Master approved my layout just now.
Please deliver it to the art department tomorrow morning. Here you go.
Good morning, Martin.
Good morning.
Sorry about last night.
You didn't turn on your cell phone. I couldn't tell you not to go.
Why did you suddenly change your mind?
If I had gone last night and if we had completed the deal,
what do you think would happen to us?
I don't want there to be nothing left between us after the deal is done.
I'd rather you owe me one.
Good morning, Ms. Kei.
Good morning.
Fan came to see you this morning. He's still in your office.
I asked him why he wanted to see you. But he wouldn't tell me. He looked nervous.
Really?
Vincy, what's the matter with you?
I called you all night last night. You didn't turn on your phone.
I called you this morning. You hung up without really talking.
What's going on? How was your conversation with your husband?
I told you that you have to pretend not to know about this. Don't ask again.
Don't mention it again.
Your husband is a wanted person. It's normal that I'd be worried about you.
OK. OK. Just tell me whether it's settled.
Then I will never mention it again.
He's left. He even promised not to harass me again.
Are you relieved now?
I hope the problem is really solved. Don't lie to brush me off.
Who said just now that he wouldn't mention this again?
I won't talk about it anymore.
Fan, you're here?
Vincy, you asked me to come so early. What do you want to talk about?
I won't keep you. I'll get back to work.
Fan, this involves you. Join in the conversation.
Martha, let's talk about Fan
terminating his contract and leaving the company.
It's written clearly in his contract. If he wants to terminate it,
the representatives in charge of both our companies
have to sign to endorse it.
Your representative was Ip Long.
Now it's me.
Our legal department has already prepared the termination agreement.
I've signed it already. You just need to sign it.
Then Fan can leave immediately.
Vincy, how hard is it for me to sign it?
But do you think this is the best moment for Fan to leave?
No more excuses.
You claim to be acting in my interest. Actually you want to waste my time in Modes.
I can't help it if you think that.
I discovered you. I just don't want you to screw up.
You think I haven't done anything these past couple of months?
I talked to clients who have worked with you before.
I also talked to those who hadn't. They all said no. All of them.
You told the reporters to shoot me.
You told me to stay in Modes until this had blown over.
You set me up. How can I trust you?
I don't care if you trust me or not. I can't stop you from hurting yourself.
I've signed it already. When Fan should leave is your call now.
From today, this person has nothing to do with my company.
Martha may not be wrong about this. I'll keep the agreement for the time being.
Carly on working here.
When I've figured out a way, then you can leave. Do you trust me?
Andy, ask Toby again for me. We can accommodate her schedule.
Mr Fok, we can come shoot when you're closed. We just need two hours.
Perhaps you can talk to your manager again. Or I can send you our layout first.
If you think it's OK, then you can lend it to us.
OK. Thank you. Bye.
How's it going? Have you found all the locations yet?
If you really don't want to move all the clothes back to the studio,
you could try other places in the office. Or you can shoot in a public place.
Right. I'll think about it. Thank you, Meg.
What about you two? Good news or bad news?
We've asked them to shoot for Modes in the past.
They've never said no. This morning I made seven to eight calls.
They all gave me excuses and turned me down.
That happened to me too.
I've talked to all the major brands and their bridge lines.
I've even approached some lesser brands. They all said they had to sleep on it.
Why don't you guys try some local brands?
Meg, my office. I want to talk to you about the layout.
OK.
Oh, no. I forgot to go to De Tracy to get the clothes for Ada.
Yan, I need to wait for a call from a client. Could you...?
OK. I'll get them for you.
Thank you.
You should know your position and who you work for.
Don't make so many unnecessary suggestions.
It's none of your business even if Modes has to fold tomorrow.
I'm sorry. I will pay attention to that.
I understand your attachment to Modes.
But you should know that you work for Modes Girl now.
The more chaotic and messy it gets at Modes, the better our chances of getting ahead.
OK. Danielle, yesterday I did as you said
and used Yan's computer to send Ada's cover layout to Zita.
Do you know what she'll do with that?
Why?
I feel bad. I'm worried this will get Yan into trouble again.
When did you become so caring about your friend?
Have you forgotten that this isn't your first time betraying Yan?
But this is leaking the company's confidential information.
The consequences will be a lot more serious. I'm afraid Yan will...
