Chapter 3 — Yin-Yang Contract

I leisurely turned on the home theater system in my study. The large projection screen slowly descended from the ceiling, perfectly covering the floor-to-ceiling windows. I picked up my phone and sent An Qi a text message: Want to watch something more stimulating? The knocking on the door stopped instantly. A few seconds later, a reply from An Qi came through, containing only a single word: Scram. I chuckled softly and sent another message: About you and your beloved director husband. An Qi had several lovers outside of her marriage, including a moderately famous film director. My older brother, meanwhile, remained completely blind to it all, acting like a fool. This was her true Achilles' heel. Sure enough, the space outside fell completely silent. About a minute later, the doorknob was violently twisted, and An Qi’s voice rang out, filled with suppressed fury.

Open the door!

I didn't move an inch.

Wan, do you dare to play games with me?

The password is your birthday, I replied calmly.

Outside, the sound of buttons being pressed echoed, followed by a beep, and the door swung open. An Qi stepped inside, her complexion as dark as the bottom of a pot. Her eyes swept around the room before finally locking onto the gigantic projection screen.

What kind of game are you playing? She sneered with utter contempt. Wan, do you really think those pathetic rumors can threaten me? How naive. My husband doesn't even care about such nonsense.

Is that so?

I looked at her and pressed the play button on the remote.

The screen lit up. What appeared was not an intimate video between An Qi and her lover, as she had anticipated. Instead, it was a live broadcast. The footage was slightly shaky, as if hand-held, with the lens pointing straight at the main entrance of an office building. On the front door, several gold-plated characters hung proudly: An Qi Film and Television Culture Studio. An Qi’s pupils abruptly constricted.

What is this?

I did not answer her. Inside the livestream frame, several cars bearing the words Tax Inspection quietly parked in front of the building. The doors opened, and a group of officials in uniform stepped out with stern expressions. Leading them was a sharp-looking, short-haired woman — my old college classmate, Li Xue. She raised a file folder in her hand, looking directly into the camera as well as addressing the thousands of viewers watching the livestream:

Acting upon public reports, we are now conducting an unannounced inspection of An Qi Film and Television Culture Studio in accordance with the law.

The title of the livestream, printed in bold red letters, stood out prominently on the screen: Raid Inspection! Exposing the Secrets of Dual-Contract Scandals in the Entertainment Industry. An Qi’s face instantly turned as pale as a sheet of paper.

No… this is impossible…

She muttered, her entire body beginning to tremble uncontrollably. The camera followed Li Xue and her colleagues as they walked straight into An Qi’s company without meeting any resistance. The receptionist was clearly frightened, stammering as she tried to block their path. Li Xue immediately presented a search warrant.

We suspect this company of severe tax evasion. Please cooperate with our investigation.

The view shifted to the finance department. The door was locked.

Open the door. Li Xue’s voice was cold and authoritative.

The people inside attempted to hold their ground. A second later, two officers produced tools, and in less than a few seconds, the door was successfully breached. The chief financial officer was intercepted right in front of a paper shredder, with a pile of unfragmented documents lying at his feet.

Subdue him!

With a decisive order from Li Xue, several officers rushed forward and pinned the financial officer firmly to the ground. The camera zoomed in on the torn documents, where keywords like contract and amounts were still faintly visible. The comment section in the livestream instantly exploded: Oh my god! Starting off this intense already?! Who even is An Qi? She played some supporting role in a drama recently and looked so innocent... I never would have expected this... To the person above, innocent? She has tons of scandals! Stealing resources, snatching roles, manipulating the market, and now tax evasion too. Mind blowing! Dual contracts are truly the cancer of the entertainment industry! Support strict investigation! Punish them severely! An Qi stared blankly at the screen, her lips trembling, unable to utter a single word. Her phone rang continuously—it was her manager calling. But she seemed deaf to it, letting the phone vibrate against the floor. The livestream continued. Li Xue led her team straight into the general manager’s office—which belonged to An Qi herself. Inside a heavily concealed wall safe, they discovered a massive stash of contracts and documents. Li Xue picked one up and held it before the camera.

Please take a close look everyone. This is one of the dual contracts we just seized. The official version lists the remuneration as five million, while the hidden shadow version actually amounts to fifty million—a tenfold difference.

That money was channeled through accounting tricks and shell companies, ultimately pouring straight into personal accounts to completely evade high-income taxes.

The evidence was undeniable. There was no room for denial. An Qi staggered and collapsed heavily onto the floor. Her complexion was even paler than the projection screen behind her.

It's over...