58: Chapter 58 Attacked from behind

"Th-this is..." Jessica Jung's voice trembled uncontrollably. She stared fixedly at the last photo on the camera screen, her face as pale as paper.

As an idol, she was all too familiar with these kinds of paparazzi shots. She also knew that if photos like these were leaked, accompanied by groundless speculation, they would cause a devastating blow to Song Tianhao, to Park Hyomin, to the entire T-ara, and even to Girls Generation!

Especially the last one—the atmosphere, the angle... even if they jumped into the Yellow River, they wouldn't be able to wash themselves clean!

Park So-yeon felt her whole body go cold; a chill crawled up her spine.

It wasn't that she hadn't considered the possibility of being secretly photographed, but she hadn't expected it to happen at a time like this, and in such a way!

This person hadn't just secretly photographed them; he had broken in illegally!

What did he want? Extortion? To destroy them? Or...

Im Yoona bit her lower lip, her body also trembling slightly, but her gaze was fixed intently on the camera's model label, as if she were trying hard to recall something.

Just then, an extremely faint, seemingly suppressed intake of breath came from the deeper shadows of the utility room.

"Hiss... huff..."

The sound was very light, almost covered by the sound of the wind and rain outside, but in this moment of extreme mental tension and deathly silence, it was as clear as if it had sounded right in their ears!

The four of them froze instantly; it felt as if their blood had frozen at that very moment.

Song Tianhao raised his hand sharply, signaling everyone to be quiet, while simultaneously slowly turning off the high-intensity flashlight in his hand.

Im Yoona reacted quickly as well, immediately turning off her phone screen.

Darkness instantly swallowed them.

Only through the broken window of the utility room did a flash of pale light occasionally enter when lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the vague outlines of the cluttered debris in the corner, before plunging back into deeper darkness.

"Hiss... huff..."

The sound rang out again, clearer than before, carrying a kind of painful, labored wheezing.

It came from the very back of the utility room, from behind a pile of debris covered by a dust sheet, the contents of which were unknown.

Song Tianhao held his breath and moved his feet silently, blocking the three women behind him.

His muscles tensed, and he entered a state of full alert.

He slowly raised his hand and turned the flashlight back on, but this time, he did not let the beam shine directly at the source of the sound. Instead, he shone it at the adjacent wall, using the weak reflected light to barely illuminate that area.

The dust sheet bulged in an unnatural shape; something seemed to be covered underneath, still rising and falling slightly.

Park So-yeon's heart was in her throat. She gripped Jessica Jung's arm tightly; both could feel the other's body trembling.

Im Yoona covered her mouth tightly, keeping even her breathing as light as possible.

Song Tianhao quietly picked up a heavy iron hook used for clearing drains from the iron shelf nearby.

He weighed it in his hand, then suddenly used the high-intensity flashlight to shine directly at the bulging position of the dust sheet!

"Come out!" he barked in a low voice. It wasn't loud, but it carried an unquestionable authority.

"Meow—!"

A shrill, sharp cat's cry rang out suddenly!

At the same time, the dust sheet was violently pushed open from underneath. A black shadow "whooshed" out, brushing past Song Tianhao's feet, and with lightning speed, rushed toward the open window, instantly disappearing into the storm outside.

It turned out to be a completely black wild cat, with only its eyes glowing green in the darkness!

It seemed to have been startled as well, fleeing in a panic.

"Is... is it a cat?" Im Yoona let out a sigh of relief, her legs turning to jelly, and she nearly collapsed to the ground before being caught by Jessica Jung beside her.

Park So-yeon also gasped for air, feeling as if her heart was about to jump out of her chest.

So it was just a cat... a false alarm...

However, Song Tianhao's brow did not unfurl.

His gaze remained locked behind the dust sheet that had been knocked over by the wild cat and had slid to the ground.

Under the flashlight's beam, after the dust sheet slid away, a few idle folding chairs and some rolls of old carpet stacked behind it were revealed.

And in the narrow gap between this debris and the wall... a figure was curled up.

The person was wearing a dark hoodie, with the hood pulled up, face buried in his knees, body curled into a ball, leaning against the cold wall, emitting a suppressed and painful wheezing sound.

His right hand was still tightly gripping something, the screen of which was emitting a faint, eerie glow.

The wild cat's sudden dash seemed to have startled this person as well; he jerked his head up!

The flashlight beam shone right on his face.

It was the face of a young but haggard man, about twenty-five or twenty-six years old. His face was pale, his lips purple, whether from the cold or fear, it was hard to tell.

There was a fresh abrasion on his forehead that was oozing blood.

At this moment, his wide eyes were filled with panic, fear, and discomfort from being shone upon by the harsh light.

