Chapter 039: Betrayed

As long as they handed over Le Xiaotian, three thousand hostages would be released.

At this moment, the entire Fama fell into complete silence. Just as one crisis had yet to subside, another arose. Nearly two billion people were, at this very instant, pondering the same question.

The question was: if they surrendered Le Xiaotian, would this matter truly be alleviated?

In the next moment, Sun Yuzhen was the first to respond. She exhaled a trembling breath, her eyes regaining a trace of clarity. “Xiao Jiang, Xiao Li, Xiangxiang, Xiao Mei, Qiuyan, you all need to leave at once. If anyone asks, it’s best not to get involved with us.”

“Jiejie Zhen, we’re not leaving.”

“We haven’t even spent a night with Brother Xiaotian yet, we’re not going anywhere.”

“Boss, we’re not leaving. We want to stay with the boss.”

Facing the tearful pleas of the nine young girls, Sun Yuzhen fully understood their feelings.

Her six subordinates were of unquestionable character; after all, their time together was not brief. As for Xiangxiang and the other three maids, their lives had changed track for the better, thanks to comfortable living, good clothing, and decent salaries—all stemming from Le Xiaotian.

Serving Le Xiaotian every day, witnessing his extraordinary talent, it was only natural for admiration and affection to bloom in their hearts.

Yet, they should not be dragged into this turmoil.

At this moment, Sun Yuzhen’s tone carried the authority and invisible presence of someone who had long held a position of power. “I understand how you feel, but listen to me: leave, now.”

Tears fell like rain. Though the nine girls were not prodigies, they were far from foolish. They could, each in their own way, comprehend the gravity of the situation.

In the end, after one last look at Le Xiaotian and Sun Yuzhen, they sobbed as they departed. “Jiejie Zhen, take care of yourselves.”

What played out before their eyes seemed sudden, yet it was not entirely unexpected.

With General Ying’s ruthless tactic, Le Xiaotian instantly became the target of all, and hostility toward him was only to be expected.

Sun Yuzhen was not alone in discerning this. Director Tang, Li Hongmei, Zhao Dezhu, Huang Qiang, and others saw it just as clearly.

Moreover, they understood the power of this ploy: whoever handed over Le Xiaotian would become a great hero.

Over a hundred people present were weighing their options.

A murderous glint flashed in the eyes of Director Tang, Zhao Dezhu, and the others, though it was quickly concealed.

But whether they masked it or not was of little consequence, for after sweeping her gaze around, Sun Yuzhen spoke: “If anyone among you is harboring ill intent, I strongly advise you to think things through before you act. If you dare harm me, I guarantee not only will my husband kill you, but your entire family will pay in blood.”

Her expression softened. “Of course, if you still wish to be my husband’s friends, then as his wife, I thank you. At the same time, as a friend’s wife, I sincerely urge you to leave this place now.”

Hearing these two simple statements, Director Tang, Zhao Dezhu, and the others broke out in a cold sweat.

At thirty-one, to have risen to be an executive at Jiufeng, the premier concert hall in Beihai, her capabilities now truly showed.

True, some of the hosts lacked the broader perspective, but they couldn’t help casting glances at Le Xiaotian.

Though Le Xiaotian appeared tense, the hosts knew Sun Yuzhen’s words were no empty threat.

A little more than a month ago, he had fought Zhang Hao’s men to the death in the Daluan alleys. Not everyone at the station knew then.

But since then, he had not only proven the success of “Journey to the West” through sky-high ratings, but everyone had also come to understand his temperament more deeply.

For nearly a month, he had fought in underground arenas daily. At first, he came to work battered and bruised, his body covered in wounds.

Yet, day by day, the wounds diminished and his aura grew—evidence his fighting skills were sharpening.

If anyone now tried to threaten him through Sun Yuzhen, he would, as she said, fight his way to the end.

Realizing this, those harboring unsavory thoughts snapped to their senses. Succeed or not, survival was what mattered now.

In the end, most hosts left, some hesitating, with few remaining behind.

In less than a minute, the place had become a battlefield in spirit.

Though unaware of the specifics or everyone’s thoughts, Le Xiaotian could easily surmise what had transpired.

At the same time, he was pondering the current predicament.

Ying Dengbo and Zhang Hao’s alliance had struck a deadly blow live on air—he had been outmaneuvered, played by them both.

The so-called two billion viewers were not a reward, but a weapon to push him to the edge of destruction; they wanted his utter ruin.

Taking a long, deep breath, Le Xiaotian withdrew his gaze from Sun Yuzhen.

Beneath the broadcast desk, Chen Fang’s hand reached for his.

He turned to look at her, offering a faint smile.

He withdrew his right hand, gave her a meaningful look, then took out a cigarette and lit it.

Now, nearly two billion viewers saw him smoking.

After a deep drag and a slow exhale, Le Xiaotian’s expression steadied.

Facing the screen—addressing countless unseen yet omnipresent people—he spoke with a touch of composure, “As for my own issue, we’ll discuss it later. For now, let’s focus on what everyone cares about most. General Ying, please.”

Seeing that Le Xiaotian had not collapsed but was instead continuing the broadcast with responsibility, Ying Dengbo secretly admired him.

Still, having thrust him into the center of a nationwide storm, his own objective was met.

And what he said now made sense—the real problem was still the citizens of Beihai.

His mind racing, Ying Dengbo spoke: “Fellow citizens of Beihai, as Dr. Chen mentioned, there’s no need to worry. My intentions have been made clear, and I trust Her Majesty the Empress will handle them. For every official on my list who is executed, I will release ten hostages. I will not attack Beihai. If you descend into chaos now, it will only lead to needless sacrifice. Your priority should be to investigate and root out the political cancer in your midst.”

The situation seemed to come under control. With Le Xiaotian and Chen Fang’s live analysis, the Empress’s brilliant preparations earlier in the day, and Ying Dengbo’s current explanation, the forty million citizens of Beihai were no longer as anxious.

With the broadcast drawing to a close, Le Xiaotian offered his concluding words: “Alright, tonight’s live broadcast ends here. Take care, everyone.”