CEO's Sweetheart is a Super Idol-Chapter 439 - 431: Falling into the Trap Step by Step

Chapter 439: Chapter 431: Falling into the Trap Step by Step

Long Zitao reluctantly put down his phone.

Just as he was about to savor a glass of wine, the phone lit up again.

Seeing the number, his expression turned extremely grim.

"Hello, Mr. Long, I’m so sorry for causing you so much trouble."

"So, this time you’re calling to apologize?"

"Yes, I also wanted to invite you to dinner. Knowing you love fish, I specifically had Yellow River carp flown in." 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Airfreight! You’ve really gone all out."

Long Zitao had seen plenty in his life, but someone as shameless as Huang Minzhe was a first for him.

"Because Mr. Long, you’ve taken great care of me on the show, I wanted to express my gratitude."

"I thought you didn’t have a heart left."

Unable to hold back any longer, Long Zitao mocked him outright.

"Mr. Long, actually the things I said weren’t from me; my company made me say them."

"Alright, then I’ll call your company’s boss to verify."

There was silence on the other end of the line before a humble yet warm voice replied, "That’s fine. Honestly, I just didn’t want you to be seen as an anomaly by others."

Long Zitao’s face grew even darker. "There’s something I want to tell you."

"Please go ahead..."

"Stop provoking me with fan-circle antics."

"I’m sorry for upsetting you; I genuinely didn’t mean it. I only wanted to invite you for fish to clear up misunderstandings and express my gratitude to you."

Long Zitao was utterly speechless at Huang Minzhe, who seemed nothing more than a facade-covered phony.

"Well, thank you, but keep the fish to yourself!"

With that, he hung up the phone without waiting for Huang Minzhe’s response.

He then picked up the internal phone on his desk and called for the general manager to discuss some issues.

On the other end, Huang Minzhe let out a soft chuckle.

That delicate and stunningly beautiful face, resembling a teenage girl, was full of youthful radiance.

"Mr. Wu, do you think this will do?"

"Very good, you handled this well."

"Thank you, Mr. Wu!"

Huang Minzhe’s expressive eyes flashed briefly as he picked up the coffee on the table and took a sip.

If certain women enamored by this pretty-boy type saw this, their gazes would surely be glued to him.

However, Wu Jingxiang felt no fondness whatsoever for this pretentious young man.

"You may leave now."

"Alright!"

Huang Minzhe obediently stood up, bowed to Wu Jingxiang, and exited the room.

"Cousin, this guy is nothing more than a venomous snake."

"Haha, at most he’s just a worm—calling him a snake doesn’t do justice to the term."

Watching Huang Minzhe sip his coffee, Wu Hao felt a strong sense of unease.

"Cousin, his usefulness has run its course. Let’s send him back to that half-island."

Wu Jingxiang, hearing this, cast Wu Hao a glance. "Haven’t you uncovered his background yet?"

"We’ve already done the investigation. We even found his biological parents. That couple really did sell him to that so-called training company in the half-island due to debts," Wu Hao replied, knowing what his cousin wanted to ask.

"Good. His debt contracts are in our hands. Whether we want him jailed or dead, it’s all within our control. He’s just a useless duck, nothing to be concerned about," Wu Jingxiang remarked disdainfully.

"I still feel uneasy. There’s something about him that I find unsettling."

"... Alright, once things are settled, you can handle him however you please."

"Fine!"

Wu Hao understood that this was the furthest extent his cousin would entertain his opinion, and it was only due to their familial bond.

Anyone else would have been disregarded entirely.

"Cousin, has the girl for Mr. Wu been arranged?"

"Arranged already. He wants this one."

Wu Hao handed over a few photos.

"Did she agree to go willingly?"

"No. She owes money to our affiliated loan company. I’ve already sent someone to negotiate with her."

"Cousin, although this woman isn’t very famous, the group she’s with does have some influence."

Wu Hao chuckled. "Don’t worry; she’s already been kicked out, and I’m preparing to sign her under a streaming company."

Wu Jingxiang glanced at Wu Hao, then smiled without probing further.

He knew his cousin must have used some leverage to get her group to kick her out.

"Our Eldest Young Master Long is likely plotting his revenge right now," Wu Jingxiang sneered.

"Cousin, it’s true—just as you predicted. He’s already sent people to contact Peace Real Estate."

"Long Zitao’s revenge won’t rely on fan-circle tactics; he’ll target Zhang Minzhe’s investment company directly."

