Chapter 403: The Night of Crime

He An arrived at the hotel entrance, habitually straightening his tie and cuffs and smoothing his hair. As a celebrity manager, maintaining his appearance had become second nature.

Opening the door, he found the room in disarray, with discarded sheet music strewn across the floor. His superstar client, Luo Zuyu, was slumped on the sofa, wearing a black tank top and ripped jeans, arms splayed out and head tilted back. If it weren’t for the flickering cigarette in his mouth, He An might have thought he was dead.

The room reeked of smoke, an inexplicable stench, and the unmistakable smell of drugs seeping from Luo Zuyu’s pores.

He An wrinkled his nose, grabbed a pile of sheet music from the table, and threw it at Luo Zuyu. “You’re on drugs again?!”

“You think a genius singer gets inspiration just from fan love?” Luo Zuyu brushed the papers off, revealing bloodshot eyes and letting ashes fall on the sheets.

He An, struggling to contain his anger, said, “How many times have I told you to be careful when you’re out of town? Even the trash cans here could hide three paparazzi. Especially in Long’an, don’t you remember what happened here years ago? This place is bad luck for you!”

“I haven’t forgotten!” Luo Zuyu’s eyes darkened. “That damn cop, Song Lang, got me blacklisted for six years. Is he still alive?”

“Rumor has it he’s missing,” He An said while tidying up. “He supposedly shot a colleague by mistake and went on the run.”

Luo Zuyu laughed maniacally, more excited than if he were high, and moved to grab a tablet. He An glanced at the screen and felt a cold sweat, quickly snatching it away.

He whispered urgently, “Why do you still have these photos? I told you to delete them!”

“They’re my creations—no, my masterpieces,” Luo Zuyu said, his eyelids puffy from lack of sleep and drugs, a foolish smile on his face.

“You’re hopeless!” He An ground his teeth. “If these get out, it’ll be a scandal ten times worse than a celebrity photo leak. Do you want to die?”

“Perfect…” Luo Zuyu clapped his hands. “I’ll be even more famous. Luo Zuyu, immortalized in history. Ha! Ha!”

“You mean infamous!” He An searched for the tablet’s power button, but Luo Zuyu snatched it back.

“Get me a girl. Young and sexy, someone whose disappearance wouldn’t be noticed.”

“You’re dreaming!”

“If you want me to write new songs, you’ll have to meet my needs. What am I, a cash cow? Even a cow needs to eat grass!”

“I’ve done everything for you, but do you really need to do these things to write songs?”

“You still don’t get it?”

He An sighed deeply. “You can’t mess around in Long’an.”

“Song Lang is gone. Who do I fear?”

“I’ll tell your sister-in-law… no, our boss!”

“Haha! Go ahead.”

He An angrily cleaned up the room, thinking how cursed he was to be stuck with this guy. Years ago, when Luo Zuyu was a top star, he held a concert in Long’an. A cop named Song Lang happened to be investigating a case and stumbled upon some offensive comments Luo Zuyu made in public.

The company offered seven million yuan to buy back the evidence, but Song Lang coldly said, “As a public figure, you should’ve considered the consequences. Don’t tell me celebrities are human too and make mistakes. You live under the public’s scrutiny; they enjoy watching you rise and fall. Struggle and sink into infamy, and give your audience one last show. Entertain your supporters, you performer!”

Before delivering this speech, Song Lang had already handed the video to the media. The fallout was catastrophic: Luo Zuyu lost millions of fans overnight, every news outlet condemned him, and other celebrities distanced themselves. He became a pariah and had to pay huge sums to various endorsement companies.

For seven years, he received no job offers. The company invested heavily in PR, staging events like Luo Zuyu visiting underprivileged children and publicly apologizing for his comments. Slowly, his image began to improve.

In truth, He An knew Luo Zuyu’s true nature better than anyone. Without his brother and sister-in-law’s help, he would’ve been discarded long ago.

After cleaning up, He An noticed a lingering stench and went to find cleaning supplies. Suddenly, music began playing—a guitar solo with self-composed lyrics. He turned and saw Luo Zuyu lying on the sofa, the music coming from his tablet. Luo Zuyu swayed to the rhythm, tapping his fingers on his leg.

“A new song!?” He An exclaimed.

Luo Zuyu gestured for silence, continuing to immerse himself in the music.

When the song ended, He An clenched his fists in excitement. “It’s fantastic! Like your peak days. I can already see the critics’ reactions. This song will definitely top the charts!”

“Who do you think I am?” Luo Zuyu smirked arrogantly. “Find me a producer for the arrangement. I want some special mixing. And clean up the mess.”

“Clean up the mess?” He An looked at the drug remnants on the floor. “You mean this?”

Luo Zuyu pointed to the bathroom, smiling. He An had a bad feeling and opened the door. The stench hit him, revealing a bathroom drenched in blood, a bathtub filled with organs and a dismembered body—once a girl.

He An’s stomach churned, and he vomited into a nearby vase. Luo Zuyu’s laughter echoed, “A tribute to the muse! Clean it up. I’m going to sleep.”

He An glanced at the bathroom again, feeling dizzy. After a few deep breaths, he reluctantly pulled out his phone and called his boss. “We have a problem.”

“Luo Zuyu?”

“Yes, it’s him again. We need an emergency PR response.”

The voice on the other end gasped, “Has the news leaked?”

“Not yet.”

“Good. Stay at the scene. Don’t leave. I’m bringing the team over immediately.”