Chapter 16 - The Hottest Headline

The whole company is receiving calls right here and there. It is still 6:00 am in the morning and all the employees of Xi Corporation has been working on their toes. Hannah was suppose to follow her boss in France last night but she canceled her flight as the urgency of this matter cannot be overlooked.

Photos of the president has been circulating in the Internet like a wildfire, tabloids and newspapers' front pages were all pictures of Xi Ana hugging a man at the airport. Though Hannah knew it was CEO Lim that's with her the other night it is not in her place to announce it to the public.

Everyone is on uproar, claiming things left and right with opinions that has no concrete proof. Why do always people think they knew everything when they only saw some photos. This has become the hottest headline of the year.

Some of the employees were also asking each other because they know their president's capabilities and she doesn't need to get into a man's bed to bring money in the company. They can only think two things from this, either the ability of the person who photoshopped the picture is top-notch or the their president really has a boyfriend which by the way is very unlikely they thought

As minutes past, the gravity of words being thrown to Xi Ana has become more severe though Hannah managed to take down the online articles she can't do anything more about the printed materials that has already been distributed.

She was trying to endure until she can contact Xi Ana but the rumors are affecting the company's stocks in an unimaginable rate and it's quite alarming. Though it's not really a big change but ever since the president came into position there has never been any losses and she never ever got into scandals either.

A lot claims that she managed to rise to the top at such a young age because she uses her beauty and body to attract other CEO's of big companies to sign a contract with them. Some says she's a fake empress clothed in extravagant clothes to hide her stinking side. They are now referring to her as a white lotus.

Her phone calls still can't get through to the president, she's still probably locked up in a meeting which probably will last for a few more hours. The president has her phone turned off during meetings. Due to these things still circulating the Internet, Hannah decided to give a call to the ȧssistant of CEO Lim. What happening right now is beyond her capabilities anymore. After about three rings the person on the other line finally picked up the call.

Lim Yi Sheng was still contemplating whether to clear the misunderstanding right away of not, it was him who was in the picture but he still wants to ask the opinion of his wife because clearing this thing might end up making them publicly announcing their marriage to everyone.

"CEO, the more time we drag, the bigger the casualty for the Xi Corporation and it might even affect the whole empire." he knows what his ȧssistant meant, they could easily turn the tables if they wanted to but he respects Xi Ana and doesn't want to do things on his own but on the other hand, this blow is also something that Xi Corporation never experienced since Xi Ana took over.

He glanced at his phone and decided to give Grandfather Xi a call.

"Grandfather it's me, Lim Yi Sheng." the old man on the other line already knew why his grandson-in-law called.

"Do what you have to do, I'll take full responsibility." he said with authority. If he decided to announce their marriage in public it's up to them.

Early this morning a lot of people has been calling him through his secretary about the picture. They wanted to know who the man is and what is his relationship to his grand daughter, though he was quite not pleased with the amount of calls to the point where he would like to announce the thing himself, he controlled his temper because his grand daughter is scarier than the scrutinizing eyes of the public.

"I'm afraid I would need to reveal our relationship as its already affecting the stocks of Xi Corporation, if it's merely a rumor I wouldn't even consider this on my own but right now Ana is in the middle of a meeting and I have no way of contacting her."

He'd heard from his secretary about Xi Ana's emergency meeting in France and he also knows that you can never reach her if she's in a meeting.

"As I've heard, if you are indeed willing to do this I know she would understand and if by any chance she became irrational about it which is very unlikely anyway I would vouch for you." his grand daughter has always been rational and she would even do the same thing if she's here.

"Thank you, Grandfather." with that, he ended the call. It's a basic manner to seek permission from the elder, after all his power within the empire is not something you can just ignore. He might have passed the throne to his grand daughter but he can still call the shots whenever he wants.

Just as he was about to instruct Feng Jinnian to call Xi Ana's ȧssistant there was already an incoming call from her to his ȧssistant.

"Answer the phone and then pass it to me." Lim Yi Sheng said.

The ȧssistant answered the call. "Ms. Lee, the CEO wants to talk to you." he then handed the phone to his boss.

"Alright." she already expected that the CEO would personally instruct her about what steps to take regarding this matter.

