"Oh? Our Girls' Generation is here! Come on in, take a seat! The food hasn't even been served yet!" Li Xihuai greeted them with a wide smile as the two girls entered. He was sincerely grateful—if not for them, his family would have been ruined.
Just by sacrificing a little, he had reduced his payment from $100 million to $10 million. A tenfold difference. While $10 million was still a huge sum, it was manageable.
"Minister Li, we've already done what was asked. What else do you want from us?" Lin Yun'er said, refusing to sit. She stood at the doorway, glaring at Li Xihuai with barely contained anger.
The room froze. Her words carried a sharp mixture of sarcasm and wrath.
"What do you mean?" Li Xihuai's expression darkened. He glared at them, pulling at the cloth around his collar, his tone icy.
"What do you mean? That's exactly what you meant. Who do you think we are? Yours to summon and dismiss at will? When did we become toys for your amusement? Ouni, don't stop me—I'm going to make this clear today. You won't let us off easy. Do you think we will? The worst that can happen is we die and go our separate ways!" Lin Yun'er's voice trembled with both anger and lingering shock from previous events.
Li Xihuai's face darkened further. If it became public that he had threatened popular female celebrities with drinking and sexual coercion, it would be a political scandal enough to topple him.
He had fought hard to reach his position, earning both wealth and enemies. If he lost it all, he could certainly destroy the families of these celebrities, but his own life and career would be over. In his eyes, his life was far more precious than theirs.
Equality? A rich man committing murder rarely faces consequences, while a poor man faces decades in prison. This was reality. Lust, gluttony, greed, laziness, anger, jealousy, arrogance—these were human nature itself, and Li Xihuai embodied all of them.
In his mind, Lin Yun'er and the others had "sacrificed themselves" to accompany Jiang Hai. That was their due, and the little he could spare was mere alms, not compensation.
So when Lin Yun'er confronted him, his fury was inevitable.
"Who do you think you are? You're not just an entertainer. People call you a star, but your role is to entertain the public. What's the difference between acting coquettishly on stage and off?" Li Xihuai stood and glared at Lin Yun'er.
"You bastard!" Lin Yun'er and Kim Taeyeon shouted simultaneously, nearly losing control.
But Jiang Hai didn't see it as entirely wrong. In ancient China, celebrities were essentially high-ranking courtesans—a more elegant term, but the reality was similar. Many South Korean celebrities worked under similar constraints; opportunities to earn were limited in a small country.
Jiang Hai knew these two hadn't come willingly, but he had never forced anyone.
"Hey, hey, don't hurt them!" The three negotiators immediately stood, trying to prevent a confrontation. Seeing Lin Yun'er and Kim Taeyeon lunge, they restrained themselves. Jiang Hai shouted, and the three grabbed the girls' hands to prevent them from approaching further. The two women snorted, glaring at Jiang Hai before turning to leave. Li Xihuai, still in shock, looked fearful.
"These two… this isn't over!" Li Xihuai growled as he watched them leave.
"Let's end this matter here. Otherwise, I can't guarantee South Korea can harvest 900,000 tons of fodder," Jiang Hai said calmly, tapping the table.
Li Xihuai's face changed. He nodded seriously, glancing at Jiang Hai. Jiang Hai, seeing the chaos, felt it was unfair to leave the girls outside like that. After the commotion, he had no appetite, so he asked Cheryl to return to the room and walked out.
Outside the hotel, he saw Lin Yun'er sitting on the steps, crying quietly.
Jiang Hai felt a pang of sympathy. He didn't regret the events of the night before, but seeing a woman cry like this… he couldn't ignore it. He walked over.
Seeing him approach, Kim Taeyeon and Lin Yun'er stopped crying, their faces wary and unfriendly.
"Uh… do you want me to say anything now?" Jiang Hai asked hesitantly. He wasn't sure what to say. Admitting fault was impossible; he didn't feel he had done anything wrong. Logically, he had prevented Li Xihuai's family from disaster and was even.
"No need. Aren't you people always high and mighty? What could we ask of you?" Kim Taeyeon said coldly.
Jiang Hai felt embarrassed. Standing there seemed futile, but leaving didn't feel right either. He waved to a nearby waiter, and less than a minute later, a set of keys appeared in his hand. Amused, he realized the waiter had handed him a Rolls-Royce.
He glanced at the car and drove to the parking lot. Soon, the Rolls-Royce stopped in front of the two girls.
"Come on in. I can't call your names out now, but you're public figures. If anyone photographed you crying here, it could ruin your careers. I'll take you home," Jiang Hai said.
Kim Taeyeon hesitated, the grudge still fresh.
"Let's go. It's a waste of time. I've already been through hell with him—what's there to fear?" Lin Yun'er said, seeming to give up. She wiped away a tear and helped Kim Taeyeon into the back seat.
Jiang Hai shrugged, realizing he was walking into trouble. But having said it, he couldn't back out. He started the engine and drove forward.
Unbeknownst to them, as the car drove away, several lights flashed from the bushes in the distance.