Chapter 6

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Later, Liu Cheng found a more compelling reason to investigate Sun Chen. It was when he saw his lover, Gu Qingqiu, looking deeply frustrated and upset.

“I put a lot of thought into adjusting this guest list. Right now, Ding Yu is a hot topic, but he hasn’t had many good opportunities lately, so his asking price isn’t too high. Getting him on the show is perfect, especially since he’s on good terms with Yan Yan. Adding a bit of bromance to the show can only be a good thing. I even contacted his agent and put in a lot of work… I was so careful, but Sun Chen just dismissed it all with a single sentence.”

Liu Cheng had only planned to relax at Gu Qingqiu’s place that day, not expecting that, after barely sitting down, Gu Qingqiu—who rarely discussed work-related troubles with him—would bring up this topic.

As the sponsor of Surviving Here, Liu Cheng had a vested interest in the show, so he seriously considered what Gu Qingqiu said, then ventured a guess, “Sun Chen must have had a reason to reject your suggestion, right?”

“Sun Chen said, ‘We need entertainers for this show, not artists.’ That’s what’s hardest for me to accept. Sun Chen actually appreciates Ding Yu, but he doesn’t want him on the show. It shows that Sun Chen doesn’t even respect the show; he doesn’t take it seriously at all. I wanted to learn from Sun Chen, but now I realize this is how he views the show!” Gu Qingqiu was unusually emotional.

Liu Cheng agreed with Gu Qingqiu’s assessment about which guests to invite: at the same price, it was better to bring in someone who could draw more attention to the show. However, what really caught his attention was something else in Gu Qingqiu’s words—

“I heard from Yu Xingzhou that this show is very important to Sun Chen. Why wouldn’t he take it seriously?”

“That’s a completely different matter,” Gu Qingqiu said, as if ready to tell a long story. “Now I finally understand why Sun Chen has stayed at S Channel for so long!”

Liu Cheng’s interest was piqued. “Why does Sun Chen stay at S Channel? And how does that relate to this show?”

Gathering his thoughts, Gu Qingqiu began, “Surviving Here—Cheng, when you hear the name of this show, does anything come to mind?”

“‘Surviving’ points to the theme of the show, and ‘Here’ is a vague term meant to intrigue people with a sense of mystery.”

“That’s not it at all. Try saying it a few more times.”

Liu Cheng silently repeated the name of the show in his mind, and suddenly, something clicked—but he dismissed it as a coincidence. How could “Surviving Here” sounding like “Sun Chen is here” have any real significance?

“What does the name actually mean?” Liu Cheng asked directly.

Gu Qingqiu recited, “‘Sun Chen is here.’ It’s Sun Chen’s way of telling someone where he is.”

Liu Cheng almost scoffed. “Doesn’t he know how to use a phone?”

“He doesn’t have that person’s phone number because it’s a childhood friend he lost contact with.”

Liu Cheng suddenly remembered Sun Chen mentioning his only friend, Chen Xi. Normally, Liu Cheng wouldn’t remember irrelevant names, but he remembered Chen Xi. “Are you saying Sun Chen created this show to find a lost friend?”

“Apparently, Sun Chen’s friend used to watch S Channel’s sports news every day as a child—that’s why Sun Chen wanted to join S Channel as a news anchor. Unfortunately, he couldn’t become an anchor, so he stayed at S Channel and came up with this idea to find his friend.”

Liu Cheng wanted to say that was impossible. He already knew about Sun Chen’s academic background—a genius who had earned two master’s degrees and a PhD from Oxford by age 21. How could someone like that use such a clumsy method to find a friend? But then again, this was the only explanation that made sense. Otherwise, why would someone with a degree in physics from Oxford forge credentials to work as a TV producer?

“I used to think that even if Sun Chen didn’t revere television, at least he respected it and was professional about it,” Gu Qingqiu continued, disappointed. “But actually, Sun Chen only creates good shows to establish himself so he can have more say, and all his actions are just a means to find his friend through S Channel.”

Liu Cheng fell silent, deep in thought. He had every reason to be angry. He was the sponsor of this show, and it felt like a neighbor had convinced him to buy a great sound system, only for him to find out the neighbor did it just so they could listen to it too.

“Qingqiu, would you like to be the chief producer of Surviving Here?” Liu Cheng finally suggested a solution.

He had started investigating Sun Chen earlier, clearly with an eye toward preparing for this.

Sure enough, Surviving Here was important to Sun Chen—so Liu Cheng was determined to take it from him.

Since Yu Xingzhou happened to be abroad on vacation and Liu Cheng wasn’t someone who relied on personal connections, he directly approached Yu’s father, Yu Dongyuan. The matter was more difficult than he had anticipated. Simply exposing Sun Chen’s fake credentials wasn’t enough to get him fired. Liu Cheng hadn’t expected Yu Dongyuan to be so reluctant to let go of Sun Chen’s talent as a producer. In the end, Liu Cheng had to leverage his position as a sponsor and argue that Sun Chen’s forged credentials tarnished S Channel’s image before Yu Dongyuan finally agreed to remove Sun Chen from Surviving Here.

