ECG -Chapter 55 Sweeping Them All Into One Pot

On the other end of the phone, Zhou Dongbing chuckled.

“Alright! Kid, you see things more clearly than I expected! As long as you understand what’s really going on here, I’ll help you with this. Just tell me how you want to handle it!”

Hearing no response from Lin Hao, he continued:

“If you’d rather settle it privately, I’ll have some friends in Yanjing step in. Just name a number, and they won’t dare shortchange you by even a cent!”

Lin Hao was weighing whether he should accept Zhou Dongbing’s help.

When he had called Chu Yu, all he wanted was a copy of the footage from that television program so he could use it as evidence in the lawsuit. He had never intended to ask Zhou Dongbing for assistance.

He knew exactly what kind of person Zhou Dongbing was. If he was speaking so confidently, it meant his connections in Yanjing could absolutely make it happen.

What Lin Hao hadn’t expected was that Zhou Dongbing would happen to be with Chu Yu and would voluntarily take this matter upon himself. Whether he accepted the help or not, he couldn’t simply ignore the favor.

The company that had signed Sun Xiaowei, called Fenghua Fashion, was hardly mentioned online. It was probably a small company. Even if he won the lawsuit, it likely wouldn’t attract much attention within the industry.

Then he thought about it again.

Wasn’t his goal simply to finish college quietly?

If he wanted excitement and ambition, there would be plenty of time after graduation.

Whether it was fame or money, neither would be difficult for him in the future.

Since he intended to keep a low profile for a few years, the real question was how to get the money without drawing unnecessary attention.

Still, no matter how low-key he wanted to be, settling privately wasn’t the answer.

The favor involved would be too large.

Whether it was from Zhou Dongbing or Zhou’s contacts in Beijing, he didn’t want to owe anyone that kind of debt.

Since the evidence in his hands was already strong enough, he could obtain compensation through normal legal channels anyway.

Why burden himself with such a huge favor just to settle the matter behind closed doors?

After reaching a decision, he laughed and said:

“Then I’ll have to trouble you, Brother Zhou, to help me find a lawyer in Yanjing. I’m going after both the man and the company—I want to wipe them out in one shot!”

After hanging up, Zhou Dongbing looked at Chu Yu.

“He still wants to sue?” Chu Yu asked.

Zhou Dongbing lit a cigarette and nodded.

“Oh?” Chu Yu was puzzled. “In the end it’s just compensation. Why insist on going to court? Lawsuits are such a hassle. Wouldn’t a private settlement be better?”

“Winning the lawsuit isn’t his real goal.”

“Then what is?”

Zhou Dongbing hesitated for a moment. He felt his guess was probably correct. Exhaling a cloud of smoke, he said:

“To make a name for himself.”

Chu Yu froze for a second, then laughed.

“How is this a twenty-year-old young man? He’s practically an old fox!”

Zhou Dongbing murmured:

“Yeah… the wind is coming.”

Two days later.

That evening, Wu Xiaozhou accompanied Bai Zhitao to the train station.

He told her to wait at the entrance. A few minutes later, he came running back, drenched in sweat and carrying a plastic bag.

Inside were tea eggs, sausages, and two bottles of mineral water frozen solid into blocks of ice.

“Here, take these. Eat them if you get hungry,” Wu Xiaozhou said, handing her the bag.

Bai Zhitao had been unhappy the entire way.

The band really had been replaced.

She hadn’t been kept on either. The new band had brought in three female singers, all reportedly very talented.

Without income, she couldn’t continue drifting around campus, so the only option was to go home.

Wu Xiaozhou wanted her to stay, but he himself was still living day by day, practically tagging along behind Lin Hao and freeloading meals. Keeping Bai Zhitao around as well would be hard to justify.

“You should go back now. Don’t come inside. You’ll have to buy a platform ticket, and it’s such a hassle,” Bai Zhitao said.

Looking at the sweat on Wu Xiaozhou’s face, she suddenly wanted to wipe it away for him, but she was afraid he might misunderstand.

“It’s fine. I already bought one!” he replied, waving the platform ticket in his hand.

Warmth flooded Bai Zhitao’s heart.

She quickly lowered her head, but tears had already begun rolling down her cheeks.

Wu Xiaozhou felt a pang of heartache.

Without hesitation, he reached out and pulled her into his arms.

Bai Zhitao’s heart raced wildly for a moment, but she didn’t resist.

At this moment she was feeling especially vulnerable, and Wu Xiaozhou’s timing could not have been better.

“Taozi,” he said solemnly, using her nickname, “I’ll work hard and keep improving. Once I start making money, I’ll never let you suffer grievances again.”

For once, there wasn’t the slightest trace of his usual playful grin.

Every word was spoken with complete sincerity.

