Chapter 102: Threat

At this moment, Rong Yuan was extremely anxious. No matter how they pleaded, the elderly gatekeeper refused to let them in. With no other choice, the father and daughter crouched beneath the shade of a large tree. The radio station staff passed by occasionally, casting strange glances their way.

From a distance, Rong Qing spotted a middle-aged man dressed in a suit approaching. He quickly stood up, dusted off the dirt clinging to his clothes, and grabbed his daughter’s hand as they moved forward. “Director Lin... Director Lin, it’s so good to finally see you. Didn’t you say there would be auditions this week? I’ve brought my daughter along, so let’s go in now.” Rong Yuan spoke casually, as if he belonged beside the director, while Rong Hui wore an innocent, demure expression like a dutiful outsider.

Director Lin looked at them oddly. Had they not seen last night’s news? Or did they have skin as thick as city walls? They’d become public enemies, yet here they were shamelessly approaching him. Damn it, he wanted to hold onto his position a little longer, and these troublemakers nearly wrecked everything. It was truly infuriating. Yet, he maintained his gentlemanly composure, his gaze cool and appraising, sending a chill through them. Years as station director had instilled some dignity in him.

“Mr. Rong,” he said calmly, “after unanimous agreement at our station, the plan to promote Miss Rong Hui has been canceled. Now, I still have work to do. Please step aside.”

“Canceled? That’s impossible!” Rong Yuan panicked, losing his composure. “You promised! How can you go back on your word?”

At the thought that her dream of stardom might be shattered, Rong Hui could no longer maintain her refined demeanor. Though she bore some resemblance to Rong Qing, her poise was a mere fraction of the star’s. “I want to be a star. You can’t break your promise. If you do... I’ll sue you!” The poor girl, barely educated and mingling on the streets, knew nothing of the law.

Director Lin looked at this family with regret. How blind he had been to invite them for an interview. They were ungrateful wolves that could never be tamed. No wonder Rong Qing hated her uncle so much — if he hadn’t done such despicable things, the resentment wouldn’t have been so deep. Lin snorted softly. Though he didn’t wield absolute power, he could certainly keep these nobodies in their place. He had never been threatened by such brats before. His gentle expression hardened.

“Sue me? Fine. Do you want me to draft the complaint for you? Also, from now on, Starshine Entertainment will not welcome you.”

“Old Wang, if you see these two again, kick them out immediately.” With a sweep of his sleeve, Director Lin turned and entered the station. “What a disappointment!”

“Hey, hey, hey... what are you staring at? Get lost. After what you did, you’re shameless to show your faces.” Old Wang brusquely shut the door, leaving Rong Yuan and Rong Hui outside, tasting nothing but bitter defeat.

Like beaten roosters, they hung their heads low. Back home, Rong Hui locked herself in her room and cried bitterly. Rong Yuan’s wife watched the scene with a strange look in her eyes.

“Old Rong, did you notice something’s wrong today? Our doorstep was covered with rotten eggs and spoiled cabbage. I just stepped out to buy groceries and heard people cursing behind my back. I was so angry I came straight home.”

Rong Yuan, worn and weary with age, sank into the sofa, sighing deeply. Inside, Rong Hui’s sobs grated on the nerves, while the old man looked like a withered eggplant. Mrs. Rong slammed down the groceries in frustration, muttering, “Hmph,” and shut herself in her room.

“Ah! Old Rong! Hui... Hui’er, come here quickly!” A sharp scream from the bedroom caught their attention. Rong Yuan hurried over, and Rong Hui stopped crying. The three stared at the bold headlines on the computer screen, dizzy with shock.

“Adding insult to injury, seizing family assets—such kinship now estranged.” Beneath the headline was a photo of the Rong family from a few days ago. Yes, they had become famous—but infamous, branded by the internet as societal parasites, the shame of humanity.

Rong Yuan had lived over half his life, unscrupulous and dishonest, but to be so openly condemned, to read the vile, vulgar comments beneath the news, made his face burn with shame. The report was exhaustive, dredging up all the family’s past misdeeds and pasting them online. No wonder passersby spat insults and threw scraps at them.

“Dad, how am I supposed to face people now? My friends will surely stop playing with me.” Rong Hui complained, her reddened eyes brimming with tears. The thought of strangers pointing and hurling curses as she walked the streets was unbearable.

