129: Chapter 129 The Truth Behind Jessica Jung's Injury

Sky Entertainment headquarters, top-floor conference room. Heavy blackout curtains completely blocked out the afternoon sun; only a few cool-toned wall lamps were on inside, focusing the light on the center of the long conference table.

The air was filled with a near-solid heaviness, and even the faint hum of the central air conditioning vents seemed exceptionally distinct.

On both sides of the long table sat the current core members of Sky Entertainment.

On the left were the six members of T-ara: Captain Ham Eunjung had a calm expression, her hands folded on the table, her knuckles trembling slightly; Park So-yeon sat beside her, holding a pen, the cap turning unconsciously between her fingertips, her eyes sharp.

Lee Qri leaned against the back of her chair with a flat expression, but if one looked closely, one could see her tightly pursed lips; Park Hyomin kept her head down, her fingers twisted together; Jeon Boram and Park Ji-yeon sat at the very edge, one pale-faced, the other with brows furrowed, their youthful faces full of suppressed anger.

On the right were Girls Generation leader Kim Taeyeon and the urgently recalled head of the management team, Jang Se-hoon. Kim Taeyeon wore dark casual clothes today, no makeup, with obvious dark circles under her eyes, clearly having not rested well in the past few days.

She sat bolt upright, hands on her lap, fingers clenched tightly, nails almost digging into her palms. Jang Se-hoon had his brows locked in a deep frown, his notebook spread open in front of him, filled with dense handwriting.

The head seat was empty.

The conference room door was pushed open, and Song Tianhao walked in.

He was wearing a black suit without a tie, the top two buttons of his white shirt undone. His expression was very calm, so calm that almost no emotion could be seen, but the chill emanating from his eyes seemed to lower the temperature in the conference room by several degrees.

Behind him followed Seohyun and Park So-yeon. Seohyun was holding a thick folder, while Park So-yeon held a tablet.

"CEO." Everyone stood up one after another.

Song Tianhao waved his hand, signaling everyone to sit down. He walked to the head seat and did not sit down immediately, but instead supported himself on the table with both hands, his gaze slowly sweeping over everyone present.

"Everyone is here." His voice was not loud, but every word reached everyone's ears clearly. "Today's meeting is only about one thing: the truth behind Jessica Jung's injury."

You could hear a pin drop in the conference room.

Song Tianhao glanced at Seohyun. Seohyun took a deep breath, stood up, walked to the small projector in front of the conference table, and opened the folder in her hand.

"According to the instructions of CEO Oppa, Park So-yeon unnie and I have conducted a comprehensive investigation into the accident over the past seventy-two hours." Seohyun's voice was a bit tense, but she tried to maintain composure and professionalism.

She projected the first page of a document onto the screen; it was a photo of a middle-aged man with an ordinary face and slightly shifty eyes.

"This person is surnamed Kim, forty-two years old, a professional backup dancer with over fifteen years of experience. He has collaborated with many entertainment companies, has a decent reputation, and no negative records."

Seohyun pointed at the photo with a laser pointer. "He was one of the backup dancers for the encore stage of 'Inkigayo' that day, positioned about three meters diagonally behind Jessica. When the accident happened, it was he who collided with her."

The screen switched to several stage positioning maps and surveillance screenshots. Although blurry, one could clearly see the backup dancer surnamed Kim change his planned route at a certain moment, accelerating into Jessica who was retreating.

"The police's initial conclusion was an accidental collision caused by the crowded stage." Seohyun paused, looked at Song Tianhao, and after receiving a slight nod, she continued, "But through some channels, we contacted this Mr. Kim."

"Yesterday afternoon, he voluntarily admitted to us that three days before the performance, someone contacted him via an anonymous number and arranged to meet at a remote cafe in Gangnam District."

"The other party gave him a thick envelope containing fifty million won in cash and made a request: during a specific movement on the encore stage, 'create a small accident, preferably making Jessica Jung sprain her foot, so she has to rest for a month or two'."

"Gasp—!"

Several suppressed exclamations rang out in the conference room. Ham Eunjung sat up abruptly, Kim Taeyeon's hands clenched tighter, her nails almost digging into her flesh. Jang Se-hoon's face turned livid.

"He said the other party promised it was just a prank and wouldn't cause serious injury, and there would be a final payment after the job was done. He urgently needed money for his mother's surgery at the time, so he... was blinded by greed and agreed."

A trace of imperceptible anger entered Seohyun's voice. "He thought it would be a minor sprain at most, but he didn't expect the stage to be slippery, and with Jessica wearing high heels, plus him using too much force in his nervousness..."

The screen switched to a waveform of an audio file. Seohyun looked at Song Tianhao.

Song Tianhao nodded.

Seohyun pressed the play button.

