Chapter 218 Jealousy
Leopold had to work in his study every evening. Caroline knew he'd been working hard lately, so she prepared some fruit and tea to bring in.
As she set them on the desk, she noticed the document title on his laptop screen and said in surprise, "The Reynolds Group? You're working with the Reynolds Group?"
Among the top three travel agencies in the country, the Reynolds Group ranked second, though the other two wouldn't acknowledge anyone as first.
Leopold replied, "We just started working together recently. It's been going pretty well, so we're planning another project together."
"By the way, didn't you go on a blind date with the Reynolds Group's daughter?" Caroline remembered Leopold mentioning it once.
She still remembered that.
Leopold wasn't sure if bringing this up would make her a little upset. "Are you jealous?"
Caroline found it funny. "What's there to be jealous about? We weren't together back then, so it's normal that you went on blind dates."
"Wait." Leopold pulled her over and sat her on his lap, wrapping his arms around Caroline's waist. "Haven't you ever been jealous of me, even a little?"
She shook her head and tried to free herself from Leopold's arms. "You should get back to work. I won't take up more of your time. Finish early so you can rest early."
"Who said you could leave? I'm not done talking." He grabbed her again. "Pearl was my blind date, and she's beautiful, capable, and has a great figure. Aren't you worried something might happen when we work together? You're not jealous at all?"
"Who goes around accusing themselves like this? Come on, stop thinking about all this nonsense." Caroline finally broke free. "The clothes are dry, I'm going to hang them up."
Leopold watched her back helplessly, then called out stubbornly, "I'm about to video call my blind date—it's a video conference!"
Caroline stood at the door. "Do you need me to close the door?"
She wasn't even jealous. She really didn't care about him enough.
Leopold added, "My blind date was interested in me back then too. You're really not jealous?"
Caroline gripped the door handle and smiled at him, looking kind and gentle as she said sweetly,"Don't drink that tea on the desk yet. Let me go get some rat poison to mix in it."
Leopold burst out laughing. "You are jealous! That's so cute."
Caroline made a throat-slitting gesture. "Shut up."
Leopold pointed at her through the air. "I just love you."
"Gross." Caroline suppressed a smile and closed the door.
After saving his current file, Leopold opened another folder containing a proposal about a hotel chain.
Leopold opened a video call and put on his headphones. Allegra appeared on the screen.
To prepare for the variety show recording, Leopold brought his team to Solstice Mountain Hotel to arrange the crew and celebrity accommodations and logistics in advance.
The season was perfect, and the hotel had plenty of space for the crew to set up and build competition areas. Next to the hotel was a newly completed golf course built to match tournament standards.
After Leopold's team discussed with the production crew, they reached a final plan. Leopold's team would contact a construction company to start building the venue, and naturally, this good opportunity went to Maddox.
He called Maddox, who was working on drawings at his computer, holding the phone between his shoulder and ear. "What's up?"
Leopold heard occasional sounds from the phone. "Working on drawings?"
"Yeah, I have to submit one tomorrow," Maddox said.
"Want a money-making job? Interested?" Leopold asked.
Maddox laughed. "Sure, who wouldn't want to make money?"
Leopold walked to a quiet spot. "Beg me."
"Get lost."
Leopold laughed. "Come to my office this afternoon. You know that super popular variety show, right? They're coming to Solstice Mountain Hotel to film, and they need venue construction. You'll be happy with the payment."
"Okay."
After hanging up, Maddox worked even faster.
Next, Leopold had to arrange accommodations and meals for the celebrities according to the list the production team gave him. Celebrities were people too, with requirements about where they stayed and what they ate. For example, one male star wouldn't stay in an end room or near the elevator, one female star only ate vegetarian food, and needed strict calorie control.
Some even required staying on a private floor to prevent stalker fans from taking secret photos and following them. Once you knew the reason, it was understandable.
This particular male star was currently at the top of the entertainment industry. Last year, when staying at a hotel, a fan climbed through his window into his room. It was a luxury suite with multiple rooms, and the fan chose the room where the star kept his clothes, hiding in the closet until the star went to bed at night. In the early morning hours, the star half-woke to hear breathing near his ear. When he opened his eyes, he saw the fan crouching on the floor watching him sleep. Just thinking about it was creepy.
Considering the status of the celebrities for this episode, Leopold arranged for increased security measures and personnel, bringing in elite security staff from hotels in various locations to provide comprehensive protection.
During lunch break, Maddox came to Leopold's office. Leopold had just returned to the company. He made two cups of coffee and handed one to Maddox, saying, "Let me catch my breath, then we'll talk."
Maddox said, "No rush."
He looked at Leopold's desk, piled high like a small mountain.
"You seem a lot busier than before," Maddox said.
Leopold rubbed his aching temples. "The boss pays me all that money, including for the hard work."
"Good money, but exhausting work. Nobody has it easy," Maddox sighed.
Leopold put his hand down. "You're the boss, what are you complaining about?"
Maddox opened up. "I am the boss, but you're forgetting—I'm also the contractor. Do you know how disgusting some clients' requirements are? Ever heard of 'colorful black' or 'square circles'?"
Leopold fell silent.
Maddox took a sip of coffee. "Let's not talk about this. Talk about it too much, and clients get high blood pressure, and I want to live a long life."
Leopold smiled. "Alright, let's get started. Let's talk about the production team's requirements."
Maddox came to the computer. Leopold opened files from a USB drive and explained in detail what kind of scenes, colors, and safety requirements were needed for each location. Maddox had a quick mind and understood everything clearly. Combined with Leopold's clear explanations, he quickly built a mental picture of the plan the variety show needed.
Leopold copied the files for Maddox. "Keep it confidential. Part of what I'm paying you is for confidentiality—absolutely no public disclosure."
Maddox said, "Don't worry, this isn't my first time doing this kind of project."
Leopold noticed Maddox looked more worn out lately and said with concern, "Don't take on too many jobs. It's not worth it if you wear yourself out."
Maddox ran his hand through his messy hair and stretched his neck before saying, "I can't help it. If I stop, the company stops. Just one more year and it'll be better."