Chapter 11: Let Them Have at Each Other!

“Alright, then we’ll have a proper drink when the time comes,” Li Bin said without even asking Chen Mo what help he needed.

“I remember you have quite a stash of fine liquor at home, teacher. Don’t be stingy when the time comes,” Chen Mo joked with a smile.

“You brat, you’ve already figured out the teacher’s little secret stash. I bet you’ve been eyeing it quite a bit, haven’t you?” Li Bin said, half-jokingly.

“Of course! Haha! Teacher, just say yes or no,” Chen Mo said with the confidence of someone who had it all figured out.

“We’ll talk when you get here. How could I leave you out of the fun?” Li Bin said generously.

“That’s settled then. I’ll come find you directly,” Chen Mo replied.

“All right, you get back to work. I’ll make a call now. You call me when you’re ready,” Li Bin said, and they said their goodbyes.

After hanging up, Chen Mo shook his head. As expected, in a society built on relationships, favors and obligations are unavoidable.

He didn’t blame Li Bin — it was only natural.

Besides, although he had agreed to an out-of-court settlement, how and how long the negotiations would last was entirely up to Chen Mo.

Just as Chen Mo agreed to begin settlement talks, the members of the Backstabbers’ Sect began spreading messages of their own.

Each one sounded sincerely apologetic.

But Fang Xiaoxiao was a different story — she was panicking terribly.

In truth, Fang Xiaoxiao had been seeking reconciliation as well, but at this point, her reputation was utterly ruined.

The others in the Backstabbers’ Sect all passed the blame onto her, saying she had misled them, leaving Fang Xiaoxiao completely disgraced.

Even her agency had abandoned her.

Yet this woman, somehow, managed to get Yu Youde involved. He contacted Zhao Ming and offered the role of the third male lead in “Watching the Meteor Together” as a bargaining chip to secure Chen Mo’s agreement to an out-of-court settlement.

Yes, this was the role Chen Mo had auditioned for but was rejected from after refusing to be part of the casting couch.

The other side’s calculations were sharp, but Chen Mo was no longer the same as before.

What a joke. Chen Mo was only willing to reconcile with Du Chun and the others because he couldn’t crush them all at once.

But Fang Xiaoxiao? The evidence against her was rock solid — she was the main defendant, and it was only a matter of the severity of her sentence now.

How could Chen Mo possibly reconcile with her?

...

“Director Yu, how is it? Did they agree?” Fang Xiaoxiao stood beside Yu Youde, no longer the arrogant woman she once was, but filled with anxiety and panic.

Yu Youde put down the phone, shaking his head.

“Director Yu, what am I supposed to do? I only did this because you told me to...” Fang Xiaoxiao clung to Yu Youde’s arm like a drowning woman grasping at a lifeline.

But the next moment, Yu Youde shook her off.

“Don’t say things you can’t back up. What do you mean you did this because of me? Did I tell you to wrong him? No, right?” Yu Youde said coldly.

“You...” Fang Xiaoxiao stared at him in disbelief, filled with regret.

“Director Yu, please, help me again. If he doesn’t drop the suit, I’m finished!” Fang Xiaoxiao pleaded desperately.

“I’ve already given him an offer. This scumbag refuses it. What else can I do? I’ve done all I can for you. The third male lead role was already secured. What more do you want me to do, huh?” Yu Youde said.

“What about the second male lead? The leading man? I can pay more, two million — that’s all I’ve got! Director Yu, please, you have to help me this time,” Fang Xiaoxiao stammered incoherently.

Yu Youde frowned, clearly troubled by her near breakdown. Although he had no direct leverage over Fang Xiaoxiao, if she lost control and started making wild accusations, it would be a serious problem.

But the second male lead? The leading man? What nonsense.

“Calm down. I’ll keep negotiating, but the second male lead and the leading role are already cast. Even I can’t just swap them out,” Yu Youde said, trying to soothe her.

“Director Yu, you’re the director and one of the main investors. You can do it, you have to!” Fang Xiaoxiao quickly said.

Suddenly, her smile twisted into something manic as she looked at the unmoving Yu Youde and said, “Director Yu, if I really end up ruined, I swear, I’ll make everything about us public. Yes, I have no evidence, but sometimes, does evidence matter? You wouldn’t want...”

“You’re insane! Threatening me?” Yu Youde grabbed her chin, his face contorted with rage.

“Yes, I’m crazy. Maybe I’m about to be finished. You know that, Director Yu!” Fang Xiaoxiao laughed wildly.

Yu Youde was about to explode with anger.

But looking at her crazed grin, he felt uneasy.

Though a director’s reputation isn’t as crucial as an actor’s, if Fang Xiaoxiao lost all control and started spouting nonsense, it would be a huge headache for him.

“I’ll help you one last time. But if they refuse again, don’t lose your mind. If you say anything reckless and Chen Mo sues you, I can too. Got it?” Yu Youde relented.

“Thank you, Director Yu! Thank you! It’ll work this time. If I go down, it won’t benefit him at all...” Fang Xiaoxiao instantly changed her tune.

To her, it was just a matter of the terms being insufficient, the other side trying to raise the price. Even if she were sentenced, Chen Mo wouldn’t gain much.

Soon, Yu Youde called Zhao Ming again in front of Fang Xiaoxiao.

It wasn’t that he couldn’t reach the higher-ups at Star Entertainment — it just didn’t matter.

Upon hearing that the other side had raised the stakes, offering the second male lead role in “Watching the Meteor Together” plus two million in compensation, Chen Mo immediately rejected the offer.

Honestly, that was quite generous.

Even Zhao Ming thought the other party was very sincere and couldn’t help but advise Chen Mo: “Actually, even if Fang Xiaoxiao really goes down, the court’s damages won’t be too high. Plus, the prospects for ‘Watching the Meteor Together’ are very promising. Adding two million compensation, these are solid benefits. Even settling could get a public apology. You should really think it over.”

Chen Mo understood Zhao Ming’s reasoning. By rights, the offer was quite good. Two million wasn’t a trivial sum in this day and age, especially since “Watching the Meteor Together” had a total investment of only ten million.

Chen Mo guessed that Fang Xiaoxiao was probably footing the bill herself.

Money in hand, appearing less like a troublemaker, willing to compromise — all that sounded good, but making a real compromise would be a disgrace to someone who had crossed dimensions like him.

Besides, others had already agreed to negotiation.

And Yu Youde’s willingness to offer the second male lead role suggested that Fang Xiaoxiao might really have some leverage over him. That made Chen Mo even less likely to budge.

“No need to say more, Zhao. Reject it. Let them fight it out themselves,” Chen Mo said decisively.

“Alright, fine,” Zhao Ming said, giving up on further persuasion.