"You are wrong about that. Not everyone is like that, Qian Meng. That is why you stand out amongst the crowd."

  She didn't know how to respond. "Well… I don't know when work will be over. But maybe I will go home this evening?" she said hopefully.

  "Okay, I will ask Xiong Hua to keep food packed for you just in case. I'll also be late for the next few weeks. The new software is almost complete," Mo Qingchen said. The excitement in his voice was palpable.

  "Really?" she asked. "That's wonderful. Before I forget, could you ask Xiong Hua to pack something I can wear at the press meeting? I need some options on those."

  "Don't worry about that. I set everything aside when I found out it was happening. Thank god you keep all the sets organized."

  Qian Meng snickered at his bewildered little ramble.

  She saw her office building pull up.? "Oh, I have arrived.? I'll talk to you later."

  She hung up without saying anything else——

  It was half an hour before the press conference and Qian Meng was looking over the material one last time. She was already dressed, her makeup done just right and there was not a shred of nervousness in her body.

  Her phone was pressed to her ears as she called Li Jun. Apart from Mo Qingchen and Li Min, he seemed to be the person she called the most. What did that say about her?

  It took him a while to pick up the call. "Miss Yun," he whispered.

  "Are you in a meeting?" she asked. She looked at the clock and was confused. He was supposed to be done with everything by now.

  "No, I just walked away from the desk for a minute. I have already reported Shi Yuhan to the police. The clerk who catered to her that day has given their statement and the unedited CCTV footage has been given to the police as well," he said calmly.

  "Thank you for that," she said with a sigh. "When are you serving her the papers?" she inquired.

  "I have already posted the papers through the post office. The email copy of it is sitting in my email right now. Once you mention that a lawsuit has been filed against Shi Yuhan, I will press send on that," he assured.

  "You're a lifesaver," Qian Meng groaned.

  "Don't mention it. Just doing my job," he chuckled.

  "Well, I need to go down and wait for the cue to go up on the stage and speak," she informed him. "I'll get a debrief on the situation later, okay?"

  The call ended and Qian Meng looked at her form one last time before piling her papers and making a move.

  An intern sprinted to her the minute she neared the hall. The little guy bent over and pressed his hands to his knees as he panted.

  "Why are you running?" Qian Meng asked, amused.

  "Boss, I am the one keeping track of Shi Yuhan's social media. She just started a livestream," he said. He turned the tablet towards her.

  Qian Meng saw the celebrity sitting on her sofa with popcorn and an array of food in front of her. She didn't think Shi Yuhan would eat any of it, but she was making quite a show.

  "No need to run for that. It's not that urgent. Just keep a tab on what she is saying and report them to me as and when you see I am not doing something pressing. Understood?" she instructed.

  "Yes, Boss." The boy looked down apologetically.

  "Look up," she urged. "What has she said so far?"

  There was a blush on the boy's face. "She said that she wants to see the company go down because of the lies we say."

  Qian Meng nodded. "Enjoy her outrage. I will see it later on," she told him with a smile.

  She went inside the side room of the hall and peered inside. The reporters were sitting in the front, talking to one another. The whole atmosphere was jovial despite how serious the situation was for Venus.

  "Are all the reporters we invited here yet?" Qian Meng asked Xiong Fen.

  "Yes, everyone is here. The cameras are stationed at the back. I will be introducing the motion before you come out and give your statement," Xiong Fen said quietly.

  "Understood." Qian Meng turned to Li Min. "You know when to signal Li Jun to send the email, right?"

  "Absolutely," Li Min said immediately.

  "Three minutes until it starts," Xiong Fen announced. The intern perked up and came forward.

  "Boss, currently around eleven thousand people are watching Shi Yuhan's livestream. The comment section basically reads as everyone watching a show. The outrage is more on social media posts. They are waiting to tear us apart, it seems."

  Qian Meng patted the boy on his back. "Keep up the good work."

  Xiong Fen looked at her watch. "Showtime," she muttered before walking out. She was standing in front of the cameras with a professional look on her face.

  Qian Meng watched from the sidelines as she started to speak.

  "Thank you to everyone who made time for the press conference today. Our founder and CEO, Yun Qian Meng, will be addressing and making a statement on behalf of the company and its employees. The structure of the conference will remain unchanged. The CEO will make her statement regarding the issue first. She will then take questions from the reporters present." She paused.

  The room erupted with disbelief.

  "Without further ado, I would like to invite her to the podium." Xiong Fen bowed shallowly before turning to Qian Meng.

  Qian Meng sucked in a deep breath before holding her head high and emerging from behind the shadows.

  The flashes of the camera went off immediately and she tried her best not to blink against the assault of bright light.

  She gave the crowd a polite smile as she situated herself behind the podium. For the first few moments, she looked at the faces sitting in front of her and saw the curiosity on their faces.