The Secret Realm of Time, His and Her Life Through the Changes

Chapter 189 Participation in Company Business

Upon hearing Shang Yibo's voice, Qi Qingnan asked, "Are you with Yibo? So early?"

“Ah, yes, we just finished breakfast and I was about to go to the company,” Zhou Yanruo replied, then added, “He’s very popular right now, so he’s not under constant surveillance. We can just let the PR team handle it.”

Qi Qingnan looked suspicious, her voice unnatural, and whispered, "We...we even had breakfast together."

Zhou Yanruo didn't hear clearly and asked again, "What did you say?"

“Oh, no,” Qi Qingnan continued, “This time the situation is a little different. With my professional intuition, I know that someone deliberately orchestrated this.”

Zhou Yanruo disagreed, "It's not that being a fan or a hater is insignificant; it's all about traffic and generating buzz. I've even heard of people paying others to leak information."

"I'm afraid this time it's not that simple. It started last night, and like a ghost army passing through, the number of reads has exceeded 100 million in just one night. It's impossible to reach this level of reads at night without someone manipulating it, so it may even escalate during the day today."

Zhou Yanruo wasn't very familiar with the situation in the domestic entertainment industry, so she asked, "What will happen then?"

Before Qi Qingnan could answer, Shang Yibo picked up the phone and said, "It's normal to get injured on set and go to the hospital for treatment. Let them talk about it however they want."

Zhou Yanruo looked at Shang Yibo with confusion.

Shang Yibo was also looking at Zhou Yanruo. The two looked at each other at the same time. He gave her a relaxed look, meaning: "This isn't the first time this has happened. Don't worry."

Qi Qingnan's worried voice came through the receiver: "We still can't figure out who started this, and we don't know where to put our bullets, which is a bit of a problem. I'm not at the company, and I won't be back until the day after tomorrow at the earliest. Lao Jie took Shen Qing to the filming location in Huizhou. Only President Shen is at the company dealing with public opinion, and I'm worried that we don't have enough manpower, which is why I'm calling you."

Shang Yibo could tell that Qi Qingnan meant well, and that she also felt guilty about the inappropriate arrangements on set the day before yesterday, and wanted to find an opportunity to make amends.

He wasn't one to dwell on such things, so he naturally didn't appreciate any favors offered. He casually placed the phone back on the table and, before turning to leave, said, "You guys handle it."

Zhou Yanruo: "Shang Yibo is right. If you get injured at work, you go to the hospital for treatment. Even if it's filmed and posted online, it's nothing."

Qi Qingnan: "There are photos and videos uploaded online. The Air Force General Hospital you went to is the most famous plastic surgery hospital in the country."

Zhou Yanruo: "He got a cut on his arm, and he went to this hospital specifically to have it stitched up so that it wouldn't leave a scar. So what?"

Qi Qingnan: "They said that Yibo went to the hospital for plastic surgery repair, and that he deliberately chose to go in the middle of the night to avoid suspicion."

Zhou Yanruo: "These people are so boring."

"It wasn't out of boredom; it was a deliberate and targeted act."

After a moment of silence, Zhou Yanruo suggested, "Hong Yun has experience in handling fan circle matters, why don't I contact her and see?"

Qi Qingnan interrupted, saying nervously, "Absolutely not! She's already been labeled a professional fan. You probably didn't see what happened online last night. Someone has already dug up her information. Not to mention that she and Yibo knew each other since they were kids, given her current status as the owner of a media company, it's no longer appropriate for her to show up and handle these things."

"Oh, that's true. Qingnan, you have experience. Tell us what to do, and we'll follow your instructions."

"The entertainment industry's control over public opinion is too formulaic. If this was done intentionally, it's probably someone in the industry, and they're well aware of these tactics. If we continue to handle it this way, it won't be effective. On the contrary, our adversaries are in the shadows and have an advantage over us."

Qi Qingnan's words made sense, but Zhou Yanruo was still not enlightened. "What should we do?"

"You're an investor, so use the rigorous logic of investing to deal with them. Don't play by the rules, and they won't be able to figure you out. Who knows, you might just win by surprise."

Shang Yibo had already taken the bowls and chopsticks from the dining table to the kitchen and put them in the sink. He heard Zhou Yanruo still talking on the phone with Qi Qingnan in the entryway.

He walked over and reminded Zhou Yanruo, "Weren't you supposed to be in a meeting? Why aren't you leaving yet?"

Upon hearing this, Qi Qingnan paused for a few seconds on the other end of the phone. She had no idea what was going on between the two of them, what they were up to, whether she was being fed a mouthful of dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of affection), or whether they were sowing the seeds of trouble for her. Clearly, she was completely confused.

"If you have something to do, I won't bother you any longer. Timeliness is very important in handling public opinion. President Shen must be busy already. If all else fails, I'll suggest that the company hire a professional public relations firm to handle it. Remember to go online and do some research; maybe you'll come up with a different approach."

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Yanruo said to Shang Yibo, "President Hong may be in trouble."

Shang Yibo asked, "How did Hong Yun get involved?"

"Qingnan said that the photos posted online include you and President Hong. She has always been a fan of yours, a very active one at that, with millions of followers, making her a well-known internet celebrity. Now her real identity has been exposed; she has known you since childhood, and our families are old friends."

Shang Yibo frowned. "It is quite troublesome."

Zhou Yanruo: "Should we call President Hong and ask about the situation?"

Shang Yibo thought for a moment and replied, "No need, she should be able to handle it."

"I'm leaving now. You should also check out the online public opinion so you can be mentally prepared."

"You're all busy, I'll handle it myself."

"Don't offer any random opinions."

"Don't be nervous, let's go quickly, don't you know what time it is?" Shang Yibo pulled Zhou Yanruo up and opened the door. "Remember to come back at noon."

Zhou Yanruo drove to the company.

As soon as the car entered the underground parking lot, the gossip reporters who had been staking out the area swarmed around it.

Zhou Yanruo lightly applied the brakes, only slowing down the car, but it was still gliding. This startled the dozen or so reporters who were eager to try their luck, causing them to scatter, yet they still chased after the car relentlessly.

Zhou Yanruo took out her phone and dialed the building's security department. She said calmly, "This is Zhou Yanruo. There are unauthorized people gathering in the underground parking lot. Could you send a few people over to handle this?"

After clearing the table, Shang Yibo turned on the computer Zhou Yanruo had prepared for him. He first logged into his email, browsing the file directory and quickly reviewing the contents of each file based on its title.

Shang Yibo had a clear understanding of the group's current operational situation. He knew that the main business was continuously losing money, the performance of newly invested projects in the past year had been unsatisfactory, and many problems had been exposed in operational management. However, despite being well aware of these problems, he chose to remain silent and did not express much opinion. This was not because he was indifferent to them, but out of respect and consideration for Chu Fanqing, not wanting to embarrass the other party.

Deep down, Shang Yibo knew he shouldn't harbor resentment towards his father. The sudden truth struck like a bolt from the blue, instantly making his relationship with his father tense and delicate. The fact that the father he had admired since childhood was not his biological father filled him with extreme disappointment and anger at being deceived. This blow caused him to lose his temper and unconsciously vent his emotions on the person closest to him.

During the six months he spent as Wang Jie, he gradually learned to understand and be tolerant, all of which were given to him by Zhou Yanruo.

Upon returning home, the feeling of being deceived and helpless remained profound, but he had been trying to find a way to reconcile with his father.