Lin Zhi was confident.
The only thing that Kim Young Do loved more than money was his reputation.
It wasn't his wife that he feared...but the repercussions when the public finds out that he is, indeed, a conniving cheater.
With the proof that Laohu had gathered on him and his cheating escapades, Lin Zhi knew that he would have no choice but to confirm his statements.
However, Lin Zhi also knew that June wouldn't go down without a fight. He might have done something behind his back already.
Heck, June most probably knew about his plan, too, because of his affiliation with Bo Wen.
However, Lin Zhi knew that June didn't know a more powerful person than CEO Kim Young Do. Even Mr. Ong, the CEO of Azure Entertainment, wouldn't be able to do anything about the situation once Kim Young Do declared an official statement.
So, with that, he was confident that June was finally going to get kicked out of the production.
June, on the other hand, was unsure if Lena Park could actually help him. He acted a bit hastily by asking her a favor, but she was the first person who came to his mind after Casper suggested the thought.
It wasn't like June knew Lena's background, but all he knew was that she had a lot of money.
It also wasn't certain that she'd be able to get in touch with Phoenix's CEO since her line of work might be different from the industry.
That was why June gathered two crucial pieces of evidence that could counter Lin Zhi's claim. It wouldn't completely debunk it, but it would reduce the credibility of his statements.
"Read it out loud for us, Ann," Director Jam said.
The girl gulped in nervousness as she stood in front of the actors. June and Lin Zhi now broke eye contact, anticipating Ann's words.
"As CEO, I want to address the recent rumors surrounding our past trainee, Choi Joon-ho."
June pursed his lips as he awaited the verdict.
He was already expecting the worst since he knew that Kim Young Do was no better than their current CEO. Moreover, he was one of the people who undoubtedly contributed to Choi Joon-ho's death, which made him believe that he would support Lin Zhi.
"After thorough investigation...," Ann stalled, trying to build the anticipation.
Taehyun sat at the edge of his seat, finding their situation very interesting. It almost seemed like this was a movie of its own!
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})"Read faster, Ann," Risa said, feeling like her heart would jump out of her chest at any given moment.
Ann cleared her throat and sheepishly smiled at them.
"After a thorough investigation, we found no evidence of bullying by Choi Joon-ho. Regarding the accusations from our artist, we believe this is a personal matter and will not comment further. Thank you."
The room was silent for a second.
No, it was definitely more than just a second. It was for three whole minutes! Yup, Taehyun counted.
Ann sat back down in her seat with a small smile playing on her lips. She knew that June was a good person based on their interactions in Rising Stars, but she was still relieved to hear that he was truly innocent.
Meanwhile, Hana sighed in relief, finally able to relax in her seat.
When Lin Zhi's accusations first came out, she immediately thought that he was spewing bullshit. Hana had known June since their trainee years, and she knew he was incapable of doing such things.
He was just a small, innocent, cute cat who couldn't even hurt a fly!
Oh, how innocent Hana was.
Director Jam also couldn't help but sigh in relief. He knew he shouldn't be too biased against one artist, but he couldn't help it.
On the other hand, June was stunned, now feeling like he had been fooled.
Just how rich and powerful was Lena Park?
Just then, he received a text, and he quickly checked his phone.
Lena: I've paid my dues. Don't ask for anything anymore.
June smirked and turned off his phone before crossing his arms in front of his chest and staring straight into Lin Zhi's eyes.
However, he found that Lin Zhi was staring off into the distance, appearing to be in shock.
"Lin Zhi," Director Jam called.
"Lin Zhi," he repeated.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})However, Lin Zhi wasn't responding. He still looked out of it.
The things he could have achieved flashed right before his eyes
—performing as an idol, making it onto big billboards, being on the big screen, and taking over the entertainment industry.
All of these objectives started fading right before his eyes, and it was all because of one person.
"Lin Zhi!" June said, louder this time, making Lin Zhi snap out of his thoughts.
However, that wasn't the only thing that snapped inside him.
"Do you have anything to say?" Director Jam asked.
However, Lin Zhi ignored his question and continued staring at June, his mind going haywire.
"It's you," Lin Zhi muttered, standing with closed eyes.
Director Jam frowned in confusion.
"Lin Zhi?" he asked, trying to gauge the young actor's behavior.
'Calm down. Your temper would ruin you in the long run.'
Laohu's voice echoed in the back of his mind, and yet Lin Zhi still couldn't control his anger.
"You ruined everything."
"It's all your fault," Lin Zhi muttered, his voice barely above a whisper but filled with venom.
His mind raced with thoughts of June.
"He's not as innocent as he looks," Lin Zhi hissed, his eyes darting around the room as if searching for an unseen enemy.
Taehyun frowned in confusion before nudging Hana's shoulder.
"This...isn't acting, right?"
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})"Shh," Hana said, finding the situation serious.
It seemed like Lin Zhi had truly lost it now.
"I'll make you see. I'll make all of you see."
With each word, his voice grew louder, echoing off the walls like a mantra of madness. He paced back and forth, the sound of his footsteps like the beating of a demented heart.
"He...killed someone!" he exclaimed, his voice quivering in excitement.
"Little Choi Joon-ho would do anything to debut, so he became the CEO's little slut and did favors behind the other trainees' backs. One of which involved murdering someone."
A twisted smile played across his lips as he imagined the chaos he could unleash.
Director Jam stood and stepped back, now realizing the gravity of the situation.
Were they always in the midst of a psychopath?
June, however, remained calm, a small smirk even playing on his lips.
"Even better," he muttered as he continued to watch Lin Zhi's breakdown.
"I have connections," he declared, his voice filled with a false sense of authority.
"You'll regret ever crossing me."
Suddenly, his laughter filled the room, a chilling sound that echoed off the walls like a curse.
"I'll ruin you all," Lin Zhi vowed, his eyes gleaming with a madness that bordered on obsession.
"Dang, he should have acted like this when he was asked to," Taehyun even had the nerve to joke around, causing Hana to glare at him once more.
Meanwhile, from the corner of the room, Ann was holding her phone, recording Lin Zhi's entire rampage.
Then, she smirked.
"It's time for you to go down, you bastard."
