The sky outside had fully brightened. Gu Xuanze glanced at the time, quickly adjusted his emotions, stood up, and went to the bathroom in his office to freshen up, preparing to begin a new day of work.

Gu Xuanze took one last look at the long Weibo post on the computer screen, then expressionlessly closed the Weibo interface and shifted his focus to work.

Since the matter regarding Yu Li had been handed over to the public relations department, he had no intention of continuing to intervene.

Yuan Baiyue confidently made a “military oath,” stating that if the issue wasn’t resolved smoothly, he would resign and never again work in the industry.

He trusted his friend’s abilities, as the saying goes, “Trust those you employ, and those you trust should not be doubted.”

Moreover, during his darkest times, it was Yuan Baiyue who helped him get through, and without these friends, his success would have been impossible.

Yuan Baiyue had indeed not let him down. As the online public opinion battle grew fiercer, they released the evidence they had prepared in advance, catching Yu Li and his team off guard.

Yu Li’s team was now in disarray, even resorting to desperate measures. They kept changing the subject, attempting to steer public opinion toward the idea that Gu’s company was buying online trolls to suppress Yu Li and wash their reputation. Eventually, they even started questioning the authenticity of the evidence, claiming it was taken out of context.

Yu Li’s team’s official Weibo account even posted several strongly emotional posts, trying to rally fans into believing that Yu Li was being attacked by online violence.

Yuan Baiyue was no amateur; after all, he had learned from his previous misstep. This time, he had done his homework. He had already figured out how to counter Yu Li’s usual tricks.

Regarding the fans’ doubts about the evidence, they calmly and logically countered each one. As for the fans’ accusations of “explosive” and “insulting” tactics, they returned the favor. Since Yu Li had used the “empathy” of passersby to play the victim, why couldn’t the real victim—Lu Youze—do the same?

Of course, Lu Youze’s image was different from Yu Li’s. His “deep affection” was more about restraint and selflessness, bearing all the pain alone. Yuan Baiyue had controlled the narrative well, choosing not to let the media make a big fuss but instead letting “netizens” speak up for Lu Youze. Then, various comparative images created by netizens appeared, growing like mushrooms after rain.

After this intense clash, Yuan Baiyue, armed with ample evidence and taking the initiative, had completely gained the upper hand. Although many still initially believed Lu Youze was a scumbag, more people were now willing to believe his infidelity was a setup, and he was the true victim.

As public opinion shifted in favor of Lu Youze, an article titled “Don’t Make Such Pretentious Excuses for Your Infidelity” suddenly rose to the top of the trending list, overtaking other popular searches like “How much did Lu Yingdi endure?” and “Has Yu Li’s character collapsed?”

It seemed like Yu Li’s people were beginning to pour money into the situation. The article initially appeared rational, analyzing the personalities of both Lu Youze and Yu Li. It then proceeded to ask a series of questions: If Lu Youze repeatedly claimed that he was set up by Yu Li, forcing him to go to a hotel and even get pregnant with a stranger’s child, how could the so-called evidence only show that Yu Li invited him to a bar? What did the subsequent events have to do with Yu Li? Was Yu Li forcing him to go to the hotel? Or was Yu Li holding his head down while someone marked him? Some people simply couldn’t control their bodies and were now trying to make these grandiose excuses for their infidelity. The article even mocked the idea that the reporter who exposed Lu Youze’s infidelity had close personal ties with Yu Li, suggesting this was all part of a premeditated scheme.

Yu Li’s good-natured and gentle character had won him many friends in the industry, unlike a certain actor who used money to clean up his reputation. This was well known within the industry. The article questioned whether Yu Li’s casual dinner with friends was part of a malicious plot, or if his friend had coincidentally discovered his betrayal and exposed it out of anger.

After the late-night post by a certain actor, the whole situation was suddenly washed white at a large scale, leaving people to wonder whether Lu Youze’s “skills in bed” were the real reason behind Gu Xuanze’s comfort. This led to the conclusion that with money, one could get away with anything. It was a pity that Yu Li, a victim, had been smeared without anyone backing him up. But the article concluded that the truth would eventually come out and justice would prevail.

Just like the “scumbag theory” from a few days ago, this article had now become the classic piece for Yu Li’s fans to rebut.