"Ms. Lee, I want you to release a statement saying that the man in the picture was me. As for the status of our relationship, do not divulge anything. Just keep the article vague, we'll manage on our end. Since Xi Ana isn't around they would definitely come to us." the ȧssistant on the other line mentally noted everything he said.

"I understand, CEO Lim." just as she thought the call was over, the CEO made further instructions which she had listened carefully.

"Also, get all the lists of the people who pulled out their stocks and canceled their contracts with Xi Corporation, those who slandered Ana by posting malicious comments online, and all the companies of the people who released those articles. I want all of them to realize that they are messing with the wrong people since they have the audacity to turn their backs on my wife they have to bear the consequences."

Hannah was a bit surprised but responded anyway "Immediately, CEO Lim. Is there anything else?"

"If Ana asks you, just tell her it was instructed by me."

"Yes, CEO Lim." with that he ended the call and gave the phone back to his ȧssistant.

"After the release of the statement, we will definitely be swarmed with questions confirming my relationship with Ana. Just respond that it was indeed me and that we will hold a press conference soon." he plans to drag the issue until Xi Ana came back from France, if she will agree they will hold the press conference together but if not he can handle it on his own.

"I understand, CEO Lim." he realized that he will also need to do some precautionary measures as this news will stir not only their company but the whole country, most importantly the corporate world.

As much as Lim Yi Sheng wanted to tell the world that they are married, he cannot easily do so. Xi Ana wants her life to be as private as possible though it's not like they actually made extensive efforts to keep it as secret, they just didn't tell anyone about it.

Anyway, they cannot change anything that has already happened.

---

Meanwhile, Hannah stared at the documents in front of her after the call ended. She was surprised to hear what the CEO wanted her to do because that is exactly the what the president would ask her, so even without an official order from the president she was already done compiling everything. They are indeed similar to each other, they are both cruel to those who deserve cruelty from them.

She prepared all the necessary information for the statement that they would release. After finalizing everything, she sent it to their company's PR department to handle it on their end. Usually hotel and restaurant companies like them do not have PR departments and only hire PR firms, but Xi Empire has their own PR department to deal with all public related matters and of the businesses under the whole empire.

She went out of her designated office and gathered all the employees on the top floor. The employees here are the only people who can see the president everyday as she always uses the private elevator from the parking lot going here. This floor contains only competent people which the president personally pick from the whole country.

Before she became a president, she already made an extensive research about the people who are competent enough and at the same time will never betray her no matter what. All the secretaries were also hand-picked by the president herself. All the people in the corporate world knows that once you were able to enter Xi Ana's Top Floor, that means you are indeed capable.

"In 30 minutes, the PR department will release a statement regarding the issue about our president and I'm doing this now to give you some time to recover because once it's out I want all of you to stay on your toes, this will be a bigger news than what was already out."

Though they are confused about her words, all of them were listening intently to what the right hand of the president is saying, if there is someone they need to believe into aside from the president that would be her.

"The woman in the picture is indeed President Xi.." she paused giving the employees a room to be shocked, they gasped as if they heard something unbelievable, well knowing their president it is actually a bit impossible but everyone waited patiently for her next words and no one expected what would come out of her lips is something more outrageous than the fact that she is with a man.

"..and the man is CEO Lim Yi Sheng of Lim Corporation, the man who stands on top of Lim Group." the declaration made it impossible for them to hide their reactions, their eyes were wide opened and their jaws dropped. It's beyond unbelievable, it's ridiculously unbelievable.

Hannah saw thousands of question forming on their faces, but she's not in the right position to tell them about their actual relationship. So she quickly added, "My lips are sealed, we have to wait for our president for further information."

"Also, the moment this news stirs the industry a lot of companies will try to contact us in hopes to get our favor, put all of them on hold we'll wait until the price of our stocks increased. Oh, I almost forgot, drop all the contacts you've made with the companies who pulled out their stocks and canceled their contracts, we are not giving them any leniency. They will be put immediately on the blacklist of our company and we will release that soon after the news broke out, they will never be able to sign a contract under Xi Empire anymore."

They understand very well her words, being hand-picked by the president to work here gives them so much than they could ever ask for and the only thing they would be able to repay it with will be through their hard work and their loyalty. That has always been Xi Ana's reason, to nurture people to become the best ȧsset equipped with capabilities and armed with loyalty towards her.