67: The evidence is as strong as a mountain, and there is no place to hide

"They? Who are they?"

Lin Da's voice, like a judgment from the netherworld, was cold and ruthless. Every word was like a heavy hammer, fiercely striking Li Ming's already shattered psychological defense.

Li Ming knelt on the cold marble floor, trembling like a sieve, his face covered in tears and snot, looking utterly disheveled. He looked into Lin Da's eyes, which seemed to see through everything, and felt an invisible chill rush from his feet to the top of his head, leaving him unable to muster even a hint of resistance or concealment.

"It's...it's Vice President Huang! Vice President Huang of Tianyu Media!" Li Ming cried out hoarsely, his voice choked with sobs, as if to release all his fear and grievances. "And...and Wang Hong of Xinghui Entertainment! It was them...they planned it together!"

"They found me last night and gave me a large sum of money to...to get close to you at tonight's banquet and put...put that bug on you! They said...they said that as long as they got your 'dirt,' they could ruin your reputation and make you completely leave the entertainment industry!"

"They also threatened me that if I didn't do it, or if I messed things up, they would...they would make sure I couldn't find a decent job in Shanghai, or even the entire China! I...I was forced into it! Teacher Lin! Please, spare me this one time! I'll never dare again! I really won't dare again!"

As Li Ming spoke, he frantically kowtowed, his forehead hitting the cold, hard marble floor with dull thuds that made one's scalp tingle.

Vice President Huang! Wang Hong!

A cold killing intent flashed in Lin Da's eyes.

It was indeed these two persistent nuisances!

They had suffered such a huge setback in Beijing before, but instead of learning their lesson, they had escalated their tactics, resorting to such despicable and malicious means! They were determined to put him to death!

Lin Da coldly watched Li Ming, who was kneeling on the ground, weeping bitterly and making a fool of himself. There was no sympathy in his heart.

Those who are pitiable must have something hateful about them. If he hadn't been greedy for small gains and cowardly, how could he have become a tool for others to harm people?

"Do you think a mere 'forced into it' can absolve you of your guilt?" Lin Da's voice was bone-chilling. "Do you know how much harm your actions today, if successful, would have caused me? How much impact would they have had on my life?"

"I...I know I was wrong...Teacher Lin...I really know I was wrong..." Li Ming's entire body bristled under Lin Da's gaze, and he cried even more miserably.

Lin Da ignored him, slowly raised his head, and looked towards a hidden corner of the bathroom ceiling.

There, a miniature drone, smaller than a fly, was faithfully recording everything that was happening.

Li Ming's accusations, his tearful pleas, his ugly face...everything would be clearly recorded, becoming ironclad evidence to prosecute Vice President Huang and Wang Hong's crimes!

A cold arc curved at the corner of Lin Da's mouth.

He knew that this meticulously woven web of slander and entrapment had been completely torn apart by him.

And next, it would be the turn of the hunters hiding in the shadows to taste the backlash!

He took out his phone, but did not immediately call the police, nor did he notify the hotel's security personnel.

He simply calmly pressed the record button, then slowly said to Li Ming, who was kneeling on the ground:

"Li Ming, I'm giving you a chance now."

His voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable authority and...a subtle hint of inducement.

"Repeat exactly what you just said, word for word."

"Tell me all the details, how you were bribed by Vice President Huang and Wang Hong, what benefits they promised you, and exactly what they told you to do..."

"If you cooperate and tell the truth, I can consider...giving you a chance to reform."

Upon hearing this, Li Ming, as if grasping at the last straw, suddenly raised his head, a glimmer of hope flashing in his eyes.

He knew this was his only chance.

Without hesitation, he recounted everything to Lin Da's phone: how he was found by Vice President Huang's assistant, how he was coerced and bribed, how he received their instructions last night, and how he looked for an opportunity in the banquet hall today...everything, in its original form, was told in detail.

His voice trembled slightly from fear and nervousness, but every word was spoken with utmost clarity.

Lin Da listened quietly, his face devoid of any expression.

Only when Li Ming finished his last word did he slowly press the stop recording button.

"Very good." Lin Da looked at Li Ming, his eyes as deep as the ocean. "I hope you remember what you said today. And I hope you...take care of yourself."

After speaking, he no longer looked at Li Ming, turned around, picked up the red wine-stained suit jacket, and calmly walked out of the bathroom.

Only Li Ming was left, slumped on the cold marble floor, his face ashen, his eyes filled with endless regret and...despair.

Lin Da walked out of the bathroom and did not immediately return to the bustling banquet hall.

He walked to a relatively secluded corner of the corridor, took out his phone, and dialed a familiar number.

On the other end of the line, Li Shengshi's loud and somewhat concerned voice soon came through:

"Brother Lin? How is it? Is everything alright?"

Apparently, Li Shengshi had also noticed the unusual atmosphere in the banquet hall earlier and Lin Da's sudden departure.

"Chairman Li," Lin Da's voice was calm and steady, "I'm fine. However, I've caught a...mad dog here that bites."

He paused, a cold arc curving at the corner of his mouth:

"And I've recorded the entire process of this mad dog...identifying its owners."

"Now, it's time for those owners hiding in the shadows to come out...and bask in the sun."

On the other end of the phone, Li Shengshi was silent for a full ten seconds after hearing Lin Da's phrase, "It's time for those owners hiding in the shadows to come out...and bask in the sun."

Lin Da could clearly hear Li Shengshi's slightly heavy breathing on the other end, mixed with a hint of uncontrollable rage.

