Reborn: The Return of the Villainous Mr. Liu

Alix once again found herself sitting in the visitor room's chair as she waited. The door opened and a figure stepped in - one who wasn't Jin.

He casually took his seat and faced Alix with a smile. "Wow. Not in a million years had I expected your visit to this lowly criminal. What brings you here?"

"Don't you already know?"

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"You were always good at feigning ignorance," she sneered.

She pulled out her phone and showed him the latest news. "You are somehow behind this, aren't you?"

He raised his brow. "Seems like your sister is not up to the mark. Repeating the same mistakes even now. I wonder how she is doing."

"You are behind this, aren't you?"

"Miss. Ren Alix. I am in prison. That model is in Paris. I fail to understand the connection."

"You are in prison but Wang Xia is not. Her father still holds some influence as a politician so I don't think it would have been that difficult to get things done through them even if it happened abroad."

"What things?"

"I don't think you read what I showed."

"You spin good stories," he shrugged. "You think I am behind the damaged dress which is now making that model sue Ren Designs."

"You have already pulled this off once, you can do it again. I don't doubt your abilities."

He chuckled. "We will talk if you have any evidence to show my connection but for now, why are you so worried anyway? Isn't your fiance there to pull you out of this rut?"

She didn't respond.

"Ohhh! I forgot. Liu Jin is somewhere here too, right?" He shook his head. "I had never imagined he would turn out to be such a monster like that. So even the Liu family isn't able to help you at the moment. The last I saw, there is bloodbath going with your company stocks."

"You are also behind that, aren't you?"

He blinked.

"The company's stock price going up so fast so soon was abnormal in a sense but there seemed to be no reason to doubt any manipulation. Turns out there was. You made somebody buy the stocks in the past months to show as if my company was entering its golden phase but you were waiting for this moment - Alicia's disaster during Paris's fashion show. Just a trigger to massively start selling stocks and devalue the company in a moment. The entire green buildup was meant for this red crash."

"Your theories keep getting interesting but isn't it ultimately pointless? Market manipulation to plan your company's downfall? Can you even prove something like that? How are you supposed to nitpick among the investors? Who's the guilty one?"

He let out a sigh. "Such a bummer. For you and Liu Jin to face such a crisis at the same time…luck seems to have run out for you two. What a coincidence."

"Coincidence? Jin getting stuck in a sexual harassment scandal and now my company wrapped into this scandal? Is it a coincidence or a really well-thought plot?"

He smiled. "You read too many novels I guess. Everything is a conspiracy for you. You should concentrate on…"

Yuze slightly leaned in. "How will you take care of this mess? Who will help you?"

Alix sneered. "All this was to make me come to you, isn't it? Trapping Jin in this case and simultaneously attacking my company to land the Ren Designs in debt was your plan to make yourself the only man to be able to help me. It's just like what you did earlier. Crippling me from all sides is the only way to make yourself the knight in shining armor."

"I don't know what you are talking about Alix but I would be careful if I were you. You might lose the last of your allies if you don't drop that attitude."

Alix stood up and smiled. "When were you my ally that I should care about offending you? Continue enjoying your prison time here."

As she reached the door, she heard.

"You will come back again, Alix. I know it. Only I can get you out of this. You will need me."

She turned and arched her brow. "Well if it comes to that then I am all for living a poor life. I would take that as my punishment to ignore the warning signs."

She walked out of the bureau and stood under the sunlight in silence.

Shit, what am I gonna do?

They had been trying to reach the model, Alicia Faucher for a discussion but to no avail. It was as if her agency didn't want to give any chance to them for any explanation. The only next thing that would happen now was them receiving a court order. On top of dealing with this mess was the mounting debt trouble. Their stocks were sinking faster than a shop would and investors were at their necks.

Her phone rang and she held it near her ear. "Sis!"

What is it now? She closed her eyes, barely catching the time to breathe.

"Sis, there are people protesting outside our office. They are showing banners and all and are demanding for us to file bankruptcy!"

"What?"

She let out a sardonic chuckle.

He had planned it all. He is not leaving any chance to corner me.

"Leave them be. They will walk away on their own once they will be tired of this protest."

"That's not happening at all. They are not even letting our employees leave," she cried. "One of them even got hurt!"

Fuck it!

"I am coming."

—

The mob of protestors surrounded Alix as soon as her car stopped in front of the entrance.

"Ren Designs should step down!" One of them screamed.

"Your company is a mess!"

"We don't want to wear your faulty clothes!"

Alix looked up at the last protestor and said, "Then don't wear. Certainly, I am not making you buy my clothes at gunpoint."

The mob fell into a deep silence, flabbergasted by her response. They had expected a panicked reaction and profuse apology but what they got in return was stark sarcasm.

"Ren Designs is not even given a chance to put forth their side but we are already labeled as the culprits. You are only listening to one party's side. So we don't want such customers either who talk with their emotions and not rationality."

"You are one shameless woman!"

"I don't-"

Suddenly she stumbled back when a flying egg came crashing on her head with force. Its contents began to spill down her face mixed with blood.