The onlookers glanced from Shen Fanyun to Hu ng, their minds reeling. They had never witnessed a scene like this before.
Why is she so nervous? they wondered. Editor-in-chief Hu usually commanded such a powerful presence. She was decisive, acted swiftly, and was soone everyone deferred to and dared not slight. Yet in front of Shen Fanyun, she seed utterly flustered.
After their exchange, Hu ng appeared panicked, looking away and changing the subject as if desperate to avoid speaking with him any further. This beca especially apparent the mont Shen Fanyun stood up. Hu ng was so frightened that she stumbled backward, nearly collapsing into her executive chair.
"Wh-what are you going to do?" she stamred. "I’m warning you, this is my private office! You barge in here without permission, and now you’re planning to assault ? That’s illegal! If this gets out, you’ll have to face the consequences. I’m not joking. You’d better think carefully about what you’re doing!"
"I do want to hit you," Shen Fanyun said calmly. "If you don’t like it, feel free to call the police. Right here, right now."
I can’t. He’s right. She had done things that couldn’t see the light of day. If she filed a report, Shen Fanyun would just release the evidence he had on her. Wouldn’t that be walking right into his trap? She truly didn’t dare to call the police. Her own hands weren’t clean, and acting on impulse would only lead to her own humiliating downfall.
But before she could react—
SLAP!
As expected, Shen Fanyun struck her. Still not satisfied, he grabbed her by the hair, dragged her violently from behind her desk, and slamd her to the floor.
Hu ng’s mind went blank. A wave of intense pain shot through her, making her tremble as if her entire skeleton had just been shattered.
"Didn’t I tell you to stop provoking ?" Shen Fanyun asked, crouching in front of the sprawled-out Hu ng with a chilling smile.
This is completely unfair! I feel so wronged. I haven’t even seen him recently, so how could I have provoked him? After he beat last ti, I didn’t even dare to retaliate. Wasn’t that being obedient enough? I’ve been deliberately avoiding him, so where did this ’provocation’ co from? Faced with his question, Hu ng was speechless. The man was just so brutal. Before she could even open her mouth—
SMACK!
Another slap landed on her cheek, the force of it making her feel as if her teeth were about to break.
"How have I offended you?!" Hu ng shrieked, her voice raw.
This is so humiliating, so unjust! I have no idea what I could have possibly done to make Shen Fanyun himself co to my company just to cause trouble.
"Oh, apologies. I forgot to ntion," Shen Fanyun said slowly, his tone unhurried. "Lu Feiyan is my woman. She’s always had a dream of making music, so I’ve been supporting her from behind the scenes."
Hu ng froze. Lu Feiyan... is Shen Fanyun’s woman? Huh? Her mind couldn’t keep up. As far as I rember, his woman is the Su Family’s heiress, Su Xiyang. When did Lu Feiyan enter the picture? What sent a true chill down her spine was the implication. Lu Feiyan’s backer is Shen Fanyun? He’s the one who orchestrated her rise to fa?
It was a sha, too. Just as her career was taking off, a single fabricated, groundless rumor had nearly destroyed her reputation entirely.
Hu ng inhaled sharply. If that’s the case, then I really did provoke Shen Fanyun. Provoking soone, whether intentionally or not, is still provoking them!
SLAP!
Seeing Hu ng’s silence, Shen Fanyun struck her again to snap her out of it. "How did Lu Feiyan offend you?"
"I... I actually have no grudge against her," Hu ng stamred, stunned.
Shen Fanyun sneered. "No grudge? Then why spread malicious rumors to slander her? You even fabricated a video. Did that make you feel powerful?"
Hu ng was speechless. I thought this plan would be another perfect achievent for my record. Instead, it dragged this devil, Shen Fanyun, into the mix! The crucial point is that he has leverage over now. If we have a real falling out, my end will be disastrous! I... I should have been more careful from the start. I should have used soone else’s account for my one-way contact with Sudan Dan and then deleted and blocked it after it served its purpose!
"Did Lu Feiyan provoke you?" Shen Fanyun asked again.
"No," Hu ng replied dazedly.
"She didn’t, yet you slandered her anyway? What, you’re so big shot in the news world, so you can just crush anyone you don’t like?" Shen Fanyun smacked her on the side of the head. Hu ng cried out in pain as she felt sothing warm trickle from her nose. She touched it. It was blood.
Just then, a group of people rushed into the office. At their head was a bald man, Yuan Zhao. His eyes landed on Hu ng lying disheveled on the floor, and he erupted in fury. "This is outrageous! Who the hell are you? How dare you cause trouble in my company? Do you have a death wish?"
Yuan Zhao’s face twitched. This is unbelievable. In a society governed by the rule of law, soone is brazen enough to just barge into an office and beat soone up? Does he think this is a marketplace? Or is he just an arrogant brute who’s used to getting his way? And he didn’t attack just anyone. Hu ng is my most capable subordinate, a pillar of this company, and a future executive! Hitting Hu ng is no different than slapping , Yuan Zhao, right in the face!
"I hold so different opinions regarding a few news reports by your company’s Editor-in-chief Hu," Shen Fanyun said with a smile, looking completely harmless. "So, I ca today to have a discussion with her."
Yuan Zhao’s eyebrow twitched. Our news company has always reported fairly, justly, and truthfully. This man showing up unannounced is clearly here for a personal vendetta. Did he do sothing shaful that our agency righteously exposed? And now, humiliated and enraged, he’s co to take it out on Hu ng? This is pure, arrogant retaliation! He’s completely lawless!
"Truthful reporting? A principle of upholding justice?" Shen Fanyun scoffed. "As the saying goes, if you find one cockroach in a room, you can be sure there’s not just one, but an entire nest. Aren’t you ashad to even say those words?" he challenged Yuan Zhao.
Yuan Zhao’s eyes flickered, but he quickly composed himself and commanded forcefully, "Soone call the police! Take this arrogant, insolent bastard to the station!"
"No, don’t!" Hu ng cried out. She knew better than anyone that this was exactly what Shen Fanyun wanted—for her to walk right into his trap. If they really called the police and the truth of the matter ca to light, she couldn’t even begin to imagine how terrible her fate would be. This matter could only be resolved privately. It couldn’t be made public.
Yuan Zhao stared at Hu ng, completely bewildered. "What?"
"Handle this... privately!" Hu ng trembled as she forced out the words.
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