APCF – Chapter 117 Fire

Tiancheng Shopping Center is one of the core physical industries under the Qi Group, with 21 chain stores across 19 cities nationwide. Its annual revenue accounts for about 20% of the Qi Group’s total income. The mall in T City, which caught fire this time, was among the earliest ones built and had been operating smoothly for more than a decade.

Over these years, there had been incidents of petty theft and occasional mentions in financial tabloids due to industry competition, but never anything fatal—until now.

6 dead, 32 injured.

According to reports, the fire had been extinguished, but rescue efforts were still ongoing, and the casualty count was still rising.

Just looking at the images from the scene made Qi Xingchen feel waves of dizziness.

With such a major incident at home, he had no mind to stay at his boyfriend’s house any longer. After carefully explaining to Bo’s parents, Bo Ye personally drove him back to H City, to the headquarters of Qi Group.

Before getting out of the car, Bo Ye patted his back reassuringly. “Call me anytime if you need help.”

“Mm… Sorry, I couldn’t spend more time with you this time.”

“It’s okay. The company matters more—go ahead.”

Qi Xingchen glanced at Bo Ye, clenched his teeth, and got out of the car.

This was his first visit to the family business since transmigrating into this book. It seemed like the original host didn’t visit often either, because when he walked in, the security guards and front desk staff exchanged puzzled looks, failing to recognize him at first.

Once they realized who he was, a whole group of people hurriedly escorted him to the chairman’s office.

Chairman Qi had just put down the phone when he saw him and was surprised. “Xingxing, why are you back?”

“I saw it trending,” Qi Xingchen asked. “Is it serious?”

“With this many casualties, how could it not be serious?” Dad Qi sighed. “But Yunxiao has already gone to handle it. You don’t have to worry.”

Although he said not to worry, the distress on Dad Qi’s face was obvious. Suppressing his own anxiety, Qi Xingchen made a cup of tea for his father.

After making sure he took a few sips, he continued asking, “Has the cause been identified?”

“The preliminary investigation suggests it was an electrical fire caused by aging wiring,” Dad Qi said. “The fire started in the storage room of a clothing store on the first floor.”

“An electrical fire…?” Qi Xingchen frowned. “If it was a clothing warehouse, there should have been a lot of smoke. Didn’t Tiancheng have smoke detectors installed?”

“They did. And Tiancheng performs monthly maintenance on the electrical systems and smoke alarms, as well as an annual replacement of fire prevention equipment—never missing a single year. The strange thing is, this time, when the fire broke out, all the smoke alarms went off at the same time. The security department responded immediately and started evacuating people by floor, but…”

At this point, the usually strong-willed Chairman Qi paused, took a sip of water to steady himself, and continued, “But unfortunately, the burning storage room was close to the emergency exit. By the time people reached the first floor, they found that the door handle had melted shut from the heat—they couldn’t open it. And by then, the entire stairwell was filled with smoke. People panicked and ran back…”

In a fire, the most deadly things aren’t the flames but the smoke and the overwhelming fear.

Even without Dad Qi saying it outright, Qi Xingchen could imagine the rest.

By the time they ran back, the corridors were already choked with smoke. Desperate to survive, people pushed, shoved, and trampled each other…

Those who made it out survived. Those left behind would never leave again.

Qi Xingchen felt something was off—especially with the smoke alarms.

Unfortunately, with much of the mall burned down, an immediate inspection was impossible. They would have to wait until repairs were complete to review surveillance footage and determine whether it was truly a system failure or if foul play was involved.

His chest felt tight, and his hands trembled visibly. He opened his mouth, only to find his voice hoarse.

“Dad, how do you plan to handle this? Are we compensating the victims?”

“Of course, we’ll compensate them, but this isn’t just about money. These were real, living people…” Dad Qi took a deep breath. “Xingxing, I don’t even dare to blink right now. It feels like if I close my eyes, I’ll see the victims’ families crying in front of me.”

