Not long after, Liu Jinhua arrived at the office with excitement.
Ou Yunchen was about to get dressed.
Liu Jinhua: "Boss, where are you going?"
Ou Yunchen: "I have to go out."
Liu Jinhua: "Oh, boss, I have good news for you."
Ou Yunchen paused for half a second, but seeing Liu Jinhua's demeanor, he could guess most of it.
Ou Yunchen: "Mmm, congratulations."
Liu Jinhua: "Yes, congratulations... Ah, I haven't told you yet."
Ou Yunchen: "I know."
Liu Jinhua: "Boss, what do you know? I really haven't told you yet."
Ou Yunchen pushed open the office door, and Ruby immediately followed.
Ou Yunchen: "I'm going out, I won't be back this afternoon."
Ruby: "Okay, Mr. Ou."
Liu Jinhua pursued relentlessly, following Ou Yunchen all the way to the elevator. Only then did she rapidly explain that Zhou Man's new film had been nominated for an Oscar.
Liu Jinhua was breathless, but she was still waiting for Ou Yunchen to react with the same excitement and jumping around as when he first heard the news.
Ou Yunchen: "Keep up the good work."
The elevator doors opened, and Ou Yunchen's driver was already waiting in the parking lot.
Liu Jinhua: "Boss? Aren't you excited?"
Ou Yunchen: "Oh, right, is Siya free tonight?"
Liu Jinhua quickly scrolled through her phone, finding Siya's schedule.
Liu Jinhua: "She has an old classmate reunion and specially took leave."
Ou Yunchen: "Cancel it for her. I'll send you the address."
Liu Jinhua: "That might not be good. Siya finally gets to see her friends..."
Ou Yunchen: "Are friends more important, or is the boss more important? Let her consider it carefully and reply to me."
Liu Jinhua, with her mouth agape, was about to ask which boss she was referring to when she saw the driver opening the car door for Ou Yunchen. Ou Yunchen slid in, and with a loud slam, closed the door right in front of Liu Jinhua.
Liu Jinhua: "Bo-boss..."
Liu Jinhua: "Didn't you say our company's artists don't go out for drinks!!! Boss, you can't go back on your word!!!"
As Liu Jinhua was chasing after Ou Yunchen's car from behind, Ou Yunchen had already sent the address to Liu Jinhua's phone.
Liu Jinhua: "Isn't this Young Master Lan?"
***
Ou Yunchen had the driver take the car to an abandoned factory. After a while, another car pulled up beside them.
The driver quickly got out and opened the rear door. The person from the other car immediately got out of the driver's seat and slid into Ou Yunchen's car.
Now, only Ou Yunchen and Fan Zhijie were left in the car, with the driver observing the surroundings outside.
Fan Zhijie: "Mr. Ou, I haven't had a chance to congratulate you yet. With your return to AtL, business will surely flourish, prosperity will abound, and everything will be auspicious..."
Ou Yunchen: "Alright, save those auspicious words for the New Year."
Fan Zhijie: "Okay, okay. Every time I see you, Mr. Ou, I can't help but feel overwhelmed with admiration. I want to learn from you..."
Ou Yunchen ignored Fan Zhijie's effusive praise and instead took out a file bag from the front seat pocket, handing it to Fan Zhijie, which finally shut him up.
Fan Zhijie: "What is this?"
Ou Yunchen gestured for him to open it and take a look.
Fan Zhijie: "Isn't this that missing little streamer? Tao Tao? Peach? Is it her?"
Ou Yunchen: "Mmm."
Fan Zhijie: "Someone did inquire about finding this streamer, but Mr. Ou, how did you find her?"
Ou Yunchen: "Who was inquiring?"
Fan Zhijie: "It must have been her fans. There was a lot of speculation online three months before she stopped streaming. It's been almost a year, surely no one cares about this washed-up streamer anymore."
Ou Yunchen: "Sell the information to other paparazzi. You know how to spin a story, right?"
Fan Zhijie: "Understood, understood. Mr. Ou, please rest assured, I know what I'm doing."
Ou Yunchen: "What about what I asked you to investigate?"
Fan Zhijie: "Yan Shizong is very close to people in the film association, and I often see Luo Yu entering and exiting high-end hotels with him. I suspect he's working hard for next year's Best Actress nominations."
"However, judging by the reception of 'The Rose Colored Danube' this year, it's also possible it could help her win a Grand Slam."
Fan Zhijie flipped through his bag again and took out a copy of a contract.
Fan Zhijie: "This is what I managed to get. It cost a huge sum to bribe Luo Yu's assistant."
Ou Yunchen looked at the contract with some confusion.
Fan Zhijie: "This is called a dual contract in the industry."
Ou Yunchen: "What does that mean?"
Fan Zhijie: "The public contract is for show, with a smaller declared income. The private contract is the money the star actually earns, and this part is used to evade taxes."
Ou Yunchen looked at the enormous amount on the private contract. Luo Yu's salary was eighty million a day?!
Ou Yunchen: "That's truly a sky-high contract."
Fan Zhijie quickly put the contract copy back into the bag and then stuffed it into the pocket of the front seat. He repeatedly cautioned Ou Yunchen to use it cautiously, and not to expose the contract unless absolutely necessary, otherwise the entire industry would be turned upside down.
Fan Zhijie: "Mr. Ou, my people said Xie Youlin has moved out of the Xie family residence. What's stranger is that he seems to have fired all the Xie family's servants. Only Mrs. Xie is left at home."
Ou Yunchen: "Didn't they say Mrs. Xie is an invalid who needs constant care?"
Fan Zhijie: "I'm also puzzled, but I'll have the paparazzi keep an eye on the Xie residence."
Ou Yunchen: "What about Song Yuandong?"
Fan Zhijie: "I've checked a lot of recent documents, and I haven't found any connection between Song Yuandong and Xie's Media. There are no relatives named Xie among Song Yuandong's relatives, not even the old neighbors from before she moved. There are no people from the Xie family."
Ou Yunchen: "So, Xie Youlin and Song Yuandong really have no connection?"
Fan Zhijie shook his head. "It seems there's not the slightest connection, but if we want to understand why Song Yuandong is protecting the education center, we might have to look from other angles."
Ou Yunchen: "Xie Youlin has never met Song Yuandong either?"
Fan Zhijie shook his head.
Ou Yunchen: "Why don't you try investigating Song Yuandong's husband?"
Fan Zhijie: "Alright, I'll do it as soon as I get back!"