Chapter 259: Can't Make Rash Remarks

"Do we have the footage right now?" Qian Meng asked, thinking deeply. 

"They should have some video footage from the time. The manager wasn't sure if the camera caught what happened, but this is the story that the employee who catered to this female celebrity gave."

Qian Meng chewed on her lip. "What does everyone think? What are the plans if we don't have clear evidence of what happened?"

A Director of Marketing, Ma Qiu, spoke up. "According to custom, it would be wise for us to explain our side of the story even if we don't have any solid evidence on her hand. It would minimize the criticism," the guy said. He was a young man who looked bright with life. 

Qian Meng looked at the others in the room. "The best option would be to wait and watch. If we don't have solid evidence, we can't make wild conjectures," Xiong Fen mentioned. She was the Director of Public Relations, who had worked a lot longer in the industry. 

"But we also can't wait too long to make a statement," Qian Meng sighed. 

An executive nodded. "After hour prices are fluctuating because of market instability since the live-stream happened. And the impact might not be too big right now but if this scandal snowballs, it would be hard to recover."

The sales team representative also looked worried. "It's not just stock prices. Such scandals have historically have disastrous effect on sales."

Qian Meng knew all of this, but hearing it out loud just made the situation grimmer.

"If it had been a smaller voice, the impact wouldn't be this big," Li Min interjected.

"We need to show that the words of this celebrity are unreliable. Any ideas on this?" Qian Meng hoped that there was someone who could come up with something. 

"I still think we should publish a primary statement about this," Ma Qui said. "The story will sell. A primary story is important to the market."

Xiong Fen groaned. "Excuse me, making a rash statement is going to put our heads on the guillotine."

The two quickly glared at one another. 

"Okay, both of you, don't glare," Qian Meng commented. "Both of you have made valid points. We can't make a rash statement, but we also can't delay making it." She thought about it. "We bring in the two opinions together. We only publish as much as we know concretely." 

She looked at Xiong Fen, who nodded in understanding. "I will ask one of the managers to write up a short statement and oversee the reading."

Ma Qiu looked a bit confused but seeing the Boss be on board, he didn't say anything.

"When can I expect the statement to go out?" Qian Meng asked. 

"We can expect it within an hour. It will take some back and forth to get it done, but it will be on your desk for approval within an hour." The promise was made. The thing about her employees was that they met deadlines. There was no use pouring your soul and working long hours. It was always about finishing everything up on time. 

"It seems a lot of you won't be able to sleep tonight. I will accompany you on this," Qian Meng promised. She was not a person who gave up all responsibility and then slept safely at night. If her employees were working overtime to solve a problem, she wouldn't be the capitalist slave driver and let them do it alone. At the end of the day, it was her problem. 

The people in the room dispersed, some going home while the others slaved away in the office. Qian Meng's room remained empty for a few minutes before an employee from the PR team rushed in. They were lower in the ranks but very enthusiastic. 

"What news do you bring?" Qian Meng asked with the best smile she could muster. 

"I brought information on the celebrity and her associates," the young man said. "Her name is Shu Yuhan. Twenty-three-year-old female. Started working in the industry and quickly rose in ranks. She is a part-time model and was once invited to walk on our runway but something fell through in the last minute."

Qian Meng nodded. "I knew about her being in the industry and the basic information. Is there anything worth noting? What is her motivation?"

The guy nodded. "I have gone through her social media and found that she wears a lot of jewelry from Sophie's Secret. She also seems to have affiliate links for the products listed in her posts and a code for her followers to use to get discounts."

Qian Meng felt her head ache. "Is that so? She got caught and made a scene. I would say public humiliation also plays a part in all of this. But let's see what people are saying. If we have any outside witnesses who saw it happen."

The kid blushed and looked down. 

"What are you nervous about? Were you a little fan of this Shu Yuhan? Is that why you had seen all her posts?" Qian Meng asked. 

The boy was about twenty-two, fresh out of college. It was at this age that people had celebrity crushes. So, she wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. 

He nodded. "Yes, I feel like I have supported someone who has been bad to the company I work for."

Qian Meng laughed for the first time since the news broke. "Don't worry about it. We can't help who we fall in love with. Do your work with peace of mind." She gave the kid a warm look and made him go his way. 

Once the door was closed, she recalled the words she had said to the brat. And then she remembered that Mo Qingchen was going to take her home when she was done. 

She looked at her cellphone, still full of news articles on the matter, and cleared her history before calling Mo Qingchen. 

He picked up instantly. "I was just about to pick you up. Did I make you wait for too long?" he asked.