And beside his hand, on the floor, lay a mobile phone with its screen still lit.

On the phone screen was the interface of a message that had just been successfully sent. The recipient was a strange number, but the prefix... was one of the work number segments commonly used by several major news agencies and gossip media in South Korea!

"Ah!" Jessica Jung couldn't hold back this time, letting out a short, sharp cry, but she immediately covered her mouth.

Park So-yeon and Im Yoona also clearly saw the situation before them. The hearts they had just let settle were once again suspended high, beating even more violently than before!

There really was someone! And he had just sent something using his phone! Were they photos? Were they those secretly taken photos?

Song Tianhao's gaze instantly turned cold, as if tempered in ice.

He did not rush forward immediately. Instead, he stepped forward, using the high-intensity flashlight to shine unceremoniously directly into the man's eyes, blinding him, while simultaneously blocking the three women's line of sight with his body. He spoke in a low voice, his tone terrifyingly calm:

"Did the CJ Entertainment publicity department send you?"

The man in black clearly had not expected Song Tianhao to directly expose his background. Stung by the harsh light, unable to open his eyes, a look of obvious panic flashed across his face as he subconsciously denied it: "Wh-what CJ... I don't know what you're talking about! I... I was just passing by, saw the window open, and wanted to come in to hide from the rain..."

"Passing by?" Song Tianhao's voice carried a trace of mockery. "Carrying a professional camera, prying open a window, hiding in a utility room to take secret photos, and then sending the photos to media number segments... this way of 'passing by' is quite unique."

He paused and stepped forward another half-step. The powerful sense of oppression made the man in black shrink back involuntarily, but behind him was the cold wall, with nowhere to retreat.

"How is Chairman Lee Jae-hyun doing lately? Does he still like using such despicable tactics?" Song Tianhao's voice was not loud, but every word was clear, striking the ears of the man in black like a thunderclap.

The man in black's pupils contracted sharply. The color drained completely from his face, and even his lips were trembling.

He clearly had not expected that Song Tianhao not only guessed his origin but even knew exactly who might be the mastermind behind it!

Lee Jae-hyun, Chairman of CJ Group, was known for his ruthless methods and for stopping at nothing.

"Y-you, what nonsense are you spouting! I don't know any Chairman Lee at all!" The man in black still wanted to quibble, but his trembling voice and panicked eyes had already betrayed him.

"The camera is a Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III, a professional model released in 2007. It's not cheap, and it's well-maintained, not something a private photography enthusiast would have."

Im Yoona, who had been staring at the camera, suddenly spoke. Her voice was still trembling slightly, but her reasoning was clear. "The label on the side of the camera body was intentionally scratched off, but the serial number is still there. For this model, many large companies' publicity departments purchase them in bulk, and the serial numbers are registered."

Jessica Jung also stared intently at the hand the man in black was holding his phone with and suddenly exclaimed in a low voice: "He has... a tattoo on his arm!"

The flashlight beam moved, shining on the arm that the man in black had slightly raised in his nervousness, attempting to shield his face.

Above his right wrist, a small section of a tattoo was exposed. It was a very simple black totem symbol with clean lines, looking like some kind of abstract surveillance camera lens, or perhaps an eye.

Park So-yeon gasped, her expression becoming even uglier: "It's... it's the logo of the 'Dark Pupil' private investigation firm! I've heard that some anti-fans in the industry hire them to stalk and take secret photos..."

"Dark Pupil"?

Song Tianhao narrowed his eyes. He had a slight impression of this name. It was a rather "famous" private detective agency in Seoul with a "wide" range of business, which included providing "special investigation services" for some entertainment companies, gossip media, and even individuals—which meant stalking, taking secret photos, and digging up privacy.

It was said that their fees were exorbitant, but their "results were remarkable." Their reputation in the industry was terrible, but because their background was complex, no one had ever been able to touch them.

All the clues were linked together.

CJ Entertainment, or specifically Lee Jae-hyun, had hired people from "Dark Pupil" to follow them to Jeju Island.

They took advantage of this once-in-a-century storm and earthquake, the Villa's power outage, and the chaos to pry open the window and sneak in.

This man in black had secretly taken photos of him and the members of T-ara and Girls Generation being "intimate in private," and then intended to send them to the media to create a scandal, attack him and his company, and perhaps even severely damage these two girl groups that were currently in their rising phase!

What a vicious scheme! What ruthless methods!

Seeing that his identity and purpose were completely exposed, a flash of ferocity and despair crossed the man in black's face.

He suddenly hurled the phone in his hand at Song Tianhao's face, while simultaneously rolling to the side, wanting to dash through the gap between Song Tianhao and the tool rack, and rush toward that open window!

His movements were fast; he was clearly trained to some extent and had already planned his escape route.