He inhaled deeply and continued, “I’ll do everything I can to meet the demands of the victims’ families. As for the debt of these lost lives—if I can’t repay it in this lifetime, I’ll make it up in the next, after reincarnation. I just hope they can forgive me… forgive me…”

By the end, the old man’s voice choked up, barely audible.

Qi Xingchen wasn’t doing much better. Father and son sat in silence for a long while before finally gathering themselves to contact the best burn treatment specialists in the area, hoping to minimize the survivors’ suffering.

With Qi Yunxiao in T City managing the situation, a mountain of corporate affairs was left unattended. After making his calls, Qi Xingchen decided to stay at the company, helping out however he could. Though he wasn’t able to contribute significantly, at least his presence gave his father some support, preventing him from drowning in guilt.

By the tenth day of the Lunar New Year, Qi Yunxiao finally returned—with several bad news updates.

1. The final casualty count: 29 minor injuries, 7 severe injuries, and 12 deaths, officially classified as a major fire accident.
   
2. Internal surveillance footage of the mall was destroyed in the fire. External camera reviews showed no suspicious individuals around the mall in the past three months. The fire’s cause was confirmed to match the preliminary investigation—electrical failure, compounded by inadequate fire safety measures, making Tiancheng Shopping Center fully liable.
   
3. The general manager of Tiancheng T City was arrested for negligent arson. The fire department ordered all 21 Tiancheng chain malls to shut down for at least 15 days for inspections and safety improvements. Operations could only resume once approved by local authorities. Additionally, a 2 million yuan fine was imposed.
   
4. The fire resulted in nearly ten million yuan in losses to the building and merchandise stored by businesses. The outsourced property management and mall administration would share financial responsibility for the damages.
   

Beyond financial losses, the fire caused severe public backlash. Under media scrutiny and opportunistic attacks from competitors, Qi Group’s stock hit its limit-down for two consecutive days, followed by three more days of decline, erasing 26% of its market value.

For the first time, the once-unshakable Qi family business empire took a direct hit.

Neither Qi Xingchen nor the original host had a background in business, so staying at the company didn’t help much. After Lantern Festival (15th day of Lunar New Year), under his family’s urging, he returned to the set of Gray Trajectory with a heavy heart.

As a public figure, his influence had some advantages. After the accident, many of his fans voluntarily organized volunteer teams to arrange memorials, visit the injured, and support the victims’ families. Along with Qi Group’s sincere apologies and swift, responsible crisis management, the fire eventually faded from the public’s focus.

But some people would never forget.

For the victims’ families and the Qi family, it became an eternal scar.

By mid-March, as Gray Trajectory neared completion, An Ran walked into Qi Xingchen’s room, carrying a stack of folders.

She asked cautiously, “Xingxing, what are your plans after Gray Trajectory wraps up? Do you want to take on more projects or take a break?”

“I’ll keep working,” Qi Xingchen said. “Are those scripts and project proposals? Let me see.”

An Ran handed them over and began listing, “Two endorsement deals, a magazine photoshoot, two variety shows, and three scripts. The endorsements are for a luxury fashion brand’s full spring collection and a new line from a globally renowned cosmetics company—I’ve already accepted them for you. The magazine is one of the Big Five, and their editor-in-chief specifically mentioned knowing you.

“The variety shows—one is a prime-time reality show with high viewership, and the other is Season 5 of Budget Travel—your old favorite.

“As for the scripts, one is a historical war drama with a male lead set to air on a major network, another is a crime investigation series in a seasonal format… and the last one…” She hesitated before adding, “The last one is a leading role in a film.”

“…A film lead?” Qi Xingchen was surprised. “Which director has this much faith in me?”

An Ran smirked. “You probably wouldn’t recognize the name. He’s not very famous—shot a few indie films, but none of them really took off. Honestly, I was planning to reject this one, but I had a feeling you’d be interested, so I kept it for you.”

He’d be interested?

Curious, Qi Xingchen pulled out the script and flipped to the synopsis.

