Chapter 34 clarifies "a globally limited, specially customized edition".

Chapter 34 clarifies "a globally limited, specially customized edition".

The agent pushed open the door to the dressing room and rushed forward, "Ye Hantao's theft has suddenly become a trending topic. Did you buy the hashtag?"

"One second he was caught taking photos with luxury brand bags to show off, the next second he was caught stealing from an Aubin store."

Liao Jiayue didn't even look up, her voice filled with obvious pleasure, "I'd like to see if Ye Hantao's simp fan can salvage Ye Hantao's reputation through a lottery!"

Cotton Candy is a huge fan of Liao Jiayue and often supports her at her own expense.

Having a powerful influencer who can brainwash people has many advantages.

Liao Jiayue usually maintains good contact between her studio and Cotton Candy.

Ever since Liao Jiayue invited Ye Hantao to participate in the variety show "Classmates Are Here," Cotton Candy has occasionally heard some complaints from the staff handling the handover at the studio.

"Yueyue turned down her legitimate rich heiress friend and specially invited Ye Hantao to the variety show, thinking she could help Ye Hantao improve her life. Little did she know that she would be overshadowed by Ye Hantao and debut herself."

"This person is too cunning! He's vain, a liar, and wants to leech off Yueyue. Aren't you going to warn Yueyue?"

"We reminded her, but Yueyue said we were overthinking it. Sigh, Yueyue is just too kind; she assumes everyone else is kind too."

Cotton Candy was furious that her favorite idol was being used as a bloodsucker by a vain and selfish classmate.

She calls on individual fans in the fan club group every day to expose Ye Hantao's true colors, so that their idol won't be fooled.

Not long ago, Liao Jiayue saw a post about Ye Hantao posing with a luxury brand bag, and immediately had her PR team create a trending topic: #YeHantaoPretendingToBeRich.

"I thought Ye Hantao was already ridiculous enough for SAR and Bao to take photos," Liao Jiayue said, tossing down her phone with a smile. "I didn't expect she could be caught stealing."

The screen is currently displaying the hashtag #叶晗桃Aubin#.

Previously, the negative hashtag #YeHantaoPretendingToBeRich# was bought and ranked in the top three of the list, but it was removed in the blink of an eye.

It was probably done by Ye Hantao's sycophantic fan named Shanfengbufeihua.

Liao Jiayue simply bought a keyword on the list that was neither clearly positive nor negative.

However, when you click on the entry, the post that ranks first on the homepage and has a huge number of likes and comments is actually a candid photo that Cotton Candy posted just ten minutes ago.

Marshmallow_candy_v: Stealing? [Image.jpg]

The picture is a bit blurry, and you can tell it was taken in a hurry, but Ye Hantao's profile is so striking that it looks too authoritative.

To quote some of the fans Ye Hantao gained from variety shows, even if only her eyes or lips are shown in the photos, they can recognize her at a glance.

The previous post by Cotton Candy Tangtang showed Ye Hantao in a very clear photo: her hair tied in a high ponytail, wearing overalls and a brown backpack.

The outfit is exactly the same as the one in the picture accompanying the post about stealing.

[Holy crap? Ye Hantao stole a silk scarf from the Aubin store?!]

[I used some technology to enlarge the photo's clarity; it's quite obvious that Ye Hantao is stuffing a white silk scarf into her bag.]

[This handkerchief looks like an Aubin handkerchief, but it costs several thousand.]

[They're all just making things up based on pictures (picking nose.jpg), so couldn't Ye Hantao have bought this herself?]

[Yeah, Ye Hantao already rode in a Maybach and got paid for the show, so why would she risk stealing a silk scarf worth a few thousand yuan?]

[Can you please stop harping on about Maybach? I could rent one and drive it every day. Don't forget the electric tricycle Ye Hantao rode on her first day of filming! Who can afford a luxury car and still drive an electric tricycle?!]

