Rustling sounds of paper pages turning echoed in the office, and for a full two minutes, no one spoke.
After the pathetically thin resume had been flipped through five or six times, Lu Jin finally looked up and said, “Don’t you have anything to say?”
“Say what?” Xiao Fen replied leisurely. “I don’t understand a word Boss Lu is saying.”
“A hard-won chance to make a comeback, but you only signed for one episode.” A mocking chill bloomed across Lu Jin’s sharp features. “You should have been eliminated in the First Episode to begin with. If it weren’t for me…”
“Thanks to Boss Lu sacrificing your own interests and delaying the Pursuit Team’s investigation, Brother Ou Yu and I managed to escape successfully and became one of the few guests not eliminated in the First Episode.” Xiao Fen smiled gratefully. “Brother Ou Yu was so touched when he found out. He called me for two whole hours, fussing over me and asking if I was okay.”
Lu Jin’s grip tightened on the resume.
“The person the two of us should thank the most is you,” Xiao Fen continued. “Brother Ou Yu is super busy. He just finished recording the First Episode this morning and has already rushed off to his next gig. He asked me to thank you on his behalf.”
“You two sure get around a lot behind the scenes.” The words squeezed out from between Lu Jin’s teeth.
“Maybe just a tiny bit more than you and Boss Lu, since I’m his little brother after all.” Xiao Fen boasted.
“Do you even know the consequences of pissing me off on purpose?” Lu Jin said. “Don’t you want to sign on for more episodes?”
“Of course I do. Would Boss Lu give me that chance?”
Lu Jin took the folder from his secretary and shook it in the air. “These are the contracts for No Escape from the second episode all the way to the finale.”
“What if your people deliberately get me eliminated midway…?”
“As long as you sign the contract, you won’t be eliminated.” Lu Jin said, “Once you sign, you can relax all the way to the finale. Even if you’re accidentally voted out midway, we can fish you back in.”
Xiao Fen chuckled and reached for it.
“Hold on, Boss Lu. Some things I just have to get off my chest.” The planning department manager said.
“Keep it bottled up. No one cares if you live or die.” Xiao Fen sneered.
“You violated the contract terms.” The planning department manager slammed the table and stood up, pointing at him furiously. “From your performance these past few days, you’ve put the Program Crew in danger multiple times. If it weren’t for our desperate damage control in post-production, the show would have been ruined by you.”
“It hasn’t been ruined yet, and the show’s response has been explosive—it’s already topped the variety show charts across all platforms.” Xiao Fen said.
“You think that’s thanks to you?” The planning department manager slammed the table again. “It was us in post-production and behind the scenes wiping your ass!”
The marketing department head tossed a document onto the table. “Starting from the warm-up activities, you’ve repeatedly pulled dangerous stunts for traffic: climbing air conditioners, entering casinos, live-streaming bloody violence, drag racing at midnight, dragging innocent bystanders into a murder case without our approval… Every single one of those incidents had to be cleaned up by us behind the scenes!”
“Because of you, we’re under scrutiny from above now. A rectification notice will be coming down any day.” The HR department head said.
“Then we’ll deal with it when it comes. Don’t spread panic here.” He knew he had a good grasp of his limits.
“Without me, you’d be lucky if there even was a second episode.” Xiao Fen sneered. “What’s this? The second you see some success, you kick me to the curb?”
“Boss Lu,” the marketing and planning department managers each pulled out reports. “We’ve analyzed it. With the First Episode’s strong start, we’re not worried about lacking more stars on Ou Yu’s level willing to join. No need to use some disobedient has-been.”
Xiao Fen’s mouth twitched. “Has-been? Do you want to take a look at what kind of scrubs the celebrity guests in the First Episode were?”
As a 18th-Tier Celeb, he was practically a senior among them.
“Fifteen celebrity guests, and aside from Ou Yu, everyone else’s star power was about on par with mine. Look at the end of the First Episode—which one of them blew up?”
“You’re too good at stealing the spotlight,” the marketing department head glanced at Lu Jin. “What the Program Crew wants is for every guest to show their most perfect side.”
“Why not just say Lu Jin’s name directly? Everyone here knows.” Xiao Fen curled his lip and looked across. “I only stabbed you twice. Why hold such a grudge?”
“I’m not holding a grudge.” Lu Jin’s face stiffened a bit.
Whether it was during the warm-up or in the Abandoned Villa, he hadn’t actually died, but every time he was “killed,” he felt utter despair and helplessness. When he woke up, the lingering terror felt all too real, as if he’d truly been murdered.
And that humiliation had been broadcast live across the entire web.
“The Lu Family Crown Prince really is narrow-minded,” Xiao Fen said. “Holding onto such a tiny grudge until now—no wonder Ou Yu guards against you like a thief.”
Lu Jin angrily slapped the table and sat up straight.
The entire office fell deathly silent.
“You’re just jealous that I’m close to Ou Yu. If you’ve got the skills, steal him back.” Xiao Fen raised his brows at him. “Can’t do it? Is that all you’ve got? Can’t even handle a rival with no backing?”
“Say one more word, and I’ll make your life hell.” Lu Jin’s face darkened.
“Boss Lu is so imposing. Is this how you treat employees who’ve been diligently making money for the group?”
“You’re not joining the second episode of No Escape.”
“What if I want to?”
Lu Jin flung the resume at the man across from him. “Want to see just how worthless you are?”
