Mo Fei went out for lunch with them, but instead of going to Chen Yu's restaurant, the group decided to stop at a nearby restaurant instead.
They ordered too much food, talked too loudly, and ate as if the entire morning had been a personal attack on their bodies.
For a while, everything felt light.
Mo Fei's stomach was full. His hair still looked flawless. His body was tired in that satisfying way that came after a successful shoot, and somewhere in Beijing, a BMW dealer was about to receive the honour of serving him.
Then Louis's phone rang.
He glanced at the screen, excused himself, and stepped away to answer it.
When he returned minutes later, the expression on his face had changed.
Mo Fei noticed immediately. "Is something wrong?"
Louis glanced at him. "Let's talk outside."
Mo Fei frowned slightly, but stood and followed him.
They stepped outside the restaurant, away from the others. Mo Fei held his drink in one hand, still in a good mood despite Louis's serious expression.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Louis exhaled sharply.
"Director Chen Guoliang approved your payment."
Mo Fei relaxed a little. "And?"
"He cut it."
Mo Fei blinked. The world suddenly became very quiet. "Cut what?"
"The appearance fee," Louis said.
Mo Fei's fingers tightened around the cup.
Louis continued, his voice controlled but strained. "The original payment from 18_TH was ¥45 million. After agency commission and basic deductions, you were supposed to receive a substantial amount. Chen Guoliang has decided you will only receive half of your net entitlement."
Mo Fei stared ahead.
That frog-like, snake-hearted bastard. He knew Chen Guoliang disliked him, but wasn't this going too far? "What's his reason for doing this?"
Louis sighed. "He said you haven't been working consistently, so you don't deserve full commission benefits. According to him, the agency carried your name through scandal, inactivity, and reputation damage, so the company is entitled to recover losses."
Mo Fei slowly lowered the drink.
As if any sudden movement would cause his anger to tear through the street. "He said what?"
"Mo Fei…"
Mo Fei let out a laugh. Utterly humourless. "I worked for hours. I showed up and carried that catalogue shoot on my face, my body, and my suffering. And Chen Guoliang thinks he can halve my money because I haven't been working?"
Louis said nothing.
"Where is he?"
"Mo Fei, don't do anything reckless."
"Louis." Mo Fei's voice turned calm. Too calm. "Where is he?"
There was a pause.
Then Louis said quietly, "At the agency."
Mo Fei smiled. "You're driving."
Thirty minutes later, Mo Fei walked into the agency building with Louis.
He was still dressed in the outfit Lily had styled for him earlier, black trousers, a fitted black turtleneck, a long brown coat, and light violet hair framing his sharp face.
His expression was calm.
But every employee who saw him instinctively stepped aside.
"Listen to me first," Louis said as they walked, lowering his voice. "He's trying to provoke you. If you explode, he'll use it against you."
Mo Fei stopped and turned to him. His violet eyes were cold. "Louis, I am not going there to explode."
Louis frowned.
"I am going there to educate that old frog."
Louis stared at him for a moment.
Somehow, that sounded worse.
They took the elevator to the executive floor.
When the doors opened, Chen Guoliang's assistant immediately stood.
"Mr. Mo, Director Chen is... "
Mo Fei walked past her. "Busy? Wonderful. So am I."
He pushed open the office door without knocking.
Inside, Chen Guoliang sat behind his desk, holding a document. He looked up, clearly displeased but not surprised.
"Mo Fei," he said. "You should learn to knock."
Mo Fei walked in.
Louis followed behind him, face tense.
Mo Fei stopped in front of the desk. "Director Chen, long time no see." His eyes moved over Chen Guoliang's head. "Did you grow white hairs? Love them."
Chen Guoliang's frown deepened.
Mo Fei smiled and settled into the chair opposite him as if he had been invited.
Chen Guoliang placed the document down. "To what do I owe this honour?"
"Apparently…" Mo Fei gestured around with a smile. "Everything." He had had enough of this man, the agency.
Enough of people thinking his silence meant they could put their hands in his pocket.
Chen Guoliang raised a brow.
"My manager here" Mo Fei pointed at Louis "you know Louis. He works for me. Good guy. Louis, say hi."
Louis bowed politely to Chen Guoliang.
Chen Guoliang glanced at him, then back at Mo Fei. "I know who he is. What are you playing at?"
