The journey from the suburbs to the opera house took only forty minutes. Before the Han family’s car even found a place to park, the media reporters had already swarmed there, waiting.
The fan club leader had just captured this scene and uploaded it to the forum without even editing the photo, sparking a heated discussion among the fans.
“Isn’t that Han Qu? My baby Masquerade’s boss, how does he know Yangyang too?!! Could it be that Yangyang is going to collaborate with FALSE!!!”
“Wait, are Han Yang and Han Gaozhi related—oh my god?!”
“So, the rumors about Han Yang being a young master from a wealthy family are true? He was seen dining with the Han family in a high-end restaurant by some internet celebrity before!”
Han Yang was a bit startled by the crowd.
He thought he wasn’t famous to this extent yet. Turning his head, he saw that the long and short lenses were all aimed at Han Gaozhi and Han Qu, and he immediately understood.
They were all here because of the relationship between the three of them.
A well-known venture capital company’s founding father, the behind-the-scenes boss of a popular idol group, plus him, a top ten contestant in a talent show, just happened to all share the surname Han and were out together.
…This was practically an official announcement of their father-son relationship.
Han Yang was still pondering whether this event was a loss or gain when Han Gaozhi had already skillfully ordered his subordinates to help deal with the situation and clear the way.
Two cars were always accompanying them, with assistants, secretaries, and bodyguards all readily available.
“Let’s go, the show is about to start.” Han Gaozhi was in a good mood today to be out in public with his child: “The elevator is this way.”
Han Qu, with a fluctuating expression, glanced at the multitude of cameras, feeling a vague sense of unease.
He always felt that he was being schemed against, but couldn’t figure out the intentions of these two people.
Finding answers from himself? Questioning why Chi Ji died?
Only a fool would explain such things.
He did not trust upright people like Xu Le, even though the latter had shown implicit goodwill.
As for that bastard… it was a waste of time to even look at him.
The opera was indeed utterly boring.
During the intermission, only Han Gaozhi and Han Yang were fully engaged in appreciating the performance, even whispering to each other occasionally.
Han Gaozhi came from a prestigious family, with good taste and broad experience, and only felt a genuine blood connection when he met Han Yang.
Han Qu, as the eldest son, was pampered by his family during the time Han Gaozhi was away, not even finishing high school before being sent abroad to “gold-plate” with a bunch of rich second-generation friends, practically like a mass-produced prodigal son.
The father and son sat in the front row, while Xu Le and Han Qu sat in the back row, barely speaking throughout the show.
Han Qu was originally on guard for Xu Le to ask him something, but by the end of the opera, the other party was relaxed and focused on the stage, not sparing him a glance.
Sitting idly for two hours, he felt a sense of frustration as if his concerns were in vain.
The aria sounded lengthy and noisy, with incessant ups and downs, all in Italian.
Pretending to be afflicted by a craving for smoking, Han Qu rubbed his knuckles and said, “It’s really stuffy here.”
Xu Le, still focused on the stage, nonchalantly nodded.
Han Qu looked at him suspiciously and prodded, “Why did you leave my club early last time?”
The doctor took a while before responding, “I was in a hurry to go to the company.”
“Company?” Han Qu vaguely sensed something, “Aren’t you working at the city hospital? What company do you have outside?”
“SPF,” Xu Le waved his hand, “Let’s not talk about it, I was fired anyway.”
Hearing those three letters, Han Qu’s murderous intent surged again.
He had calculated everything, but did not expect this oversight, and now the doctor had come to him on his own.
Now, with FALSE solidifying its footing in the entertainment industry, having backers and facing the sky group, it wouldn’t be hard to call the shots in this circle in a couple of years.
All thanks to Corona finally dying completely—
The captain had been in despair for a year and was now involved in some talent show, while the others were so listless that their appearances were pitifully rare.
If this Mr. Xu knew about Chi Ji’s matter…
“Your friend left something at my place last time, I kept forgetting to pick it up.” Han Qu turned his head towards the distance, his tone light, “Have time for a cup of coffee? Just to meet again, casually.”
