The Sickly Beauty Gives Up Struggling [Rebirth] Chapter 122

Zheng Zhupan ended up selecting three people: Li Rong, Fu Huan, and a university music major named Jiang Zui.

Jiang Zui was the unluckiest of the three. He was also among the contestants who hadn’t yet performed. When Lin Zhen was chosen by Zheng Zhupan, Jiang Zui had secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Being short, he had quietly shrunk into the background, creating distance between himself and Lin Zhen as quickly as possible.

He had felt fortunate that Lin Zhen was standing in front of him because their styles were similar—both excelled in lyrical songs, with clear voices and gentle, serene appearances. If Lin Zhen hadn’t been there to shield him, Jiang Zui suspected he might have been chosen instead.

Having witnessed Zheng Zhupan’s overbearing demeanor and how Lin Zhen had been left speechless with fear, Jiang Zui had felt even more relieved that he wouldn’t have to make such a choice.

But out of nowhere, a younger and more attractive contestant had stepped forward, willingly taking Lin Zhen’s place in front of Zheng Zhupan.

Jiang Zui couldn’t help but mentally criticize the person for being willing to do anything to climb the ranks, while simultaneously marveling at Lin Zhen’s luck—someone else had been willing to take his place even in this kind of situation.

Initially, Zheng Zhupan had intended to leave with just Li Rong and Fu Huan. However, after a few steps, he realized that both of them were taller than him, forcing him to tilt his head up to speak with them. This made Zheng Zhupan extremely displeased, so he decided on the spot to bring along someone shorter.

Turning around, he caught sight of Jiang Zui.

Jiang Zui was young and had a somewhat delicate, unassuming look. While Zheng Zhupan wasn’t entirely satisfied with him, he found Jiang Zui’s clean and natural appearance acceptable—his lack of heavy makeup and background made him stand out in a modest way. Pointing directly at Jiang Zui, Zheng Zhupan said decisively, “You, come along too.”

Jiang Zui froze in shock, instinctively pointing at his own nose, as if the gesture might somehow buy him a reprieve.

Zheng Zhupan was unrelenting. “Yes, you.”

Jiang Zui’s vision blurred for a moment.

But he was about to perform!

The stylist beside him, who had been adjusting his outfit for the stage, quietly stepped back upon hearing Zheng’s order. No one dared mention Jiang Zui’s upcoming performance again, unwilling to risk provoking another tirade from Zheng Zhupan, who was known for saying, “I can ruin you effortlessly.”

This time, though, there was no second Li Rong to step in and take Jiang Zui’s place.

Jiang Zui didn’t even have time to ask the production team how his recording would be rescheduled or how his score would be calculated.

Even if he had asked, no one could have answered. 

The judges were high-profile figures who charged by the minute—there was no way they’d stay late for a single contestant. And the thousand-plus audience members weren’t going to reconvene just for him.

Overwhelmed by immense pressure, Jiang Zui felt as if he had a lump in his throat but had no choice but to follow in Zheng Zhupan’s footsteps.

Among the three selected, the only one who seemed unfazed was Li Rong.

It was as if nothing had happened. Before leaving, Li Rong even shot Lin Zhen a mischievous smile and silently mouthed: “I have a purpose—don’t overthink it.”

Lin Zhen’s eyes turned red, but he held back tears to avoid smudging his makeup before his performance.

He couldn’t tell if Li Rong truly had some kind of task to accomplish or was just trying to keep him from feeling burdened. Lin Zhen admired Li Rong too much—he always seemed calm, confident, and in control. But this time was different. This was an entirely unexpected situation, something no one had foreseen even minutes earlier.

Lin Zhen, overwhelmed, rushed toward the recording set, only to be stopped by staff.

“Where are you going?”

Lin Zhen’s lips tightened, his voice trembling as he said, “I need to find my friend! The sound inside is too loud; they won’t hear their phone ringing!”

The staff member scolded him, “You can’t go! Do you have no sense of discipline? Jiang Zui was taken away, and it’s your turn next. Are you going to keep the judges waiting?”

Lin Zhen felt his head spinning. “I have an emergency!”

The staff member sternly replied, “Your emergency is to perform well. Look at your current state—your voice is already trembling. How can you deliver a proper performance? You’d be wasting the effort of the person who stepped in for you!”

Lin Zhen froze, as if plunged into ice water.