“Even if I’m that worthless, someone still likes me.” Xiao Fen picked up the resume and flipped through it casually. The original body’s track record was indeed abysmal: trashed every role he took, even decent ones early in his debut got ruined by his acting, still a sore spot for book and drama fans to this day.
Flipping further, after two and a half years since debut, nearly two full years were a complete blank.
“Some people chug a few bottles of foreign ink and still can’t land a man. Getting worse with age.”
Lu Jin’s gaze looked like he wanted to kill him on the spot.
But today, he’d gotten strict instructions from Old Master Lu: give him a good thrashing, but don’t go overboard. Sign the contract and put him to use.
“You all, get out first.”
“Boss Lu, this is the first show you’ve personally overseen and gotten involved in. He’s an unstable factor— we absolutely cannot keep him for the second episode.” The planning department manager advised.
Lu Jin looked up, a cold smile playing on his lips. “You think you can tell me what to do?”
The office chairs creaked as the company executives hurriedly lowered their heads and left.
In an instant, only the two men across the desk remained in the office.
Lu Jin stood up, buttoned the front of his suit jacket, took two deep breaths, and turned around with his composure regained.
“Xiao Fen, I—and the Lu Family—all greatly appreciate the abilities you’ve shown. But your performance on the show has pissed off every single company executive. You need to give us a statement today, or I can’t sign this second episode contract for you.”
“Not signing? How’s the Program Crew supposed to explain that to the netizens? What excuse are you using for my withdrawal?”
“If you don’t join the second episode live broadcast, we’ll give them a reasonable response.”
“Your ‘reasonable response’—is it that I got a bit famous and started acting like a diva, uncooperative? Or that I’m injured and can’t participate, so you’re shelving me again?” Xiao Fen’s eyes filled with mockery. “The narrative’s in your hands. Smearing me is as easy as you like.”
“Sign it.” Lu Jin impatiently slammed the folder with the contract onto the desk.
“And then?” Xiao Fen opened the folder and flipped through a few pages leisurely. “If nothing goes wrong, the Lu Family reaps fame and fortune through me. If something does, it’s all my personal recklessness, crossing the line, and has nothing to do with you?”
“Don’t flatter yourself too much!” Lu Jin’s finger jabbed straight at him, his gaze piercing. “The Lu Family can prop you up as high as we want, and make you crash just as hard. Who do you think you are? Even Ou Yu, the Film Emperor, wouldn’t dare be this arrogant in front of me!”
“I’ll make you kneel, and you won’t even have the right to say no!”
Xiao Fen slowly revealed a smile. “Is that so?”
He stood up gradually, tilting his head slightly to look up at him.
“I have the right to say no.” He pulled the contract from the folder and deliberately tore it in half, tossing the pieces into the air in front of him.
“Xiao Fen!”
“You’re really…” He found it boring. “As repulsive as ever.”
“Who said you could leave!” Lu Jin’s sharp brows furrowed heavily over his eyes. Seeing him actually turn to go, he rounded the desk, caught up, and grabbed his arm.
“Charlie,” he called loudly to the secretary outside the door. “Print another contract.”
Xiao Fen struggled free and took two steps before his arm was seized again.
His vision blurred as he was shoved toward the black sofa nearby. Before he could sit up properly, a rough, large hand gripped his shoulder, pinning him firmly against the sofa back.
A slap landed across his face, the crisp sound echoing through the empty office.
With him, Xiao Fen never held back.
Lu Jin pressed his tongue against the inside of his cheek, tasting the faint metallic tang of blood, his eyes growing even more dangerous.
A cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth. “Do you know that this one slap alone is enough for me to ensure you don’t earn a single cent until the contract ends—and saddle you with tens of millions in debt?”
“I’m so scared. Please, mighty Boss Lu, spare my worthless life.” Xiao Fen scoffed, his entire face gleaming with piercing sarcasm.
A surge of fury rose in Lu Jin’s chest. He pinched Xiao Fen’s chin, forcing his face upward.
“This is your true nature, huh? Quite the actor—wearing those glasses, pretending to be all meek and proper, then playing everyone for fools.”
“If you hate it, let go. No need to dirty the Lu Family Crown Prince’s hands.”
“No, this is even more interesting.”
Xiao Fen subtly lifted his foot, aiming a side kick at his waist, but the man up close recoiled two steps in disgust.
“Final warning: stay away from Ou Yu. He’s the one I’ve set my sights on.”
“You this lacking in confidence?” Xiao Fen slowly sat up on the sofa, propping his head on his hand against the backrest.
The words ignited the competitive fire in Lu Jin’s eyes. “Want to make a bet?”
Disgust flashed in Xiao Fen’s eyes. “He’s not betting stakes, or some object up for grabs.”
“If you hadn’t gotten close to Ou Yu, do you think you’d be standing here challenging me today?”
Lu Jin’s patience snapped. He reached out again and shoved the man back onto the sofa.
His wrist tightened. He noticed Xiao Fen’s gaze suddenly turn icy. Before he could think further, a searing pain shot through his hand, and his whole body was flipped over.
“Ah—” Lu Jin cried out in shock as he crashed heavily onto the sofa, his hands wrenched behind his back and pinned immobile.
His back pressed against a knee, a cool woody scent approached, laced with a faint sweet milky aroma.
A soft murmur sounded by his ear.
“You think I’d give you a second chance to hurt me?”