[Ye Hantao must have been envious after being provoked by Yueyue's tea room during last night's live-stream class meeting, right?]

[How can you show off a box of counterfeit skincare products without being envious?]

Stop guessing and just wait for the store's response.

[Hehe, if Ye Hantao buys it, the store will settle things peacefully.]

The agent sighed.

It's also because they've had such a smooth life in recent years that Jia Yue's personality isn't as tolerant as it was a few years ago.

In a circle where a group of people share a cake, resource conflicts are inevitable, leading to resentment.

However, Liao Jiayue has been lucky in the last two years, as her competitors have always been involved in some minor or major negative incidents.

Like Liao Jiayue's suspicions about Jian Qiao and Yin Xiaoxiao.

When Jian Qiao was competing for the female lead role in "Frost Flower", she was reported for tax evasion. Although the investigation later found no major problems, her momentum still declined.

Yin Xiaoxiao was trying to become a brand ambassador with SAR, but it was revealed that she wore counterfeit luxury brand products when she first entered the industry. As a result, SAR removed Yin Xiaoxiao from their consideration list.

The agent sat down and said earnestly, "Jiayue, you have to understand, Ye Hantao is just an ordinary person. The fact that she could climb the trending topics so quickly by pretending to be rich could be attributed to the popularity of last night's live stream. But the theft incident only took ten minutes to trend; everyone will suspect something fishy is going on."

Liao Jiayue didn't care at all, "The fact that Ye Hantao stole things is enough."

Just as the agent was about to try to persuade him again, his phone rang. "It's a call from the public relations department."

After listening to only a part of it, the agent said urgently, "What? Say it again?"

Public Relations Department: "Marshmallow has issued a public clarification and apology on her personal account."

broker:"???"

Upon hearing the announcement, Liao Jiayue quickly picked up her phone to check Cotton Candy's profile page.

The post about stealing has been deleted, replaced by a handwritten clarification and apology letter.

Cotton Candy v: I sincerely apologize for slandering Ms. Ye Hantao before understanding the full picture, which has greatly damaged her reputation. Furthermore… my act of drawing conclusions without verification…

The process was clearly shown in the store's surveillance footage... that scarf was something that Ms. Ye Hantao had previously purchased and brought into the store.

The remaining few hundred words also revolved around the apology.

That's not all, Cotton Candy even made an appearance! She recorded an apology video!

In the video, she is inside the Aubin store, and in front of a few onlookers, she blushes as she records this apology video.

Liao Jiayue stared at the post, her mind a complete blank.

She suddenly realized a possibility and said bitterly, "Cotton Candy must have been bribed by Ye Hantao! I knew none of these fans were useful!"

The mirror, framed in gilded gold, clearly reflected the two people sitting on the sofa in the VIP room, as well as the store manager and Han Yage standing by the coffee table.

Ye Hantao glanced at Cheng Zhao sitting opposite her, then at the row of people in suits standing at the door.

These people were all summoned by Cheng Zhao not long ago.

"Don't worry about them." Cheng Zhao pushed the black tea the manager had brought towards her, a reassuring smile playing on his usually arrogant brows. "Did you finish your phone call with your family? Are they coming over?"

Ye Hantao put down her phone. "My dad wanted to come over, but I said no need."

When she received the call, she was surprised that her dad had eyes that could see a thousand miles, knowing from so far away that she was being accused of theft in the store, until her dad said he saw it on a trending topic.

Ye Hantao: "..."

This trending topic came up way too fast! Is this the fate of the control group?

Her father was so worried that he kept asking for specific details on the phone, and she didn't even have a chance to say that Cheng Zhao was there too.

When Cheng Zhao heard that Ye Hantao's family wasn't coming, his anxiety subsided.

He picked up his teacup and used the tea to soothe his dry throat.

After all, his intentions were impure, and he was still too afraid to face Ye Hantao's family.

