Roy rolled down the car window and took off his sunglasses, furrowing his brows slightly as he asked, "What are you all talking about?"
Still, pretending to be clueless? The journalists thought with disdain as they quickly placed a newspaper in front of him.
"Do you deny that the person in the photo is you?"
Roy glanced at the photo and then shook his head with a smile. "Are you kidding me? Does that look anything like me?"
The journalists were shocked by his outright denial. They thought they had seen it all, but here was a man who could deny it even when the photos and the newspaper were right in front of him. It takes some serious audacity to pull that off.
"Mr. Roy, please take a closer look at the person in the photo. Anyone, when confronted with this, would readily admit that the man in the picture is you, right?"
Roy looked at the speaking journalist as if he were speaking to a fool. "Then let me ask you this: do you think my judgment is so poor that I would abandon Laila for a woman like that?"
"Uh..." The journalist was stumped. Yes, compared to Laila, this other woman was a dime a dozen. Anyone would hesitate to leave Laila, who was impeccable in every way, for a woman who seemed promiscuous.
Other journalists nearby couldn't bear to watch anymore. A journalist who couldn't respond to a simple question from the interviewee, what kind of scene was that?
However, it had to be said that Roy's argument made sense. There was simply no comparison between Laila, who excelled in every aspect, and the seemingly frivolous woman.
"Love is blind, isn't it?" Another journalist interjected sharply, hitting the nail on the head.
Throughout history, how many husbands have abandoned their wonderful wives for someone who couldn't hold a candle to them in every aspect? A quick look at history would reveal plenty of such cases. It showed that a man's choice of a woman wasn't necessarily based on too many conditions; perhaps all it took was a spark of attraction.
Roy looked at him with a smile. "It seems you've found a love worth envying, so you're blinded too. Look at the person in the photo, then look at me. Do you really believe that person is me?"
The newspaper that was shown to him by the journalist was the one taken after he had showered and blow-dried his hair. He was sitting sideways, and his flowing hair conveniently covered half of his face. When you initially looked at the photo, you couldn't help but think it was Roy, but if you insisted it wasn't, there were indeed some uncertain aspects.
"This photo isn't clear enough; there are clearer ones!" The journalists hurriedly searched for photos that could prove their point, but Roy didn't give them a chance.
"Alright, guys, come back and ask me when you have concrete evidence. How could I miss out on this fun?" Roy said, waving his hand nonchalantly, not caring if he might run into someone, and drove away, leaving a group of frustrated and angry journalists behind.
"Damn it! I must get irrefutable evidence to slam it in his face!" one journalist exclaimed in frustration.
Meanwhile, in the car, Roy's relaxed smile disappeared as the car window closed. Among the things Laila had conveyed to him, some details required his cooperation, but the more critical information was vague, with instructions to follow her words faithfully.
The most important point was to steadfastly deny any acquaintance with that woman, which he had just executed perfectly. When the images from the scene appeared on television screens, many people would likely have some doubts because of his nonchalant attitude.
Some doubt was necessary; his goal was to make those doubts grow. Laila had told him that even if she were a goddess, she couldn't change everyone's perceptions. If they could make over 80% of the people believe them, it would be a success.
This was easily understandable. Besides money, there was always a portion of people who disliked anything. Just like even the most famous celebrities had their haters, nobody could be universally loved, not even Laila.
The problem was that his recent performance alone wouldn't make 80% of the people easily believe him. What other cards were they holding, and how to resolve this sudden crisis, depended on Laila's arrangements.
Thinking about this, Roy couldn't help but feel a sense of self-disgust. Why had he been so careless? Why had he let a woman take those pictures of him? At this point, he still didn't know that he had fallen asleep in front of a stranger because he was exhausted and that the woman had used some special techniques. After all, she was a massage expert; how could she not have something up her sleeve?
Arriving at the company, Roy was greeted with unfriendly glances. To the company's employees, Laila was their deity, the god who brought happiness to their families. If he had harmed her and caused her to decline, unable to produce profitable movies anymore, what would they do?
"Hey, guys, you don't actually believe that the person in this photo is me, do you?" It was the moment to test Roy's acting skills, and he instantly put on a helpless expression. He walked to the front desk and picked up a photo, holding it next to his face.
"Take a closer look; does the person in this photo really look like me? At most, there's a slight resemblance, isn't there? Or do you truly believe I'd be foolish enough to give up Laila for a woman like this?"
Well, he was using this excuse again. But it had to be admitted that this excuse was quite convincing. His performance also left some people with puzzled expressions, as they took the newspapers and compared them to his face.
"It actually doesn't seem the same!" the beautiful girl at the front desk hesitated for a moment before finally speaking her mind. "Roy looks much more handsome than the person in the photo, and he doesn't seem to have as much muscle."
"Thinking about it, it does seem that way. Our Roy seems a bit slimmer," someone else began to doubt.
Roy had the kind of physique that easily hid beneath clothing, and after two years of martial arts training, he certainly had some muscles, but they weren't very noticeable when he wore clothes. This made people think the man in the photo, who exposed his back, looked more muscular.
Many times, doubt was like a dandelion seed, taking root in someone else's heart with a gust of wind. Roy's words, along with the unclear photos and his arguments, increased the doubts in people's minds. Finally, their gazes toward him were no longer filled with hostility.
"Roy, Since you here, Louise asking for you." The girl at the front desk had fully accepted his denial, smiling as she conveyed the instructions from above.
"Thanks." Roy casually ran two fingers across his forehead and then walked to the elevator.
A moment later, he entered Louise's office.
Louise looked at him and sighed, "You've really caused trouble for the company, haven't you?"