Read Novel Full Chapter 866: Scam Artists are Not Cute! (34)
Chapter 866: Scam Artists are Not Cute! (34)
While Xia Ling was touring the world, An Chen’s life took a steep nosedive.
The Xia Corporation had maliciously acquired Anshi Enterprises. An-fu, trying to save the family business, worked tirelessly for days without sleep and ultimately collapsed from exhaustion.
With the death of An-fu, the already teetering Anshi Enterprises crumbled entirely.
An Chen shut himself in his room. The TV was broadcasting Xia Ling’s concert live. Music filled the room as An Chen lay on the floor surrounded by empty bottles.
Turning his head towards the TV, he murmured, “Xia Ling, Xia Ling, Xia Ling…”
‘Why?’
‘I should have been the one standing there.’
‘I should have been the one adored by the masses.’
‘Why did it end up being Xia Ling?’
‘What gave him the right?’
An Chen sprang up from the floor, storming towards the TV, his eyes wild with fury. “What gives you the right, Xia Ling? What gives you the right?”
His shouting grew more frenzied as he grabbed a nearby object and hurled it at the TV, cutting off the music abruptly.
The room fell silent, save for An Chen’s ragged breathing.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
“CEO[1] An, someone’s here to repossess the house.”
Xia Ling’s methods were ruthless but legitimate.
Xia Zhi, on the other hand, didn’t care about playing fair. He would use any means necessary to achieve his goals. With Anshi Enterprises firmly in his grasp, he was determined not to give the An family a chance to recover.
The secretary outside knocked again, and the door was suddenly yanked open.
An Chen’s bloodshot eyes, filled with deep-seated hatred, nearly made the secretary recoil in fear.
“CEO An…” The sight of An Chen was terrifying.
An Chen’s hair was disheveled, dark circles shadowed his eyes, his face was ashen, and his clothes were wrinkled and dirty. There was no trace of his former charm.
The stench of alcohol was overwhelming.
An Chen shot the secretary a glance and then walked downstairs with a grim expression.
A group of men in suits was already there, cataloging the items in his villa.
“What are you doing?” An Chen demanded coldly from the top of the stairs.
The leader of the group looked at An Chen with a half-hearted smile. “CEO An, we’re here to inventory your assets.”
“Scram!”
“CEO An—”
“I said scram!” An Chen’s voice thundered, drawing everyone’s attention.
He looked terrifying, his eyes promising brutal retribution.
The man’s eyelids twitched. “CEO An, you’re no longer the young master of the Anshi Enterprises. I’m calling you ‘CEO An’ out of respect.”
“Scram! Get out, all of you!” An Chen charged down the stairs, shoving the man towards the door.
The man, infuriated, yelled at his colleagues, “What are you standing around for? Get him off me!”
An Chen was forcibly dragged away. The man straightened his crumpled suit, smirking disdainfully. “I was willing to give CEO An some face, but it seems you don’t need it. Throw him out!”
“You dare!” ‘This is my home. What right do they have to throw me out!?’
The man smirked coldly and waved dismissively. ‘Does An Chen still think he‘s the young master of the An Corporation? Really laughable!’
An Chen was thrown out onto the street, penniless and still in his pajamas, looking utterly defeated.
With nowhere else to turn, An Chen sought out Cui Liangye.
Standing outside the door, he hesitated to press the doorbell.
‘Seeing me like this, what will Cui Liangye think?’
‘Before, Cui Liangye used to follow me around…’
Just as An Chen hesitated, the door opened, and laughter spilled out.
Cui Liangye, arm in arm with a woman, was about to leave.
“An Chen? What happened to you?” Cui Liangye asked, surprised.
An Chen glanced at the woman, who was dressed head-to-toe in designer labels.
Cui Liangye kissed the woman’s cheek. “Baby, go on ahead. I need to talk to my friend.”
“An Chen?” The woman sneered, then told Cui Liangye, “Hurry up. I’ll only wait an hour.”
“Got it.”
Cui Liangye gently pushed her out and watched her sway her hips past An Chen, leaving a trail of intoxicating perfume.
Once she was out of sight, Cui Liangye’s smile faded as he turned to the fallen An Chen.
“An Chen, why are you here?”
An Chen had seen enough of these faces lately to know Cui Liangye’s true intentions. He turned to leave.
Even in his downfall, he had his pride.
Cui Liangye caught up with him in a few strides. “An Chen, I know things have been tough for you. As your brother, I don’t have much, but there’s some money on this card.”
Cui Liangye’s face showed a mocking smile, devoid of his former warmth and humility.
An Chen refused the card, stepping around him to leave.
Cui Liangye wasn’t ready to let him go and caught up again. “An Chen, don’t be so polite with me now. Take it.”
An Chen grabbed the card and threw it to the ground, glaring at Cui Liangye. “Does it amuse you to humiliate me?”
Cui Liangye looked at the card on the ground and then laughed. “So, you know how that feels? Back when we were in the group, didn’t you always act superior?”
In SHINE, he had been invisible, ignored by everyone.
‘I’ve had enough of those days.’
Cui Liangye picked up the card, put it back in his pocket and strutted past An Chen, pausing a few steps away.
“Do you know who made you miss out on the opportunity for further training back then?”
An Chen’s head snapped up to look at Cui Liangye.
Cui Liangye laughed, “You were afraid Xia Ling would outshine you, right? That’s why you never stopped him when he caused trouble. But look at him now, he’s doing way better than you, hahahaha!”
Cui Liangye left, laughing.
An Chen still knew people in the industry and tried to make a comeback. But with the An family gone, who would help him now?
His life was hard, and though he tried to create buzz with a few actresses, it was futile. Xia Ling’s star power was so great that any minor success An Chen had could be eclipsed by a single word from Xia Ling.
Eventually, An Chen disappeared from the scene, seemingly blacklisted by someone powerful.
An Chen spent the rest of his life in obscurity.
Meanwhile, Cui Liangye was rising in the industry, standing shoulder to shoulder with Xia Ling.
But just when Cui Liangye was ready to compete head-to-head, Xia Ling suddenly announced his retirement from the music scene.
At the peak of his fame, he chose to step back, a move no one had expected.
[1] – In the raws, they call him 安总. 总 is an honorific that can mean anything from boss to general manager. It’s a character often used in titles/positions, and is mostly used out of respect, though it can be used sarcastically too. I chose to use CEO because Boss An makes him sound like a bad mafia gangster.
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