Chapter 3: A conman seemed to genuinely like Qin Weijin a lot...
As if he had just come from an event, Qin Weijin was still wearing a well-tailored black and white patchwork trench coat, with broad shoulders and long legs. His deep eyebrows and eyes were slightly raised, and his pupils reflected a little light.
This was Mo Ningzhi's first time interacting with Qin Weijin so closely, and it was far more direct than any of the praise she had seen online.
Putting aside his character, Qin Weijin is indeed strikingly handsome, with sharp features and a commanding presence that stands out in a crowd. He was born to live in the spotlight.
Mo Ningzhi couldn't help but recall his performance in the work "Qin Yao" (The Demon of the Qin), the bloodstains spreading from his neck to his collarbone, the silver strings of the qin biting between his lips, and the blood-stained peaks of his lips suddenly being gleamed by the moonlight, so beautiful that they were not concealed at all.
No wonder for a time, fans praised the character of Qin Yao for embodying the contrasting aesthetics of divinity and allure. To play such a role well, one's exceptional appearance is indeed the best canvas for the soul.
This orchid is so perfect, but unfortunately, its leaves have been eaten by insects.
...What a pity.
"Mm." Mo Ningzhi turned her head and smiled at him.
He's good-looking, and his smile is radiant and deceptive: "I'm so lucky to meet my idol on my first day of work."
It was as if he had truly liked Qin Weijin for many, many years.
But deep within those beautiful eyes lay an undeniable clarity and rejection.
One pair of eyes, two emotions, expressing completely opposite meanings.
Qin Weijin raised an eyebrow slightly.
"His name is Mo Ningzhi, he's the new assistant." Zhang Yuyu looked at the two of them and introduced them, "Brother Jin, you're finally back."
Qin Weijin hummed in agreement, his gaze still fixed on Mo Ningzhi's face.
The public opinion fermented for several hours, and fans who were unaware of the truth had a much lower impression of him. After all, this revelation was not just a simple rumor, but had pictures, videos and facts, making it difficult for him to deny it.
But to his surprise, as soon as he entered the studio, he heard a complete stranger, a devoted fan, boldly confessing their love. Qin Weijin remained silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Have you seen the trending topics online?"
Mo Ning nodded, seemingly unsure why he was asking that question.
"The negative news hasn't been clarified yet, so why did you think of interviewing for an assistant position? Aren't you afraid of being bullied in the workplace?" His slightly lowered gaze quietly fell on Mo Ningzhi.
"I'm not afraid."
"Why?"
Mo Ning wondered if Qin Weijin had figured something out, whether the question was a test or just a casual remark, and then casually gave a reason: "Because I'm not a pushover, no one can bully me."
Qin Weijin chuckled in a slightly low voice.
It must be said that this answer is far more genuine and credible than any statement of loyalty.
Mo Ningzhi felt a tingling sensation in her ears from his laughter and unconsciously raised her hand to touch her earlobe.
Zhang Yuyu's phone rang. She took it out and saw, "Brother Jin, Manager Zhan wants you to go to the public relations department for a meeting after you come back."
Qin Weijin shifted his gaze slightly: "Hmm, how's the preparation for the clarification coming along?"
"It's almost done. We're just waiting for you to come back and carry it out."
Qin Weijin took off his coat and draped it over his wrist. He was still wearing brand-sponsored clothing, which looked good, but it was too formal. On his own turf, he preferred to dress more casually and comfortably. "Let's go then."
Mo Ningzhi had just taken office and usually didn't need to attend such meetings, but Zhang Yuyu pulled him into the office on the grounds that he needed to quickly familiarize himself with the work.
Qin Weijin is back, and the entire studio's work revolves around him. The department head first gave a report on the impact of this negative news, listing the possible risks and the reactions of the fan base. Considering that the new drama is in the promotion stage, in order not to affect the drama's release, the public relations department is preparing to take drastic measures, having the assistant involved, Xiao Guo, appear and publish posts and clarification videos on Weibo and some popular short video platforms to quickly clarify the facts and use evidence to debunk the rumors.
As for evidence, the public relations department prepared some daily surveillance footage and chat logs to steer the conversation away from the "negative" and back to the point that "they have such a good relationship, how could they possibly engage in bullying?"
After listening, Qin Weijin nodded: "I have no objection. I will repost it after Xiao Guo posts it on Weibo."
The person being bullied in the video is the personal assistant, Xiao Guo. He showed great remorse for the negative news. When the meeting ended, he lowered his head and found Qin Weijin, and apologized in a low voice: "I'm sorry, Brother Jin, it's all my fault for being careless."
Qin Weijin patted him on the shoulder: "Don't say that. I did yell at you that day. I'm the one who should apologize."
Xiao Guo looked up in a panic, waving her hand in a wide arc, "No, no, no, brother, you're doing this for my own good, I know that. I'll post on Weibo seriously, I definitely won't let you take the blame."
Qin Weijin smiled and said, "It's almost time to get off work. Go ahead and get busy."
Mo Ningzhi had just stepped out of the meeting room when he overheard this conversation. He wasn't too surprised. After listening to the meeting, judging from everyone's reactions, the bullying that was making headlines online might actually be a misunderstanding. And now, Xiao Guo's attitude explained everything. After all, it's impossible for a victim to be completely without resentment towards the bully.
