Daily Life of a Villain at Work [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 20

Chapter 20: The Protagonist’s Fourth Day of Action~

Chu Ke was in no position to withstand Wen Qingyun’s psychological warfare; the word “friend” completely shattered her defenses.

After a brief silence, Chu Ke poured everything out like beans from a jar.

Hearing that Chu Ke was being pressured by her superior and subjected to moral kidnapping, Wen Qingyun wasn’t particularly surprised. The stronger a person’s sense of morality and integrity, the more they are bound by such ethereal constraints. It was only natural for Chu Ke to fall into such a dilemma.

If Chu Ke lacked a sense of responsibility, she wouldn’t worry that the failure to build the factory would cost the villagers their livelihood. If she were heartless, she wouldn’t feel that asking for a settlement was an excessive demand to make of a victim.

“Is your leader missing a brain? I said those words in front of over a million viewers. The relevant posts have over a hundred million views. On what basis does he think 200,000 yuan can buy a settlement?”

“He doesn’t understand the simple logic that you can’t wrap fire in paper? Among my ten million followers, someone is bound to get insider information.”

“To protect a driver from a state-owned enterprise by hiding the progress of a case and harboring a criminal… I think your leader should be laid off.”

Wen Qingyun wore an expression of pure disdain. “Dumping tasks on subordinates because he can’t handle them himself—why hasn’t a ‘deadwood’ waste of space like that stepped down yet?”

Having unburdened her heart, Chu Ke felt much more relaxed. Regardless of the outcome, she had tried her best.

Chu Ke: “From the Director’s perspective, a settlement is indeed the easiest and most efficient solution.”

“Are you speaking up for your moron boss?” Wen Qingyun flicked Chu Ke’s forehead with her finger. “Chu Ke, wake up. Don’t let yourself be brainwashed.”

Chu Ke rubbed the spot where she’d been flicked. Meeting Wen Qingyun’s “hating that iron isn’t becoming steel” gaze, she guiltily shifted the topic.

“The bank has records of Chen Kun withdrawing cash, but he insists he only used that money to have them cause trouble at the stall to disrupt business.”

“Chen Kun was very cautious; he left no physical evidence. The chat logs only prove they arranged to meet.”

“There is a huge difference in sentencing between hiring someone to disrupt market order and hiring someone for intentional injury. One is a crime of disrupting market order, the other is intentional assault.”

“They can’t even find that out?” Wen Qingyun knitted her brows, her dissatisfaction written all over her face.

Chu Ke looked troubled. “The leaders don’t want Chen Kun to be convicted of the latter, nor do they want to be attacked by public opinion, so they’ve been dragging it out.”

Wen Qingyun understood it perfectly. The leadership simply didn’t want one Chen Kun to ruin the local reputation. They were banking on time, diluting everything, hoping to turn a big problem into a small one, and a small one into nothing.

Calculating the time, it had been nearly a month since the attack. The public’s attention had long shifted elsewhere. To put it bluntly, if she weren’t a high-profile celebrity, they probably wouldn’t have even sent Chu Ke on this trip.

No one who makes it to a leadership position in the system is a fool; pushing Chu Ke to the front was a clever move. If it succeeded, everyone wins; if it failed, there was someone to take the blame.

Noticing the pity in Wen Qingyun’s eyes, Chu Ke touched her face. “What’s wrong? Did I say something wrong?”

Wen Qingyun shook her head. “Nothing is wrong. But facts are facts; they won’t be altered just because some people are unwilling to face them.”

“Tell that Director of yours: the evidence of the crime was caught on high-definition cameras and witnessed by over a million people. Tell him not to do anything stupid.”

Chu Ke hummed in response. “I will relay all of your points to the Director, Teacher Wen.”

Wen Qingyun crossed her arms. “Aren’t you worried the Director will make things difficult for you because of this?”

Chu Ke smiled, hiding her gloom and forcing her expression to look light and cheerful. “The most the Director can do is say my work wasn’t diligent enough and make me write a self-criticism.”

“I haven’t committed any disciplinary errors, nor have I failed in my duties. Nothing serious will happen.”

