Chapter 42: How many versions of Shen Huai's gossip are there, really?

The next day.

When Shen Huai woke up from bed, the first thing he felt was a burning pain in his back.

He walked to the bathroom and turned slightly to the side.

The countless, distinct scratch marks of varying depths on his back were all masterpieces of last night's debauchery.

Shen Huai sighed, looked at himself in the mirror, and couldn't help but touch the hickeys and faint tooth marks all over his neck.

It was truly too obvious.

If he went to the company with this neck full of hickeys, he would likely be treated like a monkey on display.

No, he had to cover them up.

Shen Huai rummaged around and finally found a shirt with a stand-up collar.

He buttoned it all the way up and tightened his tie.

Shen Huai swayed left and right in front of the mirror, and only after confirming they were completely covered did he leave the house with peace of mind.

After a full day of controlling the narrative.

Coupled with Xingyao's fan management techniques, which could be called a military academy for fandoms.

Under the successive offensives of major marketing accounts and cooperative media, Li Xinran's persona and image had basically solidified.

From an ordinary family, a second-tier university graduate, a campus belle from a humble background.

Even though she was dating the son of the richest man, she still kept a low profile and started from the bottom as an extra.

Independent and clear-headed, neither humble nor pushy.

The buffs were simply fully stacked.

Added to the fact that Yang Shuhua's husband had a past history of black marks that was practically a ruin, Li Xinran's noble image was instantly elevated quite a bit.

Her fans had already begun to view Li Xinran as their idol and role model.

They vowed to become a "Cinderella" like her.

And after this rise and fall of public opinion manipulation.

Li Xinran's fan count had successfully risen to 8 million.

The popularity of her super-topic had also surged into the top five for artists, almost on par with the popularity of first-tier young actresses in the entertainment industry.

"The data for the first phase is generally like this; the results exceed expectations. My judgment is that we can fully enter the traffic-driving phase. Group 2 report finished."

At the morning meeting.

After Tong Yue finished reporting the public opinion data to Lu Sheng, she hugged her computer and returned to her seat.

Looking at Tong Yue's slightly proud expression, a flash of depth crossed Shen Huai's eyes.

Such eye-catching data was obtained by stepping on the corpses of predecessors.

The more noble Li Xinran's image became, the more miserable Yang Shuhua would be on her side.

Shen Huai played with his phone, lost in thought.

He flipped through it casually; the internet was full of posts mocking Yang Shuhua and her husband.

【It's been a whole day, has 'Slap Sister' still not figured out how to smooth over her lies?】

【I looked at the preparations for 'Slap Sister's' new drama, and she's actually going to play a teenager in high school? Is Huayu out of people? I don't want to watch an old woman.】

【'Slap Sister' and 'Gambling Brother', a match made in heaven.】

【So sisters, how important is it to choose the right man! 'Gambling Man' is still hiding behind 'Slap Sister' and doesn't dare to speak.】

【...】

Shen Huai silently clicked the 'X', then exited Weibo.

To be honest, he felt some sympathy for Yang Shuhua.

After working hard for half a lifetime, she ended up with such a clownish conclusion.

But sympathy is sympathy; aside from ensuring he didn't comment randomly, he wouldn't do anything to clarify the situation.

As a member of the Public Relations Department, standing from the company's position, they were not wrong.

Yang Shuhua did indeed slap Li Xinran more than a dozen times, solid and true.

Although the real truth behind it was that Li Xinran had deliberately lured Yang Shuhua, letting her see the scene of her husband chatting and laughing with her.

Yang Shuhua cared about her reputation and was extremely jealous.

In the past, she often had outbursts of temper, and her husband was her Achilles' heel.

But in the adult world, is the truth important? It is not important.

Then what is important?

Letting more people see the truth you have painted is what is important.

He knew well that the entertainment industry was a place that ate people without spitting out the bones.

If one was slightly careless and was caught by others with leverage, what awaited them was an abyss.