You're behaving like this again?
Fine. If this is made known and Yan gets kicked out of Modes,
then I'll let her join Modes Girl.
You don't need to worry now.
What? Another magazine has borrowed the clothes?
You guys promised to lend them to Modes. How could you do this?
I'm sorry, Ms. Cheung.
Our shop manager didn't know that head office had agreed
to lend the clothes to another magazine a month ago.
I'll call Ms. Tsui and apologize to her.
Can you tell me which magazine borrowed the clothes?
I'm sorry. I can't tell you.
Ms. Cheung, our shop manager said you could look at these clothes.
Please come over and take a look.
Actually they only arrived about a month ago
Take this one-piece for example. It looks sharp.
You can feel free to look around.
Did Gina borrow the clothes?
Did their chief editor Zita Hung
borrow them herself from your head office?
In the last meeting,
I said we would use Paula's idea for the cover of our next issue.
But today I've changed my mind.
What you see now is the layout for the cover of the next issue.
Everyone's here from the editorial department,
photography department, art department and the color scanning department.
I want you all to get the cover done in 24 hours
and upload it to our website by tomorrow morning
so the readers will see it.
The scene isn't complicated. But it takes time to touch it up.
Besides, De Tracy is Modes' exclusive brand.
Will they let us use their clothes?
Editing and color scanning needs time too.
It's such short notice.
I'm afraid no model can squeeze time for the shoot.
I didn't call this meeting
to ask for your opinions or discuss whether you can manage.
It's your responsibility to get this done in 24 hours.
Both the clothes and model are ready. You don't need to worry.
Regardless, I want this cover to appear on our website by tomorrow morning.
People attacking you online are still doing it.
The media even use their messages to make up stories.
Didn't you use your connections to suppress the news?
I did. But this is so sensational.
It's to a reporter's disadvantage not to report this.
I can't suppress the news.
Let them carry on.
I don't believe they can talk for a week without any new evidence.
Martin, have we confirmed the columns for our next issue yet?
A third of them are not yet confirmed.
Either there's no model
or none of the brands will agree to lend us their clothes.
They're are withholding their decisions pending the outcome of the scandal.
I've thought it over, Long.
If necessary, let's cut the number of pages for the next issue.
No. We won't postpone the publication.
We won't cut the number of pages. We won't compromise the quality.
Long, think about this.
Giving up one issue is better than putting together 300 random pages.
Do you know no artist has agreed to shoot for Ada yet?
Enough. I'll talk to the brands myself.
As for the artist, I've got a candidate for the cover of our next issue already.
You guys can go.
Nana, Danielle told me that you refused to shoot for Modes Girl.
Is that true?
Yes. I promised another magazine I'd shoot for them
on condition that I can't shoot for other magazines at the same time.
Why are you doing this?
You know I made a verbal agreement with Kei Wan-wan.
How can I explain this to her? Tell me which magazine you're shooting for.
You know them well too. It's Modes.
I promised the Trend Master to appear on the cover page of their next issue.
He has such a high status. You can account for this.
I don't know what Ip Long said to you to make you say yes.
But you can see yourself.
The Trend Master is being attacked online now.
Modes is tumbling now.
What benefits would you get from shooting for them?
They may not even have enough pages for their next issue.
Martha, I've been with your company for so long.
I've shot for Modes for so many years.
I asked you to get me on their cover.
I've said it so many times.
You either said Phoebe was more appropriate or asked me to wait for the next issue.
You never treated what I said seriously. I've decided not to wait anymore.
Even if Modes folds after the next issue,
I still want to appear on their cover.
Can you not be so stubborn please? Your father is a shareholder of our company.
You should consider the company's interest first.
Exactly. Since my dad is a shareholder, I can do whatever I like.
Ada, I was told that Master has found you a model for the cover.
Really? who?
You don't know yet? It should be Nana. I think you know very well
why Nana has never appeared on Modes' cover.
It's because she's not good enough.
It doesn't make sense that Master would
make a compromise at this juncture by asking ask a B-grade model to do it.
Besides, this is a waste of your idea.
I think out of all the eligible candidates, Nana is a good choice.
I believe Nana can elevate her status like Phoebe did
once the cover is out.
Don't you think so?
I like your confidence.
