HDIEUMDBTSB ## Chapter 26: It's Settled
# Volume 1: The Road to Revival
## Chapter 26: It's Settled
Normally, eating late-night snacks every day should make someone gain weight, Chu Zhi thought to himself. But since the topic had come up, he responded, "I haven't had much of an appetite."
Given the current circumstances, not having an appetite was understandable. Su Shangbai didn't delve further into the topic. Instead, he said, "Over the past half month, I've collected some materials that might be useful to you, Jiu Ge."
Chu Zhi invited Su Shangbai inside and they sat down to talk.
"Jiu Ge, there's no need to bother getting me hot water, I'm not thirsty." Su Shangbai placed a folder on the round table, opened it, and took out stacks of documents, including photos and tables.
"First, about the five-year secret marriage. I thoroughly examined the essay written by that girl named Li Tingyu. She claimed to be a classmate from high school." Su Shangbai pointed to the [Mountain City No. 37 High School Yearbook] and said, "I checked with the administration office, and during the years you attended high school, there was no student named Li Tingyu, not even among the transfer or dropout students. So, her claim of dating you during high school is a fabricated lie."
"There are also several dubious details about the alleged relationship. For example, she mentioned in her essay that you stayed at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Jinling last August. However, according to information from fan sites and Kangfei Company's records, you didn't have time to go to Jinling in August. I found several other discrepancies in her story and marked them all with evidence. With this evidence, we can definitively prove Li Tingyu is lying and even sue her for defamation. I was worried she might claim that they lived together for five years without registering their marriage due to age, so I preemptively addressed that counterargument."
Such caution was indeed commendable. Chu Zhi looked at the documents in front of him. They were all obtained through legal channels and could serve as court evidence, capable of sending the writer of the "five-year secret girlfriend" essay to jail.
"The other issue is the accusation of being kept. This is the hardest to disprove. Even if we reveal that the woman in question is just a director at a listed company, many will still think it's a cover-up," Su Shangbai took out publicly accessible information about the female director. "The accusation hinges on two points: first, her position couldn't provide you with such extensive resources within the industry, and second, her assets are less than what you earned from a single major brand endorsement."
"I approached the female director, but she refused to offer any help," Su Shangbai continued. "We need to remember that in the face of accusations, the burden of proof lies with the accuser, not the accused."
"The media outlet that broke the story about you being kept, [Palace Gossip], is a well-known paparazzi team in the entertainment industry. Their main evidence is photos of you hugging and sending the female director to a hotel. However, I found surveillance footage showing you never entered the hotel." Su Shangbai explained, "Perhaps I'm being blunt, but letting photos of a private dinner circulate, an artist sending an opposite-sex client back to their hotel, and then doing nothing to clarify—it all seems very unprofessional. I always consider the worst-case scenario, so I suspect someone in Kangfei Company is sabotaging you."
The fact that he managed to retrieve hotel surveillance footage, which is usually overwritten after fifteen days, despite the incident occurring over two months ago, suggested some serious connections. Additionally, publicly accessible information about the female director seemed almost too convenient.
"[Palace Gossip]'s report lacks concrete evidence and constitutes defamation. Given the current evidence, we can definitely initiate a lawsuit. I've consulted with a lawyer, and we can win, forcing them to apologize and restore your reputation," Su Shangbai stated.
"Finally, I conducted a due diligence investigation."
Su Shangbai pulled out a few sheets from over a hundred A4 pages. These were from a commissioned survey company, targeting netizens from the post-00s, post-90s, and post-80s generations, with two main questions: "Why do you believe top idol Chu Zhi is being kept?" and "Under what circumstances would you think Chu Zhi is innocent?"
The answers were very realistic: [Answer 1: Of course, otherwise, how could he be so famous just because of his looks? No one would believe it. Answer 2: What circumstances? If he had at least two viral hits, then I'd believe in his talent.]
## Volume 1: The Road to Revival
### Chapter 26: It's Settled
Normally, eating late-night snacks every day should make someone gain weight, Chu Zhi thought to himself. But since the topic had come up, he responded, "I haven't had much of an appetite."
Given the current circumstances, not having an appetite was understandable. Su Shangbai didn't delve further into the topic. Instead, he said, "Over the past half month, I've collected some materials that might be useful to you, Jiu Ge."
Chu Zhi invited Su Shangbai inside and they sat down to talk.
"Jiu Ge, there's no need to bother getting me hot water, I'm not thirsty." Su Shangbai placed a folder on the round table, opened it, and took out stacks of documents, including photos and tables.
"First, about the five-year secret marriage. I thoroughly examined the essay written by that girl named Li Tingyu. She claimed to be a classmate from high school." Su Shangbai pointed to the [Mountain City No. 37 High School Yearbook] and said, "I checked with the administration office, and during the years you attended high school, there was no student named Li Tingyu, not even among the transfer or dropout students. So, her claim of dating you during high school is a fabricated lie."