A middle-aged man's voice, filled with tears, fear, and remorse, came from the speakers: "...I really didn't know it would turn out like this! I really didn't! That person said it was just a joke, to let Jessica Jung xi rest for a few days... My mother's surgery was waiting for money, I... I was confused for a moment! Please, let me go, I know I was wrong, I really know I was wrong! I'm willing to testify, I'm willing to tell everything I know!"

The recording was not long, but the despair and fear of the man in it almost overflowed from the speakers, making everyone's faces turn exceptionally ugly.

"He took the money but didn't know who the person who contacted him was. The person wore a hat and mask the whole time, and their voice was processed."

Seohyun turned off the recording and switched pages. A complex capital flow chart appeared on the screen. "We traced the anonymous account he provided; the funds came from overseas, passed through four layers of shell companies, and finally were deposited into his designated account. On the surface, it was almost untraceable."

The conference room was deathly silent, with only the faint whirring of the projector fan.

At this moment, Park So-yeon stepped forward and took over from Seohyun. Her voice was calmer than Seohyun's and colder, like a blade quenched in ice:

"Almost untraceable, but not completely. Through some... special connections and channels, I conducted a penetration analysis of the controlling parties of these shell companies."

She operated the tablet, and the chart on the screen became more complex, with arrows pointing to the final few nodes. "One of the offshore companies registered in the British Virgin Islands has a faint shadow behind it pointing to a person in charge of an investment company under CJ Group."

"And this investment company has close ties to CJ Entertainment's daily operations and artist management business."

She fixed the red dot of the laser pointer on a name circled with emphasis at the bottom of the chart.

"This person is one of Chairman Lee Jae-hyun's confidants, responsible for some of CJ Entertainment's overseas investments and special affairs."

Park So-yeon's gaze swept over everyone and finally landed on Song Tianhao's face. "President, although there is no one-hundred-percent direct chain of evidence, combining all the information, the direction is very clear."

"This was not an accident; it was a man-made act of malicious harm targeting Jessica, or rather, targeting our Sky Entertainment. The mastermind is highly likely CJ Entertainment, or rather, it was instigated by Lee Jae-hyun."

"Bang!"

A muffled sound. It was Ham Eunjung slamming her fist on the table. This T-ara captain, who was usually gentle and steady, was now livid, her chest heaving violently, and her eyes looking like they were about to spray fire. Park Ji-yeon's eyes were red, and she bit her lip hard to keep from cursing out loud.

Kim Taeyeon closed her eyes, her shoulders trembling slightly. Jang Se-hoon let out a long breath, his fists clenching until they creaked.

"There's more." Park So-yeon continued, her voice filled with cold sarcasm. "Just as we started our in-depth investigation, some discordant voices began to appear online. They are mainly concentrated under these forums and social media topics."

She switched pages, and several screenshots of online post titles appeared on the screen:

"Breaking News! Girls Generation main vocalist Jessica Jung seriously injured, may permanently retire from the stage!"

"Sky Entertainment expanding too fast, is internal mismanagement the culprit behind the accident?"

"From T-ara to Girls Generation, frequent accidents in Sky Family, who will guarantee idol safety?"

"Exclusive Analysis: If Jessica Jung retires, Girls Generation will exist in name only, Sky Entertainment's girl group strategy suffers a heavy blow!"

The comments under the posts were mostly sarcastic. Seemingly "rational analysis," but actually constantly pointing the finger at Sky Entertainment's management issues and the pessimistic theory that Jessica Jung might retire. There were obvious traces of internet trolls setting the narrative.

"The heat is rising very fast, and several so-called 'industry insiders' have leaked information, implying in their words that it was our company's internal scheduling error that caused the stage accident."

Park So-yeon turned off the projector, and the room was once again enveloped in the cool-toned wall lamp light. "The timing is too coincidental. The accident just happened, the investigation hasn't concluded, and this highly guided negative public opinion has appeared on a large scale. If there is no pusher behind this, I don't believe it."

The conference room fell into silence again, but in this silence, suppressed anger burned.

From sadness and worry, to anger upon learning it might be an accident, and then to the cold murderous intent of confirming it was a conspiracy—the emotions completed a triple jump in just over ten minutes.

Song Tianhao had been standing there, not speaking, just listening quietly. His expression didn't change at all, but the chill in his eyes was already too thick to melt. Only after Park So-yeon finished speaking did he slowly straighten up, his gaze sweeping over every face present again.

"Did you all hear clearly?" His voice was calm, but it hit everyone's heart like a heavy hammer.

Everyone nodded, their eyes filled with shared hatred.

"Good." Song Tianhao sat down, hands crossed on the table, posture relaxed, but the words he said were stronger than the last. "Then, I will state the upcoming arrangements."

"First, on the legal level. Sehun, you follow up personally and contact the best criminal lawyer team in Seoul."

