How can I justify myself as a Magnate if I don't indulge myself?

Since it wasn’t yet work time, colleagues gathered in small groups, murmuring about something, occasionally craning their necks to glimpse towards the general manager’s office.

"Can Lin Jiayun really break her contract?"

"No way, I heard from HR that Lin Jiayun’s contract still has over two years left, and right now she’s the company’s top revenue source. Half of the company’s earnings come from her account. Unless Director Zhang has lost his mind, he wouldn’t dissolve the contract."

"Exactly. Everyone’s heard about Wuyou Media acquiring our company, right? In Hang City, there are thousands of small online media companies like ours, aren’t there? Why did Wuyou Media choose to acquire our company?

Isn’t it because our company has Xiao Lan and Lin Jiayun, those internet celebs with millions of followers? I hate to say something you might not like to hear, but the thirty-something people at our company combined might not be worth as much as Xiao Lan and Lin Jiayun. If we really let Lin Jiayun break her contract, I bet Wuyou Media would immediately drop the acquisition!"

"You’re forgetting about He Jing, aren’t you? She’s also a major internet celebrity at our company, and she used to be the top sister."

Hearing this, the employee who had been analyzing the situation with conviction sneered, "She might have been considered that in the past, but do I really need to say more now?

She hasn’t been in the limelight online for months, and someone else has taken over her fan account.

Don’t you all understand how the internet is always chasing after the new and tired of the old? Even if she took back control of the account, forget reaching her previous level, reaching half would be good enough. I just can’t figure it out. She must have her head stuck in a door, leaving behind her job as a popular internet celeb earning hundreds of thousands per month, just to become an administrative employee? I’ve been live-streaming for almost three years and am still a small streamer, not even a celebrity."

The volume of their discussion wasn’t low, and everything they said reached the ears of Gu Heng and He Jing.

Gu Heng had been away from the company for almost half a year, and people came and went quickly in the internet company. Out of the chatting employees, Gu Heng only vaguely remembered one or two, not recognizing the others at all.

But as he listened to their conversation, Gu Heng said with a chuckle to He Jing, "Sister Jing, it looks like you’re really down on your luck in the company now, to the point where these small streamers accumulating performance points are talking behind your back."

Gu Heng hadn’t lowered his voice deliberately, so his words were heard by the group.

His tone was full of teasing and disdain, barely hidden.

Instantly, all eyes turned in their direction.

The phrase "small streamers accumulating performance points", made the employees who had been badmouthing behind others feel deeply humiliated, although what was said was indeed true...

Was it humiliation?

Indeed, it was.

But Gu Heng didn’t care at all; he was always the type to support his friends over the facts.

Even if He Jing didn’t want to be his woman, she was still his friend. Who were these small streamers, whose earnings barely amounted to anything unless they sold their image, to gossip about her?

Not to mention small streamers; with Gu Heng’s current worth, even if he pointed his finger at those top streamers with millions of followers and cursed them, no matter how angry they were, they could only take it.

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Hearing Gu Heng’s words, He Jing also understood he was defending her honor, and she felt a renewed closeness to him. She cast an indifferent glance at the embarrassed streamers caught red-handed in their backtalk and then turned to Gu Heng with a smile.

"It’s fine, it’s not the first time. I’ve gotten used to it over these past months.

That’s just how the workplace is. If you do well, people will suck up to you. If you’re down, it’s normal for them to kick you while you’re down.

Let me take you to the general manager’s office. Jiajia should be in there discussing her contract issue with Director Zhang."

Gu Heng nodded slightly.

Unsaid, but He Jing’s attitude was indeed admirable.

Compared to the online fools who made a scene on the internet, she was leaps and bounds better. If He Jing indeed let go of her moral baseline, she might even secure a spot among the top celebs in the entertainment industry.

...

Watching He Jing and Gu Heng talk as if no one else were present, the group of employees, knowing themselves to be in the wrong, said nothing and just watched He Jing lead Gu Heng towards the general manager’s office.

Only after the two had disappeared completely from sight did the sharpest-tongued streamer spit out venomously, "Pah, what rubbish! Calling me a ’small streamer accumulating performance points,’ last month my revenue was 80 thousand! I took home more than 20 thousand, much stronger than an outdated internet celeb!

Outdated is outdated, don’t know what she’s pretending to be! Bringing some random guy to the company, who knows if he’s just some sugar daddy she’s keeping!"

No one chimed in to the streamer’s words this time.

Talking behind someone’s back wasn’t something to be proud of in the first place, and being caught in the act by the person in question was even more embarrassing. They had no personal vendetta against He Jing, so there was no reason to hold a grudge.

Just as everyone was getting ready to disperse and prepare for the afternoon’s work, suddenly...

A voice from a long-time employee rose.

"Ying, do you think that guy who was just here looked familiar?"

At that remark, the woman called Ying paused for a moment, then nodded, "I also thought he looked familiar, but couldn’t quite place him." @@novelbin@@

The speaker had been streaming for the company for over two years, and Ying worked on the directing team; both were long-time employees.

While they did not interact much with Gu Heng, they did see him often when he was with the company. It wasn’t strange that they would find Gu Heng familiar.