The upright Chu Ke chose to silently bear the consequences—a choice perfectly in line with her honest, kind, and responsible nature.

Wen Qingyun didn’t say much more. She simply treated Chu Ke to dinner and dropped her off at the entrance of her hotel.

“We are friends. If you run into trouble, you can call me.” Wen Qingyun handed Chu Ke a gold-embossed business card. It contained only her name and a single phone number.

“Okay, I will.” Chu Ke gripped the card, showing a smile free of shadows as she stepped out of the car.

Barring any accidents, today would be the last time the two met. A grassroots poverty alleviation official and a popular star were, after all, people from different worlds.

“Teacher Wen, stay safe on the road. Goodbye!” Chu Ke stood at the hotel entrance, waving at Wen Qingyun inside the car, her eyes filled with a sense of relief.

When Qingyun raised her hand to wave, then, a second before the window rolled up, she mischievously blew a kiss.

Chu Ke’s newly stabilized heart was instantly thrown into chaos. The feelings she had tried to nip in the bud came surging back uncontrollably, like a withered tree meeting spring.

Perhaps, in Wen Qingyun’s heart, I am just a little bit special?

…

[Congratulations Host, task completion has increased. Current progress: 65%.]

Whether it was teasing Chu Ke into a loss of composure or the system’s notification chime, Wen Qingyun felt quite pleased.

However, that pleasure didn’t last long. Just as she reached her front door, Sister Xiao called.

“Qian Tuo released a statement. He denied you two are together, but in his ‘little essay,’ he hinted that he likes you.” Sister Xiao’s tone was furious. “He’s acting like the victim while reaping the benefits; he wants to keep leeching off your heat.”

Wen Qingyun’s smile instantly inverted. “Sister Xiao, have the lawyers secure the evidence! Slap a lawyer’s letter right on his face. I’m suing him for hiring someone to take secret photos and invading my privacy!”

“Are you sure you can get the evidence?” Sister Xiao asked.

“Positive. The evidence is guaranteed for tomorrow. Just you wait,” Wen Qingyun said with absolute certainty.

“Fine. I’ll arrange the ‘water army’ (paid posters) to strike back. He wants heat? I’ll give it to him—let’s see if he can handle the burn.” Sister Xiao was also seeing red.

If Qian Tuo had just leeched a little, Sister Xiao might have turned a blind eye—that’s just the industry. But Qian Tuo was insatiable. He actually had the audacity to try and tie himself to her artist and suck Wen Qingyun’s blood? Did he think she, the manager, was a useless amateur?

Ha! What a joke. Before Wen Qingyun poached her, the artists under her wing had multiple “Best Actress” nominations!

As Sister Xiao rolled up her sleeves to coordinate the counterattack, Wen Qingyun stood before her mirror, adjusting her expression and straining her eyes.

Only when the corners of her eyes were red and filled with a misty haze did she open the car door and march into her house with a determined sense of purpose.

She pushed open the door, bypassed the foyer, scanned the living room, and ignored her father’s welcoming smile. She lunged straight at her mother, who was watching the news on the sofa.

“Mom! Someone bullied me! Your precious daughter was bullied! Mom, you have to help me!” Wen Qingyun hung onto her mother, wailing without a shred of her “idol” image.

Mother Wen frowned at her daughter burrowing into her arms. In her peach-blossom eyes—identical to her daughter’s—there was a hint of disdain, but far more hidden indulgence and doting.

“Speak properly. With your temperament, who could possibly bully you?” Mother Wen patted her daughter’s head.

“It’s Qian Tuo! A disgusting, stinky man! He hired people to secretly film me, he was handsy with me, and he’s even spreading rumors that I like him!” Wen Qingyun clutched her mother’s waist, looking like she was about to cry—pitiful and helpless.

“And just now, he shamelessly claimed he likes me, trying to tie himself to me to build a ‘devoted lover’ persona! Mom, if you don’t help me, your daughter will have a permanent stain on her record! I’ll be used by that stinky man for the rest of my life!”

“He dares?!” Mother Wen’s brows snapped together, her expression turning incredibly solemn.

Her pampered, precious daughter—some blind fool actually dared to mess with her?!