Chapter 172.2: Heading to K Corp
Jin Can’s voice snapped Shen Xiu out of the fog of confusion clouding his mind.
Looking at the now-finished video in front of him, Shen Xiu temporarily set aside the doubts swirling in his heart. He stood up, turned around, and looked straight at Yu Shaoyuan.
He clearly remembered what Yu Shaoyuan had said earlier—that no matter what, their team couldn’t deliver what Shen Xiu wanted. Given that, Shen Xiu saw no point in wasting anyone’s time any further.
Turning to Jin Can, Shen Xiu said coldly:
“Prepare the contract termination. This video will be used as reference for the new VFX team.”
Shen Xiu was glad that, back when the contract was drafted, he had clearly stipulated: if the other party explicitly admitted they couldn’t meet the production requirements, the termination of the contract would not be considered a breach on his side. Therefore, there was no need to pay any penalty—only the agreed compensation for the time already spent.
Yu Shaoyuan: “!”
So… this ruthless? Not even giving them a second chance?
And not only was he cutting them off completely, he was also deliberately using the very VFX video that had thoroughly humiliated their team as a reference for the next team.
What was this if not—
‘If this isn’t killing the chicken to scare the monkeys, I’ll wash my hair while doing a handstand!’
Jin Can and the team lead: “!”
As expected of Shen Xiu—he went for the kill right to the face, fired them on the spot, and didn’t leave a shred of dignity behind.
Hearing that their team had just been fired, the VFX members instinctively turned to look at Yu Shaoyuan.
Yu Shaoyuan braced himself and spoke up:
“Director Shen, just give us one more chance! We promise to follow your requirements exactly!”
But Shen Xiu still hadn’t received a proper explanation for what that strange and eerie thing in the video actually was. He had no reason to trust Yu Shaoyuan at this point.
“No need to force it,” Shen Xiu replied coolly.
He didn’t want to risk going through another delay like this again, especially not when he had already gone so far as to consult a master in the mountains to pick an auspicious release date for the film.
So, turning to Jin Can, Shen Xiu instructed:
“From now on, only sign with a VFX team once we’ve confirmed they’re capable.”
Jin Can nodded: “Understood, Director Shen.”
Yu Shaoyuan could only turn with pleading eyes to the team lead assigned by New Life to manage their VFX progress, hoping he might speak up in their defense.
But that team lead had previously been arguing with their entire group alone—essentially being ganged up on and ignored.
Shen Xiu’s arrival had finally allowed the team lead to vent all his bottled-up frustration. The thought of never having to work with that group again filled him with secret delight—he completely ignored the pleading look Yu Shaoyuan shot him.
Before drawing any conclusions, Shen Xiu wanted to confirm his suspicions first.
Anxious to verify what he was thinking, he forced himself to deviate from his original schedule, mentally adjusting his plan on the spot.
Because of this, Shen Xiu decided not to head to the editing team and instead told Jin Can,
“I have something to take care of. I’ll need to leave.”
Still not in the mood to answer any phone calls, Shen Xiu quickly added, “If anything comes up, just message me.”
Jin Can quickly nodded: “Understood, Director Shen.”
Honestly, he was starting to wonder—did Shen Xiu predict the VFX team would cause trouble? Was that why he came personally to supervise, and then fired them so decisively?
How else could you explain the fact that Shen Xiu left immediately after resolving the issue with the effects team?
Hearing Jin Can’s confirmation, Shen Xiu left without hesitation.
Even Shen Xiu’s departing figure radiated a chill. Watching his back, Yu Shaoyuan’s expression was grim.
The once-vanished smile returned to the team lead’s face.
“Mr. Yu, come with me.”
Yu Shaoyuan, thoroughly humbled, could only follow behind him into another room.
…
Once Shen Xiu exited the elevator, he put his mask and baseball cap back on, covering nearly his entire face, leaving only his eyes visible.