"Tao Tao, take a look at this clarification post first," Cheng Zhao asked. "Do you want to repost it using your personal account?"

The moment he opened his mouth, Han Yage quickly put her phone on the coffee table, fearing she might get into legal trouble.

"I just posted a clarification on my main account! The content is exactly as you requested!"

Ye Hantao glanced at the account nickname and exclaimed, "It's you?"

Han Yage: "???"

Originally, Han Yage thought that Ye Hantao hadn't seen the post about stealing on her main account, so she logged into her alternate account in front of Ye Hantao to prepare an apology statement.

Just as he clicked send, Cheng Zhao suddenly spoke up: "I'll give you another chance. Which number will you use?"

He appeared relaxed, and his questions were asked in a casual tone.

However, when Han Yage suddenly met his gaze, she felt a chill run down her spine.

Han Yage was almost in tears.

Didn't Cheng Zhao give Ye Hantao the cold shoulder on the show? Why is he standing up for Ye Hantao?!

Just after Ye Hantao completely proved her innocence, he appeared out of nowhere, squeezed into the crowd, and stood in front of Ye Hantao.

He handed the phone, which was on a call, to Aubin's manager.

After exchanging only a few words, the manager's attitude changed drastically, and he ushered them into the VIP room with great trepidation.

To be precise, Ye Hantao and Cheng Zhao were invited.

She had only ever been to the small, dark room next door used for delivering rare handbags before; this was her first time in the VIP room. Once inside, she carefully wrote an apology statement according to Ye Hantao's request.

"..." Under immense pressure from Cheng Zhao and the legal team he summoned, Han Yage logged into her main account, Cotton Candy, with a sense of shame.

Once her apology statement and video are circulated today, she will be completely dead both online and in real life.

Ye Hantao looks gentle and kind, but her words are particularly cold.

“I’m on camera, so you can’t hide behind your account,” Ye Hantao said with a smile. “That’s not fair.”

Han Yage clenched her fists tightly, wishing she could turn back time.

Why did she even come to the Aubin store?!

Ye Hantao looked up at her and said, "You're the one taking pictures in the SAR store."

Han Yage: "?!!"

Ye Hantao actually saw a post she made before?!

[Disease progression: 85%]

Huh?

Ye Hantao casually clicked on the comment section under the apology statement posted by Cotton Candy, wanting to see how the progress of her illness had been updated.

[Big sister, are you and Ye Hantao setting us up?]

[Ye Hantao is incredibly awesome! She bribed Yueyue's biggest fan to prove she can afford an Aubin scarf?]

[How much are you paying me? To appear on camera in real life? I'm so ugly, do you want to debut as a celebrity? ???]

The scarf was either fake or a prop used temporarily!

[First, a wave of slanderous trending topics, then a swift clarification—666 of them!]

[Unfollowed. Those two are leeching off Yueyue, it's disgusting!]

Han Yage: "?!!"

Am I now caught in the middle?

Especially when she discovered that many of those who called her ugly were her close friends from the same school, Han Yage felt a wave of disgust.

Ye Hantao saw the insults in the comments section and immediately understood that what she had just heard was the feedback from a persona of lying.

The online trolls were initially guiding public opinion smoothly, but as the hype grew, more and more netizens joined in.

They didn't buy it.

[Hahaha, is this a victim-blaming mentality? One minute you're calling Ye Hantao a thief, the next you're accusing her of bribing rumor-mongers. You think you can say whatever you want?]

[Isn't Cotton Candy a well-known rich fan of Liao Jiayue? Could she really be bribed by Ye Hantao?]

[A wealthy female fan who had been a devoted follower of Liao Jiayue for five years was actually bribed by Ye Hantao. It seems Ye Hantao's family is really rich, hahaha.]

According to your logic, I could also say that Liao Jiayue colluded with her fans to frame Ye Hantao.