He looked at Jang Se-hoon, "That person surnamed Kim won't be able to escape the charge of intentional injury. I want him to pay the price he deserves. Furthermore, I want him to act as a cooperating witness and tell everything he knows in court and in front of the media, exactly as it happened."

"Additionally, in the name of Sky Entertainment, formally report this to the Prosecutors' Office. Accuse someone of deliberately causing an accident to endanger the safety of our artists, and submit all the clues we currently possess, demanding an investigation. As for public opinion, you can appropriately leak some information, but be careful with the method. Do not directly name CJ Entertainment for the time being."

Jang Se-hoon immediately recorded this in his notebook and nodded vigorously: "Understood, President. I have already contacted two lawyers from the legal team; both are prominent attorneys who have handled criminal cases related to artists. We can meet this afternoon."

"Second, counter-measures in public opinion." Song Tianhao looked at Park So-yeon and Seohyun. "So-yeon, you are in charge of coordination. Contact the media outlets with good relationships with us and release the news that Jessica's condition is stable and she is recovering well, emphasizing her resilience and the support of her fans."

"Find a few influential entertainment industry commentators to write a few analytical articles. Focus on angles like 'vicious competition,' 'industry cancer,' and 'disregard for artists' personal safety.' You don't need to name names, but make sure the readers can guess who it is."

"Seohyun, assist So-yeon. Use your resources to dig deep into the accounts that are most effective at stirring up trouble and the potential troll farms behind them. Secure the evidence."

"Additionally, contact S.M. Entertainment. CEO Kim Young-min should be quite willing to 'speak up for justice' at this time, after all, Girls Generation is still nominally S.M. Entertainment's artist. Remember, our tone is 'victims seeking justice,' not a shrew screaming in the street."

"Yes, President." Park So-yeon and Seohyun replied in unison.

"Third, internal security." Song Tianhao's gaze fell on Taeyeon and Eunjung. "Taeyeon, Eunjung, go back and convey this to all members."

"Starting today, for all core artists, including all members of T-ara and Girls Generation, as well as key artists joining the company in the future, the security level for all public schedules will be raised to the highest."

"I will have the security department reformulate the plan, increase the number of accompanying bodyguards, and raise the confidentiality level of schedules. When necessary, equip them with anti-stalking and anti-paparazzi devices. All private schedules must also be reported to the manager, and it is recommended to have security. The company will cover all costs."

He paused, his tone becoming heavier: "It's not just the artists themselves. For all of your immediate family members—parents, siblings—arrange basic security patrols and emergency contact channels for their residences and frequently visited locations. The company will also cover these costs. It's better to be safe than sorry."

This statement sent a shock through everyone present. Providing high-level security for artists was understandable, but considering their families and arranging protection for them as well—this level of generosity and meticulousness far exceeded the scope of a typical entertainment company.

This was not just a matter of money; it was an attitude—a tough stance that truly regarded the artists under their banner as family and would not allow anyone to touch their bottom line.

Eunjung took a deep breath and said solemnly: "Thank you, President. I will convey this to everyone." Taeyeon also nodded vigorously, her eyes slightly red, but her gaze had become firm.

"Finally," Song Tianhao leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp as a knife, slowly sweeping across everyone. His voice was not loud, but it carried a resolute force. "This matter is aimed at me, Song Tianhao; it is aimed at our Sky Entertainment."

"Since they can't touch me, they target my people, using such despicable methods to try to strike at me, at us."

"They chose the wrong person and miscalculated." He hooked the corner of his mouth into a cold arc, a smile devoid of any warmth. "Jessica was implicated and made to suffer, and everyone was made to feel scared. This is my responsibility. Here, I apologize to you all."

As he said this, he actually bowed his head slightly in gesture.

"President!" Everyone spoke up in a hurry, and Eunjung and Taeyeon even stood up directly.

Song Tianhao raised his hand to stop them. He lifted his head again, the coldness in his eyes replaced by something even deeper and more chilling.

"If apologies were useful, what would we need the police for?" He said calmly, quoting a very old line, but at this moment, it carried an unquestionable sense of finality. "So, an apology alone is not enough. This matter must have a resolution."

"I will give Jessica a resolution, give Girls Generation a resolution, give T-ara a resolution, and give everyone who trusts and follows me a clear and unequivocal resolution."

"Since they started this, they shouldn't think they can end it easily."

The meeting ended in a grim atmosphere of shared hatred against the enemy. Everyone left the conference room one after another to attend to the tasks assigned by Song Tianhao. Everyone's face wore a solemn expression, but in their eyes was a sense of fighting spirit and cohesion that had been ignited. External threats sometimes can make a group unite more tightly than any slogan.

Soon, only Song Tianhao and Park So-yeon remained in the conference room.

