Who Needs a CEO? I Choose Stardom

Chapter 341: Chapter 274: Integrity? Non-existent.

The elderly lady was so advanced in years. She was sitting in the front row when a soccer ball hit her in the head from close range. The words she spoke to Ni Bingyan before passing out might have been her last.

So when the paramedics came over with a stretcher, Ni Bingyan immediately followed them.

‘At the very least, I have to wait for her to wake up or for her family to arrive. I need to relay her message before I can leave with peace of mind.’

They had, after all, just become friends and exchanged contact information despite their age gap. To Ni Bingyan, doing this for Jenny was a matter of basic human decency.

The blue team had just scored a goal when a young player from the red team launched a kick, knocking out a die-hard Blue Army fan. The stadium immediately went into an uproar.

The match was halted, and to soothe the crowd’s emotions, the jumbotron stayed focused on Jenny’s location.

Security guards immediately took their positions and cordoned off the area, while paramedics rushed over with a stretcher.

The scene was a mess of panic and confusion. The two of them were dressed so similarly they looked like family, so when Ni Bingyan followed, no one stopped her.

Ni Bingyan followed, and the sound technician from the back row came along as well.

“Miss Ni isn’t hurt. It was the person next to her. Everyone, don’t panic.”

The young man was indeed level-headed and reliable. The moment the incident occurred, he notified the rest of the production team in their group chat.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, quickly packed their things, and followed them to the hospital.

Upon arriving at the hospital, Jenny was immediately wheeled away for tests.

While they were waiting for the test results, staff from the event organizers and both clubs came to speak with Ni Bingyan.

“Miss, we’re very sorry, but you have to understand, these kinds of accidents happen every year. The probability isn’t exactly low…”

‘So when fans run into one of these “high-probability events,” they’re just supposed to chalk it up to bad luck?’

‘Or maybe they should at least have the sense not to ask for too much when making demands?’

Hearing them try to shirk responsibility right off the bat, Ni Bingyan immediately sensed that something was wrong.

She had been about to explain that she was just a friend who had recently met Jenny, but now she decided against it.

“Excuse me, but I believe the most pressing issue right now is Mrs. Jenny’s medical care, not discussing these trivial matters. Wouldn’t you agree?”

‘They didn’t start with an apology or any talk of compensation. What was there even to discuss?’

Besides, it wasn’t her place to make decisions for Jenny anyway.

After her curt refusal, Ni Bingyan frowned. “Jenny is eighty-three years old. Her grandfather used to hold her in his arms to watch Chelsea play when she was just a little girl. Her emotional connection to this sport, and to the club, is something you can’t possibly imagine! I believe that both the club and the event organizers should handle this with a bit more humanity, especially…”

She shot the staffer from Arsenal a meaningful glance, then lowered her head slightly, her expression turning sorrowful.

“As she collapsed into my arms, she was still murmuring about wanting to see every single match for the rest of the season…”

The representatives from the two clubs were suddenly on edge.

In this situation, if they botched this and ignited a war between the two fanbases, or even sparked protests and demonstrations, their bosses would be telling them “You’re fired” tomorrow.

“Pardon me, miss, please excuse me for a moment.”

The man from the organizers made a quick escape, not specifying how long he’d be gone.

Seeing this, the two club staffers exchanged a look and announced they needed to make a phone call.

Ni Bingyan, of course, didn’t stop them.

She needed to stall until Jenny’s family or lawyer arrived, so this worked out perfectly.

The police had been notified the moment it happened, so they should be arriving soon.

Less than half an hour later, Jenny’s test results came back: facial soft tissue contusions, four dislodged false teeth, and a moderate concussion.

The silver lining in this unfortunate situation was that there were no fractures or intracranial bleeding.

A little while later, the owners of both clubs arrived.

They exchanged a brief greeting with Ni Bingyan, then gathered around the hospital bed, gazing at the unconscious Jenny with looks of deep concern.

