"So you're saying someone sold that dirt to the competitors?"

Chen Yinuo asked as she processed the situation.

"There are plenty of people who can't stand to see us doing well. Nothing would surprise me," Ye Chen shook his head.

Chen Yinuo couldn't detect anything unusual.

But Ye Chen could.

That dirt was almost certainly gathered by his former classmates.

His social circle was extremely limited, and aside from people he knew, no other source came to mind.

Besides, if it were a professional group collecting dirt to profit, there was no way they could organize it so neatly in such a short time.

And if the goal was to make money, wouldn't it make more sense to blackmail him directly? The price they could extort from him would be far higher than selling it to his competitors.

Another crucial point – in his previous life, it was those very classmates who exposed his past.

They did it out of revenge for him not lending a hand when they were in need, trying to destroy him in return.

In this life, during the previous class reunion, Xu Cheng lost a major deal with Antai Hotel because he tried to show off in front of Ye Chen.

Could this be Xu Cheng's way of getting back at him?

Ye Chen hadn't considered Lin Mengxi.

Perhaps deep down, he didn't think Lin Mengxi would retaliate over something as trivial as being deleted from his WeChat contacts.

But wait—if this was about profit, why wouldn't they come to him directly? Wouldn't blackmailing him be the best option?

Muttering to herself, Chen Yinuo voiced her thoughts.

"That doesn't matter. Don't stress over it," Ye Chen shook his head.

"But how are we going to handle this? We can't let the negative press drag you down forever," Chen Yinuo said urgently.

"Handle it? The best way is to let it be. Don't do anything, don't say anything. This negative press might seem overwhelming, but in reality, it's harmless. Calling for a boycott of Yiren Ruxue is just an empty slogan. Wuxia Cream is unique in the market. With its price and effectiveness, it'll continue to sell no matter what. My past won't affect Yiren Ruxue. Trust me," Ye Chen reassured her.

"Do nothing? Just let it go?" Chen Yinuo froze.

"Yes. Let it go. But tomorrow, expect a swarm of gossip reporters outside the office. If you feel like talking to them, say a few words. If not, ignore them completely," Ye Chen nodded.

"What about you?" Chen Yinuo asked.

"Me? That's easy. I'll just record a short video for Douyin," Ye Chen said casually.

"What kind of video?" Chen Yinuo hesitated.

Could a single video really counter the entire internet's attacks?

But she didn't realize – Ye Chen's goal wasn't to clear his name. He just wanted to express his guilt and apology to Chen Yinuo.

"You'll see when the time comes," Ye Chen smiled.

Seeing the calm confidence on Ye Chen's face, Chen Yinuo decided not to press further. She nodded quietly.

That night, as the internet raged against him, Ye Chen received numerous calls from Zhang Jingshan, Li Changfeng, Zhao Jiwei, Zhao Qian, Zhang Xingguo, and others.

Even those with little personal connection to him, like Qi Quan, the captain of the municipal police force, and Xu Wenhui, the deputy mayor's son, reached out.

His old high school teachers didn't miss the opportunity to check in either.

Even Xiao Qiang, vice president of Hengda Real Estate, messaged him on WeChat.

In short, almost everyone with Ye Chen's contact information had reached out.

The exposure of his past had laid him bare for all to see.

Those who met Ye Chen after his "rebirth" were shocked.

Could this man from the trending scandals really be the Ye Chen they knew? It felt like they were looking at two completely different people.

Late at night, in a high-end bar in Jiangzhou, Pang Jun sat across from Ding Chengjun.

Ding Chengjun had gone to great lengths to arrange this meeting.

"Forget it. Even if you kill me, I won't hand over the formula."

With a cold glare at Ding Chengjun, Pang Jun broke the silence.

If he had known Ding Chengjun wanted to meet, he wouldn't have come.

But he never expected Ding Chengjun to use one of his closest friends to lure him out. Only after arriving did he realize it was Ding Chengjun waiting for him.

"Come on, Pang. Do we have to be like this?" Ding Chengjun said bitterly.

Before Pang Jun could respond, Ding continued, "You must've seen the trending news. Is someone like that really worth your loyalty? You've always had a clear sense of right and wrong, even if your EQ isn't the highest. But this hypocrite – are you really willing to work yourself to the bone for him? Make money for him?"

Pang Jun's expression shifted.

Indeed, he was shocked when he saw the trending topics.

The Ye Chen he knew didn't match the person described in those articles.

But his instincts told him the reports weren't fabricated.

If Ye Chen had such a past before they met, Pang Jun wouldn't have aligned with him.

"Did you dig up that dirt?" Pang Jun asked.

"You're overthinking it. I wouldn't waste my time. Besides, I doubt this scandal will even affect Yiren Ruxue or Wuxia Cream. You think I'd bother with something so trivial?" Ding Chengjun replied.

Pang Jun fell silent.

Ding Chengjun's morals might be questionable, but his intelligence wasn't.

He wouldn't go after Ye Chen for personal reasons. His competitor wasn't Ye Chen – it was the Wuxia Cream itself.

And Pang Jun knew Ding Chengjun understood that well. Even if Ye Chen fell, it wouldn't benefit Ding Chengjun much.

"Pang, someone like him doesn't deserve your loyalty. Let's build our own empire together. I'll make you the biggest shareholder, and you'll be the one calling the shots. Even if you don't want to work with me, don't waste your time on someone like that. People like him deserve to rot, not live lavishly. Share the formula, and every brand that uses it will give you a cut. You could sit back and rake in profits for life. Why cling to him?"

Ding Chengjun carefully tried to persuade him.