Chapter 85 Viewing Flowers through the Mist

Despite Shi Yu’s high profile and the buzz surrounding him, he has virtually no scandals or controversies. Praises for him abound, while negative news is scarce.

Yet, in truth, this man’s hands are far from clean.

After obtaining Shi Yu’s files from the police, Chen Tianyu quickly uncovered the troubling details. On the surface, Shi Yu boasts an extensive network spanning nearly every industry. Within the field, he is regarded as a pragmatic, young entrepreneur—energetic, broad-minded, vigorous, daring, meritocratic, and surrounded by capable subordinates.

But a closer examination of Shi Yu’s rise to fortune reveals:

1. His ascent was sudden and without warning. He began as a food sales clerk before shifting careers, with a background as an online editor, entertainment journalist, and indie film producer—somewhat reminiscent of Xiao Su. His eventual leap directly to chairman was not through steady promotion but rather a sudden takeover that edged out many early shareholders. Where did his vast capital come from?

2. Shi Yu lacks a particularly strong background. His connections mostly formed after assuming the chairmanship at Tianxia Media, leveraging opportunities to join various circles and elevate his status. His original network was nearly nonexistent.

3. His academic credentials claim degrees from prestigious foreign universities—bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate from renowned institutions globally recognized. Yet, would overseas-educated returnees start as grassroots salespeople? While some might out of passion, inconsistencies remain. If foreign academic records were accessible, the truth would be obvious.

4. Over the years, Tianxia Media’s dozen or so box-office hits have been shadowed by oddities. About 60% faced copyright disputes—a strange phenomenon. Are all these writers and screenwriters suddenly turning litigious, trying to capitalize on the films’ success? False accusations are serious crimes. Some films touted for featuring grassroots stars carry a heavy, aggressive tone—ostensibly social critiques but in reality, mere sensationalism.

5. Shi Yu has no scandals, supported by ample indirect evidence. Yet there’s a question: he rarely appears at the company himself. As chairman, he employs a legion of professional managers, producers, directors, and writers. Rumor has it he spends most of his time socializing or traveling worldwide—a true “invisible” tycoon. Who can say what tangled relationships he might have? Especially with numerous female stars harboring designs on him, could he really remain untarnished?

6. Most importantly, Shi Yu has no children and no marriage records. While some public figures conceal marital status, the police would know. This absence sparks speculation. High society often overlooks formal marital ties, but for Chen Tianyu—familiar with such circles—this remains abnormal. In a traditional society like ours, no spouse or offspring implies what? A life unbound, unrestricted?

More than official records, Chen Tianyu places weight on a rumor within Tianxia Media:

Longtime employees whisper that Shi Yu has a powerful goddaughter. His rapid success is largely credited to her. Yet strangely, almost no one has ever truly seen her. She claims to be Shangguan Li and appeared only rarely during top-level meetings when Shi Yu first took over Tianxia Media. Then, heavily made-up, sunglasses on, long hair draped, she vanished as the company stabilized—no longer needed in public.

Some say they parted ways; in business, such splits are common.

Truth often has a grain of it.

Shi Yu’s sudden rise must be connected to this goddaughter—after all, for a woman outside the industry to reach high ranks is unusual. But where is she now? Why is everyone aware of her name, Shangguan Li?

Though rare, the name exists in the police database, with over a hundred instances in the province and more nationwide. Could it be an alias? There’s no way to verify.

Is the matter Xiao Su investigates linked to Shi Yu’s past? Does the “dragon’s den” refer to Tianxia Media?

To uncover this, Chen Tianyu dispatched Wan Yongkun to monitor Shi Yu’s every move. Wan is more discreet than Kuang Suo, reducing exposure risk and allowing Kuang Suo to protect Liu Zichen.

Fortunately, “Mermaid VII” filming wrapped and is still screening in major theaters. The company is in a holding pattern, so the two mainly assist with promotions, occasional interviews, and variety shows to boost visibility—overall, relatively idle.

Much remains unknown, but some facts have emerged.

If Yiruo were still filming for Imperial Dynasty Studios, she’d be taking modest roles with decent results. Her portrayal of ethnic customs impressed directors, deepening her understanding of the studio.

According to her, Hu Wenyi’s office remains under lockdown, with no suspicious comings or goings detected.

Li Yiting has also “advanced,” moving from Heyi to Imperial Dynasty, but still as an extra.

Once, Yiruo and Li Yiting snuck in to investigate but found no useful evidence. Li Yiting suspects Hu Wenyi left his office alone, but where he went afterward remains unknown—the Imperial Dynasty Tower is vast.

Li Yiting’s current suspects are the rooftop, a small connected bungalow housing temporary workers, and the basement—the latter most suspicious as it allows vehicle access unnoticed. Yet why was Hu Wenyi’s departure unseen by anyone? A mystery.

Unless someone lied—Li Yiting’s initial thought—but there’s no way to prove it. They must rely on Yiruo’s gradual inquiries.

As for the ties between Imperial Dynasty Studios and Tianxia Media, Yiruo says they have frequent business interactions. Recently, Xiaoli was assigned to Tianxia Media as a liaison. This suggests a close relationship. Heyi appears to be a stepping stone between the two, with most actors signed through it.

Imperial Dynasty occasionally hires staff directly, but Tianxia Media recruits solely through these two companies—a common industry practice but indicative of deep connections among the three.

Yiruo has befriended several Imperial Dynasty cast and crew, pledging to inform immediately if internal news arises. Yet Hu Wenyi remains enigmatic, known only to minor figures who lack insight.

Chen Tianyu chooses patience. His current task is to track the Eagle Detective Agency’s movements. Now, Bei Ting is left with only him as the idle one.

He picks up the phone to seek assistance from Guan Shaoxing.