Reborn as Mr.CEO's Fat Wife-Chapter 935: Calling Director Locke on the Show

Since the show’s broadcast, its popularity has skyrocketed, and this time, as soon as the livestream began, tens of millions of viewers flooded in.

Unlike last time, when most of the audience were Duke Blue’s fans who flooded the comments section defending him, this time, the viewers were drawn by the show’s content itself. There was much less hostility in the air, and it was the holiday season—people were watching variety shows just for fun. With the sudden appearance of a big shot, everyone was excitedly guessing who it could be.

The guest group was also guessing.

But before figuring out who it was, everyone first had to deal with Mary Scott.

"Hehehe." Stella Murray led two others, grinning mischievously at Mary Scott.

Mary Scott hurriedly stepped back, exuding an air of indomitable spirit. Simon Baker ’kindly’ proposed, "It’s not suitable to ask Miss Scott to do something like breaking a stone on her chest. Removing makeup? She’s already barefaced, no need for that. Cross-dressing as Mr. Foster? Stella’s beauty is enough for that. How about we ask Miss Scott to call Director Locke publicly?"

Everyone paused, then cheered in agreement.

James Jerome, though amused, couldn’t help inwardly tsukkomi Simon Baker: so young yet so cunning. Wasn’t this a move to both clear up rumors about himself and Mary and also pull Director Locke in to generate buzz for the show?

But regardless of Simon Baker’s intentions, if Mary Scott agreed to this, it would be a win-win for the program team with no loss. Others could ride the wave of attention too.

Mary Scott hadn’t expected Simon Baker to suggest such a thing. She could more or less guess his motives. Stella Murray and Zoe Thatcher, on the other hand, looked worriedly at her and questioned Simon Baker, "Isn’t this inappropriate?"

"What does Miss Scott think?" Simon Baker had of course already consulted with David Locke; otherwise, he wouldn’t have made such a proposition.

Mary Scott could tell from Simon Baker’s expression that he came prepared. On top of that, there were already too many rumors about her relationship with David Locke. The recent scandal involving Simon Baker, though proven to be a misunderstanding in the end, still required the guests to indirectly help clarify her and David’s good relationship.

However, all those clarifications didn’t come directly from her or David Locke, so no matter how true they sounded, there would still be skeptics. And with her scheduled to join David’s production next month, it wouldn’t be great to let such rumors continue to spread. So she nodded, "As long as the program team doesn’t make me say anything too weird, I can do it."

"What’s ’too weird’? Our ’Wilderness’ is a serious program." Simon Baker patted his chest boldly.

The others laughed as if to say, "Yeah, right!"

Simon Baker didn’t mind. As long as Mary Scott agreed, the second episode of his show would have its big moment—who cared about being dismissed?

But although Mary Scott agreed, her brief hesitation in front of the cameras was clearly picked up by viewers in the livestream room. Some who already had a negative perception of her immediately latched onto this, claiming Mary was sweet on the surface but secretly bitter, and her so-called good relationship with Director Locke was just a facade.

A number of viewers went along with the drama, even digging up previous divorce rumors about Mary Scott and David Locke. Some were eagerly waiting to see her stumble.

Unaware that her brief moment of hesitation had stirred up so much trouble, Mary joined the others in anticipating the new guest.

Previously, she had noticed in the "Raspberry Snacks" endorsement contract that this time there were two endorsers. At first, she thought one of them was her and Duke Blue and didn’t question it. But after falling out on air with Duke, who was also kicked out of "Detectives and Wilderness," it was clear he was no longer an option for the endorsement.

Just days ago, Director Baker had told her to expect a surprise. Mary Scott guessed the surprise was likely related to the new guest.

As she was deep in thought, a tall, striking man emerged from outside the bus. Wearing a black mask and scarf to match a cool brown overcoat, his posture was sharp and aloof. He opened the bus door under everyone’s eager gazes.

The viewers in the livestream room went wild upon seeing this figure, flooding the comments section with guesses about who this handsome man might be.

The guests on the bus reacted similarly, but as soon as the man stepped onboard, they all let out collective groans of disappointment.

Adam Piers pulled down his mask, revealing his devilishly handsome yet dandyish face. "What, I’m not welcome here?"

"Welcome," everyone replied, except Zoe Thatcher, in a lackluster tone.

Adam Piers: "..."

What happened while he was away during the New Year? Had he become universally disliked in that short time?

Zoe Thatcher, noticing his confusion, quickly explained, "Master Adam, you probably don’t know, but the program team invited an A-list celebrity this time, and everyone thought it was him just now."

Adam Piers chuckled, a hint of mischief in his tone, "So I’m not as good as an A-list star?"