[From what I've seen, Ye Hantao seems quite pitiful. Being falsely accused of being a thief is bad enough, but just after clearing her name, she's being smeared again.]

[Slinging mud? Does Ye Hantao even have the means to afford an Aubin scarf?]

Of course I can't afford it.

But I have a counterfeit one!

In front of Cheng Zhao and Han Yage, Ye Hantao took out the white silk scarf from her bag, laid it flat on the coffee table, and took a picture.

"...No," Han Yage was stunned, "You really have an Aubin scarf?!"

The surveillance footage could prove that Ye Hantao did not steal the scarf, but Han Yage always thought that the scarf Ye Hantao put back in her bag was a fake one. Turns out, Ye Hantao had a real one?

This scarf doesn't look brand new. If Ye Hantao could afford a scarf a couple of years ago, would she still need to leech off others?

Ye Hantao was editing a post when she casually remarked, "My family has more than a dozen of them."

They were all sold off by the boss for 9.9 yuan each.

The key point is that the quality of the 9.9 yuan item is so good that she thinks it's more exquisite than the genuine products sold in Aubin stores.

Just as she finished editing the post, Ye Hantao clicked send.

Ye Hantao v: Not only can I afford it, but I also have more than a dozen. [Image.jpg]

Showing off! Vanity! Comparison!

My phone also contains messages of concern and inquiry from my friends.

Everyone's surfing the internet now, and we've all seen the trending topic about her stealing a scarf from an Aubin store.

Ye Hantao replied to each message one by one, expecting to receive feedback on her character design soon after posting the message, but she didn't hear the electronic voice announcement for a long time.

When I switched back to the account, I was surprised to find that none of the comments were about the scarf in the picture; they were all about the background.

Due to the angle, only a corner of the sofa, coffee table, and wallpaper in front of it are visible in the photo of the scarf.

But there are netizens with sharp eyes.

[No, are you in Aubin's VIP room?]

【What?! What?! A VIP room?!】

[Only Super VIPs can access the VIP room at Aubin, and the threshold is an annual cumulative spending of over 10 million.]

[(Panic.jpg)(Panic.jpg)(Panic.jpg)]

[Ye Hantao's annual spending on Aubin has reached 10 million? ???]

[It's likely that Ye Hantao was publicly accused of theft by Cotton Candy at the Aubin store, and Aubin, fearing the impact would be too great, moved her to the VIP room for mediation?]

When has Aubin ever been this humane?

Seeing that Ye Hantao's reputation online had been completely cleared, Liao Jiayue swept the script off the table.

She had never felt so frustrated since becoming the female protagonist in this book!

"Is Aubin crazy?! Bringing just anyone into the VIP room?!"

The agent silently picked up the scattered documents from the floor.

She understood why Liao Jiayue was angry.

Although Liao Jiayue cultivated a wealthy heiress persona when she debuted, she didn't have enough money to spend on handbags to meet Aubin's annual spending threshold of 10 million.

Last month, their team contacted Aubin, hoping to get a title.

Even if someone is a brand ambassador, to netizens who are unaware of the title level, it still means they are associated with Aubin, a top global luxury brand.

Unfortunately, Aubin rejected the offer outright.

Jia Yue got drunk at the bar that night and kept talking nonsense, wondering why she could do it but he couldn't.

"Jiayue, calm down," the agent comforted her. "Aubin had no choice but to take them to the VIP room for the sake of his reputation."

The agent wondered, "Perhaps Aubin is deliberately presenting a more human side online in preparation for expanding his domestic market next year?"

A new notification has arrived on the webpage.

The agent's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets after just one glance.

As it turns out, Aubin is not only humane, but can be even more humane.

It actually published the surveillance footage from that time on its official websites both domestically and internationally, to prove Ye Hantao's innocence!

In the video, Ye Hantao is publicly accused of being a thief and surrounded by a group of people taking pictures and discussing her.

