Chapter 63 Mysterious Letter
After returning to Nancheng, Lin Qingtong was summoned to the company by He Yiqi, the CEO of He Yi. He guessed it was because of the trending topic and had prepared a set of explanations, but he did not expect He Yiqi's attitude to be so firm.
“Don’t touch Fu Yanle again, and the company will no longer spend money or effort on this matter.” He Yiqi saw Lin Qingtong’s expression change drastically, and tapped the table. “This is the company’s decision.”
Lin Qingtong was silent for a moment, as if he was trying hard to find the right words. He pulled out a chair and sat down, repeatedly rubbing the edge of his phone with his thumb, and said, "Mr. He, may I ask why?"
"It's very simple, just four words: a net loss. Both trending topics caused a huge stir, as evidenced by the number of views and discussions across various online media platforms. However, your goal of smearing Fu Yanle was not achieved. Moreover, according to the data, he even gained nearly five million followers within 24 hours after the two negative trending topics. What does this mean?"
Lin Qingtong took a breath and didn't reply.
"This shows that our investment of money and effort not only increased his popularity but also largely clarified those negative rumors about him." He Yiqi shrugged. "What kind of unfortunate person am I? After two lessons, why don't I stop and continue to lose money on charity?"
Lin Qingtong said, "But Mr. He, I—"
"That's not the most important thing. The important thing is that someone has now perfectly analyzed the ins and outs of these two negative trending topics, and the discussion is very high. In other words, your public image has begun to crack, and is even collapsing rapidly."
Although He Yiqi had made ample mental preparations, he still couldn't help but turn cold when this topic came up.
"You should know how much money the company has spent on your persona, and you know even better the consequences of it collapsing."
“But over the years, I’ve made a lot of money for the company.” Lin Qingtong’s face was grim. “President He, we’ve always had a mutually beneficial relationship. You can’t deny my value just because of these two losses.”
"To promote you, I entrusted you with the company's most professional team. In terms of TV dramas, the company's best resources are all yours. Cultivating a top agent is even more difficult than cultivating a top star, but before, I even let Han Dongling go for your sake!" He Yiqi slammed the table. "But what happened afterward? You couldn't get luxury brand endorsements, you didn't get into Fang Zhouji's drama, and now your image has collapsed. Are you kidding me? The facts prove that without Han Dongling, you are hesitant and have no ability to handle anything."
He Yiqi took a sip of water to moisten his throat and continued, "We signed you because we saw your potential and wanted to groom you for future success. Later, because of Xin Qiu, the company nurtured and developed you, which is how you got to where you are today. But a company is a company. You can show favoritism for a while, but the most important thing in the long run is always profit. If you keep messing things up and ruin yourself, then get the hell out of here!"
Lin Qingtong gritted her teeth and clenched her fists, feeling extremely embarrassed.
Just then, a knock sounded on the door, and then the slightly ajar door was pushed open. Meng Xinqiu walked into the office and said, "I heard you calling from afar."
"!"
Lin Qingtong blinked in alarm, turned to look at Meng Xinqiu, and her eyes immediately reddened, "Brother Meng... Brother Meng."
Meng Xinqiu will help him, right? Although Meng Xinqiu has become increasingly cold towards him lately, she likes him, so how could she become indifferent to him so quickly?
Ignoring Lin Qingtong's expectant gaze, Meng Xinqiu turned to He Yiqi and said, "I've come to talk to you about the movie."
"Okay." He Yiqi said to Lin Qingtong, "Go back and think about it yourself. Close the door when you leave."
As Lin Qingtong was leaving, he glanced at Meng Xinqiu, who completely ignored him and had already taken a seat opposite He Yiqi. Lin Qingtong turned his head, tears instantly streaming down his face. He deliberately made a choked sound, but Meng Xinqiu behind him did not give any reaction.
The air around them seemed to be mocking her relentlessly. Lin Qingtong could no longer stand it and stormed out the door.
"I said close the door, close the door, close the door! Are you deaf?!" He Yiqi slammed his fist on the table in anger, unable to stop venting his rage on Meng Xinqiu. "Look at the person you so strongly recommended back then? What kind of trash is this? Is this some kind of rebellion?"
Meng Xinqiu poured herself a glass of water and said, "Calm down."
"Bullshit! The more I think about it, the angrier I get! I'm such a victim! Lin Qingtong is ruined, and Han Dongling is gone forever. It's like losing a piece of trash and a whole army!" He Yiqi gulped down half a glass of water. "What should I do? Maybe I should try to sign Fu Yanle to the company? Even though he doesn't act, with that face, he could make money anywhere! And I watched three episodes of his variety show, and I found that this kid is definitely a hidden talent. Maybe he's a Russian nesting doll with layers of surprises."
"Don't think about it." Meng Xinqiu swirled her water glass. "Fu Yanle won't sign with a company. He's just playing around. Otherwise, why hasn't he hired an agent after all this time?"
He Yiqi exclaimed "Ah!" and said, "You can try to persuade him!"
“You can’t persuade him. What do you think you can offer him? He doesn’t act, he doesn’t lack money, he doesn’t lack popularity. He’s rejected more than one or two acting and endorsement offers lately. In short, you can’t give him anything, and he doesn’t need you to meet his needs.” Meng Xinqiu’s wrist stopped, and she thought with a touch of self-mockery: Just like me, I’m just a piece of trash to him.
