Chapter 41 Our Spokesperson’s Reputation Is Ruined

Chapter 41 Our Spokesperson Has a Scandal

After hanging up, Lin Yunshu lay back down.

His eyelids still felt heavy, and his body was sluggish; he wanted to rest a bit more before getting up.

Just as he closed his eyes, his phone rang again—it was Guo Shengyao calling.

Lin Yunshu rested one hand on his forehead and answered the phone with the other. “What’s up, Shengyao?”

“Master, when are you coming to the company today?” Guo Shengyao’s voice sounded somewhat tense.

Lin Yunshu frowned. “Did something happen?”

“It’s not a huge deal,” Guo Shengyao hesitated before continuing, “but… have you seen the news? Zhu Mo’s relationship was exposed.”

Zhu Mo?

The lead actor of the new drama?

Lin Yunshu opened his eyes instantly. “When did this happen? Is the information reliable?”

“It broke suddenly half an hour ago,” Guo Shengyao said. “It skipped the paparazzi and marketing accounts entirely—the significant other themselves came forward. We just urgently confirmed it; there’s no room for denial.”

Lin Yunshu sat up, all sleepiness gone.

“Was there any emotional bias in the exposé? What’s the public opinion like? What did Tan Cong say?”

“They just stated the facts of the relationship without demanding anything. President Tan has already contacted the other party, and PR measures are underway. Public opinion is still under control for now.”

“Alright,” Lin Yunshu ran a hand through his hair. “Tell Lao Zhang to be outside my building in ten minutes. I’ll head over right away.”

Guo Shengyao: “Okay.”

After ending the call, Lin Yunshu threw off the covers and got out of bed. He’d barely taken a step before discomfort between his legs forced him to stop.

He stood stiffly in place. There was a distinct unfamiliar sensation—not intense, but impossible to ignore. His lower back ached and felt sore, as if steel needles had been driven into it.

Lin Yunshu supported his waist with one hand, braced the wall with the other, closed his eyes, and pressed his lips tightly together. He slowly moved his waist and legs, taking a while to barely adjust to this discomfort.

After a quick wash-up, he changed into formal attire, composed himself in the mirror, and left for the company.

When he arrived, Guo Shengyao was already waiting downstairs. Seeing the car pull up, she hurried over to open the door for him.

“Master, you’re finally here. President Tan came over earlier and said we need to discuss something together… Are you okay?”

Lin Yunshu’s posture as he got out of the car was a bit awkward; he supported his waist with his hand and paused almost imperceptibly for a moment.

“Is your waist bothering you?” Guo Shengyao asked with some concern.

“It’s nothing.”

Lin Yunshu waved her off and walked toward the company, taking large strides that showed no sign of abnormality.

Guo Shengyao tilted her head in confusion.

Had she been seeing things?

“What are you standing around for?” Lin Yunshu said without looking back. “Keep up.”

“Oh, okay!” Guo Shengyao quickly hurried to catch up.

They took the elevator together to the conference room on the 26th floor.

“What’s Tan Cong here for?” Lin Yunshu asked.

A male celebrity’s relationship being exposed wasn’t insignificant, but it also wasn’t huge—it depended on the composition of their fanbase.

Zhu Mo was an actor with standing and filmography to his name. He’d been in the industry for over ten years and would turn thirty after the new year.

At his age and standing, a relationship exposé wouldn’t have a major impact. Most fans were already mentally prepared. A proper PR response to reassure fans would suffice—was it really necessary for Tan Cong to make a special trip?

“President Tan didn’t say,” Guo Shengyao replied. “The situation was urgent at the time. He just said both sides needed to gather for a meeting. There must be new developments.”

Lin Yunshu nodded thoughtfully.

Ding!

The elevator arrived at the 26th floor.

“Let’s go.”

Lin Yunshu stepped out.

The conference room was mostly full. The curtains were drawn tightly, and the projection screen at the end of the long table emitted a soft white glow.

Tan Cong stood at the front looking at his phone, his brow deeply furrowed.