After leaving the building, Shen Xiu walked toward the bus stop while pulling out his phone to search for a route from here to K Corp by public transit.
…
“Isn’t today Xiu-baby’s first day of school? Why is he coming out of that building just now?”
“College just started, but nothing important’s happening. I heard New Life’s temporary production office is set up here. Since Xiu-baby’s here, he’s probably checking in on the behind-the-scenes work… Oh my god, baby, look—Xiu-baby just fired New Life’s entire VFX team! Ah! Look over there—they really are packing up their stuff. Quick, film it, film it!”
Barely three seconds after Shen Xiu walked out the door, Jin Can was instantly surrounded by a horde of gossip-hungry staff.
In less than thirty seconds, Jin Can gave a brief rundown of how Shen Xiu had ruthlessly and decisively dealt with the VFX team.
The moment he finished, everyone—taking advantage of Shen Xiu’s absence—couldn’t help but start gossiping in a flurry of whispers.
“Help, I wasn’t even there, but just from the description, I can picture what kind of hellscape Boss Xiu must’ve created. Sharp-tongued Xiu, Overachiever Xiu, Master-of-All-Trades Xiu—he lives up to every nickname. Honestly, if he weren’t so busy running ten things at once, I seriously believe that if he had the time, he could do all the editing and VFX for New Life himself, and we’d all be out of a job.”
“They thought they could act all high and mighty—didn’t expect to smack right into a steel wall. Director Shen never spoils anyone except The Galaxy members.”
“I’m crying—he left them zero room to recover. That guy, what’s his name—Yu Shaoyuan, the one who always looks down on everyone—he’s probably gonna have nightmares about Director Shen for the rest of his life.”
“Shhh… they’re coming back. Keep your voice down. We might still run into them in future productions.”
“Honestly, after what just happened, I really don’t dare mess around with editing anymore. You will get fired.”
“Director Shen even clearly labeled every edit point and exactly how each effect should look. If someone still manages to mess it up… we don’t deserve to be in this industry.”
As everyone watched the VFX team leave, some couldn’t resist anonymously posting about the incident on their private social media accounts.
Although no one mentioned New Life or Shen Xiu by name, someone had taken footage of the team being kicked out—right outside the building where New Life’s temporary studio was located. For the netizens who basically surf the web with a built-in magnifying glass, it didn’t take long to piece things together.
#ShenXiuCanDoVFX
#SavageXiuOnline
#NewLifeVFXTeamGotFired
#WhatIsThisTrash
#SteelWallXiu
#ShenXiuSoBusy
#ShenXiuIsStillInCollege
#CollegeStudentsThisHardworkingNow??
Because Shen Xiu had mercilessly fired the VFX team, the story quickly shot up the trending charts, sparking envy and heated discussions.
As netizens gleefully munched on the drama, a few of them started noticing that… something wasn’t quite right.
— Wait a second, isn’t New Life supposed to be an uplifting youth campus drama? Why does it even need VFX?
— And from the way people described it, the effects sound complicated as hell. Are we… being duped? What if it’s not actually a teen drama?
— Haven’t you noticed? None of the New Life cast or crew members have ever confirmed our theories. Every time someone asks, they just respond with a doge emoji. 🐶
— Guess we can only hope someone from the fired VFX team spills the tea now. 🐶
— Fired VFX team, where are you?? @TheVFXTeamFiredByShenXiu
As the internet continued to blow up with rumors and speculation, Yu Shaoyuan soon came across the trending hashtags himself.
But when Yu Shaoyuan remembered what Jin Can had mentioned before they left—that K Corp’s legal department was involved—and the NDA he had previously signed, his expression turned even uglier.
He wanted to leak spoilers and expose details about New Life, but he was genuinely afraid of being sued. A lawsuit was one thing—if they dug deeper and found anything else on him, and he ended up being charged, his entire future could go down the drain.
So, Yu Shaoyuan could only grit his teeth and stay silent.