Ada, you're a talent. I don't understand why
you still want to stay in Modes even though it's a mess now.
It's not too late to change your mind now.
If you'll agree to join us, I'll ask Ivy to give you her post.
I'm sorry. I don't want a change yet. Modes is still Modes.
It's still the top fashion magazine in Hong Kong at this moment.
You must remember,
once we've surpassed Modes, my offer will not be the same.
I have a meeting. I can't talk anymore.
Ada, another magazine has borrowed the clothes from De Tracy.
Do you know which magazine?
I think it was Gina.
They said Gina had already talked to their head office a month ago
and borrowed the clothes.
Do you believe that?
Now all the decent brands are afraid of us. Do you know why?
It's because of your idols scandal. It has destroyed Modes' goodwill.
People out there always say that
there would be no Modes without the Trend Master.
I didn't believe that before. But now I do.
Your Master is going to collapse soon. How long do you think Modes can carry on?
Ivy and I have looked over your draft.
The idea's not bad. But you can do better in the details.
Right. Meg, we think we can extend your article to 12 pages.
But the copy and photos need to be livelier
since the target readers of Modes Girl are young people.
OK. I'll amend the draft and submit it again
OK.
Vincy...Ms. Kei...
Am I interrupting?
I knew you guys were having a meeting. I'm just here to learn. Carry on.
Let's carry on.
Fan, your column is quite good. But I'm sorry.
I hear that
a column in Queen Magazines next issue will clash with yours.
Since there's still time now, why don't you change your topic?
It's normal for ideas to clash.
The brands and models are different. They're separate issues to the readers.
If there weren't enough time, we wouldn't make the change.
But we don't even have a publication date for our first issue.
Their magazine will be out in two weeks.
We shouldn't give them a chance for a head start, right?
Fan, I agree with Danielle and Ivy.
I want our first issue to give the readers a brand new feeling.
I don't want to look like other magazines in anyway.
OK. I'll work on it again.
So Danielle, will there be any exclusive interviews in this issue?
I already told you that
we wanted to focus on the brands and models for our first issue.
There won't be any exclusive interviews.
I know. I don't mean asking just any actress to do an interview.
All the magazines do that. There's no point in doing that.
I mean perhaps we could interview someone more controversial.
I think the readers like reading that.
Do you have someone in mind already?
I just came up with the idea. Take Fan, for example.
Look, you've been in the headlines of the entertainment column before
because of a sex scandal.
Now you live a simple life.
You've gone from a top model to an editor.
I find that story quite interesting. What do you guys think?
Vincy, I don't mind doing the interview for the magazine.
But the readers may not enjoy reading my story.
If you want an exclusive interview, I can...
No one finds his own story fascinating.
Danielle, you're the chief editor. Do you find my suggestion viable?
It's OK to say no.
I agree with Vincy. Fan is our editor. He can interview himself.
That's interesting. Fan, don't feel pressured.
Sort out the concept and the questions. And I'll go over them.
OK.
It's decided. I'll give eight pages to your interview then.
Do you need to answer the call first?
Sorry.
Hello. Derek?
You still have time to come here?
You must allow more time to prepare your own interview.
Vincy, what are you doing?
Why did you suddenly ask me to do the interview?
You even want it to be in the first issue of Modes Girl?
Do you remember why you joined Modes as an editor?
Martha wanted me to purge my past.
You want people to forget your sex scandal.
Apart from relying on time, there are other ways.
I want to build a platform for you so that you can purge your past yourself.
People will accept me again just because of an interview?
Do you remember I did an interview too on my first day at Modes?
An interview is like acting in a play. You get to decide your own role in the play.
Now you can tell everyone that you really regret what you did before.
You will start over again on the T-platform. Do you understand?
I don't think I need to perform this play in the first issue of Modes Girl.
I don't want the interview to bring you trouble.
The first issue of Modes Girl
will be the most powerful in terms of promotion and buzz.
It will attract the most readers.
I want you to put on your show on this stage
Have you forgotten what Martha said? The brands don't want me.
I'm worried you'll have to cut the circulation
and the ads because of my interview.
I don't care whether the clients want to cut their ads
or the board wants to reduce the circulation.
I've decided this. I won't change my mind.
Because you're my friend.
Thank you.
Calvin, I think Phoebe's hairstyle is inconsistent with the layout.
