Surprisingly, everyone in the workshop remained remarkably calm about the situation. Especially after Mu Zhong gave her five-minute speech, they all carried on as if nothing had happened.
A Yao spent most of his time here, doing styling and coordination. However, due to the tight schedule at Sen Molly's end, he and Suo Xi were roped in by Mu Zhong to become Shui Jiao's stylists. Most customers who ordered custom clothing were attending banquets, so A Yao's presence perfectly filled the styling gap.
When the negative news broke online, everyone’s composure made A Yao the most anxious.
"Sister Lü, aren't you worried at all? Our orders have already dropped significantly," A Yao felt a growing sense of urgency, like a eunuch more anxious than the emperor.
"Why are you in a hurry? Let them talk. We're not an off-the-rack brand. Besides, have you ever seen a haute couture house change its style because a bunch of ignorant people spoke up? While the boss's wife's recent designs have incorporated gentleness, that cool, detached aura is still present." Mu Zhong had already discussed this with Shen Xiao Yan earlier.
"But these people online..." A Yao had, after all, followed celebrities and navigated the entertainment industry. He always felt that the online commotion seemed rather inexplicable.
"Just focus on your work. As for what's being said online, there's no point discussing life with keyboard warriors. Moreover, these people are paid online trolls. If Shui Jiao weren't famous, hiring them wouldn't make sense. So, next time you encounter something like this, try a different perspective. It's not necessarily that they're criticizing you because you did something wrong; it might be because you're too outstanding." Mu Zhong's words were always sharp, but they hit the core.
A Yao was successfully persuaded and returned to his work.
Meanwhile, people online repeatedly tagged the Shui Jiao workshop, but Shui Jiao remained completely unresponsive, clearly not taking them seriously.
At this moment, in a high-end residential complex in Imperial Capital.
Sen Molly threw her baseball cap and mask to the ground. Wei Fen quickly picked them up, not forgetting to console Sen Molly, "Sen Molly, don't be angry. You have many schedules these days. You finally have a day off to rest, how can you possibly endure it if you stay angry?"
"Didn't they say they hired many online trolls? Why isn't there any reaction from Shui Jiao?" Sen Molly grew more and more agitated the more she thought about it. She had already suppressed her temper for long enough.
"How can there be no reaction? As far as I know, Shui Jiao's orders have decreased significantly! This is already very successful. They primarily focus on haute couture, so their client base isn't that large to begin with. The fact that there are so many fewer orders now proves there aren't many left." Thinking of this, Wei Fen still felt a sense of satisfaction.
"This is not enough, not enough at all! I want the Shui Jiao brand to collapse completely! I want Shen Xiao Yan that woman to be ruined!" Sen Molly impatiently ran her hand through her hair. Then, filled with anger, she lay down on the sofa beside her, hugging a cushion, her face still contorted with fierce resentment.
An irritable woman always exuded an air of annoyance. Wei Fen, hearing her words, walked closer and sat down beside Sen Molly after a moment of thought. "Sen Molly, we've been cooperating since you debuted. I feel that regarding Shen Xiao Yan, you might not have seen things clearly!"
Since their last encounter at Shui Jiao, Sen Molly had mostly been busy with her on-screen work or concerts. Wei Fen handled the backstage matters that required interaction and arrangements. However, behind the scenes, they had encountered considerable obstacles during this period, with a certain conglomerate helping to navigate them, as Sen Molly was, after all, a cash cow for the company.
But having personally experienced it, Wei Fen knew clearly that someone must have said something behind the scenes, otherwise, their path wouldn't have been so fraught with difficulty. It was through these experiences that Wei Fen gradually realized what a grave mistake she had made at Shui Jiao that day.
"What does Sister Wei want to say?" Sen Molly asked casually, though in her heart, she wasn't truly listening.
"Sen Molly, what we have done is already enough. We cannot take another step forward. If we continue to target Shen Xiao Yan, your future will be jeopardized." Wei Fen didn't want to be so blunt and cruel, but she was certain that if they caused any more trouble, the Zheng Corporation would definitely take action. At that point, the fear was that it wouldn't be as simple as losing one's future.
"Even you want me to give up? Weren't you eager for revenge before?" Sen Molly looked at Wei Fen in disbelief.
Wei Fen shook her head. "Sen Molly, besides being Shui Jiao's designer, Shen Xiao Yan's most crucial identity is that she's Madam Zheng. That alone is enough for us to suffer. To put it nicely, we are currently considered superstars, but are you sure that if we truly clashed with the Zheng Corporation, the conglomerate would rather blacklist you than offend the Zheng Corporation!"
"Sister Wei, you've become quite clear-sighted lately!" Sen Molly retorted sarcastically.
"Sen Molly, I also want revenge, and I want to see Shen Xiao Yan humiliated. However, I don't have that courage. You are at least a superstar; I have nothing. The hardships I've endured these past few days are more than enough. There are a few things I haven't dared to tell you. Several major endorsements we had already agreed upon have now fallen through. If it weren't for the conglomerate's help, I wouldn't have been able to handle this at all." Wei Fen admitted frankly that she was intimidated.
"No wonder your arrogance has completely vanished these past few days. So, you've been dealt with." Sen Molly sneered, "But Sister Wei, I'm unwilling. He clearly admired me, so why would it be that kind of woman?"
"Sen Molly, let's be honest. When you first debuted, I had no idea you knew Mr. Zheng. But those resources were likely given by investors out of consideration for Mr. Zheng's influence. Many women can't even get a sliver of his attention, yet you managed to obtain it, and we profited. Therefore, you shouldn't push any further now. Going further will lead to a dead end. As a woman, you should be able to tell if you are cherished and doted upon by a man. So, while things haven't escalated yet, let's just vent our grievances. From now on, don't get entangled with them again." Without these few days of misery, Wei Fen would never have reached such a painful conclusion.
She used to walk with her head held high, but now she could only retreat sheepishly.
"Even you want me to give up? I waited patiently for two months, and now you're backing out?" Sen Molly couldn't swallow the anger in her heart.