They surrounded me right after the breakup.

Star Moon Media Company.

The morning meeting had just ended when Fang Chongwen placed the latest music charts on Jiang Han's desk. The numbers on the report were very clean.

First place: Phoenix Trumpchi, "Above the Moon".

Second place: Phoenix Trumpchi, "Lotus Pond in the Moonlight".

Third place: Mao Buyi, "Sorrow".

Fourth place: Shan Yichun, "What's the Use of Trying?"

Jiang Han glanced at it and laughed, "Jiang Guangyao's money has been wasted."

"It's more than just a waste of money! He spent three times our marketing budget, and we didn't even make the top three."

"If the song isn't good, no matter how much money you spend, it's all for nothing." Fang Chongwen nodded.

"Mao Buyi's new album is almost finished too."

……

Universal Music Greater China Headquarters.

Jiang Guangyao sat at his desk, the computer screen in front of him lit up, the page displayed on the music platform's real-time charts.

He had been staring at it for ten minutes, but the numbers and rankings remained unchanged.

None of the changes he wanted to see came to pass.

Google splash screen, homepage featured image, short video push, variety show product placement.

They bought from every available channel and used every favor they could. And what was the result?

Phoenix Trumpchi is firmly on top, as is Mao Buyi.

He opened the comments section for "Above the Moon," and the latest comment was posted ten minutes ago.

"My mom has been listening to this song on repeat for three days." "My dad likes to hum along." "My grandma asked me who this girl in the picture on my phone is..."

Jiang Guangyao leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, his mind filled with images from last Saturday night.

That day he worked overtime until eight o'clock, and after leaving the company, he walked around the park twice.

He walked to the small square in the middle of the park and heard music.

Only when you get closer can you see that it is a group of elderly men and women doing square dancing.

The speaker was placed on the bench next to us; it was a black, wheeled speaker, and the volume was turned up so high that the bench was shaking.

The song played was one that Chiang Kuang-yao knew all too well.

The intro is a combination of electronic keyboard and traditional Chinese music, followed by a female vocal performance.

"I look up at the moon, where countless dreams are soaring freely."

The older women danced with great enthusiasm, waving their fans, spinning around, and kicking their legs.

Jiang Guangyao stood by the roadside for three minutes. No one recognized him; he was just a middle-aged man passing by the park after working overtime.

The second song that came in was still Phoenix Motors!

The older women switched to slower movements, stretching their arms out, and replacing fans with handkerchiefs.

I spent a lot of money, held countless meetings, and stayed up all night revising countless versions of the marketing plan.

And the result? Their own songs are being played in office buildings, and they're comparing their data.

Meanwhile, the opponent's song was playing in the park and being sung in the square!

That night, after returning home from the park, Jiang Guangyao sat on the balcony for a long time.

At Universal's weekly meeting this morning, the PR director projected data onto the screen: the two songs by Phoenix Trumpchi had five times the number of plays as those by Shan Yichun.

Jiang Guangyao did not get angry; he simply said, "I understand."

Since the meeting ended, he has been sitting in his office staring blankly at the list.

After a while, the phone vibrated.

The caller ID displayed only three characters: Uncle.

Jiang Guangyao was taken aback; his elders hadn't called during work hours in a long time.

"Guangyao, recently someone in Jingzhou has been investigating past events."

"What is it?"

"Someone is talking to the elderly people from Liheng and Jiasheng back then."

"Who is it?"

Junhe Law Firm.

Jiang Guangyao quickly searched his mind. Junhe was one of the top three red-circle law firms in Jingzhou, so he had naturally heard of it.

"They are investigating Yuantao Building Materials."

Jiang Guangyao's breath hitched: "The one from over ten years ago?"

"Oh right, I forgot to tell you that Junhe's biggest client right now is Xingyue Media."

Their boss is called Jiang Han.

Jiang Guangyao knew perfectly well that Xingyue's boss was Jiang Han.

But there are so many people with the surname Jiang, he never made too many connections to it.

The owner of Yuantao Building Materials more than ten years ago was named Jiang Yuantao.

He would never have imagined that the little boy who had bankrupted his family years ago would become his rival again.

Jiang Guangyao leaned back in his chair. The air conditioning was on in the office, but his back was covered in sweat.

The voice on the other end of the phone continued: "Junhe's investigation team went to Shanghai last week and found Rongbang Construction's old archives."

"Your name is on Rongbang's register..."

Jiang Guangyao closed his eyes.

"Rongbang Construction, Jiasheng Real Estate, Liheng Real Estate".

"The investigation started in Shanghai and moved to Shenzhen."

Jiang Guangyao didn't ask who provided the account books; he knew the answer wasn't important.

The important thing is that this matter can no longer be covered up.

"Jiang Han of Xingyue Media is Jiang Yuantao's son!"

After hanging up the phone, Jiang Guangyao's expression was stiff, and his eyes were slightly red.

It's that instinctive fear of having old grievances brought up.

He worked at Universal Music for many years, rising from vice president to general manager.

Having expanded from the mainland market to the Greater China region, he thought the past was the past.

Jiang Guangyao thought those documents from more than a decade ago had been buried deep enough by time.

Now everything has been dug up!

Jiang Guangyao recalled that when he first heard that Xingyue Media had a new boss, he didn't pay any attention to it.

There are too many people coming and going in the entertainment industry; every two years, a new batch comes along.

Later, Xingyue Media started promoting new talents, and Mao Buyi became popular, as did Phoenix Chuanqi.

Because Star Moon had taken away Global's market share, Jiang Guangyao regarded Jiang Han as a business rival.

Only now does he realize that it's far more complex than just competition.

Jiang Guangyao stood up and walked to the window, where the glass curtain wall of the office building reflected the afternoon sunlight.

A young boy whose family was destroyed, an heir who had everything taken away.

Over the course of more than a decade, it has grown into a towering tree that everyone can see.

It's not for wealth, but so that one day I can stand at the same level and settle all the old scores.

Jiang Guangyao returned to his desk, picked up the landline, and dialed the internal number.

Three minutes later, a man dressed entirely in a black suit walked in.

"Junhe is investigating a cold case from over a decade ago."

"It's aimed at me, it's aimed at the entire Chiang family."

"The one leading the charge is Jiang Han."

"But it wasn't him investigating; it was a female lawyer surnamed Xia."

The man in the suit listened calmly and expressionlessly to Jiang Guangyao's account.

"Mr. Jiang, I understand. What kind of result do you want?"

Jiang Guangyao paused for a moment, then quickly twirled the pen in his hand.

"Let the bad debts remain in the pot; after a while, there's no need for them to resurface."

The man in the suit nodded: "I understand."

The door closed, the office returned to silence, and the sky outside the window began to darken.

He recalled the phone call from earlier; his uncle's voice was steady, but he understood the meaning behind his words.

Junhe is not a small law firm, and Xia Guodong is not a nobody.

Their ability to find Rongbang Construction, its shareholder register, and his name indicates that they already possess a complete chain of evidence.

More than a decade ago, he was just a nephew of his uncle.

But he stood by and watched from beginning to end: the funding chain broke, raw materials piled up, and workers demanded back wages.

Jiang Yuantao came to plead with the Jiang family during his final days, but no one saw him.

Now Jiang Yuantao's son has arrived, but some things are different.