"Good! What a Brother Lin! Your courage and methods truly make this old brother look at you with new eyes!" Li Shengshi's voice was like a volcano about to erupt, deep and full of power. "Organize all the evidence you have and send it to me! I'll handle the rest!"

"I, Li Shengshi, want to see who dares to be so lawless and distort right and wrong under this bright sky!"

"Thank you, Chairman Li!" Lin Da's voice carried a hint of sincere gratitude. He knew that with the intervention of a powerful figure like Li Shengshi, Vice President Huang and Wang Hong, these two insignificant clowns, would definitely not escape their doom!

After hanging up the phone, Lin Da did not hesitate. He immediately packaged and anonymously sent the recording of Li Ming accusing Vice President Huang and Wang Hong, which he had recorded in the bathroom, along with the video evidence secretly captured by the miniature drone of Li Ming placing the bug in his suit pocket, to the email address specified by Li Shengshi.

After doing all this, he let out a long sigh of relief, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

Vice President Huang, Wang Hong, your doomsday has arrived!

Meanwhile, in the banquet hall, the commotion that had been temporarily interrupted by the "red wine stain" incident gradually subsided.

Most guests did not know about the thrilling scene that had occurred in the bathroom, assuming that Lin Da had simply accidentally stained his clothes and gone to deal with it.

Only a few sharp-witted individuals like Su Wanqing noticed an unusual aura from Lin Da's calm eyes and the faint, almost imperceptible cold smile at the corner of his mouth.

Li Shengshi soon returned to the banquet hall. His face still bore that hearty and magnanimous smile, but in the depths of his eyes, there was a chilling coldness.

He did not make a fuss or immediately react. Instead, as usual, he chatted and clinked glasses with the various bigwigs present, as if nothing had happened.

However, on the second day after this grand Golden Tripod Award welcoming banquet concluded, a massive storm, sweeping across the entire Beijing Circle and even China's film and television industry, suddenly descended with overwhelming force!

First, several highly influential mainstream media outlets simultaneously broke a shocking piece of news—"Vice President Huang of Tianyu Media and high-ranking executive Wang of Xinghui Entertainment are suspected of maliciously slandering and entrapping young actor Lin Da, using despicable and heinous methods!"

The report not only detailed how Vice President Huang and Wang Hong, at the Golden Tripod Award welcoming banquet, instructed hotel waiter Li Ming to attempt to place a bug on Lin Da and frame him, but also included the complete audio recording provided by Lin Da, in which Li Ming tearfully accused the two of their crimes in the bathroom, along with professionally processed drone surveillance video clips!

The evidence was irrefutable! There was nowhere to hide!

This report, like a bombshell, instantly ignited the entire internet!

Countless netizens, upon seeing the report and evidence, expressed strong indignation and condemnation towards Vice President Huang and Wang Hong's insane actions!

"Holy cow! This is too vicious! To suppress a newcomer, they actually used such underhanded methods!"

"Tianyu Media and Xinghui Entertainment are simply cancerous tumors in the entertainment industry! They must be severely punished!"

"My heart aches for Lin Da! Repeatedly framed by such despicable people! Thankfully, he was resourceful and brave, otherwise, he would have truly been ruined!"

"Support Lin Da's rights protection! Let these black sheep pay the price they deserve!"

Online public opinion, like surging tides, instantly engulfed Vice President Huang, Wang Hong, and their respective companies, Tianyu Media and Xinghui Entertainment, completely!

This was followed by the swift intervention and investigation of relevant departments.

Under irrefutable evidence and immense public pressure, Vice President Huang and Wang Hong had no room for sophistry. What awaited them was severe legal punishment and moral judgment.

Tianyu Media and Xinghui Entertainment also suffered a severe blow to their reputation due to this incident, with their stock prices plummeting, facing the biggest crisis of trust since their establishment. It was said that the high-level executives of both companies were furious and held emergency meetings overnight to discuss how to quell the storm and recover their losses.

As for Lin Da, after this storm, he once again became the most watched and sympathetic focal point of the entire incident in an unexpected way.

His composure in the face of danger, his courage in outsmarting the villains, and his dedication and persistence in the art of acting, all became more deeply ingrained in people's hearts through this incident.

His prestige also reached a new peak as a result!

Just then, the system's prompt sounded in his mind again:

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for successfully thwarting a major malicious frame-up conspiracy against himself, and with the help of allies, bringing the masterminds to justice, causing a stir throughout the industry!"

"[The Path of the Golden Supporting Actor] Second Stage Mission: 'Rising to Fame in Beijing,' 'Character Reputation Score Reaches Above 8.0 (Professional Film Critic Website Standard)' objective, has received overwhelming positive public opinion support and industry recognition, mission evaluation greatly improved!"

"Ding! Host's prestige value has skyrocketed! Current prestige value: 8000 points!"

"Ding! Due to the host's display of outstanding wisdom, courage, and powerful influence in crisis management, [Aura Control (Intermediate)] skill proficiency has greatly increased! [Speech Spirit (Intermediate)] skill proficiency has greatly increased!"

"Ding! Special Reward: [Golden Supporting Actor Exclusive Skill Fragment] x1!"

"Ding! System Mall unlocks new authority: can selectively search and exchange for specified types of scripts (consumes prestige value)."

Another exclusive skill fragment! And the authority to selectively search for scripts!

An indescribable joy surged in Lin Da's heart.

He knew that this victory not only allowed him to completely get rid of those persistent troubles but also cleared obstacles and paved the way for his future acting career!

The turmoil in Beijing seemed to finally be calming down for now.

And he, Lin Da, was about to embark on his own, even broader and more brilliant...Path of the Diamond Male Lead!