Chapter 263: Chapter 263

Fang Hui didn’t dare to act rashly.

She knew all too well that in this information age, offending a top-level hacker was absolutely out of the question.

No wonder Rong Xianning was so fearless—he actually had such connections.

Fang Hui, of course, didn’t believe that someone like Chongchong could merely be a simple fan.

With this kind of skillset, couldn’t he do something better? What was he thinking chasing celebrities?

And chasing after a kid, no less.

Fang Hui immediately took the contract to see Ding Meng.

What the two discussed behind closed doors remained a mystery.

At first, the production team, tipped off by Fang Hui, chose to sit back and watch from a distance.

Now, they were nearly engulfed in the flames themselves. Pretending to be dead wouldn’t cut it anymore, so they scrambled to step forward and clarify.

But doing so didn’t gain them the understanding of netizens; instead, they were met with even harsher criticism.

The director made a snap decision, instructing the production team to release a statement, promising to investigate the alleged vote-rigging by Contestant No. 37, Wen Yan. Once confirmed, they would provide an explanation to the public and the fans.

This was clearly a stalling tactic.

The production team was well aware of whether Wen Yan had rigged votes or not, but what could they do when the guy had powerful backing?

Now it depended on whether his backers would shield him or not.

Such incidents were commonplace in the earlier seasons of the show, so the production team had always turned a blind eye. Who would have thought this season would blow up so badly, even alarming the renowned attorney Helian Yi?

A few days ago, Helian Yi had come to the TV station to record a program, right in the next studio. Quite a few staff members from the production team had seen the famous lawyer in person, and he truly left a... lasting impression.

There had even been a minor incident at the time. Chapters first released on noᴠelfire.net

Attending the program alongside Helian Yi were several law students from Chunzhou University. Young and hot-blooded, full of arrogance, they clashed with Helian Yi during the discussion, throwing out bold remarks as if they were superior to the famous lawyer.

Helian Yi was, of course, not one to indulge their behavior. He counterattacked swiftly and crushed them so thoroughly that they were left questioning their life choices.

Helian Yi’s aura was in full force that day. It was an absolute career highlight, winning him countless admirers.

The students slinked away in defeat, while Helian Yi basked in his quiet triumph.

When that episode aired, it achieved the highest ratings of the series, and Helian Yi became a sensation, even trending on social media at the time.

Later, the production team proposed creating a tailor-made blockbuster program for him, but Helian Yi declined.

He was, after all, a lawyer. His participation in that episode was purely to educate the audience about the law—a responsibility and duty as a lawyer. Turning himself into a celebrity was entirely unnecessary.

He had no interest, nor did he want to waste time. After all, he still had a pile of cases on his desk.

The TV station staff who had worked closely with Helian Yi had a deeper understanding of his background and capabilities compared to outsiders. They remembered how, the first time he appeared on the show, the station chief personally came to greet him. Everyone understood without saying a word—this was a person they absolutely could not afford to offend.

Now that he was personally intervening in Rong Xianning’s case, the production team staff were deeply anxious.

What if Rong Xianning decided to sue the netizens for slander—would Helian Yi act as his attorney? That thought alone was terrifying.

Director Li Kun, a veteran at the TV station, had brought forth several blockbuster programs and held considerable influence. He was usually the least afraid of trouble.

But now, as he watched the increasingly outrageous online attacks against the production team, his expression turned particularly grim.

"What’s going on with the surveillance footage?"

The filming base was covered with surveillance cameras, yet the production team didn’t clarify things immediately. Instead, they feigned ignorance, only to have the victim’s fans expose the footage themselves—a blatant slap in the face.

Producer Chen Ying’s face flushed slightly. "President Ding passed down instructions. Rong Xianning’s child wasn’t obeying orders, so we planned to teach him a lesson. Director Li, you were aware of that, weren’t you?"

Li Kun tapped his finger on the table, his dark eyes fixed quietly on her.

"I’m asking about the surveillance footage—don’t dodge the question."

Normally, Li Kun wouldn’t concern himself with these minor details, leaving them to producer Chen Ying to handle.

But now, something had gone wrong.

Chen Ying felt uneasy. "That night, the monitoring system at the filming base suddenly malfunctioned. When it restarted, that portion of the footage was mysteriously gone. I thought it was a minor issue, so I didn’t report it to you..."

"A minor issue? You still think it’s a minor issue now?"

Chen Ying rubbed her nose awkwardly. "The production team’s been criticized online plenty before. Netizens have short memories—they’ll forget in a few days."

Li Kun shot her a glare. "Let’s hope so."