Daily Life of a Villain at Work [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Third Day of Troubling the Protagonist~

Chu Ke followed the cameraman without a second thought. Seeing the old woman gasping for air, she rushed forward to support her swaying body, patting her back to help regulate her breathing.

“What happened?” Chu Ke asked with a frown.

“Teacher Chu Ke, she was just talking and then suddenly started gasping like this,” the cameraman said vaguely, worried about being held responsible.

With Chu Ke’s help, the old woman finally caught her breath. She pointed a trembling finger in the direction Wen Qingyun had left. “No manners! How could she curse my grandson to go to jail! How could she say such things!”

Chu Ke looked at the old woman and then at the guilty-looking cameraman, her brow furrowing deeper. “First, Director Yue asked me to help. Second, as a resident cadre, I have the right to know the full story. I want to see the footage you just recorded.”

Chu Ke’s features were naturally gentle and dignified, but that didn’t mean she was a pushover. When she stopped smiling and composed her face, her aura shifted instantly.

To the cameraman, it felt like being caught by his headteacher while sneaking out to an internet cafe. He immediately turned submissive, barely daring to breathe.

“Wait, I… I’ll ask Director Yue.” The cameraman stuttered, covering his headset to report to Yue Xing.

“Little Chu, you’re our village cadre! You’ve seen my grandson! He’s successful! He’s not someone who goes to jail! You have to stand up for me; you can’t let us Shishu Village folk be bullied!”

Once her breath returned, the old woman gripped Chu Ke’s wrist tightly, howling for her to take her side.

“Grandma Chen, don’t worry yet. I’m going to verify the footage. If the production crew is causing trouble in the village, I will report it and have their filming permit revoked.” Chu Ke comforted the woman, but there was no trust in her eyes.

Chu Ke knew Grandma Chen’s character all too well from personal experience. Once, she had gone to check the wiring for the elderly woman who lived alone, only to find a grown man lurking in a place where no one was supposed to be.

Recalling that unpleasant memory, Chu Ke’s expression grew even more solemn.

The cameraman didn’t dare delay. “Teacher Chu Ke, do you want to watch it now, or should I export it and send it to you later?”

“Now.” Chu Ke let go of the old woman’s hand to move toward the cameraman.

But the old woman wouldn’t let go. She gripped Chu Ke’s left wrist with both hands, preventing her from leaving. “Little Chu, what do you mean? What footage? You don’t believe me? Are you taking the side of an outsider?”

“Grandma Chen, everything needs evidence. Otherwise, I can’t convince the leadership to stand with Shishu Village. I need to know what actually happened.” Chu Ke explained patiently, comforting the woman for a good while before finally freeing herself.

The cameraman said nothing, but his eyes darted to Chu Ke’s wrist.

Chu Ke’s originally fair wrist was now bright red and starting to swell, a testament to how much strength the old woman had used.

With strength like that, was she really gasping for air earlier, or was it all an act? Am I being scammed? the cameraman wondered.

…

Wen Qingyun didn’t look back once. She returned to the activity center with her perfect-score task card.

“Redeem for lunch. The highest tier.” Wen Qingyun placed the card in front of a staff member.

The tasks were graded on a ten-point scale. Regardless of the others’ performance, Wen Qingyun’s perfect score guaranteed her first place.

Yue Xing, feeling guilty about the secret recording, immediately had the assistant director agree. They arranged an air-conditioned room for Wen Qingyun and had the chef cook a meal just for her.

The arrangement was barely satisfactory to Wen Qingyun, but she had only been in the AC for two minutes when her phone rang.

The caller ID said “Sister Xiao”—her manager.

“Hello, Sister Xiao.” Wen Qingyun leaned back, holding the phone to her ear with a casual air.

“My little ancestor! Didn’t I tell you? This show is a live broadcast! Live! You need to exercise some restraint when you speak. You have to watch the public impact!” Sister Xiao’s exhausted voice came through the speaker.

“Do you know those things you said were broadcast live? The internet is in an uproar. Everyone is saying you don’t respect the elderly and that you maliciously speculate about others. Your ‘black material’ is being dug up all over again,” Sister Xiao sighed heavily.

“I know. Didn’t I specifically set my comments to ‘followers only’?” Wen Qingyun crossed her legs, her tone languid. “Help me check. How many followers did I gain?”

Silence fell on the other end for ten seconds. When Sister Xiao spoke again, her voice was complex. “Five hundred thousand. In just that short time, you gained five hundred thousand haters.”

Wen Qingyun chuckled. “Not necessarily. Since they’re arguing, it means many sensible netizens agree with me and are fighting on my behalf. At most, it’s 250,000 haters.”

“Sister Xiao, do me a small favor. Later, log into my account and run a giveaway for the fans fighting for me,” Wen Qingyun said. “I’ll transfer a million to you shortly. Pick a hundred people, ten thousand yuan each.”

“Are you sure?” Sister Xiao’s voice rose. “If you take a stand on this, countless eyes will be on you. Your DMs must be exploding!”

“Not really, I turned them off,” Wen Qingyun said lightheartedly. “If the haters want to scold me, they have to follow me first. My pinned post is a business ad—have you seen the view count on that? The brand must be thrilled.”