Even though everyone except Ye Hantao was blurred out, viewers still felt a suffocating sense of unease, unable to breathe, even through the screen.

Despite the atmosphere, Ye Hantao remained completely calm, and her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness.

“I recorded everything you just said, and this behavior constitutes an infringement on my right to reputation.”

Are you sure you want to stick to your previous statement?

His tone was extremely calm, and he then asked the store manager to bring up the surveillance footage without being humble or arrogant.

After the matter became clear, Ye Hantao publicly demanded that Cotton Candy publicly clarify and apologize.

Official Weibo account: We sincerely apologize for what happened at our store today.

Because of the staff's untimely handling of this incident, it has caused serious social impact on Ms. Ye Hantao and... This is our... We bear full responsibility for this.

...

...

To make up for... we will...

We also prepared a gift for Ms. Ye Hantao to express our sincerity and apology.

A lengthy apology statement, coupled with surveillance footage, completely cleared away the mud that had been thrown at Ye Hantao.

A bystander's witty comment: [Some celebrities can't even access Aubin's official website, but Ye Hantao not only can, she can access it both domestically and internationally :)]

After the statement was released, the CEO of the Greater China region breathed a sigh of relief. "Contact the heads of Dingxin Group and Guangsheng Group."

He never imagined that such a small matter would involve the future cooperation between the two multinational corporations.

Mr. Cheng, the general manager of Dingxin Group, personally made a phone call, stating that his friend had been treated unfairly in the store and hoping that your company could come forward to clarify the situation.

Guangsheng Group and their group have a long-standing cooperative relationship.

The person in charge of Guangsheng Group said on the phone: "The boss's friends watched this farce in the store. The handling efficiency was not very good. You don't want to delay the cooperation next quarter, do you?"

Greater China CEO: "..."

He didn't want to receive an accountability email from the head office!

Mr. Cheng, the general manager of Dingxin Group, is a friend of mine. Not to mention him, even people from the head office can't afford to offend him.

Speaking of which, could the friend of the boss that Guangsheng Group mentioned be this Mr. Cheng?

He had someone contact the store in question.

"Double the price of the gift for Ye Hantao," the CEO of the Greater China region instructed. "Make sure you get her understanding, understand?"

A few minutes later, Manager Hu, who had been called out of the VIP room by his colleagues, heard instructions from the boss above.

The manager was puzzled.

"You said the group's official website apologized?" he asked, as if to confirm. "And they said they'd send Ye Hantao two Audrey buns as an apology? Are you sure it's Audrey buns?!"

An Audrey bag costs over 100,000 yuan.

Ye Hantao was simply falsely accused of being a thief by other customers in the store, and their group directly gave her two bags worth over 100,000 yuan each?

"If this news gets out, won't others follow suit and pretend to be thieves in the store?"

"You still have the mind to care about what the group will send as a gift?"

The deputy manager asked, "Why didn't you check the surveillance footage immediately, instead of asking what was in Ye Hantao's bag?"

Manager Hu: "..."

"Once Ye Hantao and that person leave, you will definitely be punished by the higher-ups."

"..."

"Who was on the phone with you? You took them directly to the VIP room?" The deputy manager patted him on the shoulder. "This might lessen your punishment."

Manager Hu: "...one of our VIC clients."

Upon hearing this answer, Manager Hu suddenly understood.

Even if others want to come to the store to copy the model and get free gifts, they have to know a VIC customer who can back them up first.

VIC customer, with accumulated spending of 10 million over ten consecutive years.

Further up, there are top-tier VIC clients, all of whom are powerful figures with deep partnerships with the group.

He had never seen it, but he had heard of it.

Every year during the grand show, the group prepares limited-edition special items in advance to give away to both premium VIC customers and regular VIC customers.

In the VIP room.

When Manager Hu came in carrying two orange paper bags containing Audrey bags, Cheng Zhao suddenly asked him, "Manager Hu, what year was this Aubin scarf released?"