Wu Jingxiang walked to the liquor cabinet, poured two glasses of wine, and continued:

"Don’t approach this like an entertainment industry matter."

"He’ll use a scorched-earth strategy."

Wu Hao took the wine glass and nodded. "Collapsing the opposing company or outright taking it over would be the most effective method."

"Make sure all your procedures are airtight. This time, I not only want Long Zitao to suffer a huge loss but also to make a killing off him. His assets are quite substantial," Wu Jingxiang’s eyes gleamed like a predatory snake.

"Rest assured, I have everything arranged. Even if he tries to dig into it, it’ll lead nowhere," Wu Hao assured, grinning.

"Let’s go out for dinner."

"Ah!"

"I’ve arranged for Wan Kai to bring Yezi along. This young lady still seems terrified of meeting me alone."

Wu Hao had disdain for his cousin’s so-called "devotion," but refrained from commenting.

Dream Paris Restaurant

Zhou Dan smiled at Wu Jingxiang.

Meng Meixuan stood there nervously yet excitedly.

This was her first time dining so closely with a major player in the film industry.

These investors were the ones who truly determined the fate of actors.

She knew of Wu Hao, a well-known boss of a prominent film company within the industry.

Wu Jingxiang was only someone she vaguely recognized as a university lecturer with some connections to Ye Yuwei.

She hadn’t expected Wu Jingxiang to be Wu Hao’s actual backer.

She was also amazed by Wu Jingxiang’s aura and beauty; it felt like encountering a celestial being.

"Mr. Jingxiang, I hope bringing a few more people along wasn’t too intrusive."

Wan Kai smiled naturally, showing no awkwardness toward Wu Jingxiang’s effeminate appearance.

"Not at all; Mr. Zhou is well-known as an industry powerhouse."

"You’re too kind!" Zhou Dan replied with equal poise and confidence.

"Yezi, it seems you’ve lost weight since I last saw you."

Ye Yuwei, holding a glass of wine, responded with a warm smile. "Lots of work, I’ve slimmed down from exhaustion."

Hahaha! Hahaha!

While the remark wasn’t particularly funny, it drew laughter from the entire table.

Zhou Dan and Meng Meixuan weren’t there because Ye Yuwei had invited them; rather, Wan Kai had brought them along.

His intention was to make it clear to Wu Jingxiang that Ye Yuwei was his property, and even appealing directly through him would be futile.

Wu Jingxiang easily saw through this scheme.

But he believed that as long as the gains were enough, Wan Kai wouldn’t hesitate to offer this young lady to him.

"Having more work is a good thing! Without it, you’d be crying about having none," Wu Jingxiang replied with a smile.

"Haha, that’s why I’m grateful to Mr. Wan and Mr. Zhou, and I also welcome both Mr. Wu’s presence here," Ye Yuwei said, raising her glass.

The others followed suit, and Wu Hao noticed how adept Ye Yuwei was at handling situations.

If not for her humble origins and unfortunate circumstances, she might have achieved great success.

Meng Meixuan also wanted to say something, but she was already uncomfortable in these high-pressure social settings and remained silent.

"Mr. Wan, with the launch of this girl group, you’ve got yourself a trump card."

"Not really. Next year’s competition will be even fiercer."

"The entertainment industry is certainly becoming harder to navigate; there are simply too many entrants."

The two exchanged polite remarks, transitioning to the substantive issues.

Ye Yuwei and Meng Meixuan initially thought the conversation would center on insider matters, but instead, the topics were about antiques and travel.

They didn’t understand any of it and could only sit and listen.

Meng Meixuan became increasingly anxious, wanting to leave an impression on these influential people.

However, it was evident that Wu Jingxiang was only interested in Ye Yuwei, occasionally mentioning her as an aside.

This made Meng Meixuan feel increasingly bitter. Why did Ye Yuwei get these opportunities?

Why didn’t she have such luck? In terms of talent and looks, what did she lack compared to Ye Yuwei?

Her thoughts spiraled, and she couldn’t help but glance at Wu Jingxiang with a forlorn expression.

Coincidentally, he was looking in her direction, and their gazes met. Wu Jingxiang smiled kindly.

Meng Meixuan’s heart raced and her face flushed; it had been a long time since she’d felt this way.

Across from her, Wu Hao seemed to notice something, a faint hint of disdain curling at his lips.