Touch it up a bit later when you take the photos.
OK. I'll ask Tammy to follow the layout strictly.
Zita, I don't think this layout is that good
Why don't you ask Becky to modify it a bit? Let's shoot again tomorrow.
I don't think there's a problem. Don't worry.
Lucas, shoot several samples for Phoebe.
OK.
Zita, I've shot for many covers before.
You don't need to follow the layout strictly every time.
I think we can...
I think you can make fewer comments. Just do a good job yourself.
No matter how much you don't like the layout,
I will still follow it strictly. I won't make any changes to it.
If you insist on making changes to it, then I'll use another model.
I didn't insist on making changes.
Of course I trust you since you're a professional.
Go to the studio to shoot the photos when you're done here.
Then send the photos to color scanning immediately.
I want everything done before tomorrow morning.
OK.
Danielle called. She said Derek asked to meet her.
I didn't expect you to call. Actually I came to visit you before.
But recently I've been busy working on a new magazine.
I'm really preoccupied. I'm sorry.
It's fine. Work comes first.
I asked you to come because I want to ask you something.
What do you want to know?
Zita told me about her and Long.
She said she broke up with Long because he used Modes to take kickbacks.
She couldn't accept that.
But I know they're competitors now.
So I'm not sure if I should believe what she told me.
Danielle, during the five years I was lying in a hospital bed,
what did Long do?
Derek, I know you and Ip Long are good friends.
Can we just catch up today and not talk about him?
There's a lot of time for catching up.
I didn't asked you to come talk about anything else except Ip Long.
Danielle, you worked for me for years.
I just want you to tell me what Ip Long has become.
Do you remember telling me that he's a genius?
You said he has a great fashion sense.
He's an editor that gives you the right kind of feeling.
So when he joined Modes, I had very high expectations of him.
It never occurred to me that in less than a year,
I was completely disappointed in this person.
Back then I went to visit you in the hospital.
I told you that you were wrong about this person.
What happened? What did he do?
Zita and I worked with him for so long. We know very well what kind of person he is.
He's a businessman. Modes is just a business to him.
Do you know how much he's given in terms of connections and money
in exchange for The Trend Master title?
He claims that he's helping Modes
become the number one magazine in Hong Kong.
Actually he's just promoting and packaging himself.
His only job is to sign on the blueprints.
He never cares about the content of the magazine.
He uses the title of Trend Master and the reputation of Modes
to build connections and seek advantages.
I'm sorry. You just got out of a coma. I shouldn't tell you this.
Danielle, I have one last question.
Did Ip Long use Modes to take kickbacks? Did he do that?
I don't know.
I don't want to answer that without any evidence.
This isn't a court of law. You don't need to adduce evidence here.
Just answer my question according to your hunch.
Did he or did he not?
He did.
We've worked together for a long time.
This is a rare occasion for us to sit down together. Come on. Cheers.
Cheers...
Let me test your memory.
Do you remember how long your company has worked with us since I joined Modes?
Innuendo, I've worked with you guys for five years.
There were 15 issues in total. Five were covers.
Pansedo, we've worked together for four years.
But there were 23 issues.
Florette, our cooperation is the shortest.
There have only been five issues with one of them was the cover.
Le Rouge, our cooperation is the longest.
We've been partners ever since I joined Modes.
There have been 30 issues. One third of them were covers, right?
Right.
My memory hasn't failed me, right?
Your memory is really good. I can hardly remember so clearly.
It doesn't matter that you guys don't remember. I will remind you.
I also remember that before you guys started working with Modes,
you weren't the top brands in Hong Kong, right?
But I told you guys that it didn't matter whether you're a top brand.
It's the top quality and the top potential that mattered.
If you possessed those two things, I was capable of making miracles happen.
Do you still remember that? Did I not say that to you guys?
Yes.
Yes...
I remember you said that before.
Do you guys remember what you told me then?
You said your brands were Modes' strategic partners.
I could take whatever products I saw in your shops
no matter how expensive they were
even if they were furs that cost over a million dollars. Isn't that right?
Do you all suffer from amnesia now?
Or do you think Modes is going down soon
so you want to jump ship as soon as possible?
We didn't mean that. But you know the situation now.