“…Okay, if you don’t want to come here, you don’t have to go to another place.” He Yiqi sighed deeply. “I just feel like something’s not right about this. That analysis post about Lin Qingtong has already reached a billion views, but it just won’t trend on social media. Netizens are rebellious; the more you keep it hidden, the more it attracts them, so the topic’s views keep increasing. In this situation, netizens will think that our company is suppressing the topic, which is why it’s not trending, which is equivalent to directly confirming the topic’s authenticity.”
"If that's the case, then it's highly likely that someone set it up." Meng Xinqiu frowned. "The most likely culprit is Fu Yanle. Lin Qingtong has repeatedly provoked him; even a clay figure would spit fire, let alone Fu Yanle, who has been spoiled and domineering since childhood, except in Su..."
Meng Xinqiu paused, swallowing back the unpleasant name "Su Fengyao," and continued, "In short, Fu Yanle is not a gentle person with a good temper. Besides, given his status, a single word from him could make Lin Qingtong's life unbearable, let alone silencing the topic. If it really is Fu Yanle, I suggest—"
"Wait a minute." He Yiqi stiffly raised his hand. "May I ask, what is Fu Yanle's identity?"
Looking at He Yiqi's expression, Meng Xinqiu suddenly found herself unable to speak.
“Although Lin Qingtong isn’t a big star, she’s still a popular celebrity, right? Fu Yanle can ruin her career with just one word… Ha!” He Yiqi suddenly stood up. “Haha! Haha!”
Meng Xinqiu couldn't bear to watch any longer, "You—"
"I'm perfectly fine, I can live another five hundred years!" He Yiqi slammed his hands on the table, throwing a tantrum on the spot, "Who the hell is he! Tell me the hell right now!"
Meng Xinqiu said, "He is the son of Fu Sheng, the former chairman of Yiyun Group."
He Yiqi gasped, "Hiss!"
Meng Xinqiu sighed, "The grandson of the Lu family patriarch."
"Which Old Master Lu?" He Yiqi struggled desperately.
Meng Xinqiu paused for a moment, trying to make her voice sound gentler, "It's the one with the highest status in Nancheng."
“SSS—that’s a fucking ‘death’!” He Yiqi slumped back in his chair, staring at the ceiling and muttering to himself, “I’m telling you, I’m telling you why he’s so awesome, dominating the internet, never afraid… Such a young master, coming out in public to get cursed, is he having some kind of trouble? Is he too rich and can’t spend it all, so he’s upset? Or is he living a good life and wants to come out and experience the harsh realities of life? I don’t understand… I can’t understand, I dare not understand.”
Meng Xinqiu couldn't come up with any comforting words for a moment, so she could only say, "Although Fu Yanle is not someone to be trifled with, he is not the kind of person who likes to use force to suppress people, otherwise Lin Qingtong would have been gone long ago. In short, don't offend him in the future for Lin Qingtong."
"Giggle!" He Yiqi burped.
*
"Young Master Fu, a local express delivery arrived from the Lu family. They said someone sent it to you."
The butler carried a small box into the living room and placed it on the table. "I've checked it. There are no harmful items. It's just some gift boxes and a letter."
Yu Jingchen glanced at the various gift boxes inside the box and said in a nonchalant tone, "Same-city delivery? Even if it's a genuine gift, it lacks sincerity."
"A gift box?" Fu Yanle frowned. "People in the industry used to like giving me gifts, but I never accepted them. I even said that anyone who gave me one would get beaten up. So I haven't received any unknown gifts since then."
“After reading this letter, you should know who it is.” The butler took out the envelope with his gloved hands. “The cover says: To the Respected Mr. Fu Yanle.”
Fu Yanle: "Hiss!"
Yu Jingchen: "Oh?"
"Mr. Fu Yanle, hello. I wonder how you feel now that you're reading this letter? I don't care, you must be happy every single second! Don't argue with me, you truly deserve the best happiness in the world!"
Fu Yanle: "Wow!"
Yu Jingchen: "Tsk."
"With a sincere heart, I have carefully prepared some gifts to give to you. They are just a small token of my appreciation, but my true feelings are conveyed in these words! I know you must be wondering about my identity, but please don't, because I am just a handful of dust. Please don't look down at me, and promise me you will take care of your neck. Only when you are healthy can I be at peace!"
Fu Yanle: "Giao!"
Yu Jingchen: "fuck."
"Dear Mr. Fu Yanle, you are my guiding light, the source of my faith! When I look up, you are the proud moon; when I bow my head in contemplation, you are the mysterious deep sea; when I gaze into the distance, you are the majestic and continuous mountains; when I suddenly turn around, you are the deity incarnate from a butterfly, captivating me completely. Through the endless cycles of human life, you are the light, you are the electricity, you are the only myth!"
The butler tore the letter to shreds with a calm expression. "The signature reads: Respectfully submitted by He Yiqi, who wishes to remain anonymous."
"That's awesome!" Fu Yanle leaned on Yu Jingchen's shoulder, his eyes glazed over. "You really let me down by wiping my butt with a window screen."
Yu Jingchen said expressionlessly, "I think it's just a stray dog burping because it ate too much shit."
Author's Note:
"Fuck" by Yu Jingchen
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