Xu Le, like a craftsman polishing every lie, thought for a few seconds, then shook his head, “No, I have to go out for a study trip next week.”
“Let’s meet when you return, don’t be shy,” Han Qu, hearing the refusal, actually felt reassured, thinking he could easily manipulate this ordinary person, “We’re friends after all, show some face.”
Han Yang, absorbed in the opera, only remembered the main purpose of today towards the end.
He looked inquiringly at Xu Le, who seemed to be staring blankly at a poster on the wall, seemingly out of sorts.
After the opera ended, Han Qu’s mood improved significantly, becoming much friendlier.
The driver took them each back to their respective places, and they parted ways politely.
When Han Yang got out of the car, he took an extra look at Han Gaozhi, thinking this father wasn’t too bad.
Despite not having seen each other for a long time, they managed to find common ground, even sharing a favorite tenor singer.
Perhaps it wouldn’t be bad to stay in touch more in the future.
After they waved goodbye, Han Yang adeptly signed autographs and took photos with the fan club leaders blocking the door, then detoured back to the fire escape near his dormitory, making sure no one was around before calling Xu Le.
“How are things on your end, Doctor Xu?”
“I’ve been investigating for quite some time.” Xu Le revealed a complex expression vastly different from his public demeanor after returning to his office, his brows furrowed, “Chi Ji’s death has a direct interest connection with Han Qu and the others. Maybe I shouldn’t be discussing this with you.”
Han Yang, realizing his awkward position, hesitated before responding, “It’s natural for two companies to compete, but Chi Ji’s suicide… wasn’t it due to depression?”
He never quite understood this illness.
It seemed that once someone was afflicted, they would suffer immensely, ignoring the care and attention of friends and family, and suddenly end their own life.
It made no sense at all.
Throughout the journey, Xu Le’s thoughts were myriad, feeling an unsettling sense as if he were an accomplice to murder.
He wasn’t sure of Han Yang’s true character, but instinctively resisted seeing Han Qu again and getting further involved.
“Han Qu invited me to have coffee again next week, with a mutual friend we both know.”
Han Yang responded, asking, “Do you need me to accompany you?”
Xu Le shook his head, “It doesn’t feel right.”
Their feelings towards Chi Ji and the boy group known as “The Crown” were shallow.
Seeking the truth was merely for a sense of justice in their hearts.
Even though his instincts warned him against going again, Xu Le couldn’t pass up this opportunity.
In his analysis, there were only two possibilities.
On the bright side, Chi Ji’s death, and even those of the patients with depression mentioned by that friend, had nothing to do with Han Qu.
Have a coffee, chat for a bit, and leave. That’s all.
But if Han Qu really did what he was suspected of… he didn’t even know who to ask for help or how to handle this information.
“Bring a listening device,” Han Yang suddenly suggested.
“What?”
“A listening device, you can find them on Taobao, equipped with GPS tracking and recording capabilities,” Han Yang quickly explained, “Remember, modern smartphones have an emergency call feature on the side button, set up emergency contacts before you leave.”
Xu Le was stunned for a long time, browsing for the device while inevitably asking, “Is he your brother?”
“Not really familiar, actually,” Han Yang said with mixed feelings, “The first time we met, I slapped that bastard.”
He hadn’t expected to get involved in such a serious conflict of interest, to the point where even hearing Chi Ji’s songs on his headphones lately made him feel uneasy.
Regardless, now that they had come this far, they had to see it through.
They both realized the complexity of these matters.
Han Yang was well-versed in the struggles within fan circles, having heard much gossip while moving around the trainees in recent days.
Corona had been targeted many times since debut, and the incidents with Huo Ren and Xie Lianyun seemed to be more than just biased reporting.
Rumors, insults, attacks, scars, too many past events were hidden in the shadows.
So much so that Han Yang had even questioned, for a moment, whether entering this industry was the right choice.
“By the way,” before hanging up, he ventured to voice his inner question, “Since you’re not a fan of Corona, why are you taking this so seriously?”
“Probably…” Xu Le thought for a moment, then smiled bitterly, “I want to be responsible for my patients.”
Even if they had never met.