"There are also several dubious details about the alleged relationship. For example, she mentioned in her essay that you stayed at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Jinling last August. However, according to information from fan sites and Kangfei Company's records, you didn't have time to go to Jinling in August. I found several other discrepancies in her story and marked them all with evidence. With this evidence, we can definitively prove Li Tingyu is lying and even sue her for defamation. I was worried she might claim that they lived together for five years without registering their marriage due to age, so I preemptively addressed that counterargument."
Such caution was indeed commendable. Chu Zhi looked at the documents in front of him. They were all obtained through legal channels and could serve as court evidence, capable of sending the writer of the "five-year secret girlfriend" essay to jail.
"The other issue is the accusation of being kept. This is the hardest to disprove. Even if we reveal that the woman in question is just a director at a listed company, many will still think it's a cover-up," Su Shangbai took out publicly accessible information about the female director. "The accusation hinges on two points: first, her position couldn't provide you with such extensive resources within the industry, and second, her assets are less than what you earned from a single major brand endorsement."
"I approached the female director, but she refused to offer any help," Su Shangbai continued. "We need to remember that in the face of accusations, the burden of proof lies with the accuser, not the accused."
"The media outlet that broke the story about you being kept, [Palace Gossip], is a well-known paparazzi team in the entertainment industry. Their main evidence is photos of you hugging and sending the female director to a hotel. However, I found surveillance footage showing you never entered the hotel." Su Shangbai explained, "Perhaps I'm being blunt, but letting photos of a private dinner circulate, an artist sending an opposite-sex client back to their hotel, and then doing nothing to clarify—it all seems very unprofessional. I always consider the worst-case scenario, so I suspect someone in Kangfei Company is sabotaging you."
The fact that he managed to retrieve hotel surveillance footage, which is usually overwritten after fifteen days, despite the incident occurring over two months ago, suggested some serious connections. Additionally, publicly accessible information about the female director seemed almost too convenient.
"[Palace Gossip]'s report lacks concrete evidence and constitutes defamation. Given the current evidence, we can definitely initiate a lawsuit. I've consulted with a lawyer, and we can win, forcing them to apologize and restore your reputation," Su Shangbai stated.
"Finally, I conducted a due diligence investigation."
Su Shangbai pulled out a few sheets from over a hundred A4 pages. These were from a commissioned survey company, targeting netizens from the post-00s, post-90s, and post-80s generations, with two main questions: "Why do you believe top idol Chu Zhi is being kept?" and "Under what circumstances would you think Chu Zhi is innocent?"
The answers were very realistic:
- [Answer 1: I don't know if Chu Zhi is being kept, but he must have been taken advantage of. He's so good-looking, and the entertainment industry is so messy. How could there be no issues? Do you really think it's a fairytale world? Only fans would believe otherwise. Wasn't the keeping thing already proven?]
- [Answer 2: Unless they provide convincing evidence. Though I can't think of what that could be.]
- [Answer 1: Why wouldn't I believe it? Do you have evidence proving he wasn't kept?]
- [Answer 2: Talent. If he shows more talent, I might believe he wasn't kept. Also, a court ruling would help.]
"I removed the slightly more favorable comments. Over seventy percent are like these," Su Shangbai explained, wanting the person involved to understand the full situation.
Chu Zhi carefully read through them, and they indeed matched his expectations. When someone is slandered, the damage is already done and irreversible, no matter what they do.
This is why he decided to participate in "I Am a Singer" instead of collecting evidence to clear his name immediately. Chu Zhi himself believed in standing his ground and following his own convictions.
"I Am a Singer" wouldn't award Chu Zhi the title of champion, so he planned to use his original hit "I Miss You" to reach the finals. Even if he got eliminated, he'd have a few more songs under his belt. Moreover, the upcoming episode in four days could attract more fans. During the finals, he planned to present solid evidence and sue the "hidden wife" and the paparazzi, creating a bigger impact. If he was going to make a comeback, it had to be thunderous!
"Xiaobai, thank you. This must have taken a lot of time," Chu Zhi said, feeling a great sense of security from the thick stack of documents on the table.
Su Shangbai responded, "If you want to thank me, Jiu Ge, then please agree to one thing."
Hopefully, he wouldn't make an unreasonable demand. This thought flashed through Chu Zhi's mind, but considering the value of the materials, it was worth it even if he did. After some thought, Chu Zhi said, "Go ahead, as long as it's something I can do."
"Eat more. Jiu Ge, you're too thin," Su Shangbai requested.
This unexpected demand surprised Chu Zhi. Why was this elite figure treating him so well? Even close friends wouldn't go this far.
"I have a body type that doesn't gain weight easily, no matter how much I eat," Chu Zhi replied.
"Jiu Ge, just eat three meals a day on time," Su Shangbai insisted. "That's all I ask. Is that okay?"
"No problem. If nothing unexpected happens, I will," Chu Zhi agreed seriously.
In the evening, Chu Zhi treated Su Shangbai to a meal at the small, unassuming restaurant Wei Tongzi had previously introduced him to. The food was exceptionally good, and Chu Zhi remembered it well.
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