Song Tianhao walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the slightly grey afternoon sky of Seoul outside. With skyscrapers standing tall and traffic flowing like a loom, the city looked prosperous and calm, but the undercurrents beneath it were turbulent; only those who were in it could truly understand.

Park So-yeon walked gently to a spot half a step behind him and stopped. She looked at Song Tianhao's tall and straight back, which seemed to contain a storm, and spoke in a low voice, with a hint of caution in her tone:

"President, the intensity and method of retaliation... we need to gauge the scale. Tearing off the mask directly might trigger a full-scale commercial war, and given CJ Entertainment's size..."

"They touched someone they shouldn't have." Song Tianhao interrupted her. His voice was not high, but it was like frozen steel—hard, cold, and without a shred of room for maneuver. "In this matter, there is no 'moderation,' there is no 'discretion.'"

He turned around, his gaze sharp as a knife, looking straight at Park So-yeon: "They dare to use such low-class methods to touch my people, so they must be prepared to bear my wrath. Commercial competition? Fine. Poaching, public opinion, scheduling—bring it on. But reaching their hands onto the stage and using the safety and future of artists as chips?"

He sneered, and the chill in that laughter made Park So-yeon's heart tremble.

"They crossed the line. Since they didn't play by the rules first, don't blame me for flipping the table."

Park So-yeon took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in her heart, and asked in a low voice: "President, what do you mean?"

Song Tianhao walked to the conference table and tapped his finger on the name of the CJ Entertainment executive that Park So-yeon had just circled:

"Contact our 'friends' inside CJ Entertainment. Get all the materials you can find on every project this 'confidant of Chairman Lee' has handled in the last three years, especially the ones that aren't very clean and involve grey areas. No matter what method you use, get them to my desk as soon as possible."

"Also," he picked up his suit jacket and put it on while speaking. His tone had returned to calm, but the undercurrents hidden beneath that calm were even more terrifying. "Help me arrange a meeting with that Managing Director Lee who is in charge of the entertainment business at S Group."

"The sooner the better, let him decide the location. Be polite, but make sure to convey my sincerity. I want to talk to him about the topic of 'regulating industry competition and building a healthy ecosystem together.' Chairman Lee Jae-hyun likes to hide in the back and play dirty, so I'll find someone willing to come to the front and play something big with him."

S Group, the true behemoth of South Korea, is an old rival of CJ Group in many fields. Although the entertainment industry is only a small part of its massive business empire, its resources and influence are incomparable to ordinary entertainment companies. Song Tianhao is planning to use leverage to fight, or perhaps... join forces?

Park So-yeon instantly understood Song Tianhao's intention. This was not a simple retaliation; this was an opportunity to completely change the rules of the game, and perhaps even drag CJ Entertainment into a more dangerous battlefield.

She looked at Song Tianhao's calm profile. While feeling a sense of awe, an indescribable excitement surged within her.

This was the Song Tianhao she knew. He could be gentle and composed usually, but once his bottom line was touched, his counterattack would be thunderous and relentless, to the death.

"Yes, President. I will handle it immediately." Park So-yeon accepted without hesitation and quickly recorded the key points on her tablet.

Song Tianhao straightened his jacket and picked up the thick document on the table that Park So-yeon had prepared, with the word "Top Secret" printed on the cover. It was a preliminary summary of materials regarding certain issues of CJ Entertainment. He walked to the door, grabbed the doorknob, and paused.

"Also," he said without turning back, his voice coming through steadily, "the new project I mentioned to you earlier, the one prepared for Tiffany, speed up the preparation progress. The concept can be sharper, and the resources should be skewed to the maximum. As for the name... I've decided on it."

Park So-yeon looked up.

Song Tianhao pushed open the door of the conference room. The slight gentleness he had brought from the hospital in the morning had long since disappeared, replaced by a cold and resolute aura. The sunlight slanted in from the corridor window, casting a long shadow behind him.

"Let's call it 'Rebirth'."

As the words fell, he stepped out, and his figure soon disappeared around the corner of the corridor.

Park So-yeon stood alone in the empty conference room, the two words still echoing in her ears.

"Rebirth."

This was not just an opportunity for Tiffany, a brand new beginning.

Perhaps this was also a promise to Jessica, who was currently lying in a hospital bed, enduring pain.

It was the clearest signal to the entire Sky Family, which had been forced to unite and forced to become strong amidst conspiracies and malice.

Reborn from the ashes, counterattacking in the thunder.

She gripped the tablet in her hand, her eyes becoming incomparably firm. Turning around, she walked quickly toward her office, the sound of her high heels clicking on the marble floor—crisp, rapid, and full of power.

And that whistleblowing material, which lay quietly on the conference table with "Top Secret" printed on the cover, shimmered with a cold luster at its edges under the light filtering in from outside the window.