced ease.

In the office at Heart Trace Entertainment, Lin Xinrou stared at her dark phone screen in utter despair.

"Chen Nian, are you free this afternoon?"

"Yeah," Chen Nian replied without even looking up at Luo Xiaoyi.

"Come to my place for dinner tonight. My dad said he was busy last time you visited, and now he wants to invite you over for a meal."

"Sure," Chen Nian agreed without hesitation.

Thus, Luo Xiaoyi stayed at Chen Nian’s apartment until seven in the evening before driving him to her home.

"Chen Nian, you’re here! Come in, have a seat," Luo Youdao greeted him at the door as soon as he heard the car.

"Dinner’s ready—we’ve just been waiting for you." After welcoming Chen Nian inside, Luo Youdao prepared to close the door.

"Hey, old man, what are you doing?" Luo Xiaoyi, quick as lightning, grabbed the door before he could shut it.

"Oh? You’re here too? Come on in," he said.

"What do you mean, I’m here too? Old man, would you please get your facts straight? I am your biological daughter, you know?" Faced with Luo Youdao’s blatant favoritism, Luo Xiaoyi could only protest in exasperation.