"Since that's the case, then continue to execute according to the plan. Two days later, announce that Li Xinran has become the Brand Ambassador for Ryan Group."

"If there's nothing else, everyone dismissed."

As the words fell, there was an immediate sound of people standing up and dragging chairs in the conference room.

"Shen Huai, come to my office with me." Lu Sheng looked back at Shen Huai and added gloomily.

"Me?" Shen Huai was stunned.

"Is there a second person here named Shen Huai?" Lu Sheng glanced at the crowd, her expression revealing no excessive emotion.

Hearing that Lu Sheng was actually calling Shen Huai over alone, Tong Yue's expression revealed a trace of surprise.

"... Okay."

Shen Huai hugged his computer and, under the gaze of everyone, followed closely behind Lu Sheng.

Inside the Personnel Department Director's office.

Lu Sheng sat leisurely in her office chair.

Meanwhile, Shen Huai stood straight in front of her, clutching his computer.

"Do you know why I called you here?"

"I don't know," Shen Huai answered truthfully.

"Are you very close with Zhang Xiaolan?"

Lu Sheng's sudden question left Shen Huai stunned.

Zhang Xiaolan, who is that?

Shen Huai furrowed his brows, his brain rapidly recalling.

Only then did he remember that she seemed to be the Personnel Department Director he bumped into on the first floor of the headquarters on his first day of work.

"Not close at all."

Shen Huai shook his head firmly: "I don't even know her; I only learned that name by accidentally seeing her name tag on my first day of work."

"Why did Director Lu suddenly ask this?"

Hearing Shen Huai's answer.

Lu Sheng's expression became even more strange and solemn: "Really?"

"... Naturally, it's true."

Shen Huai did not know why Lu Sheng suddenly brought up this person.

At the very least, he had no reason to lie about this matter.

Upon hearing this, Lu Sheng narrowed her eyes and looked Shen Huai up and down.

After a moment of silence, she picked up two sheets of A4 paper from the desk and handed them to Shen Huai: "These are the questions and answers for this afternoon's new employee exam."

After a pause, Lu Sheng added: "Zhang Xiaolan asked me to give them to you."

"??"

Shen Huai was taken aback, only then remembering that there was an exam this afternoon.

Damn it.

These past two days, troubles and people have been coming one after another.

If it weren't for Lu Sheng's reminder, he would have almost forgotten about this new employee exam.

"Director Zhang is so thoughtful; please thank her for me."

Shen Huai took the documents with a look of joy.

This is truly like finding a pillow when one is sleepy, like divine intervention!

"She isn't this thoughtful toward just anyone," Lu Sheng's voice rang out faintly.

Shen Huai heard a hint of mockery in her words.

He tilted his head and said: "Director Lu wouldn't suspect that there is some unspeakable deal between her and me, would you? Don't overthink it, there absolutely isn't."

"Is that so?"

Lu Sheng raised an eyebrow, her gaze meaningful: "Even if there were, I advise you to put it away."

"Director Zhang is already married; her husband is a boxing coach in the city."

"..."

Listening to the warning tone between Lu Sheng's lines, Shen Huai sighed and helplessly held up four fingers: "If I have any relationship with her, let me be lonely and grow old alone for the rest of my life."

"You wish," Lu Sheng pressed down the palm Shen Huai had held up.

"I'm just giving you a reminder. Nothing else, you can go now."

Lu Sheng reverted to being a cold and aloof director in a second, gesturing toward the door with her chin.

"Then Director Lu, I'm leaving."

Shen Huai nodded and immediately made his escape.

Walking on the way back to his office, the more Shen Huai thought about it, the more wrong it felt.

The people who could link him and Zhang Xiaolan together are truly fucking absurd.

He doesn't even know this person, so how could they be linked together? Just how many brand-new versions of gossip about him, Shen Huai, are there at Xingyao that he hasn't heard yet? (End of chapter)