The truth will stand the test of time, and Qin Weijin's controversy will soon pass. If the public relations are handled properly, he may even gain some new fans because of this reversal in public opinion.
But these were not things that an assistant should be concerned with. Mo Ningzhi glanced at the time; it was almost time to get off work. He needed to find an opportunity to deal with the alien fan group on his phone.
Now that you've become Qin Weijin's assistant, you should cut ties with the messy group chats on your phone. Other group chats are fine, but blacklisted groups are absolutely unacceptable.
Mo Ningzhi glanced at Qin Weijin standing directly in front of her, and, recalling how this man had acted like a scumbag in the stairwell a few hours earlier, frowned and turned away without hesitation, walking in another direction.
Just as Qin Weijin turned around, Mo Ningzhi came out of the conference room.
The boy's expression was indifferent, his head was slightly tilted to one side, and there was a gloomy disgust between his brows, as if he did not see him standing in the middle of the aisle at all. His whole demeanor was completely different from his bold confession just now.
Qin for Jin: "?"
...
Half an hour later, Mo Ningzhi came across the clarification post on her way home from get off work. First, Xiao Guo posted a blog post on Weibo, along with some of his daily chats with Qin Weijin and evidence he had prepared in advance.
[@Assistant Xiao Guo: Regarding the online allegations of workplace bullying by Brother Jin, I, as the person involved, would like to clarify here: It's fake! I was not bullied! The video that was leaked was edited; I've also uploaded the full video. The reason this happened is primarily my fault. I didn't consider my personal safety at work and almost broke my leg due to carelessness. Brother Jin was so worried that he scolded me a couple of times; it was just his concern that clouded his judgment, and I'm very grateful to him…]
Xiao Guo's Weibo post quickly caused a sensation online, and the studio reacted swiftly, forwarding the post while also releasing materials showcasing Qin Weijin's approachable demeanor, his polite attitude, his gift-giving during holidays, and his harmonious relationships with staff over the years.
Suddenly, public opinion shifted dramatically.
[I knew my brother wouldn't do such a thing; the studio finally came out to deny it!]
The released clarification materials are well-organized, supported by sufficient evidence, and can withstand scrutiny. Our Brother Jin is indeed innocent!
The moment I saw the clarification, I screamed out loud!
[My brother has been in the entertainment industry for so many years, always working diligently and treating those around him with kindness. Those malicious smears cannot shake our trust in him!]
[I watched the entire video posted by my assistant frame by frame. Anyone understand? I had to read lips for ages to decipher what Qin Weijin said when he got angry. He clearly said: 'You're just an assistant, not a bodyguard. You must always prioritize your own safety, understand?' Who understands the weight of those words?! Qin Weijin is such a wonderful person!]
[A mutually beneficial journey between a junior assistant and a superstar!]
[Aaaaaaaah, I want to be a fan of this guy for ten thousand years!]
Five minutes later, Qin Weijin reposted Xiao Guo's Weibo post, without writing a single word, only adding a close hugging emoji.
It took Mo Ningzhi half an hour to get back to her apartment complex from the company. During that time, the number of reposts, comments, and likes on this Weibo post had already exceeded three million.
As expected of one of the most talked-about male celebrities recently, his terrifying popularity is truly astonishing.
However, the public opinion reversal was too fast and too clean. True fans celebrated wildly, feeling sorry for their idol who suffered this undeserved misfortune. On the other hand, the haters were full of regret, regretting that they hadn't made an effort when the public opinion was at its peak to force Qin Weijin out of the entertainment industry.
The taxi came to a stop outside the expensively constructed residential complex. Mo Ningzhi paid the fare and got out. Immediately, a certain QQ group started buzzing with messages, piling up with unread messages.
[Qin Family House Collapse Timer]: I'm speechless, how can this be whitewashed?
[Insult me -100 points]: Has that little assistant gone mad? We're fighting for him here, and he's bowing and scraping before qwj? What a spineless coward!
[I only support qwj's rival]: With just these few so-called pieces of evidence, who knows if they're photoshopped or fake? qwj is really insidious.
【Mianmianbing Xiaoyang】: He posted a high-profile Weibo post, but the main text only contained an emoji. What is he pretending to be innocent for? Do you guys remember what he said in an interview a couple of years ago? He has always been this kind of rude person. It would be strange if he didn't bully his assistant.
【A small act of impatience can lead to a big act of cuteness】: I really feel sorry for those fans who are willing to fight for him. They are so brainless. They are completely fooled by him and even speak up for him.
In just a short while, Mo Ningzhi had already seen several types of haters in the group: those who refused to believe, those who incited public opinion, those who shifted the attack, and those who became angry and doubled down on slander. But as long as you delve into the content of their words, you will find that most of them are subjective speculations without any real evidence, and are purely impotent rage.
However, this group has always been like this, so it's not surprising.
As Mo Ningzhi walked into the community gate, she checked the group messages while pondering what reason she could use to relinquish her management responsibilities and gracefully step down.
He had just finished editing an excuse and was about to click send when an ID in a group that was good at instigating offline activities suddenly popped up.
[Sun Tzu's 18 Ice Techniques]: Let's launch another offline surprise attack.
Mo Ningzhi: "?"
He narrowed his eyes and slowly moved his fingers away.
A note from the author:
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