137. Chapter 137: Are You Worthy?

Mo Qi found Guan Min making a phone call in front of the curved glass window at the end of the hallway.

"Lord Jue’s stance is clear. You know better than I do what the consequences will be if you insist on going your own way." Guan Min noticed Mo Qi, nodded at her, and continued negotiating with the person on the other end. "Lord Jue has no intention of making things difficult for you, but he expects you not to interfere in this matter."

Mo Qi could not hear the response, but she could gauge the nature of the conversation by the shifts in Guan Min’s expression.

Guan Min’s brow furrowed, a flicker of disgust passing through his eyes, and his tone turned icy. "You may be overestimating your standing in the Old Master’s eyes and underestimating the importance he places on Lord Jue."

"You want Lord Jue to suspend the decision-making power of the shareholders' meeting? Does the Old Master know you’re plotting something this ambitious?" Guan Min sneered. "Or perhaps, does the Eldest Young Master know?"

Without waiting for a reply, Guan Min added, "Lord Jue’s position is clear. You are welcome to try and make your move."

Guan Min hung up the phone, took a moment to compose himself, and turned to Mo Qi. "Did you need something?"

Mo Qi didn't beat around the bush. "What was the decision of the shareholders' meeting?"

Guan Min shoved his phone into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette, placing it between his lips. He was not a smoker, but he often held one when he was irritated or frustrated. "You can ask Yi Jue."

Mo Qi shrugged. "If he were willing to tell me, I wouldn't have come to you."

"If he isn't willing to tell you, what makes you think I will?" Guan Min squinted at her.

"Because you are Guan Min." The most brilliant gold-medal agent at Interstellar Entertainment, and a friend who wouldn't want anyone or anything to hold Shen Yijue back.

Guan Min studied her for a full minute. Mo Qi met his gaze calmly. There was no retreat, no fear—only the composure and grace of someone prepared to weather any storm.

"The board of directors of Interstellar Entertainment has made its final decision: to blacklist you completely!" Guan Min finally relented. Having seen the calm in her eyes, he felt a fleeting intuition that if it were Mo Qi, she might actually be capable of not becoming a burden to Shen Yijue.

She had already braced herself; the news did not come as a surprise.

Mo Qi nodded calmly. "And what about the Old Master? Is Interstellar Entertainment a Shen family enterprise?"

Shen Yijue valued Mo Qi so highly that she would have learned this eventually. Guan Min replied, "It is much as you suspected. Interstellar Entertainment belongs to the Shen family, though it is only a small part of their empire. And the Old Master is Yi Jue’s grandfather."

"So, it is the grandfather of the 'Heavenly King' Shen who wants to blacklist me?" Mo Qi raised an eyebrow. "There was no movement before, but now he suddenly jumps in. Is it because of the rumors of our secret marriage?"

"Not entirely," Guan Min sighed, rubbing his temples in annoyance. "The Old Master knows Yi Jue very well. If it weren't for his deliberate indulgence, such news could never have spread online. Even if it did, it would have been scrubbed the moment it appeared, long before the public took notice. The fact that this is now the talk of the internet shows the Old Master exactly where Yi Jue stands. That is why he has stepped in."

Mo Qi fell silent for a long moment before asking, "You have the Old Master’s number, don't you? I want to speak with him privately. Is that possible?"

"Talk about what? That you two are truly in love? That neither can live without the other?" Guan Min’s tone was laced with sarcasm.

"No," Mo Qi shook her head. "Regardless of who leaves whom, neither Shen Yijue nor I will be left in a state of ruin. Please, make the call for me."

Mo Qi let out a soft laugh. "I cannot let him face all this pressure alone."

"You two are unbelievable!" Guan Min paced back and forth, his face grim, before finally giving in to her steady gaze and dialing the Old Master’s number.

"I have a feeling that if Yi Jue finds out I put this call through for you, he will wring my neck," Guan Min said, handing the phone to her.

Mo Qi smiled faintly and took it.

To say she wasn't nervous would be a lie. But at a time like this, she could not back down. She had an inkling of why the Old Master wanted to blacklist her. It wasn't the rumors of a secret marriage, nor was it Shen Yijue's attitude—it was her identity.

The phone rang three times before it was answered.

"Hello, Xiao Guan?" The Old Master’s voice sounded surprisingly kind.

Mo Qi took a deep breath to steady herself. "Mr. Shen, hello. This is Mo Qi."

"Mo Qi?" It was clear the Old Master did not know who she was.

Even having her name forgotten felt like a slight, but Mo Qi merely laughed it off, her tone growing even calmer. "I am the woman rumored to have secretly married the Heavenly King Shen."

"It is you." The Old Master took off his glasses and said to someone nearby, "Xiao Yu, step out for a moment. I will have my secretary notify you later."

"Understood, Chairman."

The Old Master stood up from behind his desk, walked leisurely into the private tea room adjoining his office, sat in a rattan chair, and poured a cup of hot tea. He took a sip before saying slowly, "What is it you want?"

Mo Qi waited patiently for him to finish before answering, "If this is an inconvenient time, I can call another day."

"It is fine. Speak," the Old Master said, his tone unexpectedly peaceful, lacking the overbearing or condescending air she had expected.

Mo Qi said, "Your time is precious, so I will not beat around the bush. I am calling to tell you that I am worthy of Shen Yijue."

The Old Master’s hand, holding the small teacup, paused for half a second before he set it down. He had imagined countless scenarios for this call—her begging for money, pleading, or declaring her resolve—but none of them involved her calmly asserting her worthiness.

Instead of getting angry, the Old Master let out a low chuckle.

"Are you?" he countered.

Mo Qi paused, realizing he was questioning her worthiness. "How does Mr. Shen define a person’s value?"

"Every one of us is noble, yet at the same time, base," the Old Master replied. "Like a book: one hundred people read it, and there will be one hundred different opinions. But regardless, that book is priced the moment it is printed. No matter how magnificent its content, it is only worth that price."

"What if it becomes an antique? Does it still hold the same value?" The two engaged in a battle of wits, using books as metaphors for people.

"Heh, young lady, you are interesting," the Old Master chuckled, his tone suddenly turning sharp. "But for it to become an antique and increase in value, it must survive until that day. Just like you—if you want to be famous, you need a stage and an opportunity."