Fierce Deskmate - Chapter 5 - Lost Phone!

There are truly shameless people in this world.

Chen Shu was so furious that his hand shook as he held the phone.

“Chen Shu… are you listening?” Ren Guangming’s concerned voice came through.

“Ren-Ge, this isn’t the truth. They’re deliberately trying to smear me,” Chen Shu explained in a low voice.

“You don’t need to explain to me. Even though we haven’t worked together for long, I know what kind of person you are. If you were that kind of person, I wouldn’t have kept you in mind. If it were before, I’d welcome you with open arms. I really value your abilities, but with this recent incident, bringing you on board might be hard to justify to both the higher-ups and the team,” Ren Guangming said, pausing before continuing in a quieter tone. “Our company’s Mr. Qiao is quite close with Wang Xin, so if you come to Guanghui now, you might face some ridicule…”

“I understand.” Chen Shu knew Ren Guangming’s difficulties. He was just an employee, not the big boss of Guanghui, and there were many layers of management above him, all watching closely. He couldn’t afford to get too close to someone “just fired for embezzlement,” especially when that person used to be his subordinate and close confidant at Huamei. “Ren-Ge, I won’t trouble you with this.”

Ren Guangming pondered for a moment and said, “The mud Huamei is slinging at you is really dirty. If you don’t find a way to clear your name, it might be hard for you to find a place in this industry…”

“I understand, Ren-Ge.” Chen Shu’s eyes were cold. “I know what I need to do.”

He wanted to start over, but they were determined to ruin him.

If that’s the case, then let’s see who comes out on top.

After hanging up, Chen Shu began to plan his counterattack.

As he thought, he suddenly realized he was hungry.

“Let’s go get some noodles first,” Chen Shu thought to himself.

He walked to the “Old Dad Noodle Shop” at the alley’s entrance. Old Dad was busy in the kitchen but greeted Chen Shu with a smile when he came in. “Here you are. What will you have today?”

“Pork Intestine Noodles,” Chen Shu said as he found a table and sat down.

Old Dad chatted with Chen Shu while working, asking, “Why haven’t I seen that girl Ling Chen around lately?”

“We broke up,” Chen Shu said calmly. This wasn’t something he could hide; after all, he wouldn’t have the chance to bring Ling Chen to Old Dad Noodle Shop for noodles anymore.

“Broke up? Why?” Old Dad was surprised.

“Maybe she got tired of your pork intestine noodles?” Chen Shu joked. He tried to speak lightly about it, but the words still stung.

Pain like this, it seems, can only be hidden from others, not from oneself.

“Are steaks at fancy restaurants really that good?” Old Dad seemed to be speaking up for Chen Shu. “My daughter took me to France, and I just couldn’t get used to all that buttery bread, so I hurried back…”

“What if she’s having foie gras every meal?” Chen Shu said.

“What’s the difference between foie gras and pork liver? If you like it, it’s just a few yuan a pound at the market. I can make it for you every day,” Old Dad said dismissively. He placed a big bowl of noodles in front of Chen Shu, so full of pork intestine that it was almost overflowing. “She doesn’t like it, but you can eat it.”

“Old Dad, we were here first. Why did you serve him first?” a customer complained.

“He’s my son.”

“…” Chen Shu exchanged an awkward smile with the fellow customer.

As Chen Shu was devouring his noodles, the customer called out again, “Boss, why does he have so much pork intestine, and I have so little?”

“He’s my son.”

“…”

Despite being called “son,” Chen Shu ate happily, slurping the noodles with gusto.

After finishing the noodles and downing the broth, the person Chen Shu was waiting for arrived.

“Can I treat you to some noodles?” Chen Shu asked.

“I’ve already eaten,” Cai Zhao shook his head. He smiled at Chen Shu and said, “What good news do you have for me?”

Cai Zhao was the founder of Bailing Advertising Media Company. Though it was called an advertising company, it mainly managed a few entertainment accounts with decent influence. These accounts were active on platforms like Weibo¹, WeChat², and Toutiao³, attracting followers with daily gossip and celebrity news.

Of course, they also mixed in some promotions, either advertising products or boosting certain celebrities while criticizing others.

Every media company had its own marketing partners or collaborators, which was a common practice in the industry.

Ren Guangming had introduced Cai Zhao to Chen Shu, and Chen Shu had entrusted him with several deals, for which Cai Zhao was very grateful. So when Chen Shu messaged him today, he showed up as quickly as he could.

“I lost my phone,” Chen Shu said with a smile, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

Cai Zhao’s eyes lit up with excitement. “There must be some secrets in that phone?”

“I can’t say, but you guys can,” Chen Shu chuckled.

“Where’s the phone?” Cai Zhao reached out.

Chen Shu glared and said, “I only have one phone. How could I really give it to you? A few screenshots will do. The rest is up to you.”