Our president of the Asia Region has instructed that
our brand must not appear in your magazine until your scandal is clarified.
We don't want to do this either.
I thought the wise wouldn't listen to rumors.
I can't believe the wise now believe in rumors.
Fine. I don't mean to put you in a difficult position.
I just need a favor.
I'm not asking you to loan me your clothes. I just want you to sell me your clothes.
You can sleep on this.
Listen up. Take my check now. And I'll owe you one.
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry. I really can't help you.
I'll owe you this one. Sorry.
OK. Ask your colleague to come get the clothes at our main store tomorrow.
I'll talk to the head office. Bye.
Long, are you being a bit reckless?
You're just an employee. You don't own the magazine.
If all four of them had taken your checks just now,
that would have been around a million dollars.
Why don't you tell Mr Ma
that you're buying the clothes for the company?
Then you can put the sum in the budget for the next issue.
He won't object to that.
The company keeps a tight budget. Mr Ma may not approve this.
But I don't think it's the best solution either
to pay for the clothes yourself in order to shoot photos for the magazine.
I caused this. I can't ask the company to pay for this.
I'm prepared for this. I'm even willing to spend all my money
to make sure the next issue gets published without problems.
Let's go.
Yan, what are you doing here?
You're back? Just now I saw your car here.
I knew you were working. So I didn't call you. I waited for you here.
Is there something urgent?
I've thought it over.
Since no brands will lend us clothes, we don't need to sell the brands.
We can sell some new local designers.
Take a look at this. They all started a year or so ago.
Some have even won some awards. Look.
In the past two years, there were only 20 new local designers.
Only seven of them got some recognition.
But none of the clothes they design is suitable for Modes.
Don't despair. Your idea is correct.
If we could find a new designer whose clothes can give me the right feeling,
I wouldn't mind letting her clothes appear in Modes.
But the magazine will go on sale in less than two weeks. Will we make it?
You must remember, Modes managed to stay in the top position
not because we have lots of resources to work with.
Nor is it because its chief editor is the Trend Master.
It's because we never lower ourselves to accommodate the world. Do you understand?
Get in the car. I'll take you home. Come on. Get in the car.
OK.
Derek, the doctor called and said
you wanted to see me about something important. Are you OK?
Zita, last time you told me
you could make Long go back to the way he was before. Can you tell me how?
Why do you suddenly want to know?
I know what Long has done
these past five years I was in hospital.
He didn't come back from the States for me or the magazine.
He did it for himself. He's already gone astray.
Derek, you must stay calm.
Can you just pretend that you know nothing? Just forget about it. Focus on recuperating.
I will deal with Long's problem.
How can I stay calm? I asked Long to come back.
Do you know how I feel? I feel like I've brought a devil into Modes.
Zita, what can we do to help Long? Please tell me.
I must deal him a total defeat.
He's too conceited and arrogant. He thinks he's God.
He wants to beat everyone. Only then is he happy.
There's only one way to wake him up. He needs to lose everything.
He can no longer carry the title Trend Master.
He needs to lose Modes too. We have to take everything from him.
Maybe you're right. We need to crush him.
The harder the fall, the greater the pain.
Derek, this is the best moment to do this. Can you tell a lie for me?
Tell a lie and we can save Long.
Hey, did you guys get an urgent call to go back to the office?
Do you know what's going on?
You don't know? Didn't you see Gina's website?
No, I didn't.
This morning they posted a sneak peek of their next issue.
How come you guys don't know?
Now it's exactly the same.
Ada, how's the situation now? Where's Chief?
I'm sorry for asking the colleagues from editorial and art departments
to come in so early.
This morning Gina posted the cover for their next issue on their website.
It's an exact copy of the cover that Ada prepared
in terms of color, font and all the other details.
I'm sure someone in our office leaked the layout.
Those who had a chance to see the layout
include our colleagues in editorial
and those in the art department.
In other words, everyone here is a suspect.
We've discussed with Chief. This is commercial theft.
We should report this to the police and let them handle this case.
But we want to give this colleague a chance.
If she'll confess now, we can handle this in a low-profiled manner.
Ada, who had access to your layout? Can you tell Chief again?
Chief approved my layout the day before yesterday.
Then I gave the memory stick to Yan. I told her to give it to the art department.
No one else except Yan had the memory stick.