Mo Fei clapped his hands once.
"Well, he just told me some disturbing news. I found it so excruciatingly absurd that I came here to confirm it myself."
Chen Guoliang smiled faintly. "News? What news?"
Mo Fei tilted his head.
"Aw, come on, Director Chen. Don't play dumb. You're old. Old people shouldn't play pretend. Leave that to young folks like us."
Chen Guoliang's forehead tightened. His grip around the file in his hand became visibly harder. "Mo Fei, if you've come here to jest, I assure you I do not have the time."
"But you have time to steal from me."
The room froze.
Chen Guoliang's expression darkened. "What did you say?"
Mo Fei smiled. "Was the pronunciation difficult?"
Chen Guoliang slowly placed the document down. "Watch your tone."
Mo Fei leaned forward slightly, placing one hand on the desk. "No. You watch yours."
Louis closed his eyes briefly.
Ah. So this was how the education would begin.
Chen Guoliang's lips tightened. "You come into my office to accuse me of theft? You seem to have forgotten your position, Mo Fei."
"My position?" Mo Fei repeated softly, as if the word tasted strange. "My position is the model who completed the 18_TH shoot today. My position is the person whose fee you just cut in half for a reason so stupid even your desk looks embarrassed."
"I had every reason to."
"Like what?" Mo Fei asked. "Give me a tangible one."
Chen Guoliang's face hardened. "You have not worked properly for months."
"Because I nearly died!" Mo Fei's words cut through the room.
Chen Guoliang paused.
Mo Fei's smile vanished.
"For months, this agency watched me drown under scandal. Watched the media tear me apart. Watched brands drop me. Watched people call me trash." He tilted his head. "And what did the company do?"
Chen Guoliang said nothing.
"Did it protect me?"
Silence.
"Did it investigate anything?"
Still nothing.
"Did it release statements? File suits? Push back? Rebuild my image?" Mo Fei laughed softly, bitterness staining the sound. "No. You all waited, hid and treated me like a stain on your carpet."
Louis's expression shifted slightly.
Mo Fei's voice sharpened. "And now that I am standing again, that my name is useful again, you suddenly remember the agency carried me?" His eyes flashed. "How fucking dare you."
Chen Guoliang slammed his hand on the desk. "Don't be ungrateful. This agency has carried you... "
"Carried me where, Director Chen?" Mo Fei cut in. "To my grave?"
Chen Guoliang stood abruptly. "Enough."
Mo Fei's eyes were cold.
Chen Guoliang pointed at him. "The agency invested years into building your career."
"And I earned every yuan back for this agency," Mo Fei snapped, rising to his feet and towering over the him. "Do not sit here and pretend you adopted a poor orphan out of kindness. You signed me because I made money. I walked shows, carried brand deals. I gave this agency status."
Mo Fei's voice lowered.
"This agency was nothing until I signed with you all. So don't talk to me about investment like I am charity."
Chen Guoliang's jaw tightened. "You were involved in a scandal that damaged the company's reputation."
The words slipped out before he could stop them.
There it was.
The favourite knife.
Mo Fei smiled.
Chen Guoliang's expression shifted. "No, I didn't mean... "
"Alleged scandal," Mo Fei said. He turned his head slightly. "Louis, did you get that?"
Louis nodded behind him.
Mo Fei looked back at Chen Guoliang. "I could sue for this. Imagine the headline."
Chen Guoliang narrowed his eyes.
Mo Fei continued, "If the agency had proof, you would have buried me with it already. But you don't. You only have rumours, old headlines, and your habit of kicking people when they are weak."
Chen Guoliang's expression flickered.
Mo Fei saw it.
"Let me make something clear," Mo Fei said. "You can take the contractual agency commission. Fine. I will not cry over what is legally agreed. But this nonsense deduction?"
Chen Guoliang sneered. "And what will you do?"
Mo Fei looked at him.
For a moment, the room went still. Then Mo Fei smiled beautifully. "I'll start by requesting a full written breakdown of all deductions applied to all my past work."
Chen Guoliang's smile faded.
Mo Fei knew.
All these years, the agency had cheated him multiple times. But the previous Mo Fei had never complained. Never fought. Never demanded an explanation.
Not anymore.
