Chapter 102: Evidence

Page (1/3)

Entertainment All Around Without Interruptions
Story Timeline: June to October, 2006
Recommended Song: ke11ynet — breaka>
Disclaimer: This story is purely fictional. Please do not take it personally. Any resemblance is purely coincidental!

Turning on the video recorder, Li Ran, Jiang Ziyi, Kwon Ji-yong, Lee Hyori, and Kim Jaejoong were scattered around Jiang Yihan. They drew the curtains, and the whole room was enveloped in a subtle darkness.

The first five minutes of the footage showed typical lounge scenes. After a while, Jiang Yihan appeared on screen, then collided with Ryu Seonbong. At that time, Jiang Yihan was looking down, and from the footage, it seemed Ryu Seonbong might have deliberately bumped into him first. For nearly ten minutes afterward, Ryu Seonbong kept swearing aggressively, while Jiang Yihan stood still. The expressions of those around were somewhat intriguing. A few staff members in the distant corner tried to intervene but were stopped by someone resembling PD Lee. The person blocking whispered to the staff a few times, and they retreated.

Then came a tense standoff between the two, followed by Ryu Seonbong initiating physical contact. Jiang Yihan used momentum to make Ryu Seonbong fall to the ground. Just as Ryu Seonbong was about to strike again, Li Ran grabbed his hand. Eventually, Ryu Seonbong left in a humiliating state.

The entire sequence lasted almost thirteen minutes, capturing the day’s events completely and authentically.

Upon seeing this, the room fell into silence. Jiang Yihan’s mind went blank—he couldn’t think, nor did he want to. His heart pounded violently, and a strange impulse urged him to shout out loud, to release some of his pent-up emotions. Even as he tried to control himself, his body trembled slightly.

Jiang Ziyi could no longer hold back and quietly wept. Kwon Ji-yong, visibly moved, held Jiang Ziyi, comforting her and himself, striving to remain calm. Lee Hyori and Kim Jaejoong turned away, wiping their uncontrollable tears. They had waited so long for this video, for this proof of innocence. Jiang Yihan had waited far too long.

Li Ran’s lips did not move, but he trembled gently as tears streamed down his cheeks. Wiping the unstoppable tears, he whispered, “Lazy Cat, trust me. I will restore your innocence.”

Li Ran stood and pulled open the curtains. The slightly blinding sunlight filled the entire room. One by one, they lifted their heads to face the bright light, dispelling the earlier gloom. Jiang Yihan gazed at the radiant sun and exhaled deeply.

Although this tape was the most direct and truthful evidence, the public opinion against Jiang Yihan had been overwhelming. Initially, there was no way to clarify because Ryu Seonbong’s first statement couldn’t be disproven, and subsequent accusations were accepted as truth due to preconceived notions. Now that the first statement could be proven false, Li Ran had to find evidence to refute each following claim, clearing Jiang Yihan’s name. But these efforts had to be swift, airtight, and leave no room for the opposition to prepare or retaliate.

After organizing his thoughts, Li Ran rushed to the company to meet with Li Tong.

Once the initial excitement faded, calm and careful planning were essential. They needed to overturn everything in one go. Everyone dispersed; Kwon Ji-yong, Kim Jaejoong, and Lee Hyori had their own schedules to attend to, while Jiang Yihan went to meet someone—Han Geng.

Their meeting was unpretentious, held at a café in Gangnam. Both wore caps and sunglasses to keep a low profile.

“Han Geng, I really don’t know what to say this time,” Jiang Yihan smiled at him. Though excited inside, he had calmed down. The matter was far from resolved; this was just the first step.

Page (2/3)

“Yihan, if you’re so formal with me, I might get offended,” Han Geng said with a smile, sipping his coffee. “I was worried about you when I saw what you went through. Honestly, as an outsider, I didn’t know how to help, let alone you, who were right in the middle of it. I always wanted to do something for you but felt powerless because I’m part of the vulnerable group too. Being able to help this time makes me happier than you. Every previous meeting, you comforted and helped me; now I finally get to do something for you, and it thrills me.”

“But won’t your company find out about this? If they do, you’ll be in danger,” Jiang Yihan asked anxiously.

“So far, the company hasn’t reacted. It seems no one has discovered the tape is missing,” Han Geng replied, also puzzled. “I covertly asked around, and the office where we hold meetings has no surveillance, so it’s unnecessary. They think it’s me who found the tape. That office sees hundreds of people daily, so there’s no reason to suspect me.”

“I’m still worried. I know how hard it’s been for you at the company. If they find out, who knows what consequences you’ll face,” Jiang Yihan sighed, unsure whether Han Geng’s help was a blessing or a curse.

“Yihan, you should worry about yourself, not me. Your problems aren’t fully resolved yet,” Han Geng chuckled. “Honestly, I don’t think they’ll discover it anytime soon. Our company is thriving lately; especially the groups managed by Cheng Shi are rising rapidly. The company is happy, and since you haven’t surfaced in any news, they’re more at ease. It’s been half a year. They can’t keep watch on me constantly. I guess their vigilance towards you has waned, so they haven’t checked the tapes or found them missing until now.”

“You make a good point. It’s been half a year, and they probably aren’t as focused on me anymore,” Jiang Yihan smiled. “But you still must be careful. If you get caught helping me, it won’t be worth it.”

“Don’t worry,” Han Geng said with a grin. “By the time you release the tape, it will be long past. Suspicion will have grown so much that tracing it back to anyone will be impossible. So from what I see, I’m quite safe.”

