Shen Xiuqi was furious, and Assistant Chen knew he had messed up. With his head bowed, he admitted his mistake, not daring to utter a word in defense.

“If you ever make decisions like this again without my approval, you can pack your bags and head to Africa to dig mines. They’re short on people over there anyway,” Shen Xiuqi said, his voice calm but menacing.

“…” Assistant Chen felt like crying inside.

In the end, to make up for his blunder, Assistant Chen sacrificed a month’s salary, which finally eased Shen Xiuqi’s anger.

“Get out,” Shen Xiuqi commanded with a dismissive wave, sending Assistant Chen out of the office.

Assistant Chen left the president’s office with his head hanging low, frustrated with himself for letting An Yuting in. What was he thinking? He berated himself as he vowed never to be so careless again.

Just then, his phone rang. Glancing at the screen, he saw it was President Xiao from Shenshi Entertainment’s branch office. Assuming it was a work matter, he answered, “President Xiao?”

“Assistant Chen, something big has happened!” President Xiao blurted out. Too nervous to contact Shen Xiuqi directly, he decided to take the roundabout approach, calling Assistant Chen instead. Knowing Assistant Chen was Shen Xiuqi’s most trusted aide, he hoped he could pass the message along and manage the situation smoothly.

Without pausing for breath, President Xiao rapidly explained the entire situation to Assistant Chen.

After listening to the whole situation, Assistant Chen’s expression changed, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. He quickly opened Weibo to check the comments online. When he saw the flood of negative comments aimed at Su Yaya, he felt physically sick.

Ah, no, no, no! He had just been scolded by Shen Xiuqi, who had even threatened to send him to Africa to dig mines. If he went in to report this now, he might get chewed out again—maybe this time for real, he’d be packing his bags for Africa tomorrow!

He doesn’t want that!

Realizing the situation was dire and couldn’t be delayed, Assistant Chen, under immense pressure, knocked on Shen Xiuqi’s office door again. Under Shen Xiuqi’s sharp, piercing gaze, his voice trembled as he said, “President Shen, there’s a massive wave of online comments smearing Miss Su…”

Shen Xiuqi opened Weibo and scrolled through the endless stream of nasty comments and insults. With each swipe, the temperature in the room seemed to drop, and Assistant Chen, standing nearby, could feel it. Shen Xiuqi’s expression grew darker with each passing second.

“Investigate! Find out who’s behind this!” Shen Xiuqi ordered coldly, tossing his phone aside. His normally handsome face was now filled with ruthless determination.

Meanwhile, Su Yaya had just gone to the tea room to make herself a cup of milk tea when her phone rang. It was Zhou Peiyun. “Did you offend someone?” she asked bluntly.

“What happened?” Su Yaya asked, confusion evident in her voice. “I didn’t offend anyone!”

She considered herself to be obedient and well-behaved; how could she possibly have upset anyone? Besides, she only interacted with a handful of people each day. The most significant person in her life was Shen Xiuqi, the domineering president of the original novel. She worked diligently to serve him, so she knew she hadn’t offended him. Who else could she have angered?

Zhou Peiyun replied, “Someone’s trying to tarnish your reputation. The other party has rallied many people to join in, and there are also those trying to exploit the situation for their own gain. For the next couple of days, don’t check your phone or go online. The company will handle this.”

Su Yaya’s heart raced. Someone was actively trying to damage her reputation online? Who could be so ruthless? She had lived her life honestly and simply wanted to earn a little money so she could return to the countryside, farm, and enjoy a peaceful life. Why would anyone want to drag her down like this?

Su Yaya was confused.

She asked Zhou Peiyun, “What does the company plan to do?”

Zhou Peiyun responded vaguely, not revealing any specific details. She simply said, “It will be handled properly. You just need to trust the company.”

—