Everyone nodded enthusiastically.

Adam Piers: "..." Is this show even worth continuing anymore?

The livestream comments section erupted in laughter, with viewers praising the guests’ brutally honest reactions and lack of respect for Master Adam.

Some fans, however, were mesmerized by Adam’s charms, insisting his handsomeness exceeded any A-lister’s. Female fans went crazy, declaring they were smitten by his combination of swagger and style.

Meanwhile, far away in Swallow City, Bertha Swift had just come back from grocery shopping when her roommate’s screams greeted her. Frowning slightly, Bertha headed to the kitchen with her groceries, only to find the place in shambles after her roommate had made instant noodles. Looking at the mess, Bertha opened her mouth to say something but ultimately sighed.

Ever since being kicked out by her father, all of her bank cards had been frozen. The little money she had left on her phone wasn’t much, and with Swallow City’s steep rents—especially needing to pay three months in advance—she had no choice but to room with someone else.

It was her first time living with a roommate. The other girl seemed to be her age and was a film academy student, making Bertha think it wouldn’t be hard to coexist.

In reality, it wasn’t difficult personality-wise, but her roommate’s habits were beyond tolerable. She either ordered takeout or ate instant noodles every day, which wasn’t the problem, but never cleaned up the kitchen afterward. Whenever Bertha couldn’t stand it and cleaned up, it only encouraged her messy behavior further.

Now staring at the chaos, Bertha rolled up her sleeves and started tidying.

After cleaning, she used her own cookware to prepare beef and vegetable porridge and cooked a simple dish. Carrying her meal back to her room, she overheard her roommate still gushing in the living room, "Oh my gosh! Look at the behind-the-scenes livestream of ’Detectives and Wilderness’—Adam Piers is soooo hot. I’m officially his face fan now. One day I swear I’ll act alongside him, hopefully on his bed, haha!"

Bertha’s hand froze mid-push on her door. She sighed lightly and entered her room, but all the warmth from the hot porridge suddenly lost its appeal. Sitting in the small room, she thought of the last look that man had given her and let out a self-deprecating laugh. Slowly, she began to eat.

Her pregnancy had advanced too far, and an abortion would’ve been like giving birth, leaving her body heavily damaged. After being kicked out by her family, she was left to fend for herself. As for that man... Bertha chuckled bitterly. Their relationship had always been an accident, and any entanglement afterward had been for the sake of vested interests.

Now that the child was gone and all ties cut, there was nothing left.

But even as she reassured herself, her hand unconsciously opened Twitter. From the official "Wilderness" account, she navigated to the livestream room.

At that moment, the guests were teasing Adam Piers, suggesting that if Mary Scott called Director Locke, Adam should also call the girl he liked.

Although "Wilderness" was nominally a survival show, its actual strategy was to latch onto trending topics. Adam may not have been an A-list star, but as a true heir to a wealthy family, public curiosity about his love life rivaled that of any top celebrity. Otherwise, his rumored relationship with Bertha Swift wouldn’t have repeatedly dominated the trending searches.

With the teasing, all eyes turned to Adam.

Adam swept his gaze with playful disdain before unexpectedly responding, "There’s no girl I like."

Everyone was stunned, especially Zoe Thatcher, whose eyes lit up.

Apparently unsatisfied with the weight of his words, Adam added casually and coolly, "By the way, let me clarify: No relationships, no pregnancy. It was all just a family-arranged engagement, and I turned it down."

With that one nonchalant statement, Adam denied everything that had ever happened between him and Bertha Swift.

Bertha watched as his detached and cold voice came through the screen. She scooped a large spoonful of porridge into her mouth, only to burn herself before hastily spitting it out. The scalding pain lingered as her eyes reddened. Staring at the spoon in her trembling hand, she whispered to herself, "Even you want to bully me. Even you."

...

Back at the production team.

No one expected Adam Piers to address those rumors so seriously. After a moment of stunned silence, they quickly moved on to other topics.

Just then, the real star guest appeared: a young man in a beige coat opened the car door, his presence lighting up the space like winter sunlight. "Hello everyone, I’m Brian Joule."

Whoosh!

The bus fell silent, save for the sound of breathing.

Then someone let out an "Ah!", breaking the stillness. The space burst into energy again, leaving even Stella and James momentarily dumbfounded.

Zoe Thatcher stood there slack-jawed, her disbelief written all over her face.

Mary Scott was equally surprised, having not anticipated the program’s impressive guest lineup.

Adam Piers, however, shook his head disdainfully at the group of starstruck fans.

Eventually, Simon Baker stepped forward. "Mr. Joule, welcome!"