—
The closest public transport stop to the K Corp Twin Towers wasn’t a bus stop, but a subway station.
Shen Xiu first took a bus, then transferred to the subway. After exiting the station, he walked a bit further on foot before finally arriving at the base of the K Corp Twin Towers.
Standing beneath the towering building, Shen Xiu’s gaze fell on the entrance. His mind couldn’t help but recall the last time he was here during the floor-to-floor studio sweep—when Qin Mo’s assistant, Li Nuo, came down to meet them.
Back then, Li Nuo’s keycard had triggered the door to open while it was still some distance away from the reader.
At the time, Shen Xiu thought it was just an overly sensitive sensor and didn’t think much of it.
But now…
Once suspicion took root in his mind, Shen Xiu found it impossible to stop his thoughts—or actions. He had to verify it, or he wouldn’t be able to let it go.
The security guards outside K Corp headquarters: “……”
Were they seeing things? Was the rumored ‘Crown Prince’ actually walking toward them?
Even though he was wearing a mask and a baseball cap—and had only shown up here once before during their shift—Shen Xiu’s presence, figure, and aura were unforgettable to anyone who had seen him even once.
As he approached the building’s entrance, Shen Xiu was internally conflicted. His eyes darted in every direction, ears alert, multitasking with extreme focus.
On one hand, he thought he was being delusional—paranoid even. On the other, since he was already here, he figured he might as well give it a try.
After all… the security guards weren’t stopping him. If he didn’t try, it’d be a wasted trip!
There were four security guards at the entrance, two at the front desk, and another four in the main lobby. In this kind of situation, even if he failed to get through, Shen Xiu would only embarrass himself in front of ten people.
Besides, he was wearing a mask and a baseball cap—so even if he did embarrass himself, none of them would see what he actually looked like.
Reassuring himself with that logic, Shen Xiu slowly approached the iris scanner at the entrance, all while nervously observing the security guards’ movements.
Good. Just three steps away from the scanner and the guards still hadn’t—
Beep—
Shen Xiu hadn’t even finished his internal monologue when the scanner let out a beep and the gate unlocked.
Shen Xiu: “……”
Stay calm. It’s not a big deal. The system had used his name before to register his iris—it’s explainable.
Expression frozen, Shen Xiu forced himself to walk through the gate, doing everything he could to avoid eye contact with the two receptionists. He had no idea how to explain why he was here, and he didn’t want them to ask.
Receptionists: “……”
What do we do?! The ‘Crown Prince’ is here again—and by himself! He didn’t call Assistant Qin, and he’s wearing a mask and a cap. Does he want us to recognize him? Or not recognize him??
Unable to make sense of Shen Xiu’s intentions, the receptionists awkwardly stayed put, not daring to make a move.
Since Shen Xiu had been here once before, he already knew where the elevators were. Seeing that the front desk staff weren’t coming over to stop him, he made a guilty, almost panicked beeline for the elevator area.
At the elevator bank, Shen Xiu noticed all the elevators were in use—except for the one at the far end, which was idle on the first floor.
Shen Xiu naturally walked toward the elevator at the far end—the only one not currently in use.
Just as he stood in front of it, before he even had a chance to reach out and press the button, the scanner beside the elevator detected his iris and the doors slid open automatically.
Shen Xiu: “?”
Are elevators this smart nowadays? Do they open just by sensing someone loitering nearby?
Momentarily stunned, Shen Xiu paused for a second before stepping inside.
As soon as he entered, the elevator doors quietly began to close on their own.
Right as the doors sealed shut and Shen Xiu was still hesitating over which floor to press, the button for 68 lit up on its own.
Seeing that number, Shen Xiu only felt an overwhelming sense of good fortune coming his way.
At the same time, the front desk receptionist finally recovered a few seconds after Shen Xiu left and quickly picked up her phone to send a message in the group chat.
[K Corp Internal Gossip Group 8]
Lilith: Oh my god, the crown prince just came to the company! @everyone
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