Lin Yunshu closed the door behind him and walked in, nodding to the others before greeting Tan Cong. “Brother Cong.”

Tan Cong finally looked up from his phone and came forward. “Hey, Yun Shu, you’re here. Have a seat!”

“Okay.” Lin Yunshu smiled.

Representatives from both companies took their seats on either side of the long table.

The representative from Cassi spoke first. “President Tan, we still need to discuss how to resolve this matter.”

Zhu Mo was an artist under Tan Cong’s agency, signed as a spokesperson for Cassi. The brand had also invested significantly in the drama he was currently filming, so the two sides were closely linked.

“Yes,” Tan Cong said, “that’s why we’re here today.”

The representative said, “For now, we’re still leaning toward continuing the collaboration. But we need your side, or the actor himself, to issue a statement to reassure fans. Also, um… that omega boyfriend—find a way to keep him calm first and prevent him from releasing anything else.”

Lin Yunshu nodded.

“We’ve already contacted the person involved,” Tan Cong said. “That’s where the complicated part lies.”

“What’s the issue?” Lin Yunshu looked at him.

Tan Cong sighed. “After we got in touch, we first tried to stabilize his emotions, but he remained calm throughout. He got straight to the point and stated his demands.”

Lin Yunshu raised an eyebrow. “What are they?”

Someone else asked, “Does he want money? How much? We can negotiate within reason.”

Someone in the conference room couldn’t help but let out a nervous laugh.

"He's certainly calculated this well—nothing beats marriage for getting money. Zhu Mo's career is at its peak right now. If they get married, not only would he have to split half his future earnings, but he'd also climb the social ladder. It's a no-lose situation."

Lin Yunshu frowned, shooting a sidelong glance at the speaker.

The person paused, coughed twice, and clammed up.

"What’s the artist’s position on this?" Lin Yunshu asked. "If they’ve been in a stable relationship for ten years, wouldn’t openly getting married be a decent PR move?"

"That’s easy to say, but Zhu Mo absolutely refuses to marry," Tan Cong sighed. "He claims to be marriage-averse, saying he’s been certain of this since he gained independent consciousness and won’t change his mind."

Lin Yunshu fell silent, rubbing his temple quietly.

Guo Shengyao whispered, "That excuse… sounds pretty half-baked, doesn’t it?"

"Half-baked is an understatement," the Cassi representative sneered. "If we put out a statement like that, not only would he be drowned in netizens' spit, but our brand’s image would take a beating too!"

He looked accusingly at the other side. "Is this how your company manages its artists?"

"I swear I had no clue," Zhu Mo’s manager spoke up. "I’ve been with him for eight years and never knew he was in a relationship. His schedule is always jam-packed—I have no idea when he found the time."

The representative laughed. "Manager Li, Mr. Tan, you’ve been with him for eight years and didn’t notice anything at all? If this is the attitude you’re bringing to the table, we might doubt you're negotiating in good faith."

"I really didn’t know!" The manager looked haggard. "Zhu Mo has always been a drama-free artist, very kind to everyone. Otherwise, your company wouldn’t have offered him the spokesperson role after a year and a half of evaluation, right? Doesn’t that show your confidence in his character?"

"Let me correct you," the representative raised a hand. "Our evaluation focused solely on commercial value and industry reputation. If this news had broken during the evaluation period, we would never have signed him!"

"—And what exactly are you implying? The fault lies with your side. If we terminate the contract now, you’ll be liable for penalty fees."

"Which is why we’re here discussing solutions, isn’t it?"

"Enough."

Seeing the two sides about to lock horns, Lin Yunshu intervened.

"Let’s leave that for later," he said, turning to Tan Cong. "So, the current situation is: the partner made a demand, the actor refuses to marry and says there’s no room for negotiation; financial compensation is also rejected. We’re at a stalemate, right?"

Tan Cong nodded, pressing his forehead. "Exactly."

"Then what’s left to discuss?" The representative spread his hands helplessly. "If neither side is willing to budge, how do we proceed?"