Sister Xiao: “…”

“You’re something else.” Sister Xiao was speechless. “If those haters realize this, they’ll be choked with rage.”

By arguing elsewhere, they were just giving Wen Qingyun more heat. With DMs blocked, if they wanted to comment on her profile, they had to follow her.

Wasn’t this just boosting Wen Qingyun’s metrics? Her profile views had surpassed ten million today! If converted to ad revenue, every second would be worth a fortune!

The brand might be momentarily affected by the controversy, but compared to the massive brand awareness and traffic, that minor ripple was negligible. Furthermore, the brand Wen Qingyun had pinned was a clothing line that championed women’s empowerment, targeting elite white-collar women.

Those women were mostly independent and successful; they wouldn’t be easily misled by online mobs, nor would they empathize with the men currently throwing tantrums.

“Tell the brand that if sales skyrocket, remember to send me a big red envelope,” Wen Qingyun said with a smile. “I’ll even post a special thank-you on Weibo~”

“Also, tell my other partner brands about the giveaway. I’m willing to accept prizes they provide for free. The more they give, the higher their name goes on the list.”

Being a “black-and-red” star was great—as long as there was exposure and traffic, everything else was a minor detail.

“You’re just adding fuel to the fire,” Sister Xiao said, her tone shifting from anxiety to a trace of resigned indulgence.

Sister Xiao turned serious. “I have to warn you. Most of the men rushing to your profile are emotionally unstable. There might even be some with extreme personalities. I’m worried about your safety if you keep provoking them.”

Wen Qingyun: “Then arrange two more bodyguards for me. If anyone actually shows up, just hand them over to the police.”

“Fine. If you’re really not afraid of obsessive fans, I’ll go make the arrangements.” Sister Xiao conceded.

There was no other way. For a celebrity fueled by traffic, this wave of heat was incredibly valuable. If handled correctly, Wen Qingyun’s market value might even rise by 50%.

“Great! Thanks for the help, Sister Xiao~” Wen Qingyun said cheerfully.

After ending the call, the chef began serving the meal—steaming, delicious dishes arrived one by one. Wen Qingyun was in high spirits; she snapped two photos and began to enjoy her lunch.

…

“Grandma Chen, I’ve watched the replay. Teacher Wen was just a bit passionate when expressing her opinions; it wasn’t verbal abuse. Moreover, there was no physical contact throughout the process. I can’t hold her responsible for anything.”

Chu Ke had watched the whole thing. She didn’t think there was anything wrong with Wen Qingyun’s words.

Grandma Chen’s grandson wasn’t even 1.7 meters tall without shoes. He was a contract driver for a local state enterprise, earning around five thousand a month. After accompanying leaders to a few events, he started viewing himself as part of the upper class, his confidence bordering on arrogance.

Chu Ke was telling the truth, but this answer displeased the old woman resting in the activity center. She threw her disposable cup onto the floor.

“Why can’t you make that woman apologize! She said those things about my grandson! Have you been bribed by her?” The old woman shouted, as if being louder made her right.

“Grandma Chen, I am a civil servant. Please do not talk nonsense.” Chu Ke’s brow furrowed.

Chu Ke had dealt with the elders of Shishu Village for nearly a year, but even so, she found it hard to remain calm. Ignorance seemed to be a label they all wore; in their eyes, everything had to be handled according to their own set of standards.

Briefly summarized: You’re wrong; it has to be done my way.

But it wasn’t quite right to call them truly “ignorant.” Truly ignorant people wouldn’t know how to exploit government subsidies or use their age to act shamelessly and ignore the law.

“My grandson is too! He works in the city with big leaders! Unlike you, who got kicked out to this place!” Since she couldn’t vent on Wen Qingyun, the old woman turned Chu Ke into her punching bag.

“My grandson told me long ago—it wasn’t you who rejected him; he was the one who didn’t want you. Someone who offended their leader is destined to be stuck like this for life!”

Chu Ke’s frown deepened. She wanted to argue, to explain that poverty alleviation was a national policy and that she had chosen this post herself, prepared for hardship.

But realizing the woman hadn’t even finished primary school and that most of her worldview came from her “grandson,” Chu Ke felt it was pointless. “A summer insect cannot speak of ice.” The old woman’s cognitive limits meant she would never understand, and might even think Chu Ke was a fool.

“I’ve made myself clear. Grandma Chen, if you insist on an apology or compensation, you can choose to call the police,” Chu Ke said. “Defamation can be a criminal case; you can report Teacher Wen for damaging your grandson’s reputation.”

“The police! Yes, I’ll call the police!” the woman shouted.

“You can, but I must warn you. Teacher Wen is a public figure. If the police find she didn’t actually damage your grandson’s reputation, she can hold you accountable in return,” Chu Ke said calmly, devoid of personal emotion.

“I’ve looked into compensation for celebrity reputation cases. For a star of her magnitude, they usually sue for hundreds of thousands to over a million yuan.”

Chu Ke looked at the old woman. Seeing her go instantly silent, Chu Ke felt a wave of exhaustion.

Sure enough, the person in front of her wasn’t “ignorant.” She knew she was in the wrong, which was why she went quiet.

But why wouldn’t she change? Why did she have to cause a scene?

Was it because she was certain no one could do anything to a woman in her seventies?