The news dropped at 8:00 AM.
No warning.
No buildup.
Just impact.
[Breaking News]"Rising Manager Li Chen Expands to Three Artists?""Unknown Producer Behind Viral Hits?""Is This the Birth of a New Power?"
Inside the studio…
Silence.
Xiaoyu stared at her phone.
"…This escalated fast."
Yara leaned over her shoulder.
"Let me see that."
She read the headline.
Then grinned.
"Oh… we're famous now."
Yueyin didn't smile.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"This isn't good."
Li Chen stood by the window, looking outside.
Calm.
Too calm.
"Of course it isn't."
He turned.
"They moved faster than I expected."
Xiaoyu frowned.
"You mean… the companies?"
Li Chen nodded.
"They were watching."
"Now they're reacting."
Yara cracked her knuckles.
"Let them."
Wanqing, sitting quietly on the couch, finally spoke.
"They're testing you."
Everyone looked at her.
Her tone was flat.
But precise.
"They don't know how dangerous you are yet."
A pause.
Then she added:
"So they're probing."
Li Chen smiled slightly.
"Exactly."
Yueyin crossed her arms.
"So what's next?"
Li Chen walked back to the desk.
Picked up his phone.
"Now…"
He paused.
"…they send someone."
As if on cue—
The phone rang.
Unknown number.
The room went silent.
Yara smirked.
"Oh?"
Xiaoyu whispered:
"That's creepy…"
Li Chen answered.
"Li Chen speaking."
A man's voice came through.
Smooth.
Confident.
And cold.
"Ah… so you're the one."
No introduction.
No politeness.
Just pressure.
Li Chen didn't react.
"And you are?"
A soft chuckle.
"You don't know me?"
A pause.
Then—
"I'm a little disappointed."
Yueyin felt a chill run down her spine.
Yara stopped smiling.
Even Wanqing looked up.
The voice continued.
"My name is…"
A brief silence.
Like he was enjoying the moment.
"Zhou Kang."
The room froze.
Xiaoyu's eyes widened.
"…No way."
Yueyin's voice dropped.
"That Zhou Kang?"
Yara clicked her tongue.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
Zhou Kang.
A legendary producer.
Now an executive.
A man who had built careers—
…and destroyed them.
Someone who controlled resources, connections…
…and people.
On the phone, Zhou Kang spoke again.
"I've been watching you."
Li Chen leaned against the desk.
"Have you?"
"Yes."
"You're… interesting."
Not praise.
Evaluation.
Like inspecting a product.
"You produce well."
"You move fast."
"You ignore rules."
A pause.
Then—
"I don't like that."
The room felt heavier.
Xiaoyu swallowed.
Yueyin clenched her fists.
Yara's eyes sharpened.
Wanqing stayed silent.
Listening.
Analyzing.
Li Chen spoke calmly.
"And what do you want?"
Zhou Kang didn't hesitate.
"Simple."
"Hand her over."
Silence.
Li Chen's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Which one?"
A soft laugh.
"You know which one."
Another pause.
Then the name dropped—
"Mu Wanqing."
The air froze.
Yara stepped forward.
"Seriously?"
Yueyin's expression darkened.
Xiaoyu whispered:
"That was fast…"
Wanqing didn't move.
Didn't react.
But her eyes…
became colder.
On the phone, Zhou Kang continued.
"She doesn't belong with you."
"She belongs on a bigger stage."
"With proper management."
"With real power."
Each word carried weight.
Authority.
Control.
Li Chen's voice remained steady.
"And you think that's you?"
Zhou Kang chuckled.
"I know it is."
Then—
his tone changed.
Slightly sharper.
"Let me give you some advice."
Li Chen didn't interrupt.
"You're new."
"You're lucky."
"But luck runs out."
A pause.
Then the real threat came.
"If you keep holding onto things that don't belong to you…"
"You'll lose everything."
Silence.
No one breathed.
Then—
Li Chen smiled.
A small one.
Barely visible.
"Then come take it."
Silence on the other end.
For a second…
nothing.
Then—
Zhou Kang laughed.
Low.
Amused.
"Good."
"I was hoping you'd say that."
Click.
The call ended.
The room stayed silent.
For three seconds.
Five.
Ten.
Then—
Yara grinned.
"Oh, I like this."
Yueyin exhaled slowly.
"This is bad…"
Xiaoyu held her head.
"We're dead…"
Wanqing finally spoke.
"He's dangerous."
Li Chen nodded.
"I know."
She looked at him.
"And you still refused."
"Yes."
A pause.
Then Wanqing asked:
"Why?"
Li Chen looked at all three of them.
Yueyin.
Yara.
Wanqing.
Then he answered.
Simple.
Clear.
"Because you chose me."
Silence.
Something shifted in the room.
Yueyin looked away.
Yara smirked.
Wanqing…
froze for half a second.
Just half.
Then—
very slightly—
she smiled.
Inside Li Chen's mind—
The system activated again.
[Warning]
High-Level Industry Enemy Detected
Zhou Kang
Threat Level: Extreme
New Mission Triggered
"Defeat the Industry Predator"
Li Chen's eyes sharpened.
Good.
Now it's interesting.
Outside…
the industry was moving.
Quietly.
Dangerously.
And at the center of it—
A storm was forming.
End of Chapter 26