The very first sentence caught his attention:

This film tells the story of a circus acrobat—an ordinary yet extraordinary life.

“You really do know me well,” Qi Xingchen murmured, flipping through the pages. “Why were you planning to reject it? Is there something wrong with the script?”

An Ran sighed. “You should be asking what isn’t wrong with it.”

“…That bad?”

“First of all, this script has been around for more than two years. Over the past two years, the director and screenwriter have approached countless film and television companies, but none were willing to invest due to the niche subject matter. Now they’ve come to you, hoping you’ll take the role for zero pay and even invest some money yourself—in other words, they want to pull off the classic trick of getting something for nothing.”

“Secondly, while the director and screenwriter are professionally trained and quite skilled, their team is extremely demanding when it comes to aesthetics and cinematography. In the past, they’ve had incidents like shooting the same scene sixteen times or actors ripping up scripts and going on strike. We don’t have the time to waste on their perfectionism.”

“And then there’s… your current situation.”

An Ran turned to Qi Xingchen and said seriously, “Ever since you and Bo Ye made your relationship public, your popularity has soared—but so has the controversy. No matter what, ‘homosexuality’ isn’t exactly a positive tag in the industry. On top of that, your family had some trouble recently. Right now, you urgently need a positive image to shift public perception. You understand that, right?”

Qi Xingchen nodded. “I do.”

“So we suggest you choose either a war drama or a crime investigation series—both portray strong, positive figures. By the time they air, you’ll have secured a wave of good public opinion.”

“Got it,” Qi Xingchen responded decisively, tossing aside two variety show proposals. “I’ll think it over tonight and give you my answer tomorrow.”

After a brief pause, he added, “By the way, it’s good that you’re here. There’s something I need to discuss with you.”

Qi Xingchen rarely used the word “discuss.” An Ran had been about to leave but, hearing that, sat back down and gestured for him to continue.

Qi Xingchen said, “It’s been quite a while since you started working with me. And you’ve been doubling as my assistant all this time, taking care of everything—I really appreciate it.”

An Ran frowned. “What are you talking about? No need to be so polite with me.”

“I’m not being polite, I’m just stating a fact. That’s why I’ve decided—”

Qi Xingchen opened a drawer and took out two copies of a share transfer agreement. “I’ve decided to give you 10% of Xingchen Asset Management’s shares as compensation for your dedication to looking after me. Don’t refuse—you know you won’t be able to change my mind.”

An Ran had originally wanted to refuse, but… she had indeed never been able to change his mind before.

“Just take it. Because I have another favor to ask of you.”

Qi Xingchen opened one of the documents. “This is a share entrustment agreement. I want you to hold the remaining 90% of the shares for safekeeping and transfer the legal representative title to you. In other words, once the agreement takes effect, you will officially own 90% of the company’s shares on paper, making you the sole owner of Xingchen Asset Management. Privately, of course, I remain the actual controller… Are you willing to do this for me?”

An Ran glanced at the share entrustment agreement.

The format was simple, just a few lines. It had not been notarized and was only a private arrangement.

If she ever decided to take the money and run, she could simply deny everything and claim full ownership of Xingchen Asset Management.

No one would take such a huge risk unless they trusted someone completely.

Qi Xingchen trusted her this much—how could she refuse? She solemnly said, “I’m willing.”

“Thank you, Sister An Ran.”

Hearing her agreement, the heavy burden Qi Xingchen had been carrying finally eased a little.

Lately, he had been transferring his personal funds bit by bit to Liang Jing’s laboratory. Personal accounts could transfer funds relatively easily, but transferring from a company account to a personal account had restrictions. He needed to establish a company that, on the surface, had no connection to him—just in case.

If this company could go public, it would make things even more convenient.

After seeing An Ran off, Qi Xingchen began reading his script while also opening a ticket-booking app.

_{Ok, TaoTao is officially on my blacklist. She has resorted to murder to change the story, what else can’t she do? She’s a monster I am telling you.}