Hey, what do you mean by saying that?
Yan was kind enough to help you. Don't wrongly accuse an innocent person.
I didn't say Yan did it. Everyone here could be the culprit.
So many people come and go here. It may not have been one of us.
Ada is right.
She did give me the memory stick. Perhaps I failed to handle it carefully.
The office is so big. The memory stick wasn't locked in a safe.
How can they put all the blame on you?
A third of the pages for the next issue aren't done yet.
Now the cover is being used by another magazine.
It won't help to find the culprit.
Did Gina ask someone to hack into our computers?
You think this is a movie? I believe there's a mole.
Chief, I suggest that we conduct an internal investigation
before reporting this to the police.
There are only eleven people in the editorial and art departments.
We can check their computers first. What do you think?
Checking their computers involves privacy issues.
I believe we all want to find out the truth.
No one would mind even if you check their computers, Chief.
You can speak up if you object to it.
Since there's no objection, it's decided then.
James, Tim, you two go downstairs with our colleagues from the art department
and check their computers.
Everyone else go back to your desks.
Martin and I will check your computers one by one.
I want everyone present during the process.
We'll get back to work then.
Vincy, do you know there was an earthquake in the editorial department?
Gina posted Modes' cover online first, right?
What was Ip Long's reaction
when he found out?
He's now checking everyone's computers
in the editorial and art departments.
But even if he found the mole, so what?
They don't have the cover now. How can they sell the magazine?
The more chaotic the situation is in Modes, the more advantageous it is for Modes Girl.
The earthquake has just begun. My reporter friends called me.
They said Modes' founding chief editor Pook Sai-tung
will hold a press conference tomorrow to tell Ip Long's secrets.
Thank you Ada...Excuse me, Zoe.
Thank you, Danielle.
Chief, I...
It's OK. Thank you.
If there's nothing's in the art department, what then?
Should we check the phones too?
Sorry to trouble everyone.
The most important thing now is the cover for the next issue.
I don't want to drag this incident on.
Martin will carry with this investigation.
Ada. Zoe, come here.
Prepare another cover. You can still use Nana.
I will liaise with the brands for you.
Zoe, I've got Le Rouge to sponsor your column.
Make an appointment to go and get the clothes. OK. Thank you, guys.
Danielle, Ivy wants to discuss the problems related to the drafts with you.
Meg, just now I found it weird that
Master didn't find anything on Yan's computer.
But something else was even weirder. Guess what it was.
What?
You smiled. When Master said Yan was OK, you smiled.
Why did you smile? Were you really happy that Yan was fine?
Danielle, you didn't ask me to do it to hurt Yan.
Modes has lost its cover now. There's enough trouble for Master.
Do you know which side you're on?
Apart from Ip Long, Yan and everyone related to Modes is our enemy.
Whoever sympathizes with our enemies and lets Modes survive
is not entitled to stay in Modes Girl.
I can ask Ip Long to transfer you back to Modes.
Then Yan will carry on being your head.
You will never get a chance to become an editor.
Danielle, I didn't mean that.
I promise I won't consider Yan my friend anymore.
I'm sorry. I won't smile anymore.
Listen carefully.
Why did Mr Ma let Modes Girl resume publication?
Why did he let another magazine compete with an existing one?
He wants us to fight each other.
The magazine left standing in the end is the one that will survive.
We can't go soft. Do you understand?
Got it.
Come in...You wanted to see me?
I've changed the locations for several columns to the studio.
I've changed all the layouts. See if there are any problems.
Go ahead. I'll talk to you if there's a problem...
Anything else?
Why didn't you ask me
why there was an email message on my computer that sent something to Gina?
Because I think if you knew the answer,
I wouldn't need to delete the email message. Remember,
you must protect your password for your computer...
Yan, I don't know if anyone has told you before
that the editorial department is actually like an arena.
There are lions and tigers everywhere.
If you want to survive, you can't be a lamb. Understand?
Got it.
Hello, Paul.
Mr Yip, our news agency just heard that
the former chief editor Poon Sai-tung of your magazine
is holding a press conference tomorrow.
It seems to be related to your recent scandal.
Is Poon Sai-tung holding the press conference
in his personal capacity?
I don't think so.
The press release came from Gina's PR department.
Got it. Thank you, Paul.