Their attitude was as solicitous as a vendor trying to please a major client.

They went through a routine display of concern. When Jenny became nauseous from the concussion and vomited, neither man even flinched.

The camera faithfully recorded the scene, leaving Ni Bingyan utterly in awe of their performance.

‘Compared to these capitalists, actors don’t even deserve an Oscar.’

Jenny remained unconscious. The two men had a brief word with the doctor to get an update, and then their attention turned to Ni Bingyan.

“We’re so sorry, miss. Your new coat has been stained with Mrs. Jenny’s nosebleed, and it’s ruined now. Our club will certainly compensate you for it.”

The Arsenal owner had an impeccable attitude. He was so considerate, he’d even noticed a small detail like her coat.

Previously, Ni Bingyan had played the sympathy card, accusing them of lacking sincerity. Now, they were laying it on thick.

They had even sniffed out a PR opportunity and the potential for profit.

‘It’s all business.’

You couldn’t expect much from capitalists to begin with, so Ni Bingyan wasn’t particularly disappointed.

“Oh, no, that’s not necessary. But if it’s possible, could the soccer ball that hit Jenny be given to her as a memento? She told me she wanted it right before she fainted.”

Ni Bingyan’s tone was mild; this was her only request.

‘The specifics of the compensation should be handled by lawyers and Jenny’s family.’

“Of course, that’s no problem at all! In fact, we’ve also prepared lifetime front-row season tickets for Mrs. Jenny. No matter where our matches take us, if she’s willing, she’ll always be welcome to travel with our players on the club’s private jet to the games.”

The owner was on another level entirely. He showed no intention of passing the buck. In addition to agreeing to her request, he also stated that the club would cover all of Jenny’s medical bills and subsequent recovery costs.

This put Ni Bingyan in an awkward position. “From what I understand, Mrs. Jenny has been a Chelsea fan since she was a little girl…”

‘So she’d probably have a hard time accepting tickets to see Arsenal.’

‘Wouldn’t that make it an empty promise?’

The owner of Chelsea immediately jumped in:

“Our club has not only prepared all of the above for our dear Jenny, we’ll also allow her to visit the club and watch the players train anytime she likes. Also, we have here a rare commemorative soccer ball from our club’s centenary, signed by every official member of the team from that year. We hope she makes a swift recovery!”

There were only one hundred of these balls made in the world. The last one at auction sold for over a hundred thousand pounds. This one, with the team members’ signatures, has not only commemorative value but also significant financial worth.

‘Talking about money is so crass!’

‘Now that’s what you call class!’

The Arsenal owner was about to up the ante, but Ni Bingyan quickly stopped him:

“Thank you for everything you’re doing for Jenny. As for the specifics, let’s wait until she wakes up or her family arrives. I’m really just a friend; I can’t make these decisions on her behalf.”

“Oh, not at all, not at all! I want the entire world to know that Jenny’s eighty years of devotion have not been in vain. She is a treasure to our club!”

‘Just look at that!’

‘Just look at the man’s class!’

‘Even in this new life, this team still didn’t disappoint!’

Ni Bingyan forcibly suppressed her excitement and began making small talk with the two owners.

Fortunately, it wasn’t long before Jenny’s son rushed in.

“Hello! I’m David Smith. Dear Miss Ni, you can call me David. Thank you for staying by my mother’s side.”

They had already spoken on the phone, when he had asked her to watch over Jenny for a bit, so they weren’t complete strangers.

Ni Bingyan quickly introduced him to the two club owners.

David smiled warmly as he shook their hands, then immediately rushed to the bedside, crying out “Mom!” as tears streamed down his face.

‘He really is a gentle and sensitive person!’

「By the time they left the hospital, the match was long over.」

“So, what do we do now?”

The moment they got into the car, Pei Jin sighed.

Most of the footage involving Jenny’s privacy would be unusable. They would have to find another way to gather enough material for the show.

Ni Bingyan sighed. “Good thing I have a Plan B.”