Li Rong’s voice seemed to echo in his ears again:

“It’s fine. Focus on your competition—he can’t do anything to me.” 

“I have a purpose, don’t overthink it.”

***

The night was deep, and the city lights sparkled.

For once, Li Rong found himself sitting in a Maybach, albeit crammed in with two other unfortunate contestants.

Though calling them unfortunate might not be accurate—among the hundred contestants, there were bound to be people willing to accompany Zheng Zhupan; they just hadn’t been chosen.

As for the selected ones, one was a social media singer too proud to grovel, and the other was a sacrificial lamb about to lose his place in the competition.

In comparison, Li Rong’s position was more advantageous. He was here for revenge.

Just as he pulled out his phone to message Cen Xiao, the assistant in the front seat turned around. “President Zheng has requested that you hand over your phones. You’ll get them back after dinner.”

Zheng Zhupan was riding in a different car.

Fu Huan immediately frowned, displeasure written all over his face. “Why do we have to hand in our phones? Are we going to dinner or to prison?”

The assistant sneered, “Just hand it over. Why so much chatter?”

He had been working under Zheng Zhupan long enough to carry a sense of superiority, treating everyone else as insignificant.

Fu Huan clenched his teeth but wisely chose to swallow his frustration.

Jiang Zui, on the other hand, spoke timidly, “Sir, I need to let my agent know. I don’t have a company, just a single agent. If she can’t reach me, she might call the police.”

The assistant frowned. “What a hassle. Fine, make it quick.”

The obsequious tone softened the assistant’s demeanor, and he allowed Jiang Zui a moment to make his call.

Li Rong, remaining calm, said, “I need to let my agent know as well.”

He lowered his head and began typing, carefully wording his message to Cen Xiao since certain things couldn’t be said outright.

To uncover the web of interests surrounding Suhe Biotech, infiltrating one of Zheng Zhupan’s dinner parties is the fastest route.

Zheng Zhupan’s efforts to curry favor with someone usually indicate his intention to exploit them in return.

After hearing this, Fu Huan and Jiang Zui exchanged a knowing glance with Li Rong.

Truth be told, both Fu Huan and Jiang Zui found Li Rong unfamiliar. Even though there hadn’t been much interaction among the 100 contestants, someone as strikingly good-looking as him would not go unnoticed.

They were sure there wasn’t a contestant like Li Rong.

Yet neither of them pointed this out.

Their resentment toward Zheng Zhupan was mutual, but no one wanted to get caught in his bad graces.

The assistant collected the three contestants’ phones, sealing them in a plastic bag kept in the car for such purposes.

The luxury vehicle wove through the main city district and arrived at the familiar Seven Star Hotel.

The last time Li Rong had been here, he hadn’t gone inside, merely observing it from across the street at the Changheng Inn.

This time, however, it was Zheng Zhupan himself escorting him in.

The Seven Star Hotel boasted opulent private rooms. Upon Zheng Zhupan’s arrival, there was no need to announce his name; the server instantly led him to the innermost suite.

As the door swung open, the room’s light spilled out, forming a perfectly square pool on the marble floor.

Inside, the silence was palpable, but the moment Zheng Zhupan stepped in, the atmosphere erupted like a turned-on faucet.

“President Zheng, you’re finally here! We’ve been waiting forever!”

“President Zheng, out playing tennis again today? Must’ve been exhausting.”

“Long time no see! You’re looking fitter than ever!”

….

Almost everyone stood up, doing their best to flatter and ingratiate themselves, except for one person who remained seated, completely unmoving, with a sour expression on her face. She didn’t even glance at Zheng Zhupan directly.

The one who stayed put was a woman with naturally curly hair, thick and fluffy, loosely tied up with a clip. Though her hairstyle was simple, it looked clean and sharp.

She was not young, with irreversible wrinkles visible on her face. The skin on her cheeks sagged slightly, and faint vertical lines appeared on either side of her nose. Her thin, pale lips and sharp features gave her an appearance that suggested a short temper.

Her left leg crossed over her right, sitting upright and rigid, her face stern. With her hands resting on her thighs, she seemed completely indifferent to Zheng Zhupan’s arrival.

