The four girls followed Liu Jinhua back to the office, waiting silently for their fate.
Liu Jinhua said, "The three of you, go out first. Xi Ya, you stay."
Liu Jinhua's secretary knocked on the door, "Sister Liu, the information you requested has been sent to your email."
Liu Jinhua glanced at the computer screen. Sure enough, there was an email notification from her secretary.
Liu Jinhua replied, "Understood. Don't come in unless I call you. No one is allowed to disturb me."
As she opened the email, Liu Jinhua turned over the photos on her desk and threw them to Xi Ya.
The photos showed Xi Ya sitting outside a small supermarket, eating hot pot...
In itself, it wasn't much, but a few of the pictures showed a man sitting opposite her...
Moreover, Xi Ya was speaking to the man with tears streaming down her face. This led people to suspect there might be a story between them, perhaps a couple arguing?
Xi Ya's eyes widened. She couldn't believe anyone was so idle as to secretly photograph a nobody like her.
Liu Jinhua asked, "Tell me, what's going on here?"
Xi Ya stammered, "I... I really don't know this man!"
Liu Jinhua questioned, "Do you know the rules for trainees?"
Xi Ya swore, "I swear, I really don't know him. I just happened to meet him at the supermarket when I went to buy food. Oh, right, he kindly paid for me."
Liu Jinhua pressed, "He paid for you? Would a stranger be so kind as to pay for you?"
Xi Ya explained, "It's true. I was in a hurry that day and forgot my wallet and phone..."
Liu Jinhua reiterated, "You really don't know who he is?"
Xi Ya insisted, "Really, Sister Jinhua, I've never been involved with any man. I truly met this man for the first time."
Liu Jinhua warned, "The most taboo thing for trainees is to have unclear romantic relationships!"
Xi Ya, startled by Liu Jinhua's outburst, felt wronged. If she were to get caught in a scandal because of these photos, she would never be able to clear her name.
Liu Jinhua continued, "These were taken before your debut. Don't you realize this is a major taboo? Why do those paparazzi wait outside the training camp every day? They're waiting to see which one of you will achieve success so they can sell the story for a hefty price!"
Xi Ya conceded, "I know I was wrong..."
Liu Jinhua had finished reading the email. It contained detailed information about the man in the photos. For an entertainment company, all they needed was a license plate number to trace anyone they wanted.
Liu Jinhua looked at Xi Ya, then at Ou Yunchen's profile.
"Executive Officer of ATL."
It seemed this company's achievements were comparable to a dark horse in the investment world. A man of this caliber appearing with Xi Ya would likely be portrayed as her hidden sugar daddy...
Wait, the hidden sugar daddy!!!
Liu Jinhua craned her neck, re-reading ATL's company profile line by line!!!
Isn't this exactly the capital that Kpop-Star needs?!
After a few seconds of elation, Liu Jinhua fell back into a dilemma. How could she get ATL to invest?
The old guard of capital in the entertainment industry had already abandoned them. Would this newcomer offer assistance?
Liu Jinhua closed her eyes. She couldn't help but think of the stuffy men on the board of directors!
Recalling how they had pressured her to send artists to curry favor with the capital groups, she now desperately needed capital and realized this might indeed be a viable path...
Liu Jinhua asked, "So, the pimples on your face are from eating spicy food?"
Xi Ya replied, "Mm..."
Liu Jinhua instructed, "From now on, you must strictly control your diet. No more spicy food!"