"Secretary Lin," he turned to Lin Yunshu, "for Cassi’s reputation, I suggest terminating the contract to limit our losses."

Tan Cong’s brow furrowed.

"Don't!" the manager urged. "He's just dating someone—it's not like he’s an idol, and he’s almost thirty. If managed properly, the impact won’t be significant!"

For a moment, all eyes in the room were on Lin Yunshu, waiting for his decision.

A contract termination wouldn’t be decided so hastily. As the manager said, there was still room for negotiation, and a peaceful resolution was ideal.

But Lin Yunshu had a gut feeling something wasn't right.

"Here’s what we’ll do," he told the manager. "Please reach out to the partner again and see if there’s any ulterior motive for insisting on marriage."

"Brother Cong," he turned to Tan Cong, "you have more connections. Can you do some digging into Zhu Mo’s private life—"

"I know his private life inside out!" the manager interjected anxiously. "There’s really nothing more to uncover."

Lin Yunshu didn’t argue, just smiled at Tan Cong. "The more information we have, the better it is for everyone."

The manager tried to explain further, but Tan Cong cut him off.

"Understood," Tan Cong said to Lin Yunshu. "I’ll arrange it."

Lin Yunshu’s phone lit up on the table. He picked it up, glanced at it, and stood. "Excuse me, I need to take this call."

·

The conference room was stifling from too many people and poor ventilation.

Lin Yunshu stepped into the stairwell for some fresh air and answered the call. "Hello?"

"You’re at the office?" Zhou Yu’s voice came through.

"Yeah," Lin Yunshu said. "There’s an emergency."

"I heard. Our spokesperson’s image took a hit."

His tone was deadpan, which inexplicably made Lin Yunshu want to laugh.

He stretched his back slowly—sitting for too long had left his waist sore. He clenched his fist and pounded his lower back.

"These days, being in a relationship hardly counts as a scandal," Lin Yunshu remarked.

Zhou Yu ignored his dark joke and suddenly asked, "Is your back hurting?"

Lin Yunshu paused mid-motion and checked his phone to confirm it wasn’t a video call.

"Can you see through phone or something?" he asked incredulously.

"Do I need X-ray vision?" Zhou Yu replied, exasperated. "Your voice was shaking—I could tell you were pounding your back."

Lin Yunshu fell silent.

In just a month, Zhou Yu had already gotten to know his habits so well.

"Take care of yourself and don’t push too hard," Zhou Yu said. "If you’re not feeling well, delegate the work."

Truthfully, a single spokesperson was insignificant to the corporation. The investment in the new drama, while substantial, was small change in Zhou Yu’s eyes.

The only difference was that Cassi wasn’t an ordinary brand—it held special significance for the corporation, and Zhou Yu cared about its reputation.

"I've got it under control," Lin Yunshu said. "So far, it doesn’t seem too serious."

"Alright," Zhou Yu gave him full authority. "You’re in charge. Just don’t overwork yourself."

A slight smile touched Lin Yunshu’s lips. "I know. But just in case—if things escalate, I need you to give me clear boundaries."

Their current approach was to seek a peaceful resolution. After all, Lin Yunshu had close personal ties with Tan Cong, and both sides valued their longstanding partnership. No one wanted things to turn ugly.

Zhou Yu understood.

"Two things," he said. "First, protect the brand’s public image and stock price. Second, determine if the spokesperson still has value for continued collaboration."

Lin Yunshu nodded. "Got it."

After quickly agreeing on approach, Zhou Yu changed topics. "It’s lunchtime for you, right? Remember to eat."

"Okay."

"What are you planning to eat?"

"..."

Lin Yunshu drew a blank.

He was still thinking about what came next and hadn't thought about lunch, just responding reflexively.

Zhou Yu sighed, "I knew you were just blowing me off."

Lin Yunshu touched the tip of his nose, slightly guilty, said, "No..."

"Alright, don't think about it anymore," Zhou Yu said with resignation, "I'll have someone bring you lunch."

Lin Yunshu's ears turned slightly red as he mumbled in agreement.