“Hearing you say that makes sense, but better safe than sorry. Stay cautious,” Jiang Yihan warned, still uneasy.

Jiang Yihan never expressed his gratitude to Han Geng. A simple “thank you” would never suffice. One day, he vowed, he would truly repay Han Geng’s kindness. For Han Geng, seeing Jiang Yihan’s relaxed smile and his return to his cheerful, sunny self was the greatest comfort.

While Jiang Yihan and Han Geng’s conversation went well, let’s turn to Li Ran and Li Tong’s efforts.

Next was Lee Nam-kwi. Since Lee Nam-kwi’s statements carried personal bias, proving their falsehood was impossible. The simplest evidence proving Jiang Yihan’s earnest participation in programs was the best support. Finding the tape wasn’t difficult; the challenge was how to retrieve or copy it. Bribery was the fastest and easiest way. After bribing the archive staff, Li Ran successfully obtained a copy. Then, Li Ran went to the hospital where Jiang Yihan was treated for injuries and obtained a medical certificate. The first piece of evidence was complete.

PD Lee posed a greater challenge since he spoke in a personal capacity. To disprove his words required not only staff testimony but also more direct and concrete evidence. Li Ran sought KBS staff willing to help but couldn’t reveal they already possessed the most direct evidence. Convincing them to support the currently disadvantaged Jiang Yihan was difficult. Meanwhile, Li Tong used connections to request a prosecutor’s investigation into PD Lee’s personal assets—a tough endeavor since ABC Company had no bribery records involving PD Lee, thus no direct evidence to prompt investigation. Finding evidence against PD Lee was obstructed.

Though facing obstacles, evidence gathering had to continue, as Li Ran and Li Tong’s moves might alert the opposition. Next was the statement by Lin Erxiang, which was easier. They found direct testimony from Cheng Yu and other trainees. Yet, since these were ABC Company trainees, their testimony’s credibility might be questioned. Ultimately, Li Ran and Li Tong decided to talk to Lin Erxiang himself. But approaching Lin Erxiang directly was risky. Just as they were troubled, Cheng Yu volunteered: “I’m fairly close with Brother Erxiang. Let me test the waters and see how he responds before we decide whether to talk to him. That way, we won’t expose ourselves.” This was the best solution, so Cheng Yu took on the task.

The troublesome reporter was easily handled. When Li Ran sought information on him, his criminal record was enough to discredit him. The number of artist complaints he’d received could outweigh all other reporters combined. His reputation was dubious; people had blindly believed him due to trends. Now, seeing his true nature clearly wasn’t difficult.

Then came the so-called Sister Yin. Li Ran and Li Tong didn’t know how to proceed, lacking any connection to her. This problem, like PD Lee’s, was blocked.

After much thought, Li Tong finally made a call. “Hello, Boss Jiang? … Yes, this is Li Tong. I have something to ask for your help… Yes! It’s about him… Alright, we’ll meet and talk.” The brief conversation caught Li Ran’s attention.

“Who is it?” he asked.

“A major boss, much more capable than we are. Let’s see if he can help,” Li Tong roughly explained.

Li Ran still felt something was off but gave up since it wasn’t urgent. Li Tong sought help while Li Ran focused on gathering other evidence: Jiang Yihan’s financial innocence, proof of his smooth debut, and that he achieved his place through hard work. Of course, the last piece was Li Yimei.

When Li Ran found Li Yimei, his expression was still grim. Hesitating, Li Yimei spoke first, “Li Ran, what do you want with me?”

Looking at her, Li Ran sighed, “I will never forgive you for hurting Lazy Cat. Frankly, I hope never to see you again. But now there’s a chance for you to help him, so I came. What do you say?”

“I’m willing, of course,” Li Yimei’s expression grew urgent. But seeing Li Ran’s cold face, she sat back down. “I know it’s all my fault. I hurt Yihan. I know what’s done can’t be undone, but I still hope to earn his forgiveness.”

“If you want to make amends, help him. Clear up the real reason you broke up. You know how nasty the press was when they found out you were his girlfriend—how they slandered him. You caused it; only you can fix it,” Li Ran said flatly.

Li Yimei froze. Admitting in public that the breakup was due to her fickleness was not easy for any woman. Yet...

“Why did you casually tell people you two dated? You knew how bad Yihan’s situation was. Why couldn’t you keep your mouth shut? He wanted to go public before but you didn’t allow it. Yet, when you broke up, at his most dangerous moment, you stepped forward to push him further. Why?” Li Ran’s words stabbed into Li Yimei like a knife.

Time seemed to freeze. Finally, Li Yimei spoke with difficulty, “Back then, Cheng Shi approached me, saying Yihan was in danger. If I came forward admitting we dated, the media would portray Jiang Yihan as a gentle and caring boyfriend, restoring some of his image. I thought about it but feared it might backfire, so I refused. That video was secretly filmed then. I never expected the secret footage to have such an effect, nor that the outcome would be this.”

Only a fool like Li Ran could find no better word to describe his frustration. Naturally, after Li Yimei’s announcement, Cheng Shi conspired with some media to slander Jiang Yihan. Once one outlet had the story, others followed, creating an irreversible situation.

Looking at the deeply regretful Li Yimei, Li Ran showed no sympathy, only coldness. “Admit your fault publicly. Admit your fickleness caused the breakup. It’s hard for you but necessary for me and owed to Lazy Cat. Even if you help now, you’ll owe him for life. Whether you help or not is up to you; I won’t force you.”

With that, Li Ran strode away. Watching his indifferent back, the tears Li Yimei had long suppressed finally burst forth.