Chapter 336: I’m Tired, Let’s Just Destroy Everything

Chapter 336: Chapter 336: I’m Tired, Let’s Just Destroy Everything

’If I remember correctly, ten years from now, when people investigated this maestro, they found out he had participated in a talent show in his early years. He successfully debuted, signed with a management agency, and was considered an industry insider. Later, for some unknown reason, he left the industry and became a behind-the-scenes maestro who only composed music for people online.’

Melody Lynch and Zane Lynch exchanged a look. She raised an eyebrow, as if to say, ’Your company has been hiding such a talent?’

Zane Lynch was speechless. ’I didn’t know either! Didn’t we just sign him?’

’It’s like panning for gold—you might find shit, or you might find real gold. It all comes down to luck, doesn’t it?’

’Joseph Hale’s existence proved his luck wasn’t half bad. Although he’d unfortunately dredged up a rat dropping like Joel Thorne, he’d also panned a piece of pure gold like him!’

’A top-tier, legendary composer was the kind of powerhouse employee every boss dreamed of. If managed well, not only would he himself make a fortune, but all the singers in the company would have it made.’

However, Zane Lynch soon discovered that he had celebrated too soon.

’Following that thread, it wasn’t long before someone leaked the real story. The maestro had left the industry because shortly after signing with his agency, he’d followed company arrangements and joined a slice-of-life variety show with other trainees from his season.’

’On that show, due to the production team’s negligence, a fan of another vocalist in the group poisoned Joseph Hale’s drink. It destroyed his vocal cords, and he was never able to sing again.’

Zane Lynch: "?!?!"

Melody Lynch’s eyes widened in surprise as well. She turned to Zane Lynch, her gaze asking, ’Did this really happen?’

’Following company arrangements? The company he’s signed with now... isn’t that my brother’s company?’

’If something like that really happened, and ten years later he makes a comeback as an industry titan thanks to his composing talent... Well, whether my brother’s company will even exist by then is a whole other question. But if it does, and this story gets dug up, won’t the company—and my brother along with it—get absolutely buried by public outrage?’

Zane Lynch was stunned. With trembling hands, he pulled out his phone and sent a message to the head of the Planning Department.

Zane: Have we arranged any work for the five new artists we just signed?

The head of the Planning Department just figured the boss was taking a keen interest in these five new budding talents. He felt more and more that the career plans he’d spent the last two days drafting for them were a work of sheer foresight.

Planning Dept: The company has arranged a slice-of-life variety show for them. They should be joining the production in about a week.

Zane Lynch was speechless. ’Well, no need to guess anymore. The unlucky boss who was just one step away from striking it rich is me!’

Zane: Put the variety show on hold. I’ll contact you later.

While Zane Lynch was filled with grief, indignation, and lingering fear, Arabella Donovan, who was before him, had clearly realized the same thing.

’That "following company arrangements"... the company this maestro is signed with now is my cousin’s, isn’t it? Ten years from now, when fans who love his music find out the truth, they’ll be filled with rage. They’ll grab their keyboards, ready to flame the company that signed the maestro back then but failed to protect his voice.’

’But when they’re ready for war, they’ll look around, bewildered, only to find the company went bankrupt and was liquidated years ago. It will have already been restructured and become someone else’s company. In other words, my cousin’s company is going to go bankrupt in a few years? That’s just too tragic.’

Zane Lynch: "!!!" ’I’m so done. Let the world burn!’

Melody Lynch: *Pfft...* For a moment, she didn’t know whether she should feel relieved or sympathetic.

’No, wait. According to the original plot, my cousin’s company was supposed to be driven to bankruptcy by Cassandra Lynch and Ian Jennings anyway. This is just a minor episode along the way. I guess it all lines up, in a fated sort of way.’

’Cassandra Lynch, huh? Ian Jennings? I’ll remember you two. Just you wait!’

’But then again, while the people at my cousin’s company were indeed negligent for not protecting their artist from harm on the job, it’s actually a bit unfair to put all the blame on them.’

Zane Lynch wanted to nod his head like a bobblehead in agreement with Arabella Donovan’s words.

’Exactly! Who could have ever predicted that a fan would be so vicious? That they’d specifically infiltrate a production team to poison one of the artists on the show?’

’If you were really assigning blame, the fan would be the main culprit. The company and the production team would only have secondary liability, and the production team’s share of the blame should definitely be greater than the company’s!’

’So how did those other parties conveniently fade into the background, leaving only his company to take the fall? While it might not be a complete injustice, it’s still pretty damn tragic, isn’t it?’

’The fan who did the poisoning was supposedly arrested right away, and she confessed to everything. She said she poisoned Joseph Hale because she was indignant that he had stolen her idol’s position as main vocalist. In her mind, Joseph Hale wasn’t as handsome or popular, and he only got the spot because of his good voice and singing skills, forcing her idol to be his backup.’

’So, she decided to ruin Joseph Hale’s voice with poison so he could never sing again. That way, her idol could take back what was rightfully his and successfully become the group’s main vocalist.’

At that, the silence between the Lynch siblings and Arabella Donovan herself was deafening.

Having a good voice and good singing skills... shouldn’t that be exactly why someone *is* the main vocalist?

What was that about ’not as handsome or popular as her idol’? It was as if she thought all you needed to be the main vocalist was a pretty face. That elementary-school-level logic was just absurd.

Of course, it was later confirmed that the fan was indeed a girl of thirteen or fourteen, so it wasn’t wrong to say she had the logic and mindset of a grade-schooler.

’And just because the perpetrator was so young, even though she was arrogant and admitted to everything, she couldn’t be held criminally responsible. Her parents were just told to take her home and discipline her, and they paid some compensation to the victim to settle the matter.’

’But what good was any amount of compensation at that point? Poor Joseph Hale... with that voice, that technique, and his talent for original composition, he had the potential to become a superstar. But his career was brutally snuffed out in its infancy.’

"!!!" ’Don’t say any more, please! My blood pressure is skyrocketing! My heart is bleeding, and no one even knows!’

’Wait a minute... a vocalist from the same group, at the same company, on the same variety show...’

As if realizing something, Arabella Donovan flipped back through the files on the other artists. She finally stopped when she reached a certain one.

’Of course it was you, Joel Thorne.’

The Lynch Siblings: "!!!"

’Fuck, after all that, it was a fan of that bastard! "Like idol, like fan." The saying is true!’

’I’m not trying to be a conspiracy theorist, but how could this have happened so coincidentally? Could it be that Joel Thorne, or the two people behind him, realized early on that Joseph Hale had the potential to be a huge star? And with an "if I can’t have him, I’ll destroy him" mindset, they deliberately orchestrated this whole thing to eliminate the threat in advance? I have to say, you people are truly vicious when you start scheming!’

"!!!" ’Where’s my knife? Where is my KNIFE! The me in that "original plot" must have been a blind idiot to actually let that one rat dropping ruin my entire pot of porridge.’

Zane Lynch was so furious his eyes were practically shooting fire and smoke was coming out of his ears. He wished he could rush over right now and execute that certain someone and the masterminds behind him on the spot, then atone for his own failures by taking his own life.

’I can’t take another second of this crap! Let’s all just go down in flames together!’