"Then I'll ask legal to review whether the agency has the contractual right to reduce my payment based on vague emotional reasoning before terminating my contract."
Louis glanced at him.
Chen Guoliang paled slightly. "You wouldn't."
Mo Fei chuckled. "Wouldn't I? I'll also request records of every brand offer the agency rejected, delayed, redirected, or mishandled during my so-called inactive period."
Chen Guoliang's face tightened.
Mo Fei's smile deepened.
"You're bluffing," Chen Guoliang said. "If you do that, the agency will drop you. You're already nothing. Where would you go?"
Mo Fei blinked. "Did old age impair your hearing?" He turned his head. "Louis, what did I say?"
Louis, playing along perfectly, replied, "That you'll terminate your contract with the agency."
Mo Fei turned back to Chen Guoliang. "Did you hear that, or do I need to holler it at you again?"
Chen Guoliang slammed his hand on the desk.
"Are you threatening me?"
Mo Fei placed a hand over his chest innocently. "Threatening? Director Chen, how could you say that? I am merely asking for transparency." He smiled. "Unless transparency frightens you."
Chen Guoliang stared at him.
Mo Fei stared back.
Neither moved.
Then Chen Guoliang's lips curled faintly.
"You've grown bold."
Mo Fei smiled.
"And if you still feel playful, I'll publish a very polite statement thanking 18_TH for their generous collaboration while clarifying that I am currently reviewing payment irregularities within my agency."
The words settled heavily in the office. Louis looked at Mo Fei, something like pride flickering in his eyes.
Chen Guoliang slowly sat back down. "You think one successful runway, one gala, and one concert appearance make you powerful?"
Mo Fei leaned back. "Yes." He nodded shamelessly. "I think my talent makes me powerful. I mean, look at me." He gestured to himself.
Chen Guoliang said nothing.
When did Mo Fei become this shameless?
He almost rolled his eyes.
"So…" Mo Fei's smile turned sweet. "What do you say, Guoliang-ge?"
Chen Guoliang cringed. How dare he address him like that?
"Have you no dignity, Mo Fei?"
Again with that word. Mo Fei sighed. "Dignity? You can't eat it, spend it or even see it. Why should I have it?"
Chen Guoliang. "…"
Louis. "…"
Did the fall from his accident damage Mo Fei's brain?
Chen Guoliang inhaled sharply.
Whatever. Forget it.
He had lost this round.
"What do you want?" he asked.
"Send the correct payment approval to my manager before close of business," Mo Fei said.
Chen Guoliang's jaw tightened. Then he nodded once.
"And…" Mo Fei continued.
Chen Guoliang looked up sharply.
Mo Fei was not done.
"I found out my team is missing people. The agency will hire them back and make sure they serve me properly until my contract ends."
Chen Guoliang shot to his feet in fury. "You arrogant little... "
Mo Fei raised one finger. "Tone, Liang'er. Watch the tone."
Chen Guoliang glared at him.
Mo Fei stood gracefully and bowed. "I'll be taking my leave, then." He smiled. "Please hesitate to contact me if anything comes up."
Then he pointed toward Louis. "Direct it to him."
Chen Guoliang scoffed in disgust.
Mo Fei turned toward the door.
But before leaving, he glanced over his shoulder.
"One more thing." His eyes turned vicious.
"If this agency ever confuses my silence with permission to fuck me over, I'll tear you all down as easily as I built you."
Then he walked out.
Louis followed him into the hallway.
The moment the office door closed behind them, Louis exhaled.
"Do you know how much trouble you just caused?"
Mo Fei continued walking.
"Less trouble than he caused by touching my money."
Louis looked at him.
Mo Fei adjusted his coat. "I am a very peaceful person, Louis. A calm god bestowed upon you humans. But people keep fucking with me."
Louis gave him a look. "Keep spitting bullshit and see where it takes you."
Mo Fei smiled.
"Be happy. Now you've got a team."
"You've put me on edge," Louis sighed. "Now we'll have to walk on eggshells around him."
"You, not me," Mo Fei said as he entered the elevator with his chin raised. "Be specific."
Behind them, inside the office, Chen Guoliang stared at the closed door, his expression dark.
Mo Fei had not lowered his head nor was he scared to talk back at him.
And that made Chen Guoliang understand something clearly.
The Mo Fei standing now was no longer easy to handle.