Chapter 517 Climbing The Social Ladder
Tang Jing plastered a blank expression on her face. “Huh? A live stream? That’s impossible!”
“Stop pretending that it’s impossible! The video is already out in the world, so it’s obviously possible!” Livid, Ouyang Qing delivered yet another slap.
This slap was harsher than its predecessors. Tang Jing nearly toppled over from the sheer force.
Though her cheek stung, a sense of triumph bubbled up within Tang Jing.
The video of Ouyang Qing had gone viral, which signified the start of her downward spiral. Once she hit the trenches of failure, she would need more help to rise from the ashes and succeed.
In other words, the harder Ouyang Qing fell, the more she would need Tang Jing’s help.
Tang Jing would then be heavily involved in Ouyang Qing’s personal affairs and thus be able to use Ouyang Qing’s resources to attain her own goals.
“Why are you glaring at me? Be honest. How did the video get out there?” Ouyang Qing bellowed.
“I have no idea,” answered Tang Jing. “However, I heard of a new hacking technique that allows the hacker to access the Wi-Fi network and steal your information. We must have been hacked! Why don’t we make a police report? Once the police get involved, we’ll be able to find the culprit!”
“Make a police report? Have I not humiliated myself enough? Pack your bags; we’re leaving!”
Tang Jing gloated internally. She knew that Ouyang Qing would not have the guts to notify the police.
In fact, Ouyang Qing would be too distraught to investigate the matter and instead be preoccupied with getting herself out of the debacle.
“You can’t go out now,” Tang Jing warned.
“What am I supposed to do here? Rot away?” Ouyang Qing retorted.
“Since the video has already been spread online, there will be reporters outside waiting to ambush you. You’ll be jumped once you step foot out of this building.”
“Then what am I supposed to do? I can’t stay here forever.” Ouyang Qing was growing anxious.
“I’ll put on your clothes and act as a decoy. While they’re distracted, you can find a way to escape,” Tang Jing suggested.
“Are you sure that will work?” Ouyang Qing was dubious.
With a nod, Tang Jing assured, “Yes. I’ll wear a mask and drive your car. They’ll definitely chase me. I’ll drive slowly, so by the time they realize that they have the wrong person, you would have left already.”
Tang Jing was telling the truth. While she was live streaming, she had intentionally exposed their current location, so the hotel was now swarming with reporters and paparazzi.
If they discovered Ouyang Qing, it would be a disaster for the Ouyang heiress.
However, if it were Tang Jing that they caught, it would be her golden opportunity to rise to fame.
The whole event was a melodrama from the start, with the protagonists being the son of an affluent family and a pampered princess; a sprinkle of drink spiking was a spice-up to the plot.
Tang Jing would never be able to experience this for herself.
Had the exact incident happened to herself, she would only garner a fraction of the attention because she was not worth the hype.
However, Ouyang Qing was a whole other story. “Daughter of a prominent family drugs drinks to take advantage of a young master.” With a headline that was more enthralling than a movie, reporters would rather die than lose this scoop.
Anything that captured the attention of the masses would bring publicity, and if Tang Jing could somehow steal some of that spotlight, she would be the ultimate profiteer of this fiasco.
This sort of publicity was different from a normal interview—it was more special and thrilling.
“Female celebrity drives off in heiress’ car to be the scapegoat” would certainly be one of the top three trending topics.
Most importantly, the whole Flower City would now know that Tang Jing was Ouyang Qing’s friend.
It did not matter that Ouyang Qing’s reputation was in shambles. At the end of the day, the title “daughter of the Ouyang family” would still turn heads wherever she went.
Tang Jing was certain that the Ouyang family would not suffer from Ouyang Qing’s fumble. She also knew that being acquainted with Ouyang Qing would help her ascend the social ladder.
Since Tang Jing had helped Ouyang Qing escape the reporters’ harassment, the entertainment industry would assume that Tang Jing was close to the Ouyang family and regard her with awe.
Poor Ouyang Qing had no idea that Tang Jing was brewing such a cunning scheme. Ignorant as she was, she thought that Tang Jing was a trustworthy friend who would help her through tough times.
“Go on, then. Here are my car keys,” Ouyang Qing urged.
“All right. Take off your pajamas and let me wear them. This way, they would think that I’m you,” Tang Jing stated matter-of-factly.
“But I don’t have a mask. What am I supposed to do?”
“You can ask the hotel employee to send over a disposable mask. I’m sure the cleaning crew has some on hand,” instructed Tang Jing.
“Then I’ll head back to my room. You arrange the rest.”
Ouyang Qing was an intelligent woman, but now that things were beyond her control, she had no choice but to let Tang Jing take charge.
“You should wear my clothes so that no one recognizes you when you leave later,” Tang Jing remarked.
After they exchanged attires, Ouyang Qing went back to her presidential suite. She needed to call her mother and warn her to stay at home to avoid being badgered by the reporters.
The moment Ouyang Qing closed the door behind her, Tang Jing broke out into a grin that rivaled that of a Cheshire cat.
Everything was going according to plan. Tang Jing marveled at her ability to manipulate Ouyang Qing.
She did not need to ask the hotel for a mask—she had come prepared. She pulled out her mask, along with a cap and sunglasses.
Though it was rather strange to pair pajamas with a cap and sunglasses, Tang Jing was unbothered. On the contrary, she was pleased with the outfit.
The more peculiar the attire, the more attention she would gain. Her fashion choice would pique the interests of netizens once the news made it to the internet and stir up discussions. It was precisely what Tang Jing was after.
Once she had gotten ready, Tang Jing left the room.
Heading straight to the parking lot to get the car would be too inconspicuous. Everything would be a waste if Tang Jing did not get discovered by the media.
So, she decided to pop out of the main entrance to attract their attention.
When she arrived at the entrance, Tang Jing was stunned to see the number of reporters that crowded the glass doors. They clamored to get into the hotel, but to no avail, as the hotel security did not budge from their spots.
“Look! It’s her! Ouyang Qing is coming!” An eagle-eyed reporter noticed Tang Jing.
With her mismatched attire, Tang Jing was hard to miss.
She had been discovered—mission accomplished. Tang Jing retraced her steps and took the elevator to the parking lot.
She slid into Ouyang Qing’s red sports car, which, to Tang Jing’s glee, was ostentatious.
It was Tang Jing’s first time being in such a luxurious car. Though she was already a celebrity, she was still unable to afford something so upscale with her current net worth.
Being in a luxury car feels like heaven. Tang Jing reveled in the sensation as she sunk into the soft leather seats.
Tang Jing had a driver’s license, but this was her first time operating a luxury vehicle.
After some trial and error, she finally figured out how to drive the car.
Fortunately, Tang Jing was well-educated and cultured, so it did not take long for her to get the hang of it.
Minutes later, a red sports car emerged from the parking lot.
Despite the exhilaration of driving a luxury car, Tang Jing refrained from slamming down on the accelerator. After all, she needed the reporters to notice her first.