Brian Joule offered a gentle smile. "Director Baker, no need to be so formal—just call me Brian."

"Ahhhh, my heart..." Stella Murray clutched her chest dramatically, letting out a delighted scream.

Her cries were echoed by viewers in the livestream room.

Everyone was losing it. Who could’ve predicted the program would land none other than Brian Joule?

After all, this was Brian Joule—one of the country’s Top 3 rising stars. With over 100 million Twitter followers, he excelled in both singing/dancing and acting. Recently crowned Best Actor, he was riding a wave of immense popularity. His scarce variety show appearances were due to pre-signed contracts from before his explosion into stardom. Last year, countless shows courted him to no avail. Now, to see him on "Detectives and Wilderness" of all programs was beyond imagination.

The livestream comments section exploded, quickly pushing this moment to the trending topics.

Through his earpiece, Simon Baker could hear the deputy director’s excited exclamation, which only made him more satisfied.

After the initial frenzy died down, Brian Joule greeted everyone cordially.

Then, from his seat nearby, Adam Piers casually reminded, "Weren’t there wagers to settle? Maybe it’s time to follow through on those."

James Jerome and crew: "..."

Aren’t you one of us? Why be this sharp-witted!

Oh, right—he hadn’t participated.

Thanks to Adam’s playful nudge, everyone recalled their bet. The livestream audience also moved on from their excitement to spam the comments section with laughter.

Brian Joule, still somewhat bewildered, looked to the group for an explanation. Simon Baker quickly filled him in. After listening, Brian gazed at the others. "Though it might be unfair, I admit I’m curious to see Mr. Foster break a stone on his chest."

Despite their own dire situations, the group couldn’t stifle their laughter at this remark.

James Jerome shot Brian an aggrieved look. "What’s so entertaining about breaking a stone on my chest? Shouldn’t boys prefer seeing girls remove their makeup first? Zoe, why don’t you go first?"

Zoe Thatcher immediately took a step back. "I still call you Uncle Foster. How could you ask me to go first?"

"To save myself, of course," James Jerome declared dramatically, covering his chest.

The group erupted into laughter.

Finally, attention shifted toward Stella Murray. Stella claimed cross-dressing required specific tools, which she didn’t currently have. So, all eyes fell on Mary Scott.

Her task of calling Director Locke neither required tools nor risked life or limb.

Mary Scott rubbed her nose awkwardly. "Do I really have to make the call?"

The people who had just been seeking to dodge penalties themselves enthusiastically nodded, eager for entertainment.

Mary Scott: "..." Heartless folks.

The comments section, now somewhat calmed from Brian Joule’s entrance, saw Mary’s detractors resurface: "Tsk tsk tsk, even calling her ’husband’ seems like a chore. She dares claim they have a good relationship?"

"Same, Mary Scott looks like she dreads calling him. I bet they don’t have feelings for each other."

"Fake couple, no doubt!"

"Totally agree with the above..."

The speculations grew louder.

Back on the bus, faced with the group’s expectant eyes, Mary Scott reluctantly took out her phone and dialed David Locke.

The phone rang several times without being picked up. Mary Scott discreetly sighed in relief and looked up. "No one answered."

With that, everyone let it go, but in the livestream comments, her blacklisted detractors grew more excitable: "Bet she wasn’t calling Director Locke at all. Probably dialed a fake number or one of her burner phones, lol."

"Did you see her expression? Looked relieved!"

"I saw that too—fake couple confirmed..."

The discourse grew increasingly malicious as the production van began to move. The passengers naturally started chatting, discussing when James Jerome would perform his chest-breaking stunt, when Stella Murray would cross-dress, and how Zoe Thatcher’s makeup-free moment should come as a surprise. The conversation grew livelier and livelier.

Amid the animated discussion, Mary Scott’s phone suddenly rang, cutting through the buzz. She glanced at the screen and saw it was David Locke calling her back. She was just about to hang up when the program’s sharp-eyed photographer seized the moment and focused the camera on her.

Seeing he had no excuse to dodge anymore, Mary Scott helplessly pressed the speakerphone. Instantly, David Locke’s irritated voice came through, "Do you know what time it is?"

The bus chatter froze; the air took on a trace of awkward tension.

In the livestream comments, Mary’s detractors were overjoyed. They’d been right—David Locke and Mary Scott had a terrible relationship. The two clearly lacked emotional connection.

But then David Locke’s disgruntled tone continued, "By my calculations, you should’ve landed at 3:00 PM. Why has it taken you until 3:50 to call me? Did something happen?"

The detractors, ready to storm Twitter to mock Mary Scott: "..."

What. Just. Happened?

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