But Song Tianhao's reaction was faster!

In the instant the phone was hurled, Song Tianhao just tilted his head slightly. The phone flew past his ear and "smacked" against the wall behind him, the screen shattering.

Almost at the same time, Song Tianhao's right foot, like a viper long coiled to strike, shot out like lightning, kicking with pinpoint precision into the outer side of the black-clad figure's left knee just as they were exerting force to leap off the ground!

"Crack!"

A teeth-grinding, dull thud of an impact rang out, accompanied by a shrill scream from the black-clad figure.

"Ah—!"

The black-clad figure's forward momentum came to an abrupt halt; losing balance, they crashed heavily forward, slamming face-down onto the cold, damp floor covered in dust and mud, letting out a painful groan.

Their left leg was bent at an unnatural angle; it was clear that Song Tianhao had shown no mercy with that kick.

Park So-yeon, Im Yoona, and Jessica Jung were all stunned by the scene that unfolded in a flash of lightning. They had only seen a dark shadow move, followed by a scream and the dull thud of a heavy object hitting the ground.

By the time they realized what had happened, the vicious black-clad figure, who had just been trying to escape, was already sprawled on the ground like a dead dog, clutching their leg and writhing in pain, unable to move anymore.

Song Tianhao slowly withdrew his foot as if he had just done something trivial. His face remained expressionless, but his eyes were cold as knives. He walked over, bent down, and picked up the phone from the floor; its screen was shattered but didn't seem completely broken.

Although the phone screen was cracked, it could still be operated with some difficulty.

Clearly, the black-clad figure had been in too much of a rush to lock the screen, so Song Tianhao clicked directly into the list of sent files.

The most recently sent item was a compressed file package. The recipient addresses were indeed the work emails of several gossip media outlets and a small online community. The sending time was just a few minutes ago, before the wild cat had darted out.

Song Tianhao opened the compressed package, which contained thumbnail previews of over a dozen photos. They were undeniably the candid shots from the camera earlier—from the beach barbecue to the candlelight bandaging, not a single one was missing, and the angles were even more devious, capturing even more ambiguous moments.

Especially the last photo of him and Hyomin under the candlelight; looking at the thumbnail on the phone, the two of them almost looked like they were about to kiss.

If these photos were leaked, accompanied by headlines such as "Star Entertainment Song Tianhao Spends the Night with Female Idol Group Member During Rainstorm, Behaving Intimately" or "New Film Emperor's Private Life in Chaos, Has Ambiguous Relationships with Multiple Female Idols"... the consequences would be unimaginable.

Not only would his image and the company's reputation suffer a heavy blow, but Hyomin, Taeyeon, and even the entirety of T-ara and Girls Generation would be dragged into the vortex, their fledgling careers potentially ruined overnight. This move by CJ Entertainment was nothing short of vicious.

Soyeon also saw the content on the phone screen; her face instantly turned pale, and her voice trembled with extreme fear and lingering dread: "Pr-President... if these photos... if they get sent out..."

Song Tianhao didn't speak. His fingers operated quickly on the shattered screen, pulling up the communication logs and recent contacts.

The most frequently contacted number was a generic phone number with no name saved. The call times were mostly in the dead of night. There were also a few text messages with short, cryptic content, mostly along the lines of "Target has departed," "Arrived at location," or "Weather has changed, proceed with Plan B."

Song Tianhao watched for a moment, then suddenly pulled at the corner of his mouth, revealing a smile that was cold to the extreme. Holding the phone, he walked over to the black-clad figure still groaning in pain and crouched down.

The black-clad figure's face was covered in mud and cold sweat, grimacing in pain. Seeing Song Tianhao approach, fear appeared in their eyes, and they struggled to shrink backward.

Song Tianhao brought the phone screen close to their face, allowing them to clearly see the photo previews and the "Send Successful" notification.

Then, Song Tianhao said in a calm, yet chilling tone: "Good shots. The angles were chosen very well, especially the last one; it has such a great atmosphere."

The black-clad figure looked at him in terror, not knowing what he intended to do.

"Go back and tell Chairman Lee Jae-hyun," Song Tianhao's voice was very soft, yet every word was clear, striking the black-clad figure's ears, "if he wants the 'full version' of these photos, or if he wants to discuss something else, tell him to come to Jeju Island and find me himself. Sending a rat to sneak in on a rainy day is too petty."

After speaking, he casually tossed the phone back into the black-clad figure's arms, then stood up and brushed the non-existent dust off his hands, as if he had just dealt with a piece of insignificant trash.

He turned around and looked at the three women at the door, who were still shaken, his gaze landing on Soyeon's face: "Soyeon, go and see if you can find any rope or sturdy cloth strips."

