By now, Xu Mu had more or less figured out Fang Chu's character.
Whatever he wanted to do, he assumed everyone else wanted to do as well.
He thought Xu Mu approached those women just to sleep with them.
But Lu Xueyao would never believe that — she was the type who often joked about "getting a room," and she knew Xu Mu wasn't helping her for that reason.
Li Yun and Zhao Yingying, however, were different.
Fang Chu's excuse was simple but effective — and because of that, perhaps Li Yun and Zhao Yingying would believe him.
Still, Xu Mu couldn't be bothered to explain himself.
If Li Yun wanted to quit her job, he wouldn't try to stop her.
As for Fang Chu, using such underhanded tricks — Xu Mu wasn't about to let him go unpunished.
Even the Feng family, who wanted him dead, never resorted to such low methods.
But Fang Chu had — and there was no way Xu Mu would forgive him for that.
Before leaving, Xu Mu specifically told them to have Ma Feng wear a tank top during his live apology.
He wanted all those tattoos on his chest and arms visible.
You can't have both the fish and the bear's paw — he got all those tattoos to look intimidating, to make people think he was dangerous.
Then naturally, he should also bear the judgment that came with that image.
It had to be said — such things instinctively repelled ordinary people.
If Ma Feng had stood at the company gate yesterday, shouting with those tattoos exposed, public opinion wouldn't have been so one-sided.
Lu Xueyao agreed immediately and went back to make the arrangements.
Meanwhile, the online uproar about the "weight-loss drug scandal" continued to rage.
The internet was in chaos, with countless people attacking Xu Corporation.
In her office, Li Yun sat staring at the video Zhao Yingying had sent her — the surveillance footage of Xu Mu beating someone.
She scrolled down and saw Zhao Yingying's accompanying message.
Holding her forehead, she felt dizzy and lost.
Could it be that Xu Mu really was a scumbag, just like Fang Chu said?
Was the Xu family's company not a legitimate business at all, but a fraud that sold harmful fake medicine?
If what Fang Chu said was true… then she couldn't accept it.
Even so, Li Yun told herself — whether it was her or Zhao Yingying, she didn't care which one Xu Mu chose.
After all, they both owed him too much.
Without Xu Mu's help, she might have died long ago.
But what she couldn't accept was the two of them together.
She couldn't even imagine what kind of expression she should wear — or how she should address Zhao Yingying — if that day ever came.
Just then, her phone rang — it was Xu Mu.
She hesitated for a moment, but didn't answer.
Taking a deep breath, Li Yun stood up. After so many days of working nonstop, maybe she needed to rest.
As she was packing her things, her phone buzzed again.
She thought it was Xu Mu calling back, but when she looked, it was another message from Zhao Yingying — just a link.
She sat back down and tapped it.
It was a Douyin live stream.
The viewer count in the corner was skyrocketing before her eyes.
When she opened it, it was thirty thousand.
In a blink, it hit fifty thousand — then eighty — then over a hundred thousand.
The man on screen had middle-parted hair, wearing a low-neck T-shirt that revealed his tattoos.
Li Yun recognized that face — it was the same young man who had caused a scene at the Xu Corporation headquarters yesterday.
The videos from yesterday had all been shot right in his face — she remembered him clearly.
She had actually pitied him a little at first.
But seeing all those tattoos, that faint sympathy vanished completely.
Behind him hung a banner that read:
"I was wrong. Please forgive me, Xu Corporation."
Facing the camera, Ma Feng said,
"I'm sorry, everyone. I lied. I wronged Xu Corporation — and my father."
"I took someone's money. That person told me to slander Xu Corporation. I was blinded by greed."
As he spoke, he pulled out his phone and showed his bank account.
On the screen, a one-million-yuan transfer was clearly visible — dated the night before yesterday.
But everyone knew — he had made a scene yesterday.
The revelation hit like a bombshell. The comments exploded instantly:
"I thought you were forced to apologize, but the moment I saw your tattoos, I knew you weren't a good guy!"
"No way! I'm going to apologize to Xu Corporation right now!"
"Someone gave him a million to smear them — clearly a rival company's doing!"
"Where's that employee from yesterday? I owe him an apology — no wonder he could afford a Rolex!"
…
Li Yun stared at the flood of comments, eyes wide.
Thinking back carefully — yesterday, Fang Chu had come to see her for no reason and started bad-mouthing Xu Mu.
Then, right after that, Xu Corporation was hit with the scandal.
And that video of Xu Mu beating someone — it came from Fang Chu too.
The claim that Xu Mu liked both her and Zhao Yingying — that was also Fang Chu's one-sided story.
Putting it all together, it was obvious — everything had been orchestrated by Fang Chu.
Li Yun felt overwhelming regret.
How could she have been so stupid?
She hadn't even bothered to verify anything — she just blamed Xu Mu in her heart and ignored his call earlier.
She clenched her fists. How could I be so useless?
Meanwhile, Fang Chu also noticed the live broadcast.
He cursed under his breath — he'd paid a million and hired an idiot.
All the public momentum he'd built up had just collapsed.
Unwilling to give up, he stared at the video on his phone and immediately called the Chai family.
He told them to push the video of Xu Mu fighting onto the trending list.
If he couldn't take down the Xu family yet, he'd at least ruin Xu Mu's reputation.
Soon, another hot search shot to the top — titled:
"Don't apologize yet! Neither side are good people!"
And beneath it was the video of Xu Mu fighting.
Xu Mu saw it too. There was no way to "clear" this one — not that he cared.
His reputation was already terrible.
Every businessman in Jiang City knew him as a spoiled, useless rich kid.
Elsewhere.
The door to Xu Shou's office burst open as Xu Ningbing hurried in.
"Dad! I investigated everything — most of those self-media accounts belong to the Chai family!"
She rushed to the desk, leaning forward with both hands pressed down.
Because of gravity, her "presence" seemed even more overwhelming.
"It looks like they're taking the offensive this time," Xu Shou said, stroking his stubble and lighting a cigarette.
"What should we do? It's all Xiao Mu's fault for acting too real — he really did hit that guy!"
Xu Ningbing sighed helplessly. "His image will definitely affect the company."
Xu Shou took a long drag, then smiled.
"I knew this kid would get into trouble, so I took out insurance in advance."
"Insurance? What do you mean, Dad?"
Xu Ningbing was puzzled. Xu Mu's problem was reputation — it's not like there's insurance for that.
He chuckled. "Let me make a call. And get those two settlement agreements ready."
"That should help repair some of the damage."
Online, the buzz about Xu Corporation was still raging —
but suddenly, another wave hit the rankings.
Dozens of orphanage directors publicly came forward to support Xu Mu.
One after another, their videos appeared online.
They all showed records proving that Xu Mu had been donating regularly to orphanages for years —
from the early days of 100 yuan a month to tens of thousands.
Some directors even revealed that their orphanages had roads named "Xu Mu Road."
In an instant, public opinion shifted once again.