Zheng Zhupan glanced at her and paused for a moment before suddenly grinning widely. With exaggerated enthusiasm, he stepped forward and greeted her:”Ah, Director Zhai! You’re here, so don’t keep that stern face. Look, I’ve even brought you a gift! I heard you occasionally follow celebrity news. That one star you like isn’t available right now, but I’ve found a few good-looking ones for you to chat with instead.”

Zhai Ning tilted her chin slightly, her eyelids lifting just enough to glance at Li Rong and the others. Her gaze was icy as she coldly remarked, “Don’t try that with me. I don’t know any of them, and I have nothing to say to them.”

Zheng Zhupan spread his hands, looking a bit helpless. “Alright, alright. Clearly, I’ve messed up again. If I’d known you only like that one celebrity, I’d have gone all out to bring them here.”

Zhai Ning took a deep breath and turned her gaze away. Though her lips remained pressed tightly together, it was obvious she was using this as an excuse to vent her irritation at Zheng Zhupan, giving herself a way to back down.

The very fact that she was here was already a statement of her position. Dragging it out further would only escalate the tension, and if Zheng Zhupan truly lost his temper, none of them would come out unscathed.

Zheng Zhupan, adept at reading people’s moods, quickly gestured to the three contestants. “You three, sit next to Director Zhai and take good care of her.”

Jiang Zui, utterly terrified in this gathering of powerful figures, dared not utter a single word. Shrinking his neck and lowering his head like a timid lamb, he prepared to sit near Zhai Ning.

Li Rong, however, scanned the room and, after a moment, fixed his gaze on Zhai Ning. Suddenly, he spoke up: “President Zheng, who is Director Zhai? Aren’t you going to introduce her to us?”

His question drew the attention of everyone in the private room, their gazes locking onto him. Jiang Zui, in particular, was dumbfounded, amazed at Li Rong’s audacity.

Zheng Zhupan froze briefly before letting out a laugh. “Alright, let me introduce her. This is Ms. Zhai Ning, the director of Jiajia Central Hospital.”

Li Rong’s eyebrow lifted ever so slightly in response.

Zhai Ning instantly clenched her fists nervously, her wariness intensifying as she glared at Zheng Zhupan. “Are you trying to let everyone know I came to have dinner with you?”

Zheng Zhupan smirked, letting out a chuckle that made his whole body jiggle. “What’s the big deal? It’s not easy for these young people to make it here. Director Zhai, don’t be so stingy. If they visit Jiajia in the future, you’ll have to give them a director’s green channel, won’t you?”

“Zheng Zhupan!” Zhai Ning snapped sharply.

Zheng Zhupan immediately raised both hands in a placating gesture. “Just kidding, just kidding. Everyone knows our Director Zhai is impartial and strictly abides by the rules—no special treatment for anyone.”

Though this comment was meant as a compliment, Zhai Ning’s expression only darkened further, her eyes flashing with anger.

When someone’s integrity is in question, even praise can sound like mockery.

Meijiang Pharmaceuticals falsifying Jiaketing data, Suhe Biotech’s manipulation to replace Yuanhesheng, and Jiajia Central Hospital’s concealment of evidence with fabricated records…

He Dayong, Zheng Zhupan, and Zhai Ning.

It seemed that everything was starting to connect—the carefully orchestrated and meticulously designed plot against Li Qingli was becoming clear, with several key figures now surfacing.

Li Rong’s expression remained unchanged, but his fingernails were digging deeply into his sleeve, so much so that he inadvertently snapped a loose thread.

At the talent show recording site, Lin Zhen ignored the staff’s attempts to stop him and charged out from backstage. He headed straight for the guest panel. Under the bewildered gazes of the judges, he stood beside Cen Xiao and Jian Fu, his face grave as he recounted what had happened backstage.

Jian Fu immediately erupted in anger. “Who does that old bastard think he’s killing so easily? Does he have a death wish?!”

Cen Xiao, on the other hand, remained much calmer. Taking a deep breath, he pulled out his phone and read Li Rong’s message:

[Li Rong: I’m going to drop in at Zheng Zhupan’s dinner gathering to get a sense of his internal network of interests. Hopefully, I’ll discover something. They’re confiscating phones, so I won’t know where I’ll be. If you see this message, track my phone’s location. Tell Lin Zhen to focus on his performance; he’s completely terrified. Don’t worry, I won’t let anyone take advantage of me for free.]

Cen Xiao: “…”

He seriously considered running Zheng Zhupan over with his car.

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