Cheng Zhao's gaze lingered on the white silk scarf for a while, a sense of unease flashing through his mind.

Manager Hu stepped forward, squinted and examined it carefully, "This is the Fantasy Night 90 square scarf, which was just launched last year."

Ye Hantao clicked her tongue in amazement.

A counterfeit silk scarf priced at 9.9 yuan managed to fool Aubin's manager.

Cheng Zhao fell silent.

last year.

If Ye Hantao's family really went bankrupt as the old man said, would they be able to afford more than a dozen Aubin scarves?

Or perhaps they've recently succeeded in starting another business?

“However, this handkerchief…” Manager Hu leaned closer to examine it and indeed saw several small animals on the silk fabric that seemed to shimmer with golden light. “!!!”

When he looked at Ye Hantao again, his eyes were filled with obvious regret, and his tone was filled with barely concealed excitement.

"This handkerchief is a special custom-made piece, one of only ten available worldwide!"

Such special customized models are only available to the group's top VIC clients!

Now we know why the group issued clarifications on its official websites both domestically and internationally!

The manager was filled with remorse.

If I had known this was a top-tier VIC customer, I would never have asked him to open the package and take a look.

He will definitely check the surveillance footage immediately, determined not to let Ye Hantao be surrounded and gossiped about by so many people in the store.

The moment the special edition was announced, the entire VIP room fell silent.

The significance of a global limited edition of only ten copies is self-evident; Cheng Zhao knows who can have it without Manager Hu needing to explain further.

His mother is a top VIC in Aubin, and every year the old house receives many limited edition gifts from brands.

Cheng Zhao looked at Ye Hantao, who was staring blankly across the coffee table, and suddenly had an incredible guess.

Ye Hantao's family may never have gone bankrupt.

The old man said that back then simply because he was being pretentious, saying he didn't care about arranged marriages, which made Ye Hantao's family dislike him.

The old man then told a lie that the family had gone bankrupt.

"..."

Cheng Zhao closed his eyes. Let it be destroyed.

Bang--

Han Yage's phone fell to the ground.

Are the ten limited-edition handkerchiefs in the world in Ye Hantao's hands?

What an utter joke!

Of all those present, Ye Hantao was the calmest.

She looked at Manager Hu with a questioning gaze, thinking to herself, "This store manager is so unprofessional."

They didn't check the surveillance footage in time, and now they've made a conclusion without even examining it, saying it's a special limited edition of ten pieces.

Was he afraid she would complain afterward?

Is that why they said it was limited to ten portions, just to save face for her here?

After Aubin issued a statement regarding monitoring, Ye Hantao's reputation improved dramatically.

The account's follower count surpassed 1 million thanks to its popularity.

Before leaving the store, Manager Hu respectfully presented the store as an apology, two Audrey bags.

"Ms. Ye, I hope to have the opportunity to serve you again next time."

Cheng Zhao helped carry the two paper bags.

Ye Hantao decided to put Manager Hu's mind at ease.

"Don't worry," Ye Hantao said, "I won't complain about you."

Manager Hu was so moved he almost cried.

Does this mean the VIC customer isn't blaming him?

After walking some distance from the store entrance, Ye Hantao looked back and found that Manager Hu was still standing at the door.

"Cheng Zhao, does Aubin punish employee complaints very severely?"

"I don't know much about it. Are you worried he'll be punished?"

Ye Hantao moved closer to him and whispered, "He was afraid I would complain, so he lied and said that my scarf was a limited edition to save face for me."

Cheng Zhao tilted his head, his gaze falling on the snow-white wrist that was so close, almost touching his arm.

His shoulders tensed instinctively, and even his breathing became a beat lighter. He opened his mouth and replied, "Hmm? You mean noodles? Dry noodles or soup noodles? I'm fine with either."

Ye Hantao: "???"

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Author's Note: Peach: Read the random reply [question mark]