Bai Zhitao tilted her head up and reached out to wipe the sweat from his face. The scent of a young man hit her all at once—a mixture of sweat, cigarette smoke, and the faint aroma of youthful hormones.

A blush spread across her fair cheeks. She struggled to break free, but Wu Xiaozhou only tightened his embrace.

“If you don’t let go, the train’s going to leave,” Bai Zhitao murmured with her head lowered.

“Okay…” Wu Xiaozhou finally loosened his arms, reluctant to let her go.

A cool sensation immediately spread through Bai Zhitao’s body, yet her heart suddenly felt strangely empty.

As the train disappeared into the distance, Wu Xiaozhou threw his arms into the air and shouted at the top of his lungs, “Yeah!”

Several people seeing passengers off nearby were startled. A chubby old man muttered under his breath, “What a lunatic.”

The moment he returned to the dormitory, he eagerly told Lin Hao about the progress he had made with Bai Zhitao.

Lin Hao put down the book in his hands.

“Be serious about it. If the day ever comes when you have to part ways, don’t leave her heartbroken.”

“Damn it!” Wu Xiaozhou had just taken off his sweat-soaked T-shirt and picked up a transparent plastic basin from the floor to go wash up. Hearing that, he immediately became unhappy. “I’ve only just made some progress, and you’re already saying such discouraging things!”

“Hurry up and take your shower.”

Lin Hao couldn’t be bothered arguing with him.

Wu Xiaozhou might have developed genuine feelings, but half of his attraction was probably because Bai Zhitao was beautiful and fair-skinned. If too much desire was mixed into love, how long could the relationship really last?

Thinking of that, he shook his head again.

At their age, could anyone really expect lifelong devotion?

Then he let out a bitter smile.

He was still instinctively viewing things through the mindset of a man in his forties. That wasn’t good—it was too pessimistic.

Just then, his phone rang.

Lin Hao was startled when he saw an unfamiliar number on the screen. The tail end contained several nines.

“Hello?” he answered politely, not knowing who it was.

“Haozi, it’s Brother Zhou,” came Zhou Dongbing’s voice from the other end.

“Brother Zhou?”

Only then did Lin Hao remember that he had always had Chu Yu’s number, but this was actually the first time Zhou Dongbing had called him directly.

Zhou Dongbing gave a grunt of acknowledgment.

“The lawyer has already been hired. In the next couple of days, your Sister Chu will courier over that video recording. We also need your cooperation in preparing some documents, including a written copy of the sheet music for that song.”

“No problem. Please wait a moment while I find a pen and paper.”

Lin Hao hurriedly climbed off the bed.

Meng Pangzi had already gone home, so Lin Hao had been sleeping in the lower bunk to avoid constantly climbing up and down.

Very quickly, he wrote down everything the lawyer needed from him. After thanking Zhou Dongbing, he hung up.

Although Zhou Dongbing had promised to help him, Lin Hao was still somewhat surprised by how seriously he was taking the matter.

More than ten days later, news of the lawsuit against Yanjing Fenghua Fashion Audio-Visual Media Co., Ltd. and its newly signed artist Sun Xiaowei appeared on Houlang Net, the country’s largest comprehensive website.

It was Meng Pangzi who brought a laptop to school and showed him the report.

In the video, some executive from Yanjing Fenghua Fashion Audio-Visual Media Co., Ltd.—a man wearing gold-rimmed glasses—waved his hand confidently and declared:

“I think this person is so desperate for fame that he’s gone crazy!”

“This song, Father, was written by our artist Sun Xiaowei over the course of three years. We have every draft and manuscript. We’re prepared to fight this lawsuit to the very end!”

The reporter then turned the microphone toward Sun Xiaowei.

“May I ask, do you know someone named Lin Hao?”

As the saying goes, clothes make the man.

Although Sun Xiaowei was dressed casually, the outfit was obviously expensive. His hair had been straightened and styled, making it look sleek, glossy, and jet black.

“I don’t know him. I’ve never even heard that name before.”

Sun Xiaowei answered decisively, maintaining a humble smile throughout.

Meng Pangzi snapped the laptop shut.

“Haozi, is it really you?”

Lin Hao nodded.

“Damn it!” Meng Pangzi exploded. “That bastard is in Yanjing? Come on, let’s go beat the hell out of him!”

Wu Xiaozhou burst out laughing.

“I think that’s a great idea. You can just crush him to death with your weight!”

Furious, Meng Pangzi punched Wu Xiaozhou.

Then he asked Lin Hao what had actually happened, so Lin Hao explained the whole story from beginning to end.

“Do you have a good chance of winning?” he asked. “Won’t you have to go to Yanjing for the trial?”

Lin Hao nodded first, then shook his head.

“I’ve already signed a power of attorney, appointing Xiao Wu as my special representative. He can make all decisions on my behalf during the proceedings.”