After rejecting Zvezda, five Russian companies had immediately rushed forward with partnership proposals. Each one arrived with documents prepared in Russian, Chinese, and English, polished and eager.
The coincidence had been impossible to ignore.
On a whim, he hadn't bothered to analyze too deeply, Jin Di had emailed her. He told himself it was curiosity. Amusement, even. A test.
Her reply demanding five million RMB had amused him enough to pay without hesitation. When she asked for three days, he had laughed outright.
What could she possibly produce in three days?
He had treated the entire exchange like an indulgent distraction, something to entertain him briefly before fading into irrelevance. Yet beneath that dismissive attitude, a small, irritating thread of expectation had remained.
He had refused to acknowledge it.
Now, reading the reports, that thread snapped into something far more dangerous.
This was no coincidence.
This was no bluff.
Each report was worth several times what he had paid. If these documents ever landed in the wrong hands, entire corporations would collapse overnight. Reputations, markets, and even governments could be dragged into chaos.
Without hesitation, Jin Di authorized the additional payment she requested. The thought of tipping her crossed his mind, but he suppressed it. People like Zhang Xiulan didn't need flattery.
More importantly, she didn't need mercy.
If she could create something like this about foreign companies, she could do the same for Jin Corporation.
The realization was cold and sharp.
Jin Di rose from his desk and walked to the window. Outside, heavy clouds swallowed the moon, leaving the sky dark and restless.
One thing was now painfully clear.
If Elena was truly the one behind these reports, then she was not someone who could be treated lightly. She was not a girl who could be bullied, dismissed, or controlled.
She was someone who could destroy others quietly, efficiently, and without warning.
Even someone like him.
A slow smile curved his lips, predatory and intrigued. His reflection in the glass looked pleased, as if he had finally discovered a worthy variable in an otherwise predictable world.
"Elena," he murmured, voice low and thoughtful, "who are you really?"
The darkness outside pressed closer against the window.
"And just how many secrets are you still hiding?"
After sending the reports to Jin Di, Elena slept like a log.
When she finally woke, sunlight was already slanting through the windows. She glanced at the time and realized she had slept straight through the morning, waking only a few minutes before noon.
Brunch was already prepared by the time she emerged.
As they ate, Simon gave her an update, excitement barely contained beneath his professional tone. JJ's people had called earlier that morning while she was still asleep. They wanted a meeting to negotiate contract terms.
That single sentence marked the beginning of another whirlwind.
For the next few days, Elena barely had time to breathe.
Together with Simon and her lawyer, she went through multiple meetings with JJ's team. Every clause was examined, every condition negotiated. Elena was firm about her boundaries, and JJ's side, to their credit, respected them.
In the end, both parties signed a contract that they were satisfied with.
At Elena's request, JJ's record label made no public announcement. No headlines. No teasers. No hints. Everything remained quiet, controlled, and deliberate.
The next step was talent management.
JJ personally recommended Bright Summit Entertainment Company, one of the most powerful agencies in the industry and one that maintained an excellent working relationship with his label.
He had worked with artists from many companies over the years, but Bright Summit stood out for one reason: they were efficient and protective.
Their artists were rarely dragged into unnecessary scandals. And when trouble did arise, Bright Summit had the resources and ruthlessness to shut it down completely, as long as the artist hadn't done something beyond saving.
When Elena had fallen into a coma after the accident, her father, Zhang Tengfei, had spent a staggering amount of money to dissolve her previous contracts after she failed to wake up for three months. Her old agency, label, and endorsements were all cleanly severed.
JJ went out of his way to contact someone he trusted at Bright Summit. After several rounds of negotiation, Elena signed with them as well. She was assigned a new manager, competent and discreet.
Once again, no public announcement was made.
Then the real work began.
The following weeks were relentless.
Elena worked directly with JJ and his elite team at his private studio, recording every song she had composed for her comeback album. Long hours blurred into longer nights. Meals were eaten wherever there was space to sit. And sleep... she never had a continuous 8 hours of sleep at all.
Meanwhile, the studio staff quickly learned one thing: when Elena and JJ clashed, the safest course of action was to stay silent and invisible.
Their arguments were legendary.
"Listen, you brat," JJ barked one afternoon, jabbing a finger at the soundboard. "I'm an award-winning producer. When it comes to music, I'm always right. This section needs a faster tempo."
Elena didn't even look up from the sheet music as she argued back. "That's stupid. What are you trying to make? A disco track? A dance song?"
JJ nearly choked. "What did you say?"
Another day, another battle.
"This song doesn't need electric or bass guitars," Elena said calmly. "The orchestra is more than enough."
JJ threw his hands up. "Hai! You don't understand. The guitars add another dimension!"
"What dimension?" she shot back. "They're just annoying background noise."
"What did you say, you brat?"
And then—
"I want an acoustic guitar for this one," Elena said thoughtfully.
JJ frowned. "No. Keep it raw. Piano only. Let the vocals carry the emotion."
She considered it for a moment, then nodded. "Fine. But I want to try an acoustic version too. We'll compare the results."
"You brat," JJ grumbled. "You never listen."
Despite the constant clashes, neither backed down entirely. They argued, tested, adjusted, and compromised. Every time they met in the middle, something incredible emerged.
The results stunned everyone in the studio.
Including them.
Thirteen songs were recorded, refined, and polished to their final versions.
Next came the music videos.
Both Elena and JJ wanted the album released as soon as possible, so they pushed the schedule to the extreme. Thirteen music videos were shot back-to-back, every single day, over the course of two and a half brutal weeks.
Everyone was exhausted.
But no one dared complain.
Elena worked harder than anyone else, showing up early, leaving late, never once asking for special treatment. Seeing her persistence, the rest of the team gritted their teeth and kept going.
After a brief two-day break, Elena was back in front of the camera again, this time for album covers and promotional posters.
By the time her part in the production was finally finished, she was running on fumes. Even lifting her eyelids felt like an effort. Yet beneath the exhaustion, something burned brightly in her chest.
For the first time in both her lives, she felt truly alive.
Her blood hummed with anticipation.
She couldn't wait to hear her music echoing through streets, homes, cars, and headphones. She wanted to see what kind of ripples her songs would send through the world.
Nearly two years after the accident that had abruptly ended her career, JJ's record label and Bright Summit Entertainment Company finally broke their silence.
They released a single, simple announcement.
No explanations.
No apologies. Just a simple statement of fact.
Elena Zhang is back in the business.