“Got it.” Cai Zhao’s eyes gleamed like a wolf spotting prey.

…

…

Li Xin was one of Zhang Shu’s assistants.

Her daily job was managing Zhang Shu’s Official Weibo Account, interacting with fans, and posting updates on Zhang Shu’s endorsements and daily schedule.

Li Xin had a routine: every morning, the first thing she did was open the Weibo app and search for her artist’s name to see any news related to him. If it praised his acting or diligence, she’d share or like it. If it criticized his acting or character, she’d mostly ignore it. If it was serious, they’d contact Weibo to delete the post or suspend the account, or at least demand an apology.

As usual, Li Xin sat at the breakfast table, sipping milk while typing “Zhang Shu” into the search bar.

The top search result was a post from an account called “Entertainment Circle Storm”: Superstar Zhang Shu involved in a drunk driving hit-and-run, injured worker’s tearful accusation.

The post detailed a serious traffic accident over a year ago, where Zhang Shu, driving drunk, hit a worker on an electric bike. To maintain his idol image, he allegedly let a female friend take the blame while he fled, pretending to have no connection to the incident.

Worse, the post claimed Zhang Shu hadn’t paid enough for the injured worker’s treatment. After his female friend covered 20,000 yuan in medical bills, she vanished, leaving the impoverished worker’s family to bear the costs.

The article concluded by urging Zhang Shu to take responsibility, apologize, and compensate the victim for medical and lost wages.

The post had few shares but hundreds of comments, mostly from Zhang Shu’s fans.

“People talk trash for money…”

“How much dirty money did you take? Enough for your family to drink poison?”

“Taking our Zhang Shu away, we’re not interested…”

They attacked or insulted, with some even threatening legal action against the blogger for defamation.

Li Xin felt her scalp tingle.

Her professional experience told her this wasn’t as simple as it seemed.

First, the incident did happen. Zhang Shu drove drunk and hit a worker, and to protect his image, had a female companion take the fall.

Second, the media had exposed it, but it was quickly managed. The woman took full responsibility, and the worker was compensated.

Third, why was this resurfacing after more than a year?

And the timing of the post was critical.

At 7 a.m., when commuters were waking up, washing up, or on their way to work. With nothing else to do, they’d naturally check Weibo, read novels, or news. This was a peak traffic time.

But staff like Li Xin were still at home or on their way, unable to quickly gather and discuss solutions, risking the issue escalating.

Li Xin dared not act rashly. As the manager of Zhang Shu’s official account, her actions represented him. Any response would be scrutinized.

She immediately reported to her supervisor, Xu Bin, who, after seeing the post, shouted, “I’m on my way to the office. Get here quickly!”

When Li Xin arrived, Xu Bin was already there, looking agitated as he ran a hand through his thinning hair. “Let’s wait and see. If the post dies down, great. If it starts gaining traction, we’ll ask Weibo to delete it. If they refuse, we’ll issue a legal notice to hold the slanderer accountable-I’ll have the lawyer prepare it now.”

“Got it, Supervisor,” Li Xin nodded, still uneasy. “What if this is malicious hype and they have evidence against Shu-Ge?”

Xu Bin’s eyes narrowed, his tone fierce. “How long has it been? What evidence could they have?”

Xu Bin was both Zhang Shu’s assistant and agent, their fates intertwined. Someone dredging up Zhang Shu’s drunk driving incident was clearly targeting him, aiming to destroy his image and diminish his commercial value.

If things got serious, it could even threaten his career.

Xu Bin couldn’t let that happen.

Li Xin understood Xu Bin’s foul mood and stayed silent.

Xu Bin realized he’d lost his composure in front of a subordinate. Li Xin’s concern was valid-what if they did have dirt on Zhang Shu?

Nothing is absolute.

And it’s wise to consider the worst-case scenario. His experience taught him that if you can imagine it, it’s likely true. The Entertainment Circle is a place where “dreams come true.”

Xu Bin looked at Li Xin and said, “First, keep this internal for now. No need to spread it. There are plenty within the company who’d enjoy the spectacle. Second, Zhang Shu is filming outside. Call him and explain, but assure him we’ll handle it.”

After a pause, Xu Bin considered any overlooked aspects and said, “I’ll report to Mr. Wang. If it gets too bad, we might need the group’s Public Relations Department to step in.”

Footnote:

1. Weibo(微博): A Chinese social media platform similar to Twitter, where users post short messages, images, and videos. It’s widely used for news, entertainment, and personal updates.
2. WeChat(微信): A versatile Chinese messaging and social media app that allows users to chat, make voice and video calls, share moments, and use various other services like mobile payments.
3. Toutiao(头条): A popular Chinese news and information platform that uses algorithms to recommend personalized content to users, ranging from news articles to videos.