The old couple no longer had the heart to comfort their daughter. They themselves were besieged by public opinion. Browsing several websites, every major platform carried their story on the front page. As described, they were painted as heartless villains, ungrateful and despicable, the stain on society. Some netizens even called for harsh retribution to make them suffer.

The elderly pair read the bitter comments with heavy hearts. They couldn’t fathom how decades-old secrets had surfaced overnight, spreading so widely. Searching further, they found a recording of Rong Qing’s program at Starshine Radio. Watching quietly, they felt an unfillable void inside, as if their hearts were leaking air, hollow and empty.

“That niece of yours is no innocent,” Rong Yuan’s wife scolded angrily. A Northeasterner by birth, she had married into the family and spoke sharply. “Look at what she’s done to us! She’s trying to wipe us out completely, leaving no place for us to live!”

Rong Yuan’s eyes gleamed with cruelty. He had underestimated that brat. Now her wings were strong enough to challenge him. “Don’t worry. Tomorrow I’ll find her and make her pay.” Back when her brother was alive, he had full control over them. Now, she was just a high-profile girl.

“Mm.” His wife was somewhat satisfied. But with the online uproar raging, they had no choice but to stay home and hide for a while.

Rong Yuan’s plan was clear. His niece had married into a wealthy family, but what did the powerful fear most? Their reputation. If he could expose the hardships and poverty of Rong Qing’s childhood, just a little, it would surely ruin her standing in her in-laws’ eyes. Then she’d have to beg him. Stars feared losing face and scandal above all else. He would stir chaos with rumors. Heh...

For a week straight, rotten vegetables and eggs bombarded their doorstep. The once proud gate reeked, and the family stayed huddled inside their cramped 90-square-meter home, venturing out only for meals or groceries. Two weeks later, the offensive deposits ceased. Rong Yuan was ready, having collected embarrassing photos of Rong Qing as a child. Now it was time to open his niece’s eyes!

He developed the photos and secretly mailed a batch to the Huo Corporation. The other negatives he kept, eagerly awaiting the moment to confront his noble niece. He wanted to tear down that glamorous facade and show her just how ordinary and ugly they all were.

Dressed in his finest suit, with 1990s-style hair wax slicked back, Rong Yuan looked much more spirited. Just as he stepped out the door, full of arrogance, he took his final step down the stairs—

*Bang!* A classic slip on a banana peel. His old bones ached everywhere as he fell. Glancing back at the peel on the steps, he cursed, “Who the hell throws banana peels around after eating? Damn it!”

Supporting his creaking frame, he got up. Nothing could stop his determined heart from seeking out Rong Qing. Finally, he arrived at the Huo mansion. Even the taxi driver looked at him with some respect. Rong Yuan tossed his head proudly and strode toward the grand entrance.

After only a few steps, two soldiers blocked his way and threw him out of the gate in front of everyone.

“Hey, hey, hey... I’m here to see Rong Qing, your lady of the house. Get her out— I have business with her!” Rong Yuan snapped at the guards. Hmph, if he couldn’t see his niece now, they’d have to answer to him later!

The two soldiers gave him a scrutinizing look. These days, the Huo mansion saw many strange visitors; they weren’t surprised by one more oddball.

Seeing no reaction, Rong Yuan grew anxious and tried to force his way in. Before crossing the threshold, a strong hand grabbed his collar and tossed him out again, like a chicken being carried off.

“My old back!” he wailed, heartbroken that his aching waist was always the victim. He realized clearly now: these were soldiers, and no one entered the Huo estate without a pass. Today, even the gate was closed to him. His initial momentum faded.

Trying to appease them, he approached and offered a pack of cigarettes, but they coldly pushed him away.

“Brother, I’m not here to cause trouble. I’m Rong Yuan, her uncle. Can you please pass a message? She’ll come see me, I’m sure.” His tone became ingratiating, pleading.

After hesitation, the soldiers nodded, agreeing to deliver the message. Rong Yuan’s heart pounded. He didn’t know what his niece was thinking. If she refused to see him today, wouldn’t everything be over?

Two hours passed in anxious waiting. Though it was midday, the northern winter’s chill gnawed at him. Just as his resolve wavered, a message came: the lady of the house would see him.

－－－－－－Side note－－－－－－

La la la... why do such villains feel so vivid...