251 Trust No One
June stood in the middle of the hallway, frozen. It felt like a cold bucket of water had been poured all over his body.
Lin Zhi and Tony stood at the end of the hallway, the pale light illuminating their indulgent smiles. Tony patted Lin Zhi on the back while Lin Zhi bowed his head in respect.
The two of them looked like good old buddies from where June was standing.
And they probably were.
This wasn't the first betrayal he had encountered in his life, but damn, did this one hit him like a bull.
June admitted that he had been hasty amidst all of this. He wasn't perfect. And he was hurried.
So, when he saw an opening…for Lin Zhi to finally get kicked out of the competition, June trusted Tony. He thought this world wouldn't be too harsh like the world he lived in.
But it was definitely harsh. The world was plain harsh.
Lin Zhi took one last glance at June, a smirk still playing on his lips, and June felt…defeated.
June needed to do something. So, when Lin Zhi walked away, with an air of confidence in every step he took, June didn't hesitate to run after Tony—the guy he trusted.
The old man, who had a kind and determined smile on his face when they first conversed, now had a smile that could be likened to a snake. Tony raised one eyebrow in surprise. Then, when he saw it was June, a smirk emerged from his lips.
"Oh," he said, his voice with an underlying cunningness.
"Oh," June repeated, his exclamation filled with resentment.
Tony faced June fully, arms crossed in front of his chest.
"Well, how can I help you today?" Tony asked like he hadn't done anything wrong.
June scoffed in disbelief. "You…and Lin Zhi," he started off.
"My favorite trainee, Lin Zhi, you mean?" Tony chuckled. "Well, he has been my favorite from the very beginning, you see. In this world where money reigns supreme, you should choose wisely which side you're going to be on."
"You're the head producer of the show," June said in an obvious tone. "This will merely backfire if people find out about what you're doing."
"But I'm still here," Tony said. "Stronger than ever. And I don't have any regrets doing what I've done."
June clenched his jaw in anger. Tony saw the trainee clench his fists, too, causing him to chuckle.
"Go ahead, boy. Hit me," Tony said, mockingly pointing to his cheek. "Then maybe I'll also let you off like I did with Lin Zhi. Think of it as my thank you for handing me those files."
June bit his lip, his fists shaking in rage. He wanted nothing but to plunge his fist into his ugly face, but he knew better. <nulli>People like Tony couldn't be trusted.
"You don't want to?" Tony asked. "Well, that's too bad. Time's up. You just lost your chance."
June let out a deep breath. "You'll pay for this," he calmly said, causing Tony to become a bit surprised.
He enjoyed watching June get angry, but right now, he appeared as though he meant his words…a hundred percent.
But then again, Tony didn't have anything to fear for. Tony might not be the most powerful person in Azure, but he knew damn well that he was stronger than June—a mere trainee who didn't even have a big company to back him up.
"Well, I don't have plenty of time," Tony said, a chill running down his spine as June continued glaring at him. "I guess we'll see each other in the finals. You might not see me, but I'm definitely going to see you. Maybe I'll root for you, too! Why don't you make up with Lin Zhi since he's going to be your teammate, huh?" he chuckled.
"That is…if you debut."
Tony's unrepentant laughter echoed through the hallways.
"But," he quickly added, walking closer to June and placing his hand on his shoulder. He gave it a tight squeeze, but June didn't flinch. "I have one last piece of advice for you before we part."
Tony went even closer to June, his mustache-dirtied upper lip brushing against June's smooth ear.
"Don't trust anyone here, my boy. You'll only regret it in the end."
With that, the trashy producer left June all alone, wallowing in his thoughts.
June let out a deep breath as he leaned against the rough wall. He wanted to go on a rampage to release his anger. But June knew he didn't have time for that. Instead, he needed to come up with a new plan…a better plan. This show was more corrupt than he had expected.
And if they didn't want to help him, then June would go the dirtier route…the public route.
"Mr. Klin," he muttered under his breath, standing straight before practically bolting to the janitor's closet. His phone was broken, so he didn't have an extra copy of the videos Mr. Klin had saved. But at least the original files were still with the bald janitor.
June ran through the quiet hallways, and seeing the yellow, beat-up door instantly made him sigh in relief. June knew Mr. Klin rarely took day-offs, so he must still be here. Mr. Klin was the only guy who had the original videos, and June felt like he was his last hope.
June rapidly knocked on the wood before opening the door, expecting to see his oasis.
"Mr. Klin," he said, his voice filled with hope. The weak light illuminated the dark interior of the janitor's closet. There was a man inside, and June felt his heart race inside his chest.
"Mr. Klin, I need your help."
However, when the man turned around, it felt like the world stopped moving for June.
Because by his silhouette alone, he looked very unfamiliar.
A scrawny, younger-looking guy with plenty of thick hair looked back at June. June observed the guy's attire and saw that his uniform was the same as Mr. Klin's. He also had a plate that said 'janitor' on his chest.
<nulli>However, this wasn't Mr. Klin.
"Umm, who are you?" the 'janitor' asked.
DOUBLE SORRY. Again, another disclaimer! June is not perfect. He’s in a rush. He makes mistakes. He’s a little cat, don’t be too harsh on him!
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