Louis slowly turned away. "...We're going inside now."
He walked toward the boardroom door without another word, Mo Fei followed right behind him.
Louis pushed the door open.
And the two of them stepped into the boardroom and the quiet inside the boardroom shifted.
Heads turned.
Seven executives.
Two department heads.
A legal representative. And one very familiar woman seated halfway down the long table. Every pair of eyes landed on Mo Fei. Some curious. Some irritated. Some openly skeptical.
Louis stepped forward first and bowed politely. "Good morning."
Mo Fei, slightly delayed, quickly copied the movement and bowed as well. They both took their seats. The chair beside Mo Fei shifted and a gentle hand suddenly reached over and grabbed his making Mo Fei nearly jumped, He turned his head.
A beautiful woman with sharp eyes and a calm smile was looking at him.
From Mo Fei's inherited memories, her name surfaced.
Fei Yan.
One of the few executives who had quietly defended Mo Fei during the scandal.
Her fingers squeezed his hand softly. "Are you alright now?" Her voice carried genuine concern.
Mo Fei immediately began blushing. A beautiful woman was holding his hand. Was the heavens rewarding him for dying once already? Mo Fei straightened slightly and gave her his brightest smile.
"Yes." He nodded confidently. "I won't fade away that easily."
Across the table, someone scoffed. Another executive shook his head.
When did Mo Fei become this bold? Did the fall scramble his brain? Or was he always this shameless?"
Louis, sitting beside Mo Fei, slowly closed his eyes. He could already feel his blood pressure rising. Please don't say anything else.
At the head of the table, the director finally cleared his throat and the room quieted.
Director Wei folded his hands together and looked directly at Mo Fei.
"Let's begin."
A folder was placed on the table and he opened it slowly.
"One Month ago, a scandal erupted involving top model Mo Fei." The director glanced around the room. "The accusations were serious, you were accused of knowingly having an affair with a engaged woman."
He flipped a page.
"The fiancé of the lady publicly accused you online. Shortly after, the lady claimed you forced yourself on her despite knowing she was engaged."
The room fell heavier, Several executives exchanged looks. One of them spoke bluntly.
"Your reputation collapsed overnight."
Another added.
"Three brands cancelled their campaigns."
"Two endorsements suspended cooperation."
The director tapped the folder lightly.
"And then..." He looked up at Mo Fei. "You jumped from the eighteenth floor of your apartment."
A long silence followed. Then he leaned back slightly.
"Today we must decide something."
His eyes sharpened.
"Should Z Entertainment continue to keep Mo Fei under contract... or remove him from the company entirely."
The director's words settled heavily over the room. For a moment no one spoke. Then the man sitting two seats away from the director adjusted his glasses and leaned forward.
His name was Director Wang Jian.
"We should at least review his value before making a decision."
Across the table someone scoffed. Director Chen Guoliang, head of brand partnerships, leaned back in his chair.
"You say that as if he's irreplaceable."
Wang Jian ignored him and continued.
"Mo Fei has been one of our most profitable fashion models for three consecutive years.His runway presence is strong, His face has high brand recognition and he's ranked top five in fashion campaign revenue last year."
Another executive nodded slightly.
Liu Meiling, head of marketing, added calmly,
"And his visual appeal is still extremely strong."
Her eyes briefly glanced toward Mo Fei. "His face alone still sells magazines."
Across the table, Chen Guoliang snorted loudly. "We are an entertainment company, not a charity." He waved his hand dismissively. "We have dozens of models. New faces appear every year, Why should we keep someone whose name trends every week for the wrong reasons?"
A murmur passed through the room and another executive spoke up.
Director Sun Liang.
"The public image damage is serious, Brands do not like controversy unless it benefits them and this controversy is not beneficial."
Louis finally leaned forward. He cleared his throat. "With respect... "
Several executives looked toward him but Louis kept his voice steady. "Mo Fei's case is not confirmed. "There is no legal conviction. The accusations are still online rumors."
Chen Guoliang laughed. "Rumors? The internet already convicted him."
Louis didn't react. He continued calmly. "And yet two days ago... his name reached the number one trending topic again."
The room shifted slightly. Louis looked directly at the board.
"Attention is currency in this industry."
Chen Guoliang's eyes narrowed. "Are you suggesting we profit from scandal?"
Louis replied calmly.
"I'm suggesting the public is still watching him. Which means he still has value."
Beside Mo fei, Fei Yan finally spoke. Her voice was calm "I agree."
The room quieted slightly.
Fei Yan placed her hand gently on the table.
"Mo Fei has always been professional during shoots. He has never created trouble on set." She looked around the table. "If the accusations are proven false later, we would have destroyed one of our own talents."
Chen Guoliang scoffed again.
"You speak as if he's the only handsome model we have."
Fei Yan didn't even look at him. "Not the only one." Her eyes briefly glanced toward Mo Fei. "But one of the best."
Meanwhile, Mo Fei sat quietly. Hands folded on the table, he was completely silent. Louis slowly glanced sideways at him. Suspicion flickered in his eyes. Why is he suddenly behaving so well? Five minutes ago he was flirting with Fei Yan, Now he's silent like a statue.
Across the table Chen Guoliang leaned forward again. His voice sharper now. "Even if we ignore the scandal..."
His eyes landed directly on Mo Fei.
"...does he even have the backbone to survive in this industry anymore?"
Mo Fei looked straight at Chen Guoliang.
On the outside, his expression was calm.
Inside his head, however....
Wow. This man is ugly. Not the ordinary kind of ugly. The kind of ugly where your soul feels tired just looking at someone. Mo Fei tilted his head slightly, studying him. Yep. Definitely a villain face.
From the memories left in the original Mo Fei's mind, he quickly pieced things together.Chen Guoliang had never liked Mo Fei. Not during his rise. Not during his peak. And definitely not now, Which meant one thing.
Ah... so this guy has been trying to mess with me for a while. Good to know.
Meanwhile the boardroom had grown quiet. When Mo Fei noticed something strange. Everyone was looking at him. The entire table, Seven executives. Fei Yan. Louis. Even Director Wang. All of them waiting.
Mo Fei blinked, Why are they staring at me?
He slowly turned his head toward Louis. Louis had one eyebrow raised.
Then Louis subtly tilted his head toward the table. The meaning was very clear. Speak! Mo Fei gave him a sheepish smile.
Then he turned back toward the board. Seven executives still staring.
Mo Fei scratched the back of his head awkwardly. Then he smiled politely.
"Sorry, I wasn't really listening."