Yuan Baiyue found the article laughable, but at the same time, he hoped Gu Xuanze wouldn’t see it, or else his workload would increase. After all, their CEO was very protective and had a tendency for double standards.

In fact, Yuan Baiyue’s public relations team had been waiting to release the recording brought by Ye You. This was the perfect moment.

Releasing the recording now would not only slap the opposing team in the face but also raise the attention to a new height. Yuan Baiyue couldn’t wait to see Yu Li’s team flustered, helpless, and furious.

Gu’s company had never been a soft target, and while this was partly driven by their boss’s personal feelings toward Lu Youze, it also served as a warning to those who might try to make trouble behind the scenes. Anyone who crossed Gu’s company would face dire consequences.

The recording, which lasted less than a minute, was more than enough.

In it, Yu Li personally admitted to bribing the bar staff to drug Lu Youze’s drink, then sending him to another location where he had already arranged for another Alpha to be waiting.

As for why the Alpha who slept with Lu Youze wasn’t one of Yu Li’s arrangements, Yu Li himself wasn’t sure. But since the plan went smoothly, he didn’t pay much attention.

After releasing the recording online, Yuan Baiyue contacted Lu Youze’s lawyer, who confirmed that the police had already been notified, and they were investigating the bar. The bartender who had spiked the drink had confessed to taking money for it.

This was already illegal, and Lu Youze had the right to file a lawsuit.

Through his lawyer, Lu Youze stated he would not pursue criminal charges but just wanted to part ways peacefully.

This series of reversals made the earlier article seem like a joke.

Yu Li’s image had completely collapsed. In the highly realistic entertainment industry, once a wall falls, everyone pushes. The production company behind Yu Li’s current drama announced they would halt production, and several of Yu Li’s endorsement products also stated they were ending their cooperation with him.

Just as Lu Youze had suffered before, Yu Li was now facing the same fate.

At this point, the official Weibo of Walking the Jianghu Together also posted, expressing their unwavering support for Lu Youze, calling him the best male lead for the drama. They also announced the termination of cooperation with Yu Li, and Yu Li would no longer appear in the drama.

At Yuan Baiyue’s request, Lu Youze also posted on Weibo, thanking those who had supported and believed in him, and promised to focus on his new project to show a better version of himself.

And with that, the public relations battle ended in Lu Youze’s victory, finally coming to a close.

Yuan Baiyue looked at his employees, who were completely exhausted after over ten hours of overtime, some even having worked for several days without rest. It was time to treat them.

“Everyone, you’ve worked hard,” Yuan Baiyue said, standing up and clapping his hands to get everyone’s attention. “Go home and rest for a bit. We’ll have a celebration dinner tonight, and the company will cover it.”

The employees cheered and began packing up to head home.

Once the office was empty and only Yuan Baiyue remained, he stood up and walked toward the CEO’s office.

“You don’t look too well.” After knocking and entering, Yuan Baiyue looked at Gu Xuanze, who was expressionlessly reviewing documents, and asked, “Did you not rest last night?”

“Is everything solved?” Gu Xuanze asked, with a tone of certainty.

“Of course,” Yuan Baiyue sat down on the sofa, leaning back with some exhaustion, “You all prepared so many materials. If I couldn’t get this done, I would have to resign. By the way, I’m planning to have a celebration dinner tonight. Can you see if your actor Lu can come as well?”

Finally putting down his pen, Gu Xuanze looked at Yuan Baiyue, shook his head, and said, “He won’t be going. There are too many eyes on him right now. It would be bad if a reporter took a picture.”

Yuan Baiyue initially wanted to say that he would handle it, ensuring no one other than the public relations team would be allowed at the celebration. But then he thought about it—after the recent insider incident and Lu Youze still being under the spotlight, it was wise to be cautious. Of course, the main reason was… Yuan Baiyue glanced at Gu Xuanze, giving him a flirtatious smile.

Maybe our CEO Gu has prepared a surprise, and it’s better not to disturb him.

“Alright, then I’ll go rest first.” Yuan Baiyue yawned several times, stood up, and prepared to leave.

“Okay,” Gu Xuanze said expressionlessly, “Thank you for your hard work. Let everyone in the PR department know, the overtime pay will be three times the usual rate.”

“I’ll thank them on your behalf.”