The general trend of the hot search has shifted. Yao Tong's hot search has dropped out of the top ten, while the top few all have some connection to Ye Bufan.
The number one trending topic is the official announcement by Ye Bufan, followed by "Ye Bufan's girlfriend" at second, and Chu Mengyao at third.
At first, Zhang Ting was happy when she saw the first two topics. However, after clicking on them, she found that the content was not what she had imagined.
Even the online trolls she had hired had been completely drowned out by the comments from Ye Bufan's fans. The entire social media server had crashed.
"This... this... this is impossible?" Zhang Ting frowned deeply and immediately took out her phone to make a call.
Seeing Zhang Ting's expression, Yao Tong knew something was wrong and quickly asked her what had happened.
"It's over, it's over," Zhang Ting said to Yao Tong. "I originally wanted to use the news of you and Ye Bufan appearing at the Yueban Hotel together for some hype, but I didn't expect this Ye Bufan to be so uncooperative. He directly announced his relationship with his girlfriend on his social media account."
Upon hearing that Ye Bufan had made an official announcement on his social media account, Yao Tong's heart suddenly faltered.
"Tongtong, what's wrong? Don't tell me you've fallen for the newly ascended Martial God, Ye Bufan?" Zhang Ting asked, incredulous, as she noticed a hint of panic on Yao Tong's face.
"How is that possible?" Yao Tong smiled faintly. "How could I possibly like him? We are from different worlds; we cannot work together. It's clear we are two different kinds of people."
"Hello~" Just then, Zhang Ting's call connected.
"Hello, Mr. Liu, it's me, Zhang Ting," Zhang Ting forced a smile and began to chat with the person on the other end of the line. "I'd like to ask for your help. Can you perhaps take down our Tongtong's hot search? This is all a misunderstanding."
"We're in a difficult position too," the other person's voice conveyed helplessness. "That Martial God Ye's fans are martial artists, and there are even many young female fans. They've started arguing with your family Yao Tong's fans, and Yao Tong's fans are completely at a disadvantage, overwhelmed by comments in no time."
Zhang Ting frowned, took a deep breath, and said to the other person, "Okay, I understand. I'll handle it myself."
After hanging up the phone, Zhang Ting closed her eyes, her mind racing, trying to figure out what strategy she needed to employ next to salvage Yao Tong's reputation.
At this moment, Yao Tong looked at Zhang Ting, and Ye Bufan's image kept appearing in her mind.
"Sigh," Yao Tong sighed. She didn't know why she felt such a sour feeling in her heart.
"Tongtong, quickly post a tweet explaining that you just happened to run into Ye Bufan at the entrance of the Yueban Hotel tonight," Zhang Ting said to Yao Tong. "No matter what the outside world thinks, we can't offend Ye Bufan. Ye Bufan's actions now are simply to avoid upsetting his girlfriend."
"This precisely shows how important his girlfriend is to him. If you quickly issue a statement now, you can also save your reputation and make Ye Bufan have a slightly better impression of you," Zhang Ting added.
Actually, Zhang Ting had omitted one point: the cooperation between Kyoto's first-tier families and Yao Tong's current company. These people were on good terms with Ye Bufan, especially Jin Yuchen of the Jin family. Ye Bufan had played a significant role in his return to Kyoto.
Without delay, Yao Tong quickly posted a statement on her social media account.
Meanwhile, Ye Bufan and his companions were enjoying themselves in the Heaven-tier private room, completely unaware of the uproar they had caused outside.
After eating their fill, they left the Heaven-tier private room. Looking downstairs, they saw a crowd gathered around the entrance to the private rooms. With cameras and lenses, they started snapping photos the moment Ye Bufan and his group appeared.
"They're out, they're out, the Martial God is out!" someone shouted.
Ye Bufan shook his head helplessly and turned to his companions. "Everyone, let's split up. We'll meet underground."
Chu Mengyao, Wang Xinyan, and Ye Qingcheng nodded. At this moment, Jiang Xuanji led her people to disperse the photographers. The three girls quickly headed towards the hotel entrance.
"Hello, are you Miss Chu Mengyao?"
"Where is Ye Bufan? How long have you been together?"
Soon, some gossip reporters rushed forward, bombarding Chu Mengyao with questions.
Chu Mengyao frowned, visibly displeased. Seeing this, Wang Xinyan stepped forward and cursed at a reporter, "Which company are you from? Do you know who you're standing in front of?"
"Isn't she just the Martial God's girlfriend?" the reporter's tone was aggressive and very unpleasant to hear.
Wang Xinyan pointed at Chu Mengyao and said, "Chu Mengyao, the head of the Chu family in Jinhe City. Do you, and all of you surrounding us, believe I can make you lose your jobs with one phone call, making it impossible for you to stay in this industry?"
"Xinyan!" Chu Mengyao tugged at Wang Xinyan's hand. Wang Xinyan turned to look at Chu Mengyao and whispered, "These people are all sycophants who ask anything without thinking to get a scoop. If you don't show them some backbone now, they'll think you're a pushover."
Chu Mengyao nodded, took a deep breath, and said to Wang Xinyan, "Then I'll leave it to you."
Upon hearing this, Wang Xinyan grinned and said, "Think carefully. If you retreat now, there's still room for negotiation. If you don't, we'll do as we say."
The reporters looked at each other, and finally, they backed away.
"Yao Tong has issued a statement?" As soon as the reporters dispersed, someone quickly exclaimed.
Wang Xinyan quickly took out her phone and looked at Yao Tong's social media account. She turned to Chu Mengyao and said, "It seems Yao Tong is a smart person. She knows Ye Bufan doesn't want anything to do with her and has issued a statement herself."
Yao Tong's timely action to cut her losses caused a new shift in the public's attention.
Everyone's criticism turned towards the person who released the information about Yao Tong and Ye Bufan appearing at the hotel at the same time, and the person who had created the "CP" pairing.
...
On the other side, after leaving the Yueban Hotel, Ye Bufan rushed towards the direction of the underground city.
Along the way, Ye Bufan sensed someone observing him from the shadows. He then changed his direction and sped towards the outskirts of Kyoto City, finally stopping near the Qingzhu Tavern.