"Ah?... Yes, President!" Soyeon froze for a moment, then immediately realized and hurriedly searched through the utility room, quickly finding a bundle of nylon rope used for tying up miscellaneous items.

Song Tianhao took the rope and efficiently tied the black-clad figure's hands behind their back, binding them tightly, then tied their injured leg and the ankle of their good leg together, ensuring they absolutely could not escape. Throughout the process, the black-clad figure, besides groaning from pain, didn't even have the strength to struggle.

After finishing all this, Song Tianhao straightened up and said to Im Yoona and Jessica Jung: "Watch over him. Soyeon, come with me; let's go check on Manager Jang and the others."

He was still worried about the missing Jang Se-hoon and the two assistants.

The two searched the Villa, and finally, in a storage room near the back door, they found Jang Se-hoon and the two young assistants locked inside. All three had their mouths gagged and their hands and feet tied, but they didn't appear to have any injuries, just looking a bit terrified and disheveled.

According to Jang Se-hoon, after they had sealed the windows, they wanted to check if the back door was secure, but as soon as they walked near the storage room, they were attacked from behind on the back of the neck, and when they woke up, they were here, completely unaware of what had happened.

Song Tianhao and Soyeon untied them and briefly explained the situation. After listening, Jang Se-hoon was both shocked and furious, while also feeling lingering dread.

"President, what do we do now? This person..." Jang Se-hoon looked at the black-clad figure, who was tied up like a dumpling and tossed in the corner of the utility room, then looked at the storm still raging outside the window, his brow furrowed. Call the police? Communication was cut off, and the roads were likely destroyed. Leave them alone? That was obviously a dangerous factor.

Song Tianhao glanced out the window. The wind and rain seemed to have truly lessened a bit, but the night was still as thick as ink.

"Keep him locked in here for now. Wait until dawn, when the storm stops and the roads are clear, then hand him over to the police," Song Tianhao said calmly, "For now, we have more important things to do."

He turned and walked up the stairs with a steady gait, as if he weren't the one who had just subdued the intruder and resolved a massive crisis. But Soyeon, who was following behind him, keenly noticed that his fingers, gripping the high-beam flashlight, were trembling slightly.

That was not fear, but a rage suppressed to the extreme.

Returning to the door of the third-floor master bedroom, Song Tianhao paused for a moment, took a deep breath, adjusted his breathing and expression, and completely reined in the coldness and hostility in his eyes before pushing the door open to enter.

Inside the room, everyone looked over nervously. When they saw Song Tianhao and Soyeon return unharmed, they clearly all breathed a sigh of relief. But seeing their grave expressions, their hearts tightened again.

"President! Soyeon Unnie! Are you okay?" Park Ji-yeon was the first to rush over, tear stains still hanging on her face.

Hyomin also struggled to sit up, her face full of worry: "President... outside..."

Taeyeon leaned against the headboard; although her leg hurt severely, she also looked at Song Tianhao anxiously.

Song Tianhao's gaze swept over the three wounded on the bed, and over each face in the room that was still panicked and filled with reliance. His gaze lingered for a moment longer on Hyomin and Taeyeon's faces, and seeing the concern in their eyes, the cold rage in his heart was slightly replaced by a trace of warmth.

He walked to the center of the room, meeting everyone's gaze, and spoke slowly in a calm voice that carried a power to settle hearts:

"It's alright. A petty thief who snuck in wanting to steal things has already been dealt with."

He didn't mention the candid photos, he didn't mention CJ Entertainment, and he didn't mention the photos that could destroy so many people. Some darkness did not need to be borne by everyone.

He changed the subject, his gaze falling on Hyomin, Ham Eunjung, and Taeyeon, then looked at the other girls in the room:

"Now, the thief has been caught, and the storm is about to stop. But our 'trouble' is not over yet."

He paused, and a faint, yet inexplicably reassuring curve suddenly appeared at the corner of his mouth. His gaze swept over everyone, finally settling on Hyomin's eyes, which were still red and swollen but shining surprisingly bright:

"Hyomin, Taeyeon, Eunjung needs to rest. But you two might have to work a little hard."

Hyomin and Taeyeon were both stunned, not understanding what he meant.

Song Tianhao's voice rang out clearly in the room, carrying a peculiar mixture of coldness and a certain high-spirited fighting spirit:

"Since CJ Entertainment has sent us such a 'big gift,' wouldn't it be too rude if we didn't 'reciprocate' properly?"

"Since they want to play dirty and make an issue out of photos..."

"Then we will play along with them to the end."

"However, this time, the rules of the game must be set by us."

He looked at Hyomin, then at Taeyeon, his eyes sharp as knives, yet seemingly burning with flames:

"I need you to help me put on a show. A grand show for everyone to see."