Perhaps because Yu Dongyuan felt he was doing Liu Cheng a favor, he insisted that Liu Cheng personally confirm it. So, he led Liu Cheng directly to a meeting where Sun Chen was with the production team.

“Xiao Sun, Mr. Liu discovered some issues with the credentials you provided to our station. I think there might be some misunderstanding, so I’d like you to clarify?” Yu Dongyuan didn’t ask the other people in the meeting room to leave, directly addressing the matter.

This sudden topic made Sun Chen glance at Liu Cheng with unreadable eyes before turning to Yu Dongyuan and calmly shaking his head. “There’s no misunderstanding. I did forge my credentials.”

Yu Dongyuan looked disappointed. “Xiao Sun, I really appreciate your abilities. However, Mr. Liu has high standards for the credibility of the show he sponsors. I’m afraid you’re not suitable to continue overseeing this show.”

Liu Cheng hadn’t expected this outcome. Including Gu Qingqiu, all the key members of the production team were present to witness Sun Chen being dismissed from his position. Even as a businessman, it took Liu Cheng some time to understand Yu Dongyuan’s reasoning—

Yu Dongyuan clearly knew that taking away Sun Chen’s show meant Sun Chen couldn’t stay at S Channel. So, rather than risk further offending Sun Chen, he let Liu Cheng take the blame, allowing the sponsor who disliked Sun Chen enough to want him gone to be more satisfied with the decision.

—But this wasn’t what Liu Cheng wanted at all.

Sure, he had worked hard to convince Yu Dongyuan that Sun Chen had already laid the foundation for the show, and that Gu Qingqiu could easily take over… but this wasn’t what he wanted!

Liu Cheng felt almost dazed as he watched Sun Chen slowly rise from his chair.

“I apologize for my actions, Mr. Yu. I understand I shouldn’t stay at the station any longer. I’ll submit my resignation letter soon. Thank you for your guidance all this time.”

Sun Chen spoke each word with an unsettling calmness, but Liu Cheng could hear the coldest undertone in his voice. It was different from the initial indifference Liu Cheng had sensed from him.

After saying this, Sun Chen walked straight out of the meeting room. From start to finish, even when passing by Liu Cheng, Sun Chen didn’t spare him a single glance—not even one.

Liu Cheng instinctively stared at the door Sun Chen had quietly closed behind him. Beside him, Yu Dongyuan promoted his lover right in front of him.

“Although we’ve lost Producer Sun, Xiao Gu has always done a great job as his assistant, contributing to many successful shows. I’m confident that with Xiao Gu’s ability, he’ll be able to lead the team in producing a great reality show. Alright then,” Yu Dongyuan said casually with a smile, “everyone, please continue with the meeting. I’ll leave you to it.”

Afterward, Liu Cheng and Yu Dongyuan left the meeting room together. Initially, Yu Dongyuan had seemed reluctant to compromise, but after dismissing Sun Chen, he seemed to be in a surprisingly good mood and even chatted amicably with Liu Cheng. As for Liu Cheng, his mood was as low as could be. After a few polite exchanges with Yu Dongyuan, he remained standing by the door of the meeting room, not even feeling like sitting down.

He stood there, motionless, for about half an hour before the meeting room door opened. The staff members left one by one, with Gu Qingqiu being the last to approach Liu Cheng.

“Cheng, were you waiting for me?” Gu Qingqiu asked, his face still gentle and likable—but Liu Cheng found that he could no longer appreciate it. “I gave you what you wanted. Do you like it?”

Gu Qingqiu’s gaze deepened, as if he had already anticipated something. “So?”

“So, let’s break up. Consider this a parting gift.”

Gu Qingqiu didn’t show any surprise. Instead, he gave a knowing, faint smile. “It seems I made the right choice by fighting for this show. At that time, I was wondering if I should choose the show or you. It’s a good thing I chose correctly.”

Liu Cheng couldn’t quite understand what Gu Qingqiu was thinking, but he didn’t care. He only knew that he had made the right choice. He really should break up with Gu Qingqiu because, after saying those words, the suffocating feeling in his chest suddenly eased significantly.

“Let’s not contact each other anymore,” Liu Cheng said. After breaking up with many lovers, he had often been willing to help them out afterward, but Gu Qingqiu was different. Seeing Gu Qingqiu reminded Liu Cheng of the moment in the meeting room when Sun Chen had walked out without even looking at him. That made Liu Cheng wish he never had to see Gu Qingqiu again.

In response to Liu Cheng’s request, Gu Qingqiu calmly nodded. This usually gentle man also had a coldness in him that Liu Cheng had once disliked the most. Despite going through a breakup, he spoke with composure, “Since we won’t be seeing each other again, Cheng, let me give you one final piece of advice. I’ve always known you didn’t like me that much, so your self-centered behavior, completely disregarding my feelings, was understandable. But I didn’t realize that even if you liked someone, you’d still be so selfish, willing to hurt them without hesitation. You’ll regret it sooner or later. I suggest you reflect on yourself.”

Liu Cheng didn’t understand what he was getting at. “Who do I like?”

Gu Qingqiu didn’t answer his question. Instead, after silently giving Liu Cheng one last look, he turned and left.