Chapter 40: Turning the Tide

Chapter 40: Chapter 40: Turning the Tide

[Renee Morgan usually seems pretty sharp, how come she loses her head in crucial moments? Going to the instructor with this kind of thing, isn’t that asking to be humiliated?]

[She’s probably panicked. The persona she built up on the show has been quite successful, her international fame is way beyond most top female stars in Zhonglia’s entertainment. Now suddenly a scandal breaks, it’s not easy to deal with all at once.]

[...]

The class leader was about to refuse, but hearing Renee Morgan’s last sentence made him hesitate for a moment. As he was thinking about how to handle this tricky issue, slight footsteps sounded behind him, putting him on alert. He quickly turned back at attention, raising his hand in salute.

The instructor returned the salute, his sharp gaze landing on Renee Morgan: "Renee Morgan, step forward. Repeat what you just said."

Renee Morgan stepped out, her steady gaze meeting his, speaking boldly without flinching: "Reporting, instructor, I want to ask you face-to-face: how could you approve this self-reflection letter for Wendy Aldridge to read publicly?"

The instructor’s piercing gaze swept towards the class leader—the task of approving was handed to him.

The class leader, an absolute straight arrow, couldn’t simply repeat what was written in the reflection letter, so he stated the facts: "Reporting, the written self-reflection Wendy Aldridge gave me isn’t the same as her own reflection content." The two versions were very different, but at the moment he couldn’t explain orally.

"Go report for punishment immediately." The instructor’s tone was icy cold.

The class leader had no objection, responded, and turned to leave.

The instructor thought the matter was settled, at least that the reflection session was over.

But Renee Morgan remained stubbornly focused on him: "Reporting, instructor, you haven’t answered my question yet! How could you approve Wendy Aldridge to read this self-reflection aloud?"

Wendy Aldridge inwardly cursed Renee Morgan. Couldn’t they let this go? Why wouldn’t she stop hounding her? The class leader clearly had no problem before; now after Renee showed up, he got punished. What a troublemaker.

"Renee Morgan, this isn’t the instructor’s issue. It’s my problem. I don’t want to hide it anymore..." As for what she was hiding—whether it was locking the door or hints about Renee and the crew—she left it unclear.

"I’m apologizing to you now. Please forgive me. Don’t keep making things difficult for the instructor." Wendy Aldridge sighed, helplessly.

Renee Morgan ignored her, her calm gaze fixed on the instructor: "Please answer my question, instructor. Why was Wendy Aldridge’s self-reflection approved for public reading?"

"She admits it was her who locked me and the crew inside the room. What kind of behavior is that? It’s illegal and criminal, violating the law against unlawful detention. Using confinement to illegally deprive me and the crew of personal freedom—it’s a criminal act. Yet she uses the excuse that I was close with the crew, trying to ’give us an opportunity,’ to wash her hands clean. What’s unbelievable to me is, why did the instructor and the higher-ups approve such a sloppy self-reflection letter and let the perpetrator of a crime read it out loud?"

Renee Morgan’s final sentence was almost thunderous. Not only the instructor and everyone present—even viewers in the livestream were stunned.

People can be fooled, but they’re not idiots. Renee Morgan’s words were clear, logical, and cut straight to the truth.

That’s right—Wendy Aldridge locked Renee Morgan and the crew in a room. That in itself is a big issue, just like Renee said: it’s illegal. Wendy’s excuses are weak and empty, more like an attempt to cover up a crime, a dark excuse from her heart. No, she’s still shamelessly going on, refusing to repent, trying to frame Renee Morgan. Because of her manipulation, Renee was torn apart by public opinion.

Renee Morgan’s personal PD staff didn’t bother about work at this point. The assistant watched the equipment while he pulled out his phone, clipped the video of Wendy Aldridge’s self-reflection, and handed it to the instructor.

As Wendy Aldridge’s crisp enunciation sounded from the phone, the instructor’s expression darkened like the bottom of a pot.

After the video finished playing, Renee Morgan pressed forward calmly but relentlessly: "Instructor, may I ask—under Zhonglia law, is unlawful detention allowed to be justified like this? May I ask again, was my closeness with the crew and my popularity with the production team legitimate reasons for Wendy Aldridge’s criminal behavior?"

"Another question, instructor: as Wendy Aldridge said, she used unlawful detention to confine me and the crew in order to ’prove’ my relationship. Is this not leading men to attempt something inappropriate against me, maybe even sexual assault?"

The rest were utterly speechless. Everyone had thought Renee Morgan’s reputation was ruined and her good days were over—but she turned the tables so easily.

The direction of the livestream shifted in a flash:

[Morgan’s logic is flawless! Wendy Aldridge locked her and the crew in a room—that’s illegal to begin with. None of her excuses hold water. Even if you’re jealous of Renee Morgan’s popularity, you shouldn’t lock girls in a room with men. That’s so vicious.]

[I knew Wendy Aldridge’s tone was sly—hinting that Renee Morgan was close with lots of guys, acting all forgiving. A naive girl wouldn’t stand a chance against her. She’s playing at a whole different level.]

[How can someone so wicked and rotten still be an entertainer? Is there any hope for Zhonglia’s entertainment industry? Support Renee Morgan. Boycott Wendy Aldridge.]

[Support Renee Morgan. Boycott Wendy Aldridge.]

[...]

Wendy Aldridge finally panicked at Renee Morgan’s words: "Renee Morgan, you’re lying! I didn’t... I only saw you and him acting ambiguously, otherwise I wouldn’t have meddled and done something so stupid." She pointed at the man next to her—Renee Morgan’s personal PD staff.

"Really?" Renee Morgan turned to Wendy Aldridge, her gaze icy with disdain: "How exactly were we ambiguous? Please be specific—and show your evidence."

Wendy Aldridge bit her lip: "The first night at the base, Class Two assembled in a hurry, the instructor punished us with night running, and you two were whispering together—almost kissing, right?"

There was no need for Renee Morgan to argue. A crew member stood up to speak—he’d been filming Miles Yates at the time, and Miles happened to be right behind Renee Morgan. He had filmed something similar to what Wendy described, and could play it for everyone to see the truth.

The video was quickly clipped out. The crew member carried the phone around for everyone to view—including the instructor.

The director played the video on the big screen for everyone to watch.

The video had audio; Renee Morgan and the PD staff’s voices were clearly heard.

The camera quality was sharp. Lynn Miller, after being amused by the class leader’s expression, stifled her laughter.

She ran ahead, her passionate voice ringing out: "I